Chapter 998

"Woo! Woo! Woo!"

A shrill air defense siren sounded over the aircraft carrier formation of the Eastern Navy Combined Fleet, and the Zero fighters that were ready to take off began to take off from the flight deck of the aircraft carrier. In order to intercept the carrier-based aircraft group of the Third Reich Navy, The air defense fighters of the Toyo Navy Combined Fleet are also fighting with all their strength.

Because most of the carrier-based aircraft have been dispatched, the number of remaining air defense fighters in the Toyo Navy Combined Fleet's aircraft carrier formation is not very large.

The entire 5th Aircraft Carrier Group , there are only 28 Zero fighters left. The other two aircraft carrier formations do not have much remaining air defense fighters. The 4th aircraft carrier formation has

21 Zero fighters left, and the 3rd aircraft carrier formation has 21 Zero fighters left. There are 25 Zero fighters left.

The total number of air defense fighters in the three aircraft carrier formations is only 72.

Although, there are still a lot of air defense fighters left in the 1st Aircraft Carrier Group and 2nd Aircraft Carrier Group of the Combined Fleet. The former still has There are 56 air defense fighters left, and the latter has 42 air defense fighters left.

However, these two aircraft carrier formations are located further to the west and will not be easily discovered and attacked.

Therefore, Yamamoto Isoroku The Sixth Marshal chose to temporarily retain the air defense fighters of these two aircraft carrier formations to deal with the carrier-based aircraft groups behind the Third Reich Navy.

This choice is undoubtedly correct, because the carrier-based aircraft groups dispatched by the Third Reich Navy this time are The scale is far larger than the Toyo people imagined. With almost all the aircraft carriers of the four aircraft carrier formations of the Third Reich Navy dispatching their main carrier-based aircraft groups, these aircraft carrier formations of the Toyo Navy are actually not at all It would be difficult to withstand it.

The huge carrier-based aircraft fleet was enough to swamp the Japanese aircraft carrier formation.

"Get ready for battle, the escort fighters hold back the Japanese anti-aircraft fighters! Cover dive bombers and torpedo attack aircraft to break through the interception of Japanese anti-aircraft fighters!"Colonel Karls of the Third Reich Navy Carrier Air Force ordered

"Yes, sir!"The pilots answered one after another.

Although this wave of carrier-based aircraft groups of the Third Reich Navy only had 42 escort fighters, which was a full 30 fewer than the number of Japanese anti-aircraft fighters. However, they were not afraid. He rushed forward bravely

"Gentlemen, the time has come to serve the Empire. Use all your strength to kill the German dive bombers and torpedo attack aircraft!"The air defense fighter commander of the Toyo Navy also issued an order

"Hi, sir!"The Japanese pilots replied one after another.

"Da da da! Boom, boom, boom!"

The aviation machine guns and cannons began to fire wildly, and a dense rain of bullets was fired at the enemy fighter planes.

Suddenly, fighter planes were hit one after another, dragging thick smoke and falling towards the sea.

Although the carriers of the Third Reich Navy The escort fighters of the fleet attacked desperately and held back the Japanese anti-aircraft fighters. However, because the number was too scarce, there were still many Zero fighters attacking the dive bombers and torpedo attack aircraft of the Third Reich Navy. Zero fighters Although the fighter jets could not defeat the Third Reich's carrier-based FW-190 fighter jets, those dive bombers and torpedo attack aircraft were no match for them. Especially when carrying heavy aerial bombs and torpedoes, they were extremely powerful. Clumsy, difficult to dodge, easily shot down by Zero fighter

"hateful! Hold back the Japanese Zero Fighter!"

"Speed ​​up, we're about to break through their interception!"

Although the losses were considerable, most of the carrier-based aircraft groups still broke through the interception of the Japanese Zero fighters and attacked their aircraft carrier formation.

"Use all the anti-aircraft firepower to kill the German carrier-based aircraft!" Lieutenant General Kondo Nobutake, commander of the 5th aircraft carrier group of the Combined Fleet, shouted loudly

"Hi, General!"The formation's chief of staff, Colonel Takajima Nagashima, replied.

Immediately, the anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns of each battleship of the 5th aircraft carrier group of the Combined Fleet began to fire violently.

The power of the 127mm anti-aircraft cannon is very powerful, but the disadvantage is that the rate of fire is too high. Slow. So that dense anti-aircraft firepower cannot be formed, and naturally it cannot stop the carrier-based aircraft group of the Third Reich Navy.

The power of the 25mm anti-aircraft cannon is also good, and because of its large number, it forms a dense anti-aircraft fire network. To the third The carrier-based aircraft group of the Imperial Navy caused great losses.

But even so, the carrier-based aircraft group of the Third Reich Navy still braved intensive air defense firepower, broke through the Japanese air defense fire network, and launched an attack on the Japanese aircraft carrier

"Fighter planes provide cover, suppress the Japanese anti-aircraft firepower, and dive bombers and torpedo attack aircraft launch the attack!"Colonel Carls ordered

"Yes, sir!"The pilots replied one after another.

"Woohoo!"

With a shrill and piercing roar, four dive bombers began to drop bombs.

At a height of less than 600 meters from the sea, four aerial bombs weighing 500 kilograms were thrown down, slamming into the Flying Eagle. No. 1 aircraft carrier.

Among the five aircraft carriers in the 5th Aircraft Carrier Group of the Combined Fleet, the displacement of the two Eagle-class aircraft carriers is much larger than the displacement of the three Great Eagle-class aircraft carriers. This makes these two Eagle-class aircraft carriers become The carrier-based aircraft fleet of the Third Reich Navy focused on the target.

"Full left rudder, avoid!"The navigator of the USS Flying Eagle aircraft carrier shouted loudly.

The huge aircraft carrier immediately began to turn urgently.

However, it was still of little use.

Two of the four aerial bombs hit the USS Flying Eagle aircraft carrier.

The flight deck was penetrated. , the bomb exploded in the hangar, igniting a fire.

Fortunately, there were no fighter jets parked in the hangar at this time, and it was empty. Otherwise, it would have caused a greater explosion.

Even so, it has already given rise to the aircraft carrier USS Flying Eagle. Caused huge damage.

At the same time, four torpedo attack aircraft also sneakily approached the USS Flying Eagle aircraft carrier and dropped aviation torpedoes only one kilometer away from the USS Flying Eagle aircraft carrier.

Four 533 mm heavy-duty aviation torpedoes Fired at the aircraft carrier USS Flying Eagle at high speed.

Even though the aircraft carrier USS Flying Eagle evaded in time, it still could not escape.

Among the four 533mm heavy-duty torpedoes, only two missed. The other two successfully hit the aircraft carrier. USS Eagle

"boom! boom!"

A violent explosion sounded, and two large holes were blown out of the waterline armor of the USS Flying Eagle aircraft carrier. Seawater poured into the hull crazily.