Bismarck
Page 313
In one night, nearly two-thirds of the combat effectiveness of the bomber and heavy combat units was paralyzed, and even those planes that were in good condition basically had various minor problems, and a hole was no big deal.
In other words, the Royal Air Force's bomber units in the Middle East and North Africa theater have temporarily lost their combat effectiveness until their aircraft are repaired.
Air Force General Arthur Tedder was so angry that he felt like he was going to explode.
What's more, even the British themselves didn't know that the coded telegrams sent by their stupid teammate, the American Consulate in Cairo, to the United States for urgent assistance on behalf of their allies were almost one-way transparent to Rommel's code-breaking team!
Come to think of it, this was actually one of the main sources of information for the fox...
(PS: This is a historical fact. The consul was transferred in August 1942~8)
"Great! Well done, Lindemann, you are amazing!"
When the captain received the situation report forwarded by Rommel, he couldn't help but get excited like a child, holding the telegram directly in the headquarters.
He even gave the confused Lindemann a fierce bear hug in front of Bismarck.
Even Bismarck, who was standing nearby, was momentarily stunned when he saw such a erratic captain.
Not only Bismarck, but also Lindemann was confused. He did not expect that his method seemed to be really successful. Hehehe, it was like a dream.
"Hey, Bismarck, your captain... is hugging Lindemann?"
Seeing this, Zeppelin on the side rolled his eyes, put his head close to the Persian cat's ear with a sly smile, and began to mutter jokingly.
"Zeppelin! Don't stir up trouble!"
The Persian cat rolled its eyes at Zeppelin in anger, but at the same time it also glanced viciously at someone who was being slapped by its captain while laughing. Moreover, it was secretly thinking in its heart whether it should find Grapes and tell someone about it when Zeppelin went on a mission!
Well, just say that your Lindemann doesn’t want you anymore.
Even though he knew that Lindemann and his captain had a pure and innocent relationship, it was still a pure comradeship. However, he actually caused himself to be laughed at by Zeppelin...
Lindemann, just wait and see!
The petty Bismarck glared at Lindemann again.
Of course, he also did not forget to give the back of Zeppelin's head, who was grinning beside him.
Lindemann, who was grimacing at the slap from his own fleet commander, suddenly felt a chill in his heart for no apparent reason...
"Why do I feel like something bad is going to happen? Is this an illusion?"
------The dividing line of comforting the crying Tizi that night and feeling depressed all night-
Play is play, make noise is noise, but work still needs to be done.
Although the losses were heavy, it goes without saying that the British, known for their stubbornness and rigidity, would not give up easily.
The transport ships outside the port of Alexandria were moved to the safer open sea sixty nautical miles away from the port of Alexandria under the command of Lütjens before dawn.
Here, it is very close to the effective combat radius of 200 kilometers of British attack aircraft and fighters.
Sure enough, early the next morning, Admiral Arthur Tedder, unwilling to accept his defeat, organized a large number of planes and frantically chased the transport ships off the coast of Alexandria Bay!
The Zeppelin aircraft carrier was the only air barrier for these four transport ships and the more than 20 small civilian boats that were requisitioned for transportation...
Although under the personal dispatch of Field Marshal Kesselring, the German Air Force gathered all its bomber forces before dawn: nearly 110 bombers from a bomber group, under the cover of a squadron of night combat BF- fighters, wanted to take the initiative to attack the British front-line airport at dawn when the British attack aircraft group had not yet taken off, in order to strike first.
However, the British, who had suffered a great loss in the ambush in the first half of the night, were not fools. They had thought of this move of the Germans early on. However, the number of British anti-aircraft guns was much greater than that of the German army!
From the village of Dawar to the Manhur Airport, a fire network consisting of fifty-four anti-aircraft guns also equipped with VT fuses, as well as the handsome warrior fighters who had been beaten up in the first half of the night and were still holding a grudge, finally got their revenge on the German bomber team.
Seventeen bombers and six BF-110 fighters were shot down, forcing the Luftwaffe's night fighter and bomber units to withdraw from the battlefield for a long time...
Just after they had defeated the German night attack aircraft group, at dawn, the British aircraft group also took off in a mighty force.
With 40 Spitfires and P-2s leading the way, more than 20 Hurricanes loaded with high-explosive bombs and 39-pound machine guns acting as attack aircraft, as well as the American-made A- Boston/Havoc, and even the P Snakes that were not considered to be just for the sake of numbers... At dawn, under the rising morning star in the east, they swept towards the battlefield in Alexandria port and the direction of the Axis fleet in the open sea!
On the other hand, the Axis powers are not idle either!
The Axis fleet was already 60 nautical miles off the coast of Alexandria, with the Zeppelin and transport ships as the core, and ten destroyers were arranged in a wheel-shaped formation for air defense. In addition, an additional fan-shaped air defense layer was arranged in the direction of the British base group in the southwest. Nearly fighters of the German Air Force and German carrier-based aviation had also formed a wall of war eagles in the sky, ready to attack.
