"Horizontal position 334 degrees 21 points... Shooting elevation angle 14 degrees 9 points... Armor-piercing bullets load... Shooting ready... Fire!"

Under the harsh command of this German official, more than 20 gunners worked closely in the slightly crowded turret. Although the exhaust fan kept turning, the air was still filled with a strong smell of gunpowder, and almost everyone's military uniform was soaked in sweat.

The triple-mounted cannon matched with this turret is huge and the momentum of shooting is amazing. After a roar of earth shaking, the German official frowned and stared at the periscope viewing scope. After ten seconds, his cheeks raised slightly, and then he muttered: "It seems that it's still closer!"

The last sunset disappeared more than half an hour ago. At this moment, the sky was getting darker and the sight on the sea had become very blurred. Even with the help of precision optical instruments, it was difficult for people to distinguish the scenes in the distance.

After a while, the correspondent soldier guarding the phone reported: "Captain, the shooting command ordered us to increase the horizontal position by 5 points, increase the shooting elevation angle by 2 points, and then take another volley."

The officer's eyes left the sight of the sight, with a still cold expression on his face. He ordered in the tone just now: "Horizontal position 334 degrees 26 points... Shooting elevation angle 14 degrees 11 points... Armor-piercing bullet..."

Before he could finish his words, a harsh whistle sounded and came into people's ears through the outer wall of the thick turret. In a flash, the sky collapsed and the earth broke, and the mountains roared and the seas roared. Such a violent explosion lasted for several seconds. After the explosion subsided, people stopped trembling. This is the difference between fortresses and warships.

Although the enemy's shells did not hit the turret, the smoke and dust stirred up completely obscured the view. The officer simply stopped looking at the scope, but personally checked the shooting elements set by the artillery. After confirming that, he waited for the communications soldiers' actions. When the other party raised his hand to signal, he decisively roared: "Fire!"

The thunderous rage of the triple artillery is amazing, and in addition to their roar, there are also the same roars. This is the Brazilian Mountain on the south bank of Texel Island. It is located on the Hammer Peninsula that extends from land into the sea. The ancient San Sebastian Fortress has been standing here for more than 300 years, but it has almost no effect in modern wars. Several rounds of precise volleys of Lexington-class battle patrol equipped with 18-inch main guns can turn them into ruins. However, this situation has not happened so far. The German Navy has deployed many mine arrays on the waterway near Hero Port, and there are hidden torpedo tubes deployed on the shore. The US and British main battleships dare not approach the enemy rashly before the obstacles are cleared, and long-distance artillery is difficult to achieve the targeted removal effect.

After occupying the Azores, the Germans spent a huge amount of money to build a series of modern coastal defense fortifications. The eight fortress groups on Texel are their representative works. The No. 1 Fortress Group "Berlin" Fortress Group and the No. 2 Fortress Group "Brandenburg" Fortress were responsible for protecting the Hero Port, which was built on the Brazilian Hill. The most powerful weapon here is the 9 45-diameter 14-inch heavy artillery shipped from Germany. They were initially naval guns prepared for the Markensen-class battlecruiser, but it was learned that the British Queen Elizabeth class used 15-inch main guns, and the American Lexington-class warfare was

The cruiser also plans to equip the amazing 18-inch naval guns. German senior management decided to install a more powerful 50-fold 15-inch naval gun on the Markensen class. The Count Tirpitz class and German class designed and built later use 16-inch naval guns. Therefore, the already-made 14-inch naval guns were used for coastal defense. In the Brandenburg Fortress, these heavy artillery were arranged in a triple-mounted manner in a specially made armored turret. Together with hundreds of high-level dual-purpose cannons in other forts and positions, they turned the huge mountains defending the harbor into a never-sinking super warship.

Since ancient times, the fleet and the coastal defense fortress have been like a spear and a shield, and they have been in harmony with each other. When night begins, on the sea about 15 kilometers southwest of the Hero Port, two large warships flying star-striped flags and three Saint George's flags are lined up, with more than ten light ships scattered around. This artillery fleet has 15 15-inch cannons and 24 14-inch cannons, which has an overwhelming numerical advantage over the shore defense artillery of the German "Brandenburg" fortress, but this does not mean that the attacking side has an absolute victory. The shore defense turret placed on land is subject to weight.

