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Text Chapter 1055 The fall of the German Navy!  (superior)

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    The peak battle in the Atlantic finally arrived two years after the outbreak of the war. More than 20 years ago, the two sides came out in force in the wind and snow. When the news of the battle against the Faroe Islands came, everyone knew that a battle was about confidence, dignity and sea power.  The large-scale maritime engagement has just begun.

    According to declassified documents from the United States afterwards, after Roosevelt learned that the two battleships had sunk one after another, he was sent to the hospital due to an attack of illness. His health has become a suspense about whether the United States can continue the war.  Although dozens of U.S. warships, including two North Carolina-class battleships, rushed to the Denmark Strait that evening, many officials, including Secretary of State Hull, once dejectedly believed that the United States would lose the battle.  war.  Because by the time the destroyer fired torpedoes at the Mississippi, the U.S. military had lost two-thirds of its pre-war naval strength (in terms of combat capabilities), and the total number of military deaths had climbed to 400,000, with 130,000 captured and even more injured.  As many as millions!  Nearly 20,000 aircraft and 10,000 tanks and various armored vehicles were also lost.

    (The number of losses includes all losses, including battle damage, sunk maritime transportation, daily consumption and abandonment, etc.)

    At this time, only one year has passed since the United States entered the war!

    In the words of later war history researchers, the two "New Mexico" class battleships engaged in a wrong classical naval battle in the wrong sea area at the wrong time, which made L¨¹tjens the "King of the North Sea".  This makes some sense, because after the war the U.S. Navy itself admitted that Task Force 22 had not received any rigorous training in North Atlantic naval warfare, and the two battleships did not have any radars.  In addition, there are disadvantages such as weather, speed and troop division that prevent the concentration of troops. In the end, they have to endure the pain of this kind of maritime guerrilla warfare that is defeated one by one.

    After the naval battle.  The U.S. Navy immediately required the installation of radar on all warships, even those old destroyers that had been in service for twenty years and were almost obsolete.  For this alone, the U.S. government spent an additional US$200 million in war expenses, bringing the total military expenditure of the US military in 1941 to a staggering US$100 billion!  In contrast, Beijing¡¯s total military expenditure for that year was only US$52 billion due to its sufficient advance in weapons and equipment and its obvious advantages in sea, land and air equipment.  This incident also became the basis for the U.S. Congress to later attack the White House for "lack of preparation and reckless involvement in the war, putting the United States in danger."  This led to many chain reactions that affected the United States and the world after the war.

    On the other hand, L¨¹tjens, who had just been crowned the "King of the North Sea", did not truly win by sinking two old battleships. The opponent in front of him was still very, very powerful, and he himself was not without losses.  Both the "Bismarck" and the "Tirpitz" had minor injuries, especially the former's long-wave radar that malfunctioned and was damaged during the shelling shock, and some anti-aircraft guns were lost. Fortunately, these minor skin injuries did not affect the speed.  But the heavy cruiser "Prinz Eugen" is in bigger trouble.  The 356mm shell of the "New Mexico" cut off a section of its stern, causing the fuel leakage rate to drop sharply.  So L¨¹tjens secretly sent a telegram to Raeder, hoping to cancel the rest of the operation when things got better. However, the Battle of the Faroe Islands aroused Hitler's appetite. He believed that a greater victory could be achieved by relying on bad weather.  , so he rejected the navy's plan to cancel the operation and instead asked the fleet to continue moving south.  Join the battlecruisers "Scharnhorst" and "Gneisenau" waiting in the Atlantic Ocean.

    After receiving the reply telegram, L¨¹tjens secretly complained.  He knew very well that losing two old battleships would not hurt Britain and the United States at all, but would stimulate the other side to retaliate with all their strength.  But Hitler's strongly worded telegram forced him to bite the bullet and continue south.  In the end, the "Prince Eugen" had to go back on patrol first, and then sent a telegram back home again, asking Redl to tell Lieutenant General Siriacos, the commander of the two Shanes, asking him to move closer to the Denmark Strait as soon as possible and abandon his prejudices.  Ask D?nitz's wolves to strengthen patrols in the south of the strait to protect the fleet from passing here.

