Chapter 38 Hans Langsdorff

On August 25, 1939, two days after the signing of the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, in the German naval port of Kiel, the refurbished and repainted battleships of the Deutschland class, the "Deutschland" and the "Admiral Graf Spee," underwent a small farewell ceremony at the docks, presided over by General Wilhelm Marschall, the commander of the German Battle Fleet.

This farewell was of an internal nature, known only to a few senior officers who understood the true purpose of the two warships' departure. Meanwhile, the other ship of the Deutschland class, the "Admiral Scheer," still undergoing refitting, lay alone in the shipyard dockyard, watching her sister ships depart on their mission.

"Wishing you a successful journey!" General Marschall's farewell to his former subordinates was brief yet practical.

"Thank you, respected Admiral!"

With a traditional military salute, Captain Zhang Hainuo bid farewell to his former superior. In his new role as commander of the German raiding squadron, he would lead the implementation of the "Rover Plan" formulated by the General Staff—a plan designed to disrupt and cripple enemy sea lanes by attacking merchant ships in the event of war, throwing the enemy's strategic deployment into chaos.

The order conveyed by the Naval Command provided a rather clear explanation of the "enemy": "Countries that Germany decides to declare war on." At the end of this order, the Naval Command reminded its commanders of the possibility of engaging in combat with "any European country," clearly including Britain and France.

Although the potential adversaries were formidable, there was no hint of pessimism on Zhang Hainuo's face. Under his command were outstanding captains like Hans Langsdorff and Hakote Selch, along with a host of experienced officers and sailors. Moreover, the circumstances were different now. German surface raiders would receive more support in their operations in South America.

Under the influence of the officers' confidence, the sailors on both ships were equally enthusiastic. With genuine smiles, they waved to the onlookers as they bid farewell. To the ordinary sailors and civilians who witnessed the departure of the two warships, it seemed like a routine sailing.

As the Treaty of Non-Aggression between Germany and the Soviet Union was signed, Germany no longer found itself sandwiched between powerful adversaries, as it had been in the previous World War. However, perhaps due to the lingering trauma of the last war, the public's enthusiasm for war was far from what it had been in the heady days of 1914—the days of a lost golden age.

After leaving the port of Kiel, the two camouflaged raiders headed into the depths of the Baltic Sea, before turning north towards the northern tip of the Jutland Peninsula late in the evening. This was a familiar route to the German Navy. Under the cover of night, the two ships swiftly crossed the Skagerrak Strait and entered the Norwegian Channel, aiming to reach the Atlantic Ocean by the following morning.

War could have been avoided—until the day before it broke out, Neville Chamberlain and his supporters in the policy of appeasement still believed so. Therefore, the British Navy had not taken any preventive military measures yet, and the sea lanes between the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean remained open. On August 26, the "Deutschland" and the "Admiral Graf Spee" sailed into the vast Atlantic Ocean. According to German intelligence monitoring, the British Navy had no idea of the whereabouts of the two ships; they even believed that all three ships of the Deutschland class were still training in the Baltic Sea—a deception successfully orchestrated by the German Naval Staff to conceal the "Rover Plan."

Upon learning of the slow response of the British Navy from German intelligence reports, Admiral Zhang Hainuo, in command of the raiding squadron, breathed a sigh of relief. In war, intelligence warfare was as intense as combat on the front lines. In history, British intelligence made significant contributions to operations such as bombing German heavy water factories, but also made many blunders. Before the "Admiral Graf Spee" was intercepted, they could not assist the British Navy in accurately identifying the true identity of the raider or determining its specific whereabouts.

Once safely in the Atlantic Ocean, the two fast and long-range armored cruisers were like dragons released into the sea. Along with over a third of the German Navy's submarines, a group of oilers and supply ships, arranged in advance by the German Naval Staff, were also active in this vast sea. Among them was the famous "Altmark"—a professional tanker of ten thousand tons, loaded with thousands of tons of fuel and a large quantity of supplies, capable of direct replenishment at sea and with a speed far exceeding that of ordinary merchant ships.

"Colonel, do you think we'll engage with the British Navy?" Zhang Hainuo asked calmly, facing a German Navy colonel who was only a few years older than himself. In today's German Navy, he was not particularly well-known, but if history followed its course, he would become the number one tragic figure in the entire German Navy in a few months.

