The previous one has not been released yet, so we can only proceed cautiously and tentatively. At present, we can only update less. If we can bomb it, we will speed up the update amount.
Last month, I wrote 180,000 words about Pearl Harbor. For a low-level worker + handicapped person like me, it was already my best effort.
Hope everyone understands!
…
The end of March 1942.
After nearly three months of training and elimination, the 80 pilots who passed the test are ready to go to China to support and fight against Japan when the time comes.
During this period, under Zhou Zhihan's repeated insistence, Captain Jack Richards, who was responsible for weight loss for the B25, was forced to despair.
He removed all the aircraft's machine guns (only the nose one was retained) and all protective steel plates. Even the bomb sight and machine gun sight were removed. Only the fuel tank not only did not lose weight, but also lost weight due to Zhou Zhihan's rigid insistence. Below, various auxiliary fuel tanks were installed on the wings and machine guns, and even on the pitiful open space behind the machine gunner.
Zhou Zhihan asked: "Jack, how many gallons of fuel can the fuel tank hold in total?"
Jack looked helpless: "Colonel Zhou, with your unremitting efforts, the total fuel load has been increased from the original 646 gallons to 1141 gallons, which is enough for our slender beauty to drink."
Zhou Zhihan reached out and grabbed the calculator from Jack's hand. After a while, he said, "No. Jack, this is not enough. You have to add at least 60 gallons of fuel to me."
"Damn it!" Jack jumped up, reached out to grab the calculator, pressed it quickly, and then put it under Zhou Zhihan's eyes, "This is enough to fly 4,200 kilometers, you are going to take the monkeys you trained as Travel around the world?”
Zhou Zhihan: "No. I'm afraid that the monkeys will fall into the Sea of Japan and swim. There are many sharks in that sea that eat people without spitting out their bones."
"Okay, okay, it's up to you, you have the final say." Jack shrugged, thinking of the vicious Japanese, he compromised, thought for a while and said, "But then the radio station will have to be dismantled."
"Tear it down!" Zhou Zhihan climbed onto the B25 and saw that the entire inside of the fighter plane was a circle larger. That was because the protective steel plates on the fuselage, including the machine guns, had been removed. "All fighters and warships along the way must maintain Silence, the radio on the bomber is just taking up space and useless."
"Hey! Guys," Jack shouted to the mechanics, "take the radios off these fat chicks. She's too heavy and needs to lose weight." Then he turned around and said, "Colonel Zhou, between pilots Do you still want the communicator?"
I haven't reached the point of disowning my relatives... Zhou Zhihan: "You need to use the communicator during the battle. After the bombing is completed, I will take the girls to China to enjoy the beautiful scenery. Moreover, you have to let me The wild horses and these fat chicks are communicating."
Mustang B is parked in the hangar. Zhou Zhihan has flown it many times and is very satisfied with it. Its performance is comparable to that of the Butcher Bird, which is about to come out and will become arrogant after its release. As for Zero War, hahaha, Zero War is after its transformation. In the eyes of Ye Ye, it is just a dish.
Of course, this is also directly related to the people flying these two fighters.
In fact, at this time, the strength of the American Mustang and the British Spitfire IV was no longer inferior to the Zero War. It was only because Western pilots did not know the advantages of the Zero War and fought with them, so they repeatedly used them in battles before 1942. Lost to Zero War.
Mentioning the Mustang B, Jack was once again excited: "God, this Mustang is simply invincible. The defense of the fuselage is stronger than before, the weapons and firepower are more fierce, the fuselage is heavier, but it flies faster than before, and the range is Farther away. I’m sure the enemy will be surprised to see the wild horses roaring above them.”
"By the way." Jack said, pulling Zhou Zhihan aside and whispering: "When we get to that place, please take me to say hello to the fisherman."
Zhou Zhihan said in a low voice and seriously: "I promise to bring your greetings. And when the time comes, I will lead the entire Chinese people and give him a gift..."
Zhou Zhihan and Doolittle believed that this long-distance attack was more meaningful than practical. They could avoid the enemy's defenses and fly to the bombing place. Dropping the bomb would be victory, so there were no requirements for the weight of the bomb or the accuracy of the bomb.
As for what route to take to reach the bombing point, Zhou Zhihan cannot say in advance because the people planning the plan are still studying it. The decision can only be made before setting off, and then he can propose changing the route.
What Zhou Zhihan is thinking about now is how to make the Hornet and Enterprise successfully avoid enemy reconnaissance planes, submarines and speedboats.
This is the key to the headache. As for letting the bombers refuel, it is just a passive defense, just in case. Only by avoiding enemy detection can the fleet successfully reach the designated sea area and the B25 can take the initiative.
Zhou Zhihan also has a selfish motive. If these sixteen B25s can land in China unscathed, they will directly stay with Chennault of the Flying Tigers. With these sixteen powerful weapons, they are the greatest deterrent to the enemy. A place where you can bomb your enemies.
