Vice Admiral Huo Xunchi accompanied Admiral Chen Shiying to stand outside the bridge of the "Yunling" and chatted, and he recounted how he felt when he was attacked by enemy planes during the confrontation exercise, and that he was more impressed by the dive bombers than the air raids of the other army aviation. Although torpedoes were a greater threat to battleships, torpedo machines were too slow to break through the air defense of the fleet. If it is a single ship, the torpedo machine is undoubtedly more threatening, but if it is against a fleet, Huo Xunchi is more inclined to use dive bombing.

This is the experience gained from actual combat.

Chen Shiying listened carefully and asked some questions about the details.

"Well, the maximum range of the Frankish torpedo planes is only more than 700 kilometers, but our bombers have a range of 1100 kilometers, and we can stay outside the combat radius of the enemy's aircraft and constantly launch attacks." Chen Shiying said.

"But there is another case, where the Franks are likely to launch a suicidal attack, and then their planes will double the combat distance." Ling Wencha thought for a while and said.

"Uh...... Only the neon people who have disappeared can do such extreme things. Chen Shiying couldn't help laughing out loud after hearing this, "I've been thinking about another question recently, what is the situation if an aircraft carrier can take off a double-engine heavy bomber?" Do we have the ability to launch an attack on the enemy's depth, which is also quite fatal to European countries whose territory is not very large. ”

"This requires a larger flight deck, and none of our existing aircraft carriers can land those heavy bombers of the strategic air force, even aircraft carriers with a displacement of 45000 tons." Even medium-sized twin-engine long-range bombers like the Etrich ErB32Kp would need at least a runway of almost 700 meters to land safely, Ling said, and these bombers are simply too heavy.

At this moment, the receiver in the command room rang, and the reconnaissance plane had already discovered the traces of the enemy fleet!

The shelter area in the ship's command tower was not large, and it was already crowded with the chart table and two or three benches. A bookshelf for confidential information, a coffee pot, a couple of microphones, a telephone and a radio microphone, that's all there is to it. There was a receiver that listened only to the radio frequencies of the reconnaissance plane, and it was emitting a humming sound of power lines and a loud popping sound interfered with by static electricity. About half an hour after sunrise, a not-so-clear voice suddenly came from the receiver, "Enemy aircraft carriers. Report of the Fifty-Eight Flying Squad. ”

"Okay, that's it!" Lieutenant General Tang Jinchao grabbed the microphone. Admiral Chen Shiying walked in from outside after hearing the voice. Several of the officers in the room stared at the buzzing receiver that was filled with the cacophony of Bibi.

There was no movement in there, Tang Jinchao suddenly exploded, and slammed his fist on the chart table, "What the hell bastard thing, what is the latitude and longitude?!" He was very angry and a little embarrassed, and couldn't help but glance at Chen Shiying, "I thought that this kid would report his location to us first when he spoke......

"It is possible that the opposing combat patrol aircraft attacked him." Chen Shiying said.

In the command room on the bridge, Rear Admiral Huo Xunchi and Colonel Ling Wencha, chief of staff of the battle fleet, were carefully looking at the chart table, and the combat staff officer was measuring and marking the chart with a two-legged gauge and ruler. Chen Shiying and Tang Jinchao walked in from outside and sat down on the chart table.

"The 11th reconnaissance squadron reported the discovery of an enemy fleet, about sixteen ships, at azimuth 283, 120 northeast of Alexandria, on course 165, and at a speed of 20. Dongfang will win, the report is complete. A young, excited voice came from the wireless receiver hanging from the bulkhead, this is the latest report.

"Aha! Well done little guy! Tang Jinchao immediately pounced on the chart, and the combat officer was marking the enemy's current position on it.

Chen Shiying raised his head, "How far are we from the enemy now?" ”

"240, the enemy seems to have been sailing in a direction due north, not north-northeast as we expected." Tang Jinchao hurriedly calculated on the chart, and then said.

"Then, notify the air fleet, and the first attack will immediately take off," Chen Shiying said.

The combat staff officer looked up anxiously, "General, our planes still need to form after takeoff, which will take about half an hour, and the range of our bombers will be reduced with bombs, and at this distance, our bombers may not be able to return." I recommend getting closer to at least 210 nautical miles. ”

"You're absolutely right, I think it's safer to attack at high speed in the direction of the enemy at the same time." The fleet commander turned to Tang Jinchao self-deprecatingly, "We are now turning in the direction of the enemy and approaching them at full speed." Also inform the aircraft carriers that we will attack immediately in an hour! ”

With the order, the fleet began to make a turn to the southeast.

"Woo whoa, woo woo ......"

"Combat alert. Immediately enter combat duty. ”

The sudden battle alarm on the aircraft carrier "Jeju" echoed on the windy flight deck, and the voice of the captain, Colonel Klinder, sounded from the loudspeaker. Sailors in steel helmets and life jackets huddled the crowded deck, some ran to the gun emplacements, some rushed to the planes, and the fire brigade on the deck spread several fire hoses on the deck.

On the mast of this aircraft carrier was raised the flag of Vice Admiral Chang Zhensheng, commander of the air fleet, and the operational command flag, and now he has begun to take over the operational command of the entire air fleet.

At 9:10 a.m. on December 5, 305, in the sea area 50 nautical miles northwest of New Borneo Island, the first wave of attack planes of the Tang Imperial Fleet was preparing to take off from aircraft carriers to attack the fleet commanded by Admiral Kubert of East Francia 200 nautical miles away.

At this time, the loudspeaker on the aircraft carrier gave a loud order: "The first batch of pilots to attack the squadrons begins to board the plane!" "The pilots quickly ran out of the pilot's waiting room under the bridge and ran towards their planes. The aviation commander stood in the flight command post and began to give a series of commands:

"Pilots in position!"

"Start the engine!"

Four aircraft carriers spread out over the sea, sailing against the wind at full speed, about 3 nautical miles apart.

The engines lined up on the deck started, and blue-white exhaust fumes erupted from the exhaust pipes of the engines, and on the flight deck, there was a deafening noise, and the rows of aircraft propellers spun rapidly like windmills.