The Eastern Expedition Fleet (East Express), protected by the Monsun Gruppe, departed Germany and consisted of a total of eight cargo ships. The ships were as young as possible and each was loaded with various items, including weapons, ammunition, and others. However, these eight vessels alone were not enough to transport all the supplies China had purchased. In particular, for the heavy Panzer IV tanks weighing nearly 60 tons, the number of cargo ships capable of carrying them, even when disassembled for weight reduction, was limited. Moreover, transporting fighter aircraft, which took up a lot of space, was not an easy task. It was estimated that at least three trips would be necessary considering the capacity of the eight ships. Germany planned to gain experience from this voyage and apply it to the next one.
For this reason, experienced civilian ship captains with extensive long-distance navigation experience were recruited as advisors to the fleet headquarters. Additionally, despite reducing the quantity of supplies, a large number of maintenance parts for each ship were prepared. As a land-oriented nation, Germany was well aware of its lack of experience in oceanic navigation. Therefore, meticulous preparations were made for the voyage.
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United States
Due to Germany's delayed preparations, the United States' Task Force 21 had ample time for thorough training. In particular, conducting joint operations and training exercises with the French fleet was significant. Furthermore, they engaged in joint training exercises with the Japanese TF-391, which had made a port call in Britain, and the British Home Fleet, fostering goodwill and deepening cooperation.
They conducted rescue drills, navigation exercises, and even air defense training. During these exercises, Japan showcased its ship-launched anti-ship attack unit, the QA-1 (Ghost) attack drone, *1 which made its debut.
During the series of goodwill training exercises, the skillful presentation by the United States captured a photograph depicting the two battleships, Musashi and HMS Hood, along with TF 21's battleship Dunkerque, guarding the aircraft carrier USS Ranger as they sailed through the North Sea. This photograph was widely circulated by the media, causing a great stir worldwide. The caption accompanying the photograph in Britain read, "Guardians of the Maritime Order (Leviathan)."
Germany vociferously denounced it as an assertion of maritime dominance by G4, which disrupts international harmonious relations.
The Soviet Union intensified its efforts in battleship construction.
Amidst various ripples caused by these events, TF 21 continued its preparations for the voyage.
. . .
Germany
Germany felt a strong sense of crisis and pressure from the United States, which was broadcasting its progress and training to the world through the media. As a result, Germany decided to put the Monsun Gruppe's training aside and prioritize the loading of supplies onto the Eastern Expedition Fleet and immediately set sail, without holding formation ceremonies or departure ceremonies. Instead, the fleet's ships quietly left the harbor one by one, choosing separate routes under the cover of darkness.
In order to shake off the pursuing American forces, Germany planned to use the Monsun Gruppe as a decoy while allowing the fleet to navigate independently from the Baltic Sea to the North Sea. The planned rendezvous point was set to be the Azores Islands.
However, before the fleet could escape the North Sea, as the dawn broke, contact with the American naval aircraft began. The cruiser, destroyers, and the battleship were tracking their movements. Realizing that their movements had been detected, the commander of the Monsun Gruppe ordered all ships to regroup once they completed their deceptive routes. It was deemed that dispersing further would increase the risk of individual ships being targeted and destroyed. They regrouped near the Shetland Islands and boldly formed the fleet, commencing their southward journey. The voyage to reach China would begin with trials and tribulations from the very start.
However, although the American TF 21 maintained continuous aircraft contact, they did not attempt to bring their battleship or cruiser closer. The squadron commander found some relief in this fact, but at the same time, it caused him to constantly fret over when the contact would occur.
The Monsun Gruppe only had seaplanes at their disposal to counter the attacking aircraft, making it difficult to fend them off, let alone retaliate. In the ship's log, the squadron commander strongly emphasized the need to incorporate an aircraft carrier into the squadron/fleet to gain air superiority in the future.
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Portuguese Mozambique
The Eastern Expedition Fleet, continuing its voyage with frayed nerves, successfully reached Portuguese Mozambique without losing any ships. However, at the same time, it was only up to this point that the fleet remained intact.
Various malfunctions began to occur on each ship, starting with the diesel engine of the armored ship Admiral Graf Spee. Furthermore, the destroyers have severely fatigued crew members. They had embarked on this grand voyage with equipment and training that were not designed for long-distance navigation. It was only natural for them to be worn out. Ideally, they needed over a week for repairs, resupply, and rest.
