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[Dear friends, the cruiser has returned from Beijing, resume the update]

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The cannon roared, and the smoke of gunpowder filled the air. www.biquge.info When the sun rose, the sea and sky over the Norwegian Strait were already shrouded in blood-colored gunsmoke.

In order to avenge the sinking battlecruiser Hood, the British Royal Navy, under the command of Holland, launched a fierce attack on the fleet of the German Navy Lütjens.

The warships of both sides frantically poured shells on each other, and the battle entered a white heat in the blink of an eye.

The Holland fleet has an advantage in the number and quality of capital ships, and the two Britannia-class ultimate battleships equipped with 20-inch guns and the four Queen Elizabeth-class super battleships equipped with 18-inch guns obviously occupy a very big advantage against the German Lütjans fleet, which has only four Bismarck-class battleships equipped with 18-inch guns.

The two sides fought fiercely until about 8 a.m., when the Bismarck was hit by three bullets, the No. 2 fuel tank located in the bow was damaged and ruptured, and the bow near the waterline was breached, which not only leaked a large amount of heavy oil, but also reduced the speed to 28 knots. The other three Bismarck-class battleships were also injured to varying degrees, among which the Tirpitz was hit by a 20-inch shell from the ultimate battleship England, and the stern was hit and caught fire, which burned for more than 30 minutes, and the entire stern was like a big rooster with its tail burned.

Seeing that the British navy was strong and did not dare to fight, Lütjans ordered the fleet to take it as soon as it was good and quickly leave the battlefield.

Due to the loss of the British Navy the super battlecruiser USS Hood. Holland vowed to avenge the Hood for a for a tooth, otherwise it would be difficult for him to give an account to the British government and people. Therefore, the fleet of Holland was stuck in the retreat of the fleet of Lütjans back to Norway, preventing the enemy from escaping home. ╔╗

Lütjans was forced to be helpless. The fleet had to be ordered to turn around and sail to the North Atlantic, planning to rest in the Mediterranean. In order to cover the fleet and safely shake off the British fleet's tracking, Lütjans asked the German naval command for help. Hitler learns that they have succeeded in sinking the supercruiser Hood. He was immediately overjoyed, and immediately signed the Führer's decree that the Air Force of the Third Reich should immediately come to assist.

For the Luftwaffe. At this time, there was only one medium-range bomber that could be used, and that was the Focke-Wolf TA-200 medium-range bomber.

In response to the needs of World War II, the original bombers of the Luftwaffe were in an advantageous position in dealing with the bombers of the Entente countries in the early stage of the war, but with the large-scale export of advanced H5 medium and short-range tactical bombers and H6 long-range strategic bombers to Britain and France by the Chinese Empire, the Luftwaffe lagged far behind in bombers.

As a result, the Luftwaffe, stimulated by the war, quickly launched the development and production of new bombers for the H5 and H6 bombers.

For the Luftwaffe, of course. The development of a new bomber had begun long before the outbreak of war, but the Luftwaffe had always considered the bomber in service to be competent for combat duty and did not approve the purchase. As early as July 1, 1938, the Third Reich Ministry of Aviation (RLM) issued technical specifications for the development of a new medium bomber. The specifications required that the new aircraft should reach a maximum speed of 600 km/h (373 mph) and be capable of carrying 4,000 kg (8,852 lb) bombs from bases in Spain to bomb any point in the UK. In addition, the new aircraft was required to be equipped with a pressurized cockpit, remote-controlled self-defense weapons, and powered by a new 2,500 hp engine (Junkers Jumo222 or Daimler-Benz DB604) that was being developed at the time. This is the 'Bomber-B' program. Arado, Dornier, Focke-Wolff and Junkers submitted their respective proposals, Arado's E340 proposal was rejected by RLM, Dornier DO317 was awarded a low-priority development contract, and Junkers JU288 and Focke-Wolff FW191 were selected to continue development at full speed. ╔╗

