There Is No Schlieffen in the German Empire

16 – Battle of the Baltic Sea (1)

The current situation, where Britain did not participate, clearly created a ‘strategic’ advantage for Germany. The absence of Britain allowed the navy to gain a significant advantage over the army.

It seemed that with this advantage, something could be achieved.

Nevertheless, reports had been received that the navy had independently prepared operations.

I decided to listen to the plans they had established while having lunch with the naval commanders.

At the lunch table were Admiral Alfred Peter Friedrich von Tirpitz, born in 1849 and the commander of the navy, Admiral Gustav Heinrich Ernst Friedrich von Ingenohl, born in 1857 and the commander of the ocean fleet, and Admiral Hugo von Pohl, born in 1855 and the Chief of Naval Staff.

The admirals expressed their gratitude for the Kaiser’s full support and interest in the navy.

“If Your Majesty had not taken an interest, there would be no navy today.”

That was true. The fool had squeezed more than a thousand tons of gold into the fleet.

But since it wasn’t me, I gave a suitable response.

As it wasn’t a formal occasion, the naval high command jokingly voiced their complaints rather than actual complaints.

They expressed their disappointment with the order prohibiting operations in the English Channel to avoid provoking Britain.

These fools have gone mad.

At least the admirals understood that if Britain became an enemy, the German navy would become a “prisoner.”

The conversation flowed more smoothly than the army’s tankers, who couldn’t even tolerate a change in the timetable due to the fusion of the brain and the railway.

In a situation where the atmosphere had become lively with short jokes, Admiral Ingonol, the commander of the naval fleet, shared the operation planned by the Navy.

I was taken aback by the story.

“Cross the Baltic Sea and strangle Russia in one go?”

Isn’t this the sound of the Navy becoming the main force in the war?

The Navy had come up with a plan to annihilate the Baltic Fleet and threaten Russia’s capital, St. Petersburg.

From what I heard, these ship captains seemed to want to present a defeat that would bring Russia to its knees, offering themselves as the “main force” in a time when a “surefire” strategy like the Schlieffen Plan had disappeared.

It was clearly an operation that did everything except landing, just like the Operation Albion.

But wasn’t Operation Albion carried out in 1917?

So I asked.

“Is that something within our capabilities?”

It wasn’t a question asked out of concern for our capabilities. Germany is currently the second-largest naval power in the world, second only to Britain, and has no equal in terms of enemies.

However, having the capability and successfully executing an operation were two different things. It was necessary to consider what happened to the combined naval fleet of Britain, which had the world’s strongest naval power, and France on the eve of the Gallipoli landing operation. At that time, the combined fleet lost five battleships in the first attack and had to retreat in disgrace.

“It’s not like the defenses of the Riga Bay, which protect the Baltic Fleet, are weak either.”

The islands of Riga Bay have long been heavily fortified, with powerful fortresses.

“Your Majesty, the power of our naval fleet surpasses that of France and Russia combined. And if it’s just Russia alone, resisting our attack is impossible.”

Admiral Paul expressed his confidence.

The absence of the powerful British Navy seemed to have ignited the aggressiveness of the German admirals.

It’s not entirely wrong to say that, but you know, the world is full of “what ifs,” right?

If winning is guaranteed by having the upper hand in power, there would be no need for war.

I was wary of the arrogance of the admirals.

As a close example, there was a case where the overwhelmingly powerful Italian Navy was defeated by the Austrian Navy during the war.

Italy, with its armored ships and superior artillery, was defeated due to Austria’s excellent command and effective defense. There was no lack of talent like that in Russia.

“The Russians will never fight outside of the naval bases where battleships and coastal artillery support are possible. But if they do respond to our challenge, it will be an opportunity for us to annihilate the enemy.”

To my ears, it sounded like a similar claim to when Hermann Göring confidently proclaimed that if he could lure more British aircraft into the air during the Battle of Britain, he could destroy the British Air Force early on.

