afterglow

Chapter 691: Striving for Excellence; Naval Battle South of the Gulf of Alaska
The survivability of the battleship is beyond doubt. The armored box structure with key protection design has sufficient reserve buoyancy. It is difficult for the warring parties to completely sink the target in the artillery battle, unless they are extremely lucky and hit the ammunition depot.

In fact, except for the Yongyuan which sank due to a secondary explosion, the main battleships of both sides all held out until dawn and basically used up all their armor-piercing shells.

The air forces that entered the scene one after another launched a fierce attack on the battered warships, reaping the seriously injured warships. Several small-scale air battles broke out in succession near noon.

Before capsizing, the North Carolina experienced four explosions, two large and two small, and the thick smoke that gushed out was like a volcanic eruption.

Compared with the Kaihuang, the Kaihuang was much quieter. After it withdrew, the nearby Ming destroyers could not find any torpedoes to attack with torpedoes, which shows how fierce the naval battle was in the second half of the night.

The heavy cruiser Nanling fired six shells at the waterline of the Kaihuang, but still failed to sink her.

Mei Xuan attached great importance to it and requested to dispatch capable personnel to return to Kaihuang to carry out the blast. However, due to the serious flooding in the lower cabin, the sea valve could not be used, and the ammunition depot was completely filled with water during the previous rescue, so it was impossible to detonate the ammunition depot.

By noon, columns of smoke rose into the clouds, almost dyeing the continuous white clouds black. The Canadian air defense observation post on the Queen Charlotte Islands dozens of kilometers away could clearly see the thick smoke rising into the sky.

The Battle of Queen Charlotte, the second phase of the sea and air war, came to an end. It was destined to be the last battleship showdown in the Pacific battlefield.

The U.S. military sank the battleships North Carolina and Massachusetts, and the expensive large cruiser Alaska was severely damaged. In addition, six destroyers and one light cruiser were lost, with total casualties of approximately 6.

The Ming army lost the Yongyuan and the battleship Kaihuang, the heavy cruiser Nanling was seriously damaged, the Yuanxing and Yongle were also moderately damaged, in addition, 4 destroyers, 1 super destroyer, and 1 light cruiser were sunk in battle, with a total casualties of about 3000.

"Enemy aircraft! Anti-aircraft combat deployment! Take your positions!"

"Sight angle 19 degrees, enemy large bombers, about 20."

A team of B-24 Liberator from Seattle bombed the Ming landing fleet cruising in the waters west of Juneau and the Alexander Islands, and three of their own planes were shot down by the fleet's anti-aircraft fire.

After the air raid, the Cao infantry landing ship was severely damaged and forced to run aground. The Plantain frigate went to capture the parachuted American crew members.

Zhou Changfeng heard someone say with a smile: "Fortunately, the ship carrying gold was not blown up."

The Yinghuo had also been attacked before, but a few near misses did not cause much damage.

At this time, the detailed battle report had not yet been completed, and he only received a vague report from the main fleet - the battle was over, both the enemy and our side suffered multiple casualties, and the outcome was still undecided.

I knew it, how could the confrontation between two unprecedentedly large fleets end so easily? The real drama has not yet begun.

So, how will the fleet commanders of both sides deploy their troops next?
Zhou Changfeng stood calmly on the platform outside the bridge and looked into the distance. After thinking for a moment, he ordered a call to the Dutch Harbor Air Force Base to inquire about the status of the atomic bomb's preparation.

It is not easy to accurately drop an atomic bomb over the US fleet. First, you have to find the right position, then break through the interception, and finally you have a chance to drop the bomb.

Therefore, the generals unanimously agreed that this trump card was not suitable for first use, as it would be too obvious - if several heavy bombers suddenly swooped down on the fleet, the enemy would know what they were doing at a glance and would definitely try their best to intercept them.

Therefore, the most appropriate time should be to use the backup plan and suddenly attack during the battle when the enemy is too distracted to respond.

At the same time, the combat conference room of the giant aircraft carrier Chang Gung was crowded with people, but it was completely silent.

On the central nautical chart are many painted copper cubes, the red ones representing the friendly fleet and the blue ones representing the enemy fleet.

After a wide-area search over the past day and night, Ming army carrier-based aircraft, seaplanes, and submarines were all discovered.

However, the reconnaissance intelligence they provide is difficult to tell whether it is true or false; some are detailed, some are vague, and some are even contradictory.

It is particularly difficult to distinguish right from wrong. The most certain thing at the moment is that there is an enemy fleet located in the southeast.

That US fleet was mainly composed of 4 fleet aircraft carriers and 1 light aircraft carrier, as well as 2 light cruisers and 19 destroyers. The Ming army temporarily called it Target A.

In fact, this is the 58nd Combined Group of the 2th Task Force (TF-58.2), and the fleet's aircraft carriers are Enterprise, Wasp, Glorious, and Indomitable.

