"Admiral, this is a reconnaissance photo just sent by the seaplane."

On the morning of September 6, 1944, a "Catalina" seaplane that took off from the Bermuda Islands sent some photos taken close-range by the F-13 ultra-long-range reconnaissance aircraft to the "Iahua" class battleship that was sailing southeast at a high speed of 25 knots.

It is said to be "close-range", but the actual height of these photos taken by the F-13 ultra-long-range reconnaissance aircraft is still above 8,000 meters, and it also maintains a high flight speed. Therefore, the quality of the photos is not very high.

But even so, these photos are still very precious and timely for Admiral Halsey, who was leading the fleet to prepare for a decisive battle with the Germans. So he immediately took the photos from Admiral Callahan, placed them on his desk, and put them on his reading glasses to study them carefully.

Looking at the five smoke-emitting aircraft carriers guarded by light cruisers and destroyers, his eyebrows gradually moved closer: "No one of them sinks... The German aircraft carrier is really strong!"

Callahan had seen the photos long ago, so he nodded and said, "Yes, German things have always been sturdy and durable, not the same as Japanese products. But... they still can't run out of our palms."

As he spoke, Callahan handed over another handwritten report to Halsey. Halsey took the report and looked at it, and his frown immediately unbuttoned.

"Thank God!" Halsey showed a surprise expression, "They really broke the rudder of the Zeppelin!"

"Yes!" said Callahan. "The German fleet has deviated from last evening and has been traveling southeast and has walked out a straight line. If they continue to follow this direction, they will reach the coast of French North Africa."

"Catch them now!" Halsey laughed. "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 away," Callahan said. "Now they're only 170 nautical miles away from us, and they'll be able to catch up in 10 hours!"

"Where are the German reinforcements fleets? Where have they been?" Halsey asked again.

"They are about 150 nautical miles away from the German aircraft carrier fleet and at a speed of 25 knots," Callahan said. "Thinking of the speed and direction of the German aircraft carrier fleet itself, it can be converged in six hours."

"Are there any pictures of the German reinforcement fleet?"

"No." Callahan said, "F-13 was expelled from Fokker 636 as soon as it approached, but the radar detection results were still the same."

"Can you launch an air raid?" Halsey asked in thought, "How many aircraft can the 30th Special Mixed Fleet have to send?"

The 30th US Special Fleet launched several air strikes on the German Task Force on the morning of September 5 and 6. Although it caused some trauma to the Zeppelin, Prussia, Bohemia, Seedlez and Secker, it also caused the Bohemia aircraft carrier to take off and land aircraft. However, the air strike fleet itself suffered great losses and was directly used to cover the anti-aircraft artillery of the Fokker 636, F190 and surface ships, and shot down more than 200 fighter jets!

"The 30th Special Mixed Fleet still has about 400 carrier-based aircraft." Callahan said, "but most of them are F4U and F6F. SBD and TBF suffered extremely heavy losses in the previous rounds of air strikes!" Slow "air tanks" such as BD and TBF are used to bully the Japanese Navy, which have insufficient air defense firepower and fighter jets. However, when encountering strong firepower fighters such as Fokker 636 and F190, as well as the European Community surface fleet whose air defense firepower is no less than the US Navy fleet, it will inevitably suffer heavy losses.

Most of the slow sbd and tbfs don't even have the chance to drop bombs, and they are shot down by the Folk 636, which can be the best performance at mid- and low altitudes!

Although f4u and f6f fly relatively fast and are easy to avoid the pursuit of the Folk 636, flying a single-seat fighter bomber for dive drops is a difficult technical job (usual dive bombers are two-seaters), and they are not aces, and they can't play at all. The US Navy's aces almost all died in the Pacific Ocean. Fighter pilots transferred from the Army are okay to fight air combat, but attacking seas is much worse. Because the US Army did not fight with the German army in North Africa and Europe, the fighter pilots of the US Army Air Force even lack experience in ground attacks, let alone attacking seas.

Therefore, in the air strike on the 21st European Community Task Force, although f4u and f6f can successfully drop bombs, their hit rate is about 10% similar to that of the shore-based f7f. However, f4u and f6f are both single-engine aircraft, and their bomb load cannot be compared with the double-engine f7f, so they drop 500 pounds of bombs, which cannot cause a fatal blow to the Zeppelin class and Prussian class with armored flight decks. Even the Seedlez class that threw away most flammable and explosive items could barely withstand it.

