Nine Hundred and One Days of Blessing
.The mid-April of 1939 was destined to be the most critical time point in the entire Second World War. At this point in time, the Soviet Union’s elite armored forces went south to seek an opportunity to fight the German armored forces. The magnificent Battle of Kursk was officially launched. begin.
At this point in time, the fleet of the Japanese Navy laid a net in the Solomon Islands, determined to fight to the death with the fleet of the US Navy. And this once unknown Solomon Islands was finally engraved in the annals of history because of this naval battle and became familiar to people all over the world.
Similarly, at this point in time, the Japanese Kwantung Army assembled 600,000 soldiers in an attempt to go north to attack the Soviet Union and rob the mountains of strategic materials in the Soviet Far East. They intend to use these materials to support the war and fight a more protracted Pacific War.
And almost the next month, that is, in May, Marshal Rommel issued an attack order in Africa. The oil resources he had accumulated from Syria were almost enough for him to launch a war for the Suez Canal, so this North African The Desert Fox, as a matter of course, started the offensive battle to get involved in the Middle East.
The strength of the US Navy's Pacific Fleet actually caused the Japanese Navy quite a headache. At Pearl Harbor, the Japanese army sank the battleships USS Tennessee, USS Arizona, USS Nevada, and USS Oklahoma in one go, but now the US Navy still has a lot of battleships that can be used to deal with Japanese warships.
The older ones are the Pennsylvania, as well as the battleships New Mexico, Idaho, and Mississippi, and the more advanced ones are the California, Colorado, Maryland, and West Virginia. Of course, the Americans did not completely lose to Japan on battleships. Although they did not produce super battleships, they served two new ships ahead of schedule: USS North Carolina and USS Washington.
Of course, these battleships are also assigned to the Atlantic and Pacific theaters, and there is even a ship on the route around the Middle East in the South Atlantic, so among the battleships of the US Navy, the old New Mexico and the Idaho and the newer The battleship West Virginia is still in the Atlantic Ocean, the Maryland is still sailing in southern Africa, and the Pennsylvania is being repaired on the west coast, so it is temporarily unable to participate in the war.
As a result, the total number of front-line battleships of the U.S. Army is highly consistent with that of the Japanese army. There are Colorado, Mississippi, Washington and North Carolina-a total of 4 battleships.
So when Halsey discovered two Japanese battleships appearing in front of the U.S. Navy fleet, he did not hesitate to move his battleship unit up. The faster Washington and North Carolina took the lead, following the U.S. Navy's The first wave of attack aircraft groups opened the prelude to the Solomon Sea Battle.
To be honest, taking the North Carolina-class battleship that just entered service in 1938 to fight against the Ise-class battleship launched by Japan in 1915 is a bit of a bully. However, these two Japanese battleships were not given in vain-they were modernized in 1935,
It can definitely be regarded as a relatively advanced battleship in service.
And if there is any country whose naval soldiers can compete with the British Navy in terms of artillery training before the start of World War II, then it is the Japanese Navy. In terms of overall artillery training and experience, the Japanese Navy is more than a bit better than the U.S. Navy in warship artillery battles.
But at this time, the Japanese Navy's decoy fleet is not only facing two American battleships, but also a piece of American aircraft overhead. So the entire battlefield kicked off in extreme chaos.
"Send a telegram to Marshal Yamamoto! We have successfully attracted the attention of the American fleet!" The captain of the battleship Ise put down the binoculars in his hand, and ordered to his first officer: "Reload the main gun. Ammunition! Get ready for air defense operations! You personally command the air defense battle, and the fleet as a whole accelerates!"
"Hi!" The first officer stood at attention and bowed his head, then quickly exited the command bridge, the battle siren sounded, and the huge battleship of the Japanese Navy showed its ferocious face, and all the cannons began to point to the sky. The shouts of air combat resounded throughout the interior of the battleship, and all the soldiers were quickly busy in the small cabin, and the battle to determine their fate was about to kick off.
"The air-to-air combat begins!" Standing in the air defense command position, the first officer drew out his command knife and pointed at the densely packed American planes in the sky: "Shoot! Dispel these damn Yankees!"
"Boom!" "Boom! Boom!" The high-caliber high-speed guns sprayed out dazzling flames, turning the battleship Ise into a huge hedgehog with flames in an instant. Tracer bullets flew around the battleship, and The American planes, like dexterous swallows, shuttled back and forth between the gaps formed by the beams of light formed by these tracer bombs.
