Chapter 126, Pursuit Battle in the South Indian Ocean (Part 2)
Compared with Chief of Staff Kamizhongtoku's worries and worries in the rear command post, the "Blue Mermaid" female fleet in the Indian Ocean is gearing up, smug and high-spirited, fully demonstrating their nascent talents. The adventurous spirit of a calf is not afraid of a tiger.
——Just like every guy who gets a big steel toy like a battleship, he can't help but pull it out and shoot it a few times.
Strictly speaking, this time in the southern Indian Ocean, killing monsters and monsters is indeed a novice village mission with extremely low difficulty and risk - the opponents are just a group of transport ships and auxiliary ships that are desperate and desperate. , also runs very slowly. Although it is equipped with some self-defense firepower, such as a few heavy machine guns or a few artillery pieces, in the face of an attack by regular warships, there is no difference between such armed strength and none.
However, although the ships of Japan's "Blue Mermaid" women's fleet are all cutting-edge, the quality of the personnel is really poor. Even though it is purely a downwind battle to beat the weak chickens and the dogs in the water, there are many ridiculous loopholes, making this The gold content of the victory is increasingly fading.
First, the cruiser Kaohsiung, which was handed over to the girls, fired nearly a hundred salvos at a freighter at a long distance just after it entered the firing range, but none of the shots hit, and not even a single near-miss was fired. The enemy The ship remained unscathed...but in the end it frightened the freighter into actively hoisting a white flag and stopping the ship.
Then came the flagship battleship Musashi, which had a boiler explosion and pipe leak before it even left the Strait of Malacca. It caused a fire on the spot, killing and injuring nearly a hundred people, and the entire ship had a power outage for nearly 20 hours... so the ship had to anchor on the spot. Emergency repairs were carried out, and the command system became a mess.
Then there is the heavy cruiser Nachi. It did not consider the tide when it was chasing a cruise ship heading north to escape to India. Unfortunately, it caught up with the low tide and ran aground on the beach. Now it is paralyzed on the sandbar of the Palk Strait waiting for rescue... I hope that in the future Before rescue arrives, don't be attacked by the Indians on the shore.
The most embarrassing thing was that the destroyer Harekaze was actually counterattacked by an armed merchant ship. The ship was equipped with a 203 mm heavy gun at the rear, and it hit the Harekaze with one shot like a divine help. From the bridge cab, another shot damaged the Harekaze's boiler turbine, so they took the opportunity to run away at full speed. What's even worse is that the Harekaze, which lost power and was paralyzed on the sea, failed to wait for rescue by its own people first. Instead, it unfortunately encountered the British destroyer HMS Vixen, and was sent to the bottom of the water by a torpedo. The crew spent a day and night in the sea before being fished out.
However, the British destroyer HMS Vixen could not escape far before it was besieged by four other Japanese destroyers and was eventually struck by a mine and sunk.
What made Chief of Staff Kami Shigenori break into a cold sweat was the distress of the "national idol" Yamato battleship...
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In the equatorial waters southeast of the Maldives Islands, a fierce sea and air battle is underway.
The screams of approaching dive bombers, the thud of anti-aircraft gunfire, and the shouts of sailors mingled on the deck.
Wearing a snow-white uniform, golden tassels on her shoulders, and a gorgeous saber hanging on her waist, Ms. Minarika, the acting captain of the Yamato, raised her face with dull eyes, numbly looking at the "Corcia" dive bombers of the US military and the Revenge. torpedo machine. The battleship Yamato roared and circled around his feet, rolling and turning flexibly, and launched ferocious and fearless attack dives against the Yamato and the escorting destroyers again and again.
With their somewhat inexperienced skills and indomitable courage, these U.S. naval aviation personnel withstood the crazy firepower of Japanese battleship anti-aircraft guns. They constantly adjusted their flying heights and angles amidst the roaring sounds and dazzling firelights, and headed towards the smoke of gunpowder. Strings of black dots were sprinkled on the diffuse sea surface, and then they suddenly climbed out of contact... The strings of black dots falling from the fuselage quickly exploded into huge balls of flames, and the long impact points exploded in a long line. A wall of flames. The huge sound waves and wall of flames covered up all the noise and colors on the sea, which can be described as earth-shattering.
