"Why on earth did it hit?"
When seeing the Venezuelan cruiser burning fiercely and slowly sinking into the sea, it wasn't just General Montgomery who was shocked.
Captain Eugen Karlau von Hövel of the "Friedrich der Große", who gave the order to fire, and First Officer Maximilian von Spee were also so shocked that their pupils trembled violently.
"I clearly gave the order for a warning shot! I didn't tell you to blow up the enemy's protected cruiser!"
"Sorry, Captain. It seems that there was an error in calculating the firing coordinates."
"Is a 'sorry' enough for this matter?!"
Spee roared at his subordinates, and at the same time blamed himself for not firmly opposing the decision to put the "Friedrich der Große" into service prematurely.
Sure enough, the subordinates were not proficient enough in operating this huge latest battleship.
"Alright, it's no use regretting now."
As an experienced and seasoned captain, Hövel quickly calmed down. His words made Spee stop scolding his subordinates.
The captain was right. The thing had already happened.
Now, Maximilian von Spee and all the crew members of the "Friedrich der Große" had to think about how to deal with the future in front of them instead of dwelling on the unchangeable past.
"The only fortunate thing is that we are not the only ones in a state of confusion. "
Both the Venezuelan Navy and the US Navy clearly didn't expect the "Friedrich der Große" to suddenly sink the cruiser, so there was no movement for a while.
Come to think of it, who could have expected such a thing?
But in any case, as an excellent naval officer, Spee knew very well that he must not miss this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.
"Captain, since things have turned out this way, we must act immediately."
"I agree. Leave the troublesome Venezuelan fleet to other warships, and we will take this opportunity to contain the US fleet."
"Yes! Order the 'Vineta', 'Falk', 'Gazelle', 'Panther' and 'Stosch' to attack immediately! Attack the Venezuelan fleet!"
"What about the British and Italian fleets?"
"I'm afraid the British and Italians can't pay attention to the signals now."
Spee muttered in a low voice and adjusted the brim of his hat.
Soon, the "Friedrich der Große" hoisted the attack signal, and other German warships also noticed this signal.
"The 'Friedrich der Große' has sent an attack signal! Attack the Venezuelan fleet immediately!"
"Attack the Venezuelan fleet? Humph! Not only did they start the fire themselves, but they also want to add fuel to the fire?"
"Captain, what should we do?"
"What else can we do? Since that's the case, we'll play along with them. Increase the power at full speed and charge towards the Venezuelan fleet immediately!"
There were no objections.
Soon, the German Navy's "Vineta", "Falk", "Gazelle", the gunboat "Panther" and the patrol ship "Stosch" charged towards the Venezuelan Navy, billowing with coal smoke.
"What the hell are these damn Germans up to?!"
Of course, General Montgomery, who saw the German fleet acting on its own, was furious and roared with his eyes bloodshot, but Captain Hövel ignored him and quickly gave the next order.
"Prepare to occupy a favorable position against the US fleet. Move forward at full speed! Turn the rudder to starboard!"
"Maximum power of the engine! Turn the rudder to starboard!"
Accompanied by the sounds of "click—clatter", the helmsman turned the rudder halfway to the right, and the navigation officer pulled the control lever of the speedometer all the way to the left and gave an order to the engine room.
Soon, the "Friedrich der Große" cut through the waves and began to turn slowly to the right.
"General! The German warship is changing its course towards the US fleet!"
"I see, Captain. Damn it, why is that damn battleship so fast!"
Previously, in order to maintain formation with the friendly fleet, the "Friedrich der Große" had deliberately slowed down.
However, when the "Friedrich der Große" showed its hidden speed, General Montgomery was shocked as if he had been hit on the head.
Of course, the reason why the "Friedrich der Große" was so fast at sea (by the standards of a battleship) was obvious: the steam turbine. It was incredible that this was actually due to the latest propulsion device of the British Empire.
"The steam turbine is useless on large ships?"
