Chapter 2574 The First Battle 2
The battleship USS Rhode Island was sunk first. This battleship was even worse. It was also targeted by the battleship USS Yamashiro and the battlecruiser USS King Kong! Under the attack of 10 15-inch guns and 8 14-inch guns, this poor battleship died very simply! A 15-inch shell flew directly into the ammunition magazine under the main gun at the rear of the battleship's hull. Close to the waterline, this 15-inch shell fired from 7,500 meters away easily tore through 11 The main armor belt on the side string was about 2 inches, and then the projectile knocked all the way down and opened the sloping part of the dome armor, which was no more than 2 inches, and then hit the wall outside the ammunition depot hard!
A pillar of fire hundreds of meters high suddenly rose from the sea! The shock wave generated when the Rhode Island exploded crazily squeezed the surrounding air, making a crashing loud noise that overwhelmed all the sounds on the battlefield! The naval officers and soldiers of both sides, who had never experienced such a fierce battle, were shocked by such a horrific scene at this moment. The bow of the Rhode Island was blown to pieces, and the second half of the ship shattered and disintegrated section by section like firecrackers. In less than a minute Within a period of time, this battleship with a displacement of up to 16,000 tons completely disappeared from the sea.
"In 15 minutes, we have achieved a decisive victory. I never thought it would be so easy to fight the Americans." Lieutenant General Shanwu looked at the place where the Rhode Island sank just now and nodded for himself comfortably. had a cigarette. The depression of being used as a decoy fleet disappeared at this moment. Looking in the other direction, the USS New Jersey can't hold on for long and will soon be destroyed by the destroyer's torpedoes, while another American pre-dreadnought ship is gradually sinking to the bottom of the sea. The overall situation has been decided? !
"Your Excellency, Commander, they have been sunk in New Jersey." An American officer said with a vibrato.
"I know." Colonel William Daniel Lacey said in a low voice as he looked at the Japanese fleet in the distance that was shuttling across the sea like a fire-breathing dragon. Lacey is indeed a person who can become a five-star admiral of the U.S. Navy in history, and he really has some quick wits.
When others in Shanwu commanded the fleet and began to encircle and suppress Colonel Lacey's fleet, Colonel Lacey had already concluded from the firepower of the opponent's first round of attack that he was encountering an unmatched existence. So, he decisively issued the order to move freely. Then, when the three pre-dreadnought battleships subconsciously chose to avoid the interception direction of the Japanese battleships, he commanded the battleship Arkansas and a small number of destroyers and torpedo boats towards the Japanese fleet. Sprint toward the rear of the team! So, to a certain extent, the Japanese fleet and the battleship Arkansas were close to each other!
Thank God, the Japanese focused their attention on the three evading pre-dreadnought battleships, but ignored the battleship that went in the opposite direction. The two sides were fighting at close range, and the relative speed between each other was very high. So, in just ten minutes, the battleship Arkansas actually walked to the northwest of the other people's fleet in Shanwu, almost at the back of the last battleship's head!
"Mr. Colonel, do we want to evacuate?" asked an officer next to him.
"No, we are going to attack. We are in the most advantageous position. If we leave, the entire army position will turn into a sea of fire.
We will lose a third of our position in one night! As long as I am alive and as long as my battleship can still fight, I will never allow this to happen! Colonel Lacey said decisively.
"We can't penetrate them," the officer said with a cry.
"This is no reason! Coward! Get off the bridge!" Lacey roared angrily, and then he ordered: "Except for a destroyer preparing to rescue people who fell into the water, I order all accompanying destroyers to launch an attack on the USS Arkansas. Then immediately launch a lightning strike on the attacked warship! Remember, you only have one chance!"
"Distance is 8,000 yards! The enemy ships haven't discovered us yet." The fire control team sent the data.
"Closer!" Lacey gritted his teeth as he looked at the shadow in the firelight in the distance.
"7300 codes!" A moment later, another set of data came over.
"Fire at 6,000 yards!" After Lacey finished speaking, he closed his eyes and tried to calm himself down. When he opened his eyes again, he adjusted his military uniform while holding tightly the two sabers as the symbol of an officer. Swords. One of the swords is the standard navy sword, and the other sword was given to him by Su Xiong when officers from the United States and Germany gathered together. It is said that it was made from the wreckage of the armored cruiser Mainz that sank in the battle. .
At that time, Admiral Su Xiong said that the Mainz was a warship that the Japanese Navy was afraid of. It had built its reputation with the blood of the Japanese Navy in the Bohai Sea and the East China Sea. But now, the veterans are immortal and their heroic souls are immortal, even if they are just wrecks. He will also bless you to slaughter the Japanese fleet more efficiently!
"6000 yards! The Japanese fleet has slowed down!" Finally, when the fire control officer sent the message again, Colonel Lacey was shocked! At this moment, he really believed Su Xiong's words. When the Arkansas was preparing to attack, the Japanese warship actually slowed down! Slowed down! this.......
"Then what are you waiting for? Fire quickly!" Colonel Lacey said excitedly. Then, the officer controlling the rangefinder quickly magnified the distant image 18 times. The huge hull of the Hyuga battleship filled the entire rangefinder's field of view. ! And the most exciting thing is that the position of the battleship Hyuga and the light source is very good at this time, and the target in the field of view is very clear without any ghosts!
"May God bless us!" At this time, Colonel Lacey in the upper bridge also subconsciously kissed the German naval officer's sword in his hand!
"Fire!" Finally, at this moment, the U.S. Navy launched its first effective counterattack in this naval battle! Twelve 12-inch L50 artillery roared at the battleship Hyuga, which was only 6,000 yards away! The huge fireball pierced the sky, flying towards the target with a breath of destruction and a harsh scream! The speed of more than 800 meters per second did not keep Americans waiting for long! With near-perfect shooting, the Arkansas clipped the target on the first attack!
"What's going on!" Hinata's captain Shitaro Shimada was stunned by the sudden attack! Looking at the dense water columns that suddenly rose around his battleship, at this moment, Shimada even suspected that the US main fleet was coming! He immediately looked to the northwest where the fire was coming from. In the distance, the flames caused by the shells fired by the Arkansas had not yet dissipated. So Shimada finally breathed a sigh of relief. This was just an American warship, just a fish that slipped through the net.
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