ebookland Chapter 682 Naval Battle (4)
Chapter 682 Naval Battle (4)
Faced with the severe situation of radar failure and limited vision, Vice Admiral Yamamoto Kaede demonstrated his calmness and rich experience as a senior naval commander.
He knew that in such an unfavorable environment, any rash action could lead to irreversible consequences. Therefore, he quickly adjusted his mentality and issued a series of cautious and careful instructions to ensure the safety of the fleet and maintain its combat effectiveness.
"All ships, immediately activate the highest level of electronic warfare defense measures and do your best to resist the enemy's radar interference and communication interruption." Yamamoto Feng's voice was clearly transmitted to every ship through the command system. He understood that losing radar and communication meant losing the initiative on the battlefield. Therefore, he first asked the fleet to strengthen its electronic defense to ensure that it would not be easily weakened by the enemy.
"At the same time, all ships should keep radar transmission to a minimum, and only use it for navigation and collision avoidance when necessary. Electromagnetic radiation must be reduced to avoid becoming a live target for the enemy." Yamamoto Feng knew that in the event of radar failure, reducing one's own electromagnetic signal is also an effective means of concealment. He required the fleet to minimize the use of radar while maintaining navigation safety to reduce the risk of being detected by the enemy.
"Carrier formation, send additional carrier-based aircraft to conduct aerial reconnaissance, and use visual and infrared detection methods to collect enemy intelligence as much as possible."
Although the failure of radar posed a huge challenge to reconnaissance work, aerial reconnaissance was still an important source of intelligence. He asked the aircraft carrier formation to strengthen aerial reconnaissance and use the visual and detection equipment of carrier-based aircraft to collect as much intelligence as possible on the enemy fleet.
"The heavy cruisers and destroyers should sail in close formation and strengthen mutual vigilance and support. Once the enemy is found, report immediately and prepare for a surprise attack." Yamamoto emphasized the importance of formation operations. With limited vision, the risk of single-ship operations is extremely high, and only by relying on the power of the formation can the enemy's attack be effectively resisted.
"Finally, all ships must sail in silence, and reduce all unnecessary noise and light. We want to make the enemy lose their way in this fog, and we must use this opportunity to find their flaws." Yamamoto Feng's voice was filled with unquestionable determination. He knew very well that in this battle of information and vision, keeping silent and concealed could often be the key to victory. Therefore, he required all officers and soldiers of the fleet to maintain a high degree of vigilance and discipline, and ensure that no flaws were exposed to the enemy during the silent sailing.
In the deep sea where the smoke was shrouded and the vision was blurred, on the command ship of the First Fleet of the North Sea, General Wang Junjie's eyes were firm and deep. He stood in front of the combat command desk, staring at the unknown sea area covered by smoke on the screen, and he had already made up his mind.
"Pass my order," Wang Junjie's voice was steady and powerful, and it spread throughout the fleet through the command system, "Launch the long-range strike plan - 'Thunderous Fury'. Target the enemy's flagship battleship Musashi. We must use the force of thunder to give the enemy a fatal blow."
The so-called long-range strike plan comes from China's further improvement of the V2 missile launching technology. With the efforts of Chinese military experts, they have successfully installed the V2 missile launchers on several main battleships of the fleet, and can accurately hit the designated targets with the assistance of radar. The V2 rocket can be said to be a groundbreaking high-tech product at this time when there are no long-range missiles.
As Wang Junjie's order was issued, the command room suddenly became busy. The staff quickly converted the order into a specific combat action plan and transmitted it to the battleships participating in the long-range strike through the encrypted communication system.
On the Jiaolong battleship, Commander Li Minghui immediately ordered the entire ship to enter a first-level combat readiness state after receiving the order. He was fully aware of the importance and urgency of this mission, so he did not dare to slack off. He personally checked the preparations for the V2 missile launchers to ensure that each missile was in the best condition.
At the same time, the USS Bemis, the USS Iowa and another battleship also equipped with V2 missile launchers also received the order. The commanders on these battleships said they had received it and quickly organized their missile forces to make final preparations.
"Missile forces, please note," the commanders of each ship issued an order almost at the same time, "Check the status of the missiles, calibrate the radar parameters, and prepare to launch a long-range strike. The target is the battleship Musashi. The coordinates have been locked. Make sure you hit it with one strike."
As the commanders issued orders, the technicians in the missile launch bay were busy and orderly, carefully checking the guidance system, fuel supply and warhead status of each missile to ensure that there were no mistakes.
Finally, everything was ready. With the help of the radar system, the V2 missile launchers on several battleships slowly opened, revealing their sharp fangs. With a low roar, several V2 missiles took off into the air, breaking through the thick smoke on the sea and heading straight for the enemy flagship Musashi.
At this moment, the entire sea area seemed to tremble. The epoch-making technological power of the V2 missiles was fully demonstrated at this moment. They were like Thor's hammer falling from the sky, with unparalleled power and accuracy, launching the final charge towards the target.
Under the thick smoke, the sky seemed to be torn into pieces by fiery cracks. Eight V2 missiles, with their heart-shaking roars and long tail flames, broke the tranquility of the horizon, like meteorites falling from the sky, rushing towards the Musashi battleship with unparalleled speed and power.
Each of these V2 missiles was like a carefully crafted work of art, with streamlined bodies emitting a faint blue light as they flew at high speeds, and tail flames as hot and dazzling as blazing flames, illuminating the surrounding sea in red. They drew brilliant tracks in the air, interweaving into a web of death that firmly locked onto the battleship Musashi.
As the distance quickly closed, the crew on the Musashi began to feel an unprecedented sense of oppression. They looked up and saw those meteorite-like missiles approaching at an alarming speed, as if they were about to tear the entire sky apart. The air was filled with tension and despair, and everyone's heart was filled with an indescribable fear.
The Yamato battleship was the pinnacle of the Fuso Navy during World War II, with its armor thickness and impact resistance reaching unprecedented levels.
The armor thickness of the Yamato battleship is impressive, and it is the pinnacle in the history of battleships.
Main armor belt: The main armor belt of Yamato is as thick as 410 mm and is angled at 20 degrees, which greatly improves the armor's bullet resistance. In addition, the thickness of the side plates below the main armor belt ranges from 75 to 200 mm, decreasing from top to bottom, providing comprehensive protection for the warship.
Middle deck armor: The armor thickness of the middle deck reaches 200 to 230 mm, providing solid protection for the core area of the battleship.
Turret armor: The thickness of the front protective shield of the Yamato's main turret reached 650 mm, which is the thickest iron armor in the world's military history, enough to withstand direct attacks from the enemy's powerful artillery fire.
In addition to the above-mentioned main armored areas, Yamato's ammunition compartment, main engine, boiler compartment and other key parts are also protected by thick armor belts, forming an indestructible defense zone.
Thanks to its heavy armor configuration and reasonable armor layout, the Yamato battleship showed strong resistance to attack. Its armor can withstand the bombardment of its own 460mm main gun at a distance of 20 to 30 kilometers, which was almost unimaginable at the time. In addition, the Yamato's defense zoning design is also very scientific, and important parts are protected, allowing it to maintain a high survivability when facing enemy fire.