Chapter 141: Scrambling To Patch The Leaks In Desperation
August 1, 1915.
The air raids lasting several days on both the eastern and western fronts, as well as the cross-channel bombardment operations, finally came to a complete end.
On the Western Front battlefield, the front lines were filled everywhere with the joy of victory. Batches of promotion and commendation documents, along with Iron Cross Medals, were conveniently transported to the front lines via military trains carrying supplies, and then issued in batches again.
“Congratulations, Colonel Max Immelmann. The Imperial General Staff Headquarters has approved your promotion to Brigadier General and awarded you the Blue Max Medal once again. This is to commend your brilliant victory in the Calais air battle, where you cumulatively shot down 200 enemy aircraft and successfully protected our calibration airships.”
“Colonel William Keitel, approved by the General Staff Headquarters, you are now promoted to Brigadier General of Artillery. Lieutenant Colonel William Leb, promoted to Colonel. Also awarded the Blue Max Medal… for the achievements in the Dover artillery battle, sinking 2 battleships, 3 pre-dreadnoughts, and more.”
“Lieutenant Manfred von Richthofen, promoted to Major, and awarded the Blue Max Medal…”
The person in charge of all these award and promotion ceremonies was the commander of the German 4th Army Group, the Grand Duke of Württemberg. At least dozens of pilots and artillery officers received on-the-spot promotions due to this artillery and air battle between Calais and Dover.
As for the NCOs and soldiers who were promoted, there were even more. Over a hundred promotions to NCO, and nearly a thousand promotions to soldier.
A total of 9 Blue Max Medals were issued, 85 First Class Iron Cross Medals, and as many as 330 Second Class Iron Cross Medals—to know, in the original Earth history, after the entire World War, the total number of Blue Max Medals issued was 687.
So issuing 9 Blue Max Medals in one battle was already extraordinary, requiring an extremely remarkable major victory to issue so many, accounting for about 1.5% of the entire four-year World War.
The Blue Max Medal could be awarded repeatedly to the same person. At that time, among the award standards for various branches, the clearest was for fighter pilots: shooting down 8 enemy aircraft qualified for the initial Blue Max Medal, no exceptions.
But if meritorious service was repeated, the difficulty for additional awards would increase. So it wasn’t one more Blue Max Medal every 8 aircraft. Brigadier General Max Immelmann got his second Blue Max Medal this time, and he had already shot down 32, with the last 24 victories earning him the second one.
Additionally, when awarding the Blue Max Medal repeatedly, the blue cross itself was not re-issued; instead, a silver laurel wreath pendant was added as a substitute, marked with a number. The second award had a silver “2” priced under the silver laurel wreath ring, and the third added a “3”.
What Max Immelmann actually received for this award was a silver laurel wreath ring with the number “2”.
And among this batch of Blue Max Medals, the one at the top of the award list was the one issued by the Emperor to the Grand Duke of Württemberg himself.
Because the Grand Duke was now the overall commander of the Belgian and Calais-Dunkirk war zones, all these victories—whether the Calais artillery battle or the airship air raid missions taking off from Zeebrugge—first required the Grand Duke of Württemberg’s coordination and cooperation to be successfully executed.
When the Grand Duke of Württemberg personally returned to Berlin to receive the award, he knew very well in his heart: this merit was actually orchestrated by the 6th Army Group commander who had already left the Western Front, Duke Rupprecht. And behind Duke Rupprecht was naturally his ingenious staff officer, Colonel Lelouch.
Including the railway guns and other weapons used in the campaign, they were all originally ordered by the 6th Army Group during Western Front operations, and now he was just using them. If the 6th Army Group were still on the Western Front, this battle would definitely have been personally handled by its troops.
So strictly speaking, the Grand Duke of Württemberg also owed Colonel Lelouch a favor.
Although Lelouch did not receive direct promotion or awards from this battle, he gained broader personal connections support—after all, Lelouch couldn’t openly intervene directly, or it would be overstepping authority, which was very taboo. Just like in the previous naval instances where Vice Admiral Hipper repeatedly earned merits, those merits couldn’t count as staff achievements for Lelouch. But generals like Hipper and Spee would naturally owe him favors, and in the future, when Lelouch needed naval cooperation, these generals would be more willing to cooperate.
At this point, three of the top leaders of the Four Southern German States already owed him great favors.
The Crown Prince of Baria, the Grand Duke of Württemberg, the Grand Duke of Baden. If Lelouch wished, he could fully utilize these favors to do more things.
