Then there was a loud bang, and the US military pilot felt that he was quickly enveloped in a ball of intense heat and fire, as if he had entered a sea of ??fire. Along with the fire, his body was suddenly torn apart with huge force. Under it, it turned into fragments of broken limbs and scattered, his consciousness dissipated, and he died.
"These Americans don't plan to go back to their hometown anymore. They are all desperadoes. Everyone, please be careful." Looking at the wreckage of the US military aircraft falling rapidly to the sea and the scattered debris, a J-2 aircraft pilot said to the others The person reminded me.
"Attention all units, three US military aircraft have appeared again in the direction of two o'clock in the northeast, requesting support." As soon as the pilot finished speaking, a rapid voice suddenly sounded in his earphones, which shocked him slightly again.
"There is work to do again." Several pilots muttered to each other, then turned the nose of the plane and flew towards another airspace.
U.S. military aircraft were obviously unable to win in a large-scale air battle and had to resort to sporadic sneak attack tactics. However, the South China Sea Fleet, which had powerful air sounding radar, was able to detect targets dozens of kilometers away in time and arrange its troops in time. Planes and warships were sent to intercept.
Then dozens of U.S. torpedo planes appeared in the surrounding airspace. No matter how they tried to hide their traces, in the end they found that they were jointly attacked by aircraft and warships without exception. The opponent was like a ghost. A critical moment will suddenly appear around them, dealing a fatal blow. No aircraft trying to approach the aircraft carrier will be spared, and gradually all will be shot down.
Although the U.S. military's harassment did not cause great losses, and only a few torpedoes hit the two destroyers, fortunately, it did not cause major damage. However, the fleet frequently dealt with U.S. military aircraft, and its forward speed was affected to a certain extent. It has been at fifteen knots. The speed of left and right, while advancing, while resisting the harassment.
After about half an hour, the US military aircraft gradually disappeared, and the South China Sea Fleet began to head east at full power. At this time, the distance from the Edel Fleet was about 400 kilometers, and the distance from the Atlantic Fleet was about 100 kilometers. It would take about twenty kilometers and about two hours before we would encounter the ships of the Atlantic Fleet.
Soon after, a large group of fighter planes appeared in the sky. The planes led by Zuo Yunfeng and Luo Zhigang gradually returned. At this time, there were only fifteen fighters left in the entire fleet, and they could only temporarily form a squadron of bombers. There are still six squadrons left, and most of their strength is still preserved.
However, most of the fighter planes had varying degrees of damage to their bodies. Logically speaking, they could not continue to take off. However, the needs of the war situation forced Li Guoqiang to send these aircraft that may have crashed due to mechanical failures caused by injuries into the blue sky again. Because the fleet's air power has been greatly reduced at this time, there is no way for the pilots to perform their missions safely. This is the time for the pilots to show their personal heroism.
The planes landed on the deck one after another. The expressions on the faces of the pilots were very complicated. They were both happy for the brilliant results achieved today and sad for the loss of a large number of close comrades-in-arms. However, the sense of mission of the soldiers made them There is not much time to express their grief. They must cheer up and continue fighting, but cannot let their emotions be immersed in grief for a long time. Being depressed is obviously detrimental to fighting.
Looking at the pilots getting off the plane with serious expressions, the sailors on the deck stood in rows to welcome them, applauding and cheering. This was specially arranged by Li Guoqiang and Huang Shusheng. They wanted the pilots to forget their sorrows and enjoy the victory as much as possible. to arouse their emotions and keep their morale high.
Many people walked up and hugged these elites who had just returned from the death line, expressing congratulations to them, admiration for their heroic performance, and condolences for their lost comrades. Affection.
"How many pilots have been reduced?" Li Guoqiang was still in the command room, his expression equally complicated. He turned to ask a young, tall officer.
"Probably about half were lost. The fighter pilots suffered the greatest loss, with more than three-quarters lost. This battle was all thanks to them." The officer responded in a low voice with a slightly melancholy look.