Although the Japanese fleet's air defense fire net was also extremely fierce, like an erupting volcano, causing American planes to fall like meteors. However, the US military fighter planes eager for revenge still rushed forward one after another, rushing toward the Yamato like moths to a flame!
——Previously, after Ms. Minarika, who served as the acting captain of the Yamato, led the ship into the Indian Ocean, she didn't pay attention to the small fish and shrimps at all. She focused on the biggest prey in this pursuit: the flagship of the British Royal Navy's Eastern Fleet. "African War" battle cruiser HMS Reputation.
Because according to accurate information obtained by reconnaissance satellites, the US and British forces currently do not have any aircraft carriers deployed in the Indian Ocean, not even escort aircraft carriers modified from cruise ships. It is really a perfect stage for big ships and big guns to show off their majesty. Therefore, Captain Minarika boldly led the modified version of the nuclear fusion-powered Yamato battleship and two escorting Shimakaze-class destroyers without the cover of the aircraft carrier naval aviation, and clung to the Reputation... And finally succeeded in biting the tail of the battlecruiser HMS Reputation in the equatorial waters south of the Maldives Islands.
Regrettably, although the Allied forces do not have any aircraft carriers in the Indian Ocean today, and the entire Indian Ocean route is in a state of closure, at the Maldives Islands Air Force Base in the heart of the Indian Ocean, because the Allied forces are carrying out large-scale operations from the front lines in North Africa and the Middle East Because of the retreat, a full thirty squadrons of fighters and bombers were accumulated! Originally, these planes were preparing to transfer back home, but now they could be used to besiege the Yamato.
——Although more than half of them are aircraft of the Army Aviation and have not been trained to attack ships, they are all experienced pilots who have been withdrawn from the front lines in North Africa, the Middle East and Europe, and they are still capable of fighting after being equipped with bombs and torpedoes. Not to mention that there are at least four squadrons of HNA veterans left...
So, in an instant, the offensive and defensive momentum was reversed. The battleship Yamato commanded by Miss Minarika changed from a hunter to a prey before she could fire a cannonball at the desperate Renown... The first thing that appeared was just a katana. The Talina seaplane hovers far away on the horizon. Captain Nan Lixiang didn't care much about this and just continued to pursue the Reputation. But then, an emergency warning came from the rear radio: A huge attack fleet had taken off from the Maldives Islands and was rushing towards the Yamato!
Nan Lixiang, who had not yet experienced the test of a real hard battle, suddenly panicked and had to quickly give up the pursuit of the Renown and turn around and retreat eastward. However, even the modified version of the nuclear-powered Yamato-class battleship that can reach 42 knots at full speed is still unable to outrun the aircraft... Shortly after the Yamato completed its U-turn, a group of Allied aircraft taking off from the Maldives roared in. , launched a series of dive attacks!
The battle in the Maldives began with a salvo of 460mm main guns from the No. 3 turret at the rear of the Yamato - using the Yamato's 460mm main guns to shoot aircraft was considered a great invention of the Japanese navy. To this end, the Japanese army specially developed three-type anti-aircraft bombs, also known as incendiary bombs or fireworks bombs. In the vernacular, they are fireworks bombs. When fired, they explode into countless fragments. It can be said to be an all-round attack from up, down, left, and right. The pursuit of The effect is not armor-piercing or explosive, but a direct hit in your face. And what it disperses is not conventional metal shrapnel, but incendiary bombs rich in various chemical combustion substances. Every time a three-type anti-aircraft bomb is fired, a huge meteor shower will explode in the air. , like gorgeous fireworks blooming.
However, behind these bright and gorgeous fireworks, there is a deadly danger hidden. After each Type 3 anti-air bomb explodes, it can split into thousands of fragments, or thousands of small incendiary bombs, instantly turning a large area of sky or sea into a sea of fire.
