Republic of China game

Page 520

At this moment, the communication staff officer suddenly shouted again: "Sir, the seaplane reported that the German aircraft carrier has been spotted! There are five of them, about 70 nautical miles to the east of us!"

……

9 points.

Scapa Flow, the combined headquarters of the Royal Air Force, has been shrouded in a strong smell of gunpowder. The staff officers of the Royal Air Force are nervously carrying out their respective tasks. The telephone rings one after another. On the huge chart platform in the middle of the headquarters, Five markers symbolizing German aircraft carriers have been placed about 100 nautical miles off Norway's west coast.

"General, a telegram from Admiral Forbes, who asked the Royal Air Force and Royal Naval Air Force to attack the German aircraft carriers with all their strength!"

"What? Bombing the German aircraft carrier?" Lieutenant General Hugh Dowding immediately walked to the chart table.

"The German aircraft carrier is here, about 260 kilometers away from Scapa Flow." The staff officer pointed to the aircraft carrier models on the chart table. "Just within the combat radius of our Hurricanes. Admiral Forbes ordered us to send at least 15 squadrons of Hurricanes, 10 squadrons of Blenheim bombers and 8 squadrons of Brest' Beauforts 'Torpedo bombers. In addition, the carrier-based aircraft on the aircraft carrier have already dispatched the first wave of attacks, and we will be responsible for the second wave of air strikes."

"What about the air defense of the battleship force?"

"We still have 10 squadrons of Hurricane aircraft." The staff officer reminded.

"How is that enough?" Hugh Dowding lit his cigar, frowned and thought hard.

There are also more than 10 Hurricane fighters in 100 squadrons, and it is reasonable to be able to support them for a while. However, the battle between the British and German navies is still 20 to 40 kilometers away from the northeastern coast of Scotland. It takes at least 740 minutes to reach the speed. If you count the time to take off and land the plane and reload ammunition and fuel, it will take 30 minutes for each plane to reach the battlefield, and the cruising distance of the Hurricane is only 40 kilometers... Estimated at The blank time on the battlefield is only 100 to 5 minutes.In other words, more than 60 hurricanes must be dispatched in two batches, so that only 109 squadrons of more than 190 hurricanes can be used to cover the local fleet.The performance of the Hurricane is probably slightly inferior to the Bf-60, and it is even worse than the latest German Fw-[-]!How can it be possible to keep the local fleet with more than [-] hurricanes?

It seems that Admiral Forbes' tactic is to sacrifice the battleships of the home fleet and destroy the German aircraft carriers!

This is also the only chance for Britain to maintain its command of the North Sea after the fleet decisive battle last night and early this morning did not achieve the expected results.And there is only one chance to attack!That is to take advantage of the opportunity of the Germans to annihilate the battleships of the local fleet, let the main force of the local fleet act as a living target to attract fighter jets from the German navy and air force, and let the fighters of the British navy and air force dispatch all their strength to deal a devastating blow to the German aircraft carrier fleet.

Although the German aircraft carrier will definitely leave dozens of Fw-190C carrier-based fighters to cover its own safety, the Luftwaffe will also send Bf-109 or Fw190 fighters to protect the aircraft carrier, but the number should not be too many...the Royal Air Force cannot be stopped at all And the raid of more than 600 fighter planes of the Royal Navy!

Lieutenant General Hugh Dowding took a deep breath and waved his hand lightly, "Okay! Follow the orders of Admiral Forbes!"

Chapter 0807 Admiral's decision (sixteen) the winner of the strong outside

Just when the Beihai sea battle was at its most tragic climax.Thousands of miles away in the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific Ocean, inside the Nagato, the flagship of the Japanese Combined Fleet, the chief of staff, Rear Admiral Ugaki Tsutomu, is reporting the final statistics of the results of the Hawaiian naval battle.