Although Lelouch himself couldn’t be promoted to Brigadier General for the time being, his two old friends promoted to Brigadier General, Immelmann and Keitel, still had to follow Lelouch’s lead.
Moreover, Immelmann was only 2 years older than Lelouch; he was also a post-90s（ exactly 1890）, and Lelouch’s falsified age was actually the same as Immelmann’s, just a few months short. Immelmann being promoted to Brigadier General faster was because the air force track was a pure blue ocean with no elders competing for positions.
But no matter what, Immelmann’s promotion to Brigadier General served as an example for Lelouch. Next time Lelouch earned a great merit, when Duke Rupprecht applied for his Brigadier General, the General Staff and the Emperor would probably not feel right to block him on age grounds again.
For the previous great merit of annihilating the Lusha Southwestern Front, Lelouch was rewarded with civilian promotion and nobility title; with this behind-the-scenes plotting and favor paving the way, next time it should be time to move his military rank.
……
While the airship force and bombardment force received massive merits and promotions, Emperor Wilhelm in Berlin was also feeling a bit elated recently.
After signing a large batch of award orders, that afternoon, he temporarily summoned Naval Minister Marshal Tirpitz to discuss a topic he originally hadn’t dared to think about.
Marshal Tirpitz arrived at Potsdam Palace, first performed the audience etiquette, and then the Emperor got straight to the point:
“Recently, the Britannia Fleet has been repeatedly heavily damaged by the Empire’s air raids and bombardments. I heard they lost 3 battleships in 3 days? Plus in February, I remember Hipper sank several big ones during the Battle of Dunkirk. Now, what is the gap in the number of battleships and battlecruisers between enemy and us?”
Marshal Tirpitz always kept these accounts in mind and replied fluently: “The Britannians still have 22 battleships and 7 battlecruisers. The Imperial Navy has 17 battleships and 6 battlecruisers.
However, we have 2 battlecruisers, ‘Von der Tann’ and ‘Seydlitz’, still under repair. They were both damaged in the late February Battle of Dunkirk, hit by 15-inch guns, and have only been repaired for 5 months now. ‘Seydlitz’ can be repaired by September, ‘Von der Tann’ might drag to winter, but all ships are guaranteed to be repaired this year.
On the Britannian side, ‘Queen Elizabeth’ is still in major overhaul, at least until early next year. But according to intelligence, the third ship of the ‘Queen’ class can be completed and urgently commissioned this winter, while ships 4 and 5 will be completed next spring.
The Empire’s ‘Baria’ will also be completed by early next year. ‘Baden’ might drag to the end of the first quarter next year, entering service around the same time as the enemy’s ‘Queen’ class ships 4 and 5.”
The Emperor listened while calculating in his mind, then threw out an idea he originally never dared to think:
“So, until the end of the year, the Britannians have no battleships with 15-inch main guns available? Then can the Empire take advantage of these next three months to force part of the British Navy main force into battle with us, seize the opportunity to heavily damage part of the enemy!
If we miss it, the enemy will have 15-inch gun warships again, making the battle difficult. This is a rare window period! The enemy’s navy has already been weakened considerably by us; we can’t let them rebuild.”
Marshal Tirpitz was greatly shocked and hurriedly dissuaded: “Your Majesty, do not act rashly! I believe now is not the best timing. Although by year-end, the enemy will first commission a 15-inch gun capital ship, by the end of the first quarter next year, we can also commission 2 15-inch gun battleships.
By then, the enemy can build one more and repair one, that’s still 2 to 3, not a big gap. If ‘Queen’ fails to repair on schedule, it would be 2 to 2. The Empire’s new battleships are only lower in speed than the enemy ships, but in a fleet decisive battle, other indicators will comprehensively outperform the enemy ships. So even if Your Majesty truly seeks a fleet annihilation battle, at least wait until the second quarter next year. I believe those three months are the best timing—
Because according to intelligence, if delayed to the third quarter next year, the enemy’s 2 ‘Renown-class’ battlecruisers might rush into service, and the ‘Revenge-class’ battleships might enter service in batches. Even if our ‘Baria-class’ battleships 3 and 4 are commissioned, they won’t match the advantage of the enemy commissioning 3 to 5 ‘Renown-class’ and ‘Revenge-class’ ships.”
The Emperor had been slightly carried away by the great victory and was not calm. After Marshal Tirpitz gave him a timeline, he finally gained some patience.