More importantly, each burst of fireworks can theoretically clear out a large number of enemy bombers or torpedo planes - in the World War II era, at least the bomber formations in the early stages of World War II were not like modern military jets. , in order to avoid collisions, aircraft need to be far apart. On the contrary, due to the small size, slow speed and crude equipment of the aircraft at that time, many early models of fighters and bombers did not even have radios. Air commanders had to rely on hand signals and semaphores to issue orders. Therefore, in order to allow the pilots to see each other's gestures and even hear each other's voices, the fleets at that time were packed tightly when the formation went out, and would only disperse when they were about to enter combat.
And every three-type anti-air missile fired can form a spherical space killing range with a diameter of three hundred meters. In addition, it has a long range and can hit the enemy aircraft before they disband. If you are lucky, you can kill an enemy squadron with just one shot...
Of course, in actual combat, the luck of Yamato-class battleships is usually not that good. Moreover, in the late World War II, with the advancement of radio technology, aircraft from various countries were equipped with radios one after another, and the formations became more and more dispersed. In addition, this Type 3 anti-aircraft bomb, which contains a large amount of flammable chemicals, is still a source of danger when installed on large warships. Due to the inadequate Japanese military technology, the performance of this Type 3 anti-aircraft bomb is very unstable. It may explode at some point, which is almost the same as a "powerful oxygen torpedo" - but if it is really hit, the effect will be amazing.
——Relying on the precise calculations of the tactical computer, the three huge bombs roared out of the muzzle, passed through the low clouds of one thousand meters, and drew a very curved arc trajectory in the atmosphere, accurately hitting the incoming beauty. The aircraft formation exploded, turning into countless tiny shrapnel, forming three huge inverted bowl-shaped meteor fireworks in the air, spreading over a vast space, killing a dozen or twelve Avenger torpedo planes in an instant...
After the 460mm main gun fired two Type III anti-aircraft shells, the heavily damaged US fighter planes finally arrived over the battleship Yamato, and a more intense sea-air decisive battle suddenly broke out - all the Yamato's anti-aircraft guns fired at the same time, Three layers of airtight and terrible barrages were formed; the two escorted Shimakaze-class destroyers also headed towards the approaching route of the enemy planes, using large-caliber anti-aircraft guns to fire artillery fire, constructing two fire zones to drive them away. These gods of death in the sky. Dense anti-aircraft shells erupted into clouds of hot metal shrapnel in mid-air, weaving a deadly web called death, and shot down U.S. military aircraft entering the area one by one. But even though they had seen many of their colleagues never return, the US pirate attack planes, who were red-eyed, still took turns to shoot and drop bombs, causing eye-catching water columns to rise on the sea around the Yamato.
Under normal circumstances, Sophie, the shipgirl who had eroded the Yamato, would have already taken over the automated air defense system, and with unmistakable accuracy, she destroyed all the incoming U.S. fighter planes in batches. However, now Ship Girl Sophie's body, the Russian cruiser Aurora, was unfortunately affected by the nuclear explosion in Leningrad. Ship Girl Sophie's soul was also severely damaged, and various supernatural abilities were temporarily affected. Paralysis and has not yet fully recovered.
Therefore, this sea-air battle that broke out in the Indian Ocean could only rely on the free play of the rookie female sailors on the ship... As a result, due to insufficient air defense training, various problems soon appeared: ranging was inaccurate; Disjointed action, sporadic ammunition supplies, and radio proximity bombs on anti-aircraft shells The fuzes were also affected by the high-power jamming equipment on the US bombers, and exploded one after another far away from the enemy planes... The sky was obviously full of planes, and it seemed that one would be hit in any direction when shooting, but no matter the ship, No matter how wildly the sailors on board shot, their results were still much less than expected. It's like a ferocious bison fighting against a swarm of bees. No matter how it roars or rushes, it can't defeat these tiny wasps.
Taking advantage of the gaps caused by all this chaos, the five Avenger torpedo planes finally broke through the Yamato's long-range fire network, approached the "Yamato" battleship from various heights and angles, and dropped the first batch of air-dropped torpedoes - at this time , relying on the assistance of the tactical computer, the observers on the "Yamato" ship accurately reported the speed and course of the American torpedo immediately. Captain Minami Rika also calmly commanded the "Yamato" to avoid the first wave of torpedo attacks. But the problem is that the battleship's evasive maneuvers further affected the performance of anti-aircraft artillery fire to a considerable extent. Therefore, a squadron of "Corcia" dive bombers immediately rushed towards the face aggressively and accurately dropped the bomb before being shot down. Bombshell.