“截至目前驱逐舰分队一共营救起37名落水的98式舰爆的机组成员，其余近400名98式舰爆的机组成员（一名驾驶员、一名领航员兼投弹手）依旧下落不明，恐怕多半已经成神了！加上之前空袭珍珠港战斗中的损失，联合舰队7艘航空母舰上98式爆击机队的勇士们已经全员玉碎了！

97式鱼雷攻击机也一样损失惨重，赤城号攻击机中队损失飞机13架，损失机组成员39人；加贺号攻击机中队损失了12架，损失机组成员35人；苍龙号攻击机中队损失了11架97式，机组人员损失33人；飞龙号攻击机中队损失了9架97式，机组人员损失25人……第一航空舰队一共损失了80架，损失机组成员232人。

96式战斗机的损失情况要好一些，7条母舰上的战斗机中队总共损失45架96式战斗机，损失机组人员40人。

In the First World War in Hawaii, excluding seaplanes, a total of 671 members of our United Fleet Air Force were killed or missing, and 325 aircraft were lost (also excluding seaplanes).Your Excellency, Commander!This time is really a heavy loss! "

Yamamoto 56 smiled slightly, "It's worth it." He walked to the chart platform, pointed to the Hawaiian Islands, and said, "According to the information sent back from Oahu Island, the U.S. military has begun to retreat since yesterday afternoon. The Army just reported Said that the resistance of the U.S. military has suddenly weakened. At noon today, the army has broken into Honolulu and occupied the Governor's Mansion... Now the U.S. troops on Oahu Island have shrunk to Pearl Harbor, and it is estimated that they will all evacuate tonight. Hawaii will finally get it Yes! With this gateway to the Pacific Ocean, the fortunes of the Japanese empire can finally be reversed. Germany and China will not be willing to abandon the empire. Moreover, the US Pacific Fleet has also suffered a devastating blow. Don’t think about it for at least a year Restore your vitality!"

"But the United Fleet has lost 671 experienced crew members, especially the more than 300 carrier-based pilots. They are the best pilots in the entire empire! They are also the biggest reliance on the combat effectiveness of the United Fleet..." Speaking of this, Ugaki Tang turned his head and glanced at the "immortal staff" Kameto Kuroshima and Minoru Genada who were standing behind Yamato. The combat plan for the combined fleet aviation was drawn up by these two guys, but these two guys were so focused on winning that they didn't even think about it. The life and death of the crew members of the carrier-based aircraft!He even drew up an air strike plan of "going without return", ruining the lives of more than 190 pilots of the Type 98 bomber in vain!

"Although the loss is great, the gain is even greater!" Kuroshima Kameto stepped forward and said loudly: "Especially, the Bushido spirit shown by the Akagi blaster squadron when it attacked the US aircraft carrier formation has already made China, Germany The Eastern and Western powers in the country dare not underestimate the Great Japanese Empire!" At this point, he paused, glanced at Yamamoto, and suggested: "Your Excellency, Commander! The 'one machine, one ship' strategy invented by Fuchida Mitsuo For a country like the Empire, which is poor in resources but has unparalleled sacrifices in soldiers, it has extraordinary significance. The United Fleet should form a special flying commando team, and let the warriors of the Empire drive special planes to ram the enemy's warships!"

Hearing this almost crazy proposal, Yu Yuantang's heart was shocked. In fact, after the report of the air attack on the US aircraft carrier formation was sent back, he realized that this tactic of planes hitting warships was completely feasible!However, letting experienced pilots carry out this kind of one-shot deal is not worth the loss. The best way is to specially train a group of rookie pilots to serve as cannon fodder, but Yu Yuan just thought about it, but it is another matter to really implement it. son.

And now the U.S. Pacific Fleet has been defeated, the Hawaiian Islands will soon fall into the hands of Japan, and Britain and Germany are fighting in the North Sea... At least it is a situation where both sides suffer.From this point of view, in the next year or two, Japan will be able to fully control the sea dominance in the Pacific Ocean. Is it necessary to use such extreme tactics?

Thinking of this, Ugaki couldn't help but looked at Yamamoto 56, who was staring at the chart with his hands behind his back, and wondered how he, the "Military God" of the Japanese Navy, would make a decision on this issue.

