Chapter 286 Cyclone! Commander Lu Personally Visits the Secondary Artillery Group

Concerning the safety of their own territorial waters and transport teams, the British rarely abandoned their sleepy work style.

Three hours after Admiral John Tovey issued the order, a Spitfire belonging to the Coastal Defense Command plunged into the foggy Lefjord.

The model of this Spitfire was only Mark 1, or more precisely, the PR reconnaissance model without weapons and radio stations.

It was replaced with a blue-green Komtin paint that was more conducive to concealing its body in the air, and two aerial cameras with a focal length of five inches were installed in the original position of the wing machine guns.

In order to ensure that the reconnaissance aircraft can successfully capture the target, the designer also installed a heating device on the Spitfire PR to ensure that the camera would not be frozen in the low temperature environment at high altitude.

Looking at the foggy coast below, Lieutenant Colonel Rotheram kept his mouth pursed, and his expression did not change for a long time. He slowly lowered the altitude, striving to ensure his own safety while not missing any hidden corners.

According to the intelligence provided by the headquarters, there was at least one Bismarck-class and one Admiral Hipper-class in Norway at this time.

Although the enemy had not yet fought the Royal Air Force, the anti-aircraft firepower of battleships and cruisers would certainly not be bad. He did not want to rush into the enemy's air defense circle inexplicably.

Hard work pays off. Lieutenant Colonel Rotheram spent half an hour on the coast of Norway and finally found the target in Grimstadt Fjord south of Bergen.

At the same time, the radar of the Bismarck also showed the enemy plane that suddenly appeared like a ghost.

"The anti-aircraft gun group is on full alert!"

"We can't let that reconnaissance plane leave! It will expose our whereabouts!"

Under the command of the deputy gunner, anti-aircraft guns with suitable calibers fired at the same time, including two 105 anti-aircraft guns, five 37 hand-pulled machine guns and eleven 20mm anti-aircraft guns.

The young non-staff officers stood next to the gun positions, eager to fight side by side with the veterans.

For a moment, the whole sky was filled with traces of tracer bullets and a barrage of exploding fragments. The Bismarck battleship showed the world its "amazing" anti-aircraft firepower for the first time.

But something happened that stunned the other side. The reconnaissance Spitfire was not shot down, but shuttled through the hail of bullets like a flexible petrel.

After taking the photos required by his superiors, Lieutenant Colonel Rotherham manipulated the fighter plane to climb without saying a word, and soon left the battlefield with its maneuverability.

As a senior pilot who had participated in the Battle of Britain, he glanced back at the battleship below with some confusion.

"What the hell?"

"Is this also considered battleship-level anti-aircraft firepower?"

"I didn't expect that this mission would have unexpected gains. If Admiral Tovey knew that the Germans' mid-circle firing rate was so low, he would definitely jump for joy."

After watching the enemy's reconnaissance plane leave, the sailors on the Bismarck battleship left their combat positions helplessly. Everyone was busy and nervous, because they knew that their fleet was about to set sail again.

At the same time, a lieutenant colonel officer walked into Lütjens's command room.

"Commander, this is the weather forecast for today and tomorrow. God is on our side. Half an hour later is the best time for the fleet to set off."

Marshal Lü took the information, scanned it with his sharp eyes, and said, "Go and call the captain."

A moment later, Lindemann returned to the captain's command room. His expression was very solemn, and he was obviously dissatisfied with the result of the battle just now.

As the former principal of the Kiel Naval Gunnery School, he was very keen to find that there were major problems with the anti-aircraft firepower of the Bismarck battleship, not just that the SK-C/33 and SK-C/37 dedicated fire control systems did not match each other.

If the enemy sent an aircraft carrier to attack from the air, the consequences would be absolutely disastrous.

"Here, this is the weather forecast. There will be cyclones and thunderstorms for the next two days, and it will be difficult for enemy reconnaissance planes to find us."

"I require the fleet to leave here as soon as possible and set off for the Danish Strait immediately. We must hurry to enter the Atlantic Ocean, only there can we be considered safe."

After hearing the order from his commander, Lindemann quickly adjusted his state and replied: "Yes! Sir!"

For the next period of time, the Bismarck battleship entered the second-level combat readiness.