In any case, the Marshal had promised that before the second quarter next year, he would find a suitable opportunity to launch a large-scale naval operation to attempt weakening part of the British Navy’s strength.
But the Emperor was still somewhat unwilling, so he continued to ask why they couldn’t act immediately now.
“The second quarter next year is indeed a good timing, but for recent action, we don’t have ‘Baria-class’, but the enemy doesn’t have ‘Queen-class’ either; isn’t the situation quite fair?”
Tirpitz: “Your Majesty, theoretically, the remaining time in the third quarter this year and early fourth quarter are also good timings. But perhaps Your Majesty doesn’t remember: the Navy and Army jointly planned the ‘Two Wings Flying’ operation against the Lushans.
The Empire’s battlecruiser fleet seems to have a considerable number on paper, but 2 are trapped in the Black Sea Theater and can’t return for the decisive battle. Even if the Black Sea Strait is in ally hands, the Suez Canal and Gibraltar are in British hands. The Empire’s warships dispatched to the Black Sea/Mediterranean Theater can’t return to aid the North Sea battlefield before the war ends.
And the Empire’s High Seas Fleet main force must cooperate with the Army in the Baltic Sea operations for the entire third quarter; we are stretched thin. Dealing with the Lusha Navy and completely blockading the Lushans’ sea supply routes is the best timing now; completing this task earlier means the Lushans’ economy will collapse sooner, possibly even causing famine.
In comparison, dealing with the Britannia Royal Navy has no time urgency; fighting now or in the second quarter next year is the same. The Lushans have 2 battleships in the Black Sea and 4 in the Baltic Sea; to annihilate them in one go, the Empire’s High Seas Fleet must go all out in this third quarter to achieve it all at once!”
After hearing such a detailed analysis, the Emperor finally calmed down completely.
Year-end this year and the first quarter next year is a node where the enemy Royal Navy suddenly becomes temporarily stronger; can’t fight then. While the third quarter this year and second quarter next year have similar timings for operations against Britannia.
Since that’s the case, with 6 Lusha battleships still available to attack now, focus first on the Lushans!
In the original Earth history, the Germania High Seas Fleet also attempted in July 1915 to break into Riga Bay, forcing the Lusha Baltic Fleet into decisive battle. But due to poor anchor mine sweeping weapons and low mine sweeping efficiency, several scouting warships were sunk by mines, and the plan had to be abandoned.
In this life, since Lelouch helped the Empire develop new mine sweeping weapons, there’s no reason not to seize this opportunity to first annihilate the Lusha Navy! As for the British Navy, let it simmer slowly.
“I see, I understand. Then you master the operational plan rhythm yourself, but I hope the Navy doesn’t miss the opportunity again, and by the second quarter next year, bring me good news.”
Tirpitz breathed a slight sigh of relief upon hearing this, but also felt a tight spell put on him.
Today, to avoid being forced into battle by the impulsive Emperor, he had to promise a “six-month agreement”; hopefully in half a year, he could come up with a perfect operational plan.
By then, should he first listen to the opinions of meritorious generals like Hipper and Spee? Perhaps they could produce an even more perfect plan.
……
While Emperor Wilhelm summoned Tirpitz at the Potsdam Palace in Berlin.
At 10 Downing Street in London, Prime Minister Asquith solemnly summoned Naval Minister Walton Spencer, Minister of Armament Lloyd George, Foreign Minister Balfour, and some high-level naval generals.
Losing 3 battleships, 3 pre-dreadnoughts, 2 Minotaur-class armored cruisers, and a pile of other warships in 3 days. Such heavy losses made the Royal Navy feel somewhat crippled.
Since Emperor Wilhelm dared to entertain fleet decisive battle thoughts, the Britannians naturally had to guard against Germania going all-in.
The more the enemy wants to do something, the more we must prevent them from doing it.
“Walton, tell me, is the current situation still controllable? How to handle the aftermath of the defeat at Dover Port! With the fleet scale sharply reduced, will the Germanian people breakout? How to block it?!”
Prime Minister Asquith was very angry that the Royal Navy failed to detect the enemy’s air raid intentions or the enemy’s secret construction for months at Cape Blanc Nez in Calais Port. These issues would definitely be held accountable, and remedial plans needed.
Minister Walton Spencer was also ashen-faced, lips tightly pressed, hesitated for a moment, then first took responsibility: “Your Excellency Prime Minister! For naval matters, I definitely bear some responsibility, but not the main one. Please give me another chance to complete the upcoming Dardanelles Strait landing operation!
