Chapter 492: The Eve of the Decisive Battle

She Er walked to the chart table. The staff officers had already marked the known Yingguo fleet positions: the main fleet's core is in Skapa Bay, the fast formation's movements are unknown, the Hood class may have already set sail…

Time, everything is about time. If the Yingguo react quickly enough, their fast formation could intercept the task force in the waters off Norway. If they react more slowly, the encounter might occur farther north.

But in any case, an encounter is almost inevitable.

"Notify all ships," She Er ordered, "enter Level‑3 combat readiness. Keep radar on all day, double the lookouts. Maintain course, increase speed to eighteen knots."

"Understood!"

The order was passed on. The fleet began to accelerate, the bow of the Bismarck cleaved the gray sea, spraying white foam. The wind grew stronger, and the battleship began to sway slightly.

She Er stood on the bridge, feeling the increasingly intense vibration beneath their feet. Thirty knots—the giant ship can run thirty knots. At full speed, that sense of power, that feeling of mastering the ocean…

They suddenly recalled twenty years ago, when they were a young officer, the first time they boarded the 'Prussia' battleship. At that time the Deguo Navy was still a second‑rate force, able to develop only cautiously under the shadow of the Royal Navy.

Now? Now they possess one of the world's most powerful battleships.

But possessing it, and being able to keep it, are two different matters.

"General," the radar officer reported again, "the Yingguo reconnaissance aircraft has left, heading southwest."

"Understood."

She Er looked toward the southwest. There, the Yingguo direction, the Royal Navy direction, the opponent's direction in this high‑stakes gamble.

Come on. They whispered to themselves. Let us see who truly rules the North Sea.

The Hood's combat room was filled with smoke.

Major General Weiersili, Colonel Tuo Wei, Colonel Gu De Nuo, and the three cruiser captains and destroyer detachment commanders of the fast formation were all gathered around the chart table. Each person's expression was grave.

"Confirmed," the intelligence officer said, pointing at a red dot on the chart, "the report's credibility is high. Two large battleships, displacement over forty thousand tons, heading northwest at about fifteen knots. Their characteristics match the Bismarck Class."

"Position?" Weiersili asked.

"Six hours ago they were here," the intelligence officer tapped on the chart, "about a hundred miles northeast of the Shede Lan Islands. At their speed, they should now be near the Norwegian coast."

"Purpose?"

"Uncertain. It could be to harass the Norwegian shipping lanes, could be to head north into the North Atlantic, or could be…" the intelligence officer paused, "a decoy."

The word made the air in the combat room even heavier.

Colonel Tuo Wei pointed at the chart: "If the Deguo want to use these two new ships as a decoy, then the open‑sea fleet's main force must be nearby. The Distance won't be far, perhaps one hundred to one hundred fifty miles astern, maintaining radio silence, waiting for us to bite."

"But we can't refuse to bite," Gu De Nuo said, "if we let the two Bismarck Class ships operate in the waters off Norway, they pose a huge threat to our shipping lanes. Moreover… political pressure won't allow it."

Weiersili, of course, understood the political pressure. The war cabinet needed a victory, any victory would do. If they could sink or capture the Deguo's newest, sharpest battleship, that would be the greatest prize since the Sino‑German‑Dutch Sea Battle.

"Where is the main fleet's position?" he asked.

"Admiral Jieliko leads twenty‑four main ships, currently standing by west of the Orkney Islands. The Distance from us is about two hundred miles; at full speed it takes ten hours to reach."

Two hundred miles. Weiersili calculated. If they encountered the Deguo task force, fought, then waited for the main force's support… ten hours would be enough to finish a sea battle.

"Weather?"

"Adverse," the meteorological officer reported, "the center of a storm is forming in the middle of the North Sea; in the next twenty‑four hours wave heights may reach eight meters, visibility less than five miles. This is very unfavorable for our gunfire, but advantageous for concealed engagement."

The pros and cons were balanced, Weiersili thought. Bad weather would increase navigation risk, but it could also mask the fleet's movements, making it harder for the Deguo to judge our position and numbers.

"Gentlemen," he surveyed the group, "the order has been issued: our mission is to intercept and destroy the Deguo task force. If we encounter the open‑sea fleet's main force, we are to harass, delay, and await the main fleet's support. Any questions?"

A brief silence.

"General," a cruiser captain began, "if the Deguo main fleet really is nearby, our fast formation could be encircled. The Hood and the Queen, though powerful, face a numerical advantage…"

"Then run," Weiersili said calmly, "remember, we are a fast formation. The Hood and the Queen have speeds over thirty knots; no Deguo battleship can catch them. If the situation turns unfavorable, we break contact and withdraw north or west."

"What about the cruisers and destroyers?" another captain asked.

Weiersili looked at him: "Your mission is reconnaissance, cover, torpedo attack. If you enter combat, prioritize attacking the Deguo main ships. When necessary…" he paused, "execute the tactics you deem correct."

The so‑called 'correct tactics' in naval parlance often means: sacrifice everything to cover the main force's retreat.

The people in the combat room all understood. Some bowed their heads, some clenched their fists, but no one objected. This is war, this is the navy, this is their duty.

"Any other questions?" Weiersili asked finally.

Colonel Tuo Wei raised his hand: "General, if we encounter Bismarck Class ships, how should we choose the engagement distance? Our 15‑inch guns may have limited effect on their armor at long range."

"Close the distance," Weiersili said without hesitation, "use our numerical advantage, two against one, firing from different directions. Even if their armor is thick, at close range it will be pierced."

"But if they run?" The Bismarck Class's speed is said to be fast as well.

"Then chase. As long as we bite and don't let go, when the main fleet arrives they won't be able to escape."

The plan sounds simple, but everyone knows that in real combat there will be countless variables. Weather, mechanical failure, communication loss, misjudgment… any small mistake could cause disaster.

"Status of each ship now?" Weiersili asked.

Colonel Tuo Wei replied: "The Hood is combat‑ready, ammunition at one hundred percent, fuel at ninety percent. The engine report says it can maintain thirty knots for at least eight hours."

Gu De Nuo: "The Queen Ship is similar, but the outer starboard propeller is vibrating a bit; engineers are checking, it does not affect combat."

The cruisers and destroyers also reported ready.

"Very good." Weiersili glanced at his watch, "It is now ten a. m. Notify all ships: set sail in one hour, heading northeast, target the waters off Norway. Maintain radio silence, keep radar on."

"Yes!"