For a moment, General Montgomery felt the urge to execute all those so-called naval elite who had reported that the "Dreadnought" was worthless.
"General Fisher was right."
General Montgomery regretted not listening carefully to General Fisher's opinion. But he quickly regained his composure and stared ahead. The current situation was too urgent, and there was no time to worry about the future of the British Navy.
"The Italian fleet is following the German fleet and charging towards the Venezuelan fleet!"
"General, give the order!"
"... Leave the Venezuelan fleet to them. From now on, our British fleet will cover the 'Friedrich der Große'."
Like an experienced old sailor, General Montgomery quickly understood Captain Hövel's intention and knew that this was the best judgment under the current situation. Although General Montgomery wanted to punch Captain Hövel in the face, after all, the other party had said it was just a warning shot, but in the end, they directly sank the cruiser, making the situation more complicated...
"The battle comes first for now."
Considering the current situation, he had to distinguish between public and private matters.
"Ah! Aaaaaah!"
"The enemy fleet is coming!"
"Retreat! Retreat! Run for your lives!"
At the same time, the Venezuelan Navy, having witnessed their flagship being sunk with a single shot, lost all their fighting spirit in the face of the sudden charge of the European fleet and began to flee in disarray.
If the Venezuelan general were still alive, the situation might have been different. But with the sinking of the cruiser, which was their flagship and where the general was, he had lost his life.
Whoosh──── Boom!
The German captains clearly weren't the type to sit idly by while the enemy was in chaos.
As the vanguard of the European fleet, the German fleet attacked the Venezuelan fleet mercilessly like a pack of wolves. The deafening cannon fire and the water columns splashing everywhere instantly shattered the psychological defenses of the Venezuelan Navy.
Of course, the US fleet finally came to their senses and tried to stop this battle that was almost a massacre.
Boom! Bang!
However, the precise suppressive fire from the "Friedrich der Große" forced them to stop outside the firing range. This huge battleship that had sunk the former "Philadelphia" with a single shot clearly didn't rely on luck alone.
The following battle went smoothly, almost too smoothly.
The European fleet easily hunted down the fleeing Venezuelan ships. In less than 30 minutes, most of the Venezuelan ships had been sunk. Only a few severely damaged ships managed to struggle towards Puerto Cabello, but they had almost lost their ability to continue sailing.
Now, the only remaining enemy was the US fleet.
"Form a formation with the 'Friedrich der Große' at the center!"
General Montgomery, looking at the US fleet that had been forced to stay put due to the deterrence of the "Friedrich der Große" through his binoculars, gave the order.
At the moment, the US fleet was clearly focusing all its attention on the "Friedrich der Große" and had even gathered all of its battleships. In terms of quantity, they had the upper hand.
But even though it was reluctant to admit, the "Friedrich der Große" was indeed suppressing all the ships present. Therefore, General Montgomery had to prioritize the protection of the "SMS Friedrich der Große", the ace of the European fleet, in order to deal the greatest blow to the US fleet.
Soon, the European fleet formed up as ordered and confronted the US fleet. As the situation reached a stalemate, a silent psychological battle quietly unfolded.
...
"Damn Roosevelt, I won't let him off when I get back."
Admiral George Dewey stood on the bridge of the flagship "USS Massachusetts" and glared at the European fleet that was facing off against the US fleet, cursing the president who had dispatched him to Venezuela in his heart.
But none of the naval officers present dared to stop this legendary figure of the US Navy, who was seething with anger.
It wasn't just because they were afraid of causing unnecessary consequences, but also because deep down, they actually agreed with Admiral Dewey's anger.
"But, General, we can't just sit here and do nothing."
Someone summoned the courage to say this to Admiral Dewey, and he mumbled in response.
At this moment, Admiral Dewey and the US fleet were in a difficult and frustrating situation.
At first, President Roosevelt had ordered Admiral Dewey's mission to be to put pressure on the European fleet and prevent them from imposing a naval blockade on Venezuela.