The sudden full-scale air raids and bombardments on both western and eastern fronts by the Germanian people indicate they have major moves. Their real intention should be to strike at the Lushans, but feeling that airships are about to have their weaknesses exposed, they split half their forces to air raid our homeland naval ports during the large-scale air raids on the Lushans, just to cash in before airships are phased out.
From the results, the Germanian people bet right this time, because in the 3-day high-intensity air raid confrontation, the Empire’s air defense forces and fighter units have found ways to counter airships through constant trial and error: adding white phosphorus shell chains to the rear heavy machine guns of fighters!
Moreover, the Naval Ministry is urgently advancing two projects: one is unlocking the maximum elevation angle for all 4-inch naval guns and 4-inch port fixed artillery, raising 4-inch guns to over 75 degrees, so shells can easily reach a maximum altitude of 6000 meters.
With airships’ slow speed and huge size, as long as aimed well, even at 6000 meters, accumulating over a hundred shells would likely hit.
As for the other project, commissioning Rolls-Royce Company to urgently develop aircraft engines with stronger combustion chamber pressure. Rolls-Royce estimates the new engine will increase aircraft cost by at least 30%, even 50%. The engine cost itself will nearly double, using many unprecedented new technologies.
Ro-Ro engineers have rigorously assessed: in the future, our fighters can stably reach over 3500 meters altitude, combined with customized long-barrel machine guns and white phosphorus shells, should stably threaten enemy airships at 5000 meters.
The first project can be completed before the end of the third quarter, the second by year-end. Additionally, the Dover-Calais air battle gave bloody lessons to our fighter unit; aviation manufacturers have vowed to complete research and production of fighter shooting synchronizers like the Germanian ones by quarter-end.
By the fourth quarter this year, our fighters can close the technology gap with the enemy, installing coaxial machine guns in the nose to fire straight ahead. Although these days’ bloody battles caused heavy losses, we have found countermeasures and solutions; the enemy’s air raid forces will no longer achieve anything afterward!
The enemy probably still has about fifty airships in stock; from this angle, though this battle caused us considerable losses, our countermeasures have greatly reduced the value of the enemy’s last fifty airships, turning them into useless scouting tools.
The cost of fifty airships is roughly equivalent to twenty or thirty light cruisers, or three new battleships. So we essentially knocked out three new battleships of the enemy; we didn’t lose that much…”
Minister Walton Spencer used various sophistry and excuses, and after a bout of victory studies argument, surprisingly concluded that “both sides actually fought to a 50-50 draw.”
In short, everything can be won! At least not losing that badly!
This is the art of accounting.
However, Prime Minister Asquith was no pushover; such talk might fool the public to soothe hearts, but he certainly didn’t believe a word.
He impatiently waved his hand, signaling Walton to get to the important points:
“I already know the remedial measures; no need for details with me, I just want results! Since you said you can neutralize the enemy’s airships and coastal defense gun forces’ strikes, I hope you deliver! If another capital ship sinks due to cross-channel bombardment or air raid, you’re done!
As for your Dardanelles Strait landing operation—now that the situation is this critical, do you still insist on carrying out this campaign on schedule? What if on the homeland side, the Germanian people seize the opportunity of our losing 3 battleships to seek a fleet decisive battle?
Though the Empire’s Royal Navy total scale and combat power still exceed the Germanian people by at least 20-30%, if the Empire splits its forces, it’s hard to say! You insist on splitting forces at this critical juncture?!”
Seeing his long-prepared, long-cherished Dardanelles Strait landing operation possibly disrupted by this change, Minister Walton was inwardly anxious beyond measure.
He hurriedly swore oaths to persuade: “Your Excellency Prime Minister! We must not waver now! According to intercepted radio intelligence, the Germanian people are very likely to expand operations against the Lushans recently. As I said before, their Western Front air raids are more like ‘doomsday frenzy before airship tactics fail, last cash grab.’
So they absolutely lack sufficient forces now to seek a fleet decisive battle with the Royal Navy! And we must seize this opportunity to support the Lushans; otherwise, if the Lusha Navy suffers a mishap and is defeated piecemeal by the Germanian people first, then when the Germanian people turn back to concentrate forces for decisive battle with the Royal Navy, the situation will be more dangerous!
As for your concerns about homeland safety, North Sea sea control, and whether it gives enemy battlecruisers a chance to break the blockade into the Atlantic for commerce raiding, I think all can be addressed with solutions.
