Battle of the Third Reich Chapter 19: Islands

　　

　　 Standing on the spacious Compass Bridge of the "York" heavy cruiser, the warm summer sea breeze of the North Atlantic was gently blowing on his face, and Brigadier General Nicholson felt an indescribable comfort.

　　 Half an hour ago, Sude Island, which was just a faint black spot on the horizon, has now revealed its full picture in front of everyone.

The shore of the 　　 island facing the fleet stands a steep cliff hundreds of meters high. The lush vegetation covers the hard rocks with an emerald green tent.

　　 A few mountain springs flowed straight down from the gaps in the cliffs, like white ribbons hanging on the emerald green tent. The clear spring water was like a string of crystals flying and poured into the blue waters of the North Atlantic.

　　 There are countless huge reefs standing fiercely above the sea. These steadfast island guards silently warn those who want to get close to their ships. Any stupid provocation will end up like the waves that hit the reef. The miserable end of being smashed into flying fragments.

　　 Behind Sude Island, in the afternoon sun, a series of large and small cyan island shadows were faintly revealed.

　　 The Faroe Islands, the jewel of the North Atlantic Ocean, once made countless sailors who arrived here express their heartfelt admiration. What kind of great power can create such a paradise-like beauty in the middle of this endless ocean heaven.

　　 Now Nicholson and his sailors can't stand the same sigh. Although they have been here dozens of times, each time the Faroe Islands can bring them new feelings, only those perennial Sailors sailing on the uninhabited sea will have the feeling.

　　"The fleet transforms into a single formation, Mr. Wilson."

　　 Nicholson put down the telescope in his hand and turned his head to give orders to the captain.

　　 "Sir, yes, sir."

　　 Wilson answered loudly.

　　 "Send a signal, the whole fleet will change to a single formation."

　　"Sir, yes, sir! Change the formation of one character! Sir!"

　　 The order was issued one after another.

　　"All turn, heading 360. Order the "Defender" and "Happy" to go forward for reconnaissance."

　　 Nicholson gave a serious order.

　　"Sir, yes, sir! Send a signal, heading 360, all turn around. Send the commander's order to the destroyer."

　　 Wilson relayed Nicholson's orders meticulously.

　　 The Royal Navy Nicholson Faction Fleet at this time revealed the results of the rigorous training they usually receive. The fleet changed its formation with very smooth movements. Four cruisers and two cargo ships formed a column.

　　 Then the fleet adjusted its course at a distance of five thousand yards from Sude Island, as if being pulled by an invisible wire, each ship kept a thousand yards apart to complete a beautiful turn, along The steep coast of Sude Island heads north.

　　 "Very good!"

　　 Nicholson nodded in satisfaction.

　　 The quality of this fleet can be seen from this perfect maneuver. The superb ship handling skills demonstrated by the captains of each ship just now made Nicholson feel extremely pleased.

　　"Your Excellency Commander, how long shall we stay in the Faroe Islands?"

　　 Captain Wilson picked up a cup of tea from the tray brought up by the orderly, and handed it to the energetic fleet commander, who had his chest folded.

　　"Then it depends on the loading and unloading speed of people and goods. We can’t stay here for too long. This task is too arduous. You can’t imagine the pressure on our shoulders, so I hope this task sooner The better it is done."

　　 "Understood, Commander Commander."

　　 Wilson picked up a delicate silver tweezers from the tray, picked up a piece of sugar cube and put it into his teacup, and then picked up another piece.

　　 "Do you want it, sir?"

　　 "Two yuan, thank you."

　　 Nicholson moved the teacup over.

　　 "Look like this, we have to stay in the Faroe Islands at least one day, sir."

　　 Wilson put two sugar cubes into Nicholson's cup and waved his hand to make the orderly retreat.

　　 "Thank you."

　　 Nicholson picked up the teacup and took a sip of the sweet black tea. Then he smiled and said, "Dear Wilson, my friend, it seems that I will disappoint you this time. We don’t have that much. Time, we must start loading and unloading immediately after arriving in Torshavn. In any case, we must finish all work before dinner and set sail after dinner."

　　 "So hastily, sir?"

　　 Wilson said in surprise.

　　 "There is no way, we must hurry up, my captain."

　　 Nicholson leaned against the railing of the bridge while holding a teacup, watching a group of seagulls flying not far away, and answered faintly.

　　 To be honest, Nicholson would rather give up the opportunity to stay here and bypass the islands to continue on his way.

　　 Because in Nicholson’s eyes, the Faroe Islands are not a safe harbor. After all, it is within the hunting radius of German medium-sized submarines.

　　Although there has never been a trace of a German submarine in this sea area, it does not mean that the Germans will forget the archipelago.

　　 Nicholson believes that the Germans will definitely find their negligence, and by then this place will become as dangerous and **** as other routes.

