Long live the winner's crown,

Ruler of the motherland!

Long live the emperor!

Under the glory of your throne, we are filled with joy and become your beloved people!

Long live the emperor!

On the sea covered by night, excited singing floated on the majestic warships. This is "The Emperor's Praise", also known as "The Laurel of the Victor", the informal national anthem of the Second German Empire (to be precise, it is the national anthem of the Kingdom of Prussia. Since it is not accepted by southern states such as Bavaria and Wurttemberg, this national anthem was not popular throughout Germany, but it is used as a national anthem on most occasions).

The German army conquered Paris, and the shocking news caused the German navy to fall into unprecedented joy and excitement. Although the number one enemy of the German navy was the British Empire, for the entire Germany, France was the most dangerous beast. They always thought about regaining Artsas and Lorraine. They advocated attack and had a well-quality army unit. Moreover, geographically, Germany's most important industrial area was close to the German-France border.

The French are most likely to be occupied and destroyed by a victory; France is the link of the Three Kingdoms Agreement and the culprit that puts Germany in siege. They made the German government lose face in Morocco and greatly damaged Germany's overseas interests. The above all made the German people eagerly expect to defeat France again. At the beginning of the war, a series of troops loaded with German soldiers drove westwards, and the German people along the way waved flowers to cheer for the soldiers.

Whether the loss of Paris means that the French will lose the courage and belief to continue fighting is unknown, but it is the glory that tens of thousands of German soldiers exchanged for blood and life. It is a victory with great significance and special value. It is not an exaggeration to celebrate. However, from the perspective of rationality, mortals often only see the external manifestations of things in their eyes, and the wise care about the things behind the appearance. When most of their colleagues light cigars, open champagne, and join the ranks of celebrations, the Xia Tree

Think calmly: In the past nearly a thousand years, Paris has been the largest city in Europe, with a population of 2 million at the end of the 19th century and the early 20th century! During the French-Prussian War, the French and civilians successfully turned it into a solid fortress, and the Prussian army had no choice but to do anything for four or five months. Now, even if the German team has an unparalleled heavy artillery force, if the French and civilians were determined to fight to the death, they would defend the number of defenders in Paris and the situation of not being completely besieged, it would be unlikely that the German army would let the German army in just a few weeks

In other words, the retreat of the French team is not about exhausting ammunition and food, and has no way out. It may be a human decision made for some strategic considerations, or it may be a major mistake in a certain unit or a certain defense zone, which leads to a complete collapse of the Paris defense line. In this case, unless the German team can continue to work hard and chase and fight the French team withdrawing from Paris until their main force is annihilated, the French can truly sit at the negotiating table to make peace with Germany. If the German Supreme Commander and the General Officer of the Army are plotting

If you can see this clearly for a long time, there is nothing to worry about next. The key is that German Emperor William II and Moltke are not worry-free characters at all. One is impulsive, very happy with merit, the other is indecisive, short-sighted, and frivolous and self-reliable. The German military decision-making circle is probably completely immersed in the joy of occupying Paris at this time, and regards the failure of the French and the collapse of the Allies as a matter of right, waiting for the final victory to float naturally in front of you...

"Are you worried that our expedition to Ireland may be cancelled?"

When Xia Shu heard Scher's voice coming from behind, he shook slightly.

This really touched his heart.

"Abandoning Ireland, we can still win this war, but this can only bring peace to Germany for up to twenty years. In the next battle of revenge, Britain will definitely stand firmly among the Avengers." Xia Shu turned her head to look at Schell. This "old sailor" who had the courage and dared to take responsibility also had a calm face at this time.

"If Ireland is brought to our camp, Britain will be constrained in the future. Taking advantage of the decline of Britain and France, we will gradually seize their colonies and trade interests in the offshore areas, and continuously enhance Germany's national strength, just like the rise of Britain after the 16th century?" Schell ended this short but not simple explanation with a positive question.

Xia Shu replied with praise, but just thought about it, and his mood became deeper. The victory of the High Seas Fleet in Jutland and Flanders did not allow the fleet combat theory faction to overwhelm the fleet among the top naval leaders. After all, every naval battle is inevitably caused by losses. Some of the naval ships built with huge money can never return to the German port, and some stagger back with their dilapidated bodies. Even if they can be repaired, they have to pay a very high price.

Of course, the ranks hope to defeat the enemy without fighting. The theoretical faction of the fleet always seized this point. The high seas fleet attacked Jutland and fought Flanders, all rely on the opportunity that Xia Shu had made to compete for. Now that Xia Shu is on the expedition, the communication method of sending radio telegraphs is naturally not as good as face-to-face statements, and clever tricks are used. If the Navy General Office Chief Mueller and Navy Chief of Staff Bohr wait for an opportunity to make efforts, Tirpitz may not be able to persuade the German Emperor to keep his original intention.

