Chapter 741 The Local Tyrants Have Local Solutions

The three Lake Esse-class battlecruisers that the Dutch transferred to Germany in April 1942 could not have gone to the North Atlantic to fight a night battle. Because they were all converted into aircraft carriers (only the hulls were transferred, without superstructures, and they were easy to convert), and were named "E carriers".

Now the hulls of the three E carriers have been completed and towed to Wilhelmshaven for outfitting. They will not be able to conduct sea trials until after the spring equinox in 1943.

According to the design, the standard displacement of the E carrier will be as high as 28,500 tons, and the full load displacement will exceed 36,000 tons. It has a double-deck hangar and can carry 72 carrier-based aircraft in the full hangar accommodation mode. If the partial deck mooring method is adopted, the number of carrier-based aircraft will be able to reach 90. Although it is not as good as the Zeppelin class, it is also a very powerful fleet aircraft carrier.

When the Arctic polar day arrives in the spring of 1943, the European Combined Fleet will have 5 large fleet aircraft carriers (2 Zeppelin-class, 3 E-class aircraft carriers) and 3 light fleet aircraft carriers (2 Seydlitz-class, 1 Chaffee-class) and 3 cruise ship-converted quasi-fleet aircraft carriers (Europa, Bremen, Alsace), a total of 11 very valuable fleet aircraft carriers.

By then, the command of the entire Atlantic Ocean will definitely be firmly controlled by the European Combined Fleet again.

However, in the early morning of December 10, 1942, in the North Atlantic, the European Combined Fleet, which had just won a key naval victory, was still at a disadvantage in terms of manpower.

Because the damaged Ludendorff withdrew from the battle under the protection of 3 destroyers and 1 SP-class reconnaissance cruiser - it will withdraw to Saint-Nazaire, France with the Tirpitz, and undergo overhaul and modification there, now the 1st Squadron led by Marshal Lütjens himself has only 9 battleships.

In addition, in the 3rd Squadron, there are also the battleship Gneisenau, two Dunkerque-class battlecruisers, and three P-class missile cruisers with power comparable to that of battleships.

If the P-class missile cruisers are not counted (they seem to have become professional at finishing off the enemy, but they have nothing to do with the battleship artillery battle), there are only 12 battleships/battlecruisers of the European Combined Fleet in the North Atlantic.

On the British, American, and Soviet side, there are still 20, no, 22 battleships/battlecruisers for the time being.

Because the battleships Massachusetts and Alabama still persisted and did not sink.

"Boom..."

The 9 battleships of the European Combined Fleet caught up with the lone Massachusetts 30 minutes ago, and then launched an artillery battle with a huge disparity in strength. In each round of salvo, dozens of shells passed through the dark sky, hitting the Massachusetts with anger, hatred, and desire for victory.

Explosions continued to sound from this unfortunate American battleship, and thick smoke and flames also billowed out. Two 406mm armor-piercing shells hit the Massachusetts's No. 2 and No. 3 turrets one after another. The violent explosions blew the two turrets away and fell into the cold Atlantic Ocean. But the remaining main guns and secondary guns of the Massachusetts were still firing desperately.

At 1:05 a.m., the battleship Roma fired a key shell. The 381mm armor-piercing shell penetrated the Massachusetts's side waterline armor belt. After a violent bang, the Massachusetts battleship lost all power.

Seeing that the American battleship stopped moving in the fire, Marshal Lütjens put down his telescope, exhaled lightly, and then said to the chief of staff, Lieutenant General Messer, beside him: "It has lost power... This cruel artillery battle should be over. Stop the shelling now, signal the other side, I allow them to sink their ships and surrender gracefully."

"Yes, Your Excellency Marshal."

What Lütjens is now showing is the "chivalry" of old Europe, because today's Germany has truly achieved the co-governance of the Junkers and the Nazi Party, so the traditional chivalry has not been annihilated.

According to the "honest propaganda minister" Goebbels, Germany is engaged in a "chivalry war" rather than a "butcher's war."

However, Lütjens allowed the other side to surrender after sinking the warship, not entirely because of chivalry, but because his fleet had 6 battleships equipped with "powder guns" - the main guns of the Richelieu-class battleships and the Veneto-class battleships were very powerful, but the barrel life and the chamber life were not long, so they could not be bombarded endlessly. If the limited service life is used up, Lütjens' fleet will not be able to deal with the NR21 fleet.

At 1:07, one minute after the Hindenburg sent out the signal, all the guns on the Massachusetts stopped firing, and the sea surface that was originally full of gunfire suddenly returned to calm. Although the Americans did not respond with signal, they obviously began to abandon the warships according to Lütjens's request...

