"Sir, look there, it's an Iahua class.

Hearing the voice of the adjutant, Admiral Halsey, who was riding on a JRM "Mars" long-range maritime transport airship, yawned, turned a face full of fatigue and a little dark, and looked down at the sea below.

Below is Panama Bay. Almost continuous "Mars" long-range sea transport airships do not have that large voyage, and you must refuel in San Diego in the middle) finally came to the end.

It is dusk now, and in the bay under the setting sun, a fleet of more than 20 ships is lined up to enter the west entrance of the Panama Canal. The most eye-catching one is undoubtedly an "Iahua"-class battleship with a standard displacement of 44,560 tons.

The huge hull was like a floating city, slowly sailing into a wide river next to Panama City under the golden sunlight.

"It's the Wisconsin," Admiral Halsey murmured to himself, "is the most powerful battleship in the world. We now have four. If the Germans find that they all pass the Panama Canal and enter the Caribbean Sea, they will be nervous for a while."

According to the plan, four "Iowa"-class battleships that participated in the Second Battle of the Hawaiian Islands and one "North Carolina"-class battleship (Washington) that also landed on and off the battlefield of the Hawaiian Islands will all complete simple maintenance in the Port of San Diego and enter the Caribbean through the Panama Canal.

At the same time, the four Soviet-class battleships anchored in New York Port will also be replaced with star-striped flags and joined the US Navy in the name of "leasing". In exchange, the Soviet Pacific Fleet can use the US base in the Pacific and get supplies and repairs at the same time. At least 100 American submarines will be equipped with red flags to participate in the Soviet Red Navy's destruction.

Such four Soviet-class, four Iowa-class and one North Carolina-class battleship will form the US Navy's attack fist on the Atlantic Ocean!

"Admiral, will the Germans find that our Iowa class has entered the Caribbean?" Halsey's adjutant seemed a little confused by the superior's words.

"Yes!" said Halsey. "They have an intelligence network along the Panama Canal, and... there must be many new German submarines in the Bay of Panama. Unfortunately, our reconnaissance planes and destroyers cannot catch them!"

"The Germans' new submarine?" asked the adjutant, "is the U-type submarine that is said to be able to submarine for a long time underwater and has very low noise?"

"Yes." Halsey shook his head, "Another masterpiece of the German guy! If we could have such a submarine, the Pacific War would have ended long ago."

"However, our submarines and ships with the Soviets still sank many Japanese transport ships," the adjutant comforted Halsey, "The sinking number in July exceeded 300,000 tons, which the Japanese could not bear."

Many of the achievements in July were contributed by the Soviets. Not only did more than 100 submarines of the Pacific Fleet join the battle, but two Kronstadt-class battlecruisers also escaped the pursuit of the main force of the Japanese Combined Fleet. After joining the American independent aircraft carrier and the Cleveland-class cruiser, they formed two broken-out formations and broke into the Western Pacific to start a massacre.

Halsey didn't respond, but just sighed softly.

He knew very well that no matter how many Japanese transport ships were sunk and how many oil wells in Southeast Asia were blown up, it would not make much sense to the United States. Because this was just a bargaining chip on the negotiating table. Now the reason why the US Navy and Army Air Force are still attacking Japan in a crazy way is simply because Japan refuses to withdraw from the Hawaiian Islands and the Aleutian Islands.

Just as Halsey was talking to the adjutant, the giant seaplane he was riding (the maximum take-off weight was as high as 74.8 tons) had already arrived in the Bay of Panama. After gliding on the water for a while, it stopped steadily next to a heavily guarded seaplane dock.

...

"Carl, what did you see?"

"Sir, I found a 'Iahua' class ship that has entered the river!"

"I'll take a look."

I don’t know if Admiral Halsey really had the intuition of a so-called famous general, or if the blind cat hit the dead rat. Just when the plane he was on landing in Panama Bay, the U-boat numbered u-2511 was wandering underwater not far from the western entrance of the Panama Canal. He also raised a periscope and looked around, and found the Wisconsin entering the canal.

This "Sea Wolf" lurking under the water is the latest and most powerful Type 21 submarine of the German Navy. If it surfaces and is for viewing, any naval soldier who knows about the submarine can see its extraordinaryness just based on its appearance.