"After that being said, letting the main fleet take a risk to the expedition in order to send 4,000 reinforcements to the Irish uprisingers is a move that is not worth the effort in the eyes of many people. If His Majesty the German Emperor really made the decision to stop the action, it would be understandable, after all, he had his considerations. What do you think?" Xia Shu looked at Scher.

Schell did not answer immediately, but faced the front of the bow. Before receiving the clear instructions to cancel the action, the main force of the high seas fleet was still sailing northward. Although it was only early November, the west coast of Norway was already chilly, and the sea surface temperature was only about five degrees at night. When we arrived in the northwest Norwegian waters close to the Arctic Circle, we could appreciate the breath of midwinter in advance. After arriving in Ireland through the northern waters of Britain, the weather would return to late autumn. The crew members who have been wandering overseas for many years can still adapt to such changes. For ordinary people, this is a novel and arduous voyage.

"My father taught me since I was a child that no matter how difficult the goal I met or how many people laughed at me, I must unswervingly move on until I realize it. When I stand at the end, you may find that this goal is not exactly the same as my original idea, but no matter what, you are the winner of life." After saying this, Scher turned his head and looked at Xia Shu.

"I really envy you for having such a wise father." Xia Shu shrugged slightly, and the meaning of the words could only be understood but not expressed. Unlike those German generals with prominent backgrounds, Reinhardt Schell was only born in an ordinary civilian family that was not even wealthy, but he was not ashamed of it. Even after the German Emperor gave him the title of aristocratic, he refused to use "Feng" in his name, which symbolized his aristocratic identity, but kept it the same.

"All fathers will do their best to cultivate, care and support their children. Father's love is the greatest feeling in this world second only to maternal love, and there is no doubt about it." Schell said in a tone of a past person. Because he was busy with his career, he did not get married until he was 36 years old and had two daughters. The family had incomparable significance to him. In the original historical time and space, after the Second German Empire was defeated and collapsed, Schell chose to retire and tried to live a peaceful life with his family. Unfortunately, just two years after the war ended, a painter attacked his residence. Mrs. Schell and his maid were shot and killed, and his youngest daughter was also injured in the incident. This tragic incident greatly affected his life and health. He passed away at the age of 65.

In this historical time and space that was greatly influenced by Xia Shu, the same tragedy obviously would not happen to Schell. At the age of 53, he is using his persistence, firmness, intelligence and keenness to help the German Navy step by step out of the shackles of fate.

Xia Shu was silent. He looked at and used the German Emperor William II who had lived in the same world for more than 20 years. He saw that family affection was very indifferent and never expressed his true feelings in front of the other side. All efforts were just to avoid the occurrence of that huge tragedy, and everything was just to win.

The two of them stood quietly, waiting until midnight, and the local authorities did not send any important instructions.

That night, Xia Shu had many dreams and recalled her childhood in the dream. The childhood of the mortal Xia Shu was intertwined with the childhood of the prince Joachim. The figures, appearances, status, and power of the two fathers were completely different, but the smiles on their faces, the kindness in their eyes and even the tone of their advice had many similarities.

When I woke up in my dream, the summer tree felt lost.

The next day, the highly morale German navy continued to steer northward. The small accident of the "De Fringer" mechanical failure was covered by the joy of the German army capturing Paris. However, the newly commissioned "Border Governor" also had problems. The sudden rupture of a working fluid transport pipeline injured three crew members. Although the fault was quickly repaired, it still cast an unknown shadow on the expedition of the high seas fleet. In the previous three naval battles, the German main fleet only reached the mouth of the Thames River, with a round trip of only 600 nautical miles. The distance from Kiel to Ireland and then back to Germany from Ireland was six times that of this number. The long journey was an unprecedented severe test for all the participating ships. No matter how skilled the Germans were in machinery, they could not transcend the technical limitations of this era.

In the afternoon, the German fleet entered the Norwegian Sea (this sea is not a general term on the coast of Norway, but is located on the edge of the Arctic Ocean, with an area of ​​1.38 million square kilometers, more than twice the size of the North Sea). It joined the coal ships that arrived in advance, and the large torpedo boats that went on expedition with the fleet began to replenish coal. At this time, the fleet received a telegram from Kiel that the landing fleet led by the "Frederick the Great" began to carry out a landing offensive on the Belgian coast, but before that, Bilo's 2nd Legion had announced that it had broken through the Bruges line, and the significance of the landing operation seemed to have become to prevent the convoy team from evacuating from the sea.
Chapter completed!