"Your Excellency, in this afternoon's battle, the *Lion*-class battlecruiser was under pressure from the very start. The Germans managed to fire salvos before we did, secured the first hit, and severely damaged us early on. It felt as though we were completely overpowered by them! Even when the *Royal Princess* arrived, and we had two powerful battlecruisers engaging the German ship, the *Lion* was still quickly sunk. I don't deny that luck played a part, but it is undeniable that the German warships are indeed formidable," Vice Admiral David Beatty stated.
Churchill and Admiral John Jellicoe frowned, their faces dark as coal. They knew Beatty well enough to understand that he wasn't the type to shift blame. This left them with only one conclusion: the German warships were truly formidable.
However, this realization filled them with concern about the Royal Navy's position.
"First Lord, if the German fleet is truly as powerful as it appears, managing to defeat us even when outnumbered two to one, then the Royal Navy may struggle to overcome them. After all, the Germans are building ships at an alarming rate, and although we've increased our shipbuilding efforts, we still haven't managed to gain a significant numerical advantage over them. Of course, I find it unlikely that they've completely surpassed us. Their naval development began much later than ours, and it seems improbable that they could so quickly outpace us, let alone by such a margin," Admiral John Jellicoe remarked.
Any reasonable person might have thought the same. For centuries, the British Empire had ruled the seas, not just because of the Navy's exceptional standards but also due to its unparalleled shipbuilding capabilities. The very fact that Britain had ushered in the Dreadnought era was proof of its supremacy. Thus, the officers of the Royal Navy had long believed their shipbuilding technology to be the most advanced in the world, maintaining a constant lead over other nations.
In truth, this belief wasn't entirely wrong. The Royal Navy did possess superior shipbuilding capabilities. What they didn't know, however, was the presence of QinTian—an almost cheat-like figure—who had enabled the German Navy to surpass the British fleet in performance in an astonishingly short time. Germany's industrial prowess was already comparable to Britain's, and though their shipbuilding approach may have been lacking, QinTian's foresight and knowledge gave them a massive advantage. Under his guidance, Germany had quickly overtaken Britain.
"First Lord, during the battle, the *Lion*'s shells struck the main turret of the German battlecruiser, but astonishingly, after the explosion, their turret remained completely intact," Beatty continued.
Churchill and Jellicoe gasped audibly.
"How could their defenses be so strong? Are you sure that wasn't a battleship?" Admiral Jellicoe inquired.
Generally, in pursuit of speed and firepower, warships often compromised on defense. The battlecruiser epitomized this philosophy, combining battleship firepower with cruiser speed, yet its armor was often barely stronger than that of a cruiser.
However, for the German battlecruiser to withstand 343mm shells was simply astounding!
"Admiral, the German ship was incredibly fast, nearly matching the speed of the *Lion*-class battlecruisers. There's no way it could've been a battleship," Vice Admiral Beatty replied, shaking his head.
"Perhaps it was merely a stroke of luck. Shells sometimes glance off their target depending on the angle of impact," Churchill offered.
"That's possible, but the fact remains that the German battlecruiser's defenses were formidable. If their defenses weren't strong, the shell wouldn't have ricocheted so easily," Admiral Jellicoe said.
"The Germans seem to prioritize defense and survivability over speed and firepower, which is different from our approach. But now it seems that they've done exceptionally well in that regard," Churchill sighed.
"First Lord, it's still too early to judge the merits of either approach. The war has only just begun. The German ships may be formidable, but it would be laughable to assume they could defeat the Royal Navy so easily. In the battles to come, we will find a way to test the true strength of the German fleet. Victory will belong to the Royal Navy," Admiral Jellicoe said with confidence.
Churchill nodded in agreement. Despite the troubling signs, they still believed the Royal Navy held the advantage.
"No, First Lord, Admiral, I'm afraid I don't share your optimism. Today's battle deeply shook me. The German Navy isn't as weak as we anticipated. In fact, their sailors are on par with ours. If their ships continue to outperform us, I fear we're in for serious trouble," Vice Admiral Beatty said, shaking his head.
Churchill and Jellicoe both furrowed their brows. Beatty had always been a forward-leaning, aggressive commander—had a single defeat at the hands of the Germans unnerved him? If that were the case, it could be disastrous. After all, Beatty was in charge of commanding the Royal Navy's battlecruiser squadron. Should he become overly cautious, it could result in missed opportunities and significantly affect the course of the war.
Seeing their expressions, Beatty quickly clarified, "First Lord, Admiral, don't misunderstand me. I'm not afraid of the Germans. It's just that, after this engagement, I've realized that the Germans are far more formidable than we anticipated. They may prove to be the toughest opponent the British Empire has ever faced. To defeat them, we will have to give it our all."