    A heavy cruiser departs.  It seems that it does not have much impact on the offensive capabilities of the fleet, but if you think about the long-wave radar and 65 anti-aircraft guns on the "Prinz Eugen", you will know what the Germans have lost.  After the "Prinz Eugen" left, L¨¹tjens' first trouble was who would serve as the vanguard ship. Since the "L¨¹tzow" had to protect the "Zeppelin" aircraft carrier, he could only let two battleships advance.  , which also means that once encountering the enemy, the fleet will lose important maneuvering and warning time.  And it's even worse.  Because he did not strictly enforce radio silence and frequently sent telegrams to ask for instructions from home, the telegrams were intercepted by an American B17 electronic reconnaissance aircraft.  Although Britain and the United States failed to completely decipher the telegram, they still deduced the information that the German fleet was likely to use the Denmark Strait.  So in the early morning of November 14th.  The 2 "North Carolina" class battleships, 4 heavy cruisers, 3 light cruisers and 7 Fletcher class destroyers of the US Navy's 4th Task Force rushed in a straight line towards the south of the strait.  And this!  It was the most important detail of the later Allied victory, because after canceling the anti-submarine maneuver and the search for "Scharnhorst" class battlecruisers along the way, Kincaidby was scheduled toArrival time was a full seven hours earlier!

    At noon, Admiral John Tovey, commander of the Royal Navy's Home Fleet, also boldly reduced the interception force east of the Faroe Islands, appointing Vice Admiral Holland as commander, with 3 King George V-class battleships, 2 heavy cruisers, and 4  Two light cruisers formed the First Mobile Fleet, which merged with the battleship "Rodney" and the aircraft carrier "Ark Royal" which were searching and intercepting south of Iceland, and rushed to the Denmark Strait.  At the same time, the aircraft carrier "Formidable" and the battleship "Warrior" formed the second mobile fleet, which joined Fletcher's 2nd task force to search for the two "Scharnhorst" class German battle cruisers and the "Leipzig"  Light patrol.

    Time is slowly moving forward amidst everyone¡¯s expectations.

    At three o'clock in the morning on November 18, 110 nautical miles southeast of Reykjavik, the heavy fleet aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal lifted the first "Sea Spitfire" fighter onto the deck amidst the dull sound of gears.  In the rest cabin below the ship island, British pilots wearing leather jackets began to check their flare guns, life jackets, scarves, hoods, watches and some necessary survival equipment.  Among them, one was wearing a Chinese navy aviation jacket, with black hair and yellow skin and a slender figure.  But the mixed-race young man with a Slavic high nose and light blue eyes is particularly eye-catching.

    His name is Pang Xun, his father is a university teacher, and his mother is a Slavic noble.  After fleeing to China from Chelyabinsk due to domestic persecution, the government arranged for her to work as an art and music teacher at Chongqing Girls' School, and then she met his father, fell in love, and got married.

    There are many Slavs like her mother in the country. Because most of the people who fled back then were well-educated, most of them were assigned to teach in schools after passing the language barrier.  Strengthened the teaching staff of basic education across the country.  Many of them have become famous all over the world, especially the disciples of several masters of physical chemistry, who have become the backbone of scientific research in the 3010 plan.  Now 24 years old, he was a captain pilot of the 4th Aviation Wing of the Chinese Navy. He was injured in the lungs by a zero-fighting bullet during the Battle of Guam, and had to be transferred to the second line to become a naval aviation major instructor.

    ¡°He came this time to deliver new aircraft to the British Navy on behalf of the military, but he did not expect to encounter this kind of thing.  turn out to be.  After the raid on the Battle of Taranto, seeing that there was a big gap between its own carrier-based aircraft and China's, the British Navy immediately ordered 550 "Osprey" torpedo bombers and 350 naval "Yaksha" dive bombers from China to strengthen itself.  aircraft carrier combat capabilities.  Originally, they wanted to buy a "Lightning" fighter jet, but after being rejected, they accelerated the development of their own "Sea Spitfire" fighter jet and mass-produced it in May this year.

