On the morning of August 9, 1933, the German battleship "Hesse" anchored beside the dock was equipped with supplies and equipped with crew members. The preparations before departure were all ready. Although the destination of this trip was not informed of the low-level officers and ordinary crew members, in the current war situation, the combat mission of this German main ship was really not very suspense. The German officers and soldiers obeyed the orders of their superiors as always, but the road ahead was long and their fate was uncertain. Their emotions did not seem very high, and there were many pessimistic and lost remarks in private.

Since the arrival of the Arctic Marshal Reinhardt Schell, who was ordered to leave the ship due to illness, the bright German Arctic flag that could boost morale has disappeared from the mast of the Hesse. It has been more than a week since it ended its entire maintenance work. More than 30 combat ships, including two King-class battleships, arrived one after another. At this time, the urgent situation on the Azore front line has not set off for a long time, as if they were waiting for something.

After breakfast, the crew wiped and maintained weapons and equipment at their respective posts as usual. The German flag on the bow flagpole fluttered under the sea breeze from the Atlantic Ocean. At this time, an inconspicuous military vehicle arrived at the dock and got out of the car. A German naval major and an Irish naval officer, who solemnly held a piece of neatly folded textile. The two boarded the ship along the gangway. Captain Colonel Messel led several officers to hurried to the gangway entrance and respectfully welcomed the two onto the ship. Then, with the help of the communication officer and two German signal soldiers, the Irish officer spread the textile in his hand. This was a flag with green, white, yellow, and red and gold clover in the center. The pattern was simple and eye-catching. Its popularity was far-reaching.

Not as good as the German Black Hawk Flag and the British Golden Lion Flag, only the Irish people would pay pious tribute to this flag. However, on the German battleship Hesse, when the crew members saw the Irish king flag appearing in the sun, they all raised their chests, and their eyes showed respect and longing. The haze of unfavorable war ahead was instantly swept away. A magnificent spirit of rebirth in the ashes surged in their hearts, a kind of turmoil that stormed the waves, and invincible confidence rose in their hearts... Because, the appearance of this flag represents the arrival of the Irish King, and the current Irish King is the Hohenzollern genius who was famous in the past. He is the peerless general who led the German Navy to defeat the powerful enemy and reached the peak as the chief of staff of the German High Seas Fleet. It is an inspiring and legendary existence!

"All people pay attention! You are all pay attention! The new commander of the Allied Fleet, His Majesty Joachim, the King of Ireland, is about to board the ship. Non-rottalents, please go to the decks to gather within five minutes! Everyone should pay attention to sorting out their military appearance! The military band should go to the fore decks to gather!"

The sound from the loudspeaker was not as calm as usual. The slight tremor made people feel the throbbing of the messenger. The cabin passage of this huge warship, which was shaped like a maze, was filled with urgent footsteps. More than 100 officers and more than 2,000 sailors headed to the bow, the stern and the side deck as fast as possible. The five-minute time limit was not arrived, and the atmosphere returned to calm. Only a few officers checked the team back and forth, and occasionally there were syllables for debugging musical instruments on the military band.

A convoy came from the airport. The dock where the Hessen was docked was already martial law, and there were no idle people in sight. Only some dock workers were looking around curiously behind the guards. Colonel Messel took the main officers on the ship to the gangway entrance of the boarding ship. The military band played the exciting Irish national anthem at the right time. These were in line with the most basic etiquette, but such a pomp could not help but feel too hasty and simple.

The convoy drove straight to the dock, wearing short-brimmed military caps and blue uniforms walked towards the gangway, surrounded by several Irish officers, and calmly shook hands with Colonel Messel and others, and then walked up the gangway with these German officers. His figure was getting closer and closer, and his face became clearer, and hundreds of German crew members on the front deck were staring in that direction with anticipation. At their age, most of them were through historical articles, biographies and books and shadows.

For information, we can learn about the past deeds of this Allied monarch, the top student at the Kiel Naval Academy, the star of the Naval Football League, and the think tank of the German High Seas Fleet... So many halos have made him still an idol worshipped by many German youths. Now he will board this warship and become the commander of the Allied Fleet. He will fight on the battlefield under his direct leadership. In the eyes of many officers and sailors, this is both a dream glory and a rare opportunity.

When the black naval boots stepped on the teak deck of the battleship, the handsome and wise prince charming, who was once elegant and handsome, now the majestic and wise monarch, temporarily stopped his footsteps. Facing the eager eyes of the German crew, he raised his chest and looked up at the majestic and majestic main bridge. At that time, the flag of the Irish king slowly rose along the hallows, and below was a commander's flag of a large fleet, which meant that he began to exercise the responsibilities and obligations of the commander of the Allied Fleet from now on.

After the flag-raising ceremony was held, Xia Shu patrolled the entire ship accompanied by Captain Colonel Messel. The "Hesse" was the latest to start construction and the latest to serve among the five German-class battleships. During the construction period, it made minor improvements to the practical conditions of the first few sister ships, which can be said to be a perfect work. The five German-class ships were all built in Germany, and nearly 80% of the raw materials and components were provided by local German companies, thus ensuring the engineering quality of these super warships. The "Hesse" has been in service for more than three years. It is the first time that Xia Shu boarded the ship, but his understanding of the technical structure of this warship exceeded most of the crew here for no reason. When the German class was still in the preliminary design stage, Xia Shu accepted the invitation of the German emperor and was voluntarily responsible.

The special technical consultant of the project, and his influence undoubtedly played a very important role in the decision-making of several key issues such as ship type plan, main gun configuration, and protection mode. According to the concept of Xia Shu, the German-class tonnage and performance are the best main ships to meet the needs of the German navy in this era. No matter how big it is, it not only requires some advanced immature technology, but also exceeds the marginal value of reasonable cost-effectiveness, and its symbolic significance is too much more than the actual effect. Therefore, he neither agrees with the construction of the Germanic class nor participates in the design and construction of the "Dord of the World War"... For these reasons, Xia Shu has a unique sense of intimacy with the "Hesse", and after many years, he returned to the German naval officers and soldiers. The familiar atmosphere gradually reflects his spirited feelings back then.

On the afternoon of August 9, under the guidance of several barges, the Hesse slowly sailed away from the dock. When dusk arrived, it served as the command ship of the Second Support Fleet, leading twenty-seven ships including the "Election Emperor" and "Carl the Great" sailed on the Atlantic Ocean.

Unlike the relatively calm situation in the East Atlantic, the recent Azores waters can be said to be rough on the sea surface and undercurrents underwater. The hot weather seems to have exhausted people's patience. Both sides of the war are trying every day to weaken their opponents, so basically there will be battles every day, from patrol fighters to cruiser-level artillery battles, as well as attacks and pursuits between submarines and surface ships. The smell of gunpowder and blood in the air can never be dissipated.

In the southern berth of San Miguel Island, the German-class battleship "Hannover", the Bavarian-class battleship "Bavaria" and the Baden are in a group, the Markensen-class battleship "Hellingen", the Deflinger-class battleship "Deflinger" and the Luzov are in a group, and six German main ships have only placed an anchor, half of the boilers are turned off, and the combatants are on standby, and they are on high alert to deal with possible enemy situations at any time. From a distance, these battleships are in good condition, but if you look closer, you will find that their hulls are not only blast marks.

There are mottled, and some parts still have terrifying holes, which will inevitably affect their sailing in battle against the enemy and harsh sea conditions. The Port of Ponta del Garda on San Miguel Island has two large docks that can accommodate 10,000 tons of ships. Before the war, a floating dock that can repair 40,000 tons of ships was added. However, at this time, the port was seriously lacking in maintenance materials, and once the ship was docked and repaired, it completely lost its mobility. When the port was caught in a gap, it was very likely to become the target of concentrated attack by enemy planes. The most rational way was to grit your teeth and survive this difficult period.

When His Majesty Joachim I, the King of Ireland, raised the Allied Fleet Commander's Flag on the Hesse, a exactly the same flag was still flying on the mast of the Hannover. This was not because Paul Bernke refused to hand over the command. In fact, the controversial German admiral was burdened with a heavy psychological burden. On the one hand, he was eager to use victory to regain his damaged reputation, and on the other hand, he hoped to get spiritual relief earlier. When he learned that Scher would command the Allied Fleet on his behalf, he sent a telegram to Scher in his private name, saying that he

He will firmly stand in the last shift. As long as he can protect the strength of the fleet and defend the current situation, he is willing to sacrifice himself and absolutely obey Scher's command. The reason why there are two fleet command flags hanging on both warships at the same time is that at the request of Xia Shu, the German command organization has not officially announced that the Allied fleet will change its command. Neither the soldiers in the front nor the people in the rear know this news that will be very exciting to them. Only the senior military and political leaders of the empire and some powerful people have learned in advance, which means that the enemy's chances of exploring this information are controlled to the minimum.

The sunset shone through the porthole into the cabin. Bainke sat on the chair, sipped in a cold dark beer. He looked lost and confused, but hesitant, but he never lost the tenacity and tenacious fighting spirit of a soldier.

Ol, the adjutant knocked in and reported to Bainke: "Sir, we have received a secret message with a strange content, with the signature...your old comrade-in-arms Johen."

"Old comrade-in-arms Johen?" Bainke was stunned for a moment, his eyes suddenly widened. He quickly took the telegram and glanced over the translation above. He was a little puzzled. So he read it carefully and thought carefully. Then he suddenly realized, then grabbed the beer glass he had just put down, drank it all happily, and muttered:
Chapter completed!