Chapter 2723 The Game Has Just Begun 1

Chapter 2723 The game has just begun 1

"How far have we completed our attack mission?" Sims asked after stubbing out the cigar in his hand.

"It's 70% complete," a staff officer said.

"Why so slow? Wasn't it already 65% ​​just now?" Sims frowned and said dissatisfied.

"General, you just asked ten minutes ago." the staff officer said awkwardly.

"We have to speed up," Sims said, looking at the pocket watch in his hand.

"It's very difficult. We are currently attacking targets that are relatively far away, and the accuracy has declined. In addition, the island is already a sea of ​​​​fire and the smoke is too thick. Even if there are seaplanes to provide corrective fire, it is difficult to ensure efficiency. So if we want to completely complete today's mission, it may take quite a long time," an officer said.

"How much ammo do we have left?" Sims asked Magiffin.

"The number of armor-piercing bombs used in naval battles is still sufficient, but the number of high-explosive bombs and incendiary bombs used to attack land is already very small. I am afraid it will be difficult for us to complete the previously scheduled tasks." Ma Jifen said.

"Why is this happening?" Sims asked.

"We underestimated the impact of smoke caused by fires on shooting accuracy. From here you can see the thick smoke in the distance, as well as the dark clouds formed after various fine powders are thrown into the air. The seaplane wants to find that it is obscured by the smoke The oil wells are also very difficult. We have now destroyed at least 70% of the targets. The Japanese refineries and ports were completely destroyed, and the oil wells were also severely damaged. Before the end of the war, the Taragan Island oil field was actually unable to function. , I feel that we can choose to evacuate. After all, we are already more than half an hour late." Ma Jifen looked at the night in the distance worriedly. This is the darkest time before dawn. After a while, the morning star will arrive. rose.

"Seventy points is unacceptable! Even if it is not perfect, we must at least get an excellent one! After destroying more than 85% of the targets, we will evacuate immediately! At the same time, a signal is sent to the aircraft carrier detachment to extend the planned cover point of their fighters to the west 50 kilometers!" Sims thought for a moment and said.

"We will be more than an hour later than the scheduled time. That is to say, when dawn comes, we will give the Japanese land-based air force an extra hour to attack." Ma Jifen said worriedly.

"Even if we give them an extra hour, it will be difficult for them to organize a second round of attacks. Judging from the current situation, after dawn, we will probably need an additional 4 hours to withdraw from the attack range of Japan's land-based aviation forces. ,

It is impossible for the Japanese to complete an attack within 4 hours and then launch another attack. "Sims said.

"Your calculation is not accurate. You should know that even if our fighter jets carry auxiliary fuel tanks, the air combat time is only 3 hours at most. Fierce pursuits and battles will increase fuel consumption. One more hour means that in the end, we There may not be fighter jet cover above their heads," said Magiffin.

"Our aircraft carrier can send out a second batch of planes. That's it! There will be many crises on the way back, and many of us may never see Oahu again, so we must make the sacrifices of these people count. Payback! How the next naval battle will go is a tactical issue. The key is to completely destroy this Japanese oil field. We have severely damaged the Japanese war potential. As for the battleships? Even though we suffered heavy losses, whether it was the German battleships or our South Dakota Class battleships can quickly make up for the loss of combat effectiveness." Sims's attitude was extremely firm.

"Okay, Mr. Commander, as you wish." Ma Jifen sighed and said with a scowl on his face. He was really worried.

"General, why did you stop the bombardment?" At this time, on the German battleship Mecklenburg, Nimitz asked, looking at the main guns on the front deck that had stopped firing.

"We have used up all the ammunition for land attacks, and the rest will be used in naval battles." Redel said calmly.

"Are you saying that this time we can not only severely damage the Japanese energy supply, but also the Japanese fleet?" Nimitz said with a smile.

"Haha, you are too optimistic. Up to now, our advantage period has passed, and we have used mobility and strategic surprise to achieve huge results. From now on, all of us, whether it is the Germans or the United States, People, every one of our battleships, whether it is a battleship, an aircraft carrier or a destroyer, must fight for its own survival!" Redel.

"Do you know? Even at the end of the war when the High Seas Fleet was at its strongest and Britain's maritime and aviation power had weakened to its limit, we were in complete awe of the land-based anti-ship aviation power. Well, then, we can still So, let alone the U.S. Navy?" Redl said.

"What you said is a bit excessive..." Nimitz frowned after hearing this. It was obvious that Redel's words just now contained a sting. There is something disparaging about the U.S. fleet. However, Nimitz wanted to refute but was unable to do so, because the U.S. Navy is indeed inferior to the German Navy, and the current Japanese land-based aviation force still has strong combat effectiveness. The U.S. Navy has entered the opponent's attack range, and in the next few days We have to fight against the Japanese combined fleet within a few days. This fighting situation is really bad!

"We should do something, right?" Nimitz said in another way.

"Yes, we need to work with the frigates to ensure our safety. However, the key to the battle in a few hours will not lie with us, but with the aircraft carrier. I hope Logan and the others can be more powerful," Redl said.

Although there are fighter jets sent by the aircraft carrier detachment to provide relief. However, Sims still made full use of the fleet's air defense resources. The aircraft cup that performed the night air combat mission was quickly recovered to the seaplane carrier, and fuel and ammunition were replenished. New pilots were replaced to prepare to continue to perform air defense after dawn. Task. The destroyer squadron also sent some ships as pickets. Used for air surveillance. The anti-aircraft gun crews on all warships also stepped up preparations after the bombardment. The entire fleet is doing its best to prepare.

At the same time, at sea more than 200 kilometers away from the Sims fleet, the US aircraft carrier fleet was also busy all night tonight. A large number of aircraft were lifted to the deck and then refueled and loaded. However, because the Sims fleet was attacked by Japanese land-based aviation tonight, which touched the sensitive nerves of the Americans, Old Fletcher temporarily adjusted the plan. The number of aircraft carriers responsible for providing cover for the Sims fleet was reduced from 2 The number increased to three. The flagship Constellation also used the night to join the First Aircraft Carrier Group, while the other two aircraft carriers Raider and Zeppelin were located northeast of the First Aircraft Carrier Group.

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