Currently, the main force of the U.S. Pacific Fleet is gathering in the Port of Hawaii. Their main maritime forces include 6 aircraft carriers (Yorktown-class USS Enterprise, USS Yorktown; Lexington-class USS Lexington, USS Saratoga, USS Davenport)
USS San Jose), 11 battleships (3 North Carolina class, 3 Colorado class, 2 Tennessee class, 2 New Mexico class, 1 Pennsylvania class), 22 cruisers, 69 destroyers and more than 30 destroyers
submarine.
Among the aircraft carriers, the four Lexington-class aircraft carriers are all large aircraft carriers. Their hulls are the hulls of a battlecruiser designed by the U.S. Navy in 1920. Later, due to the restrictions of the Washington Naval Treaty, the U.S. Navy canceled this design.
The construction of a battlecruiser, but the four hulls under construction were not destroyed, but converted into aircraft carriers. Two of them were completed in 1927, and the other two were added by the US government after the South Korean War.
.
This aircraft carrier has a standard displacement of more than 38,000 tons, a full load displacement of more than 43,000 tons, and a total length of 270 meters. It is powered by an electric motor driven by a fuel-fired boiler steam turbine, with 2 axles, a total power of 180,000 horsepower, a speed of 34 knots, and can carry 90 aircraft. Basically
Its attributes are similar to those of a federal-class aircraft carrier.
However, the U.S. Navy still has not given up the naval combat capabilities of the aircraft carrier itself. It has also installed 16 200mm caliber naval guns on this aircraft carrier, which takes up a lot of weight and space, making its own anti-aircraft firepower only 6 127mm high-level guns.
Another Yorktown-class aircraft carrier is a medium-sized aircraft carrier with a standard displacement of more than 19,000 tons. Its full-load displacement is more than 25,000 tons, which is slightly smaller than the Star King-class aircraft carrier of the South China Sea Federation Navy. It is also powered by a fuel steam turbine, with a total power of 120,000 horsepower and 4 axles.
It has a maximum speed of about 33 knots and can carry up to 90 aircraft.[
In addition, the U.S. Pacific Fleet originally had two Yorktown-class aircraft carriers. However, according to the intelligence department, these two ships have returned to the United States for modification and should not return to the Pacific Fleet in the short term. But on Hawaii Island
Above. There is also a U.S. Army Air Force. It has about 300 aircraft of various types, including 60 bombers and about 150 fighter jets. Although these aircraft do not pose much threat to the federal navy fleet, they have increased the number of air raids on Hawaii Island.
of difficulty.
In comparison, the South China Sea Federation's attack fleet has 6 heavy aircraft carriers, 5 medium aircraft carriers and 2 escort aircraft carriers. The total number of aircraft is 1,782. Among them, 60 are reconnaissance aircraft, 530 fighter aircraft, and 1,192 dual-purpose attack aircraft.
.The number of aircraft is twice that of the U.S. fleet. However, more than 60% of the federal fleet
Attack aircraft and fighter jets are disposable consumables. The reason is that the deck and aircraft warehouse are full of aircraft, and even the flight runway has been reduced to the shortest distance. Therefore, once these aircraft take off, they have no chance to land again.
On the aircraft carrier, this is also an extreme attack method that the federal naval aviation forces have explored during their daily training.
However, the aircraft of the Federal Air Force are stronger in range and speed than those equipped by the U.S. Army or Navy. At present, the main combat aircraft of the U.S. Navy are F4F Wildcat fighter jets, SB Dreadbombers and TB Devastator torpedo attack aircraft, plus
U.S. Army Aviation
The B-17, B-18 bombers and P-40 fighter jets of the US Army are almost a level behind the Federal Navy aircraft, and more importantly, many of the Federal Navy pilots have actual combat experience. Compared with those in the United States that rely solely on training
The pilot is much stronger.
As for the battleships, cruisers and destroyers in the U.S. Pacific Fleet, the Federal Navy did not pay too much attention. In their view, as long as the American aircraft carriers are eliminated, the remaining warships will not matter how thick the armor they are equipped with.
Thick barrels also pose no threat to the Federal Navy. Sooner or later, they will be bombed and sunk by planes. The Federal Navy will not be stupid enough to use an aircraft carrier formation to confront the enemy's battleship formation head-on.
