Chapter 415: The Tirpitz

Beside the repair dock of the "Seddelitz", a group of sailors climbed onto the scaffolding, watching the arrival ceremony from afar.

Ka Er Haiyinlixi—the engine crewman—was also among them. His left arm was still wrapped in bandages, a burn from a steam pipe leak in the North Sea battle ten days ago. The doctor told him to rest, but he insisted on coming to watch.

"My god…" a young sailor next to him opened his mouth wide, "Is that really a ship? It looks just like a floating castle."

"I heard the Main Gun's Shell weighs a ton," another sailor said, "A ton! Our 280 mm shells are only 300 kg."

Ka said nothing. He stared at the sleek lines of the two ships, thinking about their engine rooms. To reach 30 knots, how high must the boiler pressure be? How fast must the turbine spin? How is the cooling system designed? In the Day‑Dutch‑Land sea battle, the "Seddelitz"'s boiler room suffered a cooling‑system failure, the temperature surged dramatically, and three engine crewmen died of heatstroke.

If our ships had such technology…

An old veteran patted his shoulder: "Stop staring, kid. Even if you keep looking, it's not ours. It was built by Lanfang, Deguo bought it."

"But why can't we build it?" Ka blurted, "We have Krupp, Rhein Metal, the best engineers in all of Europe…"

The veteran gave a wry smile: "Because of money, kid. Because of resources. Because of war. How much does it cost to build a ship like this? Enough to build twenty submarines, enough to produce a million Shells, enough to feed five hundred thousand front‑line soldiers for a month. The emperor chose to buy rather than build, because buying is faster and more direct."

Ka fell silent. He recalled a saying from his instructor at the engine school: "Technology knows no borders, but engineers have a motherland." Now, engineers of the motherland cannot build such a ship; they can only buy it from elsewhere.

It filled him with an indescribable sorrow.

At the pier, the "Huang He" slowly docked at berth one. The mooring rope was thrown out, the bollard tightened, and the massive hull gently touched the fender. The engine noise gradually faded and finally stopped. In the silence, only the cries of gulls and the suppressed breathing of the crowd could be heard.

Then, the side gangway of the bridge lowered slowly.

Major General Li Te was the first to step down the gangway, setting foot on Deguo soil.

William Port Naval Base central square, 2:30 pm.

The square had been arranged as a ceremony venue. A temporary dais was laid with a red carpet, its backdrop a huge iron cross emblem and the German Imperial Navy flag. On both sides stood naval honor guards, the soldiers in crisp dress uniforms, holding Mauser rifles, their bayonets flashing in the sunlight.

More than twenty thousand people gathered around the square: naval officers and sailors, government officials, diplomatic envoys, journalists. All cameras and eyes focused on the dais—where Emperor Weilian Ershi, Marshal Tirpitz, senior officials of the Navy Ministry, and the Lanfang handover team represented by Major General Li Te were seated.

Weilian Ershi was clearly in a good mood today. He wore a white summer uniform of a naval marshal, his chest covered with medals, holding a marshal's staff, his face bearing a rare smile. In the past two months, the Verdun offensive had stalled, the Somme pressure was huge, domestic tensions had intensified, and he had not shown such an expression for a long time.

Tirpitz sat to the emperor's right, his expression far more complex. He kept the standard military posture, but deep in his eyes lay an inescapable fatigue and… a feeling akin to shame. As the founder of the Deguo Navy, the dream he had pursued all his life was realized by another nation, while his own fleet lay scarred in the dock.

The master of ceremonies stepped to the podium and announced in a resonant voice: "The ceremony begins! Play the national anthem!"

The military band played "Germany Above All". Everyone stood, right hand over the chest. Li Te and the Lanfang officers stood solemnly, without performing the Deguo military salute—this had been agreed in advance: they represented a sovereign nation, not a Deguo vassal.

When the anthem ended, Weilian Ershi walked to the podium, without a speech script.