Seeing Ugaki's gaze, Yamamoto 56 looked calm, turned his head and glanced at Major Ganfu Kengoro who appeared in the United Fleet Command Center in the Nagato at some time, and said, "Ganfu is here for you." Just right, you heard what we were discussing, right?"

"Yes, Your Excellency, Commander!" Gan Fu nodded heavily.He came to see Yamamoto on the Nagato under the order of Ugaki Sen.

Due to the heavy losses of the aviation of the United Fleet in this battle, even the captains of the air teams on the aircraft carriers such as Akagi and Kaga were killed.Therefore, Genda had no choice but to personally serve as the captain of the Akagi Air Force, and Kanfu Kengoro was qualified to serve as the aviation staff of the United Fleet because he had a diploma from the Naval University.According to the practice of employing personnel in the Japanese Navy, an officer who has not attended a Naval University cannot serve as a fleet staff officer. To serve as an aviation staff officer, he needs to have served as a carrier-based aircraft squadron leader, and Gan Fushi Kengoro is obviously the best candidate.

"Then let me tell you what you think. Is it necessary for the United Fleet to form a 'special attack team'?" Yamamoto asked Gan Fukengoro.

"Humble job thinks it's necessary!" Gan Fu Kengoro replied without hesitation: "Not only should the joint fleet form a 'special attack team', but the shore-based naval aviation and army aviation should also form a 'special attack team' as soon as possible."

"But pilot training is..." Yamamoto hesitated.

Ganfu took out a stack of documents from the purse he brought with him, and handed them to Yamamoto with both hands. "Your Excellency, this is the experience and lessons I learned from yesterday's 'Special Attack' operations, including suggestions for training 'Special Attack Team' pilots. I believe that experienced carrier-based aircraft pilots are not suitable for 'Special Attack Team' Because the cost of carrier-based pilot training is very high and the training time is very long, it is not worth the loss to use it all at once. Therefore, a special flight school should be established to train the most aircraft in the shortest possible time and at the lowest possible cost. of the 'Special Forces'."

"Yaoxi!" Yamamoto 56 nodded in satisfaction, and cast an appreciative look at Ganfu.

Seeing the look in Yamamoto's eyes, Gan Fu knew that the other party had already planned to use "special attack" to deal with the United States, so he made a further suggestion. He said: "In addition, the aircraft used by the 'special attack' should also be specially designed. This kind of aircraft It should be easy to maneuver, don't need to pursue combat, don't need a lot of weapons, and don't need to be too fast... As for the quality, it doesn't have to be too good. As long as it can handle one takeoff, it can fly hundreds of kilometers, and then it can fly at 50 degrees to 60 degrees. A dive at an angle of [-] degrees is enough..."

"Yes, your suggestion is very good." Yamamoto 56 nodded, his eyes flashed coldly. "This kind of special attack tactics should become the trump card for the empire to defeat the enemy, and only the warriors of the empire can carry out such a decisive attack with no return!" He took the proposal in Gan Fu's hand, smiled and said: "Gan Fu Jun , I will submit your proposal to the Military Command and the Minister of the Navy in the name of the United Fleet, presumably Admiral Eisuke Yamamoto will also support it?"

"I have another suggestion." Seeing that Yamamoto had accepted the "Special Attack Plan", Ganfu's face flashed with ecstasy, as if he had seen the United States he hated the most being beaten to pieces.

"Well, let's talk about it." Yamamoto smiled noncommittally. The young man in front of him...is really full of energy. He is a bit like the assistant officer in the army, but his mind is still very clear.

"The humble office suggests that the navy should vigorously promote 'special attack operations' and conceal the fact that a large number of experienced pilots were lost. We should explain the last round of offensive yesterday afternoon as the work of 'kamikaze'!"

"Kamikaze?" Yamamoto repeated these words, thinking it sounded quite majestic, so he nodded and said: "This suggestion is very timely, we must not let the enemy... and allies know that the United Fleet is involved in this battle. actual loss."

