Heartfelt thanks to the Wind Whisperer, Rick Dem, and Stupid Xiaohui for the tip! xiexie everyone!

【269】Crazy "Little Bastard"

On the heavy cruiser USS Chicago,

In the tower, a towering tower at the top of a tall mainmast, 60 meters above sea level, 12 observers with fixed watchbooks and hand-held navigation telescopes also saw the mixed team led by the destroyer Xining at the same time that the Chicago's shipboard radar spotted the Xining.

"This is the watchtower, and we found a fleet of Chinese, about ...... from our ship 20 km! ”

Walter Boone was shocked, originally he thought that according to the ability of the ship's SG sea search radar 15-50 kilometers, the destroyer of the Chinese would be able to detect 40 kilometers away, but he did not expect that after receiving the notice in advance, he was also touched by the opponent into the 20-kilometer main gun range area, Boone couldn't help but scold:

"This damn search radar isn't as good as a watchtower! These electronic devices are still as unreliable as ever! ”

Boone hurried to the top of the bridge, about 35 meters, and personally raised his binoculars to carefully observe the direction of the Xining in the warm morning sun.

Eventually, Boone found the Xining destroyer and the Nantong frigate approaching quickly, and he kept adjusting the knob of the Navy's advanced navigation telescope in his hand, hoping to see more clearly.

Not only Commander Walter Boone, but almost all the captains, co-captains, observers, senior non-commissioned officers, and even many idle sailors of the entire Seventh Fleet are also stretching their necks to visit the mysterious Russian warships equipped by the Chinese on this sunny morning.

"This long one looks like the Xining, right? Well, this Xining looks very narrow, it should be designed for maximum speed, there are only two main guns in the front and rear, let me see, oh, it's a twin load, and the other equipment on the ship looks very small...... Well, this is actually a destroyer without torpedo tubes,,...... What's that square box in the middle? It can't be a secondary gun, could it be a torpedo launcher for the Russians? No, not like, is it a rocket launcher? Like the barrage rockets on the previously modified destroyer USS Karsven of the Pacific Fleet? Well, that's probably it, how many rockets can these two big guys carry? 50？ 100？ …… It seems that their firepower on the opposite shore is very strong. Well, this is a kind of destroyer that acts as a cover for infantry landings, and it's no wonder that several of their landing operations have been so smooth......"

When Boone was talking to himself about the 108 ship Xining, Major Frank next to him was also studying the 511 ship Nantong:

"Single-barreled artillery...... What a shabby destroyer, this ship looks less than 2,000 tons of displacement, with two single-barreled guns...... There are no torpedo tubes...... Can this thing be called a destroyer too? Those two strange boxes on the ship, are they rocket launchers? It looks advanced, so it should be able to turn automatically, right? The Russians are really very careful about rockets, this thing should be very outstanding in terms of shore attack capabilities, but if it is a naval battle, a Fletcher-class 5 127mm naval guns can be enough to deal with such two "destroyers." ””

Almost all the captains of the US Navy scoffed at the strange configuration of the Chinese destroyers, and they unanimously felt that this ship designed for naval warfare was simply a firepower output platform for the opposite shore.

On the contrary, the heads of the fleet's electronic equipment became very interested in the "strange-looking" radars on the Xining and Nantong, and urged the officers with cameras around them to hurry up and take pictures.

"Strange radar, the design is so simple, and the size is too small, what is the detection range of these little guys? With such a size, can it detect 20 kilometers? Could it be a fire control radar? It's not like it, it's too small......"

After estimating that the Xining's main guns could not penetrate the Chicago's main armor and turret armor that were enough to defend against six-inch 152mm shells, Rear Admiral Walter Boone, who could not feel the threat of the Chinese warship no matter how he looked at it, continued to observe the ten 6625 aluminum torpedo boats behind the Xining with a sense of novelty and excitement.

"It looks very light! Really a very smart little guy, those two torpedo tubes are very large, it looks like a caliber of about 500mm, this is really like a crazy wasp, it seems that the main naval weapons of the Chinese are these torpedo boats, the Kuomintang Navy in the face of such a large-caliber Russian torpedo, as long as one shot is completely finished. Well, judging by this configuration, the naval tactics of the Chinese are already obvious, the main guns of these destroyers are used to attract the capital ships of the opposing side, and the real killers are these light torpedo boats, and as long as these deadly "wasps" get close, no warship in the Kuomintang Navy can withstand even one shot...... Yes, even the Chicago will not be able to withstand even a single torpedo of such a large caliber......"

Boone now gave himself an account, and he was now convinced that the previous fiascos of the Kuomintang Navy were undoubtedly caused by these deadly little wasps.

Boone immediately explained: "Adjutant Bellock, immediately record that the Chinese torpedo boats are equipped with large-caliber torpedoes, and if the US Navy engages them in the future, it should focus all its attention on these torpedo boats that are simple to train and easy to use!" Just a bite from these little guys is fatal! ”

Just as the Seventh Fleet was visiting the giant panda-like onlookers watching the rapidly approaching Xining formation, Commander Deng Zhaoxiang issued an order:

"Attention of the formation, all torpedo boats exceed the 108 and 511 ships at full speed, complete a 180-degree turn in the sea area ahead, and 108 and 511 After the torpedo boats pass, listen to my orders, and make a 180-degree sharp turn at the peak power output of the whole ship."