There are fewer restrictions and their protection capabilities are usually much stronger than warship turrets. The three triple shore defense turrets of the Brandenburg Fortress are equipped with 600 mm thick armor on the front, and even the largest 18-inch naval gun cannot be penetrated directly. Each turret is equipped with an independent rangefinder, with a concrete base as deep as 30 meters underground, an ammunition depot, a mechanical depot, a kitchen, dining room, cabin, and operating room. It is equipped with sufficient power supply by the 400-horsepower diesel engine used by two submarines. Therefore, each turret can be regarded as an independent combat system.

After initially correcting the bounce point, each round of German fortress guns was a life-and-death test for these American and British warships. Armored piercing bombs weighing more than 600 kilograms were fired at a speed of nearly 800 meters per second. Whether it was the two Pennsylvania-class ships of the US Navy or the three Queen Elizabeth-class ships of the British Navy, they were afraid of it. They could even bear one or two shots. If they were hit by a few more shots or were injured in the vitals, the situation would be bad.

The reason why the US and British fleets attacked the German "Brandenburg" fortress on the mountain in Brazil was ultimately due to the situation. On May 24 and 25, the battle on Texel Island was stalemate on the periphery of Hero Port. On the afternoon of the 25th, the Allied fleet arrived at the war zone at a speed beyond the opponent's expectations, and successively launched a series of air strikes on the US and British aircraft carrier fleets with carrier-based aircraft groups, achieving great results. The battlefield changes suddenly, and the US and British fleet dispatched their main force to rush towards the Allied fleet, and the US and British forces landed on Texel Island also accelerated the attack on the Hero Port. In the evening of the same day, the US and the 2nd Marine Warfare of the United States

The division and the 1st Canadian Light Infantry Division organized a commando to attack the northern highlands of Heroes Port, and more than 4,000 casualties were still not successful. The British team also returned in vain. The reason was that the two major fortresses of "Brandenburg" located in Brazil and the east of Heroes Port, "Berlin" played a very important supporting role in the German ground defense, especially the three triple-mounted 14-inch heavy artillery of the "Brandenburg" fortress group. When they fired high-explosive bombs at the US and British troops that were put into the attack, two or three rounds of fire were enough to destroy the fighting spirit of many American and British soldiers.

The disadvantage of warships compared to fortresses lies in their protection, and their advantage lies in their maneuverability. The three British Queen Elizabeth-class battleships have a long range, so they wander in the rear row. The two American Pennsylvania-class speeds slowed down, but the volley of the four triple-mounted main guns was quite powerful, so they frequently fired guns in the front row. At the beginning of the battle, the German fortress artillery caused close damage to the American battleship twice, but the light gradually faded, and it became increasingly difficult for the Germans to threaten the moving target. The German fortress located on the mountain in Brazil was a fixed target that would not move, and the US and British fleets gradually gained the upper hand. Under the continuous bombardment of the opponent, the rangefinders of the three large German shore defense turrets were blown up one after another. The communication lines were broken and repaired and damaged, and the shooting speed was greatly slowed down, and the artillery accuracy also tended to decline.

Seeing that the German large-caliber fortress guns were no longer powerful, the British heavy cruiser "Cornwall" and the light cruiser "Carlisle" approached the coast under the protection of several minesweepers, trying to implement designated clearance of other German shore defense fortifications, but the attack lasted less than half an hour. The "Cornwall" suddenly hit a mine and then lost its power for a while. Fortunately, it was dark at this time, and the Germans did not immediately notice the strangeness of the British heavy cruiser. The "Carlisle" accompanied it quickly released a smoke screen in front of it, making it impossible for the German gunners to accurately aim. After some emergency repairs, the "Cornwall" barely restored its mobility at around 9 o'clock that night and finally escaped.

The episode of the "Cornwall" did not affect the coalition's established combat intentions. After effectively suppressing the firepower of the German fortress in Mount Brazil, two Queen Elizabeth-class battleships turned their muzzles and bombarded the Hero Harbor city with high explosive bombs. The 15-inch naval gun was so powerful that the block hit by the shells suddenly became a purgatory on earth. Not to mention ordinary bunkers, even underground fortifications made of reinforced concrete could hardly withstand such a strong impact. The bombardment of heavy artillery is often more effective for the morale and combat will of the defenders than for a long time.

