If he could, Weiss would have liked to wake up in the Confederacy. In that case, this thousand-mile expedition will also have a thrilling and happy ending. Unfortunately, the reality is always so cruel, he took a nap by the marching bed where his little nephew slept, and he didn't sleep deeply, and from time to time he heard the roar of artillery fire and explosions, and the transport ship was filled with the rumbling mechanical roar, but fortunately, the various machinery and equipment on the ship did not fall off the chain because of the continuous full load operation. I don't know how long later, he suddenly heard a familiar roar, and quickly opened his eyes and looked out through the porthole. The sky was getting brighter, and the world outside the porthole was so clear and bright. If it weren't for this fierce chase, Weiss's little nephew Kemp could have taken a good look at the world from this special perspective, but now, the ferocious Norman warship has not been shaken off, and there is another Norman fighter that is difficult to drive away.

Flying and shuttling in the vicinity, these biplanes look much like the Confederate warplanes, and look like they should be made of wood or steel, covered with cloth or metal skin, and fly by the propulsion power generated by the propellers driven by the engines, and fly by the principle of aerodynamics. They. The early planes, the speed was not at all comparable to this transport ship, and in just two years, under the stimulation of the war, the flight technology improved by leaps and bounds, and these biplanes could not only catch up with ease, but also launch attacks with ease.

In the heart of the Norman Empire, the air defense pressure was not very great, because the Union Army was less likely to bomb targets in the Norman Empire, especially those farther from the battle line. The first reason is that they have been striving for air supremacy on the battlefield all along, and they have neither the energy nor the strength to attack targets in the enemy's rear; the second reason is that the development of the doctrine of aviation operations has not yet given a correct understanding of the model and value of strategic bombing, and the overwhelming majority of people have not realized what kind of results strategic bombing can achieve.

Before embarking on this particular expedition, Weiss had actually anticipated the possibility of encountering enemy warplanes in the Norman Empire, from the Norman garrison, as well as from the aviation training schools on the mainland. Either way, it is mainly defensive and interceptive, and it is not as aggressive as the Federal Army's flying units. The sight of these Norman fighters buzzing around like bees, without causing too much trouble to the transport, confirms this judgment.

Although light airborne weapons cannot pose a threat of one-hit death to a flying ship, as time goes by, the enemy seems to have gradually found a trick to attack, and more and more bullets hit the outer wall of the transport ship. However, bullets can still cause damage to people and equipment in those open combat posts and non-critical areas.

The compartments designed to house the personnel were protected by double steel plates in the fuel tanks, and Weiss and his little nephew were not directly threatened by enemy bullets, but their fate would not be much better if the transport ship were to be hung. Weiss was hesitating when the ship's radio sounded, and it was a hurried voice: "All attention, all attention, we are under attack by the enemy." There are casualties on the gun emplacement, we need urgent support, and those who can handle machine guns and machine guns, please go to the gun position as soon as possible. ”

The fighters of the special forces have all kinds of most basic weapons and equipment at their fingertips, and machine guns and machine guns are naturally not a problem. Weiss looked at his little nephew, who had woken up from a brief respite and was lying on the bed with his eyes open. The little boy had clearly not experienced a fight, and seemed very uneasy in this tense atmosphere. Weiss touched his forehead and said to him, "You just stay here, don't go, I'll be back in a moment." ”

"Are you going to fight?" The little boy asked in his childish but clear voice.

"Yes, we were attacked, and the enemy did not want us to leave." Weiss replied.

"Why is the Norman Empire your enemy? I was born here, I grew up eating the food here, and my mother was Norman. When Kemp Jr. said this, he did not show obvious hostility, but a simple doubt.

Weiss thought for a moment: "Every country has good people and bad people, and the Norman Empire is no exception. It is not right that good people have raised you, while bad people want to conquer the world and enslave other countries and peoples. The Confederation's war against the Norman Empire was a struggle against the unconquered and enslaved. Can you get it? ”

The little boy looked dazed.

"Don't worry! I am a good person, we are all good people, I will not deliberately kill innocent people, let alone deprive others of the right to enjoy freedom. As soon as this war is over, I will leave the army and return to my hometown to live with you without killing. I believe that when the war stops, your mother and your sister will live such a peaceful and peaceful life. ”

With that, Weiss apologized to the girl who was in charge of the answer, and asked her to continue to take care of his little nephew. The girl did not join the Secret Service or play a medical role, so she could continue to stay here to help.

Although Weiss was a little curious about her existence, it was obviously not the time to inquire about this. Just as he was about to leave, the radio rang out again, this time with Octavier's voice, sounding crystal clear and with the hard texture of crystal.

"All the officers and men of the Special Forces, I am your commander, Colonel Grumman, and thank you for all that you have done for your country. Now, we are on our way home, but as you can see, there are many troubles. Enemy planes are attacking us, and the battle is very difficult, and I want each and every one of you to join this vital battle, either by going to the various gun emplacements or fighting with the weapons in your hands. ”

This tone was like a final mobilization for the battle, and Weiss, concerned about the big picture and fearing that they would make the wrong decision, went to the command room, and when he was about to arrive, Octavier was confronted.

"Where are you going?" Weiss spoke first.

Instead of answering, Octavir said: "Three enemy ships, dozens of enemy aircraft, the situation is bad. Is there anything you can do? ”

Weiss's special skill is not a lightning storm, and in this almost open-card situation, what else can he do except fight like an ordinary warrior?

Seeing Weiss shake his head, Octavier looked a little disappointed, but she also knew that Weiss would not deliberately pick on her in front of her because of certain emotions.

"I'm sorry, I left for a while, calmed down, and took care of my little nephew by the way." Weiss told the truth and asked, "What happened in these two hours?" Where are we flying? Which route to choose? ”

Octavier briefly told him that the transports were ready to fly over the Monamolin Mountains to Lorraine.

At this time, there is still about a six-hour flight from the Monamolin Mountains, and by noon you will be able to fly over the snow-capped mountains. In his current state, Octavir felt that the enemy was unlikely to pursue them across the border, and even if they persevered through the Monamolin Mountains, the Union army, which had military superiority on the Western Front, could teach them how to behave.

"I want you to go to starboard to direct the battle, and I'll go to the port side, and the major will personally direct the battle above deck." Octavier said.

"Good luck!" Weissdau.

"Good luck!" Octavir smiled at him.

The two said goodbye and stayed on their own side.

Weiss had previously witnessed the Union flying formations attacking Norman warships, and the Normans were not as chaotic as they did – they did not have the flying skills of cormorants or the tacit understanding of flying geese. They fight on their own, like flies, and send their own people to bump into their own people. They use machine guns as their main weapon to attack transport ships, and most of the time they fly horizontally or at a small angle, and the nose is aimed at the target and then hurriedly fired, so the attack efficiency is not satisfactory.

It was precisely because of the lack of discipline in the attack of enemy aircraft that the crew of the transport ship and the officers and men of the special forces supporting them were able to hold out for so long with a small number of self-defense weapons. Under Octavier's orders, the special forces went directly into battle, and the soldiers fired at the enemy planes with their portable weapons, but this is different from the crazy and fearless behavior of rifles hitting warships, in fact, against enemy aircraft, especially when they are not fast enough, the structure is not strong enough, and the firepower is not fierce enough, the soldiers can still use the machine guns and rifles in their hands or even pistols to play some lethal effects. This is also one of the main reasons why aircraft are easily shot down on the battlefield, and the strategic deterrence of flying ships does not decline rapidly with the decline in status......

Weiss's special skills actually don't have much effect on such a battle - shooting at fast-moving targets with machine guns and machine guns tests the judgment of the target's movement speed and trajectory, and the grasp of the shooting state and timing, which has little to do with the field of vision. Of course, thanks to the gunnery skills he cultivated during his time at the Bathton Military Academy, Weiss was still more effective as a shooting commander than ordinary non-commissioned officers and soldiers, and he went back and forth between several gun emplacements to check the combat state of the group and adjust their observation and shooting rhythm. Some of the guns have been completely killed and wounded, and they have been replaced by soldiers of the special service units, while some of the guns are still dominated by ship crews. In either case, no one slacked off or cowardly, but threw all their body and soul into this fierce battle.

With the passage of time, the enemy planes came and went, and more than a dozen of them were shot down one after another, but they still went forward one after another, fearlessly, and their firing accuracy and intensity were limited, but the number of attacks increased, and the casualties and damage caused continued to accumulate. On the starboard side, where Weiss was, the fighters fell one after another, and the consumption of ammunition was staggering. After about an hour, there was a brief break in the battle, and the officers came to report that not only had run out of ammunition with them, but also had not much ammunition left on the transport ship.

A soldier handed over the kettle, and Weiss realized that his throat was nearly dry, and he poured two gulps and poured a little more to wipe his face, and then he felt a lot more sober. The frenzy of the battle made him immersed in it for a while, and at this time, he remembered that he should not be limited to this kind of battle, but should take into account the overall situation, judge the situation and make suggestions. He told the men to hurry up and treat the wounded, prepare their ammunition, and prepare for the continued battle with the enemy, and without hesitation he rushed to the command room of the transport, and when he arrived, Octavir arrived just in time. They looked at each other, and the latter proposed to the major: "The casualties are very large, the consumption is very large, I don't know how long we can hold out, should we continue on this path?" Perhaps we should turn to the south, where the enemy is weaker in guarding. We can fly through the fringe sea, and it's better to try our luck than to be consumed to death by the enemy here, right? ”

The major replied: "We are still about five hours away from the Monamolin Mountains, and most of the enemy's air forces are deployed in the north, and some are deployed in the Monamolin Mountains. If we're not lucky, we'll be attacked in two or three waves at most. ”

Octavir frowned and said, "That's in the case of good luck, if it's bad luck, four waves, five waves, six waves or even more, can we carry it?" Even if we can ignore the consumption of ammunition, casualties, and unseen luck, will this transport ship hold out until then? ”

Weiss did not rush to intervene in their dispute, but pondered why he was in such a difficult situation now. According to the original plan, this was almost the worst-case scenario, the worst-case scenario of all foreseeable scenarios. Is it all just a coincidence?