Chương 77: Chapter 77 Blue Waters
In the visible harbor, the most eye-catching was a sleek gray-and-white vessel.
In Lynn's impression, the surface vessels of various ranks in the German Navy had relatively similar outlines, which was both the preference of naval architects and a reflection of a nation's character. However, upon closer inspection, the one before his eyes belonged to an unfamiliar "variant": it lacked towering bridge structures and main gun turrets aligned along the central axis. The sparse small-caliber guns made the spacious deck appear particularly empty. The streamlined hull, with a pointed bow, wide midsection, and blunt aft, indicated that it was at least designed for high speed. Yet now, only the solitary black-and-white crossed naval ensign on the masthead fluttered in the wind.
This should be the fourth ship of the Admiral Hipper-class heavy cruisers - the "Seydlitz". Lynn stared at this German warship, which had once attempted to be converted into a light aircraft carrier. The arrogant ignorance of the Imperial Marshal was indeed infuriating, but to say that he alone destroyed the hopes of the German Navy's victory would overestimate his influence. It should be noted that during the heyday of the German Second Empire, Germany's economy and industry ranked and weighed heavily in the world, which the Third Reich could not compare to. With the full support of Kaiser Wilhelm II, the blue-water navy crafted by Tirpitz had already ranked second in the world in terms of quantity and tonnage by the outbreak of the war. Despite having admirals like Scheer and Hipper, the unprecedented scale of the Jutland Battle still exposed the obvious gap between the British and German navies.
Ships can be built in a short time, but a great navy cannot be built in just a few years or even decades. Its officers and sailors must possess inherited qualities, unparalleled confidence, and inviolable dignity. If Germany had won the First World War, there would have been a real hope for the rise of the German Navy. However, after the decline of the 1920s and 1930s, when it returned to the stage of war, it did so with reluctance and embarrassment. Even though there were occasionally stunning performances, it couldn't escape its inherent deficiencies to become the ultimate winner!
For Lynn, these discussions, born out of pure interest and hobby, had never been expected to require him to consider them firsthand someday. What saddened him even more was that it seemed he no longer had the time or space to unleash his talents and ambitions.
Beside the "Seydlitz," a much smaller vessel was moored to the dock. After taking a closer look, Lynn noticed that its deck was very close to the water, as if it were severely overloaded. However, judging from its twisted and deformed rear turret, it was obvious that battle wounds had caused it to be heavily submerged, and it seemed to have lost its normal sailing ability. Yet, there were still sailors on board the ship, with several individuals seemingly wiping the deck at the bow, and the few remaining cannons all aimed towards the azure sky.
A nation with an indomitable spirit, even if it falls into the depths of fate, is not beyond redemption.
The bloody battles at the front forged unimaginably strong bodies and iron wills. Following the "Night Warrior" in raids on enemy positions tempered courage and broadened minds. Escorting civilians along the way rekindled the courage and determination to survive. Standing on this small balcony overlooking the harbor, a vague panorama unfolded with time as its axis. With decades of "foresight," Lynn was confident in sketching his own world on this blueprint!
Hoo...
Amidst the short and loud blast of the steam whistle, a single-chimneyed steamer entered the harbor from the fairway. Its upper hull, deck, and superstructure were all painted white, while the lower hull was painted black, clearly distinguishing colors that were not for wartime purposes. In some pictures and movies about early ships, Lynn had seen such painting, seemingly to distinguish passenger liners from dedicated cargo ships, but he had no idea how they were specifically differentiated.
With the arrival of the steamer, those people on the dock who were originally sitting or squatting suddenly stood up. If it weren't for the soldiers maintaining order, they would probably rush to the edge of the dock without hesitation.
Thinking it best to find an opportunity to board the ship, Lynn now paid attention to the German military personnel in the dock area. Among these people, there were familiar "Army Gray" uniforms, as well as those wearing "Navy Blue" caps, and even some who looked like police or early SS in "black uniforms." Under their collective obstruction, the crowd waiting to board the ship was separated from the few docks extending into the harbor, and the incoming ship ultimately docked at the eastern pier. After the gangway was set up, the German soldiers on the dock did not immediately allow refugees and wounded soldiers to board, but waited for their comrades to unload crates of cargo from the ship onto trucks already waiting here - the cargo brought by this steamer was much less than imagined, enough to fit into four medium-sized trucks, and there were no tanks or anti-tank guns most needed at the front line.
When the last truck left the dock, the German soldiers blocking the crowd finally began to let people through. However, instead of allowing civilians and wounded soldiers to pass through in a swarm, they helped them line up in an orderly manner to board. Because it was a bit far away, Lynn couldn't be sure if the soldiers would prioritize boarding for the physically weak, those in poor condition, and those with families, but it was basically certain that they didn't check people's identification tags anymore. This also meant that as long as he mingled into the crowd waiting to board the dock area, there would be a chance to get on board when the ship arrived!
"Daddy, what are you looking at?" a light and pleasant child's voice came from behind.
Although he had just sorted out some clues, it would probably be difficult to find any flaws just by looking. Lynn simply turned back into the room. By now, Little Caprice had taken off her coat and climbed onto the bed. Although this bed was small and simple, at least there were clean and comfortable bedding.
"I'm not looking at anything!" Lynn replied absentmindedly.
"Daddy, come and sleep! Mommy, come up too!" Little Caprice waved her hand and smiled on the bed.
Lynn and the young woman looked at each other simultaneously, then turned their heads away in embarrassment, each looking elsewhere.
"Is there a ship coming into the harbor?" the man with the goatee asked while sitting on a chair.
"Yeah, just an ordinary steamer, probably able to take away several hundred people!" Lynn still spoke in a strange manner, mixing German with English words, but fortunately, the other two adults in the room could understand.
"We can try to stay in the room as much as possible during the wait, reduce movement, and save rations!" the man with the goatee suggested practically.
Lynn looked at the silent young woman, then at the clueless Little Caprice. He placed his belongings - except for firearms - against the wall, then said, "I'll go out and gather some information, and see if the military has any food supply!"
"Daddy, don't go!" Little Caprice immediately objected, her beautiful eyes inherited from her mother
showing deep concern.
Comforting children wasn't Lynn's forte, but he still gently said, "Caprice, be good and listen to mommy. I'll be back soon! I'll bring back something delicious!"
The little girl looked at Lynn expectantly, as if she could burst into tears at any moment.
At this moment, the young woman did not comfort her daughter, but opened her luggage and took out a small paper package from the inner pocket. After opening it, it revealed a silver ring, slightly dull in color, with a small flower-shaped pattern at the top.
"Or... bring this ring with you?"
Seeing the ring held in the palm of the young woman, Lynn smiled and shook his head. It wasn't because it was worthless, but because he wanted to pave the way for his family through his own efforts.
"I guess no one will want these few books of mine!"
The tone of the man with the goatee sounded somewhat self-deprecating. After saying that, he took a book and sat on the low sofa on the balcony.
In this situation, having the heart to read was something Lynn had to admire. Before leaving, he earnestly made an agreement with the mother and daughter: "I'll be back before dark. Don't go anywhere, just stay put!"
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