Another World: Naval Storm

Chapter 153: Malawi Retreat

The tragic naval battle in Shipwreck Bay proved that the new battlecruisers of the Drake Navy were as powerful as those of the Royal Navy's dreadnoughts. If the flagship of the Grand Fleet Commander-in-Chief, Marshal Jellicoe, had been severely damaged by the sudden attack of the First Scouting Fleet, or even if something had happened to Marshal Jellicoe, the Grand Fleet, without its command, would likely have fallen into chaos.

The situation was urgent. The 12th Destroyer Fleet was the destroyer fleet closest to the Grand Fleet. Baymiller and his fleet were responsible for the safety of the main fleet's flank.

After thinking for a long time, Baymiller finally made up his mind. He asked the signalman to report the situation to the Iron Duke, and then the 12th Destroyer Fleet lined up to meet the enemy.

The flagship light cruiser HMS Decisive was on patrol at the farthest point and could not make it back in time. The temporary flagship HMS Granite hung a signal flag symbolizing charge on its mast and led fifteen old destroyers to assemble and form a torpedo attack formation.

"Oh my God! Am I praising them for their bravery or am I saying that they overestimate their abilities?"

About meters to the east of the destroyer fleet led by the Granite destroyer, which was determined to die for its country, Liam's fast fleet was trying its best to catch up with the First Reconnaissance Fleet, which was as slippery as a loach.

The main mast of the Barbary Lion battlecruiser was relatively high, so its lookouts had a better field of vision and could clearly see the actions of the 12th Destroyer Squadron.

"Oh my God, do they think the battleship they are driving is a Guardian-class dreadnought? A bunch of idiots with a tonnage of only a few hundred tons dare to stop a battlecruiser fleet? Do they think they can get close and release torpedoes so easily? What are they thinking?"

Liam was already losing the battle. In the battle that lasted from night to day, the battlecruiser Flinders was sunk, the dreadnought Queen Elizabeth and the battlecruiser Otilo were seriously injured and withdrew from the battle one after another, while the price paid by his old friend Leo was only that three battlecruisers were slightly injured.

The former proud child of heaven is now filled with resentment. He admits that his old friend is very talented and that he has learned a lot of new things from Leo, but he has never thought that he is inferior to him. The two of them are at most evenly matched.

But the continuous setbacks made Liam less and less rational, and her thinking was no longer the same as before.

"General, calm down, okay? Do you want Leo to laugh at you? General!" Alex shook Liam's body vigorously. Only he dared to do this.

After the sinking of the Flinders, the morale of the fleet began to plummet rapidly. Although the Liam Fleet still had six fast battleships, the sense of security given to the fleet's officers and soldiers was no longer as strong as when they first left the port.

"General, the fate of Talen is in your hands. Please don't act rashly with the fleet!"

Alex just wanted to quickly scold Liam to wake her up, so that Liam, whose command ability was not inferior to Leo's, could adjust her mentality quickly.

"I lost my temper, sorry Alex!" Liam's handsome face lost its anger and showed a trace of guilt.

"General, please respond as soon as possible, we don't have much time!"

"Everyone move! Order the fleet to pass from the north side of the large fleet. All warships must follow the flagship! Quickly!" Liam's order brought the command tower, which had been dead just now, to life.

"General, is it still too late?" Alex whispered softly in Liam's ear.

"Do your best and leave the rest to fate! I hope it's not too late!"

The Second Battleship Squadron actually discovered the First Reconnaissance Fleet later than the Granite. Smoke bombs continued to scatter around the only three remaining pre-dreadnoughts of the Second Battleship Squadron, covering the pre-dreadnoughts' tattered bodies.

"The First Scouting Fleet is as silent as a ghost! It is worthy of being called the Ghost Fleet!" Macbeth exclaimed. After the Battle of Burial Bay, the entire Drake Navy called the First Scouting Fleet, which had two unsinkable ships, the Ghost Fleet.

"This guy is really good. I'm starting to like him! But the name "Ghost Fleet" is a bit weird!" Malawi agreed. He finally relaxed his body.

"Why do you have a grudge against Leo? Remember during the naval meeting, you looked at him with eyes that were not eyes and nose that were not nose?" Macbeth was indeed very curious. As an old friend for many years, he knew that Malawi was not so narrow-minded.

"Because the old man always praises Leo in front of me!" Malawi's old face blushed for the first time. Other people's children do make his own children hate him.

"Haha, haha~ cough cough." Macbeth didn't laugh for long before Malawi grabbed his neck and blocked his laughter in his throat.

Although Leo wanted to give the large fleet a hard blow, he would not give up the speed advantage of the battlecruiser. It would be no fun to be entangled. The first reconnaissance fleet was mainly to complete the unfinished task of the second battleship squadron, attract firepower to help the ocean fleet, and cover the retreat of the second battleship squadron that was about to be submerged.

"What are you standing there for? Quickly order all the warships to release the smoke and we'll go home directly! The rest of the task will be left to the Ocean Fleet and Liam!" Malawi shouted to the staff and commanders who had escaped death in the command tower.

The excited crowd notified the Weissenburg and Wörth of the retreat order to Malawi through signal flags and radio, and on the way back they picked up the officers and soldiers floating on the sea.

All the decks and cabins of the pre-dreadnought battleships were filled and lying with officers and soldiers of the Second Battleship Squadron. They kept their hatred in their hearts, hoping that one day they could avenge their dead comrades.

The 12th Destroyer Fleet watched as the Drake First Reconnaissance Fleet sailed close to the Grand Fleet's battle line, and continued to use armor-piercing shells and smoke bombs to interfere with the Grand Fleet's bombardment of the Ocean Fleet, covering the formation of the Ocean Fleet's battle line.

The First Reconnaissance Fleet fired a large number of smoke bombs at the Grand Fleet, completely obscuring its vision. The Grand Fleet's optical rangefinder could not aim accurately, and Jericho had to adopt a blind-fire tactic, firing limited shells at the possible locations of the Ocean Fleet's main battleships. After all, the shells in the battleship's ammunition depot were not unlimited, and it was unclear how long this naval battle would last, so they could not even fire the last shells for self-defense.

The formation advantage maintained by the Grand Fleet is gradually weakened, and the pent-up anger of the Ocean Fleet will be reflected in the subsequent counterattack.

Many naval historians in later generations have been criticizing Marshal Jericho's inaction. Some experts who are not as good as them insist that Marshal Jericho should mobilize a destroyer fleet, approach the Oceanic Fleet under the cover of the Grand Fleet's artillery fire, and carry out torpedo attacks to destroy the Oceanic Fleet.