Chapter 1215: Fast Fleet

China and the United States began to speed up preparations for future battles, and the Germans were not idle, although the war ended in German victory, but the German army was not satisfied with this rather tangled war! "I originally thought that the soldiers of the empire would quickly end this war with exquisite tactics and advanced equipment, but the final result was to be stabbed all over the body like a bear by the other side, and after paying a huge price, they relied on brute force to win a negligible victory! I'm disappointed in you! The angry Kaiser roared at a meeting of the top brass of the army.

The Army has gone back to reformulate its own equipment development plan, and the Air Force has also gone to sum up the lessons and lessons learned. And this time, the navy, which has barely contributed much, must also consider how to face the powerful Chinese and Entente navies in the future, this time it is the Allied forces that have the advantage and win, but next time, I am afraid that the enemy will have the advantage! The combined fleet of Huaxia and the Entente terrified the German navy, a feeling of powerlessness that had not even been felt in the face of the British Grand Fleet. After Count Spee replaced Hipper, how to defeat the opponent's formidable aircraft carrier formation became a lingering shadow in his mind.

Since it is necessary to defeat the opponent, it is necessary to study the tactics of the opponent, and the only example of aviation naval warfare that can be used as a reference is the battle between the Italian Navy and the Austro-Hungarian Navy. After many deductions with Vice Admiral Raeder, who was an eyewitness to the battle, Count Spee and other German naval high-ranking officials decided that the aircraft carriers that launched the last wave of attacks by the other side were definitely not three! However, Count Spee can naturally guess the origin of the non-Italian aircraft carrier, but this is no longer the point. The focus is on the opponent's tactical thinking and the inspiration for yourself.

"The other side is very subtle, but tactically very ordinary. It's just a matter of using a powerful number to consume all of our direct guard aircraft. Of course, the enemy's constant assault from high altitudes and medium and low altitudes in batches exhausted our defensive forces. In the end, it was not that we had no planes to meet the enemy, but that none of the planes were in a position where they could intercept. ”

"And we can see from this naval battle. In the face of armored aircraft carriers, it is difficult for some missed attack aircraft to inflict fatal damage on them, and torpedo planes are better, but it is difficult for ordinary bombers to destroy the core compartment located under layers of armor protection. If the torpedo machine wants to hit the opponent, it needs to hit at least 4 or so torpedoes to have a chance to sink the opponent. The torpedo machine itself is very slow, and it is the target of the other side's attention. The penetration success rate is inherently low. Coupled with the interference of the enemy's air-to-air fire, the hit rate decreased. Attacks don't work very well. Raeder concluded.

Compared with the scarred results of every aircraft carrier engagement in the early stage of World War II, the Italian Navy's concentrated forces on this plane did not break the opponent's muscles and bones when it launched an attack on the Allied fleet. What seems like an incredible ending is actually inevitable. The reasons are as follows: First of all, the popularity of armored aircraft carriers has made the strike effect of bombs on aircraft carriers plummet. And the aircraft technology of this period was not as good as that at the beginning of World War II. The bombs carried were limited in power, so the line of dive bombers was almost obsolete. Secondly, both sides have increased the number of fighters, especially since both sides have also received a shortage of land-based fighters, and there has been a significant increase in anti-aircraft firepower. In the Battle of Midway, the first few attacks by American planes were also fruitless. One squadron after another was disabled, and it was the planes in front that made the way for the planes behind with blood and sacrifices. You must know that in the early stage of the Pacific War in history, Japan's fighter planes accounted for only about one-third of the total aircraft loaded!

"The other side chose to use the superior forces to completely crush the defender's defense. But we cannot use such tactics, because we are numerically inferior, and the military victory of the German Empire should not be won by total volume and attrition, but by subtle tactics and fierce attacks. The opponent's tactics are a hammer, while ours is a spear, improving quality rather than crushing the opponent in quantity. Count Spee nodded. Expressed agreement with Raeder's opinion.

After Count Spee finished speaking, he nodded to Major General Hugosperer, who was sitting next to him, and let him continue. "Generals. I came from the Air Force and then came to the Navy to take charge of naval aviation. I would like to elaborate on my views on aircraft carrier engagements from my professional point of view, and I hope that you will bear with me if there are any inaccuracies. After the politeness, Major General Sspeller asked the staff officer to put the small models on the sand table, and then walked to the front desk and began to expound his thoughts.

"From the current point of view, the combat distance of aircraft carriers is generally about 250KM, and the Italian Navy launched an attack on the Austro-Hungarian fleet at this value, with the development of technology, this distance will definitely increase, but generally speaking, it will not exceed 400KM. There may be problems with navigation at too long distance, and at the same time, because of the increase in flight time, the opponent will have enough time to adjust the defense, and the attack effect will also decrease, so my opinion is that the distance of the carrier-based aircraft to the sea should not exceed 350KM. Speller paused for a moment to wait for questions from all sides.

