The Death List Novel - Chapter 134

Chapter 134 Gneisenau
The next morning, a train fleet entered Hamburg Harbor. A huge warship on the dock had already lit a fire, and wisps of black smoke were coming out from the chimneys as they were about to set sail.

“This is … a battleship! Lieutenant Colonel, are we going to Africa on this ship?” Mrs. Monica asked in surprise as she looked at the ship on the dock.

“Yes, it’s the Gnyssenau. It was wounded by a British bomber last autumn and has only just been repaired!” ‘”I didn’t believe it when the Berlin headquarters first sent the telegram. I didn’t expect that they would actually send this battleship!” Skorzny said excitedly.

“Looks like they really hope that we can complete this mission!” Baron Weidenbaille sighed. “Even the war maniacs in the Department of War are tired of this war!”

By 1945, there were few large German surface warships left, and only a few stayed in docks for long periods of time because of bombardment by Allied aircraft. The fact that the Third Reich had been able to send out the last surviving Gnyssenau to assist Heracles showed the importance that the Third Reich attached to this operation.

Battleship Gneisenau: Standard displacement, 31,000 tons, full displacement, 37,000 tons. The ship is 231 meters long, 30 meters wide, draught nearly 9 meters, carrying more than 1,600 people, and three aircraft on board. Maximum speed: 31.5 knots; Cruise Speed: 15 knots.

Two triple-loaded 283 mm main guns at the bow and one at the stern; 12 150 mm sub-guns, 14 dual 105 mm anti-aircraft guns, 16 dual 37 mm anti-aircraft guns and 2 triple 533 mm torpedo barrels.

Qin Lun looked at the giant warship in front of him and licked his lips. He liked this big toy. Ever since he was young, he had not owned many toys, and the violence he had experienced in his life had made him even more fond of the magnificent, cruel, and cold war machine.

The Gnyssenau was one of the two Shanghorst-class battleships of the Third Reich, and its sister ship, the Shanghorst, had sunk in battle two years ago.

When the Third Reich started the war, the Navy did not complete its plan to build ships. There were not many large warships on the surface, and their strength was far behind that of their main rival, England.

It was precisely because the German Navy did not have the strength to wage a decisive naval battle against the British that the German Navy’s main objective was to destroy the sea. For this purpose, the two battleships, Charnhorst and Gnesenau, had designed speed as the first element and protection as the second element, at the expense of some firepower.

Gneisenau’s top speed of 31 knots was no different from light cruisers and destroyers, able to break through the interception of the British fleet and enter the Atlantic to engage in a destructive war against the Allies.

‘”Lieutenant Colonel, why don’t we go to Africa by submarine? Even if Gnyssenau can break through the interception of the English Squadron, its target is too big to come back. At that time, the British Navy will be like a pack of wolves on its way home.” Captain Burke asked worriedly.

‘”Captain, you didn’t consider the speed of the U-boat. We still have less than eight days left. Britain has sealed off the English Channel. We have to take a detour to Africa by the North Sea, first the Atlantic Ocean, then Morocco!” Skorzny smiled bitterly. “With the speed of the submarine, it will take at least 10 days. We will not be able to catch up with the summit of the Allies.”

Hearing this, everyone smiled bitterly. The African frontlines of the Third Reich had been completely abandoned, and the Tunisian and Algerian colonies of Germany and Italy had all fallen. If these two strategic locations were still in place, they could fly to Africa and land into Morocco.

Unlike Kieran, Moscow and the Transcaucasus were all occupied by Germany, and the main force of the Soviet army had withdrawn from the Ural Mountains. After obtaining large areas of Soviet territory, especially the Transcaucasian oilfields, the resources of the Third Reich were much more abundant than before. The only dilemma was the shortage of manpower. Many of the Germans on the battlefield were under 18 years old Boy Scouts.

The Soviet Union, on the other hand, had lost its European coastline and large numbers of people on European soil, making it much weaker than it had been in time and space. Allied aid could only be channeled through the Far East and through Siberia. The Soviet Union usually had to accumulate less than half a year’s worth of material before launching an eastern offensive, which posed little threat to the Third Empire.

As for the western European front, Britain and the United States finally managed to recover France, pushing the frontlines to Belgium and Luxembourg.

However, because the casualties of American troops were more than ten times greater than in the past, the domestic anti-war tide surged. Together with their victory in the Asian theatre, the momentum for the war is rapidly fading.

Up until now, Japan of the Axis Powers had been defeated and Italy was on the verge of death. With or without them, only the Third Empire was left to fight alone. The allies were similarly exhausted, stuck in a stalemate on both the east and west fronts.

