"General, the order from Washington. It comes directly from the President." Admiral Fletcher's secretary handed him the telegram.
Admiral Fletcher took the telegram and quickly read it through.
"It is time to put an end to this farce!" he exclaimed.
Indeed, to him, this was nothing short of a spectacle. The deployment of the entire elite force of the United States Navy was merely a means of appeasing the domestic audience. This was a hard pill to swallow for these naval commanders. As soldiers, their duty was to fight for the nation's interests. Yet now, they found themselves reduced to the role of jesters. Such a reality was undeniably painful.
However, Fletcher could understand President Wilson's choice. After all, the current state of the United States Navy was rather feeble. Although they were regarded as a formidable naval power on a global scale, they appeared significantly weaker in the face of the German Navy. Should hostilities erupt, their chances of victory were virtually nonexistent. To conserve their strength, a retreat was the only viable option.
"Order the fleet to prepare for withdrawal. We shall begin to turn in twenty minutes," Admiral Fletcher commanded.
"Aye, sir." The staff officer breathed a sigh of relief upon hearing the order at last. Clearly, many within the American Navy were also reluctant to engage in direct combat with the Germans, fully aware of the futility of such an endeavor.
The German naval forces remained vigilant against the American fleet's movements. Naturally, the Americans' actions could not escape their notice.
"Sir, the Americans are in motion," reported one staff officer.
"What?" Vice Admiral von Spee immediately grabbed his binoculars to survey the American fleet. Soon, however, he relaxed. Initially, he feared that the Americans were preparing to launch a bold attack. It appeared instead that they had no such intention.
"Do not worry; the Americans seem unable to withstand the pressure. They are retreating. We have won this round," Vice Admiral von Spee declared with a smile.
Indeed, in this confrontation, victory belonged to Germany once more. The Americans were no match for their opponents and lacked the courage to maintain their stance. They did not even possess the fortitude to help the British contain part of the German fleet. This reluctance was understandable to Vice Admiral von Spee. After all, if the Americans had dared to take action, once the German fleet dealt with the British Royal Navy, their next target would inevitably be the United States Navy. With their limited capabilities, the Americans would be unable to withstand a German onslaught.
"Report back to the homeland!" Vice Admiral von Spee ordered.
"Aye, sir." The staff officer promptly set off to send the telegram.
Upon receiving news of the American fleet's retreat, QinTian, along with Marshal Tirpitz and others, could not help but smile.
"Your Highness, it seems the Americans have made their choice. The British have been abandoned. Now, we need only to deal with the British," Marshal Tirpitz remarked, though a hint of regret was evident on his face.
QinTian understood that Marshal Tirpitz lamented the Americans' lack of courage to engage the German Navy. Had they done so, the outcome might have yielded greater victories.
"Marshal, while we may not have had the opportunity to engage the Americans this time, rest assured that we will have our chance to best them in the future. The Americans will not idly stand by as our Empire ascends to global dominance. They will undoubtedly challenge us. Likewise, for our imperial hegemony to remain stable, we must suppress the Americans. Thus, our conflicts are irreconcilable, and a confrontation is inevitable. The scale of future warfare will likely be even greater than now," QinTian asserted.
"Your Highness, I am confident that under your leadership, the Empire will achieve final victory. Even the Americans will be unable to withstand the Empire's relentless advance," Marshal Tirpitz expressed unwavering faith in QinTian.
QinTian nodded. Despite Marshal Tirpitz's confidence, he himself held reservations. While he was the heir apparent to the Empire, he was acutely aware of Kaiser Wilhelm II's longevity. There was a real possibility that, when the next war broke out, Wilhelm II would still be seated upon the throne while he remained merely the crown prince.
"Marshal, since the Americans have retreated, we can commence our naval operations against the British. With the Americans' departure, our blockade will face no challengers. The British will be trapped, and that is an unchangeable fact. Perhaps they, too, are eager for a decisive battle with us. If that is the case, our chances of victory will increase significantly," QinTian stated.
"Indeed, Your Highness. The British now face two fates: one is to be trapped and perish slowly, while the other is to engage us in a costly battle, hoping to reverse the situation. However, given the vast disparity in power, the ultimate outcome is all but predetermined," Marshal Tirpitz replied with confidence regarding the future conflict.
QinTian nodded again, noting that, according to their current intelligence, the British Royal Navy's main fleet had been completely overshadowed by the Imperial Navy. The Royal Navy's existing battleships included five "Revenge-class" battleships, five "Queen Elizabeth-class" battleships, one "King George V-class" battleship, four "Orion-class" battleships, two "Giant-class" battleships, one "HMS Neptune," four "St. Vincent-class" battleships, and four "Bellerophon-class" battleships, totaling twenty-six ships. While they boasted a slight numerical advantage over the German battleships, in terms of performance, the disparity was stark. Notably, the first eleven were equipped with 305mm main guns, while only four German battleships possessed such armament.
In terms of battlecruisers, the British Navy fielded only one "Tiger" battlecruiser, two "Lion-class" battlecruisers, one "Invincible-class" battlecruiser, and two "Indefatigable-class" battlecruisers, totaling merely six vessels, which equated to half of the German Navy's battlecruisers. Furthermore, the Germans maintained a significant performance advantage.
Thus, from any perspective, the Royal Navy appeared to stand no chance of victory. Moreover, the German Navy's formidable submarine fleet and aircraft carriers would further elevate their odds of success.