"Stop the American fighter jets, and scatter the dive bombers and torpedo attack aircraft." The carrier-based aircraft of the U.S. Navy desperately wanted to bring down the German dive bombers and torpedo attack aircraft to ensure the safety of their own warships.
This also made the German **** fighters have to intercept and hunt down these US carrier-based aircraft with all their strength.
F4U fighters were shot down one after another. Even though the performance of this aircraft is not bad, it is still not the opponent of the German naval aviation flying the FW-190 fighter.
Fierce battles were staged over this sea area, and fighter planes were constantly shot down. Some pilots were lucky enough to skydive after being shot down. But there are still many pilots who don't even have the chance to skydive.
While the fighter planes of the two sides were fighting fiercely, the fighter planes that took off from the central island of the Azores also came over. Moreover, the size of this batch of fighters is larger than the fighters that took off from the western islands of the Azores.
fighter squadrons, 96 FW-190 fighters, 6 dive bomber squadrons, 72 dive bombers, 6 torpedo attack squadrons, 72 torpedo attack aircraft, a total of 240 fighters, forming a huge fleet . When this fleet flew across the sky, it covered the sky and covered the earth, as if it was going to cover the sun.
When the huge fleet was detected by the air search radar of the US fleet, the faces of those radar soldiers changed drastically.
"Oh my God! The German fleet has appeared. The densely packed fleet definitely exceeds two hundred!" A radar officer asserted.
"Quick, report to the general!"
Two minutes later, the news was delivered to Admiral Hasben Kimmel.
"More than two hundred planes? The Germans really want to eat us all!" Admiral Hasben Kimmel's face also became very ugly. He knows that this is undoubtedly a great test for the US fleet. If their anti-aircraft firepower fails, the consequences will be disastrous. Those battleships that were not sunk during the duel with the battleships of the German Navy, this time I am afraid it will be more ominous. Even the mighty 'Montana-class' battleship may not be able to keep it.
"General, the current situation is even more critical for us." Major General Keweier said.
Admiral Hasben Kimmel nodded: "Order the anti-aircraft artillery positions of each ship and prepare for battle. Next, it depends on everyone's performance. If you don't want to die, you must resist the Germans." Human attack."
"Yes, General. Can we still request more fighter support from the aircraft carrier formation?" Rear Admiral Cowell asked.
Admiral Hasben Kimmel thought for a while, then shook his head: "This time the aircraft carrier formation has reinforced 72 of our F4U fighter jets, which is already half of the number of F4U fighter jets owned by the entire aircraft carrier formation. , now it seems that even these F4U fighters are not the opponents of the Germans. If more fighters are deployed from the aircraft carrier formation to reinforce it, it will cause a greater burden on the aircraft carrier formation. They also bear the heavy responsibility of defeating the Germans .”
Admiral Hasben Kimmel still decided to rely on his own strength to face the large fleet of the German Navy. He believed that with the huge anti-aircraft firepower of the US fleet, it would definitely be able to withstand the attack of the German Navy's fleet.
"Yes, General." Major General Kevill nodded heavily, and he also wanted to understand this point.
In the sky, the fierce battle is still going on. But as the U.S. Navy lost more and more F4U fighter jets, they could no longer pose much threat to the German Navy. Even, under the pursuit of the German FW-190 fighter jets, these F4U fighter jets had to flee in all directions. At this moment, the offensive and defensive momentum has completely changed.
"How many dive bombers and torpedo attack aircraft do we have left?" asked the German commander in charge of the attack after dispersing the US Navy's F4U fighters.
"Sir, there are 22 dive bombers left. 18 torpedo attack aircraft left."
"Damn it!" The commander couldn't help but cursed. The original 36 dive bombers lost 14, and the torpedo attack aircraft lost 18. This loss is not insignificant. Even, the attack power of their fleet has been greatly reduced. The warships of the US fleet must be ready for battle. If you continue to attack, it will undoubtedly be very difficult to break through the dense air defense network and sink the American warship.
"Attention all planes, suspend the attack, I will contact the base!" Commander ordered.
However, it was later learned from the base that the fighter planes that took off from the islands in the central archipelago will arrive soon. The base ordered that after the first wave of fleets converge with the second wave of fleets, they will attack together.
The 2nd wave fleet originally included 96 FW-190 fighter jets, 72 dive bombers and 72 torpedo attack aircraft. Including the remaining fighters in the first wave of the fleet, there will be a total of 142 FW-190 fighters, 94 dive bombers and 90 torpedo attack aircraft, and the strength will become even stronger.
In less than twenty minutes, the second wave of aircraft arrived. After the two waves converged, they rushed towards the US fleet.
As for the 72 F4U fighters that the U.S. Navy lined up before, after more than 50 were shot down, the remaining F4U fighters had already fled with their tails between their legs.
Moreover, what these U.S. F4U fighter pilots did not know was that a German light cruiser located to the west of the U.S. battleship formation detected these U.S. fighter jets with air search radar, and based on where they landed, it was deduced that the U.S. fleet The location of the aircraft carrier.
"General, the German fleet is coming!" Admiral Keweier reminded.
Actually, Admiral Hasben Kimmel had already seen it without reminding him. In the eastern sky, swarms of small black spots, shining on the sun, came towards them. The densely packed small black dots represent dense aircraft. Obviously, this undoubtedly means a life-and-death test for the capital ship formation of the US fleet.
"Woo! Woo!"
The shrill air defense sirens have already sounded, and countless air defense soldiers manipulated anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns, aiming at the direction of the attacking German fleet.
"Boom! Boom! Boom!"
The 127mm anti-aircraft guns opened fire first. Although the rate of fire of these large-caliber anti-aircraft guns is very slow, they have a long range and the power of the shells is also very large.
Almost every warship in the US fleet is equipped with this type of artillery. Even the destroyers of the US Navy directly use this type of artillery as their main guns.
"Boom! Boom!"
The shell exploded in the air, leaving clouds of black smoke. The huge fleet of the German Navy has dispersed and began to attack the US fleet.