making this turn. He did not know that Lütjens had nothing to do with the decision, and that Adler had decided to look for the Tirpitz.
That ship, along with Scharnhorst, had fought another inconclusive running duel with the two British battlecruisers that took them well away from Hindenburg’s action, eventually forcing them to break off. Topp had then turned, thinking he might again eventually find the Rodney, but soon seeing that his squadron was now well south of her last reported position. He sent a message to the Hindenburg advising him of his status, and Adler had a good long while to think things over. He decided to rendezvous with Topp, call in Prinz Eugen and the destroyer Thor from their rescue mission near the sinking Graff Zeppelin, and then proceed to the Bay of Biscay. The loss of most of his air cover, and the report that British planes had been spotted by the few fighters he had aloft from the Goeben, both weighed heavily in his decision.
Adler was now looking to get closer to land based air power, and the safety of ports on the French coast. In doing so, he would also be keeping well east of the remaining British battleships, for after his engagement, he did not now relish the thought of four more British heavyweights coming on the scene if he lingered here.
Tovey waited, thinking to shadow his enemy now until the remaining battleships under Patterson and Holland could join him. He soon received a message from the Argos Fire that gave him the exact positions of all the German ships, and he was able to quickly see what they were now doing.
“By Jove, I think we’ve beaten them, Villers,” he said with a smile as he leaned over the plotting table. “From the look of these course tracks, I would say they are running for France now.”
“Apparently so sir,” said Villers. “Will we give chase?”
Tovey thought for a minute. The gladiators had met, and fought the good fight in the center of the ring. Both would survive to fight another day, though both had wounds to heal.
“Patterson and Holland have been at sea a good long while.” He said. “A pity those ships don’t have longer legs. They’ll be needing fuel soon, and chasing the Germans into the Bay of Biscay would also neutralize our current advantage with air cover. No. I think if we can get in a few licks with the carriers, all the better, but otherwise the fleet will be needing fuel to continue operations. We’d do better to consolidate and head for our base in the Azores. Then we stand our watch again, and see if Lütjens wants any further argument with the Royal Navy.
“Oh… There’s one more thing sir,” said Villers. “That cruiser we detached reports Rodney is sinking. A good number of the crew will be rescued, as Britannic is standing by.”
“Any word on the Russians?”
“Nothing sir. It’s as if they just vanished.”
“They may have done exactly that,” said Tovey, though he did not elaborate. “Very well. We’ll maneuver north to cover Britannic now. Renown took a couple hard knocks in that fight and will have to be sent home, but Repulse is still fit for escort duty.”
“That will leave the Germans a clean route to France down here sir,” said Villers.
“It can’t be helped,” said Tovey. “We held our own here, but we can’t take on the entire German battlegroup alone. Even with the two battlecruisers we would be outgunned 33 to 21, and we both know they haven’t the armor to stand with the German battleships. Any report from Argos Fire?”
“They’re standing with Rodney,” said Villers.
“Good enough. My regards to Mister Connors and the lads at the guns. Well fought. I’m off to the radio room.”
Part IV
Interlopers
“The soul is no traveler; the wise man stays at home, and when his necessities, his duties, on any occasion call him from his house , or into foreign lands… he visits men like a sovereign and not like an interloper or a valet.”
― Ralph Waldo Emerson
Chapter 10
Invincible turned north, and an hour later they came on the scene of the first engagement of that fateful day. Rodney was down deeply at the bow, ready to go under any moment. Britannic was standing by, watched closely by the Argos Fire, and the sea all around them was littered with small boats, and anything else that would float to provide the crew of Rodney a momentary safe haven. Around it all,