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Hearing Stauffenberg's report, Hersmann immediately understood what was going on. The American Grand Fleet, which had previously broken through the "Atlantic blockade line", was a feint in order to cooperate with the battleship forces of the Soviet Red Navy to break through the North Atlantic blockade line.

Now the Red Navy had 4 Soviet-class battleships and 2 Luangcasttad-class battlecruisers. Although they are all water-injected goods, their tonnage, speed, and firepower are not bad, and they can definitely make up for the weakness of the insufficient number of new American battleships.

"We also have a brigade of ju288 in Bergen." The commander of naval aviation, Field Marshal Jeshunek, looked at the Barents Sea on the map and said, "Their combat radius is more than 2,500 kilometers and can cover Svalbard."

And we also have seaplanes deployed on Svalbard, which made it possible to spot the Soviet fleet from the Barents Sea to the Norwegian Sea. ”

"The Soviets will not break into the Norwegian Sea from near Svalbard." Commander-in-Chief of the Navy Raeder immediately rejected Jeshunek's opinion, "It's summer, and many areas of the Arctic Ocean are navigable. I expect the Soviets to go all the way north, around Svalbard, and then join up with the American receiving fleet near Greenland, and then cross the Danish Channel together. If our aircraft carriers are still ...... in Brest"

"Wait, we really don't have any aircraft carriers available?" Hersman suddenly interrupted Marshal Raeder, "What about the escort carriers? And what about aircraft carriers converted from cruise ships? Where are they? ”

It was only the fleet carriers that were seduced from Brest, and not the slower escort carriers and the "blue ribbon carriers" that were not very resistant to strikes.

"The Bremen, Europa and Alsace make up the Second Air Fleet and are currently on standby in Gibraltar." Raeder replied, "As for the escort carriers, there should be a few more to be refurbished in Wilhelmshaven, and it will take some time to gather the crew and pilots." ”

"Can we get the Second Air Fleet out now?" Hersman immediately asked, "I need the FW-190T and Fokker Zero D of the Second Carrier to cooperate with the JU288." ”

The threat to the JU288 from the Americans' "one-time Spitfire" was, of course, great, but the tactical specialists of the Luftwaffe and naval aviation were not vegetarians either, and they soon had a way to deal with it. It is to launch multiple waves of saturation strikes -- not to dispatch the JU288 every time, but to send FW-190T and HE219 to "trick the aircraft" before the JU288 is dispatched.

Because the number of "one-time Spitfires" carried by an American fleet is definitely limited, and a few more sprays will be gone. When the time comes, can't you just use ju288 to blow it up?

Although the high-altitude performance of the "one-time Spitfire" is superior, that is, it is to bully the JU288, which is relatively thin in firepower and armor (the idea of this aircraft is similar to that of the British Mosquito aircraft, eating at high altitude and high speed), it is absolutely unpleasant to meet the FW-190T and HE219, which are very strong in firepower and armor.

Therefore, the FW-190T and HE219 can take advantage of the loophole that the US carrier-based radar is difficult to distinguish the model of the enemy aircraft, penetrate the defense from a high altitude, pretend to be the JU288, and trick the US military into launching a "disposable Spitfire" aircraft.

"But the combat capability of the Second Air War is not strong," Raeder said with some concern, "in case there are a few Essex class ships in this American fleet in the North Atlantic......

The number of carrier-based aircraft in the Essex-class is large, and if there are really a few Essex-class aircraft carriers in the US fleet that appears in the North Atlantic, then the combat effectiveness of this fleet should not be underestimated.

"That's what I hope will happen," Hersman said, "and if there are a few Essex-class ships in this American fleet in the North Atlantic, then the chances of a decisive battle between the American fleet and me are relatively high." I wouldn't mind trading 3 converted cruise ships for the Americans' Essex class, which is a very good deal. ”

……

"If we could exchange a few Casablanca for four Soviet-class and two Kronstadt-class, we would have earned it."

At about the same time, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt was also in the Oval Office of the White House and settled accounts with Gen. Raisi, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.

Roosevelt certainly wouldn't be stupid enough to risk an Essex class - that was a treasure to be used against the Japanese devils, how could he casually sink in the North Atlantic? However, the Casablanca class is not worth much, and it can build 50 bargains a year (one can be built in 76 days at the earliest), and Roosevelt does not feel distressed about throwing it away.

So the 6 American aircraft carriers discovered by German reconnaissance planes were all Casablanca-class. And in Thomas. Carson. Task Force 22 under the command of Vice Admiral Kincaid (the same fleet that appeared near Iceland) and two other Borg-class escort carriers that were not detected by the Germans.