The design team of FW191 was led by DIPL-ING (Master of Engineering) E? Led by Koscher. He participated in the development of the FW189 reconnaissance aircraft. Overall, the FW191 is a simple, top-wing layout with an all-metal structure. Two 24-cylinder Jumo222 engines (which look more promising than the DB604) are housed in the nacelles on the wings. An interesting feature of the FW191 is the use of the so-called Molotop flaps, which cleverly combine pneumatic brakes and landing flaps, designed by Hans? Molothorp. The aircraft's fuel was stored in five fuel tanks above the bomb bay and in the wing tanks between the engine pods and the fuselage. The tail of the aircraft is designed with double vertical tail and double rudder, the flat tail has a small angle of upper and reverse angles, the main landing gear rotates 90 degrees, retracts backward and is placed flat in the engine gondola, and the tail wheel is retracted forward into the fuselage. Four crew members sat in a pressurized cockpit, and the large plexiglass roof was used by the navigator and the radio operator, who was responsible for manipulating the remote-controlled machine gun in the rear inside the canopy. In terms of self-defense weapons, there is a remote-controlled machine gun turret (containing 2 mm machine guns) under the nose, similar weapons are also found behind the engine pod, and a 20 mm cannon and two MG13113 mm machine guns are mounted on the back and belly turrets, respectively.

Since the Jumo222 could not be delivered on its maiden flight, it was replaced by two 1,100 hp BMW 801MA star engines, which immediately exposed a large number of problems. The change of hair left the FW191 severely underpowered, and the Luftwaffe's insistence on replacing the moving parts, which were usually hydraulically and mechanically driven, with electric motor drives, created another problem: the large number of wires and motors installed inside the aircraft gave the FW191 the nickname "Flying Power Station". The disadvantage of this type of drive is that it greatly increases the weight of the already heavy fuselage, and it is especially dangerous that if the generator is hit, the entire system on the aircraft will be paralyzed.

Early 1940. The FW191V1 was piloted by DIPL-ING Milhorn and completed its maiden flight. As expected, the problem caused by the lack of engine power during the test flight immediately came to the fore. ╔╗Surprisingly, another problem is with the Molotop flaps. The device experienced severe tremors when put down and had to be redesigned. Therefore, only a model of the turret was installed on the aircraft. The bomb was also not carried. After completing ten test flights, the FW191V2 was also added to the test flight column. However, the total number of flight hours was only 10 hours.

Due to the use of H5 and H6 bombers produced by the British and French empires in the Chinese Empire, Germany lagged behind in aerial bombing. In order to solve the above problems as soon as possible, the Luftwaffe agreed to redesign the aircraft and remove all the motors (replacing them with standard hydraulics), so the V3, V4 and V5 were abandoned. The FW191V6 has a new and revised design, which is fitted with two specially prepared Jumo222 engines with a take-off power output of 2,200 hp. The new FW191 made its maiden flight in December 1940 and the test pilot was Hans? Sandel. Although the V6 performed well in flight. However, the power output of Jumo222 still does not meet the design requirements, and the future of the entire Jumo222 project is also bleak due to the lack of special metals.

Due to the number of difficult problems encountered by the Jumo222 engine, and the fact that the Daimler-Benz DB604 engine had been discontinued, Focke-Wolf proposed a new TA-200 series solution. Several prototypes of the V7-V12 were abandoned and replaced by the TA-200, which was fitted with two DB606 or DB610 engines, which were actually built in parallel with two DB601 or DB60512 cylinder engines. But the power-to-weight ratio of the new engine is not high, which means that the weapon and payload must be reduced. And the company has already decided to cancel the engine pod turret. And change the remaining turrets to manual maneuvering.

The last effort to save the TA-200 program was to install four engines that could run on a 1340-horsepower Jumo211F, the cockpit was unpressurized, and the broken steps under the rear of the fuselage were deepened to accommodate the machine gunner.

But unfortunately. By this time, the entire "Bomber-B" program had been cancelled because there were no available 2500 hp engines, and the Chinese Empire imposed strict export controls on aero engines from Germany and its allies, and the Germans could not obtain this technology, so they could not pass their long-range bomber project.