Of course, it was not an unfounded claim, as the German Navy had superiority over Göring’s air force in terms of technology, equipment, and skill.

“If we succeed, we might even be able to bring Russia to the negotiating table, Your Majesty.”

It was like the story of the Russo-Japanese War, where Japan forced negotiations by destroying the Baltic Fleet.

But then again, the opponent was Russia, so it wasn’t without credibility.

Anyway, if the Navy launched an offensive in the Baltic Sea, St. Petersburg itself would be directly threatened.

If that happened, the Russian Empire would have to allocate significant resources to defend the Baltic coast, and the army would be less burdened as a result.

“Listening to the admirals’ explanations, it doesn’t seem like a bad idea.”

I sent a positive signal to the Navy’s plan. Although it was not without its flaws, it would be a waste to undermine the naval superiority. It was advantageous to make the most of the strengths that could be utilized before Britain intervened.

*

Sarema Island, located in the western part of the Russian Empire, Estonia

Sarema Island, located in the central part of the Baltic Sea, was a strategic point for the defense of Riga Bay.

Since Riga, a crucial railway junction and the demand center of the Baltic Fleet, was located in Riga Bay, the value of Sarema Island was not to be underestimated.

The Russian army was well aware of its importance and paid considerable attention to the defense of the island.

Mines were laid in the Sorve Strait to the south of the island, and the Tentsert and Ninaast fortresses protected the vulnerable landing areas without any gaps.

The nearby coast was guarded by small naval vessels such as patrol boats and torpedo boats, and the land was guarded by three infantry divisions.

In addition, forts like Tacoma and Jelgava had completely sealed off the narrow straits that led to the Gulf of Riga.

Although the forts were old and worn, they were equipped with coastal artillery of undeniable power.

With four 305mm guns, five 250mm guns, eight 152mm guns, eight 150mm guns, and four 120mm guns, the German fleet, excluding battleships, was of a size that could easily be repelled.

Furthermore, inside the Gulf of Riga, the traps of the Baltic Fleet were dropping anchor.

Objectively speaking, the defense of Saremaa Island was sufficiently strong. There were only a few single strongholds in the entire Russian Empire that could rival it.

Germany was well aware of this fact.

However, they still sent a strange group that couldn’t even be called a “fleet” to provoke the Russians.

The fleet, mainly consisting of wooden ships and torpedo boats, always loitered near the minefields, making it quite difficult for the battleships that docked in the Gulf of Riga to engage them.

If by some chance this was a ploy to lure the Russian fleet out of the safe minefields, it could result in significant losses.

“Send out the torpedo boats without hesitation, even if they are lost.”

The Russian Navy dispatched three torpedo boats and two accompanying ships to protect the minefields.

“The Germans have launched their battleships!”

However, behind the small fleet that Germany deployed, a squadron of battleships stood resolute, providing firepower support. The Russian forces fought bravely, but it was difficult to overcome the overwhelming firepower.

“Turn the ship around!”

The Russians had no choice but to retreat, losing one torpedo boat and one accompanying ship. To drive out the German fleet, they needed to send out large warships in large numbers.

“We need to send a response force immediately!”

“But when will the engines be warmed up?”

The battleships took time to deploy and were too slow. While the cruisers were suitable for engaging with Germany, there was a problem that they would become easy prey once German battleships appeared.

“There is no other choice.”

The Russians decided to temporarily abandon the protection of the minefields until the situation became clear. Considering the current situation without British involvement, there was no other option.

As information came in that the German Navy, which had been stationed in Wilhelmshaven, was relocating its base to a port like Königsberg in the Baltic Sea, it was only natural that their previous aggressive attitude had to be discarded.

Kwaaang!

The detonation of a mine reverberated as it was triggered by the net of a trawler circling the minefield. The light of the searchlights sweeping the coast bore witness to this entire process.

Vasily Aleksandrovich Kanyin, the commander responsible for the defense of the Baltic Sea coastal zone, took this situation seriously.

“How can they just stand by and watch that!”

