Chapter 232: Night Battle in the Strait (Part 2)

Due to various reasons, although Germany was once at the forefront of radar theory and application, its practical application of military radar was not as advanced as its old rival, Britain. As early as 1935, under the leadership of Dr. Von Weichs, the GEMA company built the first operational ground radar station. Three years later, in 1938, eight FUMO39G-type land-based radars with a detection range of 60 kilometers were deployed to the German border areas. In the German Navy, starting from the Deutschland-class battleships, the Fumo series radars became standard equipment for large surface warships. Even after studying the Battle of the Platte River mouth, some German naval tactical experts believed that Colonel Langsdorf's failure to activate the radar on board was a fatal mistake—he should have detected the enemy early and avoided them.

History has already drawn conclusions, and in today's German Navy, the use of radar by officers and sailors is much more proficient than it was at the beginning of the war. Both the "Gneisenau" and the "Prinz Eugen" are equipped with advanced Fumo27 radars, with a detection range exceeding 20 kilometers, capable of searching the surface even in adverse weather conditions. Paired with optical rangefinders, they guide the ship's guns to engage individual targets on the sea surface using azimuth synchronizers and range displays.

Therefore, even without radio interception, German fleet commander Gunther Lutjens could clearly understand the opponent's combat adjustments in the darkness. The navy commander, clad in a dark blue naval coat, stood proudly in the command room on the bridge, his gaze focused ahead:

"Signal: Fleet turn collectively to port 40 degrees. Each ship's secondary guns freely engage the British ship to the northwest, which is on fire. Our main guns target the first British ship, which is traveling rapidly to the northeast. Prinz Eugen, target the second ship with your main guns!"

In distant waters, the rumble of gunfire erupted like thunder, but there were no flashes of exploding shells in sight.

Experienced Vice Admiral Lutjens and Captain Ganten remained as calm as old pines.

In the midst of the relentless barrage from the ship's secondary guns, the three triple-gun turrets finally roared again!

"Hit! Hit!" Within a few seconds, an excited voice rang out in the command room. Turning to look, a lieutenant who had recently transferred from the light cruiser unit pointed to the front right of the ship. It turned out that the British cruiser, which had caught fire earlier, was hit once again by the German ship's secondary guns, and the roaring flames on its deck and bridge had turned it into a torch in the darkness!

Lutjens, with his unyielding face, shifted his gaze back to the distant starboard side. A single cruiser was by no means the ultimate target for the German fleet daringly venturing into the Irish Sea. On this cold and pitch-black night, he and his warships would become the new guardians of Belfast Harbor. Those cruisers and destroyers, entirely controlled by British naval officers and capable of escaping to North America or British colonies at any time, could all be sunk without hesitation!

After enduring a round of gunfire, the three British warships sailing together did not immediately return fire. The flashing flames and the booming roar of the battle were the main guns of the "Prinz Eugen" firing in unison. Ten seconds later, the sea still only echoed with the sound of explosions, without any flashes of fire.

The atmosphere grew even more somber. At this moment, a report came from the radar room:

"Three British warships are speeding toward us at high speed, less than ten kilometers away!"

Finally, a slight change appeared on Lutjens' iron-like face. Although radar technology performed well in training and exercises, especially compensating for the shortcomings of optical instruments and human eyes in night battles, the German Navy had never achieved any results in actual combat using radar. What was truly reliable might still be the optical instruments on board and the exceptionally skilled officers and sailors!

Thirty seconds later, Lutjens' fleet fired another salvo. While the secondary guns of the two ships frequently hit targets within ten kilometers, the main guns guided by radar once again returned empty-handed, prompting Vice Admiral Lutjens to command, "Fire two illumination flares to starboard!"

The three British warships, speeding through the darkness, still did not retaliate. Instead, the wounded beast roared furiously, its 6-inch and 4-inch shells falling haphazardly into the nearby sea.

Amidst the incessant gunfire and explosions, a twin-mounted 105mm anti-aircraft gun on the starboard side of the "Gneisenau" quietly raised its slender barrel. The crew quickly loaded two specially colored shells into the breech and opened fire into the void of the night!