That is, the fleet has a total of 8 aircraft carriers!

The 8 carriers are all in an all-fighter configuration, with 12 "one-time Spitfires" on each carrier, plus 16 F6Fs. Although the F6F can also be equipped with bombs, the attack capability against the ship is still very insufficient. Therefore, these 8 escort aircraft carriers do not have the ability to attack ships, and their task is air defense!

In addition to these eight escort carriers, Task Force 22 also has seven old battleships (2 Wyoming-class, 2 New York-class, 2 Mexican-class, and 1 Florida-class). The battleships have all been modernized, with a focus on strengthening anti-aircraft firepower. Each battleship was equipped with 40 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (4 x10s), 48 Erikon 20mm guns (single x44, twin x2) and 24 127mm guns capable of firing VT fuse shells...... That's just 7 floating anti-aircraft batteries on the water!

In addition to 8 escort carriers and 7 old battleships, Task Force 22 also had 8 light cruisers with extremely high anti-aircraft firepower, one of which was the newly commissioned anti-aircraft cruiser USS Oakland.

The Oakland is a light cruiser in terms of artillery and tonnage, and an air defense cruiser in terms of combat mission. Its standard displacement is only 6,000 tons, which is far less than the Cleveland class with a standard displacement of 11,800 tons. However, it has anti-aircraft firepower no less than that of the Cleveland class, with 12 127mm high-level dual-purpose guns (which can fire VT fuse shells) (6 twins), 16 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (8 twins), and 12 20mm Erlikon guns.

In the original history, because the fleet anti-aircraft firepower was sufficient, this air defense cruiser was not built in large quantities, only 7 were built. However, at present, because of the threat of high-performance aircraft represented by Germany's JU288, the US Navy has begun to build a large number of cheap and high-quality Oakland classes, and there are as many as 30 Oakland classes that have been started.

In addition, Task Force 22 has a group of Fletcher-class destroyers with equally strong anti-aircraft firepower. This destroyer with a standard displacement of 2,100 tons is armed with 5 127mm high-level dual-purpose guns, 6 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft guns (3 twins) and 10 20mm Erlikon guns. Like the Auckland class, it is a cheap and high-quality air defense weapon. At this time, the U.S. government placed an order for a total of 225 Fletcher-class ships, which is 50 more than in history. By 1943, the destroyers had already entered service in large numbers - according to the plan, in 1943 alone, 121 Fletcher class ships would be completed and put into service......

Compared with the American tyrants, who build dozens or hundreds of aircraft carrier cruisers at every turn, the speed of "dumplings" on the side of the European Community is far inferior.

It's not that there aren't enough shipyards, it's that there's not enough fuel. Moreover, due to the collapse of the plan to make peace with the Soviet Union and go all out against the United States, Germany now faces a long-term two-front war.

Compared with the Eastern Front, which was related to the unification of Greater Europe and the survival of the Third Reich, the Atlantic Theater was indeed not important enough, and naturally it could not receive the highest priority supply.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now we must adjust our original operational plans and armaments production plans in response to the major changes in the situation."

At a meeting of the German High Command on 25 June, the Chief of the General Staff, Hersmann, formally proposed a change in the battle plan and the armament plan -- in fact, a change in Germany's national policy!

"Defeating the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front and helping the Russian Empire establish effective rule west of the Ural Mountains will be the primary goal for the future," Hersman said.

The objective of the war against the United States will be changed to maintaining sea supremacy in the Atlantic Ocean for as long as possible with a relatively small number of naval and air forces, securing lines of communication with South America and the west coast of Africa, and gaining an exchange ratio advantage in a protracted war of attrition. ”

"A protracted war of attrition?" Hitler interrupted Hersmann's speech at this point and asked, "Is it possible to force the United States to sue for peace by winning several decisive naval battles?" ”

"Mr. Chancellor," replied Hersman, "the General Staff and the Naval Command will, of course, pursue such an outcome. But a protracted war of attrition is clearly more beneficial to the United States...... Most likely, the goal of the Americans was to defeat Japan before we defeated the Soviet Union. Therefore, the Atlantic theater is also secondary and diversionary for the United States, and it is impossible for them to fight us in a decisive battle without full certainty.

And if the United States adopts a protracted and attritional strategy in the Atlantic, it will be difficult for us to seek a decisive opportunity. So we should be prepared for the long while seeking a decisive battle! ”

After a pause, he continued: "Therefore, the General Staff proposes to rearrange the program of armament build-up for the next few years in order to adapt to the latest changes in the situation of the war. ”