This day is destined to be a national disaster day for the Japanese Navy. The Combined Fleet has never suffered such heavy casualties since its establishment.
When the "Flying Dragon" was sunk, all the Japanese "Zero" carrier-based fighter jets had been lost. The fleet without air protection was in a dilemma. The battle had no hope of victory. If it continued to move forward, it might destroy the entire army.
annihilated.
But it's not easy to run away. Although aircraft carriers are faster than battleships, they are not faster than bombers and torpedo planes.
Although Nagumo Chuichi was arrogant, he was not stupid. As soon as the Hiryu sank, he sent a telegram to Yamamoto Isoroku, suggesting that Yamamoto Isoroku abandon the mission.
Yamamoto Isoroku disagreed. He believed that there was still hope of completing the mission. Unlike the air fleet, the main fleet led by Yamamoto Isoroku had already determined the location of the Allied aircraft carrier fleet. As long as the distance between the two sides was shortened, the combined fleet would still have
hope of victory.
This is definitely an extravagant hope. The three southern African aircraft carriers that attacked Yamamoto Isoroku's main fleet all had a maximum speed of about 35 knots.
The battleship's maximum speed is only about 30 knots, and it cannot catch up with the Southern African aircraft carrier. The commander of the Southern African aircraft carrier is not stupid enough to stay where he is.
As time went by, the Japanese army's losses continued to increase.
At 3:35, the seaplane carrier "Chiyoda" belonging to the main fleet was besieged by more than ten torpedo planes and bombers. After being hit by two aerial bombs and six torpedoes, the "Chiyoda" sank.
Only 47 of the 1,075 crew members survived, and Captain Eiichiro Shiro died along with the ship.
Another seaplane carrier, the "Rijin", did not escape the fate of being sunk. At 3:41, an aerial bomb weighing 1,000 kilograms hit the ammunition depot of the "Rijin".
In the explosion, the "Rijin" was blown into two pieces, and a piece of the blown deck flew a thousand meters away. Only 11 of the 998 crew members escaped.
In just five minutes, the two seaplane carriers equipped by the Japanese main fleet were all sunk. At this time, all the Southern African fighter planes were above the fleet. The bombers still did not take the risk of diving and carried out horizontal bombing on the fleet. The torpedo planes surrounded the fleet.
The fleet looks for opportunities, and if they catch their eye, they will almost die.
Southern Africa has accumulated rich experience in many previous exercises. To sink a large surface warship, the propulsion system of the large surface warship must first be attacked to render the opponent incapacitated. At this time, aerial bombs are far less effective than torpedoes.
Although battleships are known for their strong protection, they will inevitably lose their strength when faced with the "wolf attack" of torpedo planes. As long as a torpedo is hit, even if it does not sink immediately, it will lose part of its mobility.
That's what happened to the "Mutsu".
As the second most powerful "Nagato" class battleship of the Japanese Navy, Yamamoto Isoroku will not give up "Mutsu" unless it is absolutely necessary. Therefore, Yamamoto Isoroku can order "Yamashiro" to return, but will "Mutsu"
"Stay within the fleet.
"Mutsu" had been hit by more than ten bombs at this time, the deck superstructure was almost flattened, more than 80% of the anti-aircraft weapons were destroyed, and the speed dropped to only about ten knots.
Soon, "Mutsu" gradually fell out of formation due to lack of speed and could not keep up with the speed of the main fleet.
The 16th Torpedo Squadron, which took off from the aircraft carrier "Salisbury", targeted the "Mutsu".
"Salisbury" is the capital of Rhodesia. It is named after the former British Prime Minister Salisbury. Most of the officers and soldiers serving on the "Salisbury" are from Rhodesia. The 16th Torpedo Machine
The squadron leader Edwin was born in Milna City. His parents were engineers in the Nyasaland military industry. After graduating from the Edward Naval Academy, he joined the Indian Ocean Navy.
"Tom, I will conduct the first wave of attacks first. You are ready to attack and try to sink Mutsu in one wave -" Ed Wen took the lead. The 16th Squadron led by him has sunk two destroyers and a cruiser.
The torpedo plane pilots went crazy.
"Okay, I'm on your right, wish you good luck." Tom from Salisbury is responsible for leading the second attack group. The 16th Squadron has miraculously not suffered any damage until now, and every wave of attacks has been successful.
It is guaranteed that six torpedo planes will participate.
Yamamoto Isoroku has still given up on "Mutsu" until now. There is a Japanese destroyer on both sides of "Mutsu" to protect him. When the first wave of torpedo planes launched an attack, the Japanese destroyers opened fire with full firepower, regardless of their own safety.