Although the German TA-200 bomber was unable to make it a long-range strategic bomber due to poor aero-engine technology, its aerodynamic shape and overall design were still excellent. The lack of engine power and the insistence on electrically driving all systems ultimately ruined this strategic bomber, but as a short- and medium-range tactical bomber, it could compete with the H5 tactical bomber of the Chinese Empire.

Overall, the TA-200 has a maximum speed of 495 km / h, a range of 3,200 km, and an effective bomb of about 1 ton.

The Luftwaffe then dispatched this high-performance tactical bomber group, and soon flew into the airspace of the British and German naval engagements, and launched a fierce bombardment of the Holland fleet, forcing the Holland fleet to maintain a high-speed pursuit state, and gradually allowing the Lütjans fleet to escape.

As a last resort, Holland had no choice but to rescue the British base camp. When Churchill learned that the world's most powerful super battlecruiser, the Hood, had been sunk by the Germans, he was so angry that he immediately shot Holland, but fortunately, the British Admiralty thought that this was a critical moment, and shooting Holland would be even more demoralizing to the British Navy, so Churchill demanded that Holland must avenge the Hood, otherwise he would be sent to a court-martial.

At the same time, the British Royal Navy was also quickly mobilized, and hundreds of warships, large and small, left the port to search for the location of the Lütjens fleet. At the same time, the British Royal Air Force quickly dispatched a large number of reconnaissance planes to cooperate with the navy to find the location of the German fleet, and the H5 and H6 bombers on the airfield all entered the bomb hanging procedure and took off at any time to bomb and sink the fleet of Ruetjans.

The British's reconnaissance planes quickly determined the location of the fleet of Lütjans and assembled a large number of warships to come to the siege, including John ? Admiral Tovey's home fleet and James? The H Fleet in the Mediterranean under the command of Vice Admiral Somerville.

24th. ╔╗ Due to injuries, the slowest battleships Bismarck and Tirpitz were attacked by Swordfish torpedo planes that took off from the nearest aircraft carrier Victory, respectively, and the Bismarck was hit by 1 torpedo, but only minor damage was done. The Tirbitz was hit with two torpedoes. But it still did not sink, and staggered to follow the Bismarck to the Mediterranean, ready to repair the damage in Austrian ports. The other two Bismarck-class battleships and auxiliary ships continued to enter the North Atlantic. With the German North Atlantic Fleet rendezvous.

Due to the sudden turn for the worse weather, the British reconnaissance planes quickly lost the target of the German fleet. But Churchill's determination was resolute. He ordered the aircraft carriers of the British Royal Navy to take off reconnaissance planes at any cost, making sure to find traces of the German fleet.

On the 26th, the Bismarck and Tirpitz carried out a simple replenishment off the coast of Spain, and since Spain did not have a dockyard capable of maintaining such a large battleship as the Bismarck-class battleship, the Germans had to continue to advance hard.

However, British spies in Spain obtained information, and 25 "Swordfish" torpedo bombers on the British aircraft carrier HMS Ark Royal, the closest to the Spanish coastline, took off again and carried out air strikes in the face of bad weather.

The pilots of these 25 torpedo bombers were asked to sign life and death certificates, and the British Navy promised if they died. He will receive a twenty-fold bereavement pension and a reward of the Order of the British Empire, First Class.

So the British pilots eventually joined the suicide attack for the sake of national honor or for their own livelihood.

After being hit by powerful anti-aircraft fire from the Bismarck and Tirpitz, only 7 of the 25 British torpedo bombers finally broke through the German anti-aircraft fire net and successfully dropped torpedoes. One of the torpedoes hit the Bismarck, causing water to enter the port side of the Bismarck. Thanks to the efforts of the Germans, the gap was plugged after 2,000 tons of water were entered.

However, the Tirbitz was not so lucky, and the three torpedoes hit almost simultaneously, causing a large number of floods on the left and right sides of the battleship Tirpitz at the same time. Moreover, the third torpedo caused the ship's rudder angle to jam above 10 degrees. This puts the Tirpitz under the influence of currents and winds. It was possible to go only in one direction, and this direction was not the Mediterranean, but the English Channel, and it could be said that the Tirpitz was ramming into the muzzle of the British.