"This is war." Li Guoqiang never felt uncomfortable that his fleet had lost so many elites. Only he knew the feeling in his heart. After tears rolled in his eyes for a few times, he still endured it and continued to hold on. Calm sighed.
Li Guoqiang and several officers slowly walked out of the command room and walked towards the deck outside. The surrounding airspace had been quiet for a while, and the sky was now approaching dusk, and the plane's sight was not enough.It was wide open and the aircraft on the aircraft carrier were unable to take off subsequently.
For more than ten hours at night, they could only let the Edel fleet escape. After the reconnaissance planes returned one after another, they could only use the reconnaissance ships to track their positions. But Edel naturally knew that the protection of the night provided them with a natural barrier. How could he Maybe they didn't take precautions, so the spy ship was easily discovered by them.
Li Guoqiang was also ready to search again the next day. He was also worried that Edel would use the cover of night to change their course and prevent the South China Sea Fleet from where they should go, but he was ready to grasp the key points. A direct route to the Panama Canal, and the South Pacific is also a route that Edel may choose to take instead of the nearer.
Edel does not have to go through the Panama Canal to reach the east coast of the United States. They can also go around the South Pacific and through southern South America, around to the Atlantic Ocean, and then around the eastern part of South America and northward to the east coast of the United States. If they choose the third Traveling north in three directions reaches the western United States, and it is also very unsafe to stay on the west coast of the United States.
After comprehensive analysis and comparison, Li Guoqiang believes that it is unlikely that Edel will change course, because if they detour to the South Pacific, their arrival in the eastern United States will be delayed for a long time. During this period, they cannot guarantee that they will not be searched by the South China Sea Fleet. Yes, because the advantages of the South China Sea Fleet are now very obvious, aircraft can still conduct large-scale searches, but the Edel Fleet has lost its aviation reconnaissance capabilities, and therefore its long-range warning capabilities, and can only rely on luck to avoid searches.
Therefore, the Adel fleet can only sail directly to the Panama Canal in order to escape back to the eastern United States in the shortest time. This possibility is the highest. Now it only needs to wait until dawn the next day to continue sending planes to find their position and conduct the second round and the following several rounds. rounds of bombing.
Li Guoqiang, Huang Shusheng and others got on a helicopter, then took off and flew to the aircraft carrier Nanjing. A few minutes later, they landed on the deck of the aircraft carrier Nanjing. When they came down, they were warmly applauded by the officers and soldiers.
At this time, the only fighter squadron had landed on the Nanjing. Zuo Yunfeng had already arrived on the Nanjing. The Shenzhou, Taishan, and Huangshan no longer had fighter jets, and the Nanjing and Shenzhou maintained a complete bomber formation. The Taishan Both the Huangshan and Huangshan have only one bomber squadron and other reconnaissance and anti-submarine aircraft.
Therefore, although this air strike caused great losses to the Edel fleet, if the results are not continued to expand, the sacrifice of the South China Sea Fleet will be in vain. With the industrial capabilities of the United States, these aircraft carriers must be repaired in a short time. It is still very possible, and once they are repaired, they will soon regain their strength and launch together with other aircraft carriers that are about to be launched. At that time, not only will the strength of the U.S. Navy not be reduced, but its strength will be greatly increased. This is the most important thing for the Chinese government. Something I don¡¯t want to see.
Li Guoqiang saw the pilots lined up in several rows to welcome him, and his eyes gradually scanned the expressions of each of them. He could not see the high-spirited state they had before departure, and their expressions were a bit serious and dull.
Li Guoqiang walked to Zuo Yunfeng, who was standing in the first position, stood still, and looked at him carefully. Zuo Yunfeng immediately performed a standard military salute with a resolute expression.
"Thank you for your hard work this time." With a sincere heart, Li Guoqiang reached out and patted Zuo Yunfeng's shoulder, then gently flicked away the dust on his shoulder bar with his fingers, and then said meaningfully.