    After receiving the contract, Airbus and Meteor improved the two aircraft in accordance with the British combat environment and weapons system.  In accordance with international practice, the British initial letter u is added after the model number, which means "British version".  The main improvements are to install new engines, adopt British pylons and fuel systems, and strengthen the landing gear and flaps to adapt to the more complex North Atlantic sea conditions and British aircraft carriers.

    "Ark Royal" is a fleet aircraft carrier equivalent to the Chinese Navy's "Beihai" class, and because it has to adapt to harsh environments, it adopts an armored deck and a fully enclosed hangar, making it overall more advanced than the "Beihai" class.  However, its aircraft carrying capacity is smaller than that of the North Sea class, so there are currently only 20 "Sea Spitfire" fighters, 28 "Osprey U" and 16 "Yaksha U" on the aircraft carrier.

    The task of Pang Xun and his comrades is to escort the plane.  and taught British naval pilots how to use them correctly.

    Originally, the "Ark Royal" was conducting new aircraft training off the coast of Casablanca. Unexpectedly, he rushed here from Africa with a transfer order, and he did not have the chance to disembark.  So according to the Allied agreement, he will participate in battlefield combat as a pilot.  "Pang, they said you sank the Japanese Akagi? How did you do it?" Major Esmond, who was wearing a white scarf and had a handsome appearance comparable to that of a Hollywood star, walked over.  He is the air wing captain and the first British pilot to switch to the "Osprey U-type" torpedo attack aircraft.

    "I really want to sink it, but I only have one torpedo." Influenced by his mother.  Pang Xun's English, French and Russian are all very good, which is the main reason why he was sent here.  After telling Esmond with a smile that it was just a hit but not a sinking, Pang Xun pointed to the black and white photo of the "Bismarck" on the bulkhead: "There is no skill, because every warship has an air defense blind spot. Find it and use it, and then  Drop the torpedo."

    Several enlarged black-and-white photos of German battleships are specially posted on the bulkhead, mainly for identification by British pilots.  Major Edmonds nodded. As the contacts between the two navies increased, he also learned that China, like the U.S. and British navies, is actually the only three navies in the world that have conducted multiple fleet comprehensive air defense planning and exercises, and have conducted anti-aircraft fire on warships.  Countries that have carefully calculated their force levels and deployment positions, so the warships of the three countries have very small air defense dead spots.  Unlike the Japanese and German warships, they appear to have a lot of anti-aircraft guns but are actually very poor. Even Italy and France, the naval powers, are far behind the three countries in this regard.

      "Then what do you think Bismarck's weakness is?" Esmond wanted to test Pang Xun, because he always thought that the Chinese instructor was too young and suspected that he had "moisture".  Of course, Pang Xun knew that the British were humble but arrogant on the surface. He placed his finger on the bow of the "Bismarck": "As a battleship with four turrets, while gaining the ability to shoot more accurately with its main gun, the long and narrow  After the interference of the front and rear decks and the double-layer muzzle flames, it will be impossible to install too many anti-aircraft guns at the front and rear. Especially on the bow, the obstruction of the tall bridge increases the range of air defense dead spots. If it were me, I would choose to use the bow  Cut vertically at a low altitude at a 70-degree angle. The enemy must know its own weakness. If it wants to shoot me down, it must turn and use its side anti-aircraft firepower. But doing so will expose a longer side of its side. I will be very dangerous at this time, but  If I can insist on rushing to 1,300 meters before launching the torpedo, based on the length of the Bismarck and the speed of 30 knots, the torpedo can hit right here" Pang Xun pointed at the stern of the ship and raised the corner of his mouth: "Maybe  Praying a few more times before setting off can help the torpedo take out its rudder!"