In an instant, a huge and violent explosion tore apart the Yamato's stern deck and shook the entire ship violently. Broken pieces of steel and wood flew into the air, leaving a huge crater in the deck. The crew of the Yamato had no choice but to rush out of the cabin, use high-pressure water hoses to extinguish the fire in a panic, and push the shattered seaplane into the sea, barely stopping the fire from spreading further.
Theoretically, the hit of a mere bomb does not affect the Yamato's defense. Moreover, in retaliation, the "Yamato" ship's anti-aircraft guns also smashed three "Corcia" dive bombers into pieces. Then there was another unlucky pirate attack plane, which was shot down by the crazy Captain Nan Lixiang who personally operated a man-made anti-aircraft missile. However, stimulated by this achievement, more and more US military attack aircraft flocked out, like sharks smelling blood, swarming into the fire net at the risk of death, and pounced on the Yamato——" Corsair attack planes, Corsia dive bombers, Avenger torpedo planes, and even bulky four-engine B-24 heavy bombers came to join in the fun. The battleship Yamato struggled to twist its huge body to avoid the bombs that fell like raindrops. Soon, it was hit by two bombs in a row, and water seepage appeared on the side of the ship.
The two Shimakaze-class destroyers responsible for the escort were even more unlucky. Their sophisticated and fragile high-temperature and high-pressure boiler systems were already very prone to failure. In the harsh wartime situation, everything was lost - due to the boiler being damaged and causing a burst, the two ships anchored and shut down one after another. Then, under the siege of US military attack planes, they exploded, caught fire and sank, leaving only the Yamato. The ship was still fleeing and struggling alone on the sea.
Next, the most dangerous moment finally arrived - when the Yamato was struggling to cope with the air strikes from enemy planes and running towards the east at maximum combat speed, it unfortunately hit the gun of a British submarine. On the mouth... The continuous artillery fire obviously affected everyone's attention. When the observation soldier screamed "Four torpedoes, port side, avoid quickly!", everything was already too late!
——Captain Minami Rika, who was covered in cold sweat, looked from the bridge and saw four torpedo signs and four high-speed tuna, approaching the port side of the "Yamato" ship! Although she immediately took the risk of using full port rudder and played a drift at sea, she was eventually hit by a torpedo... There was only a "boom" sound, and more than half of the crew was almost thrown up, and then fell to the ground. on the ground. Before they could get up, two more 500-kilogram bombs hit the No. 1 turret on the front deck. Although they failed to cut through the top armor of the turret, they damaged the transmission mechanism, making it impossible to fire again. .
As time went by, more and more thick smoke came out of the Yamato ship, and the damage control team members ran back and forth but still couldn't save it. The fire net of the anti-aircraft guns was also blown out of the gap, making the frequency of being shot higher and higher. Although Captain Nan Lixiang took out individual air defense missiles, which were considered black technology in this era, they caused enemy planes to explode in the air like shooting birds. But in the face of the overwhelming US military aircraft fleet, there is still the danger of being outnumbered.
In fact, the Yamato at this time had already run out of the combat radius of the US shore-based aviation. However, it has suffered repeated defeats in recent times and is in urgent need of a victory to boost morale. The US military has made up its mind. It would rather let all the planes go and never return, and the pilots would just find a place to parachute and soak in the sea to wait for rescue. The USS was sunk... After a full three-hour sea-air battle, the US military lost more than 150 fighter planes of various types. More than 300 aircraft ran out of fuel and crashed, and the pilots parachuted into the sea. However, the Yamato was also hit by five torpedoes and eleven aircraft bombs in succession. More than 3,500 tons of water entered the hull. The two main gun turrets were damaged and unable to fire. The hull tilted up to 13 degrees, and the speed dropped to Section 16.
