Fleet Admiral Reinhardt Eberbach is a man in his late 20's with fair features, red hair and blue eyes. He is, with Admiral Surugi, one of the youngest people to carry this rank. He is the man in command of the High Seas Fleet. His office is located in Wilhelmshaven, Germany's only deep waters port and largest naval base. The city still bears the scars of the conflict that opposed the Azur Lane and the Red Axis a few years ago.
The High Seas Fleet… This is one of the most controversial topics of this war… Well, aside from the conflict that opposed us to the Azur Lane, of course.
Why ?
[He chuckles]
Because the Fleet was never meant to be here in the first place.
So… How did they ended up here ?
[He pours me and himself a cup of coffee]
It's going to take a while, so make yourself comfortable.
The summoning of the High Seas Fleet is the consequence of the expansion of our navy. As you already know, the UN wasn't exactly pleased with our reverse engineering of Siren tech. So they gave us a choice : summoning Kansens or facing economical sanctions. We choose the first option. And soon, the Panzerschiffe Admiral Scheer was brought back to life. If I'm not mistaken, you already have treated her case. Yes ? Good. So after she departed for the US, we summoned more Kansens. Bismarck, Tirpitz, Scharhorst, Gneisenau, and more. Siren threat in the Northern and Baltic Seas was still considerable and the regular forces of the Marine were showing signs of combat exhaustion and their ships were in dire need of maintenance. Those girls relieved the pressure on them and lowered their dependence from other naval forces, notably the Royal Navy.
But here's the thing : the Kriegsmarine is overrated. In fact, many of their ships had lots of flaws. Prinz Eugen with her engine issues, the destroyers who were ready to join the submarine division at the first squall, the Twins being undergunned, … And then you have of course Bismarck whose popularity is because she sank HMS Hood with a lucky shot. Her last stand against an entire armada only added fuel for her already growing legend. Truth is, she was pretty much an enlarged Bayern with a few improvements here and there. But popular culture turned the Kriegsmarine into a relevant threat to larger naval forces like the US or Royal Navy and now, the average people thinks Bismarck could have go toe to toes with an Iowa. In reality, Surface Fleet would have been wiped the moment they would try a frontal confrontation. Raeder and Dönitz knew this and that's why they redirected most of the production to submarines when the war started.
Now, don't get me wrong, our girls were competent but they were too few against Kansens from other navies and the Siren fleets. So we decided two things ; the first was to give them a retrofit with Siren tech, resulting in those charming shark mouths on their riggings and a significant increased firepower. The second was to put into action Plan Z. What was that plan ? It was Erich Raeder's idea to rebuild a capable Marine. A High Seas Fleet 2.0 if you prefer.
[He marks a short pause and takes a sip]
Plan Z is one of the things that gives fiction writers – and Wehraboos – a massive hard-on. And I understand that. It contributes to the myth of the infamous Wunderwaffen and is a major element in every alternate history scenario where Nazi Germany wins the war. However, even if we had the exact number of ships planned and their designs, they were still mere drawings. And thus, the summoning process wouldn't work. So we had to cheat a bit. We knew that one of the ships – H-39 – was supposed to be named Friedrich der Große, so to fool the system, we used the SMS Friedrich der Große's bell as artifact as well as the drydock intended to build her : Elbe 17. It worked.
Friedrich der Große proved to be a major asset for the Marine. As an H-class battleship, she had a firepower beyond any capital ship deployed and could absorb a ridiculous amount of punishment. I was a simple Frigatekapitan when I saw her shrugging off like it was nothing an anti-ship missile – the same type of missile that would have sent Bismarck at the hospital for weeks. This came as a price, however. Oil. Her consumption was the highest, which meant she couldn't sortie like the rest of our units. This raised several protest in the government and so we decided to look for smaller units until that consumption issue was solved.
And this is where the High Seas Fleet comes into play. Like I said, they were never meant to come back. So how did they returned to life ? Well, we have to thank the Brits for that.
The British ?
