Chapter 1,482 Before the War 2
Chapter 1482 Before the War 2
Lieutenant General Le Bris made this decision for a reason. Strategically speaking, if the German fleet cannot be severely damaged, then such a thing will happen again, because the main force of the British and French fleets cannot dock near these two islands for a long time, because This is not a military port. Without forts, minefields, adequate anti-submarine nets and other defense facilities, the fleet would be very dangerous here. And there’s also supplies to consider.
Previously, the French chose to use this place as a springboard to launch an attack based on the annihilation of the Allied Mediterranean Fleet. Therefore, the French chose to launch a landing operation from here. But now, not only has the Allied Mediterranean Fleet not been completely annihilated, but it has also backhand The French have made a complete mess, and the most basic safety guarantee for the landing troops has been lost. How are you going to ask the French to fight in the future?
Although Lieutenant General Le Bris is a naval officer, he still has a very accurate grasp of the situation in the entire theater. He knows very well that if the Germans are allowed to leave this time, whether the Allied Powers can continue their offensive in the Balkans in the future will matter. It's hard to say. The Dardanelles is definitely impossible to attack. You don't even dare to attack someone who pulls them out, but you plan to attack them at their doorstep? What are you thinking about? !
The offensive on Greek land may not be launched, because the British Army stated that it is definitely not a good thing to fight against the well-equipped Bavarian Army in such easy-to-defend and difficult-to-attack terrain. Then the only hope in the end is that the Allied forces land in Asia Minor and then directly destroy the core area of Turkey! Türkiye surrenders or withdraws from the war and opens up the Black Sea lines of communication.
Lieutenant General Le Bris knew very well that if the Allied navies dare not take action this time, then don't even think about fighting with each other in the future. Although this time is dangerous, it is definitely the best opportunity! It is not necessary to sink the entire Allied Mediterranean fleet here, at least it must be severely damaged!
The French decided to block their opponents at the exit of the strait. Four super-dreadnoughts and three Dandong-class battleships formed a battle line nearly 3 kilometers long. Armored cruisers and destroyers were behind the fleet, ready to launch an assault at any time. For this battle, the French navy had almost all its chips, but the British... Alas, forget it!
Lord Hamilton, who had the same opinion as France, also believed that this battle was inevitable and that even if there were difficulties, it must be fought. His request was even more radical than that of the French. He hoped that the fleet could enter the strait and then take the initiative to ask the Germans for a battle. Of course, this opinion was directly rejected by all the Allied naval leaders, including Lieutenant General Le Bris, who went in to form a formation. It can't be unfolded, so it's still tied up!
However, the Lord's telegram still worked. Now, whether Sir Fisher and Lieutenant General Trenchard are willing or not, they must touch the German fleet! At 5:30 in the morning, the British fleet and the French fleet converged at the western exit of Edremit Bay. After adding the British Super Dreadnought, the entire Allied fleet changed. Four Danton-class battleships retreated to the second line, and four British The battleships filled the vacancy, and a total of 8 super-dreadnought battleships were waiting for the arrival of their opponents at the northern exit of the strait!
And at this time,
Lieutenant General Trenchard's first batch of aircraft is about to arrive on the battlefield. More than 70 various fighter jets and reconnaissance aircraft form 6 squadrons in the air, 4 of which will hover over the fleet, another as a reconnaissance aircraft, and the last one as a Reserve team.
"The British and French fleets seem to be planning to fight with us." When the dawn sun shone on the Aegean Sea, from the control tower of the flagship Sultan Selim I, the German fleet could already see the British fleet in the distance. There were plumes of smoke. The weather is very good today, perfect for a big fight.
The reconnaissance planes and correction aircraft began to take off and flew over the opponent's fleet. The planes of both sides were scouting the other's position while trying to drive away the other's reconnaissance plane. Before the battle between the fleets, the air forces of the two sides had already collided. The roar of engines and the roar of machine guns came from the air from time to time, but no one focused on this. They were just aperitifs before the meal. They could refresh themselves, but they were not worth paying attention to!
"The British and French fleets are all elite. If you count the three Dandong-class battleships, then they have 8 super-dreadnoughts and 3 dreadnoughts. There are more destroyers and pre-dreadnought battleships. Our situation is very bad." An officer said . In fact, due to the blockage of the island, neither side can observe the other's entire fleet. The entire strait is in a V shape. As long as the German fleet does not pass the corner, neither side can fully exert each other's firepower, because the buildings on the island directly affect Observation.
Of course, reconnaissance aircraft can see each other regardless of ground obstacles, but after all, there is no data link in this plane, so it is very difficult to rely entirely on aircraft correction. In actual combat, the superior fleet cannot fully exert its firepower as imagined. Although the British and French fleets have more than 2 times the advantage, when two or even three warships attack a warship at the same time, you will be divided. Do you know which ship these fallen shells belong to? It's okay at first, but it will definitely get messy after a while!
The fleets on both sides are like two groups of soldiers separated by a corner, waiting for the other side to show up, and then have a big fight. It is okay to take the initiative to attack through the corridor, but whoever goes up will definitely have a disadvantage in formation, and there will definitely be problems with the use of firepower. However, as time passes by, the balance of the God of War is constantly swinging!
After some negotiation, although it was Vice Admiral Le Bris who advocated war, the British fleet was not large in number and the air force was also provided by the British. In addition, after all, Sir Fisher was once the Lord of the Admiralty and held a high position. Therefore, the overall commander of this maritime battle was Sir Fisher, and Vice Admiral Le Bris could only be ranked second.
The Germans were not in a hurry. They needed to wait until the bombers launched an air strike before their fleet took advantage of the chaos to launch an assault. So they can afford to wait. However, the Allies could not afford to wait. Admiral Trenchard's telegram made it very clear. If you can't get it by 10 a.m. at the latest, prepare to evacuate! The Air Force can't play anymore!
"The Germans are like mice hiding in the corner. From time to time, they poke their heads out to watch the entire battlefield, waiting for the opportunity to escape. However, we cannot wait any longer! Order, the 3rd Cruiser Division leads the 2nd Destroyer Group Launch a probing attack! If you have the chance, entangle your opponent!" Sir Fisher ordered. The British, who couldn't wait any longer, launched the attack first!
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