    Esmond did not speak, but took out a cigar and handed it to Pang Xun: "I need a backseat navigator, don't worry. I have prayed three times just now." It was obvious that the two of them had thought of the same thing.  Pang Xun smiled and nodded, picking up the camera he carried with him to record the training.

    Just as the two were walking towards the hangar, a black periscope suddenly poked out from under the water 7 nautical miles away to the right.

    Under the periscope, Colonel Erichtop, known as the devil, has sharp eyes.  He arrived here two days ago after receiving orders. Before that, he had sunk 24,000 tons of American merchant ships in one go.  But this time he was out of luck.  What I saw after surfacing was not the "Ark Royal" aircraft carrier, which would become the deadliest later, but the "Prince of Wales" battleship that blocked the aircraft carrier with its body.

    The thick gun barrels and several destroyers prevented him from being careless at all. He quietly started the motor and headed towards the opponent at a speed of 3 knots.  In fact, he did not need to attack a terrible battleship, because the task given to him by D?nitz was to deal with merchant ships.  To make matters worse, due to the heavy consumption, there is now only one torpedo left on the boat.  And it's not the latest oxygen torpedo either.  But he still decided to try his luck, hoping to severely damage the battleship heading for the strait to reduce the pressure on the main fleet. However, because the destroyer was always with him, he did not dare to get too close, so he had to order the launch from 4,000 meters away.

    An accident happened!  After the torpedo left the launch tube, it did not rush towards the target, but plunged into the deep sea thousands of meters deep.  Afterwards, German engineers judged that it was likely that the air tank that ensured buoyancy was damaged and caused the sinking.  "Damn it!" No matter what the final reason was, Airy missed his last chance!  "Reverse, turn course to 110. Calculate the time and send a telegram to General L¨¹tjens in one hour." To ensure safety.  Frustrated, he had no choice but to dive to the bottom of the sea again and drift northward.

    Scholars who have studied this naval battle believe that if a torpedo had hit the "Prince of Wales" at that time, or even caused a panic, the "Ark Royal" aircraft carrier hiding in the visual shadow of the "Prince of Wales" would have been exposed.  At that time, L¨¹tjens would definitely let the "Zeppelin" take the lead in attacking the aircraft carrier!  Instead of rashly attacking a battleship that poses little threat, leading to active exposure.

    But there are no ifs in war

    At 4:15, L¨¹tjens, who had crossed the Strait minefield, received the telegram.

    "This position." Captain Lindemann of the Bismarck immediately drew the position and track according to the telegram: "From Colonel Erichtop's description, I think it should be a King George V-class battleship. He  The speed is 23 knots. So now it should be here." Lindemann pointed his finger to the east of the exit of the trumpet-shaped strait: "There are still 95 nautical miles to the strait."

    "This is our last chance. The Americans are already on their way. Pre-departure intelligence said that two "North Carolina-class" battleships have been training in Bermuda. If they find us in Bergen, they will set off immediately. So now it is  There are still six hours left in the strait." Chief of Staff Major General Cote also picked up his pen and drew the possible navigation route of the U.S. 4th Task Force.  "So within four hours, we must get rid of the entanglement through the strait! Otherwise, we will encounter the Americans head-on. We will not be able to stop the simultaneous attack of six or even seven battleships."

    L¨¹tjens¡¯s eyes were red, and the fatigue from staying up late for a long time was like maggots attached to his bones, affecting his movements and thinking.  After the two of them finished talking, they lit a cigarette and let the smoke dissipate the fatigue from their bodies.