That’s why he had no intention of simply watching the German forces drill holes in the defense line he was building.

Every day, minesweeper ships carrying mines would go out to the sea and clear the mines again at night by the German forces.

This monotonous battle inevitably consumed a tremendous amount of resources. And the disadvantaged side in this battle was undoubtedly Russia.

If Russia were an industrialized country like Germany or Britain, it might be different, but from their perspective, even the loss of a single mine was hard to ignore.

With hundreds of mines exploding every day, Kanyin’s patience was wearing thin.

“Should I ask the admirals to float battleships to the south of Saaremaa Island? No, it would be difficult for the fleet to accommodate them.”

Although the southern part of Saaremaa Island was within the Riga Gulf, a battleship could shell the minefield. If there was artillery support from the battleships, it could disrupt the German operations.

The problem was that there was no guarantee of artillery fire.

Strictly speaking, the main gun of a battleship was a consumable item with a limited lifespan. After firing about 300 shells, the gun barrel had to be replaced.

The cost of a battleship was astronomical, so the cost involved was astronomical as well.

However, if he were to ask for the loan of a main gun just to deal with small boats buzzing around the minefield, the admirals would not take it kindly.

“This is driving me crazy.”

It was a regrettable fact that the minefield was believed to be more important than a battleship, but there was no way to persuade the admirals.

“Your Excellency, it’s about time. Shall I request the deployment of a battleship?”

A staff member asked cautiously.

Unlike the hesitant admirals, the aggressive battleship captains were always prepared to set sail at a moment’s notice.

Even though they knew there would be no orders, they would still start up the boilers and preheat them as soon as the tide came in.

“The admirals won’t agree.”

Kanin lowered the binoculars in his hand, tasting bitterness.

When the German army cleared the mines through preliminary work, even the Baltic Fleet Command was in a dilemma.

“There’s no doubt that the Germans are considering a landing.”

For several days, they had closely observed the scene, on high alert, but there was no movement from the German army.

The torpedo boats sent to East Prussia also reported that the Germans were not showing any special activity.

“Your Excellency, the Germans are well aware that Riga is the strongest fortress in the world. The past few days were a ploy to divert our attention.”

“What do the Germans gain from that?”

“Aren’t we on edge? Just by maintaining our readiness for deployment, we are experiencing potential losses in operational capability.”

“By threatening our fleet, they reduce their chances of movement?”

“That would be the most reasonable conclusion for the Germans. Shouldn’t they also consider the British?”

For the Germans to attempt a landing, they would have to mobilize the full power of their battleships, which was a burden for them as well.

The admirals also thought there was some logic to that.

“It’s not an entirely false story. In a situation where Germany might fight with Britain at any time, they wouldn’t want to drastically reduce the lifespan of their gun barrels.”

“Above all, the soldiers are too exhausted.”

The Baltic Fleet decided to temporarily lower the state of alert.

Even so, the soldiers who were already tired of being on high alert were skeptical of the decision from their superiors.

“Now we can finally rest a bit.”

“Even those in high positions should understand our suffering, so that they don’t make us go through such hardships.”

“I’m telling you, it’s true. The Germans who never even come close are causing such a fuss.”

But it was the most dangerous moment when they let their guard down.

On the day that Russia believed such a thing would never happen, a large-scale German fleet set sail from Wilhelmshaven. It was a scale that Russia could never have imagined.

A main fleet consisting of four squadrons and 28 battleships, and an auxiliary fleet consisting of 89 support ships, crossed the Baltic Sea.

Their target was the port of Riga, where the Baltic Fleet had dropped anchor.

* * *

1) Operation carried out by the German Imperial Navy in 1917 to threaten Saint Petersburg. At the time, the German Navy mobilized a large fleet and naval landing forces to subjugate the islands of western Estonia, resulting in the capture of over 20,000 prisoners.

2) Coastal defense battleships are warships designed for coastal defense, characterized by reinforced armor and main guns at or above a certain caliber at the expense of cruising range. Germany also had a significant number of coastal defense battleships.