"Well done! God save the British Empire!" Admiral Martin cheered triumphantly.
Although it was merely a crippling blow to the German Navy's *Blücher* battlecruiser, and not its destruction, for the Royal Navy, this was undoubtedly a splendid beginning. Admiral Martin was confident that, as time passed, their advantage would only grow stronger. Victory would soon be within their grasp.
The shell had been fired from the *Oklahoma* battleship. This vessel, unscathed by enemy fire, allowed them to aim with unhurried precision, naturally resulting in a higher rate of accuracy.
The crippling of the *Blücher* sent a wave of foreboding through the ranks of the German Navy. Yet, despite this setback, they continued to press on.
Admiral Lübeck was already contemplating whether a retreat was in order. After all, they were now at a distinct disadvantage. Continuing the battle could lead to even greater losses. Each of their capital ships was a precious asset, and losing any would be a significant blow.
Though the thought of retreating stung his pride, Lübeck recognized the realities of warfare. In times of weakness, withdrawing was understandable. It would be foolish to fight to the last in the name of glory, only to suffer irreparable losses. That would be true folly.
Just as he wrestled with this decision, the German Navy managed to strike back. The *Leopold*, at the rear of their battle line, scored a hit on the British *Wyoming*.
The *Wyoming*, with its comparatively weaker defenses, was far from the impregnable fortress that the *Nevada* had been. At a mere 27,000 tons, it was equipped with five twin 305mm 50-caliber guns. With a maximum speed of 21 knots, the *Wyoming* was less robust in terms of armor.
Its waterline armor was a modest 279mm, its turret armor 305mm, and its conning tower armor 279mm—weak by comparison, even to the *Blücher* battlecruiser.
This disparity in armor stemmed from the *Wyoming's* design, an earlier class in the U.S. Navy's battleship evolution. It wasn't until the *Nevada*-class that the U.S. Navy began to focus heavily on improving defense to enhance the survival of their ships in combat.
In the *Leopold's* salvo, two shells found their mark on the *Wyoming*. One struck the forward deck, blasting a gaping hole and igniting fires in the ship's interior. The other hit the conning tower, tearing through the 279mm armor and detonating inside, killing all officers, including the captain.
"Well done!" Admiral Lübeck could not help but shout in approval. Nothing raised morale more than striking an enemy vessel. The damage to the *Wyoming* revived the spirits of the German fleet, halting the decline and even sparking an upward shift.
"General, the enemy's *Wyoming* and *New York* class ships are clearly less defensively formidable than the *Nevada*. We could focus on them, leaving the *Nevada* for later. That would give us a better chance of sinking their ships," a staff officer suggested.
Admiral Lübeck paused for a moment before nodding thoughtfully. "A good idea. Let's reassign targets. *Leopold* will target the *Arkansas*, *Von der Tann* will focus on the *Wyoming*, and *Blücher* will take on the *Texas*. Once we deal with these less protected ships, we can turn our attention to the *Nevada* class."
This strategy meant they would target the weaker three ships at the rear of the American line, thereby increasing the likelihood of sinking them. However, given the Germans' numerical inferiority, the *Nevada*, *Oklahoma*, and *New York* would be free to fire at the German ships, unless the Germans could quickly cripple or destroy the *Arkansas*, *Wyoming*, and *Texas*.
Admiral Martin's lips curled into a smirk upon seeing the change in target.
"Hmph! So the Germans are trying to take out the weaker ships first? How utterly naive! Order *Oklahoma* and *New York* to join us in attacking *Blücher* and sink it!" Admiral Martin commanded.
With that, four British battleships—*Texas*, *Oklahoma*, *New York*, and *Leopold*—would converge on the *Blücher*, their firepower overwhelming. Each of these ships was armed with ten 356mm guns, meaning every salvo would unleash forty 356mm shells upon the German battlecruiser, drastically increasing the likelihood of its destruction.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!" Shells relentlessly slammed into the waters around the *Blücher*. While it remained unhit, the violent splashes sent waves of psychological pressure throughout the ship.
The crew knew it was only a matter of time before they were struck. Though their defenses were not weak, they were no match for the 356mm shells.
Admiral Lübeck remained silent, gambling on the hope that, if they could cripple the three weakest American battleships, there might still be a chance for victory. But he knew the odds were slim, and the path to triumph was fraught with difficulty.
"Damn the British," Lübeck muttered under his breath, swearing that when the German reinforcements arrived, the British would regret their actions.