Yep. FdG's summoning had them worried. The Bundeswehr was already hopped on Siren tech and now this ? From their point of view, it was understandable. So, in response to our Plan Z, the Royal Navy started to explore their own unused designs, notably those from the interwar period. They successfully summoned HMS Monarch – a King George V prototype – and an N3 type battleship : HMS Devastation. The French themselves started to explore their own paper ships and summoned the heavy cruiser Saint Louis. But that wasn't enough. With the Sirens bolstering their battleship fleets in the Northern Sea, Britain needed a large and strong battleline. They decided to summon the Grand Fleet. The largest line of battleships ever assembled : HMS King George V, Ajax, Centurion, Erin, Orion, Monarch, Conqueror, Thunderer, Iron Duke, Royal Oak, Superb, Canada, Benbow, Bellerophon, Temeraire, Vanguard, Colossus, Collingswood, Neptune, St Vincent, Malborough, Revenge, Hercules, Agincourt, Barham, Valiant, Malaya and of course the Grand Old Lady herself Warspite. A literal show of force that would demonstrate the uselessness of the Plan Z as it was solely based on the fact that Britain wouldn't build any ships. Three members of the Grand Fleet were already present : HMS Valiant, HMS Iron Duke HMS Warspite as they served in WW2.
To summon the 29 others, the British extended their summoning facility in Spithead. As soon as the Grand Fleet would be brought back, they would be refitted with oil fired boilers, radars and modern AA suite. Supply lines were planned prior to the ritual. Entire parts of the road network along with transport ships, floating drydocks and hundreds of personnel were requisitioned to carry and install as fast as possible the new equipments. It was a pharaonic task. Everything seemed to be in order when the ritual started. But fate had a twisted sense of humor.
So... How did the Hochseeflotte answered the call to arms ?
We don't know. The Brits thoroughly examined the artifacts used to summon them. There was expertise, counter expertise, counter counter expertise. The artifacts were undoubtedly British. So why did the High Seas Fleet was summoned ? Like I said we don't know. The best theory is that the Sirens messed up with the summoning process – you know how they love stirring shit up between allies. In any case, the Royal Navy ended up with it's WW1 nemesis, and oh boy they weren't pleased.
What happened next ?
Well, they were promptly interned in Scapa Flow.
And what was Germany's answer ?
Officially, we wanted our girls back. Unofficially, we didn't. Why ? Because we simply didn't had the dock capabilities. We were already struggling to house all of the Kriegsmarine ladies. FdG's summoning meant that if we were to summon another H-class, we had to build another Elbe 17. Now imagine if the High Seas Fleet was tossed into the mix. Almost two dozens of battleships, six battlecruisers, dozens of cruisers and destroyers A swarm of warships. It would take time to expand our dock capabilities.
[He takes another sip. The mug is now empty.]
The Fleet's situation was uncertain, at least for the first few weeks. Since the Royal Navy didn't wanted them, they were now under the Azur Lane's jurisdiction. However, with the lack of a CO, they were going nowhere. And so the Fleet spend their first weeks idling in the bay.
How did you became the Fleet's Admiral ?
[He chuckles]
Here comes the interesting part. I was just Captain back then, but the Fleet needed a CO. I'd say they chose me because of my capabilities but in fact, I was the only guy they could spare. Fine by me. My great grandfather was a stoker on Derfflinger so I was quite thrilled get to meet those ladies in the flesh. Note that they still chose me because I had experience with Kansens in the past. That criteria was mandatory. They weren't going to choose a guy who got to be in charge because he wrote in for a competition or won his job in a cereal packet. Unlike the British.
[He pours himself another cup.]
May Ivy, Mary, Indefatigable and their crews rest in peace. There was something wrong with their bloody admiral that day.
Anyway, I was shipped to England via plane and flown to the naval base. That's where I was welcomed by Derfflinger.
The second subject of my interview was SMS Derfflinger, of the High Seas Fleet's 1st Scouting Group.
Derfflinger is a woman of high stature with crimson red hair and yellow eyes. She is dressed in a dark gray-blue uniform combined with medieval armor worn on her right arm. A large scar adorns her left cheek.
It was a cloudy day when I met Eberbach. We had heard a few days ago had been assigned a CO and he was en route. I volunteered to greet him. The base's atmosphere and the constant infighting amongst the Fleet were getting on my nerves.
[Her expression turns into a scowl]
Scapa Flow. Nothing but bad memories of this damned place. If you are an ally of Britain, it's a great place. A natural harbor protected with shallow waters and sand banks. The perfect place to shelter your ships. But if you are an enemy, it's a complete shithole. When the Allies interned us, they forbid our crews to go on shore or even travel between ships. Morale was low and there was barely any distraction available. Fishing was pretty much the only thing they could do. Food was of poor quality, no mail from home and no dentist. Add a few political offenders into the mix for extra laughs. Admiral Ludwig von Reuter and his officers were consterned at how miserable we looked. A complete far cry of the fleet that used to be a threat to the British coasts. We were basically a floating POW camp. To this day, the way they treated our men still makes my blood boil.
