As dusk approached, at Pier 5 of Scarpaflo Naval Base, British naval generals led by Jelico watched George V and others board the armored cruiser "Abkir". During the whole process, everyone's eyebrows were drooping and without saying a word. The solemn and depressing atmosphere seemed to be holding a funeral.

Since the German main fleet is in the North Sea, George V will bypass the northern part of Scotland, sail to Liverpool along the west coast of Britain, and then take a train to return to London. The trip time is not much increased, and the most heavy burden is the frustration and loneliness that is filled with hearts.

Less than ten days after the war started, the two major capital naval fleets and victory traditions that Britain dominated the ocean were hit hard by the Germans one after another. George V, who supported the war against Germany, undoubtedly entered the darkest period of his life. Fortunately, the dignified and virtuous Queen Mary, who was always with him. For this king who became the heir to the throne due to his brother's accidental death and then wore the "heaviest crown" of this era, the considerate help and kind-hearted persuasion provided by the queen are great spiritual pillars. This was the case in the past, and it is also the case now.

The "civil and military leaders" of the British Navy, the Minister of Navy Churchill and the First Minister of Maritime Affairs, both boarded the ship to accompany George V on their return journey. A few hours before leaving Scapa Bay, after careful consideration and conversation, George V decided to accept Louis' resignation. After completing the necessary procedures, this British Navy member who was born in a German noble would break free from the previous tangled pain. However, seeing that the British Navy, who had served for nearly half a century, fell into a trough after losing one after another, Prince Louis of Batenberg admitted that he was "wrenching his heart" and was completely holding on to his spirits so that he would not fall.

The Supreme Chief of the Royal Navy, the Minister of the Navy, the General Navy’s strategic construction, combat training, strategic planning and combat command. The current Navy Secretary Winston Churchill bears an unshirkable responsibility for the failure of the main fleet’s combat, but resigning from blame is obviously not the only way to bear responsibility. In Scarpaflo, King George V of England and most naval generals believed that the attack on the German fleet should be cancelled and the defense should be transferred to the entire east coast of Britain, unless the German fleet makes an attempt to break into the Atlantic Ocean, the large fleet deployed in the north and the Strait fleet deployed in the English Channel will not be kept.

Churchill felt that passive avoidance of war at this time was equivalent to drinking poison to quench thirst. The Germans would use this opportunity to severely smear the British morale and international prestige. However, he also realized that the German Navy was planning to act this time and would probably have a tactical backup. It would be difficult to succeed with a group of light ships, so he no longer insisted on his own opinion. However, after the imperial meeting ended, he crossed the First Minister of the Sea and the Commander of the Fleet, and summoned several other fleet generals who advocated the offense to discuss the counterattack plan, and initially formed a consensus.

Later that day, Churchill learned that George V agreed to Prince Louis' resignation. He immediately met with the king and strongly recommended Lord Fisher as the First Minister of Maritime Affairs. The respected naval marshal made an unparalleled contribution to the modernization reform of the British Navy. He promoted the Royal Navy to develop a fast battleship with full-equipped heavy artillery. He was known as the "father of the dreadnought" and the "father of the battlecruiser". He promoted the conversion of naval ships from coal to fuel and equipped with new steam turbines, which enabled the British Navy to obtain an important technical overpass from 1905 to 1907, further expanding its advantages over the navy of powerful countries.

In the summer of 1914, Fisher was 73 years old. He retired from the Navy for three years, but he was strong and energetic. After retiring, he had been assisting Churchill as an informal consultant. George V carefully expressed his concerns about Churchill's personnel proposal, because in addition to bold technological innovation, Fisher was also a naval general who advocated active attack and emphasized preemptive action. He served as commander of the Mediterranean Fleet and the local fleet. He was experienced and accurate in judgment. As early as 1908, he speculated that Britain and Germany would start war after the completion of the Keel Canal widening and deepening project, and this prediction eventually became a reality. However, Fisher did not expect that the German Navy, which he originally thought could be solved by a "Copenhagenization Operation", had just begun the war and defeated the British main fleet.

After leaving Scarpaflo, Churchill continued to try every means to convince George V. Although the Navy Minister had the power to appoint the First Maritime Minister, during the war, this important personnel appointment still required the consent of the monarch, at least not opposition.

