Chapter 1692 The End 2
Chapter 1692 The End 2
After the carrier-based aircraft evacuated, the Gneisenau began to come up to clear the area. It was not that they were concerned about the life and death of the Japanese, but based on the principle of confidentiality, it would still be a problem if the surviving Japanese naval officers and soldiers in this area were rescued. , so I decided to clean it up first.
Leaving aside the action of the Gneisenau, Major General Rodhart finally breathed a sigh of relief after watching the last batch of bombers return safely. So far, his combat mission has been basically completed, with a total of 28 aircraft participating in the entire fleet. During the battle, except for one aircraft that was shot down and two aircraft that were damaged and abandoned, the remaining 25 aircraft were safe and sound. At the cost of three aircraft, the German naval aviation easily killed 1 battleship and 1 light cruiser. , 1 seaplane carrier and 2 destroyers. This efficiency is much higher than that of battleships, and it is obtained when one's own battleships are hardly threatened. This advantage can already make people see the trend of the rise of aircraft carriers in the future. !
Lieutenant General Su Xiong still couldn't forget the Japanese transport ships that had escaped, so he suggested that the two fast battleships be left behind to continue carrying out maritime diplomatic operations in the Indian Ocean, while the Constellation returned to the Persian Gulf under the cover of two camouflaged cruisers. , In fact, in this sea area, except for the escort ships, there are no large Allied warship activities. Even if a light cruiser is encountered, relying on the vitality of the two camouflaged cruisers and the carrier-based aircraft of the Constellation is enough to deal with it. Therefore, it is the best choice to let the two fast battleships stay here to continue breaking diplomatic relations.
However, what Lieutenant General Su Xiong didn't expect was that his action also had the effect of creating suspicion. When Nagumo Chuichi finally returned to the Philippines to report to the Combined Fleet after more than a month of twists and turns at sea, when he said that the Germans When at least 20 bombers were gathered together to launch an attack, the first reaction of the Japanese Navy's top brass was to lie!
Because, after the Japanese fleet was completely destroyed, there were many attacks on transport ships in the southern Indian Ocean. In these incidents, the German Navy's tactics were to first conduct reconnaissance by seaplanes, and then encircle and kill them with fast battleships. There is no situation where carrier-based aircraft are the main force... Then, the top brass of the Japanese Navy will ask, since the efficiency of carrier-based aircraft is so high, why does the German Navy not continue to use air strikes? !
Moreover, Nagumo Chuichi's confession did not confirm whether these carrier-based aircraft took off from the aircraft carrier! Because the Japanese also know that sometimes the Germans treat aircraft as disposable items. If this is the case, then it is possible to organize a fleet without an aircraft carrier. Of course, the scale of the attack by more than 20 aircraft mentioned by Chuichi Nagumo also made the Japanese Navy somewhat unacceptable. After all, the battlefield is so tense, so it is normal to misread and overestimate the opponent. Compared with the sudden appearance of a German aircraft carrier in the Indian Ocean, the senior Japanese navy officials believed that Nagumo Chuichi was wrong... Or to shirk responsibility?
But no matter what, Nagumo Chuichi's experience did serve as a wake-up call to the Japanese Navy. Regardless of whether what Nagumo Chuichi said is true or false, two things are certain. First, aircraft can pose a serious threat to main battleships. This can be seen in the performance of bombers from both the Allies and the Entente.
Second, as a world-class fleet, aircraft carriers are indispensable. Taking a step back, carrier-based aircraft can provide aviation cover and better reconnaissance effects for the fleet. Furthermore, they serve as the long arm of the fleet's attack. Not a bad idea!
Therefore, the Japanese Combined Fleet, which wanted to make new toys but was worried about spending money, definitely got two high-standard civilian ships to try to modify them. Of course, these two ships would definitely not be able to keep up with the First World War, but in the subsequent In the series of battles that broke out in the Western Pacific, the performance of these two improved aircraft carriers was remarkable. Of course, this is a story for another day and will not be mentioned for now.
And what impact does this battle have on the British? It turned out that the British did not know about this. First of all, it was an Argentine merchant ship that rescued Nagumo Chuichi and his friends. This merchant ship was on its way back to China, and the Japanese naturally had no choice but to follow the ship, and because of the two German fast battleships operated in this area and attacked ports along the coast of southern Africa. Although Argentina was a neutral country, once it entered a British port and was bombarded, the shells could not tell whether you were a neutral country or not. So, this ship The Argentine merchant ship did not dare to dock in South Africa and returned directly to the country. After many twists and turns, Nagumo Chuichi and other talents embarked on the voyage back to the country in Buenos Aires. During the entire process, there was no contact with British and French personnel. .
Secondly, after returning to China, the Japanese did not understand the situation of this naval battle at first, so they naturally did not exchange intelligence with the British. After straightening out the situation, the Japanese did not communicate with the British at the first time. As for The specific reason is that the Japanese argued that the combat effectiveness of the aircraft carrier was underestimated, and in the North Sea, most of them were within the coverage of land-based aviation, and the power of carrier-based aircraft was very fragile, so Japan believed that there was no "necessity" to notify the British.
Therefore, this naval battle in the South Indian Ocean, which can be recorded in history, did not produce much sensational effect just after it ended. Although the German fleet did not completely prevent all news from spreading, it still kept the secret under the influence of various factors. The Prince's greatest fear of the expansion of British Grand Fleet air power caused by fighting in the southern Indian Ocean did not occur.
On the contrary, in this battle, the German naval aviation finally gained the coveted practical experience, which will be crucial to the future operations of the German naval aviation in a series of decisive battles in the North Sea. If nothing else, just from the perspective of combat conditions. , in terms of the entire use of aircraft carriers and combat procedures, the Germans have left the British by several miles.
However, even so, there are still many problems in the German Navy's aircraft carrier operations. After all, the Germans are targeting the British Grand Fleet, the largest in the world, and its most powerful naval aviation unit. They are not without the ability to fight back. Fish belly. The German High Seas Fleet aircraft carrier detachments were constantly under threat from British shore-based aviation. This offensive and defensive problem must be solved!
Fortunately, after combining this combat experience with previous deductions, the German High Seas Fleet already has a fairly adequate response plan. This plan not only involves aircraft carriers, but also fleets and land-based aviation.
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