"Torpedo! Starboard ahead! ”

"Shock-proof, ready!"

"Boom ......"

Two black barracuda-like torpedoes slammed into the burly body of the USS Akagi from under the blue waves, but there was only a loud bang - if the Japanese shipboard anti-aircraft artillery system was a fatal shortcoming, then the American torpedo was a huge joke. Pen & Fun & Pavilion www.biquge.info

The Mk14 torpedo used by their submarine was a big iron bar, and one or two out of ten would be considered lucky. And the Mk13 torpedoes used by naval aviation are not much better, not only are they slow in speed and short range, but also in very harsh conditions for delivery, and even more hateful, they often do not explode.

It was precisely because of these torpedoes that the effectiveness of the enemy-breaking operations launched by the Americans in the Pacific Ocean was severely discounted, and until now it was not enough to inflict fatal losses on the Japanese.

In the Battle of Panama on March 17, the Japanese lost the Wyvern and Soryu with their poor shipboard artillery systems, while the poor American torpedoes saved the Akagi, Kaga, and Kongo. They were besieged by dozens of American TBF torpedo bombers, each of which received 3-6 torpedoes, but two-thirds of them were duds, and the remaining third were not powerful enough to inflict a fatal blow on the three sturdy warships.

However, the bad luck of the Japanese 1st Mobile Fleet on 17 March did not end, and shortly after the second attack wave sent by Halsey returned from the attack, the air defense sirens sounded again over the Akagi.

At 6:35 a.m., the second strike wave of the 16th U.S. Task Force arrived over the 1st Mobile Fleet. However, it was already dark and visibility on the sea was low. Viewed from above, only the burning Canglong and the Wyvern are the targets of attention.

So the two aircraft carriers, which were trying to save themselves, once again became live targets, and in a few minutes each hit 4-5 1000-pound bombs and negligible torpedoes (torpedoes with black lights are difficult to hit, and most of them are duds). At 6:45 a.m., the ammunition depot of the aircraft carrier Soryu was destroyed by fire, and the violent explosion blew the aircraft carrier into two parts and quickly sank into the sea, including the captain Yanagimoto Yanagimoto and Sakusaku, a total of 117 people (most of whom were damage management personnel) accompanied the ship.

Five minutes later, the commander of the 2nd Air Force, Rear Admiral Tabun Yamaguchi, with tears in his eyes, issued a decision to "punish the Wyvern", and the destroyer Yuno launched a torpedo to send the Wyvern to the bottom of the sea.

"Mr. President, it is certain that two Japanese medium-sized aircraft carriers have been sunk, which should be the Flying Dragon and the Soryu!"

At the same time that the two Japanese aircraft carriers sank into the sea, US President Franklin D. Roosevelt had received this great news unprecedented since the beginning of the Pacific War.

"3 escort aircraft carriers for 2 medium fleet aircraft carriers...... We're victorious, aren't we? ”

Roosevelt, who called himself "President of the Navy," asked Admiral Lacey, the president's chief of staff, who was reporting the good news to him.

"Mr. President, in fact we have lost more than three Borg-class aircraft carriers," Admiral Lacey replied with a smile, "and we have also lost 2 light cruisers. However, in terms of aircraft exchange ratio, we have a huge advantage this time. This has not been seen in previous engagements, which shows that the turning point of the Pacific War has arrived! ”

In fact, aircraft carriers are not worth much money at all for the United States, let alone escort aircraft carriers built in batches like the Borg-class. The real value is the pilots, who are the main striking force in the Pacific theater.

In the Pacific War, which began on December 7, 1941, the United States was always at a disadvantage in terms of the exchange ratio of fighters and pilots. This was due to the high quality of the Japanese pilots and the superior performance of the Zero aircraft.

But both of these factors have changed now!

First of all, a large number of ace pilots who participated in the Pacific War and the air battles in the European War were assigned to various training bases as instructors, which greatly improved the training level of American pilots.

At the same time, the abundant supply of fuel also allows American pilots to gain more flight time before going into battle, so that they can practice their flying skills.

In contrast, Axis countries such as Germany, Japan, and Italy, where oil supplies are relatively tight, have had to reduce the flight time of pilot training in order to expand the size of their usual fleets. As a result, the rookie pilots who joined the unit were not well skilled, a problem that also existed in Germany, but not as badly as in Japan.

Except for the old birds who joined the army before the Pacific War, the American pilots were all ahead of the German and Japanese pilots in terms of the skill level of the novices who joined the air force after the outbreak of the Pacific War.

The second reason, of course, is the emergence of the three ace models of F4U, F6F and P51. The Zero that roamed the Pacific theater at the beginning of the war has now met its Terminator!

