Bismarck

what happened?

However, for the dive bomber pilots of the GR186 carrier-based aircraft wing, nothing seems to matter...

There is only one thing on their mind, revenge.

“We fought them!!!”

"Revenge for the Captain!!!"

"Damn British bastards!!!"

"British! I'll blow you up!!!"

Flensburg's heroic death aroused all the ferocity of the German warhawks. The remaining JU87s completely ignored the anti-aircraft firepower of the British fleet and launched a desperate attack on the two aircraft carriers. They either dived at a large angle and dropped bombs from a height of meters, or threw bombs at the tall and heavy sides of the British aircraft carriers at a small angle or even just close to the water surface.

Although the British warships were desperately evading with high-speed snake-like maneuvers, the sea water around them was still surging due to the bombs one after another. The water columns caused by the exploding bombs on the sea surface were like tall towers, and the splashing water soaked the sailors on the warships.

The Royal Ark was particularly poor in maneuverability due to the large amount of water ingress. The crooked S-shape often ended before it was halfway through, and in the end it was not much different from a straight line. Such a clumsy ship was naturally the main target of bombers - more importantly, Flensburg was killed by her.

He simply became the target of concentrated fire.

On the bridge of the Illustrious, Tovey, who was stunned by the desperate German pilots, stood in front of the window like a chicken. Looking up, he saw only two dive bombers that seemed to be in vengeance and dropped bombs on the Illustrious...

"Crack--" Under the bombardier's ferocious gaze, the bombs under the belly of the plane broke away from the mother body one after another.

The bombs drew dangerous arcs and headed straight for the Glory.

I don’t know if he was shocked or scared, but Tovey was in a trance and didn’t react at all.

"General! Danger!!"

Tovey's adjutant rushed forward and pushed the dazed Tovey aside.

The next second, a bomb exploded in front of the bridge of the Glorious, and a cloud of smoke rose up.

Although it only created a shallow crater on the sturdy armored flight deck and did not even cause much damage to the flight deck, the bomb exploding on the deck posed a more serious threat to the bridge!

The shock wave of the explosion instantly knocked down a large number of sailors, bridges, anti-aircraft guns and other facilities on the flight deck, and the flying shrapnel made a clanging sound on the bridge.

Just as the adjutant pushed the door open, a piece of shrapnel flew in through the porthole glass and cut off half of the adjutant's head! Blood and brain matter sprayed cruelly everywhere! The adjutant's head flew up with his hat and hit Tovey hard, leaving him stunned.

"General!" Several more officers rushed over.

"I'm fine!" Tovey reacted and wiped the blood and brain tissue off his face with a gloomy expression. He ignored his adjutant and stood up again.

After all, he was a general who grew up in a front-line combat unit. Dead bodies could no longer cause any impact on him. His expression, coupled with the blood on his body, made him look more like a Shura crawling out of hell.

He calmly ordered his men to carry the adjutant's body away and issued a series of orders in succession.

Several more bombs hit two aircraft carriers. The Illuminati, with its three-inch (76 mm) thick armored flight deck, could barely hold on under the threat of bombs, but the Ark Royal, with its relatively weak armor and the impact, was already on fire and in ruins, and it became the best target for dive bombers...

The radio station shouted "Revenge for the Captain!" and the angry Black Iron Eagles rushed forward one after another...

...............................

In just two minutes of air raid, under the concentrated attack of several bombers, the two aircraft carriers that were given special care were seriously damaged. The Glorious flight deck was hit by three 500KG armor-piercing bombs. Even with the armored flight deck, it was badly damaged. After the flight deck was destroyed, it lost its combat effectiveness.

The Ark Royal was hit by two broadsides, including the Flensburg, and two dive bombings on the flight deck. This was too much for this fragile aircraft carrier to bear. She was on fire and had a 20-degree roll. She could only lean against a destroyer that came to rescue her, and sailed at a speed of six knots.

After this offensive and defensive battle, the entire Royal Navy carrier-based fighter unit was almost completely wiped out - if we add the previously damaged Furious and the cruiser Bonaventure that had its bow blown off, the British Royal Navy's Home Fleet carrier-based aviation unit can be described as having suffered heavy losses...

Compared with the British losses, the German record was much better, but because they had fewer aircraft, even with an advantage in quality, it could not completely offset the disadvantage in quantity, so they were at a comparable level.

Germany dispatched eight fighters and thirty-three dive bombers (including reconnaissance aircraft), but after a morning of air fighting, only five fighters and nine dive bombers were returned, and several valuable ace pilots were lost.