As he spoke, his eyebrows furrowed slightly.Although the United Fleet achieved unprecedented victories in the Battle of Hawaii, it sank 5 US aircraft carriers (actually 4), 8 battleships, 10 heavy cruisers, and captured the Hawaiian Islands.However, the price paid was beyond imagination, especially the loss of more than half of the carrier-based aircraft as the main combat force.Moreover, the performance of the Japanese carrier-based aircraft in this battle was also disappointing. Even with the best pilots flying, the Type 96 fighter is not an opponent of the American F4F. The defense of the Type 97 torpedo aircraft is too poor and it is very easy to be shot down. However, the range and ammunition load of the Type 98 bomber are not enough... If these problems are not resolved in time, in the next battle, the Japanese combined fleet may be defeated!

"Hehe, our United Fleet has done its best, and we will see what benefits Nagata Tieshan can get from the Chinese people." Yamamoto 56 loosened his eyebrows and smiled slightly, "Everyone has been busy for days and nights, Let's all go and rest, the battle of Hawaii is no longer our business, as for how to fight in the future, there is plenty of time to think about it..." When Yamamoto turned around and was about to leave, there was a report behind him: "Report! War report, the Germans lost three aircraft carriers and two battleships in the North Sea! Another two motherships and two battleships were severely damaged. The British lost at least 10 battleships and two battlecruisers, and hundreds more airplane!"

……

The afternoon sun on November 11 penetrated through the fog that enveloped London, and fell feebly into the conference room of the Admiralty in Whitehall.

Sir Pound, the first sea minister, with red eyes, sat there weakly, his face was pale, and he looked like something bad was going on.Seeing his appearance, everyone in the conference room felt like they were falling off a cliff and would soon be smashed to pieces.

"10 battleships sunk, Nelson, Revenge, Resolve, Queen Elizabeth, Barham, Warspite, Iron Duke, Benbow, Emperor of India, Marlborough. 2 battlecruisers Sinking, Tiger, Hood. 7 heavy cruisers, Kent, Cornwall... 9 light cruisers... 16 destroyers..."

"In addition, five battleships including Rodney, Sovereign, and Ramiris, the French Richelieu, and Jean Bart were seriously injured. The rest of the battleships were damaged to varying degrees and need to be repaired immediately. Currently we can mobilize There are only four battleships and battlecruisers, HMS Royal Oak, HMS Malaya, HMS Renown, and HMS Repulse."

"But fortunately, the aircraft carrier squadron remained basically intact. The six carriers including Bravery, Glory, Glory, Victory, Formidable, and Indomitable were very lucky to hide under a rain cloud and escape German bombers. In addition, three light aircraft carriers such as Fury, Hundred-eyed Giant, and Hercules will soon be refitted, and the Royal Ark will also be put into use soon."

Obviously, the British Empire suffered heavy losses in this sea battle in the North Sea, or it was defeated. Otherwise, why did the voice of the First Sea Lord tremble?After reporting the losses, Sir Pound squeezed out a bleak smile again, and began to report the results of the battle.He said:

"Of course, the local fleet also caused heavy losses to the Germans and Chinese in this naval battle. According to Admiral Forbes' report, we sank two battleships, the Mackensen and the Ningyuan, and severely damaged the Bismarck, Four battleships including the Tirpitz, Zhenyuan, and Dingyuan! In addition, the Deutschland and Graf Spee armored ships were sunk, and the Admiral Hipper and the heavy cruiser Lützow were also sunk...but Our biggest victory was the German aircraft carrier formation, the Graf Zeppelin, the Peter Strasser, and the Elbe were sunk; the Frederick der Grosse and the Seydlitz were severely damaged. Therefore, from the current situation Look, in the next six months to a year, we can still ensure the command of the North Sea..."

"So, we won the fight."

Before Sir Pound finished speaking, he was interrupted by a majestic and confident voice. Everyone was very familiar with this voice. It was the head of the Admiralty, the First Lord of the Navy, Winston Churchill. — a one hundred per cent counter-revolutionary optimist.