After nightfall, the "Abkir" sailed through the inhabited seas of German submarines under the strict protection of the accompanying ships. On this calm night, the British light ship group gathered in the northeastern waters of England remained silent according to the latest instructions of the Navy Staff, and only carried out enemy reconnaissance with a small number of ships. After the British high-speed torpedo boat with a very shallow draft passed the minefield set up by the German fleet, it was found that the German fleet had left the combat waters in the afternoon, and the whereabouts were unknown.

At 9:40 that night, the German government issued a naval war communiqué, claiming that the German main fleet had a fierce battle with the British Navy in the central North Sea, and won an absolute victory with the comparable scale of participating ships. It sank 43 British ships, including four main ships, captured more than 2,000 British crew members, and advised the British government to withdraw from the war unconditionally. Otherwise, the German Navy would launch a large-scale artillery bombardment on military facilities on the east coast of Britain, intercept and sink British maritime ships.

As soon as the communiqué was released, the world was in an uproar. People did not expect that the main force of the German naval forces could go out to sea to fight in such a short time after the Battle of Jutland, and thus speculated that the German fleet was only slightly damaged in the Battle of Jutland, and that the British navy suffered two consecutive defeats within a week, which made people feel pessimistic and desperate about the prospects of the war. The British government did not respond to the German naval war communiqué that night, but used technical means to interfere with the German radio broadcast frequency to prevent the British people from being deliberately misled by the Germans, but the fire could not be kept in the paper. Navy Minister Churchill went to the city overnight.

George V reported this situation. His suggestion was that the Prime Minister would release a national broadcast on the next morning to inform the British people that the naval battle was just an attack by British lightning-striking ships against several large German ships. The British government and military would not bow to countries that trampled on other countries and provoked wars. The threat of the German navy to the British local coast was only temporary. The British navy was mobilizing combat ships from the world and would not be able to regain control of the North Sea in no time and block the German navy in the Baltic Sea.

"Even if all the warships are transferred back from overseas, can we turn the situation around and regain control of the North Sea within a few months?"

With a tired and frustrated look, George V sat slanted in a chair, supporting his chin with his healthy left hand. At this moment, compared with his arrogant German cousin, the only advantage seemed to be left. On land, the German team destroyed the Liege Fortress with its unprecedented siege heavy artillery. After a brief pause, this sharp and terrifying war machine moved forward again, crushing unstoppable

Passing the Belgian fortresses and positions, the French team's revenge offensive in Alsace was not strongly blocked by the German army, but it was still slow to advance. Some troops retreated in a hurry when they encountered a block. The British observers who followed the French army made comments in their reports to their superiors with the words "lack of courage" and "fear of the enemy". In fact, in more than a week after the war between France and Germany, the French General Command had replaced a group of ineffective corps and division-level generals.

"We don't have to completely control the North Sea. As long as the Germans cannot escape the North Sea cage, the balance of victory and defeat will tilt towards us sooner or later." Churchill said in a gentle tone while observing the British King's reaction.

At the same time, Prince Louis of Batenberg was also called to discuss military affairs. Before he officially stepped down, he was still the highest military general of the British Navy. In terms of blood ties, he should have served for the German camp, but in terms of personal experience and life ideals, he was an absolute British man and a respectable admiral. However, the unforgettable blood ties made it difficult for him to gain the true trust of grassroots naval officers and soldiers and ordinary British people.

"His Excellency the Navy Secretary is right. Even if German merchant ships are allowed to move freely in the North Sea, they will not get saltpeter, oil, rubber, and rare metals. We can obtain infinite war resources from overseas colonies and friendly countries. The British Navy lost a warship and could soon build two, but Germany could not maintain its previous shipbuilding speed during wartime."

Louis's words were undoubtedly a firm support for Churchill's main battle stance. George V nodded to Louis, his comforting eyes filled with understanding and sympathy for this former colleague.

"If the French team can withstand the German offensive, it is acceptable for us to temporarily lose control of the North Sea, but if the French team can only last for a month or two, the situation in Britain will become extremely bad. Even if the German team with only three or four divisions climbed the coast of England under the cover of the fleet, we will return to the dark period 1,800 years ago."

George V's judgment came to the forefront. As a naval personnel, Churchill and Louis had no way to make professional and long-term considerations on the development of land wars, but the king of a country must be fully solid. According to the joint plan of the British and French army staff, the British Expeditionary Force, which had six divisions, should quickly arrive in France after the war broke out. When the Battle of Jutland broke out, 80,000 British Expeditionary Forces equipped with 300 horses, more than 300 field artillery and more than 100 machine guns had gathered in Southampton and Portsmouth and boarded the ship soon.
Chapter completed!