"Goal No. 1...... The azimuth is twenty-seven, and the estimated distance is 10,000. Goal No. 2...... The azimuth is thirty-nine, and the estimated distance is fifteen thousand. Sir! ”

In the command module of the Xxi-class submarine U-A22, the master chief wearing a headset sits in front of a radio-like device and deduces the position of the target at sea only from the readings of various instruments in front of him. This was a common practice at the end of the century, but it is still in the forties, and in the world wars that have just ended, submarines of various countries have used visual guidance to attack, so submarines must be at periscope depth when attacking. Although the Germans lost the war, from a purely technical point of view, they have achieved a large number of amazing weapons of war with their unique scientific and technological ideas and research and development systems, and this XXI-class submarine can be called the pioneer of modern submarine development - it has improved the battery capacity of the German submarines in the past, about 3 times that of the VIIC type, which greatly increases its underwater range and shortens the time required to surface. To put it simply, the XXI class can be charged with a snorkel for 5 hours, and it can have the ability to dive underwater at a speed of 5 knots for 2 to 3 days without recharging; The XXI class is much quieter than the VIIC type, and is less likely to be detected when submersible; The XXI-Class's hull design is simple and sleek, increasing its speed and reducing drag, making it difficult to track and destroy. In addition, the interior space and equipment of the XXI class are also larger and better than before, the large hull is equipped with multiple sets of batteries, so it is equipped with refrigeration equipment and a shower room that is too luxurious for previous German submarines, and it is also equipped with a special hydraulic torpedo system, which allows the torpedo assembly time to be shortened (18 torpedoes are fired in 20 minutes), and the new torpedo has a faster rate of fire and a longer range. The XXI class also has a more advanced sonar system that can be used to target torpedoes without the need for a periscope, increasing their concealment. The XXI-class submarine can store 23 torpedoes or 17 torpedoes and 12 mines, and it has 6 torpedo tubes in the bow; In the past, the deck guns and multiple anti-aircraft guns of the U-boat configuration were reduced to a 20-mm anti-aircraft gun that could be folded and stowed.

Instead of the previous steps of circling around the periscope before the attack, the submarine commander who gradually grew a beard after going out to sea for a few days held one hand to his chest and the other to support his chin, this time his hair was neatly combed, and his dark brown eyes were as cold and sharp as a cheetah. After a moment's thought, he ordered: "The main electric motor is running at full capacity, increasing to the top speed underwater!" Turn right 10 degrees on course! Sonar keeps track and the whole crew is on alert! ”

The order was then conveyed in the most direct way to the compartments of this submarine with a submarine displacement of 2,100 tons, in terms of tonnage and size, the XXI class is equivalent to the so-called "fleet submarine" of the US Navy in wartime, that is, the main attack submarine, but the advanced technology it has is not a mess of mixed together, but a collection of the essence of the experience of the German Navy during the two world wars. At the Potsdam Conference, which was attended by the heads of state of the Allies, the German submarine captured at the end of the war became a popular bun in the eyes of everyone. With most of the German submarines scrapped or scuttled on the spot, the Allies divided the eight XXI-class submarines that remained, two from the United States, one from Britain, one from France, and four from the Soviet Union — but the Western Allies believed that the Soviets had acquired more XXI-class to strengthen their own naval capabilities through undisclosed means, and soon began to build replicas.

In this relatively calm sea, the U-A22, shaped like a black shark, steered in a fluid manner, and it traveled at full speed underwater at an unusually high speed of 17 knots!

At the same time, the two ships on the sea, the Giant Transoceanic Cruise and the Combat Light Cruiser, are both good at sprinting, and even if they don't use their full strength, they can easily reach speeds of more than 20 knots, and if it is a fair speed race, they can easily leave the underwater lurkers behind, but when the two sides are temporarily in the same sea area in the form of encounters, the relative difference in speed is not enough to justify them avoiding the attack. Moreover, the vast majority of the people on board did not expect the danger to approach so quickly...... After an interval of five minutes, the master chief in charge of senior sonar on the submarine reported a new number: "Target One...... The azimuth is 16, and the estimated distance is 8,000; Goal No. 2...... The azimuth is 22, and the estimated distance is 10,000. Sir! ”

At this moment, almost every pair of ears in the command module listens to these numbers, and although they do not have direct command authority, they are able to understand the evolution of the situation and the timing of the battle with their own experience and cognition.

The effective attack distance of the new torpedo at a speed of 45 knots is 6,000 meters, which is nearly twice as large as the traditional G7 torpedo, and the track left on the surface of the water is also smaller, which can be called the sharpest hidden weapon at sea. The submarine commander with a beard turned his head to look at the battle diagram that the weapon commander had scribbled on the white plastic plate - on previous combat submarines, he should have used the periscope in cooperation with the captain and calculated the appropriate angle of attack, while on the XXI-class submarine, the periscope setting was not canceled, but after many simulation exercises, it was found that the most suitable position for the weapon commander should be next to the sonar soldier, combined with the measured data to outline the real-time situation map with simple lines, The assistant captain uses spatial imagination to determine the next move of the submarine.

"Turn right 10 degrees further! The bow is torpedoed and ready to fire! ”

The issuance of this order to prepare for an attack made everyone in the submarine can't help but boil their blood. It was their first real assault in nearly a year, and another important effort to rise to prominence since the defeat of the Third Reich, and the crews naturally did not want to smash the trick.

The captain slowly stepped forward and placed his right hand on the sonar's shoulder—as technology advanced, he was the key to the entire submarine when the attack came.

"Try to identify the number three goal...... The orientation of our U-A23. ”

The Master Chief of the sonar equipment nodded slightly, and after a while, he spoke: "I can only judge that it is on our right side, the distance is more than 10,000, the voice is relatively weak, it should also be in a state of extreme speed underwater, maybe it is closer to the No. 2 target." ”

It is not difficult to imagine that the sound of the water waves stirred up by the propeller of the submarine in the submersible state is far less than that of the ship on the water, and the real noise in the past is the motor noise, and this is also one of the focuses of the German Navy in the middle and late stages of the war, even if it does not reach the same silent effect as it did decades later, the conventional sonar equipment is already facing forward, if the main electric radar is turned off and only the special silent radar on the boat is enabled, such a rough judgment may be difficult to make.

The captain glanced at the black line of the whiteboard in the arms commander's hand, pondering the direction of his companion. As early as the First World War, the captains of the German Navy were aware of the limitations of single-boat combat, and eventually their outstanding representative, Karl Murphy, was finally recalled. Dönitz evolved the lone wolf tactic into a sea wolf pack tactic that almost changed the outcome of the war. As a result of this tactical thinking, by the time of World War II, German captains were increasingly inclined to exploit the power of the pack, even among the best sea hunters.

"Target number one is turning, sir! The noise of its rudder suddenly increased! The sonar master chief reported to his commander as he turned the knob on the device.

The weapon commander immediately judged: "It should be moving closer to target number two, should we ...... it?"

The bearded captain raised his right hand to signal that he didn't need to say more, and although it was intuitive to observe through the periscope at periscope depth, it was likely that it would have lost the abrupt surname of the attack.

In the quiet command cabin, although the atmosphere became solemn and tense, there was little element of fear and uneasiness, which was completely different from the state of the German submarine force in the later stage of the war when it was difficult to sustain itself by the Allied naval and air joint strangulation methods. Of course, people know that the war is over, and the enemy no longer maintains the wartime vigilance, which is really a great opportunity to launch a surprise attack!

"Target No. 1, azimuth zero nine, estimated distance of seven thousand; Target No. 2, azimuth 20, estimated distance of 7,000. Sir! ”

The data reported by the sonar master chief was not a gradual increase or decrease, but showed irregular changes with the adjustment of the submarine itself and the two targets, and the bearded captain no longer looked at the weapons commander's whiteboard, but held his head high, closed his eyes, and deduced the situation on the sea surface in his mind. From the observation and aiming of the periscope to the bearing calculation of the radar sonar, this is an important leap forward in the submarine combat mode, and the process of adaptation is difficult and painful, but only by conforming to the trend of historical development and walking ahead of ordinary people can we stand in the forefront of the times and become a leader.

After two sips of tea, the captain ordered: "The front torpedo is expected to be launched in 10 minutes, all men are ready!" ”

At the same time, the alarm bells on the British light cruisers had stopped, which did not mean that the state of emergency had been lifted, but that all the personnel had arrived at their respective duty posts. During this period, the ship's communications compartment sent a telegram to the naval command on the mainland in accordance with the captain's instructions, reporting that they had detected a radar detection wave at close range and asking if there were any aircraft or ships carrying out missions nearby. The radar compartment pays close attention to the radar waves that quietly appear and disappear, and uses the ship's radar to carry out sea and air searches; The crews of the gun, torpedo, and air defense divisions of the combat department commanded the ship's guns, torpedoes, and air defense divisions to enter the state of imminent battle as quickly as possible, uncovering their gun jackets, adjusting gun positions, and transporting ammunition.

In addition, the sonar department, which is optional for traditional cruisers, and the defense of modern cruisers in the middle and fore, also tries to monitor the situation below the surface of the sea. It's just that just as the engineers initially excluded sonar from the consideration of large warships, the ship's own engines and propellers are so noisy that they seriously affect the accuracy of conventional sonar's judgment, not to mention that there is a giant cruise ship that can be called a noise machine and a fuel monster not far away!

On the bridge, the officers in the white naval uniforms watched the sea with concern, if it was just a false alarm, if it really encountered an unexpected crisis, it was up to God to survive it...... "Oh God...... Gentlemen, look at the port side, where the waves are a little reflective, it seems to be a torpedo......"

A lieutenant in his mid-thirties, facing to the port side, had a panicked voice that sounded like a woman had seen a mouse. Despite their displeasure, several officers next to him turned their heads in unison, and some even held up their binoculars.