Among the returning personnel was a pilot named Rudel who was on a reconnaissance mission...

If we add the aircraft lost earlier in intercepting British air raids, it can be said that almost all the aircraft carriers on the Zeppelin were lost.

It can be said that Zeppelin also lost his fighting power...

In this brutal war, it was the aviation forces of both sides that were attacking. The fleets of the two sides had never even met each other. The most dangerous people were the pilots. In the air battles that were calculated by the second, none of them knew whether they could survive the next second...

On board the Glorious.

It was a devastating scene.

There were raging flames on the deck and heavy casualties on the bridge.

The medical soldiers rushed in, the damage control team ran down, and several staff officers and sailors who were not seriously injured did not bother to take care of this hell on earth. They climbed up from the ground and surrounded Tovey, shouting.

Several officers and soldiers tried to help Tovey, and one sailor held back his fear and reached out to take away the disgusting hat covered with blood and brain matter. But Tovey just waved his arm and wiped the disgusting liquid off his face, then stood up by holding the legs of the chart table - although he didn't wipe off much the second time because it had dried up.

The officers and soldiers around were a little stunned. An officer asked cautiously: "General...? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, I'm doing fine!"

He took the wet towel handed over by the orderly, wiped the blood off his face, touched his hat that had fallen to the side and put it on his head. Admiral John Tovey stood up straight, grinned, and glanced at the officers and soldiers around him with a fighting look, some of whom were concerned, some were afraid, some were lost, and some had the same determined look as him.

"I admit it, I did, no, our entire Royal Navy did underestimate aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft! I should take the main responsibility for such a huge loss..." There was no sign of frustration on his handsome old face (PS: Tovey does show a handsome old man in the photo...), and his strong fighting will was not frustrated by the heavy casualties.

A combat hero and an admiral who had grown up step by step and once commanded a weak destroyer in the Battle of Jutland, who had fired torpedoes at the German cruiser Wiesbaden on the opposite side before ordering the ship to be abandoned on the eve of sinking, would never lose his will to fight so easily!

He will never give up until the last moment!

"Looking at the current situation, I'm afraid the aircraft carrier can't be used like this, but don't lose heart! We still have Hood, Renown, and two Southamptons!!"

"And what about them?" Tovey laughed sarcastically. "The Germans only have one Tirpitz and a damaged Hipper heavy cruiser!"

"If you want to fight us, you're still far away! Even if you're a Bismarck-class fighter, what can you do?"

Standing in the middle of the crowd, Tovey was doing what some political leaders should do.

Looking at the officers and soldiers around him who had regained their morale, Tovey grinned with mysterious confidence and waved his hand: "I now order: send two destroyers to cover the transfer of two aircraft carriers together - the Royal Ark must continue to be rescued, and she must be brought back to the port!"

"Command, move the flagship. All staff members, follow me to the Hood. After the move, contact the air force's strike group and continue to pursue the German fleet! We must not let them escape!"

"Hood leads the Renown and other warships to start the pursuit. Their aircraft carriers have also lost their combat effectiveness. What's next is the fleet's decisive battle!"

"----Did you all understand?!"

Tovey's voice became firmer and firmer as he questioned loudly.

"understand!"

In the bridge, which was still filled with blood and smoke, high-spirited and uniform responses rang out.

"----If you understand, execute it immediately!!"

"Yes!"

The staff began to move, and the Hood slowly approached.

"Lütjens, I will make you pay the price." Tovey clenched his fists as he boarded the deck of the Hood.

It's about victory, it's about glory, it's about - manliness.

Lütjens escaped in Iceland. Will it happen again this time?

"Set off--"

Ps: There is big news today! Niu Niu always wants to make big news, and it finally came out today!

It is another Jiawu year, another old Buddha, another son who has been waiting for the throne for many years, a hall of a paperhanger, a declining empire, a declining navy, a group of fierce powers, a group of rebels who are always splitting up...

Chapter 237: Memorial

The plane returned.

Only fourteen of the forty-one fighter planes were returned, all of them with scars, and the rest all died in the sea and sky - including the commander Flensburg.

All the pilots were silent along the way. A dead silence filled the cabin, with only the roar of the propellers coming in through the thin cabin wall.

When they came, they were full of confidence. It wasn't a day of laughter, but they were relaxed. However, when they returned, many of their former comrades were gone...

Zeppelin kept controlling the joystick silently, feeling very depressed.

