It was about to get dark, and the time seemed to be very favorable for Phillips' fleet, but just when Phillips felt that he was about to see the light of escape, a very embarrassing situation occurred.

The battleship Weary of War, which was trailing behind the battleship Revenge, hoisted the white flag at this time.

Yes, the battle-weary battleship of the proud Home Fleet of the Royal Navy, hoisting a white flag at this time, broke away from the battle in the most humiliating way.

Watching the battleship Weary of War, which broke away from the fleet, slowed down and sent a clear telegram to surrender, Phillips knew that he had lost after all.

Only one battleship, the USS Revenge, was still behind his battleship, the Rodney, and the other cruisers were nothing compared to the losses.

The German Navy's carrier-based aircraft had already left, and it was getting dark, and all Phillips could do was leave with the two battleships he had promoted, like a lost dog.

The British Home Fleet, which was already unstable, finally chose to compromise in the face of the abandonment of its own men and the enemy's attack.

The battleships Warweary lowered their flags and hoisted a white flag that they should have hoisted a long time ago.

At the same time, the damaged battleship Barham also chose to surrender. Together with the Dreadnought aircraft carrier, which had been tilted into the water but did not sink, Lütjans could be said to have won a big victory this time.

The German navy had high morale and the battleships themselves had the upper hand, while the British navy had long since lost its sharpness at this moment, let alone the determination to fight to the death.

In comparison, the defeat of the British Navy was simply a foregone conclusion. Before dark, the German Navy took over three warships and had them join their fleet, slowly retreating back to Brest.

As for the fleeing British fleet, Lütjans had no idea of chasing them. The other side has made it clear that it wants to escape into US waters, and it will not have much effect if it continues to chase and kill.

In addition, his fleet had to watch the wounded and surrendered three British capital ships, so he did not have the ability to maneuver in the past.

Lütjans did not want to divide his forces, and he feared that the British navy would jump over the wall and use the darkness of night to cause trouble for his fleet.

Because of this, he cautiously retreated with his fleet, leaving enough time for the British defector fleet to escape.

Looking at the gradually darkening sky, Lütjans asked the officer behind him, "How is the matter received by the battleship?" ”

"No problem at all! We have already controlled all the British, and it is difficult to fight with these ships, and it is not difficult at all to drive back to Brest. The officer replied confidently.

These British sailors were all people who had been through a rebellion, and it was even more difficult to get them to rebel again.

Just like suicide, people who commit suicide once rarely have suicidal thoughts again. Those who have rebelled also attach great importance to loyalty and credit, and will not easily choose to betray again.

"The pursuit seems impossible, but it's cheaper damn Phillips!" Looking at the sunset in the distance hatefully, Hines said with some reluctance.

He wanted to completely annihilate this British naval force, and every time he let go of a battleship at this time, there would be one more enemy in the future.

"What to chase? From the moment the war-weariness surrendered, we had no ability to pursue. Throw aside these surrendered battleships? Catching up on your own? Lutejens asked with a smile.

Before Hines could answer, he answered his own question: "With these warships, we have no speed advantage, and we can't catch up with them." ”

Then he paused, and continued: "What's more, without the reconnaissance and tailing of carrier-based aircraft, do you know in which direction these Britons fled?" ”

Lütjans really did not know the exact target of the British fleet, and from the point of view of defection, it made no difference whether this fleet went to the United States or to India.

These are completely two options for going south and north, and the possibility of establishing radar contact is almost equal to zero by blindly pursuing at night.

It was precisely because of this that Lütjans gave up his intention to pursue the British fleet and concentrated on receiving the surrendered British warships.

The results were remarkable, and soon he took control of the wounded battleship Barham, and then caught up with the war-weariness with the white flag.

When he turned around, he found the aircraft carrier Dreadnought, which was a lot of money. As long as these warships were repaired, the strength of the German Navy could be significantly improved.

Because the badly damaged Dreadnought aircraft carrier had only 5 knots left, the German fleet also had to sail with it at a speed of 5 knots.

The battleship Barham, which had been lightly damaged, was also old, after all, this battleship was also an old battleship.

The legacy of the real Royal Navy that the Germans got is still largely on the slipway. For example, the Duke of York, which was half out of work, was built.