Except for the anti-aircraft gun group, all others performed their duties and prepared to set sail, and the entire warship immediately became busy in an orderly manner.

The command was passed back and forth between the bridge and the front deck, and the signal team also quickly sent a notice to the Prince Eugen through the directional signal light.

The anchor machine began to turn, pulling up the wet anchor chain one section after another.

The twelve high-pressure Wagner boilers were operating normally, driving the underwater propellers to turn. The huge battleship gradually moved slowly and gradually disappeared in the thick fog.

······

Three hours later, a Spitfire reconnaissance plane successfully returned to the airfield with the British Coast Defense Command.

Since the fighter plane was not equipped with a radio to communicate with the ground, Lieutenant Colonel Rotheram could only patiently verify his identity according to the method agreed in advance.

As soon as the reconnaissance plane landed, he couldn't wait to climb out of the cockpit.

Facing a group of officers eager to understand the situation, he could only shout while dismantling the camera on the plane.

"The German fleet is in Grimstadt Fjord. In addition to Bismarck and Prinz Eugen, there are three destroyers."

"Everyone, get out of the way! Arrange a car to take me to see Commander Tovey! I have important intelligence to report to him! I have discovered a major flaw in the enemy fleet!"

The staff took the camera on the plane and left quickly. The next job was to take out the film, develop it, and enlarge it.

The news was quickly passed back to the headquarters of the Home Fleet. The major general staff looked at the photos on the table and said happily:

"We are so lucky. We first saw the enemy leaving Sweden, and now we have found it in Norway."

"Just now, the pilot of the reconnaissance plane also reported the news about the opponent's air defense. It seems that the sea bombardment alone can make the Bismarck battleship suffer."

Hearing the words of his subordinates, John Tovey took off his hat and shook his head a little depressed.

"Lucky? Let's check the weather forecast."

"A cyclone is approaching in the next two days, and the visibility of both the fleet and the air force will be worse."

"Everything will be covered in rain and fog, and the pilots will definitely not be able to find Bismarck and Prince Eugen. Don't say we are lucky anymore, it's really not auspicious."

After determining that the enemy fleet's target was the Atlantic Ocean, the British Home Fleet Command used a compass to draw a circle with a radius of 600 nautical miles at a speed of 25 knots with Bergen as the center.

Based on the previous action trajectory of the German Navy, John Tovey judged that the other party would most likely take the Denmark Strait. After carefully analyzing the nautical chart, he made the final decision.

"Go and urge Hood and Prince of Wales to form a fleet and set off as soon as possible."

"Our old aunt is a shrew who can win battles, and the little boy will thrive in war. Anyway, we can only rely on this old and young one now."

"Those damn pirates should really sink to the bottom of the sea to feed the fish."

It is not unreasonable to say that Hood is an aunt. After all, she is a battlecruiser designed and built by the Royal Navy at the end of World War I, and now has a history of 25 years.

As for the reason why Prince of Wales is called a little boy, it is also very simple. This battleship was completed in March this year and officially joined the Royal Navy's battle sequence last month.

Many crew members are still in training, and even the aiming device of the artillery has not been completely debugged.

If it were not for covering all the entrances to the Atlantic Ocean, John Tovey would never send such a combination to attack.

Half an hour after the Home Fleet issued the order, Hood and Prince of Wales slowly left Scapa Flow through the outer anti-submarine net.

Both sides started their respective actions at the same time, and the invaders and defenders were about to meet.

The view returns to the Bismarck, whose voyage is relatively smooth.

Unfortunately, the entire sea is full of enemies, and the three Z destroyers are forced to return due to the voyage. There is no partner to fight side by side except Prince Eugen.

In the captain's room, Lütjens and Lindemann are chatting while smoking cigars.

"Commander, the fleet should be safe now."

"The enemy may think that we are still in Grimstadt Fjord, and they can't get the exact news that we are out to sea. Even if they guess that we have set sail, they can't guess which route we will take.

"But do we really need to take the long way around the Denmark Strait? Other routes are closer and wider. If we change the route now, we should be able to enter the Atlantic Ocean one day earlier. "

Hearing his captain's question, General Lu began to answer patiently.

According to the intelligence the fleet received last time, most of the warships of the British home fleet are still squatting in the port. Even if they are faster, they can't reach the Danish Strait in time.

