"Marshal, if we are going to attack with aircraft carriers, then it is better to attract the fleet of the Germans outside the protective circle of their shore-based aircraft."
After deciding on the general policy of attacking the German fleet with aircraft carriers, the rest was for the Naval Operations Department to draw up a plan.
Because of his valuable experience in operations in the Mediterranean, Vice Admiral Ted of the Air Force also rushed to the Admiralty on the afternoon of 7 June to participate in the formulation of the plan, and his first suggestion was to avoid the protective circle of German shore-based aircraft.
"The Germans' new fighter refers to the fact that the FW190 and the Fokker Zero are very powerful in working together, and there is no way to fight it with a Spitfire."
"But the new German fighter clearly doesn't have the same range as the Fokker Zero, with a combat radius of about 400,500 kilometers," Ted said. ” "Then we need a decoy to attract the German fleet," thought Second Sea Secretary Vice Admiral Lister, who commanded the British aircraft carriers in the Mediterranean, with his hands pressed to the edge of the chart table, "and the bait needs to be big and fragrant, and I think the Hood is a very attractive bait." ” "What Hood" Marshal Pound was taken aback by this proposal.
"That's the largest and fastest battlecruiser of the Royal Navy, and if we lose the Hood, then the Royal Navy won't be able to deal with the German battleships that break into the Atlantic."
There are still quite a few battleships and battlecruisers in the Royal Navy, but these battleships and battlecruisers, both new and old, are relatively slow. 27 knots and 28 knots are fast, only the Hood has a high speed of more than 30 knots.
The three German battleships are conservatively estimated to have a high speed of more than 30 knots, especially the four battlecruisers that are being tested are estimated to have a maximum speed of about 33 knots Once they have completed sea trials, they will definitely break into the Atlantic Ocean to break diplomatic relations, if Britain does not have the Hood, these four "battle cruisers" will be difficult to catch, although Britain can reduce the threat of German war to the British and American routes through Iceland transit, but Britain also has routes to South Africa, India, Singapore and Australia.
These routes had to be escorted by Britain itself, and if a few German fast war cruisers broke into the South and Indian Oceans, Britain would be in big trouble.
"It's because the Hood is so important that we can use it as bait."
Vice Admiral Lister shrugged his shoulders and said, "Moreover, if this German fleet is safely transferred to the port of Brest, then our operation to block the Strait of Gibraltar will fail, and then it will not be a break in the engagement." ” Marshal Pound's face became very solemn after hearing this, and he knew that Lister's analysis was very reasonable.
"Then where should the location of the Hood be?"
asked Marshal Pound.
Lieutenant General Lister replied: "Northwest of the Faroe Islands, 500 nautical miles from Bergen. ” 500 nautical miles is almost 926 kilometers, and although the Fokker Zero, JU88 and S79 are still available, they are already close to the limit of the combat radius.
If you attack fixed targets such as airfields and ports, it is not a big problem, but if you want to deal with a fleet operating at sea, it is not enough.
Because after the swarm flies over the area where the target is located, there is also a process of searching for the target.
Moreover, airfields in the Faroe Islands and northern Scotland will also cover the Hood formation with fighter jets.
"But there were also two aircraft carriers in the German fleet."
Marshal Pound said, "There may be 60 carrier-based aircraft on it." ” Admiral Ted interjected: "The Germans could only carry 250 kg of bombs on their carrier-based dive bombers, and they did not have ship-based torpedo bombers.
So the German carrier-based aircraft forces did not have sufficient anti-ship capabilities, and the air defense of the fleet was their main task. ” "Alright then, make a proposal to the home fleet to use the Hood to lure the enemy into a decisive battle with the aircraft carrier."
Marshal Pound muttered for a moment, "However, shore-based aircraft should not be idle, shore-based aircraft should be used to fully weaken the German High Seas Fleet, and then send aircraft carriers to annihilate them in one fell swoop."
The command of the Home Fleet, on the battleship "Nelson", the flagship of the Home Fleet on the west coast of Scotland in Clyde Sound, immediately began to adjust its deployment after receiving the order of Field Marshal Pound.
Despite the crushing defeat in the Mediterranean, the Royal Navy is still a formidable navy.
In June 1941, the Home Fleet had three battle cruisers, including "Hood", "Prestige" and "Counterattack", and nine battleships including "Nelson", "King George V", "Prince of Wales", "Queen Elizabeth", "War-weary", "Barham", "Warrior", "Malaya" and "Ramillis".
