Chapter 148: Braving the Gates of Hell

On October 7, following the completion of deployment adjustments, Ludendorff reorganized the German forces and launched a new offensive.

On this day, the three battlecruisers that had been repaired first, along with the reconnaissance detachment composed of the battleships *Bayern* and *Baden*, departed from Wilhelmshaven. This marked the High Seas Fleet's first large-scale operation in five months, with its sights directly set on challenging the British Royal Navy for control of the North Sea.

Feng Qianqian dispatched not five fast capital ships, but eight. According to his arrangements, the *Moltke*, *Derfflinger*—wait, the *Moltke*, *Derrfflinger*, *Von der Tann*—no, the *Moltke*, *Seydlitz*, and *Von der Tann* had already returned to the North Sea and would rendezvous with the reconnaissance detachment on October 8.

Because the British Royal Navy had already reclaimed command of the sea, the ocean-going commerce raiding operations of the distant fleet had scaled back significantly. However, Feng Qianqian did not take the *Derfflinger* and *Lützow*, which had only entered service in mid-September, because these two warships had not yet completed their necessary training.

Without a doubt, this was a formidable and threatening fleet. Feng Qianqian's objective was not to fight a decisive battle against the British Royal Navy, but to disrupt Britain's command of the sea and lift the strategic blockade imposed on the German Empire.

Of course, this was merely the surface justification for deploying the fleet. The reason was quite simple: following America's entry into the war, the trade of the German Empire no longer held strategic importance, at most amounting to acquiring some resources from African and other colonies. Having defeated Russia and assisted the Ottoman Empire in stabilizing the Middle Eastern front, the Empire had already opened up overland transportation routes, and the resources provided by Russia could fully satisfy the Empire's demands. Consequently, the Empire's need for resources from overseas colonies was not particularly high.

To put it simply, whether or not the Empire was blockaded at this point was of little consequence, having no decisive impact at the very least.

Feng Qianqian's true objective was to obstruct the United States from dispatching troops to Europe, forcing the U.S. to first consider whether it could safely transport its ground forces to Europe before actually deploying them. To put it bluntly, this fleet operation was entirely in service of the ground war.

At that time, Feng Qianqian had also made a promise to Ludendorff: to strive, before the end of the year, to make it impossible for the United States to deploy ground forces to Europe due to a lack of guaranteed maritime route security. To achieve this, Feng Qianqian had to lead the fleet out of port, forcing the British Royal Navy and the U.S. Navy to prioritize dealing with the High Seas Fleet.

However, the inherent problems of the High Seas Fleet remained unresolved. Specifically, the endurance of the capital ships was extremely limited, making it difficult for them to operate in the open ocean for extended periods and impossible to keep British and American nerves perpetually on edge.

To solve this problem, Feng Qianqian brought along a massive "supply fleet"—strictly speaking, a special fleet composed of fuel-carrying vessels and escort warships, whose mission was to support the High Seas Fleet.

On October 8, the High Seas Fleet rendezvoused with the three battlecruisers in the central North Sea. On the same day, the "supply fleet," consisting of eight ten-thousand-ton oil tankers and twelve light cruisers, also set sail from the Baltic port of Kiel.

At this time, the British Royal Navy also received definitive intelligence that the entire main force of the High Seas Fleet had left Wilhelmshaven.

Without a doubt, the strength of the British Royal Navy surpassed that of the High Seas Fleet. One must remember that by this time, in addition to two *Queen Elizabeth*-class and two *Renown*-class battleships already in service, the British Royal Navy also possessed eight battleships hailing from the United States.

The problem, however, was that the fast capital ships of the British Royal Navy were clearly inferior to those of the High Seas Fleet. Consequently, even if the British Royal Navy dispatched the Grand Fleet to intercept the High Seas Fleet, the initiative of whether or not to engage rested entirely with the High Seas Fleet.

Even more fatally, the U.S. Navy possessed no battlecruisers whatsoever! Although the U.S. Congress immediately approved a massive shipbuilding program upon entering the war—which included the U.S. Navy's first class of battlecruisers—at present, not even the blueprints for these battlecruisers existed, let alone any construction. For the next three years, the U.S. Navy would simply have no fast capital ships at all.

Four ships fighting eight—clearly, there was no chance of victory.

Yet, if the British Royal Navy refused to come out and give battle, it would lose face to the Imperial German Navy in terms of morale and might even temporarily forfeit command of the sea as a result.

Without a doubt, this was precisely what the British authorities feared most.

One must bear in mind that the United States had already initiated wartime mobilization; by then, over one million five hundred thousand Americans had enlisted, and the size of the U.S. Army had expanded to five hundred thousand. More importantly, on the European mainland, France had bled too much and was on the verge of collapse at any moment. Although Britain had continuously dispatched expeditionary forces, Britain had also paid the heavy price of two million five hundred thousand dead and captured in this war. Unquestionably, British aid was merely a drop in the bucket. The only thing that could save France was a massive army from the United States. If the High Seas Fleet broke through the North Sea defense line and re-entered the North Atlantic, the United States would have to postpone its troop deployments to Europe. For France, and indeed for the entire Entente bloc, this was by no means good news. Let us not forget that France was the final fortress of the Entente bloc on the European mainland.