"We are soldiers, and it is not hard work. It is our duty to sacrifice our lives and fight bloody battles for our country." Zuo Yunfeng's slightly gloomy eyes seemed a bit low, but his voice was sonorous, powerful and resounding.
Li Guoqiang kept his eyes on Zuo Yunfeng's determined face, nodded slightly and praised: "Very good, the country's education for you has not been in vain. This is the quality that our best soldiers should have."
Li Guoqiang and other officers began to walk to the front of the center of the team. Looking at these energetic young people and today's fighting heroes, they were filled with emotion.
Li Guoqiang cleared his throat several times, then looked around at the crowd and said slowly: "I know that today's battle is very difficult and cruel for all the elites of the Zhenguo Army. Although our army has an absolute advantage, But the sacrifice we made was also huge and unprecedented, and it was the most significant loss since the establishment of our naval aviation force."
"There were nearly two hundred of you when we set out, but when we came back, there were only a hundred of you. Nearly half of the outstanding pilots died. I feel extremely sad and extremely sorry." After a short pause, Li Guoqiang continued to speak loudly, but Not too much of a sad tone.
Li Guoqiang carefully observed everyone's expressions. Their hearts were indeed heavy. No one could laugh because of the victory. After all, within a few hours, they lost a large number of comrades who had been with them day and night, which would be hard to let go of in anyone's heart.
"I know that losing your companions today will make you feel very sad. We commanders are not the same. People's hearts are full of flesh and blood, and no one will not be emotional." Li Guoqiang slowed down his tone a little. He continued softly.
"But one thing you have to remember is that you are soldiers. The biggest difference between soldiers and ordinary people is that they must be cold-blooded to a certain extent. Not only must they be cold-blooded towards the enemy, but they must also be cold-blooded towards themselves. They must be good at restraining their own emotions. Emotions, abandon the emotions that affect the battle, and return to normal state as soon as possible."
"Soldiers must maintain high fighting will and perfect fighting spirit. High emotions are necessary, so from now on I want you to be happy for the victory and cheer from the heart. You must turn the pain of losing your comrades into Hatred for the enemy, starting from tomorrow you will not only perform combat missions, but also avenge your comrades, shouldering dual tasks and missions." Li Guoqiang continued to say solemnly.
"There are more arduous tasks waiting for you below. Let's go back and take a good shower, wipe off the smelly sweat on your body, and then go to the restaurant for a feast. In the evening, let's all get together to chat and discuss tomorrow's battle plan. , as usual, I hope to see you full of energy, and I will personally come to accompany you to dinner in the evening and offer a cup of tea to each of you who are affected by the battle."
"Disband"
Li Guoqiang didn't want to say too much. He knew that people's emotions were sometimes difficult to control. These flesh-and-blood men would not become indifferent because of his few words. He just wanted them to get some relief, at least in his heart. He still has a strong will to fight. It doesn't matter whether this will comes from the sense of responsibility to serve the country with loyalty or from the memory of his comrades.
No matter how cruel today's battle is, the battle must continue tomorrow. The pilots returned to the aircraft carrier and began to rest and adjust, adjust their mental state, relieve tension, and wait for tomorrow's battle.
The dark night made it impossible for the South China Sea Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet to see each other with their eyes as they were approaching each other. The submarines of the Atlantic Fleet had quietly approached, and the surface ships of the fleet had reduced their speed and dragged them behind, in order to allow the submarines to confront each other tentatively. The South China Sea Fleet conducts a raid to see what the effect is.
All thirty Cheetah-class submarines of the US military were dispatched, some approaching the South China Sea Fleet, and some ambushing on the road. They also adopted the method of dispersing targets. Every three submarines were in one group, and they were divided into ten groups in total, which were launched from different angles. To harass, some submarines sailed in the opposite direction in an attempt to harass the South China Sea Fleet on the way.
