Bismarck

It is indeed something to celebrate...compared to the tragic ending of Zeppelin in history.

"Together!"

"Together!"

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good night

Chapter 197: Pre-War Training

As the German naval flag rose slowly on the Zeppelin, this ill-fated aircraft carrier was finally put into service. The captain was Lütjens' old subordinate, Bonte, and soon Flensburg and his men also flew on board the aircraft carrier with the GR186 carrier-based aircraft wing code-named TRAEGER. The empty decks and hangars of the aircraft carrier were soon filled, and then busy training began.

However, there are some differences between landing at a land airport and landing on an aircraft carrier. Although the land training ground has a full set of carrier-based aircraft landing simulation equipment, people are often unsure about the roll and pitch of the aircraft carrier during landing, so...it is common for the aircraft to fail to hook the arresting cable during landing.

Moreover, since the carrier-based aircraft of this era can only be parked in front of the deck after landing, the consequences of not being able to hook it will be very serious... Even if there is an arresting net, it is still hoped that the single-plane landing can be trained after proficiency before the fleet training. Although Zeppelin can take off and land very skillfully on her own body without interfering with her own body, the biggest problem is that the pilots do not think highly of the navy. Although Flensburg, the captain of the carrier-based aircraft wing, is very clear about Zeppelin's ability, the unruly pilots under his command are not so obedient...

"First, when you are about 3 km away, you should aim at the runway, keep the approach altitude at 200 meters, and then lower the flaps!... When descending, do not reduce the propeller torque, use the throttle and elevator flexibly, keep the speed at 220-5 km/h, and maintain a descent rate of 1000 meters per second. When you reach a distance of 30 meters, you should see the light signals in a straight line. This is the approximate correct approach angle... When landing, look at the mark of the landing point to descend, which is similar to landing on land, but remember not to reduce the throttle, keep it at 100%, and be ready to go around at any time. Especially when you are 50-2 meters away from the ship, if the landing guide on the ship finds any problem, he will call you to go around at any time!... Finally, level it about 3- meters away from the deck, so that you can hook the arresting cable... But you can only turn off the throttle immediately when the tail hook arresting light is on! !... The above landing operation essentials are very useful to everyone, I hope everyone will remember them carefully. We are all experienced pilots, as long as you are attentive, it is not difficult to do the above operations..."

On the flight deck, Zeppelin, standing in front of the blackboard, holding a teaching stick, carefully explained to the pilots the differences between naval aviation and land airports, but it seemed that many people did not listen carefully.

In their opinion, it was incredible that a navy officer wanted to teach the Air Force flight training, especially a girl who looked like a vase.

It seems that some people below have started to make a fuss.

"Report!" A cynical pilot raised his hand and stood up. "I still don't understand this. Can you please demonstrate it to me?"

The other pilots also looked like they were enjoying the show, and some even blew their whistles.

Zeppelin saw the expressions of these people, but he didn't say anything. To be honest, the German Air Force had only been re-established for a few years. In order to quickly form combat effectiveness, Goering adopted a method of letting internal competition between the various flying teams. As long as they didn't make any despicable moves, the various units basically listened to whoever was capable. This was also one of the reasons why the German Air Force, which had only been established for five years, was able to shine on the European battlefield.

Qi Bolin was naturally very clear about this, but she had absolute confidence.

"Demonstration? No problem. How about a bet?" Adjusting his hat, Zeppelin smiled and said to the pilot, "Technical Sergeant Heinz Baer, ​​I have seen your combat record. You have already won seven victories. This is a very remarkable record..."

Heinz smiled smugly.

"But if I can demonstrate the movements perfectly, I hope you and everyone here will listen to my lesson carefully!"

(PS: Heinz Barr, codenamed Red Thirteen, had a total of 221 kills, ranking eighth in the final German Air Force kill rankings, including 16 jet fighter kills - the third German Air Force jet ace)

"...What if you can't do it?" Heinz, the ace pilot, was stunned and asked, sensing that something was wrong.