At least the Tommies were kind enough to refit us with the radar and boilers they had prepared for the Grand Fleet when they brought us back. "Can't kill you still need you", but after that "Your problem, not mine." And without CO, we weren't going anywhere. And day after day after day after day, we remained stuck in this damned bay. And soon, old grudges from the mutiny of Kiel came back. Between Kaiser and Baden butting heads almost everyday and the exercises with other fleets where were ridiculing ourselves, it was depressing. Fuck, those girls from Battleship Row even called us the Unterseeflotte.
I choose to greet him because I needed a breath of fresh air and because I wouldn't have to keep an eye on Hindenburg. Despite being after named after a military genius, she couldn't never adapt to the situation was always sunk during an exercise. Can't really blame her. She had no combat experience prior to her second life. The fault lies on me because I was being too reckless. But go say that to a battlenut like me who was itching for action after being stuck in harbour for weeks.
What was your first impression ?
[She chuckles]
Good looking. I'd probably take him for a night or two. I always had a thing for redheads.
Err… I mean…
I jest.
[She sighs]
Never judge a book by it's cover. Sure he was good looking, but it didn't mean he was competent. He could have been Wilhelm II's great great grandson I wouldn't have given a single shit.
"Reinhardt Eberbach."
"Derfflinger. I was struck by the waves of deserters during the mutiny of Kiel. I hope you're not like those cowards."
Weren't you a little harsh with your words ?
I sounded harsh on purpose. I wanted to take the measure of him. You see, I was amongst those who wanted another showdown with the Royal Navy. It would have been a death ride and I knew it. But a death in combat was far more preferable than rotting for one year far from home and offing myself in the end. Unfortunately, 300 cowards decided to bail on me. You know what happened next.
And what did he answer you ?
"Eight years of Deutsche Marine experience at your service, Iron Dog." he told me, a visible scowl on his face.
We took a small motor boat so I could give a tour of the base. I saw him looking with ecstasy at the ships. I understand him. Most of the people only saw us via postcards, images on the web or movies. New Jersey, Lexington, Saratoga, … They all draw crowds wherever they show up. We landed on a pontoon, time to visit the land facilities. Thüringen was waiting for us.
Thüringen… She's a breath of fresh air amongst the mutineers. She doesn't stinks like them. I don't like her and it's reciprocal, but we respect each other. Escaping the crucible that was Jutland unscathed isn't given to everyone. That scar on my cheek – and the many others hidden beneath my clothes – is a testimony of the violence of this battle. Or just look at Seydlitz. She's the one who suffered the most.
I could tell he already had experience with Kansens before as he identified by the look the various buildings before I could even point them. I still made him visit the place nonetheless. The dorm, the mess, the training and PT facilities, and his office. They all had originally been prepared for the Grand Fleet but were occupied by us. Compared to our first internment, the living conditions had drastically improved. Food of quality, possibility to go on land, ships maintained by Bullins and human personnel… But Scapa Flow is still Scapa Flow and, like I said, with the lack of a CO, old grudges from the mutiny of Kiel made their return. That's where we met Kaiser. She had been occupying the office ever since we had been transferred here. Since it was supposed to be a conversation between the two of them, Thüringen and I left the room, but we decided to eavesdrop. We were curious to see how he would hold his own against the Emperor of the Seas.
"So you're the Admiral ?"
"Captain."
"They sent a Captain to take care of a fleet ?"
"I was the only officer with Kansen experience they could spare."
"Whatever. Take care of the paperwork and that'll be all."
"Correction. I am your commanding officer. So you will refer to me as 'Sir' or 'Captain'. Got it ?
"Watch your tongue, commoner."
"I come from a long line of sailors. My great grandfaher was a stoker on this Fleet. My grandfather served in the Kriegsmarine, then the Bundesmarine. My father was in the Deutsche Marine before the Sirens took him. My family have been in service of this country far longer than you."
There was a short silence before Kaiser replied :
"You have character, I'll give you that. Very well, I'll be the judge of your capabilities and see if you deserve to command the Fleet. In any case, do not disappoint me."
I exchanged a look with Thüringen. We were thinking the same thing : he had potential.