Chapter 2197 Search and Preparation

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The deployment of the destroyer cordon was naturally intended to provide early warning of the possible appearance of British battleships. In fact, everyone knows that it is unrealistic to severely damage the Spey fleet solely by relying on carrier-based aircraft on British aircraft carriers. Therefore, the British tactic can only be to injure the enemy with the air force, and then the Queen goes up to deal with the opponent.

And this time, Count Spey's idea is to consume the number of carrier-based aircraft on the British Navy's aircraft carriers. If the British carrier-based aircraft can be consumed before the decisive battle, it will obviously be very helpful in weakening the British reconnaissance, air defense and anti-ship capabilities. big effect. So, he sent a special telegram to Sims asking if Sims was willing to fight the battle.

"If we only fight one wave, then even if the British attack with all their strength, we can still effectively defend our opponents, and it is even possible to kill a large number of opponents." After receiving the inquiry from Count Spey, Sims' chief of staff, Kim Colonel Meyer thought for a moment and said.

"Yes, time is very favorable to us. The British only have enough time to launch one wave of attacks before dark. Although they have 4 aircraft carriers, the number of aircraft they carry is not too much. If we use full-deck release aircraft for defense, , coupled with the seaplanes on the Allied battleships, we have every chance to block the opponent's attack and break the opponent's aircraft carrier." Sims nodded to express his approval of the colonel.

Now, there are 40 fighter jets parked neatly on the deck of the USS Independence, and there are another 20 aircraft in the hangar ready to go! This time, the Americans rarely allow cannon bullets to be loaded in the hangar, so after the aircraft are released on the deck, the next wave of aircraft can be quickly lifted to the deck, and then with the help of pressurized refuelers, one Refueling the plane only takes 2 minutes! Therefore, the second wave of aircraft will be released very quickly! In other words, within a period of time, the Independence can release more than 50 aircraft to perform interception missions!

At the same time, the Allied battleships also have a large number of seaplanes that can be released. Generally speaking, there are three planes placed in the middle of the hull and two at the stern. Three of them can be easily ejected through the guide rails, which is very convenient! In this case, assuming that each German battleship provides an average of 3 seaplanes, there will be 24 more aircraft for defense!

Of course, it is unrealistic to expect seaplanes to fight fighter jets, but they are perfect for dealing with approaching torpedo planes at low altitudes. The British Dujuan T1 torpedo plane has to carry Because of the torpedoes, their maneuverability can be described as tragic, and seaplanes have no problem intercepting them!

If 74 aircraft of various types have been concentrated for defense in this way, it will still be enough to face the British aircraft carrier squadron that hastily struck a blow!

"We should take the initiative at this time and search for the location of the British aircraft carrier so that we are not so passive." Colonel Kimmel said.

"That's no problem. After the fighter jets in front take off to perform a warning mission, the reconnaissance planes in the back can be sent to search for the British fleet. Before, we also intercepted the British radio communications and knew their approximate location. But now It’s about determining the distance,” Major General Sims said.

"Contact Count Spee and tell them our thoughts." After a moment of reflection, Sims issued the order again. At the same time, before the US aircraft carrier took action, Count Spee had already dispatched 6 seaplanes. Launch an operation to search for the V1500 bomber approaching at low altitude. 20 minutes later, the peeper was beaten to pieces by four seaplanes in turn, causing the British investigation to be suspended for a time.

However, because the German fleet is heading east and the Thomas-Betty fleet is heading west, the distance between the two sides is still closer!

"Damn! The Germans have gotten rid of our tracking!" On the flagship Ark Royal, Betty received the telegram sent before the second V1500 ocean patrol aircraft was shot down. This was the last aircraft the British used to target their opponents. , and now, as the plane was destroyed, the German fleet temporarily disappeared from the British sight. This made Betty, who was always ready to attack, very unhappy!

"I have prepared 40 fighter planes, 30 bombers and 30 torpedo planes! This attack can completely damage more than two German battleships! But now they can only waste time on the deck, damn it!" Betty was restless. walking back and forth in the command room.

"Should we send out a reconnaissance plane to search again?" an officer said.

"It's too late. Our fleet has been deployed. The ones in front are fighters. Their range is very short and they are single-person. Most of them don't have radios. It's impossible to guide the aircraft and re-adjustment will waste a long time, even if we complete it. Adjusting and releasing reconnaissance planes will also affect our attack power." Betty shook her head and rejected the suggestion of her subordinates.

At this time, Thomas sent a signal indicating that his fast fleet was willing to provide 16 seaplanes to provide reconnaissance for the fleet.

"Thomas finally did something right." Betty whispered: "Send a signal to General Thomas and say that we agree with this plan and wish him immediate success."

Thomas's handling this time was indeed very good. Not to mention now, even in the early days of World War II, seaplanes carried by cruisers or other fighters were very important means of reconnaissance. They could effectively save the aviation capabilities of aircraft carriers for attacks, such as Historically, during the Battle of Midway, Japanese cruisers provided certain reconnaissance assistance. Now, with the aircraft carrier's aviation capabilities being very limited, Thomas' use of seaplanes for reconnaissance is naturally a very good solution.

So, in the next ten minutes, 16 seaplanes took off one after another and flew towards the location where the German fleet was last spotted. According to previous intelligence, the distance between the two sides was still about 50 nautical miles! This distance is very interesting, between being able to catch up or not being able to catch up! If the two sides are close, Betty's aviation will have the opportunity to launch an attack. If the other side is far away, then there is no chance of fighting today!

So far, although Thomas and Betty feel a little uncomfortable in the fighting situation, overall they are proceeding as planned. However, 20 minutes after Thomas dispatched 16 seaplanes to perform the reconnaissance mission, a sudden situation caught the British by surprise and even scared Betty into a cold sweat! Because of this unexpected situation, the British immediately changed their combat plan, which led to a series of subsequent consequences!

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