    Rear Admiral Cotter continued: "We have sunk two American battleships, so it is no longer possible to dispatch to the Atlantic and Gibraltar directions, because they still have to search for our Scharnhorst. Therefore, the British can only send up to three speed ships.  The faster King George V. There may also be the "Rodney" and the "Resolution", but there will never be more than 5 ships. Judging from the previous battles, as long as the distance and speed are controlled, the 14-inch naval gun will attack us  the harm?Not big.  I just asked that the weather now allows carrier-based aircraft to take off. I suggest that the Zeppelin launch an attack immediately and sink the battleship discovered by Colonel Airy.  If you're lucky, maybe there will be a second one next to it.  There is no need to sink, as long as we are injured, we can use our speed to break through the interception and ensure that we enter the wider Atlantic before the Americans arrive.  "

    "But the British have aircraft carriers and more carrier-based aircraft than Zeppelins." L¨¹tjens frowned, and the British aircraft carrier was always stuck in his throat, which made him uneasy.  You know, because of G?ring's obstruction, the "Zeppelin" has not yet fully deployed its carrier-based aircraft.  You must know that after many aircraft carrier battles in the Pacific, the Chinese Navy has begun to increase the original number of fighter squadrons from 24 to 36 to enhance its continuous dispatch capabilities. Even the U.S. Navy has begun to increase the number of aircraft carrier fighters.  But when he came out this time, he only brought 10 bf109t fighter jets, 16 ju87d4 dive bombers and 20 fi-167 torpedo planes. The latter was even a biplane with poor survivability.

    "Then we should be more proactive! Only by seizing the upper hand can the fighter jets come back to protect the remaining fleet." However, Major General Cotter is still confident. He believes that after the attack wave is completed, the fighter jets can return to the "Berlin" and resume operations.  Refuel and take off.  But if he knew that the "Ark Royal" was near the "Prince of Wales" and was already equipped with "Sea Spitfire" fighters and Chinese attack aircraft that were significantly better than his own, he would definitely not be sure.

    L¨¹tjens nodded, this seemed to be the best way, otherwise he would have to turn around and go home immediately.

    At 4:30, the "Zeppelin" aircraft carrier, which had been waiting for an attack for a long time, turned north and began to release aircraft.  But what is unexpected!  I don¡¯t know whether it was due to the lack of fighter jets and concerns about the fleet¡¯s air defense safety, or the lack of fighter jets and overconfidence in the ability to attack the fleet, but L¨¹tjens did not have any fighter jets to attack.

    This decision exposed the weakness of the German Navy in understanding aircraft carrier operations. Admiral John Tovey said afterwards: "If they are in the sky, they will entangle our "Sea Spitfire", which will cause a disaster."

    But no matter what L¨¹tjens thought at the time, it is irreversible now.  Ten minutes later, 16 ju87d4s and 20 fi-167s soared into the sky. Since the performance of German radar was far inferior to that of the British, the German pilots who had suffered enough immediately entered low altitude, first headed west into the sky over Iceland and then flew south, trying to use ups and downs.  Uneven surface curves evade electromagnetic waves.  This helpless choice once again put the weakness of German aircraft's insufficient range under the microscope.  Moreover, only after liftoff did the German Navy discover that the fi-167 could only reach a speed of 240 kilometers per hour after being mounted with torpedoes, while the ju87d4 used a new 1,400-horsepower engine and had a minimum cruising speed of more than 280 kilometers at low altitude. Therefore, the two  The attack aircraft could not be grouped at all and could only fly one after another.

    In Yang Qiu¡¯s words: ¡°Germany lost in the sky!¡±

    At the same time as the "Zeppelin" released its carrier-based aircraft, L¨¹tjens issued an order for the L¨¹tzow to stay to protect the aircraft carrier, then accelerated the two battleships to 30 knots, and finally changed the course to 220, trying to get close to Greenland.  westward into the Canadian coast to avoid the British and American battleship groups.  But he didn't know that at this moment, Kincaid, with red eyes, was leading two "North Carolina-class" battleships to rush straight along Greenland towards the strait at a speed beyond his expectation.

    The American cowboys who were bent on revenge rushed towards him with their guns and horses mounted.

    At 5:15, when the "Bismarck" entered the southern exit of the strait first at a high speed of 30 knots, the radar operator of the "Prince of Wales" also suddenly picked up the phone.

    "Unknown aircraft group! Starboard, five o'clock! Bearing 090!".
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