The aim was to wear down the British, who were eager to resolve the Venezuelan issue, limit Germany's influence in its confrontation with the United States, and at the same time, secure a favorable situation for the United States.
So far, the US fleet had indeed accomplished its task and blocked the European fleet's attack on the Venezuelan Navy.
However, everything had been completely disrupted by the sudden shelling from the "Friedrich der Große".
This shelling had accurately hit the "Philadelphia", a retired warship that the United States had given to Venezuela, causing the situation to develop in a direction that neither Dewey nor the US fleet had expected at all.
"The British not only talk nonsense but are also blind."
Admiral Dewey showed a trace of dissatisfaction on his face as he thought about the British Navy's evaluation of the "Friedrich der Große".
Was Germany's new battleship insignificant?
Based on what did those guys come to such a ridiculous conclusion?
Of course, the US government's intelligence system, which simply relied on the British judgment without conducting actual investigations, was also disappointing.
Anyway, the "SMS Friedrich der Große" was a monster, far surpassing the level of the "USS Massachusetts" where Dewey was and even all the existing battleships.
In the past, the engagement distance of battleships usually did not exceed 6 miles (about 9 kilometers).
Because beyond this distance, it was almost impossible to hit the enemy ships.
However, before the German ships opened fire, the distance between the "Friedrich der Große" and the Venezuelan flagship was roughly estimated to be at least 10 miles (about 16 kilometers).
The German ships had actually sunk the Venezuelan flagship with a single shelling at such a distance.
Perhaps there was an element of luck, but the fact that they dared to attempt long-range firing showed that they had sufficient confidence in hitting the target.
If they weren't sure of hitting the target, they simply wouldn't have opened fire.
"Moreover, its speed is also very fast."
When adjusting its course to aim at the US ships, the "Friedrich der Große" was approaching a speed of 20 knots (about 37 kilometers per hour).
In comparison, the designed maximum speed of Dewey's flagship, the "USS Massachusetts", is only 15 knots (about 28 kilometers per hour), which is extremely fast among battleships.
"If we continue to attack the European fleet, it's likely that we won't be able to survive."
Therefore, Admiral Dewey did not hesitate to decide to abandon the Venezuelan fleet.
After all, the US fleet did not come here to help the Venezuelan fleet.
There is neither the obligation nor the necessity for that.
Admiral Dewey led the US fleet to Venezuela to contain the European powers that ignored the Monroe Doctrine from interfering in the American continent, and at the same time, to show the world that the "current United States" is no longer the "former United States".
Therefore, if they give up containing the European fleet and retreat now, it is equivalent to directly defying the president's order.
"Tsk, there's no other way. Raise the retreat flag."
However, Admiral Dewey still did not hesitate to give the retreat order to the US fleet.
"Are you sure? President Roosevelt probably won't like it."
"I know Roosevelt. If the president were here in person, he would make the same decision as I did."
Facing a behemoth like the "Friedrich der Große", if they choose to fight head-on, the US fleet must at least be prepared for the complete annihilation of the entire fleet.
Even if they fight with the spirit of "striving for survival at the cost of their lives" like the protagonist "General Qi" in the novels that Dewey likes to read recently, it will be in vain.
Admiral Dewey believes that such an act is not worthwhile from any perspective.
Unless the United States mainland is invaded, it is not worth sacrificing the core combat power of the US military for Venezuela, which is of little significance.
"Recall the fleet, gentlemen. Our mission is considered accomplished."
Following Admiral Dewey's order, the US fleet weighed anchor one after another and turned their ships around.
The first battle of the "Friedrich der Große" ended like this.
At the same time, the fate of Venezuela was completely decided.
——
The author has re - posted this book in another one of their works. A few days later, the other book will take the lead. Note: The content of these two books is the same.
I sincerely hope that you all can pay more attention!ヾ(❀╹◡╹)ﾉﾞ❀~