Transmigrated as the Crown Prince

All the water reconnaissance planes sent out were shot down by German fighter planes, but before they were shot down, they sent back the terrible news that the number of German fighter planes exceeded 200.

"More than 200?" Commander Isakov couldn't help but frowned deeply. So far, they have not been able to find out the specific performance of the German aircraft carrier. They have no idea how many carrier-based aircraft a German aircraft carrier can carry. However, the three aircraft carriers sent 200 carrier-based aircraft. He somewhat doubted whether the Germans had sent all the carrier-based aircraft that could take off.

Can 200 carrier-based aircraft be blocked by the anti-aircraft firepower of our own fleet? ? Although he was not sure, he could not retreat and could only order the fleet to set up an air defense formation. The four Soviet-class battleships were also prepared for air defense.

These Soviet-class battleships are copycat versions of the Yamato-class, and their anti-aircraft firepower is naturally not much different from the Yamato-class. The equipped anti-aircraft weapons include 45 triple-mounted 25mm anti-aircraft guns and 21 single-barreled 25mm anti-aircraft guns. In addition, there are 12 twin-mounted 127mm high-level dual-purpose naval guns and four triple-mounted 155mm naval guns. As for anti-aircraft machine guns, there are only four 2mm anti-aircraft machine guns. Yannick didn't know what the use of these four anti-aircraft machine guns was. For a battleship with a displacement of more than 70,000 tons, the firepower of these four anti-aircraft machine guns was completely negligible and had no effect on air strikes.

Because according to the actual combat experience of the Navy in World War II, anti-aircraft machine guns have little effect against propeller-driven fighter jets; as for large-caliber anti-aircraft guns above 127 mm, because the number of projectiles fired per unit time is very limited, the air defense combat effect is also unsatisfactory. Small and medium-caliber anti-aircraft guns above 20 mm are the mainstay of air defense operations.

The Japanese Navy is also very seriously injured in air defense operations. Therefore, a large number of 25mm single-barreled, 3-gun anti-aircraft guns are deployed on the main naval ships above the light cruiser level. It's a pity that they seriously lack or have no mid-range anti-aircraft firepower at all.

Moreover, these 25mm anti-aircraft guns themselves also have quite a few flaws. For example, they use 15-round magazines to feed ammunition, which requires manual replacement of the magazines. In addition, the actual vibration of the triple-mounted gun is too large during shooting. Shooting with three magazines loaded at the same time may cause malfunctions and The problem of interruption of firepower when changing the magazine is that the actual operation is to fire two guns, one is ready to fire, and then fire again when changing the magazine, resulting in the combat rate of fire not meeting the design requirements (the maximum theoretical rate of fire of the triple unit is 450 to 660 rounds per minute ). Moreover, the designed rate of fire is based on the condition that the loader is not injured. In fact, except for a small number of Yamato equipped with metal shields to protect against muzzle storms, these anti-aircraft guns do not have other temporary installations or remote gun positions. , it can easily lead to huge casualties of loaders and operators, affecting air defense operations.

Looking back at the U.S. Navy at the same time, their fleet air defense firepower was carried out in layers. The long-range is a 5-inch anti-aircraft gun, which is a 127 mm anti-aircraft gun. Later it was equipped with a vt fuze, which is a radio proximity fuze, doubling the air defense efficiency. The mid-range is the Bofors 40mm anti-aircraft gun, which is divided into double and quadruple mounts. Medium and large ships are even equipped with linkage with electromechanical fire control directors. There is no need to manually operate the rotation direction and elevation angles, and only need to insert ammunition. . At close range is the Oerlikon 20mm cannon, equipped with a 70-round large-capacity drum.

Such full coverage of the distance, mid-range and short range, after being intercepted by peripheral carrier-based aircraft and intercepted by 5-inch guns equipped with VT fuzes, and then cleared by the Bofors 40-guns with the highest shooting rate, those who can enter the 20-gun defense range have already Very few anymore.

Under Yanik's operation, many of these problems and shortcomings in the Yamato battleship's anti-aircraft firepower were inherited by the Soviet-class battleship. But Commander Isakov couldn't care about this. Now he can only bite the bullet and move forward, hoping to get to Adak Island as soon as possible and have a decisive battle with the German fleet!

But they are still 400 kilometers away from Adak Island, and it will take more than eight hours to arrive at the fleet's speed of 25 knots (3 kilometers/hour). And how many attacks did they have to withstand during these eight hours? At least eight times out of ten, right? How many warships will be left by the time they arrive at Adak Island? !

Just as Commander Isakov sighed in his heart, countless dense black spots appeared in the distant sky.

"Ready to fight!"

Although the battle order had already been issued, Commander Isakov emphasized it again.

Looking at the approaching fleet with a telescope, he saw forty or fifty fighter jets in the fleet flying 25 kilometers away began to slowly decrease in altitude.

"They are going to..." When he saw these fighter jets descending to a height of less than 100 meters from the sea, Commander Isakov instantly realized that they were going to launch torpedoes.

Torpedoes in World War II were relatively delicate, and there were strict requirements for the height, speed, and distance of the torpedo aircraft's bombing. Dropping the bomb too high or too fast will damage the torpedo or even render it useless. Therefore, the bomb delivery speed is generally below 350km/h, and the altitude is below 100 meters. For example, the Japanese army dropped bombs at a height of less than 30 meters during the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor. In short, the torpedo aircraft is very close to the sea surface when dropping bombs. There is no minimum unlocking distance. The torpedo will explode when it touches the sea, which will damage the aircraft.

Faintly seeing the torpedoes under the belly of the fighter planes falling into the water, Commander Isakov's mouth twitched slightly. When torpedoes are launched from 25 kilometers away, even if the speed of these torpedoes can reach 40 knots (74 kilometers per hour), it will take at least twenty minutes to arrive. How accurate can a torpedo be after twenty minutes of sailing? Why are Germans so confident? !

But he still ordered the fleet to turn to avoid these torpedoes.

The dozens of fighter jets dropped torpedoes and returned to high altitude. The remaining attack aircraft group divided into two groups and flew towards both sides of the fleet.

Is this to encircle our own side? !

Commander Isakov really couldn't understand the opponent's tactics, but these fighters were 20 kilometers away from them. Even if the anti-aircraft guns opened fire, it would just be a waste of ammunition.

For aircraft traveling at hundreds of kilometers per hour, the distance of 20 kilometers can be said to be fleeting. Soon these attack aircraft groups flew to both sides of the fleet, also lowered their altitude and dropped torpedoes.

In this way, the Germans had dropped nearly 150 torpedoes, and the fleet had already evaded them twice. Logically speaking, these torpedoes could not harm their fleet, but Commander Isakov felt increasingly uneasy. After all, the Germans are not fools. They would waste their torpedoes and leave their luck to God? Or do they have any means to ensure that the torpedo will hit the target?

"boom!"

Just when Commander Isakov was deeply anxious and unable to extricate himself, a violent explosion was heard in the distance.