19th of February 1918.
Standing atop the battleship Baden's bridge you look out on the fleet around you. This is new to you.
Coming from the old pre-Dreadnought battleships, you were sure that your position was at a dead-end after Jutland. But somehow the Admiralty felt that new blood was need at the top, and your progressive and at times demanding ideas brought you to the forefront.
Walking to the bridgewing you take in the harbour air. It is rank with inactivity!
The Admiralty has sent orders that the High Seas Fleet must do something soon, and something important. You are certain this has something to do with the upcoming events on land. While German troops are currently superior in numbers that will change soon enough with the Americans coming over in numbers. Something major is about to happen on the front, and apparently the fleet is supposed to do something to help.
The previous commanders were too timid to do something, or at least that is what the Admiralty thought, and now you are here.
You have tried to press for the reassignment of U-boats to the High Seas Fleet, if only temporary, but the Admiralty has denied that. The submarine warfare is more important than ever with the Americans coming in. And you have to reluctantly agree since the USN have not entered the British naval ports in support of their forces. Why that is you don't know, but the Admiralty thinks it is because of the U-boats and they will not back down.
Laying here in the port of Wilhelmshaven and in nearby Cuxhaven you have a total of 17 dreadnought battleships, 5 battlecruisers, 17 light cruisers and some 70 torpedoboats (you smile at this, the British call their torpedoboats ' torpedoboat destroyers' but experience has shown them to be evenly matched) of capable standards. In the north Baltic fighting in support of the Finnish revolution are the two old dreadnought battleships Rheinland and Westfalen plus a number of torpedoboats. Arrayed around in smaller ports nearby and in the two main ports you also have a host of pre-dreadnought battleships and outdated armoured and light cruisers acting as coastal defense, barracks, training and various other secondary duties. Perhaps it is time they resumed active duties?
You know that your forces are welltrained in maneuvers, well at least your heavy units, and it is believed they have an edge in accuracy over the British. You still remember how the entire line managed the 'gefechtkertwendung' at Jutland. It was a marvelous sight in face of the British crossing the 'T'. You hope that the 'lazy' time spent in port haven't eroded that advantage. But what you do know is that the bored and inactive crews have become somewhat less enthusiastic about the war, rumours prevail about revolutionary thoguhts and activities. That is not good, and you believe something needs to be done about it. Idle hands...
The intelligence on the British is to be fair rather limited. You only know for certain that no new battleships or battlecruisers have been built since Jutland and that the Vanguard blew up at Scapa Flow in July 1917, but they still retain a rather impressive advantage in numbers of 34 battleships and 8 battlecruisers, thus about double your force. So you know that you need to do something about that... Somehow. Reports says nothing about big ships in docks, but does mention that the HMAS Australia (battlecruiser) might be on convoy duty and others not impossible either, some might even be in the Mediterranean. A grand total of some 47 light cruisers are supposed to be ready in home waters or nearby, but it is assumed that almost 20 of them are outdated and many others are not assigned the Grand Fleet, perhaps only 20 can realiably be assumed to join the Grand Fleet. The armoured cruisers of which your own navy has almost removed totally the intelligence mentions to have a few active units ready at hand for the Grand Fleet, and the destroyers are assumed to have an advantage of at least 1.5:1 over your torpedoboats. Intelligence is certain that the British are currently refitting a very large cruiser to an aircraft carrier.
You know that British intelligence is good. The British forces have too often managed to see through German plans. Jutland in particular is too big for a coincident. But you do not know where it comes from, or how to deal with it.
Luckily for you, you have quite a few zeppeliners ready. They don't have much in terms of weapons, and the advent of AA guns on ships would also make it far too dangerous to attack ships. But their long range and relatively large crews means they are very good at spotting ships and identifying them. Also if weather is fairly bad, as it is in spring in the North Sea, their dropping gondolas can be used safely for both spotting and bombing (zeppeliner stays in cover while small gondola acts as eyes and bombadier). But they are very weak should the British attack with airplanes. You also know that the British do not have a similar force attached to the Grand Fleet.
Having stood in your own thoughts looking over Wilhelmshaven and the fleet you haven't appreciated the look of the ships themselves. The big ships look so clean and sleek, ready for battle. Small boats hustle about inside the harbour, tugs move a light cruiser around, you identify it as the Brummer, one of the successful convoyraiders of last autumn. It is likely it's action that caused the British to guard the scandinavian convoys so strongly.
You turn back inside the enclosed bridge and from there you alk to the antechamber to contemplate what to do.
The morale of the fleet is low, and bad behaviour is rife. You think over the options. You could begin a tough physical program, with a lot of intership competitions. Especially the engineers and ammohandlers would benefit from this. You are certain that this would help with the morale.
But you also think that maneuvers and gunnerypractice could help, but given the higher regard to gunners, bridgecrew and firedirectors it would hardly impact the others, who are noted to be the worst of the 'revolutionaries'. But this would likely help retain the sharp edge of the fleet.
Lastly you could send out a battlegroup to bombard Dover, which you know have only weak forces covering it. A few sunk destroyers and a bombarded town should highten the mood a good deal, but you fear that the battlegroup should get ambushed as the British has been good at. Which would turn the mood down as well as weakening you. Should it be the faster battlecruisers with a few light cruisers or some of the heavier battleships to deal with stronger opposition (also the battlecruisers are less affected by the low mood) but guarded by torpedoboats. Or maybe a strike at the scandinavian convoys?
British intelligence is good, you need to do something, but what?
You could close off the harbours with heavy guard, but that would likely lower the mood even more as the crews could not went steam in town. But you could also begin to train on relying less on wireless. Trouble is just that the Admiralty would still use it.
Also should the zeppeliners be sent out right away to scout out the British? You would like to but fear they mgiht give off the fact that you are planning something big.
Lastly should the pre-dreadnoughts, armoured cruisers and outdated light cruisers be formed into active forces again? They would be fairly badly crewed given their previous assignments and their battleworthyness is not too great, and lastly they might also give away your intentions.
So what will it be? Pick one of each.
1) A: Give the crews a good physical program with lots of competitions between the ships.
B: Train maneuvers and gunnery at sea. Will include both small scale and larger scale.
C: Do a raid on Dover or the scandianavian convoys with either a fast battlecruiser force or a slower stronger battleship group.
2) A: Close off the main harbours.
B: Scale down usage on wireless.
3) A: Scout out the North Sea with the zeppeliners.
B: Keep them at home for the time being.
4) A: Refit the secondary forces for battle once more.
B: Keep them at home.
5) A: Return the Rheinland and Westfalen to the High Seas Fleet.
B: Let them stay, they are some of the oldest ships in the active fleet.
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