In addition, the Ming army also discovered two other US aircraft carrier fleets, but the specific information was vague, and only the approximate size and direction were known.

Currently, the three US aircraft carrier fleets are far away from us, about six or seven hundred kilometers away.

Although the entire US aircraft carrier task force has been exposed, the Ming army generals are worried that this is not all, and they wonder if there are still some that have not been discovered.

"Order the Second Fleet to intensify reconnaissance of Target A and see what his next move will be." Cheng Jian gave the instructions.

To be cautious, he wanted to test his opponent's reaction and then judge his command style.

The personal style of a commander can have a significant impact on combat, with William Halsey and Raymond Spruance being the best examples.

In terms of aircraft carrier operations, a radical general may attack with all his might after finding the target, even leaving no room for retreat; a conservative general will do the exact opposite.

The degree of involution in the Pacific War is very different from that in the original dimension during the same period, and many things are inconceivable in history.

In the past six months, the US military has specially developed and manufactured the AN-Mk2 1600-pound armor-piercing bomb to further optimize its penetration capability, and even the explosives have been changed from ordinary D explosives (ammonium picrate) to A3 explosives (passivated RDX).

【Picture】

This type of heavy armor-piercing bomb has a high scrap rate and is very expensive to manufacture, so you can imagine how highly targeted it is.

The Ming army also developed three-type 640kg semi-armor-piercing bombs and special Bai's special explosives, which were originally designed to deal with the Essex class. Although the powerful three-type carrier-based bombers were enough to carry 800kg bombs for takeoff, it would affect the range and maneuverability, so after weighing the pros and cons, the Naval Weaponry Institute selected 640kg as the best load.

The special explosive is named after the chief engineer of the R&D team. It is a brand-new ratio, consisting of 50% RDX, 36% PETN, 10% aluminum powder, and 4% paraffin. It has an equivalent power of 138% TNT equivalent, has sufficient explosive heat, and its ignition capability is stronger than that of ordinary single explosives.

Since March this year, the Jinzhou and Hangzhou Naval Arsenals have begun filling various aerial bombs with Bai's explosives.

The optimization of aerial bombs is just a microcosm. In fact, both the Ming and American militaries are unconsciously pursuing perfection in the internal competition.

Such meticulous pursuit of excellence has never existed in history - Americans have the power but not the will, and the Japanese have the will but not the power.

As the order was issued, several reconnaissance Type 58 carrier-based bombers took off from the Gou Chen and Dali, closely tracking the US fleet in the southeast. The highest commander of the 2th Task Force was William Halsey. By this time, seaplanes and carrier-based aircraft had discovered four Ming aircraft carrier fleets, and the nd Task Force reported that more Ming aircraft were tracking them.

"Order the 2nd Task Force to maintain its course and prepare to defend against air attacks; the 1st Task Force to accelerate toward direction 295 and prepare search formations, attack formations, and guard patrol formations."

William Halsey was unwilling to continue the game of strategizing, so he decided to launch an attack first, try to inflict a devastating blow to one of the fleets, and then consider retreating.

Although he personally longed for a decisive victory, orders from the Admiralty were to conserve strength.

The military significance of this naval battle is no longer significant. It is more like a political battle. Now, as long as a certain blow is dealt, it will be enough to give an explanation to the people and the political circles.

The Ming fleet would not be stupid enough to approach the west coast and confront the endless shore-based aviation forces. It could only return after being damaged.

Following the order, TF-58.1 gradually increased its speed and sped northwest at 24 knots.

By the afternoon, even though no clear reconnaissance results had been obtained, Lieutenant General Mark Mitchell gave the order to take off, hoping to shorten his exposure time and reduce risks.

The Essex-class Constellation, Franklin, Hornet, Ticonderoga and Independence-class Cosburn launched attack formations one after another.

7月1日下午17：05，美军第一波攻击编队出击，一共出动189架舰载机。

The attack formation first flew in the general direction, and more than half an hour later the fleet received enemy contact reports sent back by the reconnaissance aircraft sent earlier.

The target of these dive bombers carrying out the search mission was the 4th Air Attack Fleet of the Type 120 Special Forces Fleet.

The US aircraft fleet immediately corrected its course and rushed towards the Ming fleet more than 100 kilometers away with unstoppable force.

However, the weather was not good, and the Ming fleet decisively accelerated and hid under the nearby cumulonimbus clouds.

Weather conditions also worsened in the evening, with the impact of the North American westerlies being greater than expected, bringing strong winds and dark clouds.

The US aircraft group deviated from its course for more than ten kilometers. Although several Corsair fighters were equipped with airborne radars, they still failed to find the target and returned empty-handed.

The sun set and the sky grew darker. The darkness and strong winds seriously interfered with the carrier-based aircraft recovery operations, and the radio frequency bands were filled with the pilots' shouts.

Mark Mitchell took the risk and ordered all-out efforts to provide lighting assistance. All kinds of searchlights were turned on, and several destroyers fired flares into the sky. It seemed as if a carnival party was being held on the dark sea.