Rommel, who knew that a large-scale battle might break out in the next two days in order to ensure the safety of the transport team, took advantage of the time when the British Air Force was busy with air combat the night before and used heavy artillery to suppress the British positions at Alexandria Airport. He then used torpedo boats to cover dozens of assault boats on Lake Mareotis to the positions of the 164th Division. He spent the entire night transporting two battalions of nearly a thousand troops and a batch of weapons and ammunition back and forth, and was prepared to defend the village of Izbat Shahinakh to the end even without naval artillery support.
Amid the enemy situation reports shouted by the radar soldiers, the brilliant dawn finally broke through the horizon, illuminating the blue sky of the Mediterranean Sea and the golden battlefield that was about to be dyed red by blood and fire...
"Bismarck, is there anything going on?"
"Captain! Lindemann reports from the cruiser, one hundred and twenty kilometers to the southeast! At an altitude of six thousand meters! A large-scale enemy aircraft group has been spotted... They will engage the transport convoy in about forty minutes!"
"Are you here? Order, air defense alarm, level one alert! Order the transport ships and civilian ships that are in transit to stop operations immediately and disperse in formation! In addition... according to the combat plan, now authorize Lindemann and General Dazara to coordinate and be responsible for the fleet's water air defense; Bonte, you are now responsible for the fleet's air command! Bismarck, you will be responsible for coordinating the operations of the navy and air force!"
"Yes!"
"I am Captain Zeppelin of GR-186! Now I order: Everyone, follow me now, full deck takeoff!"
"The first batch of thirty-six Zeppelins have already taken off?! Order the ground crew to quickly pull up the second wave of twenty-four fighters of Bal! Be ready to fill in the gaps in air combat at any time!"
"understand!"
From dawn until sunset, large-scale air battles broke out between the German and British armies, in the Mediterranean convoys, and on two battlefields in the port of Alexandria!
Two hundred and eighty British fighter planes, one hundred and twenty ground-based fighter planes from the German and Italian air forces, and more than eighty carrier-based planes from the GR186 fought brutally for a whole day under the infinitely bright sun...
"Damn it, there are too many planes!"
"Report! The Italian ally's destroyer Antonio Danoli was sunk! The Duke of Abruzzi is replacing it!"
"…Oh no! They broke through the gap in the Danoli!"
"What are you still standing there for? Anti-aircraft guns, VT fuses, concentrate fire! Organize an interception immediately!"
"Enemy planes are dropping bombs! Are they attacking from both sides? This is bad..."
Boom——Boom——
"Captain, the flight deck of the Zeppelin aircraft carrier was hit by two high-explosive bombs, temporarily losing its takeoff and landing capabilities."
"Repair immediately, GR-186 Squadron, and land at the land airport later!"
There was a great deal of bustle on the ship, and black smoke began to rise from the deck of the Zeppelin.
"The Mediterranean Traveler transport ship was hit by the British... Oops, that ship was full of ammunition! The other ships immediately turned away..."
Before Bismarck could finish his words, a devastating explosion occurred. It was like a small nuclear explosion. Although it did not last for an instant, the huge sound still caused a brief silence around. The ship was destroyed and no one escaped.
"Instructor Zeppelin, why did you suddenly lose control just now? Are you okay?"
"Damn, my back hurts a bit... Damn the British!"
"Damn it! Those damn British guys are here again! One hundred kilometers to the southwest! Five thousand meters high!"
"Zeppelin, are you okay?"
"Bismarck, I'm fine... GR-186 Squadron! Charge with me! We have to stop them as far away as possible!"
"Follow the instructor—charge!"
"Marceiu, you bastard! Don't take my head!"
At this time, the situation on land is not optimistic...
"Lütjens, this is Rommel! How are you doing? Without your cruiser support, I'm feeling a bit stressed..."
The sound of gunfire continued to come from the phone.
Lütjens gritted his teeth and said, "The Zeppelin is damaged and is being repaired. It will probably take a while... Do you have a place for my people to land and get supplies?"
"Now only Deba Airport is relatively safe. The two temporary airports in Sihanoukville and Arab Castle have been bombed. Those John Bulls must have had a mad cow disease attack today. They are so crazy... By the way, how is the transport ship now?"
"The Mediterranean Traveler sank, and three other civilian ships we collected sank. Fortunately, we have survived this wave. It is now four o'clock in the afternoon, and there will probably be another wave at dusk. They should not have many night flights now, so we can unload the cargo tonight!"
"Hahaha, that depends on you being able to survive this last round, Mr. Admiral. I won't tell you anymore, the British are coming again. My life and property depends on you. Don't keep me waiting in vain tonight."
Listening to the Desert Fox's cheerful laughter in the microphone, which was able to maintain optimism even in adversity, Lütjens, who was holding the microphone, was silent for a long while before he nodded solemnly:
"Don't worry, I'll see you at the dock tonight...I won't let you wait empty-handed."
Chapter 510: The melee begins
At dusk on September 16, the blood-red setting sun hung low on the horizon, illuminating the Axis supply team that was slowly moving toward the port of Alexandria on the sea with its last remaining light before setting.
Two large holes were blown in the flight deck during the air raid. The Zeppelin aircraft carrier, with wisps of black smoke still emitting from the repair sites on the deck, and the three destroyers that were damaged in the air raid were escorted by the equally embarrassed light cruiser Montecuccoli. They were carrying out repairs while slowly evacuating to the open sea.