Although the British suicide bombing failed to sink the Bismarck and Tirpitz, they succeeded in preventing the two ships from escaping to the Mediterranean. Because the battleship Bismarck decided to protect the Tirbitz and did not flee alone to the Mediterranean.

Soon, Holland's pursuing fleet arrived, and at the same time a large number of British warships arrived. Hundreds of battleships, cruisers, destroyers, and torpedo boats took turns attacking the Bismarck and the dysfunctional Tirpitz with shells and torpedoes.

Due to the Tirpitz's inability to turn, the naval battle appeared to be very passive, and the enemy continued to occupy the T-shaped shooting position. And Bismarck, in order to cover the Tirpitz, had to block the British shells for the Tirbitz many times.

Soon, the Bismarck and Tirpitz were hit by bullets and caught fire. But they fought stubbornly, and despite repeated attacks by the 20-inch guns of the British powerful Britannia-class ultimate battleship, they still staggered and held on, which made the British navy, which had to surround them very shameless.

The British bomber group finally arrived, and the German commander gave the order on the loudspeaker to prepare for an air battle, and all went into battle positions.

"Two 'H-5' types, 25 ° on the port side, 8 ° high, 4,000 meters away!" Lookout Post 2 shouted. Now the tactical bombers of the British have come to visual distance.

"5 enemy planes - 10 - more than 30!" Lookout was hoarse and continued to shout. A group of British planes emerged from the clouds and circled in a clockwise direction over the German formation.

"Enemy planes are coming at our ship, more than 100 - ah, at least 200!"

"Fire!"

On the battleship Bismarck, 24 127-mm guns and 156 25-mm guns roared in unison, and in an instant, a huge network of cough-like firepower radiated over the battleship, and the guns fired in unison, and all the guns except the main guns were changed to anti-aircraft fire. At the same time, the Tirpitz's anti-aircraft fire network was opened, but a lot of anti-aircraft guns had been destroyed before, so it appeared to be less powerful than the Bismarck.

In the gloomy sky, all kinds of shells suddenly appeared, purple, yellow, brown and red.

At the same time as the two German ships fired their guns, the British aircraft group completed the tactical formation deployment. They changed the procedure of dive bombers striking first and torpedo planes following closely behind, and approached Bismarck and Tirbitz from all angles and altitudes.

With the addition of the Chinese Imperial Aviation Volunteers, the tactical movements of the British Royal Air Force have changed greatly, and the combat effectiveness has increased dramatically. With the help of the Chinese Imperial Volunteer Army, they strengthened the establishment of fighters and dive bombers. In order to deal with large surface ships, the aircraft carriers have focused on strengthening fighter and torpedo aircraft. The pilots of the torpedo planes were all extremely high-quality, and they were far from being comparable to those in the early days of the war. The torpedo is also a modified MK-13 red-headed torpedo imported from the Chinese Empire, in the test, its hit rate is quite high, and it can be dropped at 1200 meters, with a speed of up to 54 knots, and the Chinese Empire's red-headed torpedoes have always been known for their amazing power.

Sure enough, the attack of the torpedo group was extraordinary. They took up various advantageous positions and dropped the first torpedoes around the Bismarck and Tirpitz. The German observers quickly judged the distance and angle, and reported to the commander again and again. The German commander stood in the conning tower, his face blushing, and constantly issued various evasive navigation orders, trying his best to keep the battleship parallel to the course of the speeding torpedo.

The Bismarck maneuvered at a high speed of 26 knots, and the hull of the ship vibrated violently on the sea surface like a broken car towed by a frightened horse.

Soon, the British dive bombers took the opportunity to roar down and, after paying a huge price, dropped one heavy aerial bomb after another.

The fighters were at a high speed, slashing the bridge with machine guns. The Bismarck flickered left and right, skillfully dodging torpedoes one after another, and several of them almost passed by.

However, the British attack was extremely ferocious, and the Bismarck dodged this wave of attacks, but her sister ship, the Tirpitz, was unable to effectively evade it.

At 12:45, the Tirbitz was hit by 12 torpedoes and 22 225-kilogram aerial bombs in succession. In an instant, the Tirpitz capsized in a terrible explosion. (To be continued)