"Gentlemen, the fleet of capital ships purchased by the British Empire from the United States has now completed its integration. Everything is in readiness. Rear Admiral Martin is prepared to lead the fleet back to Britain at a moment's notice, to participate in the final confrontation with the Germans," Churchill declared.
"In that case, we will have thirty-six capital ships in the battle. In terms of numbers, we are no longer outmatched by the Germans!" Admiral Paolo of the Italian Navy exclaimed with excitement.
Although Italy had played a minimal role in this war, its six capital ships were precisely what the British needed at this moment. Despite the underlying disdain Churchill and Admiral Jellicoe might feel for the Italians, both greeted Admiral Paolo with respect and cordiality—an occurrence unimaginable during the zenith of the Royal Navy's power.
"Indeed, while the Germans are formidable, if our three nations unite, we stand a significant chance," Churchill remarked.
"Gentlemen, the detailed battle plans can be discussed further in my office," he added.
Neither Admiral LaMey nor Admiral Paolo objected.
After the secretary delivered coffee and exited, the office was left with only Churchill, Admiral Jellicoe, Admiral LaMey, and Admiral Paolo.
"Gentlemen, I must emphasize that the outcome of this battle will determine the fate of our nations. Should we defeat the Germans, the tides of this war will change completely. We will no longer be on the defensive, and may even begin to seize the initiative, gradually turning the tide in our favor. We all understand what this means for our respective countries," Churchill said gravely.
Both Admiral LaMey and Admiral Paolo nodded solemnly. They knew the war had taken a severe turn against the Allies, and without a miraculous turn of events, they could lose entirely. Thus, this joint operation of the three navies had become their final lifeline. Should they fail, all would be lost. The leaders of their nations had already issued stern orders, urging them to spare no effort in securing victory in this naval battle.
Churchill was satisfied with their reactions and continued, "Therefore, in this operation, we must resolve all other issues, working together to ensure our collective combat power is fully realized."
"To better coordinate the fleets, I propose that we formally establish the Allied Fleet, with Admiral Jellicoe as the commanding officer. Do you both have any objections?" Churchill asked.
It was an unavoidable decision to place Admiral Jellicoe in command. Despite his failure in the last battle, he had undoubtedly exerted his utmost efforts. The defeat had been primarily due to the overwhelming strength of the enemy.
"The French have no objections," Admiral LaMey replied.
Admiral Paolo shook his head as well.
After all, the British Navy remained the strongest in the combined fleet. With not only the eight capital ships stationed in Morecambe Bay, but also the twelve purchased from the United States, they now had twenty in total. This constituted more than half of the combined fleet's strength. Furthermore, Admiral Jellicoe had experience from previous engagements with the German Navy, making him far more qualified than someone with no combat experience to lead the fleet. After all, this was a battle of national destiny, and there could be no room for error.
"Then, you two shall serve as Vice Commanders of the Allied Fleet, commanding your respective nations' forces. As for the Chief of Staff, that position will be held by Rear Admiral David Beatty," Churchill continued.
Neither Admiral LaMey nor Admiral Paolo had any objections to this arrangement. At least they would be in command of their own fleets, rather than risk being used as mere cannon fodder by the British in the decisive battle.
"Admiral Jellicoe, please present the detailed battle plan," Churchill requested.
"Yes, Sir," Admiral Jellicoe nodded.
"Gentlemen, our plan for the final battle with the Germans will take place in the western waters of Britain. First, the fleet of twelve battleships under Rear Admiral Martin will launch an attack against the German raiding fleet. Meanwhile, we will lead the combined fleet's main forces from the Irish Sea, cutting off the retreat of the German raiders. Our goal is to inflict as much damage as possible before the German main fleet arrives. If possible, we should aim to destroy the German raiders' battlecruisers entirely. This would give us a decisive advantage when we face their main fleet," Admiral Jellicoe explained.
The British naval strategy was not particularly novel—essentially, it focused on assembling superior forces to first eliminate the German raiders, before engaging the German main fleet in a decisive confrontation. This way, the Allied Fleet would hold a clear numerical advantage.
"Admiral Jellicoe, the German raiding fleet is composed of fast battlecruisers. Can we catch them?" Admiral LaMey inquired.
"We've managed to partially deduce the raiders' cruising routes. With this knowledge, we can lay an ambush, gather a substantial number of ships to surround them, and lure in more German vessels. This will allow us to deliver a crushing blow and potentially destroy them entirely," Admiral Jellicoe replied.
"Gentlemen, the Germans are too powerful. If we rashly engage them in a full-scale confrontation, our chances of victory will be slim. Our only hope lies in gradually weakening their forces before striking the decisive blow. Beyond that, we have no other options," Churchill stated firmly.
"Sir, then we shall proceed as planned," Admiral LaMey affirmed.
"Sir, when do we set the exact time for the battle?" Admiral Paolo asked.
"I will give Rear Admiral Martin the orders today to set sail. This means we can launch our attack on the German raiding fleet in four days. That will mark the beginning of our final battle!" Churchill replied.
Admirals LaMey and Paolo nodded in agreement without objection. Their concern was not when the battle would begin, but whether they could win.