"It's hard to say, General! The British may not want to get involved in the conflict between Germany and Poland, but they are also troubled by the mutual assistance treaty with Poland!"

Hans Langsdorff belonged to the relatively young group of captains in the German Navy, but his thin face gave him a depth beyond his years. His elegance, his demeanor, and even that faint melancholy made him more like a commander of sailing warships from the last century—the era of sailing ships. At present, he was still the captain of the "Admiral Graf Spee," but a rear admiral flag flew from the ship's mast, indicating that this warship was under the direct command of Rear Admiral Zhang Hainuo, the commander of the raiding squadron. Langsdorff's task was to assist in managing the ship's affairs, including assisting in wartime command, but he did not have decision-making power—unless the fleet commander was killed or directly appointed him as acting commander. This situation was similar to the time when Günther Lütjens served as the commander of the "Bismarck" and "Prinz Eugen" task force, while the captaincy of the "Bismarck" was still held by another excellent commander, Lindemann.

Zhang Hainuo didn't seem disappointed by Langsdorff's answer, as he didn't expect a naval captain to make accurate predictions about current events. However, he was satisfied with the captain's meticulousness and patience in managing daily affairs onboard. Now, he was trying to further understand Langsdorff's thoughts on strategy and tactics—historically, the demise of the "Admiral Graf Spee" was not merely accidental, and many historians believed that the commander had made unforgivable mistakes! But in the three months before that, Langsdorff had successfully sunk nine merchant ships totaling over 50,000 tons and tied up numerous British warships. His deceptive tactics had also proven effective, with the enemy unable to decipher his ship's track and identity.

"I have to admit, General, your understanding of the British surpasses that of most people! If war breaks out between Germany and Britain, I, personally, would not hesitate to engage with any British warship. Unfortunately, our mission this time..." Facing the Admiral, who was only a few years older and recognized as the "darling of the Navy" among the fleet commanders and naval officers, Hans Langsdorf neither flattered nor fawned. Perhaps deep down, he felt some dissatisfaction with his authority being "deprived" by von Falkenstein, despite not having the chance to read about the history of World War II and not realizing that von Falkenstein's actions were an attempt to save him and the fate of the battleship.

Von Falkenstein noticed Langsdorf's aloofness. Apart from his foresight, his experience as a staff officer on the "Deutschland" and commanding the "Gneisenau" made him much more experienced than Langsdorf. However, he still treated him with courtesy, discussing some decisions during the voyage in a consultative tone and even tacitly allowing his smoking habit in the command tower - a remnant from his days as a submarine commander. Von Falkenstein himself rarely smoked and disliked others smoking in the workplace, but Langsdorf smoked heavily, sometimes even lighting a second cigar in quick succession, which was rare among those von Falkenstein knew.

Now, Langsdorf habitually pulled out the half-smoked cigar, discussing the upcoming voyage with von Falkenstein, blowing smoke rings as he did so. Before them lay a large chart on a table, marked with faint lines delineating numerous grids, each with a corresponding number representing a 50x50-kilometer area. Superficially, it was just a typical naval chart, but its peculiarity lay in the precise timings of different supply ships appearing in different maritime areas - down to specific days. When the "Graf Spee" needed refueling and supplies, they just needed to go to the designated area according to the chart rather than radioing for the supply ships, a strategy devised by the German Naval Staff to avoid revealing the position of the raiding force.

"First, we'll spend some time in South America. When the Naval High Command issues the attack order, we'll move from the sparsely navigated waters in the Atlantic to the busiest shipping lanes between Europe and South America. We'll seize the opportunity to take down a few British or French merchant ships. At this point, nearby British warships will surely swarm like sharks smelling blood. We'll swiftly head south, leaving that area to our U-boats, then turn east at full speed, heading straight for the Cape of Good Hope in Africa, where we'll intercept ships bound from Africa to Britain, then continue east into the Indian Ocean!"

Von Falkenstein's plan mostly followed the favored tactics of German raiders in history: hit and run, and run far away, not only exhausting British warships but also preventing the British Navy from fully concentrating on the European theater.

