It was impossible for the three Ethiopian-class battlecruisers transferred by the Dutch to Germany in April 1942 to go to the North Atlantic to fight at night. Pen @ fun @ pavilion wWw. ｂｉｑUｇE。 info Because they were all converted into aircraft carriers (only the hull was transferred, there was no superstructure, it was easy to retrofit), and they were named "E ships".

Now that the hulls of the three E ships have been completed, they have been towed to Wilhelmshaven for outfitting, and sea trials will not be carried out until about the spring equinox of 1943.

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

By the time the Arctic Polar Day arrives in the spring of '43, the Combined European Fleet will have 5 large fleet aircraft carriers (2 Zeppelin-class, 3 E-carriers) and 3 light fleet aircraft carriers (2 Seydlitz-class, 1 Xiafei-class) and 3 cruise converted quasi-fleet aircraft carriers (Europa, Bremen, Alsace), a total of 11 fleet aircraft carriers of great value.

At that time, the sea supremacy of the entire Atlantic will certainly once again be firmly in the hands of the European Combined Fleet.

However, in the early hours of December 10, 1942, in the North Atlantic, the European Combined Fleet, which had just won a crucial naval battle, was still at a disadvantage in terms of strength.

As a result of the wounded Ludendorff, which was withdrawn from the battle under the protection of 3 destroyers and 1 SP-class reconnaissance cruiser, it was to be withdrawn along with the Tirpitz to Saint-Nazaire, France, where it was to undergo major repairs and refits, and now only 9 battleships remained in the possession of the 1st Sentai under the personal command of Field Marshal Lütjans.

In addition, in the 3rd squadron, there were the battleship Gneisenau and 2 Dunkirk-class battlecruisers and 3 P-class missile cruisers with comparable power to battleships.

If you don't count the P-class missile cruisers (they seem to be mending knives now, but the battle line artillery battle is nothing to do with them), in the North Atlantic, there are only 12 European Combined Fleet warships/battle cruisers left.

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

Because the battleships Massachusetts and the USS Alabama still held out and did not sink.

"Boom ......"

Nine battleships of the Combined European Fleet caught up with the lone USS Massachusetts 30 minutes earlier, and then began a disparity in artillery battles. With each salvo, dozens of shells pierced the darkened sky, smashing into the Massachusetts with rage, hatred, and a desire for victory.

Explosions continued to sound from the hapless American battleship, along with billowing smoke and flames. Two 406mm armor-piercing shells hit the Massachusetts' No. 2 and No. 3 turrets one after the other, and the violent explosion threw the two turrets flying and falling into the icy Atlantic. But the remaining main and secondary guns of the Massachusetts were still firing desperately.

At 1:05 a.m., the battleship Roma fired a crucial shell, and the 381mm armor-piercing shell pierced the broadside waterline armor belt of the Massachusetts, and after a violent thud, the battleship Massachusetts lost all power.

Seeing that the American battleship in the firelight stopped moving, Marshal Lütjans put down his binoculars, exhaled softly, and then said to the chief of staff next to him, Vice Admiral Messer: "It has lost power...... This brutal artillery battle should be over. Now stop the shelling, give the other side a light word, and I will allow them to surrender with dignity after sinking the ship. ”

"Yes, Marshal."

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

According to the "honest propaganda minister" Goebbels, what was going on in Germany was a "knight's war", not a "butcher's war".

However, Lütjans allowed the other side to scuttle the warship and surrender, not entirely because of chivalry, but because his formation had six battleships equipped with "cannons" - the Richelieu-class battleships and the Veneto-class battleships The main guns were very powerful, but the barrel life and the life of the medicine room were not long, and they could not be bombarded endlessly. If the limited service life is exhausted, Lütjans's fleet will not be able to deal with the NR21 fleet.

At 1:07, one minute after the Hindenburg sounded the light, all the guns on the Massachusetts stopped firing, and the sea that had been under fire suddenly returned to calm. The Americans, although they did not respond with a lamp, apparently began to abandon the warship at the request of Lütjans......

"Marshal, received a telegram from the Gneisenau, the 3rd Sentai has sunk the target ship!"

Three minutes later, Lütjans received another piece of good news—three V3 missiles hit the USS Alabama, blowing the battleship in two, and most of the more than 1,000 U.S. Navy officers and sailors on board sank into the Atlantic Ocean with the warship.