For the Mediterranean campaign, I will concentrate pre-dreadnoughts and reserve protected cruiser fleets for the task, avoiding high-speed capital ships as much as possible, so it won’t create vulnerabilities for the homeland and North Sea.
Please support continuing this plan! Otherwise, we’ll fall into the Germanian trap! The reason the Germanian people made so many small moves is fear of the Empire interfering with their concentrating forces to slaughter the Lushans; the more they want to stop something, the more we should do it regardless of hardship!
I stake my political career on it: if this plan fails, I’ll resign in disgrace and abandon all public offices, taking responsibility for the entire campaign decision!”
Minister Walton Spencer knew his remaining credit with the Prime Minister was running low, so he went all-in, betting his entire political future.
Hearing this, Asquith finally showed some intent.
This was the first time one of his ministers staked his career as a bet. Since he bet so big, he must be very confident; might as well give him one last chance.
“Are you certain the radio eavesdropping department really detected the Germanian movements? They really plan to move against the Lusha navies in the Baltic Sea and Black Sea recently?
Previously, the radio eavesdropping department provided several important intelligence on enemy fleet actions, but there were always people like Hipper who disobeyed orders and acted alone, or desperate ones like Spee to disrupt.” Prime Minister Asquith confirmed one last issue.
If this question got a 100% affirmative answer, he would finally approve proceeding with the original plan.
Walton confirmed categorically: “I swear! The enemy radio ciphers deciphered by the intelligence department clearly show they plan to move against the Baltic Sea and Black Sea Fleets soon.
Our intelligence deciphering is fine; it’s just that the Germanian naval generals’ adaptability or temporary disobedience is too frequent, causing previous intelligence not to play its full role.”
Asquith nodded, saying no more.
Just observe one last time to see if the radio cipher deciphering department is useful.
But how could they know that this time, the action plan general outlines telegrams from Hipper and Spee to the Naval Ministry rear were indeed real.
Hipper initially privately asked Lelouch if they should deceive again this time. But Lelouch advised him: just tell the truth. As long as omitting some technical details, don’t mention them on radio.
So, “The Germanian people will soon launch offensive operations in the Baltic Sea, soon launch offensive operations in the Black Sea”—these two pieces of news were real.
But leaking them didn’t matter; this was open stratagem. The Britannia Royal Navy can’t enter the Black Sea or Baltic Sea; telling you is fine, just to make you anxious.
Whereas the news that the Wilhelmshaven naval shipyard’s weapon research institute invented the new “bottom-scraping trawl minesweeping chain” was completely unnecessary to mention in radio telegrams.
No one stipulates that strategic consultation telegrams need to consult on such details, right?
And as long as the enemy doesn’t know this secret weapon exists, just knowing “the Germanian people will attack” has no value.
Sure enough, while Minister Walton got the Prime Minister’s nod to continue preparations for the Dardanelles Strait landing campaign.
Walton also requested Prime Minister approval to share some intelligence with the Lushans via the Naval Intelligence Bureau to remind them.
The Prime Minister nodded, then Minister Walton had Room 40 send a secret telegram to the Lushans, reminding them to be vigilant recently and prepare their fleets for combat.
After receiving the warning, the Lushans didn’t disbelieve, but felt the enemy threat wasn’t great and might even weaken the Germania Navy in the process!
Lusha Black Sea Fleet Commander Admiral Andrei Augustovich Eberhardt, upon receiving the ally warning, immediately judged this as a golden opportunity to lure the enemy into attacking, then heavily damage their fleet with minefields. After weakening the enemy, the Lusha Black Sea Fleet main force would sortie to annihilate the remnants and clean up!
On the Baltic Fleet side, Fleet Commander Admiral Nikolai Ottovich von Essen also believed Minister Walton’s warning and expressed thanks.
But he too thought this was a heaven-sent opportunity to heavily damage them after the Germanian people were first weakened by mines!
“What? You say the Germania Fleet may soon attempt to force through the Irbe Strait into Riga Bay, threatening the flanks of our Courland Peninsula and Riga region defenders? Excellent! Many thanks to the Britannian colleagues for the intelligence!
But rest assured, our Baltic Fleet has laid thousands of mines in the Irbe Strait! If the Germanian people want to enter Riga Bay, that’s suicide; we can just heavily damage the Germania Fleet!”
This was the content of the thank-you secret telegram from Lusha Baltic Fleet Commander Admiral Nikolai Ottovich von Essen to Naval Minister Walton Spencer.
