Moreover, after learning from historical experiences and lessons, the British decisively grasped fire protection and added 1 inch to 1.5 inch steel plates to the dome armor position, which increased the total tonnage of the warships by hundreds of tons and increased draft. The British's response was very simple, just decorating less ammunition and fuel... (In history, after the Battle of Jutland, the British did increase the protection of some warships, and also increased the dome armor, which was equivalent to thickening the thickness of the iron panties, which made it very difficult for the Germans' 12-inch naval gun to penetrate the battleship. Even if they could penetrate the upper layer of 9-inch armor, they could no longer penetrate the thickened dome armor behind. Of course, if they were shot in the water, there would be no way for the British ships to do it!)

The British fleet uses similar forces to the German fleet. The Spee fleet dispatched less than half of the warships to carry out tasks at a time, and the British fleet is the same. One super fearless and three dreadnoughts form a team, and then rotates every three days.

"If I simply face the Germans' former dreadnoughts, I wouldn't worry much. The Germans' main battleships in previous operations generally do not exceed 5, which may be 3 battleships and 2 armored cruisers. Or maybe the other hand, the strongest firepower they have is 18 12-inch l40 artillery and 16 10-inch artillery, while we have 10 13.5-inch artillery and 30 12-inch l50 artillery. As long as we can keep an eye on the opponent, the result of the battle has been determined, and I have now had plans for this and have prepared. So, now, let me talk about the problem I am worried about, how can we enter and exit the battlefield safely!" Lieutenant General Thomas said.

After all, Lieutenant General Thomas has participated in the Indian Ocean Expedition. He has a very deep understanding of the changes in the ship's ship's ships and the fatigue level of personnel after a long mission. Although the Dover Strait is an offshore combat, it is a long-term process. For more than ten days or even dozens of days, the fleets of both sides of the British and German sides have to send fleets to sea every day. After going to sea, no matter what, there will always be some wars every day, and sometimes some losses will occur, which makes the fleet and personnel very exhausted. Although the German fleet claims to have 7 former dreadnought battleships and 4 armored cruisers, one that was ambushed by British submarines before, there are now 10 main battleships.

There are many of these warships that were injured in previous battles, and there are also those that need repair and maintenance due to mechanical problems. Therefore, in terms of normal artillery battles, Thomas is not afraid of the German fleet at all. So what if Germany dispatches 6 battleships a day? However, 36 12-inch guns are not as thick and long as the barrel, and the number is still inferior to the British Navy... Even if two armored cruisers are added? That is definitely not able to defeat Thomas' fleet!

Therefore, for Thomas, the most critical issue of the British fleet is how to safely enter and exit the Dover Strait. You must know that in this sea area, not only German former dreadnoughts, but also submarines and minefields. More importantly, Thomas is sure that if the German fleet learned the news of the British main ship being dispatched, it would definitely intercept him halfway! At the same time, Thomas was also very clear that the so-called response of the Great Fleet was just not far outside the Forth Bay, and Jericho even told Thomas privately that the British fleet would try his best to avoid confronting the High Seas Fleet, and these four battleships could be abandoned when necessary!

"The air force's plan is like this. After dawn, we will deploy reconnaissance aircraft and some fighter aircraft in this area for air patrols. When we find the returned fleet, we will take off the remaining aircraft along the fleet to go north to resist the pursuit of German land-based aviation and provide early warning to the German fleet." An officer from the Navy Land-based aviation team said after drawing a circle in the eastern coastal area of ​​Britain.

This area is relatively north, and theoretically belongs to the area that the British fleet should arrive before dawn at a speed of 15 knots. As for why patrol aircraft were arranged to search the British fleet? The reason is very simple. The British fleet did not dare to turn on the radio to tell the navy's location. In fact, the method proposed by this British officer was similar to what Crown Prince Ruprecht expected, and belongs to the timetable escort system - at the specified time, you go to the specified area, and then the Air Force covers you to go north!

"What about submarines? What about minefields that may be deployed randomly by the Germans," Thomas asked.

"This destroyer and minesweeper ship belonging to the large fleet are responsible for it. We will use the coastal areas as the home port to continuously search and minesweep the waters on the fleet routes. Colleagues, we will also deploy mines in certain areas, or place shipwrecks to block the submarine routes. If your fleet is more careful, it will not be a big problem." said a British naval officer.

Subsequently, several British Navy staff officers began to use different colors to indicate several lines that the British fleet could choose on a huge nautical chart, and at the same time, they also identified shipwreck blocking belts, anti-submarine networks, and minefields next to these lines.

"Lieutenant General, I have a question. According to the schedule, we should prepare to return from 3 a.m., what should we do if the Germans know this rule and then enter the Dover Strait after 3 a.m.?" said an army officer.

"It's very simple. Of course, the last ship leaving France at night cannot be later than 3 a.m. We start departing from around 9 p.m. to 3 a.m., which is about 6 hours. Of course, if the Army feels that there is not enough time, it can be appropriately extended, but the naval fleet can only provide 6 hours of cover." Thomas said. He was also very sympathetic for the experience of the British Expeditionary Force at this time, but sympathy is sympathy, and some things in principle cannot be changed.

"In 6 hours, we may not even be able to withdraw 10,000 people! The Germans' ultra-long-range heavy artillery can already hit Dunkirk Harbor. We can only transport personnel to board the large ship through assault boats or motorboats in some inconspicuous places. This speed is already very slow, and you and your fleet can only cover for 6 hours!" The army officer said angrily.

"So I arranged this combat plan. We can severely damage the German fleet and then fundamentally weaken the German navy's blockade of the strait!" In response, Thomas said, simply covering is a cure for the symptoms but not the root cause. Only by working hard to annihilate the German fleet will the British maritime retreat plan be safe! Anyway, the German high seas fleet will not easily enter the strait. As long as it can severely damage the former German dreadnoughtsman team, the pressure on British maritime retreat will be very small!
Chapter completed!