Unlike in the past, the Axis Powers were now seeking a dignified end to the war, while the Allies intended to gather their strength for a final decisive battle that would completely shatter the last shell of the Third Reich.

Both sides were well aware that the war was at its final stage and that if it could not end within 45 years, they would most likely choose to make a political peace.

The Third Reich, including the Fuehrer, knew that this would be the best outcome for Germany, although it was not the same as it had been when the war had begun. The allies abandoned the communist soviet union only to recover france and south central europe as the bottom line, while the axis powers had to abandon japan in the east.

Looking at the Gnyssenau from afar, it was as symmetrical and exquisite as a work of art. When they arrived close, the 200-meter-long hull of the ship was like the bridge of the Empire State Building, yet it gave off a strong sense of oppression.

After boarding the battleship, Qin Lun and the others, led by the German sailors, were arranged in the officer area. German battleships paid more attention to the living environment of sailors. There were only four people in an officer’s cabin and there was a separate bathroom.

When they first boarded the warship, everyone was very excited and looked around the battleship. Even if it was to measure the water patterns, they would often surround a few other members of the team. The beautiful scenery of the sunset on the first evening caused the crowd to cheer and scream.

Unfortunately, the good times didn’t last long. After the warship entered the Atlantic Ocean, some members of the Rangers began to feel seasick. Qin Lun, Grant, and Lin Feng, three of the Special Forces, fell at the same time.

“Vomit!” Qin Lun waved his legs, walked out of the bathroom and threw himself onto the bed. In his upper bunk, Grant also stared at the ceiling with a pale face as he counted the stars.

“The two of you are too exaggerated. Haven’t you ever been out on a voyage?” Baron Weidenbaylor stroked his moustache and looked at the two murderers with contempt.

Qin Lun looked weakly at Grant. They had never been on a boat before. Their Earth Federation had long since eliminated airplanes, seagoing ships, and other old-century vehicles. They were short-range maglev vehicles, and long-range teleportation orbits. How could those two high-tech gadgets have such intense vibrations?

Their Apostle Soul Seal could not get rid of this dizziness until the Law Body had adapted to the turbulence.

“Woo ~ ~ ~” On the third day of the journey, a sharp alarm sounded from the battleship. The loud shouts and noises of sailors came from outside the cabin. Apart from Qin Lun and Grant, Weidenbaille and Captain Burke immediately ran out of the cabin to check on the situation.

RUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU The continuous jolts and vibrations almost made Qin Lun feel dizzy, giving him the illusion of wandering like an immortal.

Fortunately, the first battle of the Gnassenau wasn’t long. The outside of the cabin quickly calmed down, and the footsteps of Weidenbaylor and Borg could be heard again.

“This is spectacular!” The baron said excitedly, “I thought the Wind Sail Battle of William I was already the most exciting naval battle in the world. I didn’t expect that the artillery battles of the Iron Age would be even more terrifying. This is simply the boxing of a steel beast!”

William I … How long has this vampire baron lived? Lying on the bed, Qin Lun rolled his eyes and fell asleep.

On the fifth day of the journey, the Law Body adapted to seasickness. The dizziness on the death list finally disappeared, and Qin Lun and Grant were able to walk out of the cabin.

“Unfortunately, we were unable to see that naval battle!” Qin Lun said to Grant regretfully.

“Yes, what a pity!” Grant shrugged noncommittally. His curiosity wasn’t as strong as Qin Lun’s.

The day before yesterday’s naval battle was very short. The major general captain of Gnassenau did not dwell too much on the British fleet that had rushed over to intercept him, but his original route had taken another detour.

“Second Lieutenant Gerthard, your mountain eagle has finally risen from its bed!” Behind Qin Lun came Lady Monica’s teasing laughter.

“Good morning, madam!” Qin Lun said indifferently, his pale grey pupils staring at Scolzny behind her. “Lieutenant Colonel, how long do we have to go to Casablanca?”

“Tomorrow, tomorrow afternoon we will arrive at the target area. Then the captain will use the three seaplanes on the warship to bring the main members of the ranger and their weapons and equipment ashore. As for the special forces of a squadron, they will use small boats to land. All of them will be able to undergo frogman training.” Skorzny said cautiously.

The next afternoon, a black horizon appeared in front of the warship. Qin Lun removed his Kark98 sniper rifle and put it into his suitcase. He took a final look at the Gnyssenau under the setting sun and bent down to get into the seaplane.

Although the Gnyssenau had broken through to the British fleet’s interception, there were now two powerful fleets chasing after it. After this parting, it might be the last time he saw this beautiful and powerful battleship.