Anti-submarine helicopters cannot function at night and can only rely on the sonar equipped on warships and submarines to find targets. The US Cheetah-class submarines are noisy, exceeding 150 decibels, and it is easy to distinguish them from ocean noise.
The South China Sea Fleet can only maintain a speed of about 20 knots at night because it is not possible to put the Tang-class submarine behind at this time. In this way, the anti-submarine capability of the fleet will be greatly weakened, and it is difficult to guarantee that it will be jointly attacked by US submarines and cruisers and will not be attacked by the submarine. Infiltrate near the aircraft carrier.
The aircraft carrier of the fleet is still in the center, protected by four submarines on the left and right, about 20 kilometers away from the aircraft carrier. The destroyers are located inside, about ten kilometers away from the aircraft carrier. The fleet has narrowed the defense circle to prevent being attacked by US submarines. Seep in.
At this time, the U.S. Edel Fleet is advancing at full speed. They are advancing at a speed of about 25 knots. On average, they will push the South China Sea Fleet away by about ten kilometers every hour. After dawn tomorrow, the distance between the two sides will be again More than five hundred kilometers.
But after dawn, aircraft can search the surrounding waters. As long as the specific location of the Atlantic Fleet is determined, the South China Sea Fleet can choose the appropriate opportunity to increase its speed and let the submarine drag behind, while the aircraft carrier pursues the Edel fleet at full speed. At the speed of US submarines, it is very easy to get rid of them. If there is no need, there is no need to fight with them, just leave them behind.
The Atlantic Fleet did not dare to engage in a head-on confrontation with the South China Sea Fleet. They planned to retreat at full speed after the first interception was over, but they still had to block the route of the South China Sea Fleet. Some submarines were now starting to harass and some were on both sides of the route. Waiting in ambush along the side to cooperate with cruisers and other ships to carry out harassment.
The US military knows that the main combat target of the South China Sea Fleet's carrier-based aircraft is their aircraft carrier, so the South China Sea Fleet will definitely not send aircraft to bomb the seemingly unimportant target of the Atlantic Fleet, so the Atlantic Fleet is not worried about being attacked by carrier-based aircraft. , they want to take advantage of the fact that the South China Sea Fleet has missions and cannot take care of them, and use frequent harassment to reduce the speed of the South China Sea Fleet so that the US aircraft carrier can get rid of aircraft attacks as soon as possible.
In this way, the South China Sea Fleet¡¯s anti-submarine and anti-submarineThe ship mission becomes more complex and arduous. The opponent adopts a hit-and-run method, just like the guerrillas in the mountains. They suddenly appear somewhere to fire machine guns, and then disappear collectively and hide in the mountains. Regular It's really difficult for the army to deal with this kind of hide-and-seek team. Regular troops generally don't have much time and energy to go around looking for guerrillas for decisive battles.
Just after nightfall, around 7:30, a Tang-class submarine directly in front of the South China Sea Fleet used sonar to track three submarines suddenly appearing more than 30 kilometers ahead. They were obviously US military Cheetah-class submarines. There are no other underwater vehicles here that can form a formation to pass through the waters of the Pacific Ocean, and certainly it cannot be the noise made by fish on the bottom of the sea.
After receiving the order, the fleet immediately dispatched a destroyer and two Tang-class submarines to intercept. After firing several torpedoes and hitting a target, the US submarine immediately surfaced and fled at full speed at a speed of about fifteen knots. The destroyers He chased the Tang-class submarine for about five kilometers and sank one of the targets, while the other two targets escaped.
At this time, the mission of the South China Sea Fleet was not to annihilate these troublemaking bugs, but to protect the aircraft carrier. The submarines and destroyers did not pursue them too far, and then retreated back to the original defensive areas, continuing to maintain a dense defensive posture to prevent There are other submarines coming from other waters to cause trouble.
If submarines and destroyers are allowed to attack and the battle line is stretched too long, it is very likely that some gaps will be formed, allowing US submarines and even cruisers to penetrate and pose a threat to the aircraft carrier.