Published at 13th of February 2023 06:48:43 AM
"Da da da!"
Two carrier-based FW-190 fighter jets quickly passed the USS "Taylor" destroyer, which is one of the "Fletcher-class" destroyers. Now it belongs to the aircraft carrier battle group "Yorktown".
The "Yorktown" aircraft carrier is a newly commissioned "Essex-class" aircraft carrier, inheriting the name of the "Yorktown" aircraft carrier that was sunk in the Azores naval battle. It's just that the current USS "Yorktown" aircraft carrier, like its predecessors, seems to be unlucky. In this naval battle, it became the first target of the German Navy's carrier-based aircraft group to attack.
The bullets of the aviation machine gun swept across the anti-aircraft battery of the destroyer 'Taylor'. The bullets hit the steel plate, making a clanging sound, and sparks flew everywhere. At the same time, there was the sound of a bullet hitting a human body.
"Ah!" There were screams one after another. Sailors continued to be hit and fell in a pool of blood.
Although the "Fletcher-class" destroyer has a displacement of up to 2,000 tons, in addition to being equipped with five 127mm main guns, it also has ten 40mm anti-aircraft guns and seven 20mm anti-aircraft guns, which can be regarded as powerful firepower.
But at the moment when its anti-aircraft firepower was suppressed, the carrier-based aircraft group of the German Navy immediately launched an attack.
Four dive bombers began to dive towards the destroyer from a high altitude.
At a height of only 500 meters above the sea, four dive bombers dropped bombs. A heavy-duty aviation armor-piercing projectile weighing 500 kilograms roared and slammed into the destroyer 'Taylor'.
"Bastard, evade!" The captain of the destroyer 'Taylor' shouted loudly.
The destroyer 'Taylor' immediately made an emergency evasion. The entire battleship rushed left and right, avoiding the danger from the sky.
"Boom!"
A violent explosion sounded from the stern of the destroyer 'Taylor', and the entire stern of the ship was enveloped inside. A bomb hit the stern of the ship, blowing the stern to pieces. Even the drive shaft was blown off. The power of the destroyer "Taylor" began to lose rapidly, and soon it was floating on the sea like a dead fish.
Subsequently, the German dive bombers launched an attack again, and three aerial bombs hit the destroyer, sending the 2,000-ton destroyer directly into the sea.
Next, the German carrier-based aircraft group rushed towards the inner cruiser fiercely. Despite being hit by the anti-aircraft firepower of the US fleet, the German carrier-based aircraft also suffered certain losses. Some dive bombers and torpedo attack aircraft were hit by anti-aircraft fire during the bombing process and fell into the sea. However, their offense has generally achieved great results.
One U.S. warship after another was hit and a raging fire ignited. Sea water poured into the hull even more frantically, causing the US warship to sink.
"Asshole, the Germans are focusing on attacking the 'Yorktown'. The **** warships of the 'Yorktown' suffered heavy losses, and they are about to fail!" Lieutenant General Halsey couldn't help but cursed.
General Ernest Jin also had an ugly face. Once the anti-aircraft firepower is broken by the German Navy's carrier-based aircraft, you don't need to think about it, and the German carrier-based aircraft will definitely attack the aircraft carrier. Although the aircraft carrier is larger, it is even more impossible to resist the siege of the enemy's carrier-based aircraft.
"Not only the 'Yorktown' is in crisis, but the 'Hornet' and 'Wasp' are also in danger. The Germans are attacking these three aircraft carrier battle groups at the same time." Ernest King will say.
It is not known whether the German Navy's carrier-based fleet was intentional or unintentional. The three aircraft carriers they attacked were all newly commissioned aircraft carriers this time. And they are all aircraft carriers that inherited the names of those aircraft carriers that were sunk in the Azores naval battle.
The carrier-based fleet of the German Navy has as many as 144 dive bombers and 120 torpedo attack aircraft. Even if it launches an attack on three aircraft carrier battle groups at the same time, its strength is more than enough.
Moreover, the tactics adopted by the German Navy's carrier-based aircraft fleet have also been tested in actual combat. They did not rashly launch an attack on the aircraft carrier at the core of the fleet, because that would be attacked by anti-aircraft fire from all directions. That way, it will be easier to be shot down. Prioritize the attack on the **** warships of the aircraft carrier, tear off its anti-aircraft firepower, and then launch an attack on the aircraft carrier. In that case, relatively speaking, it will be much easier, and the loss will be much smaller.
As destroyers and cruisers were sunk one after another, the aircraft carriers of the US fleet became precarious.
"Good job, the American aircraft carrier is already in front of us. They are like undressed beauties, just waiting for us to be lucky!" The German pilots shouted loudly.
Indeed, in the eyes of these pilots, the U.S. aircraft carrier is like a peerless beauty, prompting them to drive their planes towards each other. It's just that they went with death.
"Woo!"
Six dive bombers launched an attack on the "Yorktown" aircraft carrier. The shrill whistling sound even made many sailors on the aircraft carrier cover their ears.
However, those air defense soldiers still manipulated the anti-aircraft guns to fight back.
A dive bomber had not had time to drop a bomb, and was hit just as it entered the dive course. The entire plane caught fire and the pilot was killed on the spot. However, the pilot hit the deck of the aircraft carrier directly, and a violent explosion occurred.
You know, this dive bomber is carrying two heavy aviation armor-piercing bombs, and there is still a lot of fuel in the fuel tank. Both the bomb and the fuel exploded, setting off a fire.
The other five dive bombers took this opportunity to drop bombs. Five heavy-duty aviation armor-piercing shells slammed into the deck of the aircraft carrier. Although only three hits were made, they still penetrated the deck of the aircraft carrier and exploded inside the aircraft carrier, completely blowing up the cabins inside.
Rolling thick smoke rose from the aircraft carrier 'Yorktown', and the flames shot into the sky. No need to think about it, this huge aircraft carrier has been severely damaged. As for whether it can survive the siege of the German Navy's carrier-based aircraft fleet, it is very difficult to say.
When the aircraft carrier "Yorktown" was besieged by carrier-based aircraft of the German Navy, the aircraft carriers "Wasp" and "Hornet" were also attacked, and a raging fire ignited. Despite efforts by damage control personnel to salvage the carriers, attacks by German air groups continued. Whether it will be sunk or not may only depend on God's will.