Fortunately, night had fallen in the Indian Ocean at this time, and the US military combat aircraft in the Maldives had basically been exhausted. Unfortunately, the aircraft at this time did not have the ability to fight against ships at night, so they could only sit back and watch the cooked duck fly away again, and helplessly watch the severely damaged Yamato stagger away.
More than an hour later, the flames on the deck of the Yamato were finally extinguished. The smoking wreckage of the lifeboat was also thrown into the sea. Only the twisted and torn steel plates had cracks like shark teeth, and the sloping cabin walkway was covered with oil and blood... It has been a long time since I left the zombie apocalypse. Nan Lixiang, who had never suffered such a cruel test, couldn't help but sigh sadly when she saw this.
——According to the analysis of the staff and the radio instructions from the rear, the Yamato was still not truly out of danger at this time. Because although it has escaped the attack range of the US military's shore-based aircraft, it will take at least a day before it can enter the effective range of its own shore-based air defense and obtain air cover from its own aircraft. If the battlecruiser Renown, which had been being chased by the Yamato before, took the opportunity to turn around and attack, then with the speed and firepower of the opponent, and the miserable condition of the Yamato now half-dead, the possibility of it failing and sinking in a conventional artillery battle would be very high. More than 90%.
However, until the Yamato was completely out of danger and rendezvoused with its own destroyers that came to the rescue, the Renown did not appear again...
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Although from the complicated radio waves in the sky, Admiral Fraser, the commander of the Royal Navy's Eastern Fleet on the Renown, had already known the tragic situation of the Yamato being besieged by American aircraft and severely damaged. But from beginning to end, he never tried to turn around and kill a counterattack. Instead, after relying on the help of the US shore-based aviation force to get rid of the pursuit of the battleship Yamato, he rushed directly into Mongolia, Kenya without any fight. Port of Barcelona.
——In Admiral Fraser's view, since the British Empire has no choice but to bid farewell to the Indian Ocean anyway and will never continue to be an enemy of the Japanese, preserving its strength is far more important than winning. Even if the Yamato is sunk, only the Americans will really benefit. And if the Prestige is lost, then the British Empire’s government-in-exile, which has now moved to Guyana, will not even have a capital ship. In today’s cruel era, when there is no strength, there is no right to speak. No matter how humiliating and difficult the situation is, the British Empire The Royal Navy must not be reduced to an air fleet on paper.
As a result, Admiral Fraser stayed and rested for a period of time in Mombasa Port despite the ridicule and abuse of the American troops stationed in Africa. He gradually gathered a group of auxiliary ships and civilian ships that had escaped from the east, as well as cruise ships. Arriving Governor Mountbatten and Wingate's Army General, and more than 10,000 British troops who withdrew from Singapore and India, and then continued southward with them, passing through Zanzibar, Dar es Salaam, Maputo and Durban ports, and finally in early September , led a large refugee fleet to Cape Town, South Africa.
According to the plan discussed in advance by Admiral Fraser and Governor Mountbatten, they should have taken a short rest in Cape Town before crossing the Atlantic to the Guyana colony to join the exiled Churchill cabinet government... However, this plan ultimately failed It still came to nothing.
——This hodgepodge of a patchwork and poorly armed fleet had just arrived in Cape Town when it was raided and disarmed by a group of vicious South African soldiers in the name of quarantine. Then, an arrogant Boer envoy arrived. Persuading Admiral Fraser to surrender: "...On behalf of the Federal Government of South Africa, I declare that the Reputation has become the property of our country, and at the same time sincerely invite you and your subordinates to join the newly established Southern African Community Navy..."
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In response to this, Admiral Fraser, the commander of the Royal Navy's Eastern Fleet, was stunned for a long time, and then his whole body trembled, tears filled his eyes, and he deeply felt the malice of this world - he had fought bloody battles for half his life. The British Empire, now no more... and with him The battlecruiser Renown, which has been in service for several years, will also lower the Union Jack flag that represents its former glory, and will forever be reduced to the existence of the "African God of War"... - Half a year after the outbreak of World War III, the military power of the British Empire finally completely Withdrew from the arena of world war...