That was their real dilemma now. They had left port in 2021 with ample munitions to carry out their expected mission to the Black Sea, but somewhere they had crossed an unseen border to this new mission, and there had been no time to replenish the ship’s stocks. They had hit a battlecruiser and the French flagship, but with uncertain results. Both vessels were still on an attack heading and making 30 knots. They had hit a light cruiser and five destroyers, but the core of the enemy fleet remained intact.
The Captain huddled with Miss Fairchild, Mack Morgan and Mister Dean, and the look on MacRae’s face spoke volumes. “So it’s come to this,” he said. “With the last four missiles you’ve authorized for this fight, we might put some serious hurt on at least one of their capital ships, but I think we’d have to use them all.”
“That would even the odds a bit,” said Morgan, but they’ll still outnumber the British fleet nearly two to one.”
“Aye. It’s either one good blow like that, or we wait for this bar fight to actually begin and then break a bottle or two over the heads that seem to be doing the most damage on the other side. Mister Dean?” MacRae looked to his XO for an opinion.
“It will be a rough go for the British,” he said. “The enemy will have a tremendous speed advantage, and the weight of superior firepower. Yes, we might take one out if we use four GB-7s in a tight attack salvo. That’s going to put 800kgs of high explosives and a lot of excess fuel for the fire on one ship out there. That will likely take it out of the fight. But that will also still leave them four capital ships to the two British battleships, and from the intelligence report these are some tough fellows out there, The Normandie alone has enough throw weight in firepower to take on both the older Queen Elizabeth class battleships with a good chance of winning that fight.”
“So do we hit that ship now, or wait and see what develops.”
“I’ll say this much,” said Morgan. “If we hold until the action opens we can still hit them with one good shot, or jab at them as you suggested. And at least they’ll see us fighting. Fire now and we just have to tell them we’re done and wave goodbye.”
MacRae nodded. “Miss Fairchild?”
“I like Mack’s angle on this. Let’s see what they actually do and then, when the action opens, you do as you see best, Captain. But I’ll have to hold the line on that missile count. God only knows what lies ahead, and those missiles could save this ship in a difficult situation, and everyone aboard.”
“Understood.” MacRae took a long breath. “Inform Captain Barry on Queen Elizabeth. Tell them we’ve hit seven enemy ships, but they’re still coming at them like banshees on the fen. We’ll stay in the fight, but they need to stand to arms and be prepared for a tough battle here.”
So it was decided.
Aboard the Hindenburg a final signal was flashing out to Bismarck — ‘take position ahead.’ and Kaiser was ordered to stand off with Goeben. The Germans had decided to commit just two ships to the fray, the heavy battleships that now moved to cooperate more closely with the French Squadron. Lutjens had seen the missiles in the sky again, and saw the flaming descent of one seaplane spotter after another.
“That air defense is too precise and effective against a small number of aircraft,” he said. “So I am ordering Goeben to stand her air crews down. No sense sending those planes and pilots up to be blown out of the sky by these rockets. Any word from the Luftwaffe?”
“Goering was none too happy with the losses reported by the TenthFliegerkorps, sir. Fiebig wants to husband his planes on Sicily. That said, Eighth Fliegerkorps has planes massing for the planned attack on Crete. They have promised us support, and by the time we catch up to the British they may be close at hand.”
“Good then. Let them provide the primary air threat and we can save the handful of Stukas we have for better use.”
“One of Ritter’s young new pilots has been making quite a name for himself-Hans Rudel. He’s the same man who hit the British battlecruisers up north.”
“Oh? Well if the air situation looks promising I will order them up. For now they stay in reserve. How long before we can sight the British?”
“At the rate we are gaining on them, no more than an hour.”
“Good. That will be enough time for me to address the crew. We have not had our chance against the Royal Navy, but now we test our guns and armor, Adler. Now you get the battle you’ve been waiting for.”
The Admiral spoke to his crew, telling them not to fear the new weapons of their enemies, and to rely on their skill, and the guns and armor that made their ship the finest in the world. Axel Faust, the brawny commander of the ships Anton Turret, was listening with a smile.
