Chapter 2244 Hipper’s Efforts 2
And what about Hipper himself? The situation of Seydlitz and Goben is good, but the situation of the two Helgoland-class battleships is a bit bad. The two battleships combined have only 8 guns available... There was nothing I could do. I was a little injured when I restrained Thomas just now. Overall it is definitely weak. If they merge with the main fleet, they can naturally let the main fleet help share the pressure. However, Hipper thought about it and thought that before locking the provincial bureau, it is better not to cause trouble to the main fleet. He should bear the pressure himself. Anyway, it was so big just now. At a disadvantage, Hipper ran out with two battlecruisers. The situation now can't be worse than before, right? Therefore, Hipper, who had just taken the blame for the main strength of the entire High Seas Fleet, decided to continue this promising and stressful career...
"When the war ended, in the first post-war marshal investiture ceremony of the German Navy, Admiral Hipper, Admiral Scheer and Count Spee were awarded the rank of marshal. This decision made many people incomprehensible. , Admiral Scheer was awarded the rank of Marshal because he was responsible for the regular work of the High Seas Fleet. When Crown Prince Ruprecht was away, he was the well-deserved Commander of the High Seas Fleet. And Count Spee was awarded the rank of Marshal because of his He commanded the Allied Mediterranean Fleet and launched several battles in the most dangerous environment, and was a person responsible for a strategic direction."
"Many people expressed confusion about Hipper's award, and even attributed his marshal rank to political factors. After all, after the war, Bavaria became the most powerful kingdom in the German Empire, and this kind of Strength is not only reflected in military, economic and political aspects, but also in some so-called face aspects. As the representative of the Bavarian Army in the navy, Hipper was awarded the rank of marshal, but is this really the case?"
"In several battles, the fleet commanded by Hipper was not large in scale. It was just a battlecruiser detachment with a strength of about the same as a lieutenant general. However, whether it was the Battle of Dogger Sand Bank, Hipper's battle against the North Sea The destruction of the blockade and the subsequent battle in the Baltic Sea were both remarkable. Hipper's greatest achievement was to hold off his opponent in the final battle of the Norwegian Sea, giving the main force of the High Seas Fleet an advantage in the battle. In this state, he contained the opponent's superior force with a force that was far weaker than the opponent's. His spirit of sacrifice, as well as his determination and intelligence under tremendous pressure fully proved the gold content of his title of marshal. If it were not for Hipper, the High Seas Fleet would probably You will have to pay more heavy losses, and a high seas fleet with relatively well-preserved strength will have a very important impact on the international situation after the war!" After the war, Marshal Tirpitz described Hipper in his memoirs. Contribution to this war! Of course, this is something for later, let’s not mention it for now.
"The situation is a bit difficult to handle." Hipper frowned. Although it seems that I have four super-dreadnoughts in my hands, in fact, there are only two battlecruisers that can produce higher output. The two Helgoland-class battleships only have four main guns. This number of main guns is too small. It is a bit difficult to correct the shot. Having half as many artillery pieces does not mean that the firepower is reduced by half. It may be reduced by 70% or even more! This time, the British's advantage in the number of main guns finally came into play. Four main guns were also knocked out. The first-generation British super-dreadnought still had six guns, which could barely be corrected with half salvos, but the German fleet had some difficulties. .
"Let's bite them from behind! Fight the weak ships first, then the strong ships!" After thinking for three minutes, Hipper finally issued the combat order. Now, the slowest ones in Hipper's fleet have 22 The speed is above 1 knot, and what about the British battleships? Even without damage, the speed of those old-fashioned dreadnoughts was only about 20 knots, and now, after a great battle, the speed gap must be even greater. The biggest advantage of fast battleships is that they can choose to engage or leave.
And this time, Hipper caught it!
With the Seydlitz as the flagship, the four German battleships drew a U-shaped track on the sea and quickly cut diagonally toward the rear of the fleet commanded by Lieutenant General Duff. Ten minutes later, accompanied by the roar of cannonballs rubbing the air, columns of water rose around the Magnificent and Reckless at the rear of the British fleet!
"Damn it! They actually bit our tail!" Looking at the two British dreadnoughts fighting back in the distance under German artillery fire, Lieutenant General Duff really realized what a dilemma is! Before encountering Hipper, Lieutenant General Duff considered various possible situations. For example, if the German fleet was forcibly blocked in front of him, then the British fleet would have no choice but to fight directly or be blocked by Hipper. , or be defeated and Hipper rushes over. For another example, if the Germans choose to give priority to rendezvous with their own fleet, then it is easier to handle and they can just speed up and catch up. What these two situations have in common is that the British have only one choice.
But now, when the Germans carried out this harassment-like tactic, Lieutenant General Duff was a little confused because he didn't know how to choose! Vice Admiral Duff can throw away the two dreadnoughts behind. You can also turn around and fight the Germans, but no matter what you choose, your situation seems not to be good!
It seems possible to throw away two dreadnoughts and let them block the German fleet. However, how many rounds can these two dreadnoughts survive under the guns of the German super-dreadnoughts? In a 1V1 situation, it only took 15 minutes for the Bavaria-class to kill a battleship of the Iron Duke's level and achieve the first result! And now, it's 2 against 4! The opponent is 4 super Dreadnoughts! Vice Admiral Duff was really worried that his interception fleet might be wasted!
And what if we fight back? Lieutenant General Duff believes that the situation of the German fleet is definitely not good! After all, the German battlecruiser squadron and the fourth battleship squadron had been severely damaged once before by the Thomas fleet with absolute superiority! Even if he escaped by chance, the battle injuries were probably serious, otherwise Hipper could have fought head-on. But even if it is worse, the combat effectiveness of the German fleet is still very high. Let’s not talk about the results, time will certainly not delay it! Moreover, if you want to face the Hipper fleet, you must turn, and the German fleet can choose whether to engage in battle!
Sometimes, it is the easiest when there is only one choice, because there is only one way, just go straight, but if there are multiple choices, it is the most troublesome situation! At this moment, Hipper had the advantage. No matter what, he could hold off his opponent, if nothing else happened!
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