The Wheatley MkII medium bomber, numbered 82nd Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force, was shot through the middle of the fuselage by a 38.4mm tracer projectile during a horizontal approach.

The control cable broke, the rudder surface of the vertical tail failed, and the hydraulic system gradually lost its function due to the leakage of hydraulic oil.

The crew had already made up their minds last night that they were going to drop the bomb no matter what, and if they were hit, they would crash it with it!

Therefore, the pilot, Lieutenant Joyle, did not hesitate to pull the control stick with all his might, and controlled the ten-ton twin-engine bomber to dive towards the nearest important target, the aircraft carrier Amaichi Ugaki.

A round of 20.8mm and 38.4mm anti-explosive bombs greeted it, as if multiple spotlights were shining on it.

It is actually not easy to maneuver a fast-flying aircraft to hit the target, and the slightest deviation will deviate from the target and give you away in vain, which is the main reason why rookie pilots do not perform well when performing such tasks.

But as a qualified pilot, Lieutenant Joyle flew the Wheatley bomber to the flight deck of the Amaichi Ugaki and rushed at a speed of 400 km/h.

Because it had broken through the medium-range range of the twin 38.4mm anti-aircraft guns, it only had to face the small-caliber 20.8mm anti-aircraft guns for the next ten seconds.

Such close-range anti-aircraft fire was enough to cause fatal damage to the fighters, but it really couldn't shake the twin-engine bomber, which was so badly wounded that it was as murderous as an arrow.

Less than 100 meters and about to hit the flight deck, four 500-pound bombs broke away from their belly magazines and fell forward.

"Boom !!"

A black-gray mushroom cloud with orange-yellow flames emerged from the Celestial City's Right Wall, and countless fragments flew in all directions