Hearing this, Lu Teyans showed a satisfied smile, "We have sunk 5 battleships, and they are all cutting-edge battleships, and now we have the final say in the North Atlantic." He turned his head to look at the chief of staff, Lieutenant General Messer, "Where is their convoy now?" ”

"In the G5 sea zone, close to Greenland." Messer replied.

The NR21 flotilla was constantly under the surveillance of German seaplanes and submarines, so Vice Admiral Messer knew its location very well. While the main forces of the Allied Combined Fleet were on their way to meet the main forces of the Combined European Fleet, the NR21 fleet, under the protection of an escort fleet with 12 old battleships as the core, had been advancing to the northeast and was now close to Greenland.

"The climate along the coast of Greenland is very harsh, with wind and snow at every turn, ice floes everywhere, some icebergs, and countless small islands along the coast." Vice Admiral Messer said, "So our seaplanes and submarines will lose them at any moment." ”

"That's why they're close to Greenland." Lütjans shrugged, "Our enemy is a very experienced veteran navy that knows how to take advantage of the bad weather. ”

"Your Excellency, are we going north?"

"Nope." Lutyans shook his head and said with a smile, "Why don't we go to fight on the sea full of icebergs and fragmented islands, which is a battlefield where the weak side turns the tables." ”

Complex sea conditions and complex terrain, as well as harsh climates, have always been beneficial to the weaker side. Now that Lütjans has a big advantage, there is absolutely no need to risk being ambushed by destroyers and mines.

"Let's wait near Iceland," Lütjens had already decided, "and let the mine team go to the sea off Reykjavík to lay a few thousand mines." When they pass through the minefield, we attack with battleships and mine-strike ships. ”

Among the huge fleet brought by Lütjans to the North Atlantic were 10 Y-class fast mine-laying cruisers and 10 ordinary mine-laying ships converted from merchant ships. Among them, the Y-class fast-laying mine-laying cruisers have a displacement of 5750 tons, are capable of carrying 400 magnetic mines, and can reach speeds of up to 28 knots. And 10 converted minelayers can carry a total of 3,500 magnetic mines.

In addition, the mine crew (including 1 SP-class reconnaissance cruiser, 10 Burak-class mine-strike ships, and 10 Fil-class mine-strike ships) carried 1,200 magnetic mines on the rest of the hulls.

That is, in total, 8700 mines can be laid into the target water area. These mines, although not enough to completely block the port of Reykjavík, will still cause considerable losses to passing fleets. If the European Combined Fleet takes the opportunity to attack again, it will definitely gain a lot.

……

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

At 8:15 a.m. on December 10, Bulganin, who had been napping for a while in his commissar's cabin, had just woken up when Kuznetsov rushed 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 joined the NR21 flotilla, and the Kronstadt and Sevastopol have arrived. ”

"Can we get to Iceland safe now?" Bulganin's smile was quickly replaced by a look of apprehension.

In last night's engagement, although the Soviet Red Navy did not suffer much loss, it was definitely a defeat, and it was a fiasco! Although after joining forces with the NR21 and the escort fleet, the Allied Combined Fleet was able to come up with 18 battleships/battlecruisers.

But most of these 18 battleships/battlecruisers were obsolete gadgets from the First World War era, and only 6 Soviet ships were new.

Kuznetsov's face also became solemn, and he shook his head and said: "Comrade Military Commissar, I have consulted with Admiral Ingersoll and Lieutenant General Fraser for several hours, and I think that Iceland cannot go for the time being. Because the Germans will be waiting for me to come to my door, and most of them will lay a lot of mines in the waters near Iceland. ”

"What then?"

"Crossing the Danish Channel, then the NR21 fleet split in two, and most of the ships went south to Scarpa Bay."

"Down Scapa Bay?" Bulganin was taken aback, "How can this work?" Won't the Germans intercept halfway? ”

Kuznetsov shook his head with a wry smile and said, "No, Admiral Ingersoll is going to take out some bait to lure the Germans' large fleet away." ”

"Bait? What bait? ”

"100 freighters and auxiliary cruisers...... The total tonnage is almost 1 million tons! (To be continued.) )