In order to cover this raid, the Indian Ocean Fleet and the Home Fleet of the Federal Navy specially deployed all aircraft carriers to conduct a joint maritime military exercise with the Navy of the Republic of China and the Navy of the Republic of China near the East China Sea, and allowed journalists from some countries to take photos and interviews, and participated
The federal naval ships in the South China Sea exercise all changed their hull numbers and disguised themselves as several main aircraft carriers of the Pacific Fleet, in order to "confuse" the United States.
In addition, the Federal Navy's Indian Ocean Fleet also used three Federal-class aircraft carriers that were being outfitted to form an aircraft carrier formation on the same day. It crossed the Andaman Islands and headed west. After encountering several destroyers of the British Royal Navy,
, before returning south.
In this way, at least in the eyes of outsiders, the main force of the federal Pacific Fleet is exercising in the East China Sea, while the main force of the federal Indian Ocean Fleet appears in the Indian Ocean, and the other federal fleet, the local fleet, is currently operating near Australia and New Zealand, so the federation has no
More other main fleets went to launch large-scale naval battles.
At 3 o'clock in the morning on January 9, 1941, the Federal First Attack Fleet, which had been drifting for more than seven days, arrived at the waters 500 kilometers southwest of the Hawaiian Islands on time. After searching by submarines and radars, after determining that the sea area was safe, the First Attack Fleet
The commander, Vice Admiral Naomi Bevins, issued an order to the fleet to expand its formation and prepare for takeoff. The seven aircraft carriers were divided into two groups and slowly adjusted their course and formation to prepare for the carrier-based aircraft.
Preparing for takeoff.
The deck of the aircraft carrier was already very busy at this time. Because there were too many aircraft on board, the entire rear deck and front deck were covered, leaving only the bevel deck as the only runway for aircraft to take off, so the ground crew
I can only duck in and out under the wings of each aircraft with my head lowered, and finally check the status of each component of the aircraft about to take off.
"Lao Hu, it's only one hour before takeoff time. Should we go up?" In the pilot lounge below the flight deck, dozens of pilots belonging to a flight group were reading, chatting and playing in their respective berths.
Card. They had just finished their last pre-war deployment meeting and were about to fly the plane.
This is the last time they have on the mothership before the expedition. As for how many of them will be able to come back in two hours, they have to pray to God for more blessings. On a bed near the door, a young pilot
Already fully dressed, he touched his companion who was lying on the bed reading a book with the helmet in his hand and asked.
"Why are you so anxious? It's freezing in such a cold weather. Have you checked your life jacket? Don't ask me to save you after you jump into the sea. Go ahead and let your brother recite sutras.
How many times have you asked me this question? Datou, your brother
He's so nervous that he's about to pee his pants. Please give him some warmth quickly and don't let him pee in my cabin." The pilot lying on the bed was obviously older. He got up impatiently and grabbed the young pilot's wrist.
Collar him and put him on the bed opposite.
"I said Hu Dayan, why are you bullying my brother in front of me? Didn't you look like this when you took off for the first time? How much better than my brother? Che, Binzi, come to my brother's place.
Don't pay attention to that guy. He will retire after this flight and is studying for his studies to make a living in flying.
As for the officer, he didn’t even look to see if there was smoke rising from his ancestral grave. As for the pilot officer, just go home and fly a transport plane.” A bald pilot sitting on the bed opposite saw the young pilot being bullied and immediately stood up and accused the old man.
The pilot, apparently he was the young pilot's brother.
"What happened to me taking the pilot exam? From now on, you all have to listen to me. If I tell you to fly, you will fly. If I tell you to fall, you will fall. If you are a little crooked, I will let you fly again." The old pilot named Hu Dayan
He said proudly, clapping the book in his hand.
"You can brag about this nb after you pass the exam. Don't say you can't pass the exam. If you pass the exam, I will ask for a transfer. If I don't work under you, what can you do? Binzi, don't be afraid. That old guy has a bad mouth, but his skills are still good.
It's alright, just listen to him when you get to heaven
Yes, if he asks you to vote, just vote, and then it will be his business, just like the usual training." The pilot named Datou comforted his younger brother, and at the same time he was also comforting the other young pilots in the room. (To be continued.