"God...... Is that a torpedo or a dolphin? Oh my god...... Torpedo - Ah! ”

This last cry was filled with terrifying horror, and the water marks on the port side of the ship were very different from the bubble-filled trajectories of previous torpedoes tow, and they were looming and elusive mainly because of the ripple marks raised by the rapidly moving underwater objects. With the sound of a rapid steering alarm, the light cruiser, which had maintained a speed of more than 20 knots, quickly made a turn. The bow of the ship swept through the waves, leaving a striking white mark on the sea, the hull tilted with a sharp turn, and the St. George Cross flag on the mast swayed wildly. Soon, the port guns were fired in unison, and since the end of the war, British naval ships had never been more busy than they are today, although they also conducted live-fire exercises in the Atlantic. The guns and shells that were sprayed out caused a lot of splashes on the otherwise calm sea, but they did not have the interception barrage as the shooters had hoped, and in the blink of an eye, the ship's lookouts found more torpedoes on the sea, and they shouted in panic, trying to guide the ship to make appropriate evasion and guns to intercept accurately, but the time left for them was too little time for those torpedoes to fly away.

"I'm going to crash!" Some screamed in horror, and the slightest bit of experience would run in the opposite direction instead of jumping into the water to escape, while others were extremely brave or too late to run away, praying fervently while watching the attack weapons that were more agile than dolphins. Finally, the first torpedo grazed the side of the ship, and the brave man looked into the water, and the pitch-black torpedo looked like a strange fish with a straight body, and white words were written in the front position.

"It's Russian!" Someone said in astonishment.

Then someone asked in shock, "What is written?" ”

The man turned his head and looked at his companion in disbelief: "It seems to be [***] long live......"

So, his companion angrily cursed: "These Russians who deserve to go to hell! ”

At this time, someone on the ship exclaimed: "That one is going to the stern!" ”

On the bridge, most of the officers did not leave the dangerous open observation platform, they were at a loss as to where the submarine was attacking, but at least one thing was certain that the other side was not only intent on sinking themselves, but also prepared to kill the 50,000-ton giant cruise ship, because the two ships were in a relatively overlapping position from the torpedo path.

"Tell the French to turn at once!" The white-bearded British captain roared like a lion, and although the signalman was the first to warn the cruise ship about two kilometers away, the efficiency of its oversized body was not to be complimented. At this moment, the British crew may think of one of the most famous shipwrecks in British history and also in the history of the world, the "Titanic"!

Thousands of meters away, the jet-black submarine has slowed down, not because of the battery drain, but because of a smoother and more accurate attack.

"Torpedo No. 1 launched! Torpedo No. 2 launched! ”

As the opportunity to open the attack was preempted by a companion who might have been better positioned, Captain Bearded couldn't help but feel a little regretful when he gave the order to attack. Once the Third Reich re-emerges, this covert naval attack will inevitably occupy an important place in its nirvana process, and even if it is never made public, the attackers will still be the heroes of the show, even if it is only a few seconds apart, and there is obviously a world of difference between the historical status of "first attack" and "follow-up attack".

Through the microphone, the response of the "torpedo launch" in the forward torpedo compartment was quickly heard, and almost all the personnel, except for the sonar non-commissioned officer, began to look at the watch and time.

The sonar master chief suddenly reported: "There is an explosion!" Most likely, they hit one of the targets...... I can't tell which one it is! ”

A moment later, the explosion he spoke of was faintly heard, and because of the distance, it sounded like someone beating a huge drum in the distance, not in high pitch, but with a sense of majestic agitation.

There was a sparse applause in the cabin, and there were people who were cheering lowly, although it was not their own merit, but it was the enemy of the empire after all.

At this moment, the bearded captain ordered eagerly: "Determine the target position!" ”

The sonar master chief was concentrating on the seemingly complex machine, and after a moment, he quickly reported the estimate: "Target No. 1 is still moving, bearing zero five, distance four thousand five; Target Two is still moving, at a distance of fifty-two, at a distance of six thousand five, and is moving rapidly towards us. ”

The captain thought for a moment: "Turn off the main motor, start the cruise motor, and turn right thirty degrees!" ”

In the case of slowing down the speed, the efficiency of the submarine's steering also decreased, and the sonar master officer quickly remeasured the target bearing, the relative displacement of the first target was only 500 meters, and the azimuth was reversed to the left side of the submarine, and the relative displacement of the second target reached 2,000 meters, and quickly entered the effective range of the torpedo from outside the torpedo range, and the angle number quickly decreased to zero degrees to the front.

Although the depth of the submarine has remained the same since the end of the radar detection, the bearded captain still asked the helmsman to report the depth of the submarine, and the answer was "thirty-three meters".

The snort that the crew heard in their ears became rapid and heavy unconsciously.

"Only target number two!" The captain then ordered.

In the blink of an eye, the sonar master chief reported in a slightly excited voice: "The target is three thousand at a distance of three thousand, and the azimuth is zero three, and it is turning." ”

Previously, the depth of the torpedo was not set beyond the draft of a cruiser, and the captain directly ordered: "Torpedo No. 3 fired!" Torpedo No. 4 launched! ”

At this point, all the imitation Soviet torpedoes carried on the boat were launched, and if the attack was to continue, it was necessary to use the German-made torpedoes normally carried on the boat, including the high-speed trigger type and the improved acoustic tracking type, two more technologically advanced attack torpedoes.

(To be continued)