In mid-March, the pilots began to test-fly the modified B25 bomber at a secret base until every pilot could successfully take off on the imitation 150-meter aircraft carrier deck runway. After that, the aircraft made some small improvements in details. Gradually meet the requirements of Zhou Zhihan and Doolittle.
After Zhou Zhihan's unremitting efforts, these B25s can carry fuel and fly 4,400 kilometers.
Even so, Zhou Zhihan was still worried. The fuel consumption of a bomber's cruise flight and combat flight were different.
After being discovered, the bomber took off early. The fuel consumption of this ultra-low-altitude flight of more than 1,000 kilometers was twice that of a normal flight. Because the bomber flew low, the lift of the wings of the bomber was not enough. It was necessary to continuously increase the throttle during the flight to increase the fighter's Elevation angle and wing carrying capacity.
Especially above the bombing zone, pilots will be very nervous when facing ground artillery fire, and their maneuvers will be violent, and fuel consumption will rise sharply. After the bombing is over, all fighter planes must quickly get rid of the interception and pursuit of zero combat, and the fuel consumption at this time will be even more amazing.
On the night of March 29, Zhou Zhihan, Doolittle and all the crew members took a plane and quietly arrived at the Alameda Military Base in California.
As soon as they got off the plane, Zhou Zhihan and Doolittle were picked up by a military vehicle and brought to a secret conference room in the base.
U.S. intelligence experts, tactical experts, meteorological experts, and commanders of the Enterprise and Hornet aircraft carriers are present.
Seeing the two men coming in, everyone stood up immediately. Everyone knew that this mission was difficult, and all those involved in the attack would take the risk of never returning.
Lieutenant Colonel Francis Low, the initiator of the attack, began to introduce the route of the attack, the attack plan and the expected take-off point.
After Francis finished his introduction, Zhou Zhihan stood up: "I would like to take the liberty of asking everyone here a question. What should we do if we are discovered by the Japanese in advance while we are advancing?"
As soon as these words came out, there was a sudden silence in the room.
Except for Zhou Zhihan and Doolittle, everyone thought about the aircraft carrier transporting the B25 to the designated sea area and then withdrawing immediately after release. But no one ever thought about what would happen if the Japanese discovered it on the way there.
Seeing Francis Luo's silence, Zhou Zhihan knew that there was no such item in the emergency plan. This showed that the Americans' plan was not as meticulous as the Japanese.
After a while, Lieutenant General Haxey, the commander of the aircraft carrier "Enterprise", said: "Your B25 is parked on the Hornet, and the wildcats on the escorting Enterprise will always keep the search range within Within 340 nautical miles, I will order the escort submarine to set off six hours in advance to be the vanguard of the fleet. Once the wildcats on the reconnaissance mission find the enemy, they will immediately notify the submarine to preemptively sink it to ensure that the fleet’s whereabouts will not be exposed.”
"In case." Zhou Zhihan knew that he must persist at this time. After tonight, the route will be a foregone conclusion, so he deepened his tone, "In case the Japanese army's offshore defense range has been deepened, and the defense level has been increased and the density of surveillance has been increased. , radiating and expanding to the outer sea, we can’t avoid it, what should we do?”
Historically, because the Japanese were worried that the Americans would retaliate, Yamamoto more than doubled the depth of offshore defense from the previous 320 nautical miles.
An officer from the Naval Intelligence Office was a little impatient: "How is this possible? The Japanese believed that our Pacific Fleet was defeated by them at Pearl Harbor, so Yamamoto focused all his attention on the Philippines, and it was impossible to fight in their Develop defense in depth offshore."
Zhou Zhihan said: "It is because they attacked Pearl Harbor that they are worried that we will return in the same way. They will definitely strengthen their defenses to guard against our retaliation."
"We have reliable information that proves that the Japanese army's coastal defense scope and strategy have not changed." The colonel officer smiled and said, "Colonel Zhou doesn't need to worry too much about this matter. You have been tired recently and should take a good rest and prepare to use the B25 Descend to the aircraft carrier."
The meaning is obvious. Just do your job and stop worrying about our intelligence department.
Lieutenant General Haxi respected Zhou Zhihan very much. Seeing that there was some tension between the two over this matter, he said:
"There is reliable information that the Japanese intend to continue to advance their southward strategy and want to attack Port Moresby in the Gulf of Papua, southeast of New Guinea. Therefore, the White House Strategy Department believes based on intelligence that Japan's offshore defense policy has not changed, and we can successfully Send you to a location 300 nautical miles away from your destination."
Speaking of this, Zhou Zhihan knew that if he persisted, he would be asking for trouble. Now he could only find a way to bring a few more barrels of oil to each bomber before taking off.