In addition, the home fleet has eight aircraft carriers, including the "Ark Royal", "Bainya", "Fearful", "Victory", "Indomitable", "Retaliation", "Daring" and "Pretoria".
The strength is still very strong However, not all of these 3 battle cruisers, 9 battleships and 8 aircraft carriers are now in the Gulf of Clyde.
Among them, 5 of the "Queen Elizabeth" class, as well as the "Bainya", "Retaliation", "Daring" and "Pretoria" and other four escort aircraft carriers that are not very strong in combat effectiveness are not escort carriers, but their combat effectiveness is about the same, along with some other cruisers and destroyers, forming the H fleet.
Now the H Fleet is covering a landing force to attack the Spanish Canary Islands, while the fleet is also responsible for supporting the defensive operations of the fortress of Gibraltar.
And the remaining main forces of the native fleet.
It is now divided into Fleet A, Fleet B, and Fleet C.
The A flotilla consisted of two battleships, the "Nelson" and the last of the "Ramillis", the Revenge class, which remained in the Firth of Clyde.
Flotilla B, which consisted of the "Hood" and the "Prince of Wales", commanded by Vice Admiral Lancelot Holland, served as a decoy fleet and headed for the northwestern waters of the Faroe Islands.
The C Fleet is the main force of the home fleet, which includes the "King George V", "Prestige", "Counterattack", and the four fleet aircraft carriers "Ark Royal", "Dreadsome", "Victory" and "Indomitable".
Fleet C, commanded by Vice Admiral Somerville, cruised the waters off Iceland, looking for an opportunity to annihilate the main German High Seas Fleet Just as the actions of the German High Seas Fleet did not hide from the eyes and ears of the British, the sorties of the British B and C Flotillas were also ambushed in the North Channel between Scotland and Ireland, from where the B Flotilla entered the Atlantic Ocean and between Wales and Ireland near St.
George's Strait, and the German submarines from which the C Flotilla departed.
Upon learning that the British Home Fleet was almost out of the nest, Admiral Raeder, who was at the naval headquarters in Port Kiel, immediately summoned Hans Jeshunek, Wolfgang von Richthofen, and Admiral Otto Schnywynd, Chief of Naval Staff, to study countermeasures.
"The British, who are heading south through the St.
George's Strait, are the main force of the Home Fleet," said Otto Schnywind, "and they have entered the Celtic Sea through the Strait this evening, and must have sought to avoid our planes in Brest under the cover of night." ” The port of Brest on the Brittany Peninsula is now an important stronghold of the Luftwaffe and naval aviation, where more than 700 combat aircraft of various types are deployed, including the fearsome Ju88, S79, Fokker Zero and FW190, as well as many HE115 seaplanes and FW200Cs that can be used both for reconnaissance and to attack convoys.
If the British C Fleet let them "catch" during the day, then don't play any ambushes, they will be blown up directly.
So the British fleet generally used the evening to pass through the St.
George's Strait under the cover of fighters taking off from the home airfield, which was the focus of German submarine minelaying, and it was very unsafe to pass through at night, and then disappeared into the Atlantic Ocean through the Celtic Sea after nightfall.
"There will be a few FW200Cs to search after dark, and if they can be found, they will be able to dispatch fighters to bomb early tomorrow morning."
General Hans Yeshunek lit a cigarette, took a few puffs, and said to Raeder.
Now the FUG200 radar system has been installed on the FW200C, so it is possible to go out at night to search for the British fleet at sea.
If you can find each other, follow behind the butt and wait until dawn to get Brest's planes to bomb them.
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Because in one night, even if the British fleet sails at a speed of 2025 knots, at most 200250 nautical miles in the direction of the Atlantic, planes from Brest will always be able to bomb once or twice.
However, the radar performance of this era is not very good, and there is no early warning aircraft that seems to have a pot lid on the back of later generations, and under normal circumstances, the airborne radar can only search a small sector area directly ahead.
Therefore, there is no guarantee that the British fleet will be found.
"In addition," added Otosch Niwynd, "we have a number of radar-mounted submarines in the Atlantic waters near Ireland that can also be used to search the British fleet." ” Raeder nodded, and then asked, "Can you be sure what kind of ships this British fleet is heading south?"
Otto Schnywinder shook his head.
"Because it was dark and the distance was far away, it was impossible to be sure, but it was certain that there were at least 3 battleships and 2 aircraft carriers," he said. ” Raeder crossed his arms and thought for a while, and said to himself: "I don't know where this fleet is going, it is going south to reinforce Gibraltar, or north to reinforce the Shetland Islands." t1706231537: