The Rise Of Australasia
Chapter 559: Chapter 438: Battle of the Somme River

On the afternoon of May 20, 1916, in Sydney, Australasia.

Director Batty of the Royal Security Intelligence handed Arthur a top-secret file and respectfully said, "Your Majesty, this is the latest result of the British-German naval battle. Please take a look."

Director Batty did not explain the outcome of the Anglo-German naval battle, as no one could understand the full picture before Arthur opened such a top-secret file.

Arthur took the file and began to read through it.

The file from Director Batty was the actual outcome of the investigation by the Royal Security Intelligence Agency, which was significantly different from the publicly announced results by both Britain and Germany.

If the investigation by the Royal Security Intelligence Agency is correct, it seems that both sides have exaggerated their achievements.

Indeed, governments usually only report good news to the public to maintain domestic stability and order.

Both the defeated and the victorious side will try to exaggerate their achievements as much as possible to maintain domestic stability and prevent panic among the people.

Before this, the British Empire proudly claimed that in the naval battle three days ago, the Royal Navy had sunk a total of six major German warships, including four dreadnoughts and two super dreadnoughts.

In addition, they also claimed to have sunk four German pre-dreadnought battleships, three battlecruisers, eleven light cruisers, ten destroyers, and two submarines (a total tonnage of over 400,000 tons).

They also stated to have damaged more than eight German dreadnoughts, two battlecruisers, and several other medium and small warships.

If such results were true, the German High Seas Fleet would be severely weakened, incapable of resistance for a long time.

On the other hand, Germany also claimed to have sunk seven major British warships, including five dreadnoughts and two super dreadnoughts, as well as four pre-dreadnought battleships, three battlecruisers, eleven light cruisers, seven destroyers, and about ten torpedo boats, with a total tonnage of nearly 500,000 tons.

In addition, they claimed to have seriously damaged twelve British dreadnoughts and several battlecruisers.

According to the German wartime report, they managed to grievously hurt the Royal Navy. If this report were accurate, Germany would have had a significant advantage in the naval battle.

Is that really the case? According to the investigation by the Royal Security Intelligence Agency, although the naval battle indeed saw the Germans gaining an advantage, the overall naval superiority still remained with the British after the battle.

As per the Royal Navy's report, the Germans managed to sink three pre-dreadnought battleships, one dreadnought, two battlecruisers, six destroyers, four light cruisers, two torpedo boats, and two submarines.

The High Seas Fleet, on the other hand, had one battlecruiser, two pre-dreadnought battleships, one dreadnought, four light cruisers, three destroyers, and five torpedo boats, as well as two submarines sunk.

Considering pre-dreadnought battleships, the British had six major warships sunk, and the Germans had four major warships sunk.

However, since a significant portion of these ships were pre-dreadnought battleships, these naval battle results were acceptable for both parties, as neither side suffered crippling losses.

Although some dreadnoughts were lost, both sides' super dreadnoughts remained unscathed, which could be considered fortunate in the misfortune.

Despite small losses in terms of warships, the casualties among both parties' navy soldiers were not insignificant.

The participating Royal Navy soldiers totaled 66,000, with more than 8,700 casualties, accounting for one-seventh of the total strength.

The Germans did not lag far behind, with a total of 51,000 naval soldiers and over 7,600 casualties, surpassing a seventh of their total forces.

Compared to relatively easily trained army soldiers, the casualties of navy and air force personnel were the most distressing.

An excellent navy soldier, in particular, requires one to two years of training on a warship to operate various instruments while also gaining battle experience before they can become an effective fighting force.

Both sides rushed into the naval battle and, due to the threat of enemy warships and submarines, a considerable number of soldiers who fell into the water did not receive rescue, which contributed to the heavy casualties.

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It's important to note that when a warship sinks, it creates a powerful whirlpool on the sea surface.

If a fallen navy soldier cannot swim out of the whirlpool quickly, they will be sucked into the whirlpool and forever buried at the bottom of the sea.

If it weren't for the tacit agreement between the two sides to send rescue ships after the naval battle, each party's soldier casualties would have likely increased by at least another thousand.

Although World War I saw the use of various taboo weapons, there were still some bottom lines between the nations at times.

Whether on the France-Germany frontline or the German-Russian frontline, many soldiers could be seen celebrating Christmas together with the enemy.

Each side also had a certain tacit understanding, at least not to attack medical personnel, making it easier for themselves and the other party to collect the bodies of their fallen comrades.

For Arthur, such a naval battle outcome was entirely acceptable. The Germans achieved a victory in terms of battle results, which could stabilize German morale in the short term and allow them to continue investing in the war.

On the other hand, the British achieved strategic victory despite losing the battle. Although both sides suffered comparable losses, the British Empire's naval advantage over Germany became even more apparent.