"No, no, no...the most important thing now is opportunity! According to Midway...oh, according to past experience, the key to the success of aircraft bombing is to seize the opportunity and strike before the enemy ! So we can’t wait, we must immediately use all the carrier-based aircraft and shore-based aircraft in our hands to attack the enemy’s aircraft-based armored cruiser!”
"Military Gate, but the combat radius of our Sea Flying Dragon Type 2, Ssangyong Type 2 and Thunder Dragon Type 1 is not that far."
"Isn't it just a one-way flight? Take off from the Shu Zhong Wang and Qian Zhong Wang, and then land on Kwajalein Atoll after completing the bombing."
"But the airport on Kwajalein Atoll will be bombed soon. If the airport is destroyed..."
"It can't be destroyed, and there aren't that many eventualities. Now is not the time to consider the eventuality!"
The two Zhuges walked into the Nanjing's combat command center while talking. Inside, a group of staff officers were arguing loudly around a sea map with many ship and aircraft models.
Seeing Zhuge Weidao and Zhuge Yangming coming in, they all saluted them together. Then Major General Ye Wu, the new chief staff officer of the Pacific Fleet, said to Zhuge Weidao a little anxiously: "Military Gate, we just received an urgent message from the Kwajalein Atoll Command Department. British planes have arrived over the atoll, and the bombing will begin soon. Already!"
"Where are our planes?" Zhuge Weidao asked, "Have the Feilong, Thunder Dragon, Xianglong, and Yunlong at the Kwajalein Atoll Airport all taken off?"
In fact, there are still some aircraft at the airport in Kwajalein Atoll, including 12 Dragon fighter-bombers (sea-based version of Sea Dragon), 6 Thunder Dragon torpedo bombers and Xianglong 4-engine bombers, and 6 Yunlong seaplanes. shelf. The total number is 3 aircraft of various types.
In addition, there are several reconnaissance airships at Kwajalein's airfield.
If the main force of the British Royal Navy hadn't come to Kwajalein Atoll, the three aircraft and 12 "beggar's battleships" on the island (these 12 shallow-water heavy artillery ships were actually prepared to be used in the Australian landing battle) and fairly solid defenses The fortifications are enough to hold.
"They have already taken off." Ye Wu replied.
"Very good!" Zhuge Weidao nodded and said, "Give the second team power and ask them to immediately dispatch all carrier-based aircraft except seaplanes to bomb the British fleet near Kwaja Atoll... ...After completing the bombing, go directly to the airport on Kwajalein Atoll and land!
The top priority target for bombing is...large aircraft-carrying ships with straight decks and angled decks! "
This is Zhuge Weidao, the admiral of the Pacific Fleet, issuing an order!
Although Zhuge Yangyang had reservations about his decision as Uncle 108, Zhuge Weidao was the admiral of the military. According to the Ming military system, he was the one who made the final military decision of the Pacific Fleet.
Zhuge Yangyang had no choice but to stand at attention and took the order loudly: "Yes, Junmen!"
More than 9 Sea Flying Dragon 2, Ssangyong 2, Thunder Dragon 1 and other fighters taking off from the two aircraft-carrying battlecruisers Shu Zhong Wang and Qian Zhong Wang still need at least two hours to fly to Kuaishou. Over Djallin Atoll.
The first attack wave launched by six British aircraft-carrying armored cruisers had already flown over the atoll at this time!
However, these 72 "pigeon planes" were all flying bombing missions for the first time, and they all had little experience...otherwise, half of them would be equipped with armor-piercing bombs and half with high-explosive bombs. The bomb load of the "Pigeon Plane" is inherently small. It can only carry a small 10-pound bomb, which is enough to blow up an airport runway. Throwing more bombs will always make a crater. But now there are only 36 "pigeon planes" carrying high-explosive bombs, which is a bit insufficient. Instead, there are 6 land-based Hiryu 2 fighter-bombers serving as cover missions over the Kwajalein Island airport. Although the Hiryu 2 is the same as the Hiryu 1, it is also called a team bomber, but it is actually a type that can A fighter jet equipped with bombs has a small turning radius, is not slow, has excellent low-altitude performance, and has strong firepower. Even though there were only 6 aircraft stationed over the airport, they still disrupted the "pigeon planes" from dropping bombs.
When the "pigeon planes" were still approaching the airport in groups, they were rushed to pieces by 6 flying dragon 2s that actively attacked.
Half of the aircraft had to drop bombs randomly to reduce weight in order to escape under the fire of the Dragon 2's three 7.5mm machine guns. But even so, six planes were shot down soon.
The remaining "Pigeons" carrying high-explosive bombs were not much better, because they soon encountered fierce attacks from the 2mm twin anti-aircraft guns and 13mm anti-aircraft machine guns deployed by the Ming army around the airport. 4 "Doves" were shot down. The rest of the pigeon planes did not dare to fly too low to avoid being shot down by fierce ground fire.
The bombs dropped from medium to high altitudes were completely inaccurate. In the end, only three 100-pound bombs landed on the runway and made three large craters.
However, the impact of these three pitfalls on the operations of the Kwajalein Atoll Airport can only be described as minimal. Because the airport on this atoll is very large and the runway is very long, blowing up a section is nothing.
The other 36 pigeon planes equipped with armor-piercing bombs flew over the huge lagoon of Kwajalein Atoll, and quickly found the battleships and cruisers that had set up anti-aircraft formations in the lagoon.
Those so-called battleships are "Island" class shallow-water heavy artillery ships. The standard platoon is only 7,000 tons, and the full platoon is only 8,000 to 8,500 tons.
But they have large-caliber twin guns, so they are considered old battleships.
But they are actually not old, and they all underwent modifications to strengthen their air defense before being sent to the Pacific Fleet. But even so, the British pigeon planes still have a high chance of getting results from them... The premise is that these pigeon planes don't get too excited and cause trouble for the "God Blessed" Kongming large light cruiser.
The Kong Ming actually came to Kwajalein Atoll to load torpedoes. The 630mm heavy-duty torpedoes it uses cannot be loaded at sea and must be docked before operations can be carried out.
As a result, this large warship with a standard displacement of 13,000 tons was regarded as a big fish by a group of pigeon pilots who like to blow up big targets!
More than 30 planes roared towards us!
But Hong Renkun and Feng Yilong, who were on duty at the circle, were frightened.
"God, Heavenly Father, come and save my life, don't let the warship sink and all the bombs go wrong..."
This Hong Renkun is actually quite talented. At this time, he actually had the leisure to write poems and pray to God.
And, God seemed to hear his prayer. When 36 British pigeon planes flew over the Kongming and started dropping bombs, all the bombs that fell from the sky perfectly avoided their target, the Kongming.
Feng Yilong didn't know how lucky the person next to him was. So, he grabbed the phone and reported loudly: "Enemy attack, air attack, enemy planes are coming, they are all coming towards us!"
"Sir, the enemy's plane is coming!" The staff officer's roar rang in Guo Xiaobao's ears.
Guo Xiaobao said loudly: "Quickly send a telegram to Admiral Ma of the aviation team... Let his planes fly faster and come here quickly!"
"Yes, sir."
At this moment, someone suddenly shouted: "Here, the enemy planes are coming, at least 30 of them are coming to us. Admiral Guo, please think of a way!"
