This plan was very bold, and the stakes and risks were equally frightening, although it was planned to take part in the battle with only two or three air cruisers, two fleet aircraft carriers and their escort fleets, but in order to meet these warships, Germany had to arrange for about four fleet aircraft carriers to cruise between the Azores and the Canary Islands to meet the aircraft carriers returning to the south. And these 4 fleet aircraft carriers must be armored aircraft carriers, and 4 are the minimum, because the size of the receiving fleet must make the opponent jealous, and it is also the maximum ceiling that the German Navy can mobilize! The fleets of Germany and Austria have a total of 19 fleet aircraft carriers, and if 6 aircraft carriers are used at once, more than a third of them will be removed! After all, the 19 aircraft carriers include some lightly protected aircraft carriers, which are inferior in both attack and defense, and even if the Spanish fleet is counted, the remaining strength of the German Navy is still somewhat stretched. If you consider the supply and intelligence security required for the operation of these warships, this plan is really a very cumbersome matter.

"To be honest, I don't think the marshal will agree to this plan." Lucknar didn't have much hope for Raeder's plan, and he even gave him a shot first. "And even if the marshal agrees to this plan, it will have to be agreed by the allies, the transfer of such a strong fleet will create a vacuum in the main force of the high seas fleet, unless Austria-Hungary is willing to fill this gap, otherwise this plan will definitely not pass!" But even so, the combative Earl of Lucknar agreed to work with Raeder to perfect the plan, according to them, if it succeeded! It is up to man to make things happen!

To the surprise of Count Luckner, when this plan was sent to Count Spee, the Count did not immediately oppose this plan that might allow the German-Austrian fleet to use up a third of the main battle force at once, and the Count was undoubtedly much stronger than Luckner in terms of overall situation and actual combat experience. He was keenly aware of two problems, the first of which was that the plan could be terminated at any time, and the cost of investment could be controlled. In the early stage, it was nothing more than 2 or 3 aviation cruisers. Even if the goal is not achieved, or if it is unlucky, it will have too much impact on the high seas fleet. Secondly, although at the end of this plan, the German Navy will send an aircraft carrier squadron to pick up the two armored aircraft carriers that have gone out to fight back. However, the response time was very short, and it was operating near the two German-controlled islands, which could be supported by land-based aviation, even in the face of a large US fleet, relying on land-based long-range reconnaissance aircraft and bombers. 4 aircraft carriers can run away no matter how bad they are. As long as the German side does not make major mistakes, it is really not a big problem to run away.

"Has anyone chosen one?" Count Spee was a little surprised when he spoke, Luckner and Raeder were a little surprised, they had planned to convince the Count that it was useless, he didn't expect Count Spee to be so talkative.

"Admiral Theodor Crank, as well as Admiral Hoffman, both of whom had worked on aviation cruisers for more than 5 years and were captains for 3 years. He has a deep understanding of the use of broken engagements and aviation cruisers, and can fully serve as the commander of this combat operation. We plan to send 3 aviation cruisers and 1 heavy cruiser to form two battle groups, Group A with Admiral Cranker as the commander, and two aviation cruisers under its command. In addition to breaking diplomatic relations, it can also take on the task of engaging a separate light aircraft carrier. At the same time, it can also cover the retreat of other broken warships. Group B, commanded by Colonel Hoffman, consisted of 1 aviation cruiser and 1 heavy cruiser, whose main task was to break relations. In order to ensure the strength of the breach of relations and provide sufficient intelligence, we also plan to arrange for some camouflage cruisers to join the South Atlantic to break the engagement. Count Luknall said. In the face of the marshal, it is clear that Luknar has a bigger face.

