"Tch! The Americans truly spare no expense, actually giving all their capital ships to the British. It seems they are determined to make the Empire pay an even greater price in this war," Qin Tian said, a smile on his face, though anyone who knew him well could feel the killing intent that emanated from him. The actions of the Americans behind the scenes had utterly enraged him.
If it were possible, Qin Tian would wish to go to war with the Americans immediately. But the precondition was that Germany must have the strength to decisively defeat the United States. Otherwise, if the war were to drag on without sufficient financial resources to continue, that would present a serious problem.
Although Germany's military strength had surpassed that of the United States, defeating America by crossing the Atlantic was not a simple task. The American population was larger than Germany's, and their industrial output exceeded Germany's as well. This allowed them to arm a significantly larger army. Furthermore, the advantage of fighting on their own soil meant that while the German forces might initially defeat the American army, the disadvantage of overseas combat would severely constrain their capabilities as time passed. Eventually, the German forces would likely struggle to secure a victory.
Should Germany fail in its attack on the United States, it would have a huge impact on the nation, potentially even leading to social unrest. In such a case, the costs of such a war would far outweigh the benefits.
War is never without cause. It only erupts when the contradictions between both sides cannot be resolved and when their interests remain unsatisfied. In such circumstances, the only solution becomes war—typically the last resort when no other options are available.
"Your Majesty, the Americans are sparing no effort in supporting the British. During the previous war, they were already fervently assisting Britain, hoping to help them defeat the Empire. Later, their goal shifted to using Britain as a means to weaken the Empire's strength. All of this is for their own benefit. They fear that once the Empire defeats Britain and France, they will be next. So, they hope to cause as much trouble as possible for the Empire in this war, ensuring that even if we win, it is a pyrrhic victory. That way, the Empire won't be able to trouble them for a long time," said Chancellor von Bülow.
This reasoning was clear to the Empire's military and political leaders. The issue, however, was that the Empire had no way to deal with the Americans at the moment.
"Your Majesty, Admiral Scheer has already ordered the Breakthrough Fleet to cease their southward advance. The High Seas Fleet is now en route to the battlefield and is expected to rendezvous with the Breakthrough Fleet tomorrow morning. By then, we will have enough strength to crush the British. Even if the Americans have given their active warships to the British, they are no match for us!" Admiral Tirpitz said confidently.
Qin Tian nodded, deeply confident in the Imperial Navy. Although the *Kaiser Wilhelm* aircraft carrier was not yet in service, the fleet of battleships and battlecruisers was more than capable of handling any challenge.
"Send a telegram to the fleet, instructing them that we must defeat the British this time and shatter their hopes completely. I want to see how they continue after this failure! I don't believe they can get so many more battleships from elsewhere," Qin Tian said.
The Americans had given the British their active battleships in support. If Germany were to destroy these ships, the British would be left with no means to replenish their fleet. At that point, the British Navy would no longer be able to resist.
"Yes, Your Majesty!" Admiral Tirpitz replied.
Qin Tian's directive was clear: utterly destroy the British's hopes. If the German fleet achieved victory once again, Britain would be finished.
At 4 a.m. on May 17, the Imperial Navy's High Seas Fleet and Breakthrough Fleet joined forces in the waters northwest of Ireland. At the same time, the *Von der Tann* and *Leopold* battlecruisers rejoined the fleet. Now, all of Germany's main battle units were gathered together, including 23 battleships and 11 battlecruisers. With such an overwhelming force, Germany now commanded the most powerful fleet in the world.
Admirals Reinhard Scheer, Hippel, and Spee gathered to discuss the next steps.
"There is no doubt that we have been betrayed by the Americans. They secretly gave the British 12 battleships, which has emboldened them to continue fighting us. This time, they are plotting our destruction. His Majesty has given us orders to ensure that we win this battle, no matter the cost!" Admiral Scheer declared.
"Your Excellency, even if the British received 12 battleships from the Americans, adding to their remaining capital ships, they still only have around twenty ships. Do they truly believe they can defeat us with such a force?" Admiral Spee said darkly. His discomfort stemmed from the loss of a battlecruiser in the previous encounter.
"Perhaps the British have other means at their disposal. Therefore, we must be especially cautious in this battle," Admiral Hippel cautioned.
"Tomorrow morning, dispatch light cruisers, destroyers, and seaplanes to search this area. We will locate the British and then launch our attack. This time, we must secure victory and leave no chance for the British to recover!" Admiral Scheer commanded.
Reflecting on the British actions, one had to admire their ingenuity while also feeling a lingering sense of unease. After the destruction of the British fleet's main force, the German Navy had believed that the British Navy was no longer a significant threat. But who would have thought that, in just two short months, the British had once again built a formidable navy? Had it not been for the German Navy's early detection of the British movements and their preparedness, they could have suffered a significant setback.
Such a mistake once was enough. If it happened again, it could be disastrous. To prevent this from happening, the German Navy had to completely eliminate the British Navy in this battle.