Looking at the few remaining fighter planes around, many familiar faces who called themselves instructors were gone, and an inexplicable feeling of powerlessness arose from the bottom of my heart.

It’s not that their fighter planes are bad, their fighter planes are far more advanced than the British Skua and Fulmar.

It’s not that their skills are low, she knows the level of the pilots trained by Zeppelin himself.

It's not that their tactics are backward...

Rather, it is a question of national foundation.

Before this, Zeppelin was not worried about the British attack at all. She always believed that with her around, no matter what tactics the British used, they could be easily cracked. As long as she was in this sky, she could take the initiative.

However, what she had not expected was that the British could exchange them with fighter planes that were several times theirs. Even though they did fight with a huge advantage in individual combat, the final outcome was not ideal, and even exceeded everyone's expectations.

No one expected that this battle would be so difficult to fight - the entire aircraft carrier's carrier-based aircraft were almost exhausted, and what was even more heartbreaking was the loss of pilots, which was difficult to estimate.

The British, relying on their absolute numerical advantage, fought them to the death, and both sides suffered heavy losses in the end.

It could be said to be a tragic victory. After all, Zeppelin and his men used inferior forces to inflict losses several times greater than those of the British - but was it really a victory?

Zeppelin smiled bitterly and shook his head. I'm afraid not...

She knew clearly that the purpose of this attack was to cooperate with the Air Force's air strikes on the British mainland. According to the plan, they would retreat after the air strike on Newcastle, and then engage in negotiations with the British at sea to attract some attention.

According to the plan, they would stay at sea for several more days, but now, the British must be ready to strike the final blow. The fleet was retreating, but this retreat was different from what was expected. Strategically speaking, the containment plan had completely failed, and it might be more appropriate to say that it was escaping.

Tactically speaking, except for a few large warships under construction on the slipway, the Royal Navy did not lose any warships. Even the Ark Royal was only seriously damaged, but they lost several destroyers!

For the German Navy, which was already short of warships, this loss seemed too great, and the impact would be even worse in the long run.

This situation is really worrying...

Gradually, the mothership got closer.

"Everyone cheer up!" Zeppelin watched his ship getting closer and closer, and had to speak out to break the silence, "I know you feel bad, and I feel the same way, but!"

"Don't bring this listless look aboard!"

"Those who have left have already left, but we will continue. You can do whatever you want."

"Do you understand?"

"···clear"

Zeppelin was not very satisfied with this answer, but did not say anything else.

"Prepare to land!"

The wreckage of the aircraft before departure was pushed into the sea by the ground crew, and the flight deck was cleared waiting for the returning people to land.

Zeppelin landed first. Her landing gear touched the deck, trembled violently, hooked the arresting cable, and stopped quickly.

The plane was quickly pushed away by ground crew.

Planes began to land one after another, and everyone was watching, one, two, three, four... until there were fourteen planes, and then the counting stopped abruptly.

The people on the aircraft carrier looked at each other, but the plane indeed did not land again.

Forty-four, fourteen returned.

"Why... so few people come back?" Bangtai looked back at Lütjens, who also looked unhappy, and said puzzledly.

"Let's go out first and ask Flensburg." Lütjens said as he slowly stood up.

Just as Bonte, Lütjens and Bismarck were about to go out, Zeppelin came back from outside.

She clenched her fists, without taking off the helmet on her head, a few strands of hair hung messily, and her face was pale.

"Captain, Commander, I'm back." she said softly.

There is not the usual coldness and arrogance, only the helplessness after facing the reality.

Germany only had one aircraft carrier, while Britain could directly deploy three. The loss of four or five destroyers was already a great pain for Germany, but for Britain, it was just a piece of cake and not worth mentioning...

"I'm glad you're back." Bangtai sighed. He didn't know what else to say.

"Is the situation very bad this time? How come only fourteen have returned?" Lütjens asked. "And what about Flensburg?"

He looked around and did not see Flensburg coming to the bridge. According to convention, it was he who should have made the report.

"Flensburg...has been killed in action." Zeppelin said this silently.

"what?!"

The one who reacted the most was Bismarck. She screamed, "Flensburg is dead?!"

Shocked, she immediately recalled Flensburg's past few months. Flensburg had spent a lot of time with her recently, so she had a deep impression of him. He went to Tirpitz as a liaison officer, returned to Berlin with them, and worked together in Zeppelin... Day by day, Bismarck had already recognized this calm air force commander in her heart and regarded him as her friend. When she suddenly heard that her friend had died in battle, her mood could be imagined.

"What's going on?" Lütjens asked immediately.