Chapter 920: Big fireworks on the Bismarck Sea

The blue sky, the vast ocean, and in the distance are golden beaches and tropical woods. A huge figure appeared on the sea level to the east, and Lieutenant General Kato Seiyoshi, commander of the Japanese South Pacific Task Force, put down the telescope in his hand. Then signaled to the officer next to him to enter a state of alert. The officer immediately went down, and all the rest of the crew on the entire warship returned to work. Under the leadership of the flagship Fuso, the entire fleet drew a huge semicircle on the sea and sailed towards the target that appeared in the distance.

Such scenes have appeared many times in recent months. The Japanese fleet is constantly patrolling in this disputed sea area, and the Americans are doing the same thing. The two naval powers, both claiming to be the world’s third largest naval power, have similar lineups in this area. Japan has two battleships, the latest Fuso-class battleship and the King Kong-class battlecruiser purchased from the UK. The American fleet on the opposite side did not show any weakness. The Americans took out their latest Nevada-class battleship and the next-new New York battleship!

The firepower comparison between the two sides is Japan's 10 15-inch l42 main guns + 8 14-inch l45 guns. On the American side are 20 10-inch l45 guns. (The New York has five twin-mounted main turrets, one of which is in the middle of the hull. Nevada has a 3223 layout.) Japan has some advantages in firepower, as for defense? Nevada is the same as in history, the thickness of the side armor is absolutely powerful, although it is not as good as Fuso's inclined armor, but at least enough. What about New York? Although it is a little worse, only 12-inch armor, but it is enough to mock the King Kong-class 8-inch iron!

The Japanese fleet's speed advantage is the crushing level. The speed of the Fuso and King Kong fleet can reach more than 26 knots, which is 5 knots faster than the American iron turtles! Of course, in the view of Lieutenant General Kato, these statistics are more that the soldiers who boarded him felt safer (except for the Kongo) to perform tasks with a more positive attitude. No one expected that here, these humans The behemoths made by the highest technological achievements can truly meet each other.

The same goes for the Americans on the opposite side! This time, it was Rear Admiral Sims who took the US fleet. Although this person also participated in the Spanish-American War, his main task was to beat the Spaniards in the Caribbean Sea. He did not participate in the Philippine naval battle in the Far East. Originally, according to the original intention of the U.S. Navy Department, this time the most experienced and highly skilled Majifen should come. However, the President of the United States believes that under the circumstance that "Japan is a member of the Allied Powers", it is best not to have a direct conflict between the two parties. Sending an officer who has fought against the Japanese fleet may cause misjudgment by the other party. Therefore, it is ultimately Major General Sims, who also has "combat experience", not Maggie.

"This is the latest Japanese battleship Fuso?" Sims was also observing the Japanese battleships that appeared in the distance. If the American battleships gave people a sturdy feeling, it was like a North American brown bear. Then the Japanese battleship on the opposite side looks very beautiful, with a slender hull and a simple and smooth appearance, giving people a pleasing feeling.

How to say it, in general, fast battleships are better-looking than slow battleships, such as Hood’s handsomeness and Nelson’s boldness...

"This battleship looks more like a Bavarian-class battleship with a turret, so it looks more slender. However, I have to say that the battleship of this battleship seems to be stronger than our Nevada." There was a trace of envy in the officer's eyes.

"But we are strong enough! The armor is strong enough! There is also the armor on the front of the turret, which cannot be penetrated! Not even the Germans." Another officer said with some dissatisfaction.

"Well, let the boys prepare and finish what we are going to do today!" Major General Sims said. Everyone has been facing each other for several months, and when both sides don't want to do anything, they have actually formed some understanding under the table. For example, after the two sides meet, keep a distance of 12 to 15 kilometers, and then we will sail north for half an hour in parallel, and then leave in the opposite direction at the same time. That's it. The islands controlled by the two sides are scattered on the vast ocean. The two sides spend most of their time cruising between the islands. When they run into each other, they say hello and leave. that is it!

Everything unfolded according to the script, with Fuso at the beginning, followed by the battlecruiser Kongo, then the armored cruiser Asama, and finally the protective cruiser Akashi. And a few destroyers, but what about the Americans? In contrast, they are the battleship Nevada, the battleship New York, the armored cruiser Cincinnati, and a destroyer. In order to prevent accidents, neither side pointed the muzzle at the opponent, nor even placed ammunition in the turret.

The two fleets are sailing on the sea like this. If nothing happens, they will separate from each other after 20 minutes. But at this moment, a huge fireball suddenly rose from the middle of the protective cruiser Akashi at the end of the Japanese fleet's queue. With the violent explosion, the entire hull was blown into two parts. In a few minutes, the entire hull was blown into two parts. The battleship disappeared on the sea, and only after the explosion, the curling water vapor and smoke gradually cooled down and formed a mushroom cloud tens of meters high...

"What's the situation?!" Lieutenant General Kato Seiyoshi, who noticed the flashing tail of the fleet, quickly ran to the stern. At this time, the explosion had only occurred for more than ten seconds ~ www.wuxiaspot.com ~ through the observation hole on the command tower , Kato Sadakichi could vaguely see the protruding bow and the raging flames! And the black plume of smoke rushing into the sky! The sound of violent explosions kept coming from behind, and this situation blinded all Japanese people...

"The Americans deployed mines here?!" For the first time, the Japanese thought of the Americans playing tricks! After all, before that, Seiyoshi Kato had received intelligence that the U.S. Navy had laid mines in some controlled areas.

"If it could not be an attack by an American submarine! The water depth here is relatively large, the mines are not easy to arrange, and this is an ocean, the probability of wanting to mine here and wait for the opponent to hit it is too low!" Kato thought of this immediately The first order after the incident was issued: "All the main battleships immediately follow the flagship to take evasive routes! The destroyer rescues!"

"The fleet has entered a state of alert! The fleet has accelerated to 20 knots! The artillery is loaded! Ready to fight!" Lieutenant Admiral Kato Seiyoshi immediately ordered. When the two fleets met, one of his warships suddenly exploded. The shock was really a bit big. , The momentary mental stimulation made Kato Sadakichi a little too much.

The plot of the story may be a bit abrupt, but the author said that there will be an explanation in the next chapter~~~!