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At almost the same time, two destroyers that neglected their own air defense were easily sunk by fighter jets from the aviation group (the destroyers were small, and the bombs carried by the fighter jets could be easily sunk) without any damage, but all six torpedo planes were also shot down.
, the aviation regiment had been severely weakened by now, and after being shot down at sea, even if the pilot successfully parachuted, it would be difficult to get timely rescue. Even if the German side finally won the battle, only 20% to 30% of the survivors would survive.
Seeing how brave the air force pilots were, everyone in the German fleet was deeply moved by their spirit of sacrifice. The fleet commander, Admiral Lukins, immediately persuaded the air force through the radio not to continue to lose strength, "Leave the next battle to us.
That's fine, just leave some uninjured aircraft to prevent the enemy from escaping..."
Since the navy was so confident, the commander of the aviation regiment immediately ordered an evacuation. Those who were injured were sent back for repairs, and those whose bombs were lost were also returned for resupply. Only 24 aircraft with unimpaired combat effectiveness were left to watch the battle situation from a distance, in case the British saw it.
If the situation is bad, they will run away. If the battle situation becomes unfavorable, they will also help.
But the commander of the German fleet, Admiral Lukins, knew very well that after the steering gear of the battleship King George V failed, his fleet was already in an invincible position because the British battleships could not catch up with him.
4 battleships, and the British light warships could not defeat them. Moreover, Admiral Lukins felt that
To my surprise, just now, in order to deal with the threat of the German aircraft fleet, the British fleet was forced to form a formation that was more conducive to air defense but less suitable for artillery battles. Before they could adjust, three large German fleets
The battleship has already approached within a distance where it can pour out the firepower of its main gun...
The greatest threat to the German fleet at present is the intact battleship Rodney. However, although this battleship is relatively backward in design, its maneuverability is not in vain. As a result, the battleship Rodney has gained more honors than King George V.
The offensive and defensive capabilities of this new battleship are not only the main gun caliber reaching an astonishing 406mm, but also the armor
It is also thicker than the King George V-class battleship, which attaches great importance to defense. Although Admiral Lukins does not know the detailed parameters of the battleship Rodney, he is very impressed by the characteristics of this old-fashioned battleship like an iron turtle.
He couldn't be more familiar with it. Therefore, he did not hesitate to order the four front main guns of the Bismarck to load correction bombs. The target was directly aimed at the Rodney...
At this time, the British fleet can only "remain unchanged in response to all changes", because if they want to meet it, the battleship King George V, whose steering gear has failed, will not be able to keep up. If there are no destroyers left, it will definitely fall.
He was killed alone by the eagerly watching German planes. And if enough were left behind,
destroyer. What to do with the battleship Rodney? And for the same reason, the British light cruisers and destroyers easily did not dare to leave the team to attack the three German warships. From this point of view, what are the 24 German aircraft?
Even if he didn't do anything, he still had an impact on the battle situation that couldn't be ignored.
However, the British warships are not just waiting for the enemy to come over. They turn to face the enemy sideways in order to put as many naval guns into the attack as possible. This is the only response they can make now. And this kind of waiting is waiting for the enemy.
Under this style of play, the firepower on the battleship King George V can also be utilized, and the firepower advantage of the British fleet can only be enhanced.
The failure of the steering gear makes it extremely difficult to turn. Not only is it difficult to face the enemy sideways, but the uncontrolled steering of the warship also makes it impossible to complete the calibration. Therefore, the hit rate of the main gun is greatly reduced, which is only less than that of the commander who cannot use it.
The situation of the German battleship Tirpitz is slightly better, but if you want to hit an enemy ship, you also have to rely on good luck...
Even for other British ships such as the Rodney, the firing must be recalibrated after the turn is completed, which also causes the British fleet to lose the opportunity. When the battleship Rodney completes the turn, the battleship Tirpitz
The four front main guns have fired their first straddle fire, and have begun loading 381mm caliber C-type ammunition that is enough to pose a fatal threat to the "Iron Turtle" Rodney.
Although the first two rounds of four-gun salvos failed to hit the target, the Tirpitz's four forward main guns still hit the target before the Rodney's nine 406mm cannons fired across the target.
The 1-ton C-type armor-piercing projectile hit the seaplane catapult on the battleship Rodney at a nearly vertical angle, and there was no remaining force.
It sank into the gunpowder magazine under the catapult, causing a fire that was difficult to extinguish and a violent explosion. If the battleship Rodney had not been in service for many years, the officers and soldiers on the ship would generally be experienced veterans and would have responded calmly and skillfully.
, to prevent the fire from spreading to those more important cabins and causing a catastrophe...
Soon, the Rodney also fired its first straddle shot at the battleship Bismarck, but before that, due to the faster rate of fire of the 283mm naval gun, the two German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and
The Gneisenno had already carried out straddle fire on the battleship Rodney. Although the calibers on the two warships were only
It is difficult for the 283mm main gun to pose a fatal threat to the extremely thickly armored battleship Rodney, but it is no problem to sweep the superstructure. Although the two battlecruisers alone cannot defeat a battleship.
But under the premise of cooperating with the battleship Bismarck, they can be of great help.
But even with an ultra-high rate of fire of nearly 4 rounds per minute, it is not that easy to destroy the radar and commander on the USS Rodney. After all, the power of 283mm shells is much different from that of 381mm caliber.
Like the latter, as long as it hits the bridge, the radar, commander, and at least the sighting device can be damaged.
With limited accuracy, it is not easy to hit the radar or commander directly. In fact, the two ships bombarded the USS Rodney for more than a minute, and the biggest result was only one
The shell hit the thin underwater armor part of the battleship Rodney, causing water to enter, which somewhat reduced its already not fast speed...
After the first hit on the Rodney, the Bismarck's next two salvos missed, but a 406mm armor-piercing projectile from the battleship Rodney hit the deck. Fortunately, the Bismarck's horizontal armor
Due to the use of new armor steel and appropriate thickening, the protection capability is relatively high.
It was several times stronger in history, and the distance between the two ships was more than 25,000 meters, so the shells were directly bounced and exploded above the deck. In addition to the flying shrapnel that injured a sailor operating a small-caliber anti-aircraft gun,
The battleship Bismarck did not suffer any losses. (To be continued...)