Battle scars

The turbulent North Sea, with its cold air, made every soldier's breath visible as white mist on the deck. A deck ammunition loader, clad in a red vest, stood on a designated smoking platform, his gaze fixed on the sea. Unlike the tranquil Pacific Ocean, the cold, windy waves of the North Atlantic were considered some of the worst sea conditions. This made open naval engagements, like those between US and Japanese aircraft carriers in the Pacific, difficult here. If the UK and Germany were to operate aircraft carriers under these conditions, their aircraft would be severely corroded by the seawater, leading to disastrous flight accidents.

On this particular day, the German Navy had deployed a formidable assembly of 16 warships in the North Sea. This fleet comprised two aircraft carriers, two armored ships that had joined later, four cruisers, and eight destroyers. From the outset, this massive fleet became a primary operational target for the British Royal Navy. To prevent the German fleet from advancing into the North Atlantic, the Royal Navy mobilized a substantial force to pursue and intercept them, quickly demonstrating a significant disparity in strength. The British response was overwhelming: four aircraft carriers, four battleships, 11 cruisers, and 23 destroyers, organized into three massive convoys, effectively sealed off the North Sea route to the North Atlantic.

Faced with this formidable British presence, Admiral Ryder, the commander-in-chief of the German Navy, decided to abandon the initial combat plan. Instead, he opted for a strategy of evasion, playing a maritime game of hide-and-seek with the Royal Navy. He dispatched numerous fighters and reconnaissance aircraft, in coordination with submarines, to monitor the position of the British fleet and evade its pursuit, disappearing into the icy waters of the North Sea.

Suddenly, a loud siren blared: "Urgent assembly! Urgent assembly! Load the bombers with aerial bombs." Navy sailors, who had been smoking together, quickly discarded their cigarette butts into the sea and hurried inside the aircraft carrier. The entire fleet communicated using lights and flags, maintaining radio silence—a practice that had been in place for several days, utilizing these primitive methods for inter-ship communication.

On the bridge of the Zeppelin aircraft carrier, Ryder was reviewing the latest intelligence data with the ship's captain. The atmosphere was tense. The aircraft headquarters was busy deploying aircraft and preparing bombers with their payloads.

"How did the British find us?" Ryder mumbled, frowning at the information in his hand. His adjutant, standing by and staring at a chart, wore a grave expression. They had just received reports from a reconnaissance plane launched from the USS Bismarck that had spotted a British fleet consisting of at least three warships, located about two hundred kilometers southwest of the German fleet.

Initially, Ryder had not been overly concerned about this particular British fleet. In the past few days, the German Navy had successfully evaded several British search fleets, which diminished his interest in engaging them directly. He surmised that 80% of these British warships were likely accompanying an aircraft carrier. Engaging them could result in a sticky entanglement from which they might not easily escape. Thus, the best strategy seemed to be a slight course adjustment to avoid confrontation and allow the British to continue their futile patrolling of the North Sea.

Acting on this decision, Ryder ordered the fleet to adjust its course from northeast to east—a direction they hadn't taken in several days. His plan was to feint a maneuver and then head south to continue their circuitous route. However, the outcome was unexpected. A second wave of reconnaissance planes monitoring the British fleet reported that it included two aircraft carriers and at least one battleship, indicating that the Germans were now facing the main fleet of the British Royal Navy.

Even more alarming was the fact that shortly after the German navy adjusted its course, the British fleet did the same, matching the new trajectory of the German ships. This development forced Ryder to acknowledge the gravity of the situation. If the fleet was discovered and closely watched by the British, it would significantly disadvantage the German Navy under the current circumstances.

"Maintain heading! The fleet will accelerate as a whole... Maintain a speed of 22 knots," Ryder commanded, touching his chin thoughtfully. The commander of the aviation unit, looking somewhat pale and evidently still not accustomed to the harsh North Sea weather, reported, "The current crosswind on deck is not suitable for launching fighter jets. To launch Stuka and FW-190 fighters equipped with torpedoes, the fleet would need to sail into the wind."

"If we launch the planes, we should sail north," Ryder considered, glancing at the chart before shaking his head. Heading north would likely trap them against the British Navy positioned in the northern North Sea, cutting off any possibility of returning to Germany.

"Our aircraft have a significant advantage in range and performance. If we can successfully launch an attack, we could achieve some results," the aviation commander suggested, trying to reassure Ryder.