Between the torpedo planes and the "Mutsu", I hope I can block the gun for the "Mutsu".
This spirit is worth encouraging, but it will not change the final result.
A highly skilled man, Edwin was brave and flew the torpedo plane until he was about a kilometer away from the "Mutsu" before releasing the torpedo.
The poor destroyer was hit by two torpedoes at the same time and disappeared from the sea in just ten seconds. It was difficult for the sailors to survive in this situation.
Now "Mutsu" has to face the attack of torpedo planes.
The torpedo plane pilots in southern Africa are very brave. During the morning battle, the US torpedo plane pilots attacked the Japanese fleet one after another. A total of 24 torpedo planes in two waves crashed. The joint command has reported this situation to the entire military.
The US military pilots can be so brave, and the southern African pilots who have always prided themselves on being "brave" must not be left behind.
Without protection, the speed of "Mutsu" is still declining, and it is visually estimated that it does not exceed eight knots.
The second wave of attacks by six torpedo planes was very successful. Four torpedoes hit the "Mutsu" one after another, blasting four terrifying large holes in the left hull of the "Mutsu".
The "Mutsu" suddenly tilted to the left at a speed visible to the naked eye. The sailors who were putting out the fire on the deck jumped into the sea like dumplings, hoping to escape before the "Mutsu" sank. Captain Kogure Gunji, the captain of the "Mutsu"
They had died in previous battles, and the surviving officers and soldiers had lost their fighting spirit.
Ten minutes later, the "Mutsu" had completely capsized, and the huge propeller was exposed on the water. At this time, there were still people surviving in the cabin of the "Mutsu". They banged on the side of the ship desperately to make noise, hoping that someone could rescue them.
The torpedo plane pilots who flew over "Mutsu" later had lost interest in attacking "Mutsu".
Although the "Mutsu" has not sunk yet, it will not last long. There are other Japanese warships waiting for the torpedo pilots to hunt them.
The "Yamato" battleship, which currently has the largest displacement and largest caliber in the world, is undoubtedly the ultimate goal of all southern African ship-based pilots.
Thanks to the all-pervasive Brad, Yamato's performance figures are no secret to Southern African navies.
Full load displacement of 72,810 tons, three triple-mounted 460-caliber main guns, four triple-mounted 155-caliber secondary guns, 12 twin-mounted 127mm high-level dual-purpose guns, 45 triple-mounted, and 21 single-mounted 25mm anti-aircraft guns——
Carrier pilots in southern Africa are already familiar with these data.
"Yamato" has as many as seven carrier-based aircraft.
As we all know, there are only four old battleships built in southern Africa from the last world war.
Although since its formation, the Southern African Navy has centered on aircraft carriers.
But this does not stop the navy officers and soldiers in southern Africa from yearning for battleships.
Especially a super battleship like "Yamato".
It is really a dream for the officers and soldiers in Southern Africa.
When Isoroku Yamamoto looked at the "City" class and "Island" class aircraft carriers in southern Africa and salivated, he certainly didn't know that Tang Li was also tossing and turning over the Japanese Navy's "Yamato" and had trouble falling asleep.
The Southern African navy has a very bad habit: if you can't get it, destroy it.
However, it is not easy to sink the "Yamato".
As the flagship of Yamamoto Isoroku, "Yamato" is at the center of the Japanese main ship formation, surrounded by countless battleships, cruisers, and destroyers for protection.
From the outbreak of the battle to now, the torpedo planes in southern Africa have not even had the opportunity to launch a direct attack on the "Yamato".
Bombers loaded with aerial bombs have a chance.
Horizontal bombing does not matter whether it hits the target or not. Whether the bomb hits the target or not depends entirely on luck.
The "Yamato" is 263 meters long, 38.9 meters wide, and has a maximum speed of 27 knots. When avoiding bombs, the "Yamato" will sail at high speed on the sea in a zigzag pattern. It is not easy to hit the "Yamato".
This is actually a matter of probability. The "Yamato" cannot maintain high speed for a long time, and the sailors cannot maintain a high degree of concentration for a long time. Bombers and torpedo planes in southern Africa take turns fighting, and throwing hundreds of aerial bombs will always have results.
.
At 5:01 p.m., the "Yamato" was hit by a 200-kilogram aerial bomb. 45 sailors were killed on the spot. All the anti-aircraft weapons on the right side of the front deck were destroyed. The smoke caused by the fire obscured the sky. The bridge command
The view from the room is affected.
The Japanese sailors serving on the "Yamato" must have been elites. The fire was quickly put out, and the speed of the "Yamato" was not affected.
Yamamoto Isoroku's determination was affected by this.
It was after the "Yamato" was attacked that Yamamoto Isoroku realized that the mission of attacking Guam could no longer be completed.