The plan of the three squadrons was later studied by the two of them, and when they made the plan, they had already jumped out of the trap of simply breaking the relationship. If the target is only the civilian ships and auxiliary cruisers of the opposing side, the efficiency of attacking ships with submarines and camouflage is obviously the highest. They are cheap to build and have enough firepower. It doesn't hurt to lose. IN THE FACE OF LOW-SPEED MERCHANT SHIPS, THE 150MM GUNS OF CAMOUFLAGED ASSAULT SHIPS ARE NOT MUCH DIFFERENT FROM THE 10-INCH GUNS OF HEAVY CRUISERS. After the First World War, the German Navy realized that a mere break of diplomatic relations would not bring the other side to its knees. In the process of breaking diplomatic relations, at the same time, the other side is forced to separate some capital ships to ensure the safety of the communication line, and find an opportunity to kill the main force of the other side can fundamentally change the balance of naval power between the two sides. The use of aviation cruisers to break the diplomatic relationship is somewhat overkill. Distracting the opponent's main fleet and taking the opportunity to take a bite is the key! In addition, these two men are also in the line of the Count of Luknar. It can be regarded as taking care of the opinion of the Count of Luckner.

The two aviation cruisers of Fleet A can already defend themselves against the attack of two light aircraft carriers under normal conditions, if the opponent is 1. It's not impossible to take out the opponent. Their main mission was to hunt down the Allied convoys scattered throughout the South Atlantic, especially the improved merchant ships carrying catapults and aircraft. The small ones are directly killed. Fleet B itself has limited aviation capabilities and insufficient attack power, but it is more than capable of self-preservation. If the opponent does not have strong aviation, then it is also possible to lean on it and destroy the opponent with naval artillery. When the other side arranged a heavy cruiser to escort the escort, he was directly killed by a brick of naval guns and aircraft. If you touch a light aircraft carrier on your back, turn around and leave. As for those submarines and camouflaged assault ships that cooperate with the two fleets of AB, they are consumables, and they are the main force to intercept the opposing side's merchant ships. At the same time, if the main battleship of the other side is found, it is also obliged to tell the nearby German battleship. As for the issue of exposure. Well, in the eyes of the German Navy, it was worth exchanging a camouflaged assault ship for an important piece of intelligence.

"As for the hunting fleet consisting of two armored aircraft carriers? I think General Raeder can take on the position, and we couldn't find a better option for him, both in terms of qualifications and preparation. I can serve as the commander of the receiving fleet. Count Spoon Spee's words surprised Count Spee, who had expected his student union to take on this vital position, but who had given the opportunity to his rivals within the navy. However, the war is imminent, and this kind of harmonious relationship is still very much needed. It's good that the two of them can see the big picture. Count Spee said in his heart.

"Is the timing of the sortie of the aviation cruiser scheduled? There is a principle that you must grasp that I will not allow the carriers of the Main Fleet to leave the High Seas Fleet until a landing operation is launched against the south of France. The hunting fleet cannot be active at sea for more than 1 month, the fleet responsible for receiving it cannot be active at sea for more than 15 days, and the return time must be less than 2 months! I agree with the premise of this plan that it does not affect the overall strategy! In two months we will launch an offensive on the west coast of France, and I do not want our main forces to be absent by then. It's up to you to do the rest. Before you two fleets are dispatched, I will contact the Austro-Hungarian fleet to replace the lack caused by your departure, and if necessary, I can add you an aviation cruiser! Earl Spee's last words were to Raeder. 2 armored aircraft carriers are still slightly thin. So he decided to give him some troops.

The Earl of Spee is also a lord who is not willing to be lonely and has the courage to face challenges. Look at the performance of the historical Count Spee, although in the end the German Far East Fleet was wiped out under the strong onlookers of the British BC, but the British also had a high opinion of the German Far East Fleet. And the fact that Count Spee was able to come up with a plan to return to Germany halfway around the world was definitely not lacking in courage. After all, the difficulty of the plan to go back to Germany is really too great! In a sense, it is even greater than breaking diplomatic relations at sea, even if it dodges the Battle of Falkland. The probability of success in the final entry into the North Sea is also not very high. This kind of hopeless plan can be carried out by Lord Earl, and this plan made by Count Lucanal and Raeder is not a risk in the eyes of Count Speu!

Of course, there was another reason that prompted the Count to agree to this plan, and that was the phased nature of the action. Before Raeder set out with two armored aircraft carriers and an aviation cruiser, the German Navy invested very small forces relative to his overall size. And after limiting the activity time of the Raeder fleet and the Luckner fleet, the vacuum period of power was greatly compressed. In the end, because the German navy was under great pressure before leaving the Mediterranean, the count finally agreed to the request of the two men. The rest is up to these people. In the subsequent work, Raeder fully proved with practical actions that he did not sit in the office in vain! They do have a set!

After completing the handover of the fleet and the issuance of orders in the shortest possible time, Raeder decisively demanded the use of a new cipher system to ensure the concealment of the operation. He then came up with a long-planned plan for the future battle, which Raeder had been preparing for a long time. Within his terms of reference, he prepared a force of auxiliary cruisers consisting of merchant ships of 8000 to 12000 tons. THESE RAID SHIPS CONVERTED FROM MERCHANT SHIPS HAVE A SPEED OF ABOUT 24 KNOTS, ALTHOUGH MUCH SLOWER THAN WARSHIPS, BUT MUCH FASTER THAN THOSE ORDINARY MERCHANT SHIPS WITH A CRUISING SPEED OF ONLY 9 TO 12 KNOTS, THEY ARE LOADED WITH ALL KINDS OF GUNS REMOVED FROM OLD WARSHIPS, THE VARIETY IS BREATHTAKING, 150MM GUNS ALONE HAVE THREE MAJOR TYPES OF NAVAL GUNS, SUBMARINE GUNS AND SHORE GUNS. These can be considered waste use. Battleships were generally armed with torpedoes and mines, the former for life-fighting and the latter for blockade. Some warships of relatively large tonnage also had seaplanes, which were used for aerial reconnaissance. Before the departure of these auxiliary cruisers. The Germans also made changes to the warship foreign trade with reference to the Merchant Ship Atlas to make it look more like a civilian ship of a neutral nation. And the huge load capacity of these merchant ships also gives them a good enough endurance, especially the convenience of being able to burn coal, if you consider the way of fighting to feed the war. They can almost do a globetrotting trip!

At the beginning of the war, some of these camouflage cruisers were scattered all over the world, including some of the Allied colonies in Africa. They were dispatched from all over the world, making the Allied reconnaissance network somewhat unguardable. These camouflaged sharks quietly walked out into the ocean, looking for an opportunity to bite the Allied merchant ships. They can even be supported by shore-based long-wave radios and road-based aviation, and with the support of the naval system, they are even more lethal than in history!

The camouflage cruiser went out just to muddy the waters, and the real killers were quickly prepared. Before setting out again, Count Luknall summoned two of his men over, on the one hand, to encourage them to do their best not to live up to the expectations of the navy and the upper echelons, and on the other hand, to try to cooperate with Raeder's actions. If you win, everyone can say, and if you lose the board, no one can run!

So, five days later, three air cruisers and one heavy cruiser secretly sailed out of the Strait of Gibraltar under the cover of night. Subsequently, before entering the battlefield, the two fleets implemented radio silence. Both fleets were extremely restrained from attacking the attacks they wanted to attack**, especially Colonel Krake, who targeted his attacks on large fleets and ships of the light cruiser rank and above. For this reason, he also specially let go of several lone merchant ships. In order to ensure the concealment of reconnaissance, Colonel Frank also painted several reconnaissance planes in the livery of the naval aviation of the Allied powers. Colonel Hoffman was also very cautious, he used his air power cautiously, and camouflaged the battleship, and when he encountered a few lone battleships, he always approached the visual distance and destroyed them with the accurate guns of heavy cruisers, and used the jamming equipment on the battleship to interfere with the opponent's communications. "If we can't do the silent killing, then I'd rather give up this hunt." Colonel Hoffman once said this to his subordinates.

The big drama has begun, and Marshal Raeder has drawn 2 aircraft carriers and 1 aviation cruiser from his own battle group to make final preparations for battle. But the German Navy was not idle, after taking Corsica with the Air Force, they began to prepare for a landing operation in the south of France, this time it was the first joint operation of the German Navy, Army and Air Force, the Kaiser attached great importance to this, but the people below were not too worried, after all, it had been a week since the start of the war, and the Allied air forces in southern France had been beaten to pieces, and the main lines of communication were also suppressed. The German Navy carried out several shelling and bombardment of the two landing sites, Port Sète and Marseille, and in the eyes of the Germans, as long as the army went on a transport ship, the task was not too easy!

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