Chapter 1542 Pursuit

"Boom! Boom!"

Violent explosions sounded, one after another warships were on fire, billowing thick smoke rushed straight into the sky, and the entire sky seemed to be covered with a thick layer of dark clouds.

The huge German carrier-based aircraft group is still attacking the US fleet. They obviously did not intend to return empty-handed, but to consume all bombs and torpedoes.

The U.S. aircraft carrier is still the focus of attack by the German carrier-based air fleet. It's just that those aircraft carriers that are guarded at the core are not so easy to deal with. Not only must the escorting warships be destroyed first, but even when attacking the aircraft carrier directly, one has to worry about the air defense firepower on the aircraft carrier.

After all, these US aircraft carriers are not weak sheep. Every aircraft carrier has a huge number of anti-aircraft weapons. The German carrier-based aircraft pilots, even if all of them are veterans. However, if there is a slight negligence, it is also possible to be shot down. In such a tragic battle, once shot down, it often means death,

Although the German carrier-based aircraft fleet achieved very good results, they also paid a considerable price. In order to sink these warships of the US military, especially aircraft carriers, they were shot down many carrier-based aircraft.

"Boom! Boom!"

Another U.S. aircraft carrier was enveloped in soaring flames and thick smoke. You don't need to think about it. The German attack detonated the oil tank or ammunition warehouse. Such injuries are undoubtedly fatal to a huge aircraft carrier.

"General, the USS Hornet is over!" A staff officer reported to Admiral Nimitz.

Admiral Nimitz nodded. As more and more aircraft carriers were sunk, he seemed to have no feeling for the aircraft carrier battlefield. Or in other words, completely numb.

In view of the heavy losses suffered by the US military in the naval battle, Admiral Nimitz knew without thinking that they had completely lost this naval battle. It is completely impossible for the US Navy to defeat the German Navy and compete with the German Navy in the Atlantic Ocean. Although, such a result is an unacceptable and painful result for the US Navy. However, the facts are in front of them, so they can't help but accept it!

However, even at this point, the US fleet did not stop resisting. The American sailors are still using the anti-aircraft guns on the battleship to fight back bravely.

"Boom, boom, boom!" 40mm anti-aircraft guns and 20mm anti-aircraft guns have become the main counterattack weapons in the hands of the US military. Moreover, the firepower of these two anti-aircraft guns is quite good. Not only is the rate of fire fast, but it is also very powerful. Once it hits a German carrier-based aircraft, it can often be destroyed in one fell swoop. However, it is also not an easy task to shoot down the German carrier-based aircraft.

The USS Bellowwood is an aircraft carrier remodeled from the hull of a light cruiser of the Cleveland class. Although the displacement is only 13,000 tons, it is nothing more than a light cruiser. However, in the naval battle, it was still targeted by the German carrier-based aircraft fleet. After suffering six heavy aerial bombs and four 533mm heavy torpedoes, this light aircraft carrier also sank into the sea, which became another result of the German Navy's carrier-based aircraft fleet.

Although the U.S. Navy's aircraft carrier formation has a large number of aircraft carriers, as one aircraft carrier after another is sunk, this is undoubtedly a very heavy blow to the U.S. Navy.

"How many aircraft carriers have we lost?" Admiral Nimitz asked.

"General, we have now lost the Randolph, the Ticonderoga, the Lexington, the Saratoga, the Hancock, the Hornet , 'Princeton' and 'Bellowood'," reported a staff officer.

Admiral Nimitz's face was as dark as the bottom of a pot. Only up to now, they have sunk as many as eight aircraft carriers, and six of them are large aircraft carriers, and only two are light aircraft carriers. It can be said that one-third of the US Navy's aircraft carrier formation has sunk. More importantly, the attack of the German Navy's carrier-based aircraft group is still continuing, and it is not over yet. No one knows how many US Navy aircraft carriers will be left after the German attack is over.

Also, one more point. That is, in this naval battle, the U.S. Navy has lost a large number of carrier-based aircraft and pilots. Even if some aircraft carriers are saved, without carrier-based aircraft and pilots, the aircraft carriers will not have any combat effectiveness.

In the ensuing battle, the light aircraft carrier "Cowpens" was sunk, as were the aircraft carriers "Yorktown" and "Assaulter". This brings the number of aircraft carriers sunk by the US Navy to as many as 11. In addition, several aircraft carriers were damaged.

It was also at this time that the carrier fleet of the German Navy had run out of bombs and torpedoes and had to return.

11 aircraft carriers were sunk, which is undoubtedly a heavy blow to the U.S. Navy. Coupled with the loss of a large number of carrier-based aircraft and pilots, it can be said that the US Navy's aircraft carrier formation has suffered a fatal blow.

Admiral Nimitz didn't care about these lost aircraft carriers, and gave an order to retreat at full speed. As for the crew members who fell into the water, only a few destroyers were left to rescue them.

Although Admiral Nimitz also knew that they also caused some losses to the German navy, he believed that the losses of the German army must be much smaller than theirs. Moreover, the losses of the German carrier air fleet were smaller than theirs. This also means that although the German attack has temporarily come to an end. However, there is a high possibility that the German army will continue to attack them.

After all, those US Navy aircraft carriers that were not sunk are undoubtedly the best targets for the German Navy's aircraft carriers.

In fact, the commanders of the three major fleets of the German army did think so.

Although they achieved good results, they never thought about letting the U.S. Navy go just like that. The U.S. Navy also has more than a dozen aircraft carriers. This is also a good force. If they are allowed to flee back to the United States, this is still a huge threat to the German Navy. Therefore, the commanders of the three major fleets of the German Navy issued orders to pursue them. After the carrier-based aircraft returned, fuel was refilled, and ammunition was added, it took off again to launch an attack, trying to sink as many US aircraft carriers as possible.