The Rise of the Empire

The two battleships were renamed Scharnhorst and Gneisenau, while the two auxiliary cruisers were named Seahawk and Seagull. The two merchant ships will choose to fly the American flag and go to sea together with the two battleships before the official war begins.

In fact, if this is the case, it is not easy to rely on these four ships to successfully complete the ocean combat mission. Su Xiong's fleet can choose to park in very few ports, and the goal of this combat mission also requires the German fleet to Try to hide yourself as much as possible. It does not mean that you can go on a killing spree just by telling the North Sea. Some transport ships that you occasionally encounter in the ocean are simply shrimps and whales compared to the goals of this operation. They cannot expose the German fleet at all. Own.

Moreover, relying solely on 2 battleships and 2 auxiliary cruisers for this mission was slightly insufficient. Therefore, the German Navy also arranged other ships for Su Xiong. These ships were originally merchant ships distributed around the world. After the pace of the war, the As it gets closer, some of the merchant ships will go to the United States after receiving orders from the German Navy. Here, the Americans will modify these merchant ships, strengthen the watertightness, and increase the number of artillery. After some efforts, the Americans will Before the war, they finally helped the Germans recover three auxiliary cruisers, and an American merchant ship that had already set out had sent 800 German naval officers and soldiers to Boston.

These three auxiliary cruisers are named after Sturgeon, Nautilus and Swordfish respectively. Their tonnage is between 5,000 tons and 8,000 tons. They are equipped with at least 8 105MM guns, and the cargo compartment of the hull has been re-improved. Holds more supplies and ammunition. These ships also have high speed requirements, and the slowest of the three ships can run more than 16 knots.

"In other words, our first mission will be completed by 2 battleships and 5 auxiliary cruisers? What kind of goal does this require us to concentrate such a maritime force?" Su Xiong was a little confused after hearing General Boer's arrangement. He said doubtfully.

"The rest of the content is in the plan, go back and read it yourself. In addition, this is only the participating force. We will also arrange disguised supply ships for you to replenish various supplies. In short, you must remember that your first goal is What, don’t be distracted by other things,” Admiral Bol said.

While the fleet is preparing, diplomatic cover has also been launched. First of all, the German government stated that it will never let its friends suffer. The two warships built for Argentina have been outfitted. After the Argentine personnel became familiar with the two new warships, they Can be handed over.

But secretly, the German government has begun discussions with the Argentines through the U.S. government. Without the cooperation of the Argentines, it would be impossible to perform this drama well. The handover of battleships is a cumbersome process. It does not mean that you will fail. If you board the Argentinian flag, people will think you are an Argentine ship. As long as the Argentines find that something is wrong, as long as they disclose the information to the British Embassy in Argentina that the Germans do not want to hand over the ship, then the British will definitely be vigilant. It is not a big deal for the well-prepared British fleet to block two German warships in the North Sea. Difficult matter.

So why does Argentina trust the Germans, and why does it risk offending the British to use this cover? Of course it’s because of carrots and sticks! Needless to say, the carrot is money and industry. Germany’s assets in Argentina can fully repay these two warships. From an economic point of view, Argentina only makes a profit but does not lose money. From a political point of view, the Americans obviously side with Germany. On the human side, if it were normal times, the Argentinians might still hesitate, but now? hehe.

Although the reputation of the American plane has been greatly reduced due to the failure of the Philippine War,

But as a local leader in the Americas, it still has a great influence on South America. The British are very strong, but that was in peacetime. In wartime, the fleets of the British Empire that once spread all over the world were all gathered in the mainland. How could the British have the intention to cause trouble with Argentina for this matter?

Besides, what if something happens? Argentina was also a victim. It was also deceived by the Germans. It was all the fault of the Germans anyway, and the British couldn't find an excuse. And even if they had an excuse, they wouldn't have the time, right? As for why Americans want to help Germany? As long as he still wants the entire German Far East colony, then he must find ways to let Germany win. It is not possible to directly participate in the war to help Germany, but it is also possible to provide some help in other aspects.

As a result, everything began to operate according to the German Navy's script. On March 20, 1912, Germany publicly stated that it would hand over two completed super-dreadnoughts to Argentina. On March 24, 1912, at the German Navy's Kiel military port, two The two warships were officially "handed over" to the Argentine Navy. Thousands of Argentine officers and soldiers boarded the two warships. Amidst cheers such as "the friendship between the German Empire and the Argentine Republic will last forever", German Minister of State for the Navy Tirpitz issued a statement. speech,

He angrily criticized the comments made by some people in some countries that Germany would seize the two warships. He also said that the two warships will leave Germany before March 29. Next, the US government also stated that the two warships would go to the United States for supplies and then return directly to Argentina. With the guarantees of the two major powers, it is almost certain that these two warships will belong to Argentina in the eyes of outsiders.

Subsequently, the Argentine government also confirmed the news again and sent a note to the British and French governments, hoping that when the two warships return home, the two governments will not "embarrass" them. After all, this is the property of Argentina and not the Germans. .

While smoke bombs were flying all over the sky, the preparations for the departure of the German fleet also entered the final moment. The personnel were transferred directly from Su Xiong. They were all old acquaintances. Su Xiong was very handy in using him. The Scharnhorst-class battleships and Helgo The Lan-class battleships are almost the same. The only difference is that the former has more aviation equipment and can carry 4 seaplanes.

The original plan was to leave before March 29, but in fact it was absolutely impossible to leave that late. The German General Staff had told the navy that the war would start in early April, so on March 26, the two warships left at night. Under cover, he secretly left the Kiel Naval Port.

The two auxiliary cruisers Sea Eagle and Seagull set off a day ago. They are civilian ships and fly the American flag. The British will not notice because the two ships are slower, so Go first, then encounter the sea area waiting for two battleships. Thus, the most brutal naval battle to break diplomatic ties in the history of the world's navy finally began!

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