"Admiral, this is a reconnaissance photo that the seaplane just sent."
On the morning of September 6, 1944, a seaplane "Catarina" took off from Bermuda and sent some photographs taken by the F13 ultra-long-range reconnaissance aircraft at close range to the "Iowa"-class battleship, which was sailing southeast at a high speed of 25 knots.
It is said that it is "close range", but the actual F13 ultra-long-range reconnaissance aircraft still takes these photos at an altitude of more than 8,000 meters, and it still maintains a high flight speed.
Therefore, the quality of the photos is not very high.
Even so, these photographs were still very precious and timely for Admiral Halsey, who was leading the fleet for a decisive battle against the Germans.
So he immediately took the picture from Rear Admiral Callaghan, put it on his desk, put on reading glasses and studied it carefully.
Looking at the five smoke-emitting aircraft carriers escorted by light cruisers and destroyers, his eyebrows gradually moved closer: "None of the aircraft carriers that have sunk the Germans are really strong."
Callahan had already seen the photo, so he also nodded: "Yes, German things have always been sturdy and durable, and they are not the same thing as Japanese products."
But they still can't get out of the palm of our hand. ” As he spoke, Callahan handed another handwritten report to Halsey.
Halsey took the report and looked at it, and his frown was immediately unraveled.
"Thank God," Halsey said, surprised, "they really broke the rudder of the Zeppelin" "Yes," said Callaghan, "the German fleet has been deviating from course since yesterday evening, and has been moving southeast, and has gone in a straight line.
If they had followed this direction, they would have reached the coast of French North Africa. ” "Now we have caught them," Halsey laughed, "and if they take this route, it will be difficult for them to get support from shore-based aircraft from the Azores during the day tomorrow." ” "They can't run," Callahan said, "and now they're only 170 nautical miles away from us, and they'll be able to catch up in 10 hours."
"Where are the Germans' reinforcements?"
asked Halsey again.
"They were about 150 nautical miles from the German aircraft carrier fleet and had a speed of 25 knots."
Callaghan said that "taking into account the speed and direction of the German aircraft carrier fleet itself, it was possible to converge in 6 hours." ” "Are there any photos of the German reinforcement fleet" "Nope."
Callahan said, "F13 was ejected by Fokker 636 as soon as it got closer, but the radar detection was the same as before. ” "Can we launch an air strike?"
Halsey asked, thinking, "how many planes do Task Force 30 have left?"
In the early morning of 5 and 6 September, the U.S.
Task Force 30 launched several successive air raids on the German Task Force 21, which caused some trauma to the Zeppelin, Prussia, Bohemia, Seydeliz, and Seckert, and also deprived the carrier Bohemia of the ability to take off and land aircraft.
But the air raid group itself suffered heavy losses, having been shot down by the anti-aircraft guns of the Fokker 636 and FW190, as well as surface ships, which served as direct covers "Task Force 30 also has about 400 carrier-based aircraft.
BF suffered extremely heavy losses in previous rounds of air strikes" The SBD and TBF, which are slow "air tanks", are used to bully the Japanese Navy, which lacks both anti-aircraft firepower and fighter firepower, and is competent.
However, in the face of strong firepower fighters such as the Fokker 636 and FW190, and the surface fleet of the European Community, whose anti-aircraft firepower is no less than that of the US Navy fleet, it is inevitable that there will be heavy losses.
Most of the slow-moving SBDs and TBFs didn't even have a chance to drop bombs, and they were shot down by the Fokker 636, which can be called the king of medium and low altitude performance Although the F4U and F6F fly relatively fast and are easy to evade the pursuit of the Fokker 636, it is a difficult technical task to drive a single-seat fighter-bomber to dive bombing.
The US Navy's aces have almost all died in the Pacific Ocean, and the fighter pilots transferred from the Army are okay in air combat, but the naval attack is much worse because the US Army has not fought with the German army in North Africa and Europe, so the fighter pilots of the US Army Air Force are very inexperienced in ground attack, let alone sea attack.
Therefore, in the air attack on the 21st Task Force of the European Community, although the F4U and F6F were able to successfully drop bombs, the hit rate was about the same as that of the shore-based F7F, which was about 10%.
However, the F4U and F6F are both single-engine aircraft, and the bomb load cannot be compared with the double-engine F7F, so the bombs dropped are all 500-pound aerial bombs, which cannot pose a fatal blow to the Zeppelin-class and Prussia-class with armored flight decks, and even the Sedritz-class, which has thrown away most of the flammable and explosive materials, can barely withstand it.