Fortunately, the British mainly brought high-explosive bombs this time. Although the Zeppelin's deck armor was only 20 mm and was vulnerable to armor-piercing shells, it was enough to detonate the fuse of the high-explosive bomb.
The entire Mediterranean Fleet, including the remaining four destroyers and three light cruisers, also tightly surrounded the three transport ships and more than a dozen civilian ships that were already filled with thick smoke.
Although they were badly wounded, these warships were still capable of fighting - especially the cruisers that had to bombard British positions at night. Their 152mm main gun ammunition was basically not used.
At this time, Lütjens had moved his headquarters to the Duke of Abruzzi, and he and Lindemann, two big men, shared a cabin.
However, Bismarck did not come along.
Just in case, Lütjens deliberately left Bismarck on the Zeppelin aircraft carrier, intending to use her perception of danger and control of the Zeppelin's hull to ensure the absolute safety of the Zeppelin aircraft carrier.
As for Bonte, he is quite familiar with Bismarck.
Although I always felt that it was strange for the captain and Lindemann, two grown men, to squeeze into the same cabin, and considering the bear hug before... even the way he looked at his own captain felt a little strange. Even a serious man like Lütjens felt a little creepy in his heart when Bismarck looked at him as if he was a scumbag and a heartless man...
But Bismarck didn't say anything. After all, this was not the time to joke.
Bismarck also knew that the Zeppelin had great significance and supporting role in the Mediterranean.
Under the premise that there are only three front-line airports and more than 200 aircraft in the North African battlefield, even if the carrier-based aircraft wing is reduced to only 37 aircraft, it can still continue to roam in the Mediterranean after simple repairs. From the sea on the edge of the British land-based base, the aircraft carrier can freely carry out various attacks, air defense and cover logistics support on the British positions. The combat significance is self-evident.
Moreover, regarding the next plan of the African Corps, not to mention Lütjens, even Bismarck could vaguely guess whether the fox was preparing some big news.
Even now that the North African battlefield is extremely tight in terms of manpower and situation, among the reinforcements that she, Zeppelin, Tizi and the others had sent over a dozen days ago, the elite Italian San Marco Marines and the First Paratrooper Brigade, totaling 5200 people, have not been used by Rommel until now. It is said that they are used as the general reserve...
She was not proficient in land warfare, but even the Bismarck was a veteran secretary ship. Even if the captain didn't tell her, she could guess the general idea without thinking too much.
At least she knew almost all the communications between the African Corps and the Mediterranean Fleet.
The total strength of the African Corps now does not exceed 20,000, and it has been hit hard by 100,000 British troops. Under the premise that the manpower is already extremely tight, there are still 5,200 people left, and they have not been willing to use them until now?
Moreover, they put into use the highly mobile Marine Corps and Airborne Brigade?
I guess that cunning fox is going to make some big news, and it's most likely related to the navy.
Therefore, there must be no accidents happening to Zeppelin's real body.
"Captain, don't worry! For the success of the next operation, I will take good care of the main body of the Zeppelin aircraft carrier." Bismarck said with a smile.
The Persian cat, with 150,000 horsepower making the 20,000 tons of armored steel on its chest rattle, made a promise to its captain with a smile on its face.
"Well, I'm glad to know." Lütjens' expression was still serious, but the slightly upturned corners of his mouth and the smile in his eyes betrayed his mood.
He reached out and touched the head of his secretary and mount, and it felt really good.
"Hey, Captain, this is on the bridge!" Bismarck couldn't help but say.
Seeing the confused protest of the big lady Xiao who was suddenly attacked by him, Lütjens couldn't help but chuckle and finally laughed without any expression.
"Captain! You messed up my hair..."
Bismarck couldn't help but adjust his hat. His head could be broken but his hairstyle couldn't be messed up!
"You've matured, Bismarck." Lütjens laughed even more heartily.
"Go and take command! Leave this to me."
--------
After the captain left, Bismarck couldn't help but adjust his hat under the gaze of everyone, and his face turned a little red.
After all, they are not crew members of our ship.
"What are you looking at? Let's get to work," she said.
As the twilight got lower and lower, the fleet got closer and closer to Alexandria, but everyone's mood became more and more tense...
The navigation bridge of the Duke of Abruzzi, because it has a large sea chart table, is now used by Lütjens and Lindemann as the temporary headquarters of the Mediterranean Fleet.
Major General Dazzara is now in his own headquarters, commanding the Italian fleet and the Italian merchant fleet...
But no matter which headquarters they were in, everyone looked solemnly at the cloudless sky under the blood-red setting sun...
The lazy and somewhat dazed pink rodent stood next to Lindemann... I wonder if it can be considered a "person"...
In other words, everyone in the German Mediterranean Fleet Command was familiar with him, including Lütjens and Lindemann. They were no longer surprised by this pet of the fleet and had turned a blind eye to it. They all agreed that they could give up on treating it...
"It's 18:30 now, and there's still an hour until sunset... Lindemann, where are we now?"
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