"But just a few minutes ago, you expressed doubts about our ability to sink the British warships, which would prevent them from continuing to pursue my fleet," Ryder pointed out, scrutinizing the chart again. After a moment, he decided against continuing their circular maneuver due to the limited area of operation. He looked at the captain and his adjutant and ordered, "Keep heading and continue eastward. We'll head directly into the William Junction and wait there for a few months until the second fleet joins us."

Confronted with the well-trained and formidable British Royal Navy fleet, Ryder ultimately lacked the courage to escalate the confrontation. He resolved to guide the German Navy back to Port Deutschland by what he considered the safest route.

"Has the situation been clarified? What exactly has allowed the Royal Navy to ascertain our speed and course?" Ryder inquired, glancing at the adjutant responsible for intelligence analysis.

"If this problem had arisen two days earlier, we would have been blocked north of the Shetland Islands, and the entire fleet could have been annihilated!" he added, his tone underscored with urgency.

"In fact, that's what puzzles us," the adjutant replied, pointing to the chart at the location of a recent encounter. "It's clear that the British were here and here, and they hadn't pinpointed our exact location. But after contact with our reconnaissance planes, they managed to determine our approximate location."

"However, they still lacked precise information, so they continued with a containment strategy," the adjutant continued, pointing to the northern part of the Shetland Islands. "But after our feigned move into the North Atlantic failed, the British interception seemed somewhat perfunctory. They didn't consider our presence in the North Sea a significant threat."

"That has just changed," the captain of the Zeppelin carrier interjected, pointing to the chart. "They've obtained detailed information about us a few minutes ago, so they've changed their usual tactics and are preparing to engage us in a naval battle to completely annihilate us."

"Could it be the codes from the Dunnitz submarine reports that were cracked by the British?" the adjutant suddenly asked.

"Impossible!" Ryder asserted. "The codes can't be deciphered without the codebook, and we never responded to calls. The submarine didn't send back any information about the specific location of my fleet, so they couldn't have obtained any useful data."

"Wait!" the captain of the Zeppelin carrier suddenly interrupted, then exclaimed, "Not our submarine! It's a British submarine! They definitely have submarines in the North Sea, whether pre-positioned or specifically deployed for our operation. These submarines must be nearby! That must be how they're tracking our fleet!"

"That makes sense! Inform all destroyers and cruisers to engage the submarine!" Ryder ordered loudly. "If it's on the outer perimeter, let it go! If it's found within the fleet's defense circle, sink it!"

"The destroyer Z11 sent a signal; they've detected a suspicious target, deployed two depth charges, and the target has disappeared," a communications officer reported, handing the adjutant a note.

"They're asking whether to continue the pursuit," the officer added.

"Order the destroyers Z11 and Z17 to search and attack within a 3-nautical-mile radius. Regardless of the outcome, they must immediately accelerate to rejoin the main fleet," Ryder commanded. "The fleet will maintain its course and accelerate eastward."

"Are we heading back to our country?" the first officer inquired, looking at Ryder with a hint of confusion.

"We've been at sea for several days. Why not return for rest and resupply?" Ryder replied with a smile. "The head of state tasked us with containing the Royal Navy and conducting some training exercises. Haven't we accomplished both?"

Meanwhile, in the southwest direction from the German fleet, a British naval general in a white military uniform stood on the deck of the flagship carrier USS Glory, reviewing incoming reports. The information indicated that a submarine had been driven off and could not provide further precise data.

"These Germans are really resilient," he muttered to himself, peering out at the sea. "They're quick to deduce what's happening from the slightest leak. It seems the German Navy also has its share of capable individuals."

"General, should we accelerate to catch up?" his adjutant asked quietly.

"We'll definitely pursue them, but it's more about driving them than catching them," the general responded, shaking his head slightly. "Everyone's overall speed is about the same. Now it's a game of cat and mouse, and they're not far from William Junction. We have no chance of overtaking them."

"We've accomplished our mission of containing the German Navy. Though they haven't suffered any losses, they also haven't achieved their intended objectives. We've kept them confined to the North Sea, haven't we?" the adjutant remarked proudly.

The general shook his head. "In this comparison of strength, only a fool would lead their fleet into the Atlantic to risk a decisive battle. Their move towards the Atlantic was merely a feint. In reality, they probably intended to make some gains in the North Sea and then return home."

Before the surprised adjutant could respond, the general continued, "Send a telegram to headquarters. The bad news is that the German fleet has escaped. The good news is that the German Navy, still haunted by the Battle of Jutland, lacks the courage to engage in combat."