　　Nicholson now only hopes that the Germans have not discovered this loophole, and that he can leave this place of right and wrong sooner. From here, one day's journey to the northwest will allow the fleet to escape the radius of activity of the German submarine. Only then can it be truly safe.

　　 But now Nicholson has to stop his footsteps in the Faroe Islands, which makes the fleet commander feel a little annoyed, but more helpless.

The 　　 fleet must stay in the Faroe Islands, because in addition to transporting those precious goods, the Admiralty also gave them a incidental task.

　　According to the truth, such important secret operations are not allowed to be accompanied by some subsidiary tasks, but the Admiralty really can’t dispatch other ships, and the islands are on the fleet’s route, so it’s hard The scalp dispatched this subsidiary task to Nicholson.

　　 The Naval Staff also found a very high-sounding reason, saying that it would better confuse the sight of the German Navy.

　　 Therefore, Nicholson can only stay in this archipelago, which was originally just a route marking point, to complete the task that shouldn't be done by him. He wants to send a company of marines and a set of naval radar station equipment to the Faroe Islands.

　　 Less than two weeks after Denmark was occupied by Germany, Britain took over the Faroe Islands. This archipelago consists of eighteen islands, of which seventeen islands have residents.

　　The residents here are all descendants of Scandinavians, with a total population of less than 10,000. There are no special products on the island, but there are abundant fishery resources in the nearby sea.

There are not many flatlands on the island. It looks a bit like the Norwegian coast in terms of landforms. There are steep cliffs and long fjords everywhere, and there are dense hills like the Scottish Highlands.

　　 The locals depend on fishing and animal husbandry for their livelihoods. Except for food to be self-sufficient, other daily products are imported from outside the island. The local folk customs are relatively simple, so the life of the residents on the island can be considered contented.

　　Due to the special geographic location, the Faroe Islands have not been affected by any wars. At most, the Danish flag flying on Torshavn, the largest port in the archipelago, has been replaced with a poker flag, and a fishing village suddenly appeared on the narrow streets Some soldiers in khaki uniforms.

　　In the eyes of these residents, war is too remote for them, and what happened on that remote continent has nothing to do with them.

　　 This time, the British Navy decided to set up a radar station on the Faroe Islands to monitor the actions of German submarines and German long-range reconnaissance aircraft in the nearby waters.

　　The British Admiralty also does not believe that this place will always be a pure land. It will be sooner or later that German submarines will appear in this area.

　　"Your Excellency Commander, we have already contacted the Faroe Island Garrison. They are ready to unload the supplies, and they are all ready to supply them. The Garrison Commander, Lieutenant Walker, is leading his men on the dock waiting Our arrival."

　　 Wilson said happily with a telegram.

　　 "Really, our supplies are also ready, great! That will save us a lot of time."

　　Due to the increasing shortage of supplies, especially food, in Britain, the glorious Royal Navy reduced the quantity and level of food supplies for ships for the first time.

　　 Now many ships can only bring half the amount of meat and eggs in the past, and the missing parts are replaced by potatoes and oats.

　　Overseas service has become the fat shortage that all captains are pursuing, especially the Asian and American routes. Although they have to take great risks, compared with the abundant and abundant supplies obtained at the destination, Germany The threat of the submarine was nothing in the eyes of the sailors who didn't see the flesh in March.

　　Since the fleet happened to be staying in the Faroe Islands this time, it would be too wasteful not to replenish the fleet’s empty meat freezer in this place famous for its fishery products and lamb.

　　 So Nicholson contacted the Faroe Islands garrison early in the morning and asked them to prepare a batch of urgently needed supplies for the fleet. Originally, he wanted to collect these foods that might take a lot of time, but he didn’t expect the island to be so fast. The purchase was completed, which made him have a good impression of the commander of the army stationed on the island who had never met.

　　 "Course 360, speed 20 knots, captain, everything is normal."

　　 the second pair reported loudly.

　　 "Very good."

　　 Wilson leaned out from the observation deck of the Compass Bridge and looked towards the stern of the ship. The fleet is now keeping a neat queue and closely following behind the flagship.

　　The sharp bow of the ship splits the waves, and the splashing waves are flying around. The majestic aura displayed by the cruiser formation is awe-inspiring.

　　"The fleet is now normal, Commander Commander."

　　 Wilson said loudly.

　　"Very well, Captain."

　　 Nicholson nodded and then continued to raise the telescope and look towards the distant island.

　　 Now the fleet has surpassed Sude Island and began to cross the Sude Strait between Sude Island and San Island.

　　 said that it was a strait, rather than a piece of water sandwiched between two islands.

　　 The Sude Strait is 20 kilometers wide. In the middle of the strait are three small islands parallel to the strait. These three islands are also part of the 18 islands of the Faroe Islands, and the outermost one, It is the smallest island in the entire archipelago, and it is also the only island without inhabitants.

　　 It is so small, it looks like a small earthy mountain rising out of the sea. The island is densely covered with dense bushes. The refreshing emerald green is very impressive against the blue water. Pleasing to the eye.