Feeling that the near-miss bomb dropped by the US plane exploded not far from the hull, the captain of the Ise supported the table beside him, tried to stand upright on the shaky bridge, and watched those circling back and forth outside the window. He didn't know when his reinforcements would arrive: "We are the decoy fleet, and we must rely on ourselves to fight to the end!"
He gritted his teeth and loudly encouraged his subordinates: "His Majesty the Emperor will definitely bless us! Battleships are not sinkable by those tiny planes, and we will be safe and sound!"
In fact, at this time, the Japanese Navy's decoy fleet was still 40 kilometers away from the forward of the US Navy fleet, and the main guns of both sides were still unable to target the enemy. The Japanese navy has been doing zigzag maneuvers because it needs to avoid the attack of the aircraft, and it has not even aimed the main gun.
Suddenly an aerial bomb hit a Japanese heavy cruiser in the distance. The huge explosion turned the cruiser into a huge flame. The Japanese soldiers nearby saw the cruiser break and sink. During the process, they didn't know whether their end would be so miserable. In short, from this moment on, there was something called despair in all the Japanese soldiers.
"Shoot! Keep shooting! We are His Majesty's fighters! Don't give up the will to resist just because of the sacrifice of your companions! Long live the Empire of Japan!" On the air defense command position, a commander on the gun emplacement yelled at the sky road. However, his voice was quickly drowned out by the roar of the 127mm anti-aircraft gun.
"Boom!" As the battle continued, the Japanese Navy's air defense network became more and more disintegrated. After all, it is a suicide attempt to counter a large number of aircraft with a small number of warships. After a full 40 minutes of fighting, a bomb dropped by the U.S. Naval Aviation finally hit the flagship Ise of the Japanese decoy fleet.
The Japanese soldier holding the 25mm caliber triple anti-aircraft gun magazine was blown to the surface of the sea by the huge air wave. This huge bomb left a hole in the deck, and the nearby steel and other things were distorted. , witnessed the power of this aerial bomb.
Of course, the shock was also transmitted to the Ise command bridge. As the battleship shook violently, the fleet commander of the decoy fleet, the captain of the Ise battleship, staggered a few steps. Waiting for Marshal Yamamoto Fifty-Six to appear on the battlefield to save the decoy fleet that is about to collapse.
"Telegram to Marshal Yamamoto and General Nagumo Chuichi again! Tell them that our army is already at war with the main force of the US fleet, and let them rush to the battlefield as soon as possible. Otherwise, all the warships of the decoy fleet will be finished!" Finally stood firm At the heel, the captain of the battleship Ise finally sent out a second telegram urging the attack. After all, what he is looking forward to most now is the counterattack gunfire from the Japanese fleet.
"Boom!" As the distance between the fleets of the two sides was getting closer, the American battleships began to attack the Japanese battleships with their main guns, but the two Japanese battleships, Ise and Hyuga, were unable to use them because they had to avoid American aircraft. Use your own main guns to counter the menacing American battleships.
"Baga! Road!" The Japanese soldiers on the battleship were frightened by the splashing water, the constant explosion and the burning battleship, and cursed. , Japan has lost several warships.
Struggling, this word is very suitable for the Japanese Navy's decoy fleet. The sky full of planes and the American battleships that are constantly approaching make this fleet the most unlucky character in the entire Solomon Sea Battle today. They were struggling under the attack of the U.S. Navy, praying to God that their friendly warships could enter the battlefield faster.
Just when the decoy fleet was living in misery, as far as the easternmost position of the entire battlefield, Yamamoto Fifty-Six was leading his fleet towards the predetermined battlefield at full speed. He wants to try to reduce the distance of the fleet to 30 kilometers before the warning planes that take off from the US aircraft carrier fleet find him.
"Go at full speed! You know, the friendly forces of the decoy fleet are waiting for our news! Don't back down!" Standing on the bridge, Yamamoto Fifty-Six said loudly to his staff and adjutant: "The Imperial Japanese Army Luck is long! The whole army assaults!"
The sharp bow of the battleship Nagato tore through the calm Pacific Ocean, and the most cutting-edge battleship of the Japanese Navy took the lead and rushed towards the US Navy's aircraft carrier fleet. Yamamoto's first step plan obviously had a certain effect, at least he deceived the first wave of the US Navy's attack force.
"It seems! God Amaterasu is still protecting Japan..." Yamamoto Fifty-Six stared at the sea and murmured softly.
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After Christmas Eve is Christmas, so after wishing Christmas Eve, I wish everyone a Merry Christmas! Thank you readers for your support for Longling! Thank you! .
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