It has a streamlined body that looks particularly compact and slender, like a ship that can crack the waves. The curved command tower looks very modern. The smooth and narrow submarine deck does not have common deck guns and anti-aircraft machine guns, and it looks neat and generous... If you want to see a big expert in manufacturing or using submarines, you can see how extraordinary this beautiful submarine is without the design of deck guns and anti-aircraft machine guns.

Deck guns and anti-aircraft machine guns are not redundant for ordinary submarines, but essential things!

Because now, except for the Type 21 U-boat, all submarines in the world can only sail dozens of nautical miles underwater at a low speed of several knots. Therefore, when they sail at sea, they float on the water most of the time, and only dive when they enter combat or avoid attacks. Therefore, when floating on the water, they use deck cannons and anti-aircraft machine guns from defenses are indispensable weapons.

However, the Type 21 U-boat does not have a deck gun and anti-aircraft machine gun, which shows that it is a submarine that all submarine soldiers dream of, and can truly potentially patrol and combat underwater!

The submarine's underwater speed and range are unprecedented, with a maximum underwater speed of up to 17.2 knots, which has exceeded the cruise speed of most hulls. And its large-capacity battery can ensure that it submersible at 360 nautical miles at 4 knots, or 12-14 knots for 10 hours.

This means that the Type 21 U-boat can patrol underwater at a higher speed for the whole day and then surface to charge at night. Therefore, deck cannons and anti-aircraft machine guns have become cancelled weapons and equipment.

The attack power of this type of U-boat that can navigate underwater is also quite amazing!

"It's indeed an Iowa class ship!" Major Albert Schneider, the captain of the u-2511 boat, put his eyes on the periscope, and soon discovered the "Wisconsin" battleship entering the canal.

"It's a pity that it's too far, and our torpedo can't hit it." said Carl Schrenberg, the first mate next to him.

"This is the fourth ship, and there is another large aircraft carrier passing..." Major Schnee exchanged the periscope to the first mate, and then took the notebook to record the situation and looked through it. It records the discovery of two Type 21 U-boats, including the U-2501 and U-2506, which were also patrolling missions in the Panama Bay area, on August 8 and 9.

In fact, the purpose of the three Type 21 U-boats being placed in Panama Bay was not to sneak attack passing American warships, but to patrol and surveillance.

The importance of the Panama Canal is not only known by the Americans, so one of the main tasks of the 10th submarine group deployed by the German Navy Submarine Command in the Pacific is to monitor the canal.

At the same time, the German intelligence agencies also deployed a spider-web-like network of agents in Panama, which can also closely monitor every large American surface ship passing through the canal.

...

August 12, 1944.

In the General Staff of Toxson, in the newly launched Joint Operations Command Center, staff members in front of the wall are constantly marking eye-catching red and blue arrows, dots, lines and ship or aircraft stickers of various sizes on the tactical map. No matter who sees this super-large tactical map covered with various lines and stickers, they will probably feel like they can't find the north.

However, if you study it carefully, you will find that the situation of the Atlantic battlefield displayed on this large tactical map is very clear and intuitive.

When a staff officer in a blue naval uniform stuck a sticker symbolizing the "Iowa" class battleship on the sea east of the Panama Canal on the map, the German naval commander-in-chief Marshal Redel turned his head and said to the Hesman Marshal present: "The fourth ship is... and the four Soviet-class ships originally anchored in New York Harbor also disappeared last night."

"4 Soviet class, four Iowa class..." Hessman frowned, "It seems that the Americans are preparing for a large-scale military operation!"

"It's Guyana!" said Raidel, the commander-in-chief of the Air Force. "It's been a long time since the Americans wanted to attack there."

"It may also be the Azores and Cape Verde." Naval Air Force Commander Richterhofen was also in the General Staff today. "If the autumnal equinox is passed, Iceland and Greenland may also be the targets of Americans!"

"Marty of the Empire, did you leave the 10th, 11th and 12th task force in the Atlantic Ocean?" Marshal Redell made a suggestion at this time.

"What is Marshal Lütjens's opinion?" Hessman asked.
Chapter completed!