The 18,000-ton mass-produced aircraft carrier Cougar, built by the Germans, was the first priority target chosen by the American fleet, and it was also the only regular Allied aircraft carrier to be sunk in this naval battle. To be honest, this aircraft carrier was not attacked much, far less than the sunken aircraft carrier of the Glorious fleet in the British fleet, and the real blow was only three times, two 1000-pound high-explosive shells and one torpedo! Two bombs pierced the flight deck and fragile horizontal armor, blowing two steam turbines to pieces, and another exploded in the hangar, causing an unstoppable fire. AND ANOTHER TORPEDO HIT THE AIRCRAFT CARRIER NEAR THE MOTOR COMPARTMENT, ORIGINALLY ACCORDING TO THE STANDARDS OF THE GERMANS, THE CORE COMPARTMENT OF THE MOTOR COMPARTMENT SHOULD BE DEPLOYED IN TWO INDEPENDENT COMPARTMENTS, BUT IN ORDER TO SAVE TROUBLE, THE COUGAR'S MOTOR COMPARTMENT ADOPTS A CENTRALIZED ARRANGEMENT, COUPLED WITH THE UNDERWATER DEFENSE SYSTEM IS NOT POWERFUL, NOT ONLY THE DEPTH IS ONLY 2.5 METERS, BUT EVEN THE THICKNESS OF THE TDS ARMOR IS ONLY LESS THAN 40MM! It is definitely a typical example of shoddy work, so under the effect of its own problems and a little luck, it led to a fatal attack on the medium aircraft carrier Cougar!

When the USS Cougar was still on fire, it seemed reluctant to accept its fate. The battle in the air is over, and less than 100 of the more than 500 US planes that attacked end up going back! And the number of attack aircraft that went back visually did not exceed 40 units! More than 80 percent of the Allied carrier-based aircraft were reduced to pieces under the layers of interception by the Luftwaffe. The loss of more than 400 aircraft of various types was nothing more than the sinking of a medium fleet aircraft carrier and an aviation cruiser, plus two light cruisers and several destroyers. In terms of combat performance, the results of this attack of the Americans are completely incomparable with those of the Germans. But no matter what. Accompanied by the return of aircraft from both sides. The day's fighting has finally come to an end, and yes. Although it was still early, wait until the last FW190 fighter landed on the deck. It was only two o'clock in the afternoon, but at this time neither side was capable of launching a second wave of attacks on the day!

There is no doubt that the Allied fleet was victorious in this battle of unprecedented proportions, but as the victorious side, he also paid a terrible price! The Allied fleet alone threw away more than 600 aircraft of various types, and on the way back to the Germans lost nearly 50 planes of various kinds due to breakdowns and accidents, and in the fleet defense operation, although the Germans had an advantage in the battle, they also lost hundreds of aircraft. Combined, these aircraft lost more than 800 aircraft! This means that the entire Allied aircraft carrier battle group has fought out about 4 percent of the carrier-based aircraft, not including those aircraft that landed with damage and need to be repaired! The battle has been fought to this extent, which can be described as exhaustive!

In addition to the material losses, what was even more terrifying was the consumption of personnel, those planes that could not fly back must have been lost along with the pilots on them, and the remaining pilots who participated in the battle were very tired, and almost all the pilots of the carrier-based aircraft had taken to the air to fight that day. And the ground crews who acted with the pilots were also very tired, and the Germans in a short time gained a very high combat effectiveness through large-scale overdrafts, but now, the sequelae are coming. The entire fleet is so sleepy that it hardly has the ability to strike again!

As for the Entente fleet, they are in an even worse situation! Not to mention the 5 aircraft carriers sunk in the battle, the British lost nearly 400 Spitfires in the interception operation. And then because of the sinking of the aircraft carrier, more than 100 aircraft of various types were lost, and the total number of losses was close to 600! And the fleet responsible for attacking the Allied fleet was also defeated. Nearly 1,000 aircraft were wiped out, and many aircraft were damaged. There are only about 1,000 carrier-based aircraft left to use! After this fierce battle. The number of Spitfires in the Entente countries was greatly reduced, and the defensive operations were not enough. Not to mention the offense. The ground crews were also sleepy, and the Allied fleet retreated to the east while preparing its defenses!