"According to the current statistics, we have a 1:3 advantage in the fighter exchange ratio." Admiral Lacey paused, then added, "This is a preliminary statistic, and based on past experience, when the verification is completed, the number of shots taken down by our side will be reduced by about half." ”

“1：1.5？” Roosevelt asked.

"That's pretty much the number," Admiral Lacey, "if you don't count the wounds, it should be 1:1.5, which means a crucial turn!" ”

"We have won air supremacy!" Roosevelt laughed, "Even if it was a 1:1 exchange ratio, we won." Because we have 10 times more planes and pilots than the enemy...... We have so many for as long as I want! ”

Of course, 10 times more is for Japan, and 10 times more than Europe is a dream, but with 10 times as many planes, pilots, and aircraft carriers as Japan in the face of Europe across the Atlantic, it would be a piece of cake.

"President, you are right," said Admiral Lacey with a smile, "and the Japanese will never be able to resist our strategy of 'Pacific First.'" ”

Roosevelt smiled and asked, "General, when can we launch a counterattack in the Pacific theater?" It won't really have to wait until 1944, will it? ”

In 1944, it was the original plan of the US military to gather dozens of aircraft carriers and a few Iowa-class battleships and counterattack the Hawaiian Islands. However, when this plan was formulated, the Americans did not expect that they would be able to regain air supremacy in the Pacific theater so quickly.

"The date of the counterattack could have been brought forward completely," Admiral Lacey thought for a moment and said, "once the 3rd Fleet enters the Pacific Ocean, the number of our large aircraft carriers in the Pacific will increase to five, and there will be another seven light fleet carriers (five of which are of the Independence class, the other two are Assault and Vespa), and the number of new battleships will also be increased to three." I think...... We can launch an offensive in the North Pacific. ”

"North Pacific?" Roosevelt asked, "Is it the Aleutian Islands?" ”

The Aleutian Islands were occupied by the Japanese in 1942, but the value of the islands was not high at the time, so the Japanese forces with limited resources did not have a heavy presence there.

"Is this archipelago important?" Roosevelt thought about it, but he couldn't think of the importance of the Aleutian Islands.

Lacey shrugged her shoulders and said, "Before today, it wasn't particularly important...... However, after today, the Japanese cannot afford to lose the Aleutian Islands. Because the Aleutian Islands can cover our broken fleet from the north to break through into the western Pacific! ”

Although it is a bit far to break into the western Pacific from the Aleutian Islands, it is not a problem for the United States, which has too much oil to run out.

If 3 Essex-class aircraft carriers and 2 Yorktown-class aircraft carriers (Yorktown, Enterprise) break through into the western Pacific Ocean together, then it will not only be a problem with the Japan-Hawaiian Islands route and the Japan-South Pacific route, but also the Japan-South Sea Islands route!

It's almost the land blocked!

"Our large aircraft carriers are going to enter the Western Pacific?" Roosevelt asked, squinting.

"Actually, no," replied Lessi, "as long as we have the intention of attacking Holland Harbor, then the decisive battle will surely take place near the Aleutian Islands." ”

Roosevelt understood William. Lycy's idea, Admiral Lacey wanted to take advantage of the opportunity of the United States' air superiority in the Pacific to provoke a series of engagements in order to deplete the strength of the Japanese navy. As long as the Pacific War is dragged into the quagmire of a war of attrition, there is no need for an exchange ratio of 1:1.5, there is a 1:1 exchange ratio, and the exchange ratio of 2:1 can also be used to clean up the little strength in the hands of the Japanese!

In fact, the strength of the United States is more than that, and it is not impossible to exhaust Germany if it wants to...... If the British mainland had not given in.

It is a pity that now the United States has no springboard for a counterattack in Europe, and it seems that it can only watch the Germans triumph on the old continent for decades and a hundred years.

Just as President Roosevelt's eyebrows were slightly furrowed, President Roosevelt's aide-de-camp, Colonel Caton, suddenly walked briskly into the Oval Office.

"Mr. President, Admiral," he said with a military salute to the two men, and then reported in a hurry, "the Naval Operations Department has just called, and the Panama Canal has been bombed by Japanese planes!" Already, the gates of several sluices have been torpedoed! ”

"What?" Roosevelt was almost jumping - really just a little bit, he was already jumping, he just couldn't get up.

"What's going on?" William. Lacey stood up suddenly, staring straight at the sweaty fat Colonel Caton.

"Naval Operations reported," said Colonel Caton with a sad face, "30 minutes ago, dozens to more than a hundred Japanese bombers took advantage of the fact that the airfields in the canal zone turned on their searchlights to retrieve their planes (mainly the P51s attacking from Panama and the P47s taking off to intercept the JU288), and mixed into the Panama Canal Zone from a low altitude, bombing the airfields and anti-aircraft artillery positions, and then releasing torpedoes at the gates of several locks, four of which were damaged to varying degrees!" Panama canal...... It's not open for the time being! (To be continued.) )