Chapter 26: Even a Retreat Can Be Used as a Deception

After resolving to relentlessly pursue the fleeing enemy, Admiral Scheer immediately ordered the battlecruiser and armored cruiser squadrons to turn westward. Coordinating with their own light cruisers and destroyers, they prepared to intercept the enemy’s last dreadnought and its escort fleet off the coast of Nieuwpoort.

At the outset of this second engagement, the battlefield still reflected the classic scenario of the British on the offensive and the Germans on the defensive. The large number of British auxiliary vessels to the west, unaware that their three main battleships to the east had already been destroyed, pressed forward desperately to aid their comrades.

Being the side that had divided their forces before the battle, the British were anxious to regroup, while the concentrated German forces could afford to wait and conserve their strength.

The German light cruisers and most destroyers—except for the three that had just finished off the British dreadnought—had been strictly following Scheer’s orders to conduct delaying and obstructive operations. They maintained occasional torpedo barrages to keep the enemy at bay, preventing them from closing in too quickly.

Dodging torpedoes in the dark was a troublesome task. The attackers were at a disadvantage, as charging headlong into the enemy’s torpedoes effectively increased their effective range.

Thus, when the British charged and the Germans held back, the Germans naturally held the upper hand.

The British did not immediately grasp the danger. That was until the light cruiser Nottingham, a member of the Birmingham class, led the advance along with an escorting destroyer, both blundering into a crossfire of torpedoes.

The thunderous explosions and towering water plumes that followed tore the Nottingham wide open, flooding it rapidly, while the nearby destroyer was blown apart in two and sank instantly.

This loss finally sobered the British, who ceased reckless charges and began to cautiously evade the torpedoes.

For the next twenty minutes, both sides maintained their distance, probing and exchanging fire, each suffering some damage.

Though greatly outnumbered, the German auxiliary vessels leveraged their delaying tactics to buy time, holding the line until their main fleet could decide the outcome.

Then, the British auxiliary fleet began to feel the erratic whizzing of 210mm and 150mm shells overhead.

The German battlecruisers and armored cruisers had freed their hands.

The main guns on the battlecruisers—305mm or 280mm—were slow-firing, averaging only two rounds per minute, making them ill-suited to counter the numerous light cruisers and destroyers. They had to rely mainly on the six 150mm secondary guns per side, which did not generate high firepower density.

At this moment, the armored cruisers of the Scharnhorst class, which had already torn through the British escort fleet earlier, were given another chance to dazzle.

Each ship’s eight 210mm guns could fire five rounds per minute, delivering 2.5 times the firepower density of a battlecruiser! Though they had half the number of 150mm secondary guns compared to battlecruisers, it was still sufficient.

Under the continuous bombardment of 210mm shells, the British began to suffer mounting losses.

Compounding their plight, the British had lost unified fleet command, as Vice Admiral Hastings had been killed alongside the battleship Sovereign. When the tide turned, the British ships were unable to decisively and uniformly accept new orders.

The commander of the light cruiser squadron, realizing the dire situation and the futility of trying to save their three lost dreadnoughts, decisively ordered a turnabout and high-speed retreat.

Yet, a few captains failed to receive this order promptly, and there was discord between the destroyer and light cruiser commanders.

The result was a fragmented response: some sought to cut losses and flee, others vowed to fight to the death.

The situation descended into chaos, akin to the fabled tale of seven brothers each attempting to rescue their grandfather one by one.

Admiral Scheer, witnessing this, was elated—he had no sympathy for the enemy—and promptly ordered all vessels to open fire freely and intercept.

In the ensuing mêlée, five rash British destroyers became sacrificial lambs to the Scharnhorst class vessels, each blown apart in swift succession.

At this point, the British finally regained their composure, all auxiliary vessels abandoning hope and turning to full-speed escape.

Their light cruisers could make at least 28 knots, destroyers even faster.

Compared to the German battlecruisers’ top speed of 26.5 knots, and the slightly slower armored cruisers, the British still had a chance to outrun them.

Yet, unfortunately for them, there remained one final vulnerability that the Germans would exploit.

...

“Running away because you can’t win? It’s not that easy! They still have a dreadnought! I’m doing 26 knots, they’re only doing 21. In an hour or two, we’ll catch them!”

From the command tower, Admiral Scheer lowered his binoculars after seeing the enemy fleet retreat and his gaze hardened with resolve.

The British light cruisers might escape, but not their dreadnought—that ship was simply too slow.

If the British had planned to flee, they would have to abandon their last capital ship.

Every dreadnought that fought today would be annihilated—none spared.

With this in mind, Scheer turned to Lelouch, curious to test his insight. “Although you don’t understand naval warfare, your perceptiveness is remarkable. Tell me, do you think the British light cruisers will escort that dreadnought in an orderly retreat, or abandon their main ship to save themselves?”

