OBS Chapter 922 Tsarist Russia is just a dilapidated house
Chapter 922 Tsarist Russia is just a dilapidated house
Chapter 922 Tsarist Russia is a dilapidated house
In the distance, the Prussian airship bearing the iron cross had already turned its bow around.
Inside the command center of the flagship "Teutonic Eagle," the Grand Master of the Knights silently loosened his grip on the periscope.
The power Lothar displayed had shattered his preconceived notions. In an era where even major powers like the Blood Court and the Wolf Clan had to keep their distance from the great powers, there still existed an individual with the power to sway the course of a war.
Although reluctant, the commander had to admit that his arrogant older brother had once again made a good deal.
He let out a soft sigh of relief, then turned to the captain of the "Teutonic Eagle" behind him: "Order all ships to increase speed and prepare for battle. Our allies have done enough. Now, it's time for those Slavs to experience the Teutonic Knights' firearms!"
"Gentlemen, the outcome of this battle is related to the future of the Knights Order and even the entire German nation. If we win, Tsarist Russia will become a dilapidated house that is about to collapse, and we can easily kick it down with just one kick."
Inside the command post, numerous officers listened intently, their expressions solemn.
The Grand Commander forcibly suppressed his excitement and emphasized, "Some people may think I'm going to warn you all about what will happen if we fail—but we already have such a huge advantage, how could we possibly lose to those Slavs!"
"This battle must be won!"
All the officers saluted in unison and shouted, "Victory is certain!"
If the entire First Fleet of Tsarist Russia were to be annihilated today, the balance of air power between the two sides on the Eastern Front would be completely disrupted, and no one would be able to stop this "lightning offensive".
At that time, swallowing up the entire Polish region and a million Russian troops would be tantamount to securing victory on the Eastern Front in advance.
It's important to understand that, with the war having dragged on for three years, it's not just Germany that's experiencing widespread public discontent and rebellions.
All four major powers that participated in the war were in dire straits, but the worst off were Germany and Tsarist Russia, which lacked the financial support of vast overseas colonies.
Russia's industrial base was already the weakest among the four great powers. Furthermore, the large-scale conscription of farmers into the army led to a sharp drop in grain production, severely impacting both industry and agriculture.
The worse the economy was, the more money Tsarist Russia printed. In St. Petersburg, inflation caused the prices of necessities such as bread, sugar, and meat to increase more than tenfold.
This was still in the capital of Tsarist Russia. In the rural areas, many places had become no-man's land. All the peasants had been forcibly conscripted into the army to fill the front lines. The women and children left behind were simply unable to undertake the heavy labor, leaving the fields to lie fallow.
Since the start of the war, Tsarist Russia has conscripted a total of 15 million soldiers, all of whom are able-bodied young men.
The decline in rural grain production was bad enough, but in order to supply the front lines, Tsarist Russia also implemented a policy of forced grain requisition, which led to numerous small-scale peasant uprisings. In many places, peasants even burned down noble estates and divided up the land themselves.
The collected grain was also difficult to transport to the front lines because, although Russia had a large territory, its railway mileage ranked last among the four great powers, and was far inferior to Germany, which ranked third.
The shortage of transport capacity led to a lack of food and clothing for soldiers on the front lines. In order to prioritize the needs of the soldiers, the railway had to squeeze the food rations of urban residents, creating a vicious cycle.
In addition, there were frequent reports of corruption scandals involving Tsarist Russian officials and news of setbacks on the front lines.
In the eyes of the Grand Commander, this seemingly still majestic and powerful bear had undoubtedly reached its most vulnerable moment. If it could win another great victory, the Romanov dynasty's rule might collapse.
boom--
The Prussian ships turned, and their gun emplacements aimed at the enemy ships and began firing.
Compared to the high morale of the Knights' fleet, the First Fleet, which was still within the territory of Lothar's "palace," was in a state of utter despair.
The duration of the binding decree has expired.
However, the losses suffered by the First Fleet in this short period of time were incalculable.
Most of the older frigates have been destroyed, and the remaining newer ships have also suffered heavy damage.
That is to say, the ten capital ships can barely maintain half of their combat power. If they regroup, they can still put up a fight against the Prussian fleet.
But regardless of the fact that the dragon king was still lurking, the pride of these Boye nobles had been utterly crushed by such a devastating loss.
"Your Excellency Petrov, the armor of the Ivan the Terrible is severely damaged, many crew members have fainted from the heat and are no longer able to stand guard, and the Royal Spellcasters have exhausted their magic to protect the flagship. We can no longer continue this battle."
The adjutant's voice trembled. He couldn't even imagine how to deal with this dragon, let alone the Prussian fleet.
Petrov took a deep breath. He wasn't a stubborn, hot-headed fool. No matter how arrogant a person was, he couldn't continue to be arrogant in front of that dragon king.
"But gentlemen, even if we want to preserve the essence of the First Fleet, the enemy will not be willing to let us leave."
Frigates are a typical example of small boats carrying big guns. Because of their tonnage, and the need to reduce the thickness of their armor to improve maneuverability, it is better to focus all their efforts on firepower than to try to improve their defense.
This means that although frigates cannot withstand any naval gunfire from capital ships, their destructive power is real.
Without the protection of the escort ships, even if the dragons withdraw from the battlefield, their remaining nine capital ships will not be able to escape the pursuit of the Prussian escort ships.
He said in a somber tone, “Gentlemen, the time has come to serve His Majesty the Tsar. We have no way out.”
In the command center, the officers looked much more somber, but they quickly relaxed.
"Then let's fight them!"
"For the glory of the family, for the glory of the Knights of Boyer!"
boom--
The damaged giant ship, instead of fleeing in the face of the Prussian fleet's counterattack, accelerated to meet them.
Like a group of knights charging into battle with their lives on the line.
Petrov donned military attire and prepared for the ancient tactic of boarding maneuvers, a tactic usually reserved for capital ships.
On the opposite side, Prussian frigates signaled for the First Fleet to surrender.
Petrov couldn't help but burst into laughter upon seeing this:
"Gentlemen, our ancestors fought on this land and broke the shackles imposed on us by the Tatars!"
"Now, the Germans want to enslave us and make us bow down to them. I don't know what your answer is, but my answer is—we would rather die than submit! The Boyer nobles swear to never surrender!"
"I would rather die than surrender!"
Amidst the roars of the crowd, this First Fleet, which embodied the essence of the Russian nobility, thus embarked on its path to destruction.
The dragon on the side never intervened again, instead seeming to be enjoying a magnificent stage play.
Finally, he chuckled and said, "The elite of the nobility, the most loyal royalists of Romanov, are all dead. So, shouldn't the uprising that will capture the world's attention arrive as scheduled?"
The Red and Black Dragon King flapped its wings and disappeared into the sky in the blink of an eye.
The feeling of single-handedly influencing the course of a major battle is truly exhilarating.
(End of this chapter)