"Hehe, we are indeed victors!" Churchill glanced around, with a victor's smile on his face, but the cigar in his mouth was trembling slightly... I don't know if it was because of the excitement of winning the hard battle, or the 12 ships. Heartache after the loss of battleships and battlecruisers?Fatty Qiu took another sip of his cigar and smiled lightly, "Gentlemen, our British Empire is clearly the victor, although...we lost more than 30 tons in this naval battle, and the Germans (including China) topped the list." An extra loss of 16 to 7 tons, but the German High Seas Fleet will not be able to move in the next 6 months to 1 year! The navy of the British Empire has 10 aircraft carriers and 4 battleships available! And there are 5 King George V ships Class battleships will soon be put into use. In addition, the plan to transform merchant ships into aircraft carriers is also proceeding very smoothly. Four light aircraft carriers will be delivered to the navy before the end of February next year. By then, the British Empire will have the world's most powerful The aircraft carrier fleet! Not only can it ensure the dominance of the North Sea and continue to suppress the German High Seas Fleet, but it can also deploy several aircraft carriers for operations in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean.”

At first, everyone thought that the battle had been lost, and that the days of the British Empire were numbered.However, after hearing Churchill's explanation, everyone felt that the situation was not too bad.At least Britain still has the most powerful aircraft carrier fleet in the world!Well, of course, that counter-revolutionary optimist Churchill seems to have forgotten the terrible losses suffered by the air and naval aviation of the British Empire in this battle.

And the First Sea Lord, Sir Pound, did not mention the losses of the British Air Force and Naval Aviation to the cabinet members.In fact, the current situation of the so-called most powerful aircraft carrier fleet in the world is similar to that of the Japanese Combined Fleet... Because the design idea is very strange, the performance of the British carrier-based aircraft is extremely poor, and their tube-nose swallow fighter jets cannot compete with the Germans. The Fw-190C is on par, and the "Swordfish" and "Swordfish" bomber/attack aircraft are even more slowly flying targets.In the first wave of strikes against the German aircraft carrier formation, nearly 200 British carrier-based aircraft were almost wiped out under the attack of more than 60 Fw-190C fighter jets, and the only result was heavy damage to the Elbe River transformed from a cruise ship. aircraft carrier.

However, the ensuing infighting between the German Navy and the Luftwaffe helped the British a lot.Fat Goering was eager to let his air force make a difference in this naval battle, so he ignored Raeder's request for the air force to send Bf-109 and Fw-190 to provide air cover for the aircraft carrier, and sent all the aircraft that could be sent. Attacking the main force of the British mainland fleet...the result was that Hugh Dowding's shore-based aircraft took advantage of it, seized the opportunity of the German carrier-based aircraft to return, and sank the Elbe, Zeppelin and Peter Stella in one fell swoop plug number!

However, on the way back, these British shore-based aircraft that succeeded in the sneak attack encountered a German aircraft that had just bombed the main force of the British mainland fleet and returned. As a result, the two sides fought again in the air over the North Sea!The RAF and Royal Naval Air Forces lost more than 200 Hurricanes (about 100 of which were shot down by German planes and the rest ran out of fuel on the way back), Blenheim bombers and Burgers in this sudden encounter. Lester "Beaufort" torpedo bombers lost more than half.The German losses were only 12 Fw-190s, 22 Bf-109s and 28 Ju-87s.It can be said that after this battle, both the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force have been semi-paralyzed!

Chapter 0808 Hero Conference ([-]) Vision

"Gentlemen," seeing that the oppressive atmosphere in the conference room had been eased by his optimistic remarks, Churchill decided to strike while the iron was hot and put forward his own suggestions. "We should publish the battle report of victory and tell the whole world that we wiped out the German aircraft carrier fleet and severely damaged the German battleship force in the North Sea sea battle! The command of the sea in Hokkaido is still firmly in the hands of the British Empire!" Churchill finished speaking, holding his hands together. The table stood up and said in a solemn and confident voice: