Chapter 1682 Southern Indian Ocean 1
Chapter 1682 Southern Indian Ocean 1
The Japanese strategy worked more or less. Before the German fleet set off, the Americans sent news that a fleet of Japanese transport ships would go to India. As for this fleet, the Germans naturally couldn't leave it alone and divided it naturally. Two camouflaged cruisers and four submarines were sent out to intercept, which indeed weakened Germany's ability to intercept southward. However, in the view of Major General Rodhart, after having an aircraft carrier, the German fleet's reconnaissance capabilities were only stronger than before. , and in terms of combat effectiveness, it is the same as long as there are two fast battleships, whether there are auxiliary cruisers or not. Therefore, after Count Suxiong agreed to attack the Japanese fleet mainly, he did not mind the other party's order to divide the forces.
Therefore, three days after the Japanese fleet sailed to the Horn of Africa, the German fleet also sailed out of the Persian Gulf under the cover of night and headed for the preset battlefield east of Madagascar. Before Count Su Xiong set out, three submarines and two camouflaged cruisers had already set off two days in advance. They would patrol near the routes that the Japanese may sail through. Eight days after the Japanese fleet left Sumatra, the world's first battle with carrier-based aircraft as the main attack force began! Because this naval battle broke out in the southern Indian Ocean, it was also called the Battle of the South Indian Ocean.
"Your Excellency, Commander, the seaplane we just returned from reconnaissance sent intelligence. There is a ship flying the Argentine flag 80 kilometers north of our fleet. It has been circling nearby. This should be a high-speed ship. Ship, the pilot claimed that this ship once ran a speed of about 14 knots. And the displacement was about 6,000 tons." When Hyakutakesaburo was enjoying an English lunch, this news made him instantly stop thinking about eating.
"80 kilometers? This distance is a bit uncomfortable." Hyakutake Saburo walked to the chart and frowned at the position of the ship just marked on it. 80 kilometers, which is more than 40 nautical miles, considering the ship With his own speed, if the Tianlong were to chase him, a lot of time would be wasted in this back and forth. If it can be confirmed that this is a German disguised cruiser, it will be okay. If it is not confirmed, then the fuel lost by Tianlong will be as much as It made him feel a little pain. Although this new cruiser claims to have no problem running more than 30 knots, this does not apply to situations where fuel is tight!
"Send another seaplane to take a look, this time a seaplane equipped with radio communication equipment." Hyakutake Saburo emphasized. To be on the safe side, the Japanese decided to continue to monitor the ship instead of directly expelling or attacking it. On the one hand, it was because the other party was too far away. On the other hand, he felt that even if the ship was really a German disguised cruiser, , at this distance, it is impossible for them to discover the Japanese fleet! Unless, the ship carries a seaplane. And this last point also made Hyakutake Saburo a little unsure.
Seaplanes are very easy to carry. In this day and age, you only need a crane on your ship to retract and deploy the seaplane easily. According to intelligence, before, German camouflaged cruisers also carried seaplanes. (Historically, this German raiding ship carrying an airplane was called the Wolf, and the small plane on it was also called the Little Wolf.) Therefore, Hyakutake Saburo decided to follow up and see if he found that they were carrying a seaplane. ,
Then let the Tianlong cruiser or seaplane take out this ship!
Yes, the Japanese also equipped their seaplanes with some weapons, such as 50KG bombs and machine guns. Although these things are not comparable to those of Britain and Germany, they are still somewhat lethal to civilian-level ships and submarines. of.
"Order the fleet to change the course. Let's go south." Hyakutake Saburo thought for a while and said. Half an hour later, another two-seater seaplane took off. It flew in the direction of the suspicious ship just now, and a few minutes later, the Katori also released a seaplane and continued to patrol near the fleet. Looking at these eyes in the sky, Hyakutake Saburo felt relieved.
"Boss, we seem to be being targeted!" On the lookout post of the German auxiliary cruiser Swordfish, a lookout put down his telescope and shouted loudly to his colleagues below.
"At three o'clock, close to the sea! There is something!" An officer on duty looked along the defense line pointed by his colleague. On the blue sea, something was moving quickly on the sea.
"That's a plane! Yes, it's definitely a plane! A seaplane!" The officer put away the telescope in his hand and quickly ran to the captain's room to report the situation. The Japanese guessed it right, this ship was indeed a The German auxiliary cruiser participated in the battle in the Gulf of Aden that year. This time it just changed its appearance, camouflaged it, and added a fake chimney.
It has to be said that the Germans were very lucky this time. Generally speaking, a single aircraft flying close to the sea is difficult to detect. With some camouflage color on the fuselage, and the low speed, it can easily blend into the background. Among them, not to mention such small aircraft, even large 4-engine aircraft such as the FW200 in the Second World War were sometimes discovered after they dropped bombs on the heads of the British. At this time, in the vast depths of the ocean, such a seaplane suddenly appeared, which made the German crew members on the Swordfish feel nervous.
"It's definitely not ours." After a rough analysis, the possibility of encountering friendly forces has been ruled out, and everyone on the Swordfish camouflaged cruiser felt a sense of pressure.
"If the American intelligence is correct, then at this time and in this place, the only ones that may carry seaplanes are the Japanese fleet! They are near us, but we have not discovered them! A German officer said.
"Where is our main fleet?" the captain asked.
"Two hours ago, the location of our main fleet should have been here, about 70 kilometers northwest of us." The navigator said, pointing to the chart.
"Very good. If this is the case, this seaplane and the fleet behind them should not be able to detect our main force." The captain let out a long sigh.
"Use our backup frequency band to transmit. Before using it, be sure to compare it with the historical frequency band to make sure it is not a frequency band well known to Britain, Japan and other countries. Let's say that we encountered a seaplane, but its attributes are unknown. We hope that the main fleet can Pay attention." The captain thought for a moment and said. "Order the warship to continue sailing eastward. We must disguise it like a civilian ship!"
Sorry, dear book friends, the chapter number of the previous chapter is wrong--! Please forgive me~~~! Two updates today~~~! Please subscribe and reward~~~!