"I can't afford it!" Although theoretically the Germans still have 60% of carrier-based aircraft left, and there are about 1,200 of them after careful calculation, after eliminating faulty and repairable aircraft, there are only 1,000 usable aircraft left! Such a scale seems to be very large, but if you use ordinary carrier-based aircraft to carry out attack missions, then it is only 500 aircraft! What effect would 500 aircraft have on a fleet as large as the Entente? Just look at the Allied fleet attacking the Allied fleet at noon today! Although he didn't want to admit it in his heart, at this time, Count Spee knew very well that the Allied fleet was also hurting his opponent and his vitality. (Of course, at the time of the estimate, Count Spee somewhat overestimated the air defense capabilities of the Entente fleet, and with the massive losses of Spitfires, the air defense capabilities of the Allied air forces were declining faster than the Allies imagined!) ）

"If the Entente fleet decides to go north, then we are ready to engage in a fleet artillery battle with them, and if they choose to withdraw in the direction of France, we will temporarily hand it over to land-based aviation and air force, and then we will go to the Azores to replenish carrier-based aircraft." When Raeder asked what to do next, Count Spee gritted his teeth and made a shocking move! The Count of Spee was no less determined than his predecessor at the critical moment! There is absolutely no ambiguity when it's time to fight hard!

Of course, the reason why Count Spee put forward this somewhat radical plan of action is that from the current point of view, the Allied fleet still has an advantage, and according to German estimates, the loss rate of carrier-based aircraft on both sides is about the same. But the British lost a large number of cutting-edge Spitfires, and the gap in air superiority aircraft between the two sides was even greater than before the war. It may be a bit ineffective to attack such a large fleet with carrier-based aircraft, but if it is combined with the accompanying battleships and cruisers, then the Allies still have a great advantage.

Of course, Count Spee also had a bit of luck in his heart, and he gambled that his opponent would not dare to go north! Instead, he chose to return to France to survive. So which of the two paths that the Allies would actually choose between the northward and eastward directions? At a time of life and death, the Entente decisively chose to move eastward, and I have to say that today's engagement really shocked the Allied naval top brass. The heavy losses of the fleet made the hearts ache for both Britain and the United States!

To be honest, Nimitz couldn't imagine what would happen if the two sides fought again. The best Spitfire fighters in the Entente fleet suffered heavy losses. It is estimated that no more than 200 can be used, and the air defense capability has been greatly reduced. In the eyes of the Americans, if the Germans could make up a fleet of more than 400 aircraft, the Entente fleet would likely directly lose 4 aircraft carriers! So even if they can break through the opponent's defense line and go north, the price they need to pay is still unbearable for Nimitz and the others, and the rage and the other 2 aircraft carriers in the fleet have received some damage, the speed is limited to about 26 knots, and the injuries are likely to worsen, these aircraft carriers obviously can't be discarded at will, so. The best thing to do is to retreat closer to France! And the Entente fleet really began to withdraw in the direction of France at full speed, and from the current point of view, the Entente is acting according to the idea of the Allies, and is moving step by step towards the encirclement set by the Luftwaffe! The Germans seem to have won the game, but is that really the case?

"If we go east, we will be within the strike range of German land-based aviation, and how should we deal with the current situation of the fleet?" When Nimitz offered to retreat in the direction of France, Halsey asked. It was not that the Americans did not expect the threat of the Luftwaffe, on the contrary, with the decline of the ground war, the Allied navies always paid attention to the movements of the Allied land-based aviation!

"I've thought of this. Don't forget, in addition to the air forces of the United States, Britain and France, France now has another powerful fighter force! The Stone Tea Falcon fighter provided by Huaxia is a pillow waiting for you! Now it's time for them to wield! Nimitz said with a smile. There was a hint of lightness in the tone! China began to provide direct military support to the Entente at an early stage. 700 of these Casellia Falcon fighters and hundreds of pilots are in the catalogue of the first batch of assistance! And as time went on, more and more Cascha Falcon and Flying Fox fighters arrived in the UK. Even some troops have already entered France, and the United States and Britain have not allowed these cutting-edge aircraft to enter the field under pressure before this just for emergency purposes. And now, it's time for the Huaxia Air Force to appear! Of course, these units cannot yet be called the Huaxia Air Force, they are "volunteers"!