"If you can't do it, I won't tell you any more... But I'm still very confident about this bet." Zeppelin said to Heinz in a flat tone.

Although Major Zeppelin was smiling, he seemed even more adorable.

Soon, Zeppelin boarded a fighter plane heroically and took off from the deck skillfully...

The result is naturally self-evident. After a perfect demonstration, although they were still a little unconvinced, Heinz and the others paid a little more attention in class from then on.

After all, men's words must be obeyed...

It is said that as time went by, Zeppelin often mingled among the pilots, gave them lessons, and helped them solve various problems that they had not encountered in adapting to HNA. It seems that he quickly established a certain prestige?

However, there is still a big difference between the tactical use of the Navy and the Air Force...

The first thing the new Grand Fleet Commander Admiral Lütjens did after taking office was to inspect the newly commissioned Zeppelin. In order to investigate the tactical use of the aircraft carrier and the level of training of the aircraft carrier, he and Bontay prepared to listen to the tactical discussion between Zeppelin and the Air Force.

"...The use of aircraft on aircraft carriers is actually a very irregular route because the aircraft carrier itself can maneuver and must take off and land against the wind. In addition, we must consider that the enemy fleet and our fleet will move from the time the aircraft is launched to the time the air strike is launched and then the aircraft returns, so the navigation and range calculation may be much more complicated than that of a land airport..." Zeppelin simply drew a few pictures on the blackboard: "In the worst case, assuming that our course is with the wind, we have to turn around when launching the aircraft, and if the target fleet is also retreating at this time... The range of the BF109T and JU87B after the range is increased is about 1000KM, which is about 250KM of theoretical combat radius. But... if we consider Considering that it takes about 40 minutes to launch the aircraft, plus the time of flying on the road - which probably takes at least an hour - the position changes of both sides, in this one and a half hours, this relative movement can pull the distance apart by a full 90 nautical miles! ! ... Although such extreme situations rarely occur, it at least shows that our understanding of navigation, aircraft and ship position coordination, and continuous tracking and guidance of targets are very critical to the use of carrier-based aircraft! Even in the foreign aircraft carrier use experience and training subject materials obtained by our intelligence agencies and naval exchanges, we can see that in foreign aircraft carrier fleets, long-range navigation, long-range search, and predicting the range of activities of both the enemy and us are also very important contents! ! ..."

When Lütjens came to inspect, the Zeppelin had just organized a tactical exercise the day before - of course, that exercise was a mess, and a review meeting was now being held.

The door of the meeting place for pilots on the battleship was closed, but through the door, Zeppelin's cold voice could still be heard, constantly scolding the originally proud pilots.

"What's going on?" Lütjens looked at Bontai in confusion.

With an embarrassed look on his face, Bontai had to report the content of the exercise to Lutjens in a low voice.

In fact, it was a normal tracking-attack tactical exercise. Assuming that the enemy was a German iron ore convoy 250 kilometers away, the pilots were still used to operating in the land mode, so they simply reported the target's location and returned. However, in fact, the distance of 250 kilometers, plus the time required to launch the aircraft group, was 45 minutes, and the round trip took more than an hour. As a result, the fleet had already sailed more than 20 nautical miles away...

And that’s not all. Not only did the pilots lose track of the target, but because the aircraft carrier was also maneuvering in accordance with actual combat requirements, by the time they returned (nearly three hours had passed), the pilots, who were not well-trained in predicting the position of moving targets at sea, almost couldn’t even find the Zeppelin...

If Zeppelin had not thought of the problem of the pilots' ability to judge their position at sea when the German pilots reported that they had lost the target, and urgently asked Bonte to turn the aircraft carrier back, and directly sent navigation signals and radio commands to the pilots, these BF109Ts would probably have fallen into the sea due to lack of fuel...

Lutjens said he held his forehead... It's really unbelievable that something like this happened during training...

but···

"Won't those pilots have a rebellious mentality if we criticize them like this?" asked Lütjens.

At least now is still the running-in period for the navy and the air force. If Zeppelin makes such impolite accusations, the pilots, as the chosen ones of heaven, already have conflicts with the navy. If there are any actions against them, it will be more trouble than gain.

"It's okay." Bangtai said with a smile, "I was also worried at first, but then I saw that the pilots were very respectful of Zeppelin, so I felt relieved."

"Then you take charge of this matter. I won't say more."

"Yes!"

Lütjens pushed open the door and walked in to look at the discussion at the meeting. It seemed that Zeppelin and the pilots were already actively studying solutions to this problem.

"...navigation and heading judgment, it seems that everyone thinks that it can be solved by a few more trainings, so this problem will be temporarily stopped. But there is still a problem...In wartime, we hope to maintain radio silence as much as possible, and also prevent our communications from being eavesdropped, or even the possibility of being located by them, so we should not be able to directly indicate the distance and direction, in addition to signal encryption, but encryption takes time, and the enemy's escort fighters are not for show...Can you think of any other way to solve this problem? It must be fast and the communication content must be kept confidential..."

"Report!" A pilot in the audience raised his hand, saying he wanted to make a suggestion: "Excuse me... If this is the case, can we use grid coordinates instead of distance and direction? And this seems to be more convenient, because there are grids on the nautical chart..."

"...Hmm?" Zeberin was stunned. "Grislavsky, your idea is good... Then let's try it out during the next exercise?"

"Wait, if that's the case, I also have a suggestion. How about we use a pair of planes for reconnaissance? Searching with more people can reduce omissions, and if one plane is shot down, there is still another one to finish sending the telegram..." Another pilot also put forward his own opinion.

"Is that so? That's fine... But then the number of reconnaissance planes will squeeze out the number of attack planes, right?"

"So we still need to coordinate well with the long-range reconnaissance aircraft at the shore base. Also, how about organizing a second attack group as soon as the reconnaissance aircraft is recovered?"

"...This idea...Although the refueling and ammunition loading cycle takes about one and a half to two hours, it is worth considering..."

"Wait, if that's the case, why not just equip the two reconnaissance planes with bombs? Even 250KG will do. If the situation is urgent, we can just blow them up first!"

"Well, if we carry bombs, the range and speed will decrease, right?"

"...Well, it depends on the situation. If you judge that the target is urgent, then hang up. If the situation is not serious, then it's okay not to hang up..."

"Rudel, I think your idea is really worthy of a reconnaissance aircraft change... Why don't you try it out during the next exercise?"

"Well! Let's have Rudel and someone else try out the feasibility of a two-plane search with bombs during the next exercise. But... Marseille, how about the two of us play the role of interceptors?"

"Buckhorn, you are seeking revenge for your personal gain!!..."

The pilots in the front and Zeppelin were having a heated discussion. Behind them, the captain and Bangtai looked at each other.

"Youth is full of energy!" Lutjens said with emotion. "Although there are still many problems, it seems that the pilots are still very proactive in solving them."

"Yes... Fortunately, Miss Zeppelin is here, otherwise none of us would know anything about aviation, and we wouldn't be able to communicate with the pilots so smoothly..." Bangtai smiled bitterly. "Even if we have the information on other countries' aircraft carriers, if we don't know how to fly, there are still many things we don't understand..."

"I heard that you are planning to learn to fly from them?" Lutjens began to tease his old subordinate. "But you are only 44 years old this year and you are in good health. You can learn..."

“Actually, I’ve already started learning, but now I’m only learning theory and flying with a trainer at the land airport near the port. I haven’t flown solo yet…” Bangtai touched the back of his head.

"Then you have to learn quickly. The higher-ups said that preparations for combat against Britain are now underway, and they have already begun bombing British Channel airports and ports. I wonder if the Zeppelin will be deployed then... It is expected that a large-scale air strike against Britain will be launched around mid-August, and it is estimated that it will not be later than that... In short, get ready early."