Despite this, landing under such difficult conditions was still too difficult for the rookie pilots, and recovery operation accidents continued. TF-58.1 lost 53 carrier-based aircraft and a total of 36 people were killed or injured.

The Ming army actually launched a counterattack. More than a hundred carrier-based aircraft were blocked by thunderstorm clouds on the way. After calculation, the commander found that if they took a detour, there would not be enough fuel for the return flight, and they would inevitably have to land at night, so they returned.

Both sides were nervous that night because of the bad weather and it was impossible to keep tracking at night, so they had to resume the search after daybreak.

Due to the lack of high-speed seaplane carriers, the US fleet's wide-area search capability is weak, but now that it is relatively close to the mainland, seaplanes such as Catalina and privateers can also assist in operations, making up for this disadvantage.

Compared to yesterday's calm viewing of the battleship formation confrontation, both sides today were clearly a little impatient.

7月2日上午10：15，一个海盗双机编队发现了明军第一空袭分舰队，与第2特混大队相距370㎞，不近不远。

William Halsey decided to give it a try and ordered an attack.

The Enterprise, Glorious, Indomitable and the Independence-class light aircraft carrier Tuscaloosa adjusted their courses and prepared to attack.

After getting a little closer, 56 fighters, 77 dive bombers and 21 torpedo planes took off one after another. As soon as the formation was completed, they marched towards the distance in a mighty manner.

At 11:03 a.m., the patrolling Haddock (SS-231) discovered a Ming army fleet, which was actually the Ming army's Third Air Raid Squadron that had launched its aircraft not long ago.

The Haddock sent a message after following for a while and then dived to avoid the enemy. At this moment, the US attack formation also found its target and began to attack the First Air Raid Squadron.

The U.S. military learned the lessons of the naval battle west of the Maury Fault Zone and this time emphasized concentrated attacks.

The armored aircraft carrier Tianshu was hit by three 1600-pound heavy armor-piercing bombs and suffered severe damage on the spot. Many compartments were flooded and the speed was reduced to 9 knots.

Then another damaged Helldiver broke through the blockade, dived and dropped its bomb, which hit the target, further worsening the already bad situation.

The fleet's flagship, the only remaining giant aircraft carrier, Chang Gung, was also the focus of attention. The US aircraft dropped more than ten bombs, but the accuracy was very poor, with only two bombs hitting the target. The No. 4 generator room, the No. 3 engine room, and the No. 1 officers' mess were destroyed by the explosion. Some ventilation equipment also malfunctioned, and the speed dropped slightly.

This was the first time that the electrostatic proximity fuze was used in actual combat. Excluding the results of carrier-based aircraft, it was confirmed that 31 US aircraft were shot down by anti-aircraft fire, of which the anti-aircraft cruiser USS Bai Jingju alone killed 7.

A little later, the aircraft launched by the Ming Army's Third Air Attack Squadron also approached their target. These carrier-based aircraft came from the three ships, the Yu Nu, Tian Chu, and Hua Gai, all of which were Gouchen-class aircraft carriers.

The carrier-based aircraft formation participating in the battle consisted of 55 Saker Falcons and 138 Herring Gulls, a small number of the latter being equipped with aerial torpedoes.

The Type 2100 carrier-based bomber was developed by the Shangxing Company and has a relatively traditional design. The inverted gull-wing design, double tail strut, and front-pull and rear-push designs that were all selected in the bidding at the same time were all rejected. The Type 7400 carrier-based bomber uses a double-row 2000-cylinder star engine with a nominal power of horsepower and a maximum take-off weight of kg. It can carry at most kg of bombs or two aerial torpedoes. Its official code name is: Silver Gull.

Their target was the 58rd Task Force of the 3th Task Force, which included the aircraft carriers Randolph, Hancock, Bennington, and Shangri-La, all of which were Essex-class, as well as one light cruiser and 1 destroyers.

Nearly a hundred Corsairs and Hellcats flew in an overwhelming manner, trying to stop the invading enemy. The Ming army pilots tried their best to fight back and try desperately to break through.

Wei Pu, who once scored a torpedo hit on the Ranger, has been promoted from second lieutenant to major three years ago and now commands the second bombardment team on the Huagai.

Several American Essex-class aircraft carriers looked almost identical. Wei Pu saw a group of Herring Gulls taking turns to dive and drop bombs on one of them. Flames and thick smoke spewed out of the holes in the deck at high speed. So he led his team to rush towards that ship, facing the bombs that were coming at them...

When the sea and air war broke out, along with the arrival of a telegram, four Type 350 (Z) aircraft of the 2th Meteorological Monitoring Squadron could not wait to take off from the Aleutian Dutch Harbor. Among them, QZ-- was carrying the third atomic bomb that had been transported to many places.

Under the escort of more than a dozen Type 38 heavy fighters, they flew slowly towards the battle area, wishing to reach the target in an instant.

(End of this chapter)