After the order was issued, the ten 6625 aluminum torpedo boats were at full power, and they rushed forward to intersperse the past, following behind the Xining and Nantong, and they couldn't play their speed at all, and at this moment, after the full horsepower, the speed of the ten 6625 54 knots equivalent to 100 kilometers per hour suddenly shocked the audience!

When Walter Boone saw in the telescope that these torpedo boats about 6 kilometers away began to accelerate towards the side of the Seventh Fleet, he smiled at the officers around him: "Look, the Chinese want to show their hands." ”

The officers on the Chicago laughed easily, and Navigator Brooke stood beside Rear Admiral Boone, looking at the torpedo boats that were speeding wildly in the distance, and smiled: "Those little troubles are probably their proudest threat...... Hehe...... Oh...... Still accelerating...... Soon...... Really fast! …… Heavenly ......"

Walter Boone's breath also became rapid, and he raised his voice and shouted, "Speed test!" Velocity! Mike! Mike! Test my speed! Frank, inform the radar room and watchtower, report to me the speed of the Chinese torpedo boats! ”

The second mate Mike beside Walter Boone observed it with the naked eye, and said blankly: "Report...... More than 50 knots. ”

Walter Boone, as an old and qualified naval officer, of course, also saw that such a rapid speed was at least 50 knots, his brows furrowed slightly, and he cursed in a low voice: "Crazy little bastard!" ”

With that, Boone fell silent, and continued to wait for reports from the watchtower and radar room.

At this time, the Xining and Nantong were already at full power, the streamlined hull handsomely split the sea, hanging with snow-white waves, and began to make a high-speed turn on the side of the Seventh Fleet, Walter Boone excitedly raised his wrist and counted the time.

At this time, Mike quickly relayed the results of the calculations from the watchtower and the radar room: "Report to the general, the speed of the watchtower is 54 knots, and the speed of the radar room is 53 knots. ”

As soon as this statement came out, all the naval officers on the Chicago were amazed.

"Oh my God, the Japanese torpedo boats are only 30 knots, and compared to these little guys, they are simply toys!"

"Miller, you don't need to talk about the Japanese, even the American PT-type torpedo boats have a maximum speed of 39 knots, and the Russians can build such crazy things, it's amazing!"

"Albert, do you know what surprised me more? The Russians are actually willing to sell such torpedo boats to the Chinese! These things are literally flying on the water! ”

"What do you say the Chinese would do if they raided a Fletcher class with 4 such torpedo boats?"

"It's hard to say, Albert, you know, it depends on the sea conditions, and a little luck, and it's fine during the day, but if it's night...... I don't know what to expect...... Also, we don't know the speed and range of the torpedo of the Chinese, which is critical......"

The US Navy officers, who were talking about it, were not only surprised, but at the same time intently observed the sea turn that the Xining formation was carrying out. The speed of the sea turn in the gunboat era meant the time to fire the gun after entering the T-zone, and it was also a test of the ship's maneuverability.

"It's too fast! The Chinese warships are all fast! These narrow hulls give them great speed, beautiful, great design! The steering radius and time are comparable to the peak output of our Fletcher-class destroyers. ”

Walter Boone suppressed the shock in his heart and nodded silently. He secretly resolved that after passing through the Taiwan Strait, he would immediately report what he had seen and heard to Tokyo, Honolulu, and Washington, and he Walter Boone would be the first US Navy fleet commander to witness the mysterious Chinese warship with his own eyes.

Boone returned to the bridge command room and ordered: "Telecommunications room, tell the Chinese in my name that they have great destroyers and torpedo boats, good luck to them, and I hope to be able to communicate with them further in the future." ”

At this time, on the Xining, which had completed a 180-degree turn on the side of the Seventh Fleet, Commander Deng Zhaoxiang received a radio message from Walter Boone. He pressed the radio playback button, listened to it again, and after confirming that it was correct, he translated the meaning and told Political Commissar Chen Haitao.

"Hehe, old Deng, the Americans seem to have a high opinion of our warships."

Commander Deng was also a little relieved and said: "Foreigners are like this, if you don't have some dry goods, he will look down on you." After all, the Americans' navy is too large, even if the performance of our ships surpasses the Americans, but in the face of their wolf pack tactics of hundreds of warships, we may not be able to defeat it. ”

Political Commissar Chen said: "Our country is still very poor, and it is already very difficult to raise these warships at the moment, but the coming day is long, and sooner or later, we will also drive the fleet to the door of the Americans!" ”

Boone sat down in the command room, and his mind replayed over and over again the high-speed maneuver of the Chinese Navy, especially the torpedo boats with a speed of 54 knots, which became his biggest fear, if the Chinese have a hundred such torpedo boats and attack the Seventh Fleet at full speed, the consequences are unimaginable, even if these little things are ten for one US capital ship, or even twenty for one capital ship, it is unacceptable to the US Navy!