Under the continuous attack of American and British battleships, the German "Brandenburg" fortress and most of the urban areas of Hero Port burned almost all night. As the most prosperous town in the Azores, Hero Port formed a close urban complex with a large number of baroque buildings. The straight layout of the port streets reflects a unique adaptive street direction adjusted just in line with the prevailing wind. The two-story houses with painted wooden balconies have become a typical Brazilian-style Portuguese architectural heritage. The German team, who can attack and defend, used the architectural pattern here to build layers of defense. Now, after the baptism of artillery fire, buildings have been reduced to ruins, and the entrances and exits of many underground bunkers have been buried, and the German defense system has become fragmented.

At 4 a.m., the US military deployed three chariot battalions and the elite 1st Infantry Division to launch a fierce attack on the German army's land defense line in the west of Hero Port. The 1st Marine Division also made a comeback. This time, they took down the northern highland overlooking the city, and then raised heavy mortars to launch a targeted strike on the buildings and trenches that the German army defended in the city.

Despite the bad situation and loss of all their strength, most German officers and soldiers still performed their duties. They used their excellent combat skills to stubbornly block the US and British troops that rushed into the city, and even organized battlefield counterattacks in some areas. If the Bainke fleet, which was highly anticipated at this time, could appear in time and drive away the US and British fleets that were shelling the Brandenburg fortress, and support the German ground forces to launch a counterattack with carrier-based aircraft and artillery fire, it would be entirely possible to reverse the situation of the battle.

Unfortunately, the Bainke fleet did not appear at sea level. Before a critical victory against the main American and British fleets, they were not enough to play the role of savior. The day before yesterday, in the last air strike before dark, the Allied fleet dispatched 144 carrier-based aircraft. This determined blow failed to achieve its wish. The US and British aircraft carrier retreated northward and with the help of rain clouds, hiding its tracks.

On the way back, the Allied carrier-based aircraft discovered the US and British battleships heading south at high speed. They had nine battleships and four battlecruisers, and they were all enough to match the main battleships of Germany. The carrier-based bombers of Germany and Ireland launched air strikes with all their might, injuring enemy flagships and two other battleships, but this move failed to stop the US and British battleships from continuing to advance. In order to avoid encountering a powerful US and British battleship fleet at night, General Bainke led the Allied fleet to retreat eastward and did not return until dawn. Since his own battleships were far fewer than their opponents, Bainke regarded the aircraft carrier-based aircraft as a magic weapon to defeat the main fleet of the US and British, so he only dispatched two fighter squadrons and a bomber squadron to reinforce the defenders in Heroes Port, which was like a drop in the bucket for the defenders in distress.

Under the strong offensive of the US and British troops, the German army continued to shrink its defense line and relied on the two fortresses, "Berlin" and "Brandenburg" to make the final stubborn resistance.

At noon, the US and British troops had occupied the main urban area of ​​Yingxiong Port. Several small German troops serving as rear guards had no hope of breaking through, so they surrendered to the US and British troops. At around 1 pm, the US chariot troops crossed the block and arrived at the eastern terminal of Yingxiong Port, thus cutting off the land connection between the two German fortresses.

At the Brandenburg Fortress, nine 14-inch heavy artillery protected by thick armor were still intact, but the three turrets were either damaged by the base, which caused the turret to be unable to turn, or the explosion shock caused mechanical failure. At this time, none of them could operate normally, and there was a big blind spot on sea defense. The commander of the US and British fleets noticed this abnormality and dispatched two Queen Elizabeth-class battleships to slowly approach the Brazilian Mountains, and moved horizontally after being attacked by German fortress artillery. Then sailed to the coast from the angle that German heavy artillery could not cover. At the firing position about 4,000 meters away from the shore, the German coastal defense forces once used to destroy enemy ships with torpedoes, but they were still unable to return to the sky. As the sound of artillery on the Brazilian Mountains gradually diminished, the resistance of the Alliance team at the Port of Heroes was coming to an end.

At 4:40 pm, a white flag was hung on a remaining fortress in the Brandenburg Fortress. 20 minutes later, the Berlin Fortress also raised the white flag.
Chapter completed!