"Task Force 30 carrier-based aircraft must be sent to bomb the German fleet."
Halsey thought for a while, and had already made a decision, "The time can't be too early, so I chose to reach the skies over the German fleet in 8 hours and 8 hours later." ” "8 hours later" Callahan's eyes lit up, "bombing the battleship of the Germans" Halsey nodded, the German fleet that was fleeing in eight hours and the German fleet that had come to reinforce must have converged, and the battleships of the US Task Force 31 were not far away.
At this time, the American air raid group could easily find the converging German fleet through the smoke columns of several wounded German aircraft carriers.
However, there is no need to bomb the aircraft carrier again, as long as the American battleships can catch up with them, no matter how strong the aircraft carrier is sinked by a 406 cannon.
"Except for the necessary direct cover aircraft, send out all the carrier-based aircraft.
Also, let the Norfolk base send F7F, and if they have time, all the fighters will concentrate on bombing the Hindenburg-class battleships and the Wilhelm II-class missile cruisers" Halsey waved his fist and said, "Just blow them up and both German fleets will be finished, and then we will win the war" While Halsey and Callahan were discussing the annihilation of the two German task forces, Bernard, a second lieutenant in the French naval aviation who was in the Nazi camp but had a heart for democracy and freedom, was piloting his Hawkeye 10 seaplane and quietly following behind the Grand Fleet led by Halsey.
The Hawkeye 10 found the U.S.
Navy's Task Force 30 by tracking the returning U.S. carrier-based aircraft, and then followed the U.S.
Task Force 30 about 100,150 nautical miles behind the U.S.
Task Force 30 since yesterday evening, during which time it also landed on the surface of the sea to receive refueling from submarines.
In the early morning of Sept. 6, Hawkeye 10's S-band radar also detected the convergence of two U.S. fleets.
After that, the Hawkeye 10 still followed behind the converging U.S.
Grand Fleet.
At 2 p.m. on 6 September, an order was also given to "approach to within 80 nautical miles for reconnaissance".
Although Ensign Bernard was reluctant to do so, an order was an order, and as a fascist soldier, he did not have the courage to openly disobey.
But as he cautiously approached less than 100 nautical miles from the U.S.
Grand Fleet in his BV138D seaplane, his navigator, Sergeant Muller, suddenly shouted.
"Oh my God, the enemy plane's radar has detected the enemy plane, and they are flying towards us" Damn Bernard cursed in his heart the traitorous Prime Minister Darlan, who sent him to death.
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Just as he was about to maneuver the plane to lower altitude, Sergeant Muller shouted again.
"Oh my God, there are so many of them, 30, no, 50, not more, what the, can the Yankees use so many planes against one of us" "Is there more than 50 planes" Second Lieutenant Bernard was stunned, and soon understood what was going on.
"They're not here to deal with us, they're going to bomb Task Force 20 and Task Force 21, and send a telegram to tell the Yankees above that they're coming to bomb again."
The news that the US Grand Fleet had once again sent air attack planes soon reached the missile battleship "Gneisenau" through the radio waves.
"Admiral," Rear Admiral Mayer, Chief of Staff of the 2nd Fleet of the Combined Community Fleet and Chief of Staff of the 20th Task Force, walked into the office of the commander, Admiral Lefman, "15 minutes ago, the Hawkeye 10 reported that the U.S.
Grand Fleet was sending carrier-based aircraft, which are estimated to arrive in one to one and a half hours" Admiral Leifman looked up at the clock on the bulkhead, "It's 4 p.m. in an hour and a half, and the Yankees picked a good time."
"Admiral, this time the Americans may choose our battleships and missile ships as the main targets."
"How many Fokker 636s and FW190s can fly now" "There are 145 Fokker 636 and 190 FW112."
Major General Mayer replied.
Task Force 21 originally had about 248 carrier-based aircraft, not including 2 submarine hunting groups, of which 128 were commonly used Fokker 636s.
And the 20 Task Force has 2 aircraft carriers of the 4th Fleet's 2 Kesselring-class, which has 80 carrier-based aircraft in common use, of which 64 are Fokker 636 and 16 are FE reconnaissance bombers.
In total, there are 192 commonly used Fokker 636s and 144 commonly used FW190s.
However, after several rounds of fierce sea and air battles, only 257 fighters were left that could fly, and this number included all reserve aircraft.
"All took off," said Admiral Leifman, "and all the fighters took off with full fuel and ready to meet the enemy planes" t1706231537: