Chapter 0605: Retreat

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The thunderous roar of cannon fire reverberated across the sea, akin to a violent storm. Shells rained down upon the waters, and each explosive blast sent towering columns of water soaring into the sky, as though the very sea itself were boiling.

The fierce battle between the German and British fleets had reached its climax. Both sides unleashed relentless attacks, as if gambling with their lives.

The British Navy sought to defeat the German Navy, avenging past defeats and turning the tide of the war in their favor, hoping for victory or at the very least to avoid a complete rout. Meanwhile, the German Navy was determined to defend its impending victory and ensure that their efforts were not in vain.

To the northwest of Ireland, a vast fleet was sailing southwest. The force was enormous, comprising over twenty capital ships. The flags flying from these vessels made it clear that they hailed from the United Kingdom, France, and the Kingdom of Italy.

The flagship was the British battleship *Revenge*. Despite nearly being sunk in the previous showdown with the German fleet, it had miraculously escaped the German pursuit and returned to Scapa Flow. There, the British Navy marshaled all available resources and worked tirelessly to repair the ship, restoring it to full combat readiness for the decisive battle.

On the bridge of *Revenge*, Admiral John Jellicoe, Vice Admiral David Beatty, Admiral Ramez, and Admiral Paul stood together. They were the highest-ranking officers of the combined fleet, coordinating the efforts of their forces to ensure success.

"General Martin has already engaged the Germans, I believe. With their strength, eliminating the German battlecruisers should be no problem. I think the Germans must be feeling the pressure now; a vast number of their ships are on their way. This is the perfect opportunity for us to gradually eliminate their main fleet and, in the final confrontation, secure a decisive victory!" Admiral Jellicoe said with a confident smile, as though everything was already within his grasp.

"General Martin's fleet has twelve battleships, so defeating the three German battlecruisers is no challenge. If we can deal with the remaining nine German battlecruisers in the ensuing battles, this war will be ours!" Admiral Ramez said excitedly. As a French naval officer, he understood the stakes. If the combined fleet could triumph over the German Navy, it would save France from the brink of destruction.

"General Martin's chances of victory are indeed high. However, if the Germans decide to retreat, it may not be so easy to sink them," Vice Admiral Beatty said with concern. After all, battlecruisers were much faster than battleships.

Admiral Jellicoe nodded in agreement. "General Martin will undoubtedly attempt to outflank them. Let us hope for his success. God bless the Allies!"

"God bless the Allies!" they all prayed together.

The battle raged on, and the new tactics employed by the German Navy appeared to have an effect.

The *Leopold* battlecruiser had successfully struck the British fleet's *Arkansas* battleship. The *Arkansas*, a vessel of the *Wyoming*-class, had similar defenses to the *Wyoming*, which were notably weak. The ship's thin armor could not withstand the barrage of 305mm shells fired from fifty-caliber guns.

The shell struck the *Arkansas* near the bow, completely demolishing the number two main gun turret. The turret was thrown into the number one turret, severely damaging it and rendering it inoperable. This loss cut the *Arkansas*' firepower in half.

"Damn it!" Vice Admiral Martin muttered darkly as he witnessed the damage. Despite their overwhelming advantage, the British fleet had struggled to land a hit on the German *Blücher*, while the German Navy seemed blessed by fortune, as shells continually missed their targets, like futile attempts to strike at fish, wasting precious ammunition.

"Why can't we hit the Germans?" Martin thought desperately.

The officers were silent, unsure how to explain the situation.

"Where is the 2nd Battleship Squadron?" Martin asked.

Since they had been unable to land a hit on the German ships, Martin had placed his hopes on the 2nd Battleship Squadron. If their six battleships could join the fray, the British fleet would gain a much stronger advantage. Martin was confident that they would then be able to sink the three German battlecruisers.

"General, the 2nd Battleship Squadron will be here soon. They should join the battle in less than ten minutes."

"Excellent! Send a message to the 2nd Battleship Squadron to position themselves for a T-bone maneuver. Tell them to fire with all their might and sink those German battlecruisers!" Martin ordered.

"Yes, General."

The German *Blücher* had become a magnet for shells. The British fleet's four battleships relentlessly pounded it, with numerous shells falling perilously close to the vessel. The German crew aboard the ship could feel the pressure mounting.

"General, Admiral Spee requests that we immediately head south to meet up with the main fleet. He's bringing the reinforcement fleet," an officer reported.

After a brief hesitation, Rear Admiral Lübeck ordered the fleet to increase speed and disengage from the British forces.

"Damn the British! Once we've joined up with the main fleet, we'll settle the score with them! Order the fleet to full speed ahead; we're retreating!" Rear Admiral Lübeck commanded.

If they continued to resist, their chances of victory were slim. Perhaps they could sink one or two British ships, but it was equally likely that all three of their battlecruisers would be sunk. That outcome would be a terrible loss. Once they rendezvoused with the reinforcement fleet and assembled their twelve battlecruisers, they would have enough strength to face the British fleet on equal terms, or even gain the upper hand. After all, the *Blücher*-class battlecruisers were the weakest among Germany's fleet, while the remaining battlecruisers were much more formidable.