After the three Type 97 torpedoes released their torpedoes almost at the same time, the two torpedo planes on the left and right pressed their levers, pointed their wings toward the sky, and flew away from each other. The torpedo plane in the middle flew upwards and forcibly flew inverted, away from the threat of the carrier-based cannon. .
After hard training, they knew the name and shape of every battleship in Pearl Harbor. After the three torpedoes were released, they knew that the battleship "Utah" was doomed.
The observers on the battleship [Utah] stared wide-eyed as they watched three torpedoes detached from the hooks of the Type 97 torpedo machine and then plunged into the water. After a few seconds, they floated like ghosts, paused for a moment, and rushed straight towards the battleship.
He shouted desperately: "The enemy torpedoes have been launched, attacking in three directions, distance 450 meters, speed 10 knots, 400 meters, speed 13 knots... 350 meters, speed 20 knots..."
His voice was full of despair, and the torpedoes were getting faster and faster. At this angle, the carrier-based aircraft had no choice but to fight.
The captain was away, and the temporary commander was seriously injured. Now he could only take temporary command. A heavy burden suddenly fell on his shoulders. He didn't know whether he should let the sailors jump ship to survive in this situation.
The fire on the sea was enough to destroy everything, and the sailors jumped ship and narrowly escaped death.
If you stay on the ship and the battleship is not activated, it will be unable to avoid the close attack of the torpedoes. The powerful shock wave can shatter the internal organs of the sailors...
The sailors on the battleship [Utah] were still struggling for survival in the last few seconds. When they looked at the sailors who jumped into the sea from the destroyer [USS Raleigh] a minute ago, they were burned beyond recognition and were still in the sea of fire. Screaming in agony, as if they were struggling in purgatory, everyone gave up the idea of jumping off the ship, clung to what they could find around them, and waited for the baptism of the three torpedoes.
The sailors of the battleship [Utah] stared with fear in their eyes as they watched three torpedoes coming towards them. Many of them subconsciously crossed themselves...
Suddenly, a fighter jet swooped down like lightning. When it was still 700 meters above the water, it fired six red bullets with a slight "large deflection angle shooting", forming a barrage...
…
Go back in time.
Just when Mizuo Fuchida believed that Pearl Harbor was a victim of the imperial fleet, he ordered the messenger Mizuki to send a telegram to the Japanese base camp thousands of miles away to report the victory.
The messenger Mizuki's fingers were sensitive and he quickly pressed the transmitter button: "Tora! Tora! Tora!" which means "Tiger! Tiger! Tiger!"
The radio waves flew back to Japan from thousands of miles away, all the way to the operations room of the Japanese Combined Fleet flagship [Nagato].
Soon, an intelligence officer handed the battle report to Yamamoto Isoroku with a smile on his face, and the war room was filled with joy.
At this time, Yamamoto was playing chess with his chief of staff, looking cold and indifferent to the good news, once again showing his calm quality in front of his subordinates.
However, his staff could see the excitement and ecstasy in his heart from his slightly trembling hands.
At this time, Tokyo time is 3:19 on the 8th, and Hawaii time is 7:53 on the 7th.
Yamamoto's chief of staff was very smart about losing chess quickly.
Yamamoto stood up slowly, picked up the telegram report, nodded after reading it, and finally showed a satisfied smile on his face, and ordered the communications unit to immediately send the battle report to the palace.
Immediately, the staff in the war room brought good wine and squid and toasted to celebrate the good news of the great victory ahead.
In the Imperial Palace of Japan, Emperor Hirohito, who had a gloomy face, was sitting alone in the Yangxin Room. When he heard the footsteps of the Chief of Guard running along the way outside the house, Hirohito immediately stood up. Only when there is a big happy event, the Chief of Guard will go all the way. Come trot to announce the good news.
Sure enough, as soon as he opened the telegram, Hirohito's frown suddenly relaxed, and his face was filled with joy.
In fact, when Yamamoto received this telegram, Mizuo Fuchida's fighter force was dispersing and had not yet launched an attack on Pearl Harbor.
