Chapter 252 Underwater Crisis

While the British Navy and the German Navy were sacrificing their lives for a big battle, British merchant ships were sailing south. For these large, slow, and fragile merchant ships, if they are involved in a naval battle, they will die. Those huge battleships only need one shot to deal with these merchant ships.

Therefore, after the war started, the bait mission of these merchant ships was completed. Next, they should think about how to escape back to the British mainland safely. The materials loaded on these merchant ships are also war materials that Britain urgently needs. If it can be preserved, that is naturally the best. After the war broke out, Britain's war machine was fully operational, and the daily consumption of supplies was an astronomical figure. The resources in the UK alone are simply not enough to support the high-speed operation of the war machine. Therefore, they can only collect various resources from the colony.

In order to ensure the safety of these merchant ships, the British Navy deliberately left six destroyers to provide them with protection. Of course, these protections are more of a mere formality. If the battlecruisers of the German Navy catch up, even if these destroyers are all tied together, they will not be able to resist it. Even if their torpedoes can pose a fatal threat to the battlecruisers of the German Navy, they must be able to hit the target!

These six destroyers of the British Navy belong to the "La Frey-class" destroyer, which is a new first-class destroyer built by the British Navy before the outbreak of the war. It has a displacement of 1,000 tons and a maximum speed of 29 knots. Cannon and two twin 533 mm torpedo tubes. In order to anti-submarine, these destroyers are also equipped with depth charges. Especially after the submarines of the German Navy began to ravage the Atlantic Ocean, depth charges have become standard equipment for these destroyers of the British Navy.

The destroyer 'La Frey' is the flagship of this small fleet, commanded by Major Edward.

"Sir, it has been confirmed that the Germans did not send warships to catch up." Captain Martin, the builder of the destroyer "La Frey", reported.

"That's good. The attention of the Germans is on the main fleet of the Royal Navy, and they will not pay attention to us for the time being. Unless they can defeat the Royal Navy, otherwise, they will not come to chase us." Major Edward breathed a sigh of relief.

He knew that with only the six destroyers in his hands, once he encountered the battleship of the German Navy, he would be dead. These destroyers with a displacement of only 1,000 tons are not enough to fit those huge warships between their teeth.

"Sir, the Germans won't beat us, will they?" Captain Martin said. As a young officer of the Royal Navy, he has great confidence in the Royal Navy and believes that the Royal Navy will definitely be able to defeat the enemy.

"Of course, we will not be defeated. This time, the Royal Navy set a trap for the Germans. But the stupid Germans were really fooled. Although their warships are very powerful, once they encounter the Royal Navy's The siege of the main fleet is also inevitable." Major Edward said with a smile.

Captain Martin seemed relieved.

However, they will soon know that they are too optimistic about everything. The Royal Navy, which has assembled the main force, will suffer heavy losses in this battle, and the foundation of the Royal Navy will be hurt.

Of course, for these small officers, these are simply not something they can mix.

"Okay, Captain Martin, don't worry about that. Now our task is to safely escort these merchant ships back to the UK. The weapons loaded on these merchant ships can be strengthened by rifles and cannons, and even battleships. Come and teach those damned Germans a lesson," Major Edward said.

"Yes, sir." Captain Martin nodded.

Less than 20 kilometers away from the British fleet, a periscope protruded from the sea. After finding that there was no situation around, a submarine emerged from the sea, like a big fish floating on the sea. Same.

The boat cover was opened, and Denitz, who was dressed in a black submarine uniform, got out of it, and several submarine soldiers followed behind him.

Several people started to get busy, starting the diesel engine and charging the submarine's battery. By the way, they also use this time to smoke a cigarette and relax. Because the interior space of the submarine is small and the air is turbid, smoking is absolutely not allowed inside.

"Sir, where are we now? Are we far from the battlefield?" A submariner asked.

"It shouldn't be far from the battlefield! However, whether we can catch up depends on God's will." Denitz said.

Originally, Doenitz and his U-039 submarine were hunting and killing British merchant ships in the waters of western England. But after receiving the order, he and more than a dozen other submarines sailed into the vast Atlantic Ocean. The task they received was to find the fleet of the British Navy, and if possible, launch an attack and sink those capital ships.

This is also a set of backup plans prepared by the German Navy Ministry. If your own battlecruiser formation fails to defeat the British Navy, these submarines may be able to make up for it. Of course, these are worst-case-scenario tactics.

"Perhaps those battlecruisers have already dealt with the British, and there is no need for us to work hard to come here." An officer said.

"I hope! But if those battlecruisers can leave us a sip of soup, that would be good." Dunnitz's eyes lit up. He commanded the U-039 submarine. Although he had sunk many British merchant ships, he had never sunk a capital ship, which he regarded as a pity. It would be great if this regret can be made up for.

Half an hour later, the diesel engine had fully charged the submarine's batteries. Dönitz also smoked his last cigarette. When he was about to get into the submarine, he suddenly found a lot of masts on the sea to the north.

"If there is a situation, dive immediately." Doenitz ordered.

Submarine U-039 immediately dived in an emergency, and in just two minutes, it dived to a depth of 50 meters.

Soon, they heard a lot of noise passing over the submarine.

"It's a merchant ship, not a large warship, and maybe some destroyers." A submariner said.

"Hmm! It seems that we didn't encounter the main fleet of the British, but we did encounter their merchant fleet." A smile appeared on Doenitz's face. Doenitz felt a little regretful that he had not been able to meet the main fleet of the British Navy. However, it would be quite good if the British merchant fleet could be eliminated.