"THE CRUISING SPEED OF OUR CURRENT FIGHTER JETS IS GENERALLY ABOUT 300KM, BUT AT THAT TIME I HEARD THAT THE BF109 series of fighters that are ready to be equipped with the Navy in the future can reach a cruising speed of more than 400KM. If that's the case, without counting take-off and formation times, we can fly to the top of each other's heads in an hour. Can the attack range be farther? Raeder asked.

"I'm afraid I've disappointed you. The BF109 does have a cruising speed of this value, and you are right, but I would like to remind you that the BF109 fighter is a small fighter. In order to pursue speed and climbing, there is less oil inside. Even with a 300L drop tank, the range is only about 1000KM. If it is more than 350, then it is necessary to attach a larger fuel tank, which is more troublesome for takeoff. Of course, if the BF109 fighter can be replaced with a higher horsepower engine in the future, this problem will be solved. BUT NOW, THE ATTACK RANGE OF THE BF109 FIGHTER SHOULD NOT EXCEED 350KM. As for the cruising speed? I suppose you have participated in many naval battles at one time, and you should be aware that the speed of the fleet depends on the aircraft that flies the slowest speed. BF109 FIGHTERS CAN REACH CRUISING SPEEDS OF MORE THAN 400KM, BUT OUR JU90 BOMBERS CANNOT KEEP UP WITH THE FIGHTERS. Their cruising speed is just over 300 kilometers after the bomb is hung. Spayler said.

(The aerodynamic shape of the JU90 is a reference to the comets of World War II in history.) JU87's poor frontal resistance made me unbearable, the attack power was really strong, but the speed was too slow. The engine used is a liquid-cooled engine with 1100 horsepower. So the speed will not be very high, but then the JUMO211 will be changed to 1400 to 1500 horsepower. The author originally preferred meteors, but the 1800-horsepower engine needed for meteors could not be produced at all, so he chose a liquid-cooled comet shape. Note that the appearance is similar, and the aircraft in this book can carry torpedoes. In any case, liquid cooling is stronger than air cooling in Germany. )

"Is there a way to make torpedo planes and bomber planes faster, if they can reach a cruising speed of more than 400KM per hour, then our attack time will be reduced by a third, and the opponent's preparation time will be reduced. And fighters may have only one chance to intercept these high-speed aircraft. Our penetration success rate will also increase. We need aircraft like the British Lightning bomber. Raeder asked. As an experienced of that naval battle, the light fast bombers equipped by the British Royal Air Force penetrated the German air defense network again and again, and also made Raeder full of expectations for this kind of fast bomber. He had said more than once, openly and privately, that this aircraft was the one that the German Navy needed most! And in this meeting, which was a matter of importance, he brought it up again.

"It's really hard and we've been weighing it all the time. If the new bomber is equipped with 250KG bombs, then its speed will be increased to a certain extent. But the power of the 250KG bomb is too small, and it is almost useless against armored aircraft carriers, that is, non-armored aircraft carriers in the mission will at most make a hole in the deck that is not too big. THE NAVY REQUIRES AT LEAST 500KG OF SEA BOMBS. The size and weight of this bomb are somewhat large, and it is impossible for our attack formation to be without torpedo machines, and a torpedo is about 800 kilograms, which is even more difficult to carry. JUDGING BY THE CURRENT SITUATION, NO CARRIER-BASED AIRCRAFT CAN FLY AT A CRUISING SPEED OF ALMOST 400KM PER HOUR WHILE CARRYING TORPEDOES. Spayler said with some tears and laughter. And he is a twin-engine aircraft, which is not suitable for going on a ship. ”

"I wonder, which is the smallest of the aircraft in the Air Force capable of carrying 800KG class bombs or such torpedoes? How much does he weigh and what is the engine power? How big is the size? At this moment, Count Luknal, who had been sitting next to Count Spee, suddenly asked out loud.

"It should be a BF110 fighter. Its empty weight is 5200KG. Two 1100 hp DB601 engines were used. HE WAS ORIGINALLY USED AS A FIGHTER-BOMBER AND A NIGHT COMBAT AIRCRAFT, WITH TWO 500KG BOMBS HANGING AT THE ROOT OF THE WING AND ONE TORPEDO ON THE CENTRAL AXIS OF THE BELLY. As for the size? The length of the fuselage is a little more than 11 meters, and the length of the wing is more than 16 meters. The height is 3.5 meters. You're not going to put him on the ship, are you? Sspeller said in some surprise.

"5200 kilograms? If you can reduce some fuel, then the aircraft can be smaller. The weight can also be reduced, and if the armament is reduced, the ratio of engine power to air weight may not be so unacceptable. Count Luknall said.

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