"So after that, if we are able to return to the British mainland under the cover of the Chinese Air Force, what will we do next? The losses of the German fleet were not significant, and after replenishing carrier-based aircraft, and the corresponding maintenance work was carried out, it was possible to reappear in the Atlantic. I estimate that this time the German Navy will return to port for maintenance no more than 2 months, and then what should we do? Cunningham said with a frown. The main force of the Allied aircraft carrier formation still exists, and even if you throw away aircraft carriers like Fury that need to be overhauled, you can still make up about 18 fleet aircraft carriers, but the problem of carrier-based aircraft cannot be solved, and the entire fleet lacks hundreds of aircraft! The fall of France is a foregone conclusion, and the next one is Britain, and the British military will not have so many aircraft to replenish naval aviation! The RAF is eager to devote all its aircraft to air defense!

"Well, this, when the situation in Europe stabilizes, I think I will take the fleet back to the United States for replenishment and maintenance." Nimitz hesitated for a long time but decided to tell Cunningham the truth. Of course, in the ears of the British, these words obviously mean that the Americans are going to run away, Britain, you hold on to it yourself! If the U.S. and British fleets together still have a chance to defeat the Allied fleet and restore the sea transportation routes, then if the Americans leave, the British Royal Navy will really become a fleet, and the German Navy, which has overwhelming military superiority and occupies France, can completely make the British fleet unable to get out of the cover range of land-based aviation!

"Do you know what you're talking about? Can I understand that there is a rift in the Holy Alliance? Cunningham was shocked, and an expression of powerlessness, anger, and even helplessness appeared on his face! However, after calming down, he decided to ask Nimitz for an explanation.

"This is a strategic need, we have no choice, the British mainland cannot maintain such a large fleet, we still have a dozen aircraft carriers, dozens of main forces and more than two hundred various escort warships! Just ask me, is your country capable of providing enough manpower and materiel while resisting the Luftwaffe? Even the safety of some ports cannot be guaranteed, right? The value of the existence of the Navy is to go to sea to fight, and if it is not even possible to ensure the basic operation of the fleet, then what is the value of these warships? ”

"I know what you're worried about, the United States of America is not going to give up on the UK, we are allies. After the withdrawal of the German fleet, we will return to the United States and then join the Chinese fleet, and I am confident that, with the addition of the Chinese fleet, we will be able to defeat our opponents in a head-to-head battle! We'll finish the rest before the German Navy recovers. Believe me! Nimitz said very sincerely.

"Well, I believe in you, and I also believe that the US government will make the right choice, but it must be fast, the Germans will soon occupy France, and we are running out of time!" Cunningham said after taking a deep breath.

"The British are gone?" Half an hour later, Cunningham and the others finally left, leaving with suspicion and a little hope, and they were a little unwilling. And after the outsiders left, Nimitz and the others could finally discuss some issues that could not be put on the table behind closed doors! For example, what will happen to the French fleet after this return! Is it to be taken away or to solve it directly as a last resort? After the end of this war, the French Navy could even be described as unscathed! The position of the French fleet in the combined fleet of the Entente after the weakening of power had risen, and in any case, it was impossible for the Americans to watch the French fleet finally be detained or even on the side of the Germans!

"I propose that after the fleet arrives off the coast of France, let the French fleet rush to England first, and then let the British pay attention to this fleet, and let them anchor in French ports anyway! In addition, we need to be prepared that once the French government decides to surrender, we can immediately prop up a resistance government in England! Candidate questions? I think de Gaulle is good, he is a soldier, he has a low political status, he is relatively easy to win over, and he is more resolute in the matter of confronting the Germans. Of course, one of the most important reasons is that he still has the most elite troops of France in his hands, and if we can take these troops away, at least the British will have an extra layer of assurance! Nimitz said, looking at the others.

Unlike ordinary generals, as the current head of the US Navy, Nimitz must have enough political sense, no one in the navy is more authoritative than him, and the decisions made by those politicians also largely depend on Nimitz's judgment and opinions, so he must consider the costs and benefits of various options himself! "I hope Huaxia's actions can be faster!" Nimitz said with a sigh.

I'm sorry, my head is confusing enough these days, and I've made a few mistakes in the chapter table of contents, but the order is correct-! In addition, thank you to the book friend zhouyu1976 for the reward ~~~, and the book friend ynn7817 for the monthly pass support ~~~. (To be continued......)