Chapter 0632: A Crushing Defeat

The sinking of the battleship *Vengeance* dealt an enormous blow to the British Royal Navy. Not only was *Vengeance* their flagship, but it was also the most powerful battleship in their active fleet. With its loss, the fate of the other battleships seemed equally doomed to a watery grave.

Following their victory over *Vengeance*, the German battleships *Bayern* and *Duke of Braunschweig* redirected their assault to encircle the remaining British ships.

On the battleship *New York*, Vice Admiral Martin stood pale-faced—not only because he'd received news of *Vengeance*'s sinking and Admiral John Jellicoe's choice to go down with his ship, but because *New York* herself was now in mortal peril under the relentless onslaught of the German fleet.

Three *Mackensen*-class battleships, each one far superior to *New York*, attacked in concert, leaving her with no chance of survival. Already in prior skirmishes, *New York* had been struck by two 380mm shells. Though these hits hadn't been fatal, with the escalating intensity of German fire, her survival seemed increasingly unlikely.

A 380mm shell from the *Prinz Karl* struck *New York*'s superstructure, tearing a gaping hole and igniting a blaze. Damage control teams, wearing gas masks, rushed into the inferno, but many were overtaken by the flames.

Before the fires could be quelled, *New York* took yet another hit—a 380mm shell tearing off a portion of her bow in a violent explosion. Thankfully, the damage remained above the waterline; otherwise, the ship's losses would have been even more catastrophic.

But this was merely the beginning. The German assault continued unabated.

Shells exploded relentlessly around *New York*, with each strike inflicting greater damage. Her structure could no longer withstand the mounting hits, and her end was now inevitable.

Recognizing the futility of further resistance, Vice Admiral Martin gave the order to abandon the flagship. However, unlike Admiral Jellicoe, he chose not to sink with the ship but instead boarded a small cutter bound for a nearby destroyer. He knew that remaining aboard a capital ship would only make him a target. Ironically, it was safer now to escape on a smaller vessel, less likely to attract the Germans' attention.

Within ten minutes of *New York*'s sinking, her sister ship *Texas* met the same fate under an overwhelming barrage from three German *Derfflinger*-class battleships. Now, only six of the battleships acquired from America remained, all teetering on the brink, surrounded and likely to succumb to German fire soon enough.

Vice Admiral Spee ordered the six German battleships to pursue the retreating ships of Britain, France, and Italy. As it stood, only the British battlecruiser *Tiger*, along with four French battleships and two Italian ones that had fled earlier, had managed to escape. With the remaining Allied capital ships cornered, Germany seemed poised for a sweeping triumph.

To the Allies, however, this spelled a catastrophe of historic proportions.

Aboard the *Tiger*, Vice Admiral David Beatty stood upon the deck, feeling the rush of wind that gradually cooled his nerves. The speed of his battlecruiser had been pushed to its limits as they fled for their lives.

It was unmistakable—this time, the Royal Navy was utterly defeated. The losses in this engagement exceeded even those of the previous battle. More critically, with this defeat, the Royal Navy had no path to recovery. No country could now supply the fleet with the ships it so desperately needed.

"Admiral, *Vengeance* has been sunk!" an aide informed Vice Admiral Beatty.

Beatty's body tensed. Though he had anticipated this outcome, the grim reality was still difficult to bear.

"And the commander?" Beatty asked.

"The commander sealed himself inside *Vengeance*'s cabin and went down with the ship," the aide replied.

Upon hearing this, Beatty closed his eyes in anguish.

"A crushing defeat… an unprecedented catastrophe. The Royal Navy has no chance to recover from this," he said.

The losses in ships, the death of so many brave sailors—this disaster marked the end. Not only had the Royal Navy been broken, but the British Empire itself now faced an ominous future.

Soon after, Beatty received news that both *New York* and *Texas* had been sunk as well. The loss of two more capital ships left him numb.

His only relief was that the Germans had not yet caught up, allowing *Tiger* a chance to escape. Although the Royal Navy was finished, and Britain faced ruin, at least he might survive. Better to live as a civilian than perish on the sea.

Yet even this small hope was swiftly extinguished.

A shrill alarm suddenly blared, and Beatty's face turned ashen.

"Sir, aircraft—German planes are approaching," his aide reported, terror etched into his expression.