There is also the battleship Ramirez, which has been repaired to 99 percent, and this battleship was still under repair with British radar and has undergone modern modifications.

With these two battleships, plus the two capital ships HMS Counter and HMS George V, the German Navy's capital ships could be raised to eight.

On the morning of 8 March, inside the headquarters of the Naval Base in Gibraltar, General Somerville looked coldly at the German officers who stepped out of the car with his hands behind his back.

From this day on, the German forces officially took over the naval base in Gibraltar, where he, the naval commander, was to hand over his warship and the port he guarded.

"Your Excellency, General." The German officers who came were very topper-hatted and treated Somerville with due respect.

Somerville was a little depressed, and after returning a military salute, he handed over the matter of handing over the defense and fleet to his deputy.

He had received orders from His Majesty the King and the Prime Minister to lead his troops back to the mainland to establish the new Royal Navy of the British Empire.

Because of the defection of the fleet, the only warship he can command now is the poor old battleship Malaya.

Most of the sailors then had to return to the British mainland on the old battleship, and the ships that remained in the port of Gibraltar were placed under German control.

Including the battleship Warrior, the flagship of the H Fleet, which was previously commanded by Somerville, and the only remaining aircraft carrier of the H Fleet, the Radiance.

The mighty British fleet actually handed over 8 capital ships and 2 aircraft carriers to its enemies in the end, and Somerville remembered this ending, and his heart was full of sadness.

"General! Our real enemies are the Americans, who plotted to plunge Europe into civil war, and the Soviets, who dreamed every day of planting the red flag all over the world. As if seeing the hatred in Somerville's heart, the German generals who came to accept it opened their mouths to comfort him.

"I have no enemies now." Somerville shook his head and said with relief to the German general, who had been an enemy a few days ago: "The war is over, at least the war that belongs to Britain is over. ”

In the distance, German sailors and infantry with rifles were climbing the ladder and rushing onto the tall battleship Warrior.

Because both British and German sailors had done things such as self-sinking or defection, they had to be cautious and cautious in the work of receiving battleships.

The operation was complete when the soldiers inspected each compartment with their weapons, replaced the British sailors on duty, and took control of the ship.

On the other hand, the German troops who entered the base in Gibraltar realized how terrible it was.

Tunnels extend in all directions, connecting every major battle position. There were many batteries, and there was also dense anti-aircraft fire.

There is also an airfield where many fighter jets can take off, and it is simply a full-fledged war fortress.

The warehouses inside the tunnel also stocked large quantities of food, enough ammunition for Gibraltar to fight alone for several months. It can even be used to repair warships simply, and it is worthy of being a British military port that has been operating for many years.

Just by looking at the huge batteries of more than 200 mm calibre, and the stockpile of mines that are large enough to block the Strait of Gibraltar, it is clear that any attempt to attack the area will pay a heavy price.

With this fortress, the Italian navy could never leave the Mediterranean, and with this fortress, Britain would always be the most powerful presence in the Mediterranean.

"I heard that yesterday evening, you intercepted the rebellious British fleet?" Because there were warships surrendering, they still used clear code to send reports, so the news spread very quickly.

The German officer, hearing Somerville's question, nodded and replied: "There is already a report on the radio, I heard that the navy won a great victory and dealt a heavy blow to the defector fleet. ”

Because nominally, the two countries are now half allies, so the British defection fleet, in the mouths of German officers, also used the adjective defection.

When Somerville heard the news, he shook his head and sighed. If these battleships could be honestly handed over to the German Navy, Liverpool's supplementary Lend-Lease treaty might not have appeared.

As a result, because of such a chaotic uprising, the British lost an important port, not to mention, and let the German army plant a deadly nail in their back.

Even if Britain were to prepare to retake Liverpool by force in the future, there would be a place for the Germans there to retreat.

"I'll leave tonight, and it's up to you to arrange the supervisors on the battleship Malaya." Somerville was silent for a long time, and finally spoke.

Using the German army to spy on its own warships was enough to disgrace the Royal Navy. Somerville was going to leave as fast as he could, and he wasn't even going to attend the farewell dinner.