Langsdorf had no objections to this plan. He asked, "General, how long do you estimate we'll stay in South America?"

"About a month!" von Falkenstein speculated. "If our army and air force swiftly defeat Poland and force Britain and France to stay out of the war, we can return to Germany in a month. If Britain and France refuse to compromise, then it's time for us to perform 'surgery' on their maritime routes!"

"A month?" Langsdorf was somewhat incredulous. "Are you saying the army and air force can defeat Poland within a month?"

"It won't take a month!" von Falkenstein chuckled. "That's the time it'll take to defeat France. To defeat Poland? I reckon a week should suffice. The rest will be mopping up!"

Langsdorf's disbelief was evident.

"Colonel, let's focus on our own affairs! The land war is naturally the concern of the generals at the High Command. The results will be evident soon!"

As he said this, von Falkenstein recalled the exchanges he had with the generals at several gatherings. While they were satisfied with Germany's military readiness compared to England and France, they were also anxious and pessimistic about challenging them. This contradictory psychology varied among different individuals. For example, General von Leeb, in charge of defending the western front, was very worried about the pressure on him, while older generals like von Rundstedt lacked confidence in whether new weapons could effectively suppress the enemy. On the other hand, generals like Manstein and Guderian were eager to challenge England and France again. The main commanders of the Luftwaffe were even more confident, believing that Germany's current technological and numerical superiority in the air was enough to sweep Poland and even the British and French air forces.

"Well, General! According to the plan, we'll disband the formation with the 'Deutschland' in another 12 hours and proceed with independent operations!"

"Why? No confidence in independent operations?" von Falkenstein said with a friendly smile.

"Not entirely!" Langsdorf replied. "It's just that, General, I always feel that using battleships against enemy merchant ships is a bit like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut! Now, we'll have to evade the pursuit of enemy fleets like mice fleeing from a cat!"

"It will be an interesting game of hide-and-seek at sea, Colonel! I think you need to have a more optimistic mindset. Imagine if we're followed by 5 British battleships, 3 battle cruisers, 3 aircraft carriers, and a dozen cruisers - how many ships will the Brits have left to deal with our 'Scharnhorst' and 'Gneisenau' back home! If the 'Admiral Scheer' joins us, perhaps our two battleships can show off their might right at the doorstep of the British!"

"Your speculation is indeed attractive, General!" Langsdorf rarely smiled, albeit somewhat reluctantly.

"Colonel, even though the war hasn't begun yet, we already have two strong moves in our hands. Firstly, we've managed to slip into the Atlantic under the nose of the British. Here, there's ample maneuvering space unlike in the North Sea; secondly, before the British fleet moves, there's not a single British ship in the Atlantic that can outpace us in speed or equip larger guns than our 11-inchers!" von Falkenstein pointed to the British Isles on the chart. "If I quietly tell you that there isn't even radar equipment on those British warships, your confidence should be even more solid!"

Though von Lanzdorff didn't know how much the constantly rotating, rudimentary-looking device atop the ship's mast had to do with von Falkenstein, its practicality was undeniable. For two ships approaching each other, it allowed the equipped party to spot the opponent still reliant on traditional visual methods, a particularly crucial advantage in poor visibility conditions.

Taking his eyes off the chart, von Falkenstein walked to the port window. The weather was exceptionally clear that day, with the gentle autumn sunlight bathing the sea. The "Deutschland" was sailing at 15 knots in the wake of the "Graf Spee."

"Alright, let's get our boys moving! Signal the 'Deutschland' for the final joint gunnery exercise before the formation dissolves in half an hour!"

"Yes, General!"

The alarm bells of readiness quickly sounded throughout the ship, accompanied by the heavy sounds of boots pounding along the deck and stairs, the shouts of commands, and the clang of steel doors closing. Crew members rushed to their battle stations at top speed, and the mighty turrets of the two armored cruisers began to rotate, while the 11-inch main guns adjusted their elevation, ultimately aiming unanimously towards the distant expanse of the empty sea.

At dawn on August 28th, after sending the signal for "good luck," the "Deutschland" quickly disappeared into the vastness of the ocean. From that moment on, the "Graf Spee" and its crew of over a thousand embarked on their long and lonely adventure.