The reality is too cruel. After the end of the last world war, the Japanese devoted all their national strength to build a powerful combined fleet. The 460mm main gun of the "Yamato" has not fired a single shot until now.
If there is a head-on battle with the Japanese Combined Fleet in Southern Africa, Isoroku Yamamoto is confident that he can command the Japanese Combined Fleet to wipe out the Indian Ocean Fleet in Southern Africa.
There are no what-ifs in reality. The Combined Fleet has not caught up with the Southern African Fleet until now. The most powerful "Yamato" in the world has no use at all. Guam is already in front of us, but the distance of less than 100 kilometers has become an insurmountable chasm.
.
"Send a telegram to the aviation fleet, the mission is cancelled, and the fleet is returning -" Yamamoto Isoroku looked at a loss. The war had evolved into something he was unfamiliar with. The experience accumulated over the past decades was of no use. In an instant, Yamamoto Isoroku
His originally upright body began to stoop, and he shrank on the large command chair like a child.
This only refers to volume.
Although the mission has been cancelled, the battle is not over yet.
The high-spirited southern African pilots will not let the Japanese combined fleet escape from the battlefield easily.
The Japanese Combined Fleet still has thousands of nautical miles to go before returning to Wujun Port, and this journey will be very difficult.
The Southern African aircraft carrier, which has the advantage of having long legs and fast speed, will not give the "Yamato" a chance to easily evacuate.
What made Yamamoto Isoroku even more sad was that not long after he issued the order to "cancel the mission and return the fleet", Chuichi Nagumo sent a telegram to Yamamoto Isoroku: The air fleet was destroyed by the Allies and four ships
All aircraft carriers were sunk.
When receiving this telegram, Yamamoto Isoroku looked calm. This result is not surprising.
After the "Flying Dragon" was sunk, misfortune ensued for the aviation fleet.
At this time, all the "Zero" fighters carried by the aviation fleet had been lost. Nagumo Chuichi even ordered the "97" ship to launch an attack to provide air protection for the fleet.
Compared with the advanced "Cheetah" and "Goshawk" fighter jets in southern Africa, the "97" ship attack seems to be a product of the last century and cannot compete at all.
Even the F6F and "97" ship attack equipment equipped by the US Navy are obviously lagging behind.
The F6F is an improved version of the F4F fighter jet. It has a maximum flight speed of 612 kilometers per hour, a practical ceiling of 11,369 meters, and a maximum range of 2,462 kilometers. If there were no "Cheetah" and "Goshawk" in southern Africa, then the F6F would be the most advanced in the world.
fighter jet.
The "97" ship attack is a carrier-based bomber, and air combat is not the strength of the "97" ship attack.
Chuichi Nagumo tried to make a last ditch effort, but the Allied pilots did not give Chuichi Nagumo a chance to resist.
As mentioned many times before, if an aircraft carrier is approached by a battleship, it will definitely be sunk.
The battle between aircraft carriers is even more brutal, and once you fall into a disadvantage, you have no chance to make a comeback.
After the U.S. torpedo planes' attack on the Japanese fleet was frustrated, the Southern African Navy took over the task of attacking the Japanese fleet.
Compared with the US military, Southern Africa is more skilled in dealing with aircraft carriers.
A battleship with strong protection does not matter if it is hit by one or two bombs. The "Yamato" was quickly extinguished after being hit by a bomb, and the "Mutsu" was hit by more than a dozen bombs and could still continue to sail.
The protection of aircraft carriers is too fragile compared with battleships. The deck of "Hiryu" was hit by a torpedo plane and lost its combat capability. Then the deck of "Shokaku" was hit by a bomb.
The bomb was thrown by a U.S. Navy Dauntless bomber, piloted by Captain Best. He and two other Dauntless bombers attacked the Shokaku, and the other two Dauntless bombers dropped the bomb.
The bomb caused a near miss next to the "Xianghe", and the 1,000-pound bomb dropped by Captain Best directly hit the "Xianghe".
This bomb accurately hit the ammunition depot of the "Xianghe", creating a miracle of sinking an aircraft carrier with a bomb. This has never been done before.
The "Xianghe" has a full load displacement of 32,105 tons, a maximum speed of 34 knots, a length of 257.5 meters, a width of 26 meters, a flight deck length of 242 meters, and can carry 72 fighters.
From these data, we can see the shortcomings of the "Shokaku". The flight deck is actually not as long as the ship, and the aspect ratio is obviously unreasonable. The Japanese Navy's current design capabilities have not improved at all compared to ten years ago, but are serious.
behind.
This has a lot to do with the double death of the "Empire's Double Wall".