However, due to political reasons, they couldn't afford to acknowledge that. The urgent request for the fleet's arrival from China had reached Germany with a strong message that further delays were unacceptable. Given that the funds they received from China played a significant role in Germany's budget, even for Germany, known for going its own way, they couldn't ignore the wishes of their customers. As a result, the squadron commander made a difficult decision.
They decided to separate the armored ship Admiral Graf Spee and two destroyers from the Monsun Gruppe. Regarding the transport ships of the fleet, as they didn't have significant wear and tear or malfunctions that required them to be anchored, they decided to set sail immediately after resupply.
. . .
Eastern Expedition
Although the Eastern Expedition Fleet was able to replenish its fresh water, fuel, and provisions, they couldn't afford to take sufficient rest, and their cruising speed had decreased. Nevertheless, they were unwavering in their pursuit of China. They would cross the Indian Ocean, go around the Greater Sunda Islands from the south, pass through the Makassar Strait, and enter the Pacific Ocean.
The chosen route, which was not the shortest route to China, was intended to avoid the maritime areas under the strong influence of Britain and the United States.
The lack of fresh water and the depletion of perishable food plagued the Eastern Expedition Fleet.
A considerable number of crew members and sailors fell ill.
Nevertheless, the Eastern Expedition Fleet continued its journey toward China without flinching.
. . .
Task Force 21
TF 21, with ample supplies and continuous support, was sailing comfortably. Furthermore, the slow speed of the German Eastern Expedition Fleet and its frequent anchoring *2 added to their advantage. The only thing lacking was luxury items – specifically, ice cream and wine. This was due to a mutual arrangement between the United States and France.
Additionally, it was also because TF 21 had been generously providing for the accompanying media onboard. Although it may seem trivial, the shortage of luxury items directly affected the morale of the crew. Therefore, the United States decided to dispatch a supply ship loaded with luxury items and fresh provisions from the Eastern Fleet stationed in the Philippines.
. . .
Pacific Ocean
The Eastern Expedition Fleet, after overcoming hardships, reached the Pacific Ocean (the Sea of Peace) and was welcomed by a battleship force belonging to the American Eastern Fleet (Philippine Fleet). The United States had specifically dispatched two Pennsylvania-class battleships from the Pacific Fleet, stationed at Pearl Harbor. The Eastern Expedition Fleet found itself sandwiched between the three battleships and struggled to break free. However, the cargo ships belonging to the fleet were unable to maintain a speed exceeding 15 knots due to the effects of long-distance navigation, making it impossible to escape.
Furthermore, TF 21, which had been staying away, had somehow joined them. Under the pressure of being pursued by three battleships, the Eastern Expedition Fleet became further exhausted. There was a possibility that the arrival of all the transport ships in China would become difficult if they continued in this manner. Therefore, the squadron commander made a bold decision and directed the Eastern Expedition Fleet in a straight line toward its destination, the Shandong Peninsula, which was a German concession in China.
And when they approached Japanese territorial waters, the final welcoming party appeared: the mainland defense force of Japan, with the battleship Yamato as its flagship.
In the face of a shaken staff, the squadron commander calmly gave the order to continue straight ahead. Meanwhile, Japanese, American, and French battleships formed an impressive single column and sailed alongside each other.
Guided by their escort, the Eastern Expedition Fleet entered the port of Qingdao.
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Notes
*1: This is the ship-based model of the autonomous accompanying combat UAV (optional drone) QF-1, developed for the F-3C, the third production variant (Badge 3) of the F-3, which is being mass-produced with performance improvements based on the i3 (network warfare) concept. Although it is designated for combat, the QA-1, which is also a multipurpose aircraft, can be deployed for reconnaissance missions as well. As a stealth aircraft, the QA-1 has a bomb bay.
The QA-1B, which was mass-produced after the time slip, has additional external weapon stations, allowing for the deployment of large anti-ship missiles (ASM) that were not originally anticipated when designing the QF-1, as well as the mounting of older model anti-ship missiles that cannot be compacted.
*2: Due to the demanding schedule of the voyage, there were instances where it became necessary to anchor in the middle of the Indian Ocean for repairs to the convoy's transport ships. Additionally, there were occasional cases of transport ships getting separated from the convoy, requiring anchoring and search operations.