In addition, the current weather near Iceland is very bad, and the sight range on the ship does not exceed two nautical miles, which can avoid the possibility of fighting with the enemy as much as possible.

Even if we encounter the enemy, at most we will encounter one or two cruisers.

With the strength of Bismarck and Eugen, they can definitely get rid of the opponent in a short time.

"At this moment, I still insist on my orders. Everyone must stick to their posts. Even if they are resting, they must stay where they are, and no one is allowed to leave their posts without permission. "

"When we control the ocean, General Daiying will pray to us for peace. ”

······

Denmark Strait, HMS Suffolk.

It was already evening, and the cyclone seemed to have swallowed up the setting sun, and the entire warship was swaying and rising in the huge waves.

There were several lookouts around the bridge, wearing raincoats and holding binoculars to carefully search the sea surface.

Suddenly, the ship's broadcasting system issued a sharp whistle, followed by the captain's voice giving orders:

"Dear crew members, now start broadcasting news from the mainland. The German battleship Bismarck, accompanied by the cruiser Prinz Eugen, is approaching the Atlantic Ocean."

"Due to weather reasons, the Air Force is temporarily unable to conduct reconnaissance. We only know that the enemy is north of Iceland, and there is a high probability that it will approach the Denmark Strait at a speed of 25 knots."

"Everyone's task is simple, just need to find them and report to the headquarters of the local fleet. Next, the entire ship will enter radio silence, please all stay at your post. "

As soon as these words came out, most of the soldiers on the deck and superstructure changed their expressions.

That was a battleship equipped with a 15-inch main gun. If they were lucky, the enemy could even hit their own cruiser from more than ten miles away.

Once they fought, the enemy would definitely turn into a giant beast.

After hearing the captain's broadcast, the chief of observation put down the tea in his hand and ordered:

"Send me double the number of lookouts. The deputy chief of lookout and I will lead the team in person! The entire department must hold their posts until the enemy is found!"

"If anyone is not responsible, it will put the lives of all the crew members in danger."

Before the sailors responded to their superiors, the deputy chief of lookout brought several lookouts to the bridge, and they kept swaying in the howling wind.

But at this moment, someone seemed to see something. He squeezed his comrades aside, held his breath and stared at the distance with a telescope. There was a vague thing approaching rapidly over there.

"140 degrees to starboard! Warships spotted!!"

The broken scream attracted the attention of all the lookouts, and more than a dozen telescopes looked to the starboard together. The outline of the target was getting closer and closer, and the two black and white camouflage warships looked like ghost ships in the cyclone.

"140 degrees to starboard! Two warships!"

In the wheelhouse under the bridge, the helmsman was standing there steering. Suddenly, a short and urgent order came from the microphone above his head.

"Full left rudder!"

"Quick!"

Although he didn't know what happened outside, the helmsman instinctively turned the steering wheel at the first time, and the Suffolk heavy cruiser changed its course sharply.

At the same time, he saw the Norfolk heavy cruiser, which was turning full right rudder.

It was absolutely outrageous that two cruisers in the fleet were actually traveling at full speed in completely opposite directions at this moment.

Soon, the helmsman understood everything.

Because countless shells flew from the rear, it looked like an angel spread its wings of light between Norfolk and Suffolk.

Judging from the splashes near the hull, the enemy should have used 105 and 150 caliber shells, but the firing rate was simply crazy fast.

"Boom boom boom!"

Several high-explosive shells hit the superstructure, and four raging fires ignited on the entire hull. The damage control team rushed out with water pipes, but they were unable to put out the fire for a while.

······

The perspective switched to the Bismarck battleship again.

Seeing more and more secondary guns hitting the enemy ships, Lütjens took off the headphones on his head and rushed to the deck.

Captain Lindemann was confused by his boss's inexplicable behavior.

"Commander! What are you going to do? The battle is not over yet?"

"The command is temporarily transferred to you! I'm going to help the secondary gun group move the shells! The current firing rate is not fast enough!"

Lütjens's secondary guns are just a joke.

I found that everyone seems to have no interest in the European naval battle. I will send the Persian cat away and return to Shanxi tomorrow.

The naval battle still has to be played in Luoyang and Anshan.