　　 Nicholson took a binoculars and glanced at the small island at random, then turned his gaze to San Island, which is in front of the fleet, an island about the size of Sude Island.

　　 After the San Island fleet crosses a Strait of Skopland, it reaches its first destination, Torshavn, the capital of the Faroe Islands on Vigel Island.

　　According to the current fleet speed, there is at most half an hour's journey left. Nicholson is now in a very relaxed mood, and being able to set foot on a solid ground immediately is a pleasant thing.

　　 However, Nicholson would never think of it now. In the dense bushes on the inconspicuous island not far away, several pairs of keen eyes are closely monitoring his fleet. Every move.

　　"Preparing to report to the fleet, the British fleet has passed the No. 2 mark."

　　 A German navy corporal gently put down his hand that pushed aside the bushes and retracted the lens of the high-powered telescope. He turned his head and spoke to the reporter who was standing by in a natural ditch squatting behind him.

　　"How about ranging, report parameters."

The corporal 　　 asked the two soldiers lying next to him in a low voice that the two navy soldiers were holding a three-meter rangefinder measuring the distance parameters of the British warships.

　　A soldier raised his head and looked at the reading on the ranging wheel and then reported: "The bearing is three or three, the distance is five thousand three hundred, and the speed is about 20 knots."

　　 "Okay, continue to observe."

　　 The Navy corporal took off the M35 helmet on his head and put it aside, then took out a notebook from the document bag on his waist.

　　 He raised his wrist to look at his watch, and then took out his pen to record the observation data on the notebook.

　　 "Report this to the fleet."

The corporal 　　 handed the logbook to the informant. After receiving the logbook, the soldier quickly pressed the key to start the report.

　　 "You continue to observe."

The corporal 　　 turned around and coldly ordered the two rangefinders.

　　"This is the data reported by sentinel No. 2."

　　Major Leinster took the message sent by the communicator, read it carefully, and then handed it to a naval officer waiting at the chart table. Four naval officers of the same rank were holding pencils and The slide rule marks the position of the target on the chart.

　　"Your Excellency, the data for sentinel No. 2 has been reported."

　　Leinster walked over to the bridge porthole, looking out at the sea out of the window, behind the commander of the fleet respectfully.

　　 "Oh, is the enemy's position calculated?"

　　Günter, Commander of the German Navy Ocean Fleet. Admiral Lütjens withdrew his gaze from the porthole, he turned around and asked slowly.

　　 "It can be calculated right away, and we are now summarizing all the data. Your Excellency General."

　　"Very good, immediately communicate the data to all warships. Order them to wait for orders."

　　 "Yes, Lord General."

　　 Lieutenant Commander Leinster, Fleet Staff Officer, respectfully saluted and then turned and walked out of the bridge.

　　 "It seems that everything is under the control of the head of state."

　　 Lütjens muttered to himself softly, a faint smile appeared on his thin face.

　　 "Now those brave boys must be waiting, Captain."

　　 Lütjens turned his face to the captain who was discussing something with the chief officer in front of the ship's bell and said loudly.

　　 "Huh? Sorry, General, I didn't hear your question clearly."

　　 Captain Klein of the German pocket-sized battleship "Admiral Scheer" answered loudly.

　　 "Forget it, Captain, continue your work."

　　 Lütjens waved his hand, then turned and continued to look out the porthole.

　　 The sea outside the porthole is moored with all the essence of the German Navy. Almost all the main battleships of the German Navy are here.

　　 Lütjens is now working hard to restrain his excitement, thinking that the head of state handed over the honor and right of commanding the Third Reich Navy’s first full dispatch after the Battle of Jutland to himself~IndoMTL.com~Lu Tejens couldn't help being full of gratitude and respect for the young new head of state.

　　 Lütjens had only been the commander of the destroyer fleet for a period of time before this. He never thought that one day he would become the commander of the German naval fleet.

　　 Now that the Führer has placed the entire empire fleet in his hands, Lütjens feels a little flattered.

　　 Before leaving, he secretly vowed to do his best this time, even if he sacrificed his life, he must complete the task assigned to him by the head of state, in order to repay the head of state’s trust in him and expect.

　　"General, all data has been calculated and has been communicated to all ships."

　　Leinster walked quickly into the bridge and reported loudly to Lütjens.

　　"How long will the enemy reach the final mark?"

　　 Lütjens asked coldly.

　　 "And... fifteen minutes." Leinster replied, looking at his watch.

　　 "Then..."

　　 Lütjens lowered his head and pondered, then raised his head abruptly and said loudly: "Tell me my order, 15 minutes later, it will be German time"

　　 Lütjens took out his pocket watch and looked at it: "At 12:42, German time, the attack began. Now the ships are starting to act according to the original plan. I now announce the first Ocean Fleet in the name of Fleet Commander. Battle command number."

　　 Lütjenston paused, and then coldly spit out two words: "Do it!"