Lelouch did not answer immediately. Instead, he glanced at the clock on the wall before offering a shrewd analysis:

“If I were a British commander without additional intelligence, I would definitely opt for an orderly full retreat. It’s already midnight. Chasing westward for an hour or two, round trip plus battle time, would mean dawn.

Therefore, the British command surely believes we would fear pursuing them too long because of Betty. This hopeful gamble will actually cost them dearly!”

Scheer was increasingly impressed by Lelouch’s reasoning.

Regardless of his lack of naval expertise, his strategy and vision were no less sharp than his own. It was a waste to keep him as a lieutenant.

Scheer smiled proudly. “You’re thinking along the same lines as me. We have an escape route to Antwerp that they don’t expect. Since we don’t fear Betty’s interception, we’ll chase them to the bitter end and finish them off!”

Thus began a spectacular pursuit, unfolding ever closer to the Strait of Dover.

Scheer led the battlecruisers and light cruisers, leaving behind the slightly slower Scharnhorst-class armored cruisers, chasing the British fleet at top speed.

In the chase, neither side could bring their broadside guns to bear, relying instead on their forward or aft guns to exchange fire.

They couldn’t range precisely, merely aiming left or right and firing at estimated distances.

But the British fleet’s firepower was too weak to pose a real threat. Under constant shelling, their ships often took hits that caused explosions and fires.

Frustrated, some British light cruiser captains occasionally acted rashly, attempting to turn and rush in to launch torpedoes.

Yet such disorganized, sporadic actions only sacrificed them one by one, changing nothing.

Scheer pursued the Queen from Nieuwpoort all the way to Dunkirk, light cruisers blocking light cruisers, destroyers blocking destroyers.

The French dispatched torpedo boat flotillas from Dunkirk to assist their allies, but arriving hastily and lacking coordination and numbers, they were picked off one by one.

Notably, the 450mm torpedoes used by the French in 1914 had an effective range of only 2-3 kilometers. Often, their boats were destroyed by rapid-fire 88mm rounds before getting within effective range.

Finally, Scheer’s fleet caught the Queen about a dozen nautical miles west of Dunkirk.

Four German battlecruisers approached from the northeast rear, gradually aligning alongside the Queen, unleashing a furious barrage from sixteen 305mm and sixteen 280mm guns against the Queen’s mere four 305mm guns.

With firepower at 32 versus 4, the Queen held out for only four or five rounds before taking multiple hits.

The engagement closed from four kilometers to just over two, until all the battleships leveled their guns flat, firing without elevation or ranging.

Shell after shell struck home, tearing the Queen’s 228mm main armor belt to shreds.

In just fifteen minutes of shelling, the Queen was hit by over forty heavy shells.

In fact, after roughly the tenth hit, she had already lost all combat capability, reduced to a drifting empty hull.

Scheer, fearful of prolonging the night and wary of the proximity to Britannia’s mainland, sought a swift and decisive victory, mercilessly finishing off the ship.

After more than forty hits, the Queen’s boilers and ammunition magazines exploded in succession; a 305mm gun turret was blasted hundreds of meters into the air.

That very early morning, it was said that Britannian civilians watching the sea from the white cliffs of Dover could see flickering bursts of fire tens of miles eastward—flames from the Queen’s exploding magazine and flying turret.

Dover is the narrowest point of the Strait of Dover; Dover and Calais are only about thirty kilometers apart.

Sinking a dreadnought in such a place was akin to the scene in “Kung Fu” where Chen blocks the door and kills Feng, then challenges the opponent to clean up the mess.

An immense insult to the Royal Navy.

Of course, Scheer was not mad enough to order the remaining Channel Fleet to emerge from Dover to recover the bodies.

After witnessing the Queen’s total destruction, he turned his fleet to full speed and fled.

...

Only half an hour later, the phone rang at Minister Walton’s private residence.

“What’s so urgent at this hour? It’s three in the morning! Must it be the minister immediately?!”

The secretary answered sharply, annoyed at being disturbed so late.

But after just two questions, she went silent and said she would wake the minister at once.

“Sir! An urgent telegram from Dover! It’s from Rear Admiral Hood!”

Walton, still groggy, muttered, “What could Horace be calling about at this hour? Oh, right, the Channel Fleet had a bombardment mission tonight... Could something have gone wrong?”

A dark premonition settled over him before he even picked up the receiver.

Yet even so, Hood’s words shattered all his expectations.

“What? Four dreadnoughts completely destroyed? Fleet Commander Vice Admiral Hastings killed in action? And an unknown number of auxiliary vessels lost?”

“Impossible! That can’t be! Wasn’t Scheer on a different mission? How could he be at Ostend? I already ordered Betty to watch him!”

The minister didn’t recall how he hung up on Hood. His mind went blank, and he numbly dialed another number.

“Order David Betty to intercept Scheer at all costs, full speed, with full force along the Dutch coast. Cut off every route back to Germania! If Scheer escapes again, Betty might as well quit!”

“He dares destroy my four dreadnoughts—I want his four battlecruisers wiped out in blood for blood!”

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