Yamamoto, his staff and Mitsuo Fuchida didn't know that they were happy too early.
The wheel of history moves forward unstoppably, but sometimes, it will make small deviations.
As soon as the Japanese sneak attack began, the officers on duty at Pearl Harbor immediately called the U.S. Pacific Commander, General Kimmel, to give a brief report on the emergency.
At this time, Kimmel and his wife were sitting in the well-insulated apartment dining room having breakfast. He had a golf date with General Short after 8:10.
Holding the phone, Kimmel was stunned on the spot. He didn't believe that the Japanese dared to attack Pearl Harbor.
But before the two parties hung up the phone, an officer rushed into Kimmel's restaurant and shouted: "The entire Pearl Harbor base has issued an attack alarm. The Japanese are attacking Pearl Harbor. This is not exercise."
Kimmel, who had been skeptical just now, felt his heart suddenly in his throat. He hung up the phone and rushed out of the room. As he ran, he buttoned up his white admiral uniform and headed towards the lawn outside the office. Run up.
Standing on the lawn of the office, you can clearly see the entire Pearl Harbor.
As soon as he went out, he heard the sound of fighter-bomber engines and propellers coming from above Pearl Harbor, and the explosions in Pearl Harbor echoed through the sky.
Kimmel's heart sank rapidly. As soon as he ran to the grass, the scene in front of him was enough to make him stunned. He stood there with despair in his heart.
I saw groups of Japanese planes circling at all levels in the air, constantly dropping torpedoes and bombs into Pearl Harbor.
Even without a telescope, Kimmel could clearly see the red sun flags on those planes that seemed to be in a deserted land. When a plane flew hundreds of meters above him, he could even see the domineering Japanese pilots. appearance.
At this moment, Kimmel's face turned pale, and his face showed an expression of disbelief and shock. In addition to his excessively distorted expression, his body was shaking violently, and his hands were shaking involuntarily. At this moment, he understood what had happened. What a terrible thing.
This could never be a whim attack launched by a few civilian aircraft. The sky was densely packed with Japanese fighter jets, leaving criss-crossing white trails in the blue sky. Then he saw the cruiser USS Rayleigh in the sky. It was blown out of the water by the huge flames and broken into three pieces.
Facing the sky full of Japanese planes, several officers and soldiers responsible for security pulled Kimmel into the room to escape. At this moment, there was another loud noise from Pearl Harbor. Kimmel turned around with difficulty while running and saw The destroyer [Xiao] had an earth-shattering explosion. The battleship was thrown out of the water in a huge fireball, and then smashed straight down. The crew members on the ship fell into the sea of fire one after another. Those terrifying scenes were like an uncontrollable movie. The plot, scene after scene, flashed before his eyes.
Seeing countless living lives being swallowed up by the fire and struggling in the water, the well-informed Kimmel reached out and groped around his waist. No one knew whether he wanted to shoot himself, or whether he wanted to pull out his pistol and rush out. Go to Pearl Harbor and fight the Japanese to the death.
Being pulled into the room by security personnel, Kimmel was in an extremely sad mood. He walked with difficulty to the window. Suddenly, a ricochet penetrated the wall, shattered the glass, and hit the Pacific commander in the chest.
The staff members were all frightened and wanted to rush over to pull him away, but the five-millimeter-diameter machine gun bullet was exhausted after passing through the wall and glass. It only left a black bullet mark on his snow-white uniform before falling. On the ground.
Kimmel waved his hand indifferently, preventing the staff from inspecting him, and did not even pat the bullet marks on his chest, as if this would make him feel better.
This incident was a minor dereliction of duty, but the lives of so many people could never be saved. This blow and cost made him wish that the bullet would simply penetrate his chest.
So he looked at the bullet that fell to the ground and muttered to himself: "It would be a mercy if this bullet could kill me."
After speaking, Kimmel shook his head sadly and tried hard to suppress the pain and regret in his heart. He had had countless opportunities to save the Pacific Fleet from fire and water, but he missed them one by one. At this moment, regret is hard to catch up with.