The British Royal Navy had to strike out, and it had to compel the U.S. Navy to take action as well.

On the early morning of October 9, the Grand Fleet left Scapa Flow. According to Hamilton's arrangements, a reconnaissance detachment composed of two *Queen Elizabeth*-class and two *Renown*-class ships would be responsible for searching for the High Seas Fleet, while the main fleet would be tasked with crushing it. Yet Hamilton held little hope; the High Seas Fleet had not sent its slower capital ships, making it obvious that it had no intention of fighting a decisive battle against the Grand Fleet. Its primary mission was to disrupt North Atlantic supply routes.

Later that same day, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet also departed from Pisack Bay. According to the division of labor, the U.S. Atlantic Fleet would steam toward the North Atlantic to guard the primary shipping lanes. If the High Seas Fleet broke through the North Sea defense line, it would assist the Grand Fleet in encircling and destroying the German forces.

By this point, the British and American navies had committed a total of nearly thirty capital ships to deal with the High Seas Fleet.

That night, Feng Qianqian received a telegram sent by Hipper.

"It seems the Englishmen and the Yankees take us quite seriously."

"Marshal, what should we do now?" Raeder asked, maintaining a low profile.

"When soldiers come, block them with shields; when water comes, block it with earth. It's just not yet time for a decisive battle with Britain and the United States." Feng Qianqian put down the telegram, pondered for a moment, and then said, "The Grand Fleet's movement is extremely timely. If we head north along Norway, it is highly likely we won't make it in time to break through the Grand Fleet's interception. If we head to the Shetland Islands, we will undoubtedly be spotted by British reconnaissance vessels, which would be tantamount to walking right into a trap. We must choose a perilous route fraught with danger."

Raeder's brow twitched a few times, and he asked, "Through the English Channel?"

Feng Qianqian nodded and said, "In the past, passing through this strait was utterly impossible, but now we can take the risk and give it a try."

"However..."

"I know, you're worried about the mines in the channel and those high-speed torpedo boats."

Raeder did not speak, but this was indeed his greatest concern.

"Let us not forget that Field Marshal Ludendorff has already occupied the Flanders region and controls the entirety of Belgium. Moreover, we have already grasped the basic situation within the channel—at the very least, we know which shipping lanes are relatively safe. As for the British torpedo boats, as long as we seize the right timing, we should be able to handle them."

"Even so, this is a path of no return. If something goes wrong..."

"Since there is no turning back once we enter, we must conquer every problem we encounter." Feng Qianqian glanced at Raeder and said, "Our mission is to spend a full month in the North Atlantic. Even if we do nothing at all, we will have fulfilled our mission, rather than fighting a decisive battle against the Grand Fleet in the North Sea. Tell me, aside from heading into the English Channel, what other way do we have to avoid a decisive battle with the Grand Fleet?"

Raeder sighed inwardly; indeed, he could think of no better method.

"If there is nothing more to be said, then let us decide on this."

Two hours later, at around 11:00 PM on October 9, after Raeder had plotted the new route, the High Seas Fleet altered course to the southwest north-west of the Netherlands.

The key was not merely the route, but strictly controlling the speed.

Obviously, the likelihood of the High Seas Fleet passing through the English Channel during daylight was vanishingly slim, as the British torpedo boats roaming everywhere would undoubtedly spot the main fleet and launch attacks. Only at night, utilizing the cover of darkness and the heavy fog within the channel, would it be possible to make the passage.

Consequently, speed had to be carefully regulated so that the fleet entered the strait in the first half of the night and exited in the second half.

Clearly, Hamilton could not possibly have imagined that the High Seas Fleet would actually head for the English Channel. In truth, apart from Feng Qianqian, not a single naval commander on either side of the conflict could have imagined that the High Seas Fleet would dare to risk entering the English Channel.

Of course, Feng Qianqian certainly did not make such a risky decision without certainty.

Feng Qianqian held a trump card, though he had not told Raeder about it. Specifically, he had obtained detailed information regarding the minefields within the English Channel from British Royal Navy prisoners of war, particularly officers from the battleship *Queen Elizabeth*.

It was precisely this that filled Feng Qianqian with absolute confidence.

However, this intelligence was classified as top secret, known to fewer than ten people, which was why Feng Qianqian did not provide Raeder with a detailed explanation.

On October 10, at 10:00 PM, the High Seas Fleet reached the northern entrance of the English Channel.

When Feng Qianqian arrived at the navigation bridge, the captain, the executive officer, and the navigator were all waiting for him. That afternoon, Feng Qianqian had given special instructions to the captain to notify him before entering the strait.

Handing a route chart to the navigator, Feng Qianqian said nothing more.

On the chart, a specific route was marked, accurately outlining the exact boundaries of several minefields, along with more than a dozen shallow-water channels specifically intended for torpedo boats to traverse.

With such detailed information available, there was naturally no need for Feng Qianqian to say much. Of course, this was not merely a route chart; it was also a tactical chart, because through it, one could accurately grasp the attack routes of the British torpedo boats and thus take preventive measures in advance.

With such crucial assets in hand, how could one fear failing to pass through the English Channel?