"The carrier-based aircraft of the 30th Special Mixed Fleet must be allowed to bomb the German fleet." Halsey thought for a while and had made a decision. "The time should not be too early, so he chose to arrive over the German fleet in 8 hours... in 8 hours."

"Eight hours later?" Callahan's eyes lit up, "The battleship that bombed the Germans?"

Halsey nodded. The German fleet that was fleeing eight hours later and the German fleet that came to reinforce must have converged, and the battleship of the 31st US Special Mixed Fleet was not far from them.

At this time, the US air raid fleet could easily find the converged German fleet through the smoke columns of several injured German aircraft carriers. However, there was no need to bomb the aircraft carriers. As long as the US battleships could catch up with them, a 406mm cannon would be sank even the most solid aircraft carrier.

"In addition to the necessary direct cover, send all carrier-based aircraft out. In addition, let Norfolk base send F7F, if they have time... all fighters concentrated on bombing Hindenburg-class battleships and William II-class missile cruisers!"

Halsey waved his fist and said, "As long as they are blown up and seriously injured, both German fleets will be doomed, so we will win the war!"

While Halsey and Callahan were discussing killing two German task force, Bernard, a French Navy Air Force who was in the Nazi camp but was willing to be democratic and free, was flying his Hawkeye 10 seaplane and quietly following behind the large fleet led by Halsey.

Hawkeye 10 found the 30th U.S. Navy's 30th U.S. Navy's 30th U.S. Navy's 30th U.S. Navy's 30th U.S. Navy's 30th U.S. Navy's 30th U.S. Navy's 30th U.S. Navy's 30th U.S. Navy's 30th U.S. Navy's 30th U.S. Navy has been following about 100-150 nautical miles away since yesterday evening. During this period, it landed on the sea to receive submarine replenishment. In the early morning of September 6, Hawkeye 10's S-band radar also detected the convergence of the two U.S. fleets. After that, Hawkeye 10 still followed behind the butt of the U.S. fleet after the convergence.

At 2 pm on September 6, I also received the order to "conduct reconnaissance within 80 nautical miles."

Although Lieutenant Bernard was unwilling to do so, the order was an order! As a fascist soldier, he had no courage to openly disobey.

However, when he carefully drove his bv138d seaplane to the U.S. fleet less than 100 nautical miles, his navigator Sergeant Mueller suddenly shouted.

"God, enemy planes! Radar discovered enemy planes! They... flew towards us!"

Damn it! Bernard cursed the traitorous French Prime Minister Dallang who sent him to die. Just as he was about to control the plane to lower the altitude, Sergeant Mueller shouted again.

"Oh my God, they're so many! There are 30, no, 50, no... more. Too many, fucking hell, can the Americans use so many planes to deal with one of our planes?"

"What? Are there more than 50 aircraft?" Ensign Bernard was stunned for a moment, and soon understood what was going on. "They are not here to deal with us, they are going to bomb the 20th and 21st Task Forces! Send a telegram and tell the Americans above that they are coming to bomb again!"

The news that the US Fleet sent another air strike fleet was soon transmitted to the USS Gneisenau missile battleship via radio waves.

"Admiral," Major General Mayer, Chief of Staff of the 2nd Fleet of the EC Combined Fleet and Chief of Staff of Task Force 20th Task Force, walked into the office of Commander General Refman. "Five minutes ago, the Hawkeye 10 report found that the U.S. fleet was dispatching carrier-based aircraft, and it was estimated that it would arrive in one to one and a half hours!"

Admiral Refman looked up at the clock on the bulkhead, "One and a half hours later it was 4 pm... The Americans picked the time really well!"

"Admiral, this time the Americans may choose our battleships and missile ships as their main targets."

"How many other Fokker 636 and F190 can fly now?"

"There are 145 aircraft of Fokker 636 and 112 aircraft of F190." Major General Mayer replied.

The 21st Task Force originally had about 248 carrier-based aircraft (excluding two scuba hunting brigades), of which 128 are commonly used. The 20th Task Force has 2 aircraft carriers (2 Kesseling-classes of the 4th Fleet), with 80 commonly used carrier aircraft, of which 64 are Fuk 636 and 16 are F190 (both F190te reconnaissance bombers). In total, there are 192 commonly used Fleet 636 and 144 commonly used F190. However, after several rounds of fierce sea and air wars, only 257 fighter jets can fly are left. This number includes all backup aircraft.
Chapter completed!