"Well, everyone is very hardworking and has taken the initiative to sacrifice their rest days for training. And when it comes to the current training and use issues..." Bangtai pinched his chin and thought for a while, then sorted out his thoughts and reported: "Zeppelin told me about this issue. Those pilots have been trained when they were at the Air Force land airport, and many of them even have actual combat experience, so there are no big problems with tactical subjects. The main problem now is to get them used to some of the differences between aircraft carriers and land airports, and to increase the dispatch rate and deck scheduling efficiency as much as possible. In particular, the time interval between coordinating the attack aircraft group, the reconnaissance fleet, dispatching the aircraft carrier escort fighters, and sending the next wave of attack teams. Any operation takes 45-90 minutes. During this time, the aircraft carrier can only sail against the wind, so it is still very limited..."

"...It sounds like the same as keeping the course and speed constant during efficient shooting or torpedo attack?" Lutjens fell into thought, "But if it lasts for 45-90 minutes, and the aircraft's combat cycle is calculated as three hours... No wonder Zeppelin just said that we need to predict the position, it seems that there are still some restrictions on its use..."

"Yes... But as long as the aircraft is not taking off or landing directly, the aircraft carrier will not force the aircraft carrier to head against the wind... I have asked Zeppelin to write a document on the specific details, and I will ask her to report to you later..."

"Okay." Lutjens nodded.

"It seems that everyone is trying to find a more appropriate way to do the relevant operations. After all, this is our first aircraft carrier, and there is no complete set of relevant regulations. We have to figure it out on our own..." A cold sea breeze blew from the sea under the sunset. Lutjens tightened his clothes and walked into the cabin, thinking.

"Bismarck's question that night... Indeed, our country is still somewhat deficient, so we need to work harder..."

ps: Here are 5,000 words. It’s the last few days of May, and I’m going to start shamelessly asking for monthly tickets~~~ Please give me all the monthly tickets at the end of the month!!!

Then I recommend a book, well, it's called "KanColle Snow Wind", everyone is welcome to watch and collect it

Chapter 198: Battle of Britain (I)

While Lütjens was preparing to build a new German Grand Fleet headquarters, Tirpitz was busy repairing some of the damage in Dunkirk in Wilhelmshaven, and Zeppelin and her pilots were training day and night without a break and exploring how to use carrier-based aircraft, the curtain of what would later be called the "Battle of Britain" had slowly opened...

The second phase of the battle on the Western Front began on June 5, 1940. After less than three weeks of fighting, it ended with France's surrender to Germany and the signing of peace terms between Germany and Italy.

After the great victory, Hitler believed that he had enough capital to negotiate peace with Britain. He publicly called for peace talks with Britain many times. And to be honest, the conditions for peace talks were not harsh.

But Britain was not moved at all. Less than three days after the mustache speech, British Foreign Secretary Rod Halifax made a statement on the radio: "Hitler's speech did not mention the issue of peace talks based on justice. Hitler's only argument was threats... The British Empire is full of confidence in fighting to the end, and we will never stop fighting against dictatorial tyrants!"

At this point, Germany's idea of ​​forcing Britain to sue for peace was doomed to fail. Now, the Air Force must seriously consider operations against this island nation.

However, when it came to fighting against Britain, Goering said that only a small number of troops could be deployed for the time being. Because the French campaign had just ended, the entire air force needed to rest and reorganize. In addition, ground facilities such as airports, radars, and oil depots had to be deployed in northern France first.

The British Royal Air Force was also using this time to step up its reorganization and replenishment. Both sides were preparing for the upcoming war.

On June 30, Goering issued a "general order for the air war against Britain," which stipulated: "When each air force is engaged in combat... they should cooperate as closely as possible on the premise of mutual understanding." "After the troops are assembled... combat actions should be taken against the target group in a planned manner," etc.

Goering demanded that the Luftwaffe first attack the British Air Force and its ground facilities and aviation industry, and secondly carry out air strikes against the ports and sea transport lines of the British Royal Navy. Goering, who was headstrong, believed that the Air Force alone could accomplish both missions at the same time.

