Chapter 180: Spring Awakening (1)

Time flies in May 1915, the tenth month after the outbreak of the European War, and the sixth month after China and the United States joined the war, the gorgeous world war is still far from the end.

On May 14, on the west coast of the Indian subcontinent, on the port of Mumbai, the battleship Queen Elizabeth raised the flag of Admiral Jelico, the commander of the Allied Combined Fleet.

On this day, General Jelico officially began to command this super-strong fleet that had never appeared in the Indian Ocean.

Standing on the rooftop of the Queen, looking around the familiar or unfamiliar giant ships in the harbor. Although it has been two months since he was ordered to set off from Spaca Bay, the tall and thin General Jelico is still in a state of peace.

In front of me, this joint fleet filled with 6,000-meter berth of Mongmai Port is no less powerful than the Royal Navy Fleet that gathered in Scapa two months ago.

The fundamentals of the fleet are 20 fearless battleships, including:

The 4 "Queen Elizabeth" class ships: "Queen Elizabeth", "Gangyong", "Balham", and "War-wearing" (8 main guns 381 mm, maximum speed of 25 knots);

Four ships of the George V class: George V, Captain Hundred, Bold, and Ajax (10-door 343 mm, 21 verses);

The four ships of the Orion class: Orion, Conqueror, Monarch, and Thunder (10 Gate 343 mm, 21);

Two "Giant" class ships: "Giant" and "Hercules" (10 gates 305 mm, 21);

One Neptune-class ship: Neptune (10 gates 305 mm, 21 sections);

Two French "Dandon" class ships: "Diderot" and "Condosse" (12 doors 305 mm, 21 section);

Two French "Colbet" class ships: "Colbet" and "Ocean" (12 doors 305 mm, 21 chassis);

One "Javal" class ship in the Netherlands: "Sumatra" (12 doors 305 mm, 21 sections).

The above ships are organized into four battleship squadrons, of which the Queen-class 4 ships are organized into the temporary 1st battleship squadron. They are led by Lieutenant General Jelico; the George V-class and Orion-class 8 ships are organized into the second squadron, commanded by Lieutenant General Geram; the Giant-class 2 ships, Neptune and Sumatra are organized into the third squadron, commanded by Lieutenant General Bernie, the former commander of the Pacific Alliance Fleet; the French 4 ships are organized into the fourth squadron, commanded by Lieutenant General Geram.

The main ships also include 5 battlecruisers, which are:

Four "Lion" class ships: "Lion", "Royal Princess", "Marry Queen", "Tiger", (8 main guns 343 mm, 28 verses);

One ship of the "Untifiable" class is the "Untifiable" (8 doors 305 mm, 27 sections).

The 5 ships were unified into the 1st reconnaissance squadron. They were commanded by Lieutenant General Betty.

Among the ranks of large ships and giant cannons, Lieutenant General Hood's flat-top fleet seemed particularly eye-catching.

The three Hundred-Eyed Giant Classes of the First Aircraft Carrier Squadron each carry 64 carrier-based aircraft, and the three Sagittarius Classes of the Second Aircraft Carrier Squadron each carry 6 seaplanes. In addition to the 32 seaplanes carried by the main battleship, the entire joint fleet of agreement should carry 242 various aircraft according to the organization.

In addition, there are 8 British armored cruisers in the fleet. Including:

One "Drake" class ship, namely the Cape of Good Hope (14,000 tons, 23 knots, 2 234 mm guns, 16 152 mm guns. Completed in 2003);

Two "Edinburgh" class ships: "Edinburgh" and "Black Prince" (11,500 tons, 22-23 kilograms, 6 9-point 2-inch guns, 10 6-inch guns. Completed in 2006);

One "Devenscher" class ship, namely the Rosenberg (10,800 tons, 22-23 chassis, 4 7-point 5-inch guns, 16 6-inch guns, completed in 2005);

Four Monmouth class ships: Bedford, Kent, Essex and Lancaster (9800 tons, 22-23 knots, 14 152mm guns. Completed in 2002-04).

And a total of 12 light cruisers belonging to Britain, France, Netherlands and the United States, they are:

Two "Chatham" class ships: "Dublin" and "Southampton" (5400 tons, 8 6-inch guns, 26 knots, completed in 12 years);

The three "Bristol" class ships: "Bristol", "Glasgow", and "Liverpool", (4800 tons, 2 6-inch guns, 10 4-inch guns, 26 knots. Completed in 2010-11);

Two "Browder" class ships: "Browder" and "Bletcher" (3350 tons. 10 4-inch guns, 4 3-pound guns. 2 21-inch torpedo firing tubes, 25-26 knots, completed in 10-11);

One French ship, namely the "Annan" (2600 tons, 4 5-point 5-inch guns, 22 knots);

Two Dutch ships, namely the "Batavia" and the "Paulang" (2500 tons, 8 12-pound guns, 24 knots);

Two American ships, namely the Detroit and the Marblehead (2235 tons, 2 6-inch guns, 8 5-inch guns, 18 knots).

The above heavy and medium-sized forces are covered and supported by a total of 53 destroyers and 29 submarines from Shiguo.

Jelico understood that 60% of the Royal Navy's main battleships had already gathered here, and Scapa's "big fleet" was already famous. However, soon even the glorious title of the "big fleet" had to be abandoned and replaced by the difficult-to-mouth and verbal beauty "American Atlantic Fleet".

The story goes back more than two months ago. At the Allied Strategic Coordination Meeting in Casablanca, the British leader tried his best to make the Americans concessions, changing the "Lion" position that originally required the Royal Navy's mobile forces to assist in the counterattack of Hawaii, and agreed to send naval detachments including the main ships to the mainland to help the Royal Navy continue to blockade the German Ocean Fleet and deal with the increasingly rampant German submarines.

In this way, although the British side failed to convince the Americans to join the Allied Pacific Indian Ocean Fleet led by the United Kingdom against the East Asian Alliance, they were able to draw more mobile troops from their local forces to fight against the East Asian Army, which actually achieved the goal.

In addition, in mid-March, Italy announced its participation in the Allied forces in the battle, which made the French Navy, which was originally responsible for the Mediterranean theater, feel relaxed and was able to draw out four of the seven fearless battleships at hand to join the combined fleet.
Chapter completed!