Azur Lane: The Adventure of the MS München

Slight interference

20th of January, 1942

Ironblood fleet

Location: Southern Atlantic

Destination: Kiel

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The long journey back home was slightly more complicated and difficult once the Eastern Fleet had firmly established a proper base in Ceylon (Sir Lanka) off the shores of the British Raj (here: the southern tip of India).

On the return trip they passed Singapore, secured by the IJA, which attacked from the Indochinese concession by landing at the border town near the British-Thai border. Now that the IJA had secured the Straits of Singapore, the Insulandia islands of the Benelux East Indies quickly fell.

Now that they had successfully passed the British Eastern Fleet, they juked them by giving false information about their route (which angered Queen Elizabeth) by not stopping at Madagascar but simply refueling through blockade runners (several were needed as the quality of the heavy oil wasn't too good for Munich) and then passed the Cap of Good Hope, South Africa. The latter infuriated the Queen even more, but at that point only the stationed fleets could dream of stopping them.

And they already have problems with a pocketbattleship that goes around sinking merchant ships. The last time they tried to stop her, she failed miserably, destroying the boilers and engines of two light cruisers and a heavy cruiser before docking in Buenos Aires and then leaving the port shortly thereafter for a Vichiya-controlled port. From then on, the Royal had trouble tracking her position.

And now that warship will rendezvous with the current fleet to finally set sail for the Ironblood Empire. This anticlimactic ending would essentially destroy the current party's legitimate status as defenders of the Isles and force the current Prime Minister to essentially call back all British forces stationed on Oahu. Regardless of the political fallout with the Eagle Union.

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München: "So we will receive an additional heavy capital ship?"

Nürnberg: "Exactly. She is also one of the more famous shipgirls that will return to Wilhelmshaven with us."

München: "Alright. Guess I keep my radar on to avoid missing her."

With the onset of war Ironblood sent their three Pocketbattleships (Panzerschiffe) to raid the commerce routes, while the Royal Navy was spread thin and thus couldn't have a Battleship or Heavy Cruiser with formidable everywhere to engage them.

While the first and last Panzerschiffe were azured and brought to life and therefore didn't need a crew, the second ship of the class, Admiral Scheer, wasn't successfully azured and therefore still needed a crew to operate. In order to avoid huge losses, the manned ironclad was kept closer to the northern North Sea, while the other two would conduct trade raids in the northern and southern Atlantic.

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In the western parts of the South Atlantic and near St. Helena (administered by the Royal Navy) a warship of over 10,000 long tons is sailing at 28,5 knots towards her rendezvous point. She has 6 x 28cm guns in triple turrets, 8 x 15cm secondaries, 6 x 10.5cm tetriaties, 8 x 3.7cm AA and 8 x 53.3cm torpedo tubes on her extended aft deck as her guns for offensive and defensive measures. However, many of them are showing clear signs of wear and need to be overhauled as soon as possible. And not all of them are actually loaded with aquedate amounts of munition.

Normally that wouldn't be a problem, she returns, but she's not alone and she knows it. Those she has defeated have returned, bringing with them better weapons that outmatch her. Unfortunately, her radar and radio tower were destroyed in an earlier skirmish, so she can't warn the fleet. She must arrive as quickly as possible before the Royal Navy has brought the phantom carrier into range, if it is for real this time.