"Gentlemen! Sailors! Citizens of Germany!" the emperor's voice rang through the loudspeakers across the square, "Today we gather here to witness a historic moment! What we witness is not only the commissioning of two battleships, but also the dawn of a new era for the German Navy!"

Thunderous applause erupted. Weilian waited for the clamor to subside, then continued: "In the past two years, our naval forces have demonstrated the power of the German spirit with unparalleled courage and sacrifice! From Coronal to Falkland, from Dog Beach to Day‑Dutch‑Land, the German Navy has never feared any enemy!"

More applause followed. Tirpitz noted that the emperor deliberately omitted the North Sea encounter ten days earlier—the so‑called "victory" that left the 'Seddelitz' nearly wrecked.

"But," Wilhelm turned the conversation, "war is cruel. We have lost brave sailors, we have lost precious warships. Some people therefore doubt, some are shaken. Some even say the German naval dream has been shattered!"

He paused, his gaze sweeping the crowd: "Today, I will prove with facts that those people are wrong!"

The emperor pointed toward the dock. Everyone's eyes followed. At the bows of the two giant ships, objects covered with canvas were being slowly unveiled.

"Look! This is Germany's future maritime power! This is our answer to all doubts!"

"Now I will name the two super‑battleships!!!"

Left ship: "BISMARCK" (Bismarck).

Right ship: "TIRPITZ" (Tirpitz).

The entire venue fell silent for a moment, then erupted into deafening cheers. People shouted "Long live!" "Long live the Emperor!" "Long live the Navy!"

Tirpitz was stunned. He stared fixedly at the bow bearing his own name, his lips trembling slightly. As an old‑school Prussian officer, he rarely showed emotion, but at that moment he felt something lodged in his throat.

Weilian Ershi turned, walked up to Tirpitz, and extended his hand.

"A'erfuleide," the emperor's voice was soft, audible only to a few on the stage, "this ship is named after you. Not because you are a naval marshal, not because you have served as navy minister, but because… you are the soul of the German Navy. In the past twenty years, without you, there would be no fleet."

Tirpitz rose, grasped the emperor's hand. His hand trembled.

"Your Majesty, I… I am unworthy of such honor. In Day‑Dutch‑Land we have not achieved a decisive victory, in the North Sea battle our losses were heavy, the open‑sea fleet is still blockaded in the harbor…"

"But you are still here," Wilhelm said, gripping his hand tightly, "You are still here fighting for the Deguo Navy. A'erfuleide, I know we have had disagreements, I know you are dissatisfied with some of my decisions. But trust that I have always respected your professional judgment, always understood your caution."

The emperor paused, his voice dropping even lower: "These two ships are our hope to break the stalemate. But I need you, your experience, your wisdom, to turn that hope into reality. So stop saying 'unworthy.' This 'Tirpitz' can only bear that name with you as its rightful holder."

Tirpitz closed his eyes, inhaled deeply. When he opened them again, his gaze reignited with light—the glow of a torch nearly extinguished now rekindled.

"Thank you, Your Majesty," his voice was hoarse yet firm, "I will make this ship worthy of the name you have bestowed."

Wilhelm smiled, a genuine smile. He turned to Li Te: "General, now, please formally hand over the two battleships to the German Imperial Navy."

Li Te stepped forward, took two thick documents from the adjutant's hand. They were handover certificates, bilingual in German and Chinese, already signed by Chen Feng and stamped with the seal of the Lanfang Republic.

"Your Majesty the Emperor, Marshal," Li Te said in fluent German, "I, representing the President of the Lanfang Republic, Chen Feng, and all officers and sailors of the Lanfang Navy, hereby formally transfer the battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz to the German Imperial Navy. May these two ships contribute to the preservation of peace and justice."

He handed over the certificates with both hands. Wilhelm took them, turned and gave them to Tirpitz.

"Now, they are yours," Li Te added, "My technical team will, over the next two weeks, assist your navy in mastering all operating systems. After that, we will depart. These two ships, and the hope they carry, will belong entirely to Deguo."