Three days after U148 sent the "sinking" telegram, the German Admiralty ordered the High Seas Fleet to engage the British Navy, with the order to "sink gloriously" in case of failure.
However, the 80,000 sailors in Kiel refused to set sail and extinguished the fires on the warships. Although the sailors' resistance forced the German naval authorities to revoke the order, hundreds of sailors were persecuted and arrested.
Meanwhile, on the Western Front in Germany, the Allies continued to advance steadily. The performance of the American troops in the Argonne Forest surprised the world, and the German High Command deployed its last reserve troops, but it was all in vain!
In the vast eastern South Atlantic, U148 moved slowly at a speed of 200 to 220 nautical miles per day. When Zhang Hainuo announced the joint decision of the officers' team a few days ago, the crew of U148 was extremely surprised, but their trust and respect for their captain and the officer team quickly calmed them down, and there was no riot or chaos.
Zhang Hainuo was very satisfied with this. He immediately explained his "Aegean Sea plan" to the crew members. As expected, the bold and challenging plan was quickly accepted by the young crew members who were not burdened with family responsibilities, and most of them were even excited about it.
In contrast, those who were already married or had family responsibilities appeared somewhat worried. Although the opportunity to become wealthy overnight was very tempting, at least in the near future, they would not be able to send money home!
Zhang Hainuo noticed the concerns of these people. Over the next few days, he took the opportunity to talk to each member of the crew individually. For those crew members who were really struggling with their families, he assured them that he would arrange for their families to be supported in a timely manner.
Zhang Hainuo's straightforward and generous personality, coupled with his noble status, had already left a good impression on the crew members. Watching him carefully record his family address, the mood of these people also stabilized a lot.
Although post-war Germany would experience skyrocketing prices, the gold and silver coins that Zhang Hainuo had Hastings store up would still have considerable purchasing power, enough to support the lives of these crew members' families for most of the year. The boat carried two months' worth of rations, fresh water, and supplies, so there was no need to worry about the crew's basic living conditions in the short term.
During this period, the war situation in Germany continued to deteriorate rapidly, and the Kiel sailor mutiny, which was the fuse that caused the collapse of the German Second Empire, was ignited due to the arrest of the sailors.
In the afternoon of November 3rd, the radio on U148 received a nationwide telegram from the Kiel mutineers' organization. The revolutionary atmosphere in the telegram was very strong!
At this point, Zhang Hainuo couldn't help but feel fortunate for his wise decision—if U148 were still in Wilhelmshaven at this time, sooner or later, the crew members would be affected by this revolutionary sentiment, and the naval base would soon be paralyzed. It would be difficult to leave then!
A day later, the Kiel sailor mutiny spread to the entire Kiel and the surrounding areas of the city. The workers responded actively and established a Workers' and Soldiers' Soviet. The grand November Revolution in Germany officially began. Within a few days, armed uprisings broke out in major cities across Germany, and telegrams flew like snowflakes. The situation made every naval officer on U148 admire Zhang Hainuo's "foresight", which was also evident in Otto's eyes.
Fortunately, U148 had already left the center of this political storm far behind. When Zhang Hainuo casually conveyed the latest developments in the domestic situation to the crew members every day, this predominantly young crew group did not show much emotional fluctuation.
Seeing the unity on U148, Zhang Hainuo's confidence in facing the most difficult challenge of this long journey—the Strait of Gibraltar—also increased a lot.
Since being occupied by the British army in 1704, the Rock of Gibraltar guarding the Strait of Gibraltar had gradually been developed into a large fortress. Any ship wishing to pass through this only passage between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea had to ask the British cannons on the fortress of Gibraltar and the British warships anchored in the port of Gibraltar.
To go to the Aegean Sea according to the plan, Zhang Hainuo and his crew had to pass through this sea passage tightly sealed by the British, with no other options!
In the summer of 1915, Hessen's U21 and several other German submarines successfully crossed this strait into the Mediterranean. However, the predecessors' success did not mean that Zhang Hainuo and his U148 could easily pass through this maritime checkpoint. When Zhang Hainuo was serving on U21, Hessen had told him about his experience of crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. In Zhang Hainuo's view, it was an adventurous journey that required courage, wisdom, and luck!
On November 9th, after 16 days of sailing, the crew of U148 finally saw the Strait of Gibraltar from afar. However, on this day, due to the political situation at home, urged by Prime Minister Maximilian and military generals, German Emperor Wilhelm II announced his abdication.
After receiving this news, Zhang Hainuo immediately convened an emergency meeting of the officers. Except for Zhang Hainuo himself, everyone was disappointed or even saddened by this news. It was evident that these naval officers and non-commissioned officers, who had good qualities, still respected the royal family very much. However, they were all wise people. With their strength alone, it would be impossible to protect the royal family. Once they returned to Germany, they would be engulfed by the surging tide of revolution!
However, to avoid any adverse effects on the morale and condition of the crew members, Zhang Hainuo proposed to announce it to the crew members after successfully crossing the Strait of Gibraltar. The officers unanimously agreed.
As the Alliance camp disintegrated, the threat to Allied ships in the Mediterranean had greatly diminished in the past two months. However, the British army and ships stationed in Gibraltar still maintained vigilance out of tradition. Zhang Hainuo did not act recklessly but kept U148 cruising in a place far from the shipping lanes. It wasn't until it was completely dark that he cautiously directed the submarine into this sea passage tightly controlled by the British.
As a natural channel between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea, the Strait of Gibraltar is 58 kilometers long. The strait is wider in the west and narrower in the east, with a maximum width of about 43 kilometers and a minimum width of only 13 kilometers. The depth of the water varies, with the shallowest point being 301 meters and the deepest point being 1181 meters, with an average depth of about 375 meters.
These knowledge taught in middle school geography classes had long been forgotten by Zhang Hainuo. At this time, he didn't have any maps related to the underwater topography of the Strait of Gibraltar either. The most valuable information came from the pioneer Hessen. He told Zhang Hainuo that the British blockade line was relatively weak on the side close to Morocco. He had passed through there by diving, but in the two
years after that, he didn't know whether the British had strengthened the surveillance measures there!