"Marshal, received a telegram from the Gneisenau, the 3rd Squadron sank the target ship!"

Three minutes later, Lütjens received another victory report-three V3 missiles hit the Alabama, blowing the battleship in two, and most of the more than 1,000 US Navy officers and soldiers on the ship sank into the Atlantic Ocean with the warship.

Hearing this news, Lütjens smiled with satisfaction, "We have sunk five battleships, all of which are new battleships. Now we have the final say in the North Atlantic." He turned his head and looked at Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Messer, "Where is their transport fleet now?"

"In the G5 sea area, near Greenland." Messer replied.

The NR21 fleet was under constant surveillance by German seaplanes and submarines, so Vice Admiral Messer knew its location very well. When the main force of the Allied Combined Fleet went to fight the main force of the European Combined Fleet, the NR21 fleet, under the protection of the escort fleet with 12 old battleships as the core, has been moving northeast and is now close to Greenland.

"The climate along the coast of Greenland is very harsh. There is wind and snow at every turn. The sea is full of ice floes and some icebergs. There are countless small islands along the coast." Lieutenant General Messer said, "So our Seaplanes and submarines will lose them at any time."

"That's why they are close to Greenland." Lütjens shrugged. "Our enemies are very experienced and veteran navies who know how to take advantage of bad weather."

"Your Excellency, Marshal, are we going north?"

"No." Lütjens shook his head and said with a smile, "We are not going to fight on the sea where there are icebergs and fragmented islands everywhere. It is a battlefield for the weaker side to make a comeback."

Complex sea conditions, complex terrain, and harsh climate have always been beneficial to the weak. Now Lütjens had a great advantage, and there was no need to risk being ambushed by destroyers and mines.

"We will wait near Iceland," Lütjens had already made up his mind, "and then let the mine squadron go to the sea off Reykjavik to lay thousands of mines. When they pass through the mine field, we will use battleships and The torpedo ship attacked."

In the huge fleet that Lütjens brought to the North Atlantic, there were also 10 Y-class fast mine-laying cruisers and 10 ordinary mine-laying ships converted from merchant ships. Among them, the Y-class fast mine-laying cruiser has a displacement of 5,750 tons, can carry 400 magnetic mines, and can reach a speed of 28 knots. The 10 modified minelayers can carry a total of 3,500 magnetic mines.

In addition, the remaining hulls of the mine team (including 1 SP-class reconnaissance cruiser, 10 Brak-class torpedo ships and 10 Philan-class torpedo ships) also carry 1,200 magnetic mines.

In other words, a total of 8,700 mines can be deployed in the target waters. Although these mines are not enough to completely block the port of Reykjavik, they will still cause considerable losses to the passing fleet. If the European combined fleet takes the opportunity to attack again, it will definitely gain a lot.

…

"Comrade Military Commissar, we have contacted the Red Caucasus and the Kirov. They are safe and sound, and nearly 2,000 British and American naval officers and soldiers have been salvaged."

At 8:15 a.m. on December 10, Bulganin had just gotten up after taking a nap in his political commissar's cabin, and Kuznetsov came excitedly to report the good news to him.

"Great, even the Red Caucasus and Kirov are fine." Bulganin laughed a few times, "It seems that the Red Navy has withstood the test! Comrade Kuznetsov, where are we now?" "

Kuznetsov replied: "We have merged with the NR21 fleet, and the Kronstadt and Sevastopol have also arrived."

"Then can we reach Iceland safely now?" Bulganin's smile was quickly replaced by a look of anxiety.

In last night's battle, although the Soviet Red Navy did not suffer much losses, it was definitely defeated, and it was a disastrous defeat! Although after joining forces with NR21 and the escort fleet, the Allied Combined Fleet can still produce 18 battleships/battlecruisers.

But most of these 18 battleships/battlecruisers are obsolete items from the World War I era, and only 6 Soviet ships are new.

Kuznetsov's face also became serious. He shook his head and said: "Comrade Military Commissar, I have discussed with General Ingersoll and Lieutenant General Fraser for several hours and believe that it is impossible to go to Iceland for the time being. Because Germany People will definitely be waiting there for me to come, and they will probably lay a large number of mines in the waters near Iceland."

"What should we do?"

"After crossing the Denmark Strait, the NR21 fleet split into two, and most of the ships headed south to Scapa Flow."

"Going south to Scapa Flow?" Bulganin was surprised, "How is this possible? Won't the Germans intercept it midway?"

Kuznetsov smiled bitterly and shook his head and said: "No, Admiral Ingersoll is going to use some bait to lure away the German fleet."

"Bait? What bait?"

"100 freighters...the total tonnage is almost 1 million tons!"