However, due to the time required to formulate a specific operational plan and the last attempt of the mustache to seek peace with Britain, it was not until July 7 that Goering formulated the first step of the operational plan of "using bombers to attack ports and airports in the southern Channel area of ​​Britain, waiting for the British fighter units to be dispatched and then giving a devastating blow in the air battle." On the 11th, Hitler also put forward a high-profile combat plan against Britain called "Operation Sea Lion."

However, the first phase of the operation did not effectively strike the British fighter units and radar stations, but only destroyed a few radars and damaged a few airfields (and these land airfields were able to be quickly repaired). In addition, the preparations for large-scale air strikes took time, and the weather was sometimes good and sometimes bad. Although sporadic air battles and bombings were going on, the time for launching the general offensive was set to be around mid-August.

By early August, almost all preparations had been completed. Except for the battleship Tirpitz, all the elite German naval forces had been concentrated in the port of Kiel. The entire port was packed, and the grand scene of the last Norwegian campaign appeared again.

In this large-scale operation, since the naval flagship battleship Bismarck was severely damaged and was still under overhaul in the shipyard, the task of flagship fell to Zeppelin without any suspense. As early as the beginning of August, the new commander of the Grand Fleet, Lütjens, brought his secretary Bismarck and a group of staff on board this huge battleship, and immediately began a series of arrangements and deductions.

Facing the setting sun at dusk, Bismarck and Zeppelin leaned quietly on the railing outside the bridge, boredly enjoying the sea breeze and admiring this rare beauty - the weather was particularly good today, and the fiery clouds dyed the entire sky red.

"The battle is about to begin. How do you feel?" Bismarck brushed his hair that was messed up by the sea breeze and asked Zeppelin sideways.

"No feeling." The latter replied indifferently.

"How boring." Bismarck curled his lips. "I wanted to enlighten you. Can you give me some feedback?"

"What reaction do you want?" Qi Peilin laughed. This nominal sister sometimes seemed very mature, but sometimes even more childish than himself. It was really interesting.

"Not afraid?" Bismarck asked.

Shake his head.

"Not nervous?"

Still shaking his head.

"Okay, I asked too much."

"I have tried my best and have no regrets. Moreover, I believe those pilots, they are the strongest." Zeppelin stood up straight, glanced at the lazy Bismarck, then cast his gaze towards the junction of the sea and the sky, his tone full of confidence.

Her lips are slightly raised, showing her royal sister style.

"He's so confident." Bismarck said metaphorically.

"By the way, didn't you say that Tirpitz would come today?" Zeppelin asked. The two of them were standing here now, partly because they were waiting for her arrival.

After all, only Tirpitz was missing.

However, there was still nothing on the vast sea.

"Almost." Bismarck said with a smile, "You must not have activated telepathy."

"no, what happened."

"It's only 20 nautical miles away. We'll be reunited soon."

They sensed that the equally huge warship was heading towards them at high speed with the setting sun behind it.

Indeed, after a while, a warship appeared within the visible range of the naked eye, first the tallest mast, then the hull, and finally it became bigger and bigger.

Tirpitz anchored next to Zeppelin, and the 800-meter-long dock immediately seemed full with these two ships.

"Hello, sister!" Long before reaching the shore, the shy Tirpitz greeted his sister in his mind, but there seemed to be one more person today.

"Are you the sister Zeppelin that my sister mentioned?" Tirpitz asked cautiously. She was a shy person when she saw a stranger, especially the one who didn't look so approachable. She wanted to hide behind Lindemann when she spoke...

In fact, she did so - she subconsciously stood behind Lindman, who gave her a strange look.

But in the spiritual space, this is of no use.

"What sister Zeppelin?" Bismarck, who was also in the chat room, thought that he should teach Tirpitz a lesson. "She is your sister!"

"Didn't I tell you last time that you have a new sister?" Bismarck added.

"But sister, I'm taller than you and me..." Ti Zi asked with some confusion.

She had carefully looked at the heights of her sister and that girl, and both of them were much taller than her sister.

"Don't mention the height!" Bismarck was like a cat with its fur standing on end. "Her ship is just longer than mine!"