Chapter 352: The Surprise of Eisenhower and Deputy Commander Alexander
"Oh no! It's the German carrier-based aircraft group, and they're starting a second wave of attacks on us! โ
"Huh! What kind of carrier-based aircraft is that! How I've never seen it! โ
"Don't look at it, inform Major General Theobald, and the other officers! Immediately send carrier-based aircraft to meet the attack! โ
"All naval guns are ready to attack, and it is absolutely impossible to allow German carrier-based aircraft and bombers to get close to our fleet, as well as bombing!"
In the face of the sudden attack of the second wave of carrier-based aircraft by the German army, all the American reconnaissance personnel immediately boiled in horror. Pen fun and pavilion www.biquge.info
At the same time, all the U.S. ships were also hurriedly preparing for a counterattack, aiming all anti-aircraft guns, anti-aircraft machine guns, and large-caliber naval guns at the German army's new carrier-based aircraft F-8D carrier-based aircraft group, and the more than 100 Ar 234 jet bomber groups that followed.
It's just that the pilots of these Ar 234 jet bomber groups are not all Germans, but pilots of German client states, combined with German pilots.
Seeing this, the US military also hurriedly dispatched more than 300 F4F Wildcat fighters, F4U Corsair fighters, and F6F Vixen Hellcat fighters.
In general, Rear Admiral Theobald had already sent out all the new carrier-based aircraft groups he had at his disposal to fully meet the fierce carrier-based aircraft groups and bomber groups of the German army.
Of course, for the sake of greater safety, Major General Theobald also sent all the remaining P-40 fighters, B-26 bombers, P2A-3 fighters, SB2-U3 reconnaissance-bombers, and SBD-2 dreadnought dive bombers and other planes to assist in the operation.
As soon as Field Marshal Hitthofen saw that the US forces were not to be outdone, and attacked all the carrier-based aircraft and bombers, he did not hesitate to send out all the carrier-based aircraft and bomber groups of his aircraft carrier fleet one by one.
At the same time, he also ordered his aircraft carrier fleet to fully approach the US fleet and conduct ship battles.
Of course, even those submarine units that have been lurking under the bottom of the sea are also hurriedly ordered to fight.
So a relatively large-scale naval battle was fought in the Mediterranean; Whether it is a stealth war, or a battleship and carrier-based aircraft battle, it is in full swing.
The intensity of the battle, and the level of casualties, were beyond the estimates of the warring parties, and unexpected.
However, for Field Marshal Hitthofen, who was determined to fight to the death, he wanted to let the aircraft carrier fleet that he had managed to possess and assemble with great difficulty gain rich combat experience through this battle, regardless of the casualties on his side.
"Don't be afraid of the little ones, give me the courage to fight, and to fight back quickly! Let these American troops know that our German Navy is not vegetarian either! โ
Watching the increasingly fierce battle, Field Marshal Hitthofen also stood excitedly in the command room of his Midway aircraft carrier, shouting with great fighting spirit.
Although no pilot responded to him in the heat of battle, the German pilots who heard his shouting on the radio were more energetic and desperate to fight.
Even the pilots of those client states were not to be outdone and fought frantically.
At the time of the outbreak of this naval battle, Eisenhower had already personally arrived on the island of Pantelleria on a transport plane to carry out front-line monitoring and command deployment.
The reason why he suddenly ran from the rear to a place close to the front line to command the operation; That's because the landing force in Sicily was under heavy German counterattack, and had already suffered a lot of casualties among soldiers and equipment.
Therefore, he was very anxious to know the real situation on the front line, so he rushed to the front line in person regardless of 3721.
If it weren't for the desperate efforts of his operational staff, and Alexander, the deputy commander-in-chief of the Anglo-American forces, to prevent him from going to the Sicilian front to observe the battle; I am afraid that he has now come to the Anglo-American fleet on the outskirts of Sicily, and is overseeing the war.
"What's going on now? Did those of our troops in Sicily land successfully? And did the Germans counterattack? We must not be defeated by the Germans in this landing battle! Otherwise, the morale of our Anglo-American allies, and even the global anti-fascist morale, will be dealt a heavy blow! โ
"We can't afford to deal with these blows many times, so give me a full and careful front-line debriefing! I must have all the situation on the front line! โ
As soon as he arrived on the island of Pantelleria, Eisenhower was in the operational command room near the airport, facing Alexander and a group of operational staff officers and officers in a hurry.
"The battle situation on the front line is being summarized, and it will be clear soon!"
"Report! The battle situation at the front has come out, and now the German troops do not know whether it was because of the counterattack of our air force, as well as the shelling of the fleet! โ
"In addition, the new weapons and equipment used by the German army just now are the same kind of rockets that were used in our air force to bomb Berlin before, and there are also new fighter groups that we have never seen before!"
"General Montgomery and General Patton have just sent a telegram asking if they should move on now, or stop the offensive for the time being? Because the landing sites on both sides were attacked by German troops one after another! Although many German troops have been rapidly withdrawn, there are still a small number of German troops still occupying the defensive positions of the Italian army at their respective beachheads, to resist! โ
"In particular, our 45th Division is now engaged in a fierce battle with a division of German troops! They asked us for air support! โ
"Finally our paratroopers although hundreds of paratroopers were killed in the airborne, and died, as well as wounded and captured! But most of the paratroopers were still successfully airborne, and in Sicily they were fighting behind enemy lines, worsening the front of the landing force and fighting! โ
As Eisenhower roared in a hurry, one combat staff officer after another soon took a freshly baked telegram and reported it.
Eisenhower, Alexander, and other high-ranking commanders in the rear listened attentively to the contents of these telegrams, and attached great importance to them.
"In addition, our Eighth Task Force, which was dispatched by President Roosevelt to assist Rear Admiral Theobald, to deal with the mysterious aircraft carrier fleet of the German army, has also engaged in a white-hot battle with the German navy."
"Other than that! Our radar system has also detected more than 1,000 unsighted planes flying from the direction of Italy towards Sicily, at a speed of ten, and it is estimated that it will not take half an hour to fully reach the airspace of Sicily! โ
Just as all the British and American officers were listening attentively to the battle reports that were useful to them, suddenly a tall combat staff officer nervously reported two important battle news.
"What!"
In the face of the sudden and astonishing battle situation, everyone, including Eisenhower and Deputy Commander Alexander, instantly widened their eyes and shouted in surprise.