Chapter 2786 Tragic 2
However, the Nevada was even more miserable under the attack of two battleships. Seven artillery pieces were destroyed successively. Although the Hanoi's attack could not penetrate the core cabin of the Nevada, the violent shelling and a large number of semi-armor-piercing bombs still damaged the Nevada. The unprotected area caused great damage. The unprotected areas at the bow and stern of the ship were riddled with holes. After a large amount of seawater poured in, the Nevada had to perform reverse water injection and balance to ensure the hull's posture. The direct result of this was that before the Nevada sank, the ship The battleship has already received more than 6,500 tons of water!
"We witnessed the last moments of the USS Nevada with our own eyes. It was a true warrior. It and the officers and soldiers on it fulfilled their vow to fight to the end. Before it sank, the open deck of the battleship was only 1 meter above the water. It was more than a meter long, and the stern of the ship was submerged in the water due to too much water. The destroyed turret stopped rotating, and the slender barrel was stretched on the deck. Waves kept surging up the rear deck, washing the main gun over and over again, and the entire The superstructure has collapsed, all the masts are broken, the chimney has become a pile of ruins, and the remaining cabins are like piles of metal garbage. Flames and smoke cover the entire surface of the battle. Like a walking ruins, Even so, the Nevada still fired with its secondary guns from time to time, roaring unyieldingly at the opponent." A US destroyer officer described the Nevada on the verge of death.
The Nevada finally left. The Nevada walked very calmly. It slowly sank into the sea. In the end, even the Japanese fleet did not pay much attention to the battleship, so that the American destroyers could approach safely. Then the surviving officers and soldiers on board were picked up. Before the war, there were more than 1,100 officers and soldiers on this battleship, but at the end of the battle, only 500 people were rescued. Most of them died in the battle, and a few were trapped. In a shipwreck.
The Nevada achieved the best result in the most tragic situation. Its outstanding performance forced the Ise to temporarily withdraw from the battle. As a result, after the Nevada was sunk, one of the Japanese navy's battleships was also temporarily suspended in a short period of time. Excluding the battle sequence, the status of the battle did not fluctuate much due to the sinking of the Nevada. Well, the Hanoi is free, but the bargaining chip is not that big!
At the same time, due to repeated successful attacks, the Ise's power system also had problems, which indirectly led to the insufficient number of capital ships available to the Japanese fleet in the final stage of the battle! Of course, this is something for later, let’s not mention it for now.
The consecutive loss of three Dreadnoughts has brought not only a loss of combat effectiveness to the U.S. Navy, but also a heavy blow to morale. Many people have realized that they are not far away from defeat. Their previous calculations and hard work do not seem to work. Change nothing. The exquisite tactics of the U.S. Navy and the blood of its officers and soldiers were not favored by the God of War. Even Sims, who was transferred to the Maryland, was about to have a mental breakdown. He knew that the U.S. Navy was now on the verge of collapse, and the combat effectiveness of both sides had already It's almost out of proportion. If it continues, the opponent can really be described as overwhelming.
“I saw my fleet sinking one by one, and I saw the officers and soldiers still struggling on the sea. Endless flames and blood covered the ocean in the film, and wreckage and corpses covered the sea.
I felt death approaching, and I tried to dispel the fear and depression lingering in my heart, but they still overwhelmed me little by little. ” Sims recalled how he felt after the war.
Ma Jifen on the side is still fulfilling his obligations conscientiously. It seems that the shadow of defeat has not enveloped him. Although the cards in his hand are now very few, all the battleships are being stared at by the opponent, and the destroyers are also He suffered heavy losses in the fight just now. But with the mental support of steel, Ma Jifen truly did his best!
"The situation that day was terrible, enough to make more than 90% of people despair, but for me, it was just a replica of the battle 20 years ago, and our situation was even better than it was then. I believe that in I could lead my men to escape the pursuit of the American fleet during the Battle of the Philippines, so I can do the same today! Maybe the battle will fail, but I must bring as many people back as possible!" Magiffin wrote in his diary.
"General, what should we do?" Nimitz asked anxiously. At this time, at the end of the battle sequence, Redel's Mecklenburg was still fighting hard with the Tosa. Both sides had suffered huge losses and scars in the previous battle, but until now, no one has given up. , no one retreated, everyone was thinking about how to kill each other! There is no retreat for each other!
The evacuation of the Tosa means that a Bavaria-class battleship can be freed up. Although Mecklenburg is close to its limit, in today's decisive battle, many battleships have reached their limit! The Japanese dare not gamble! And if the Mecklenburg cannot hold on, it means that Redel really cannot return to Germany! The long battle has caused this battleship to take in more than 3,500 tons of water, and its power system has also been damaged. It can no longer outrun other fast battleships in better condition in the Japanese fleet!
"We have tried our best! We cannot break through this point alone." Redel has been thinking about ways to break the situation, but until now, he really has no choice. Now, the number of armor-piercing shells remaining in each artillery is no longer enough. It’s 6 shots! The shells fired in artillery now are semi-armor-piercing shells! This kind of shell cannot penetrate the opponent's armor even at close range. Four of the original eight artillery pieces have been destroyed! The accuracy has dropped drastically, and the Mecklenburg has run out of gas. Fortunately, the situation of the Tosa opposite is also very sad. There are only 4 of the 10 15-inch naval guns left, and the damage is worse than that of the Mecklenburg. The number is heavier. But now neither side can kill their opponent!
"We are covering the destroyer for the lightning strike. We must find a way. The Colorado has sunk, and the opponent has two 16-inch gun battleships. The reason why we can survive until now is because of the bloody battle of the destroyer unit! Our time is limited, if we continue After a while of fighting, the front row of the fleet will collapse, and we will all be finished by then!" Nimitz said anxiously.
Nimitz simply couldn't imagine what would happen if the U.S. Navy lost all its money in this naval battle! Even though the U.S. industry is strong, the annihilation of such a large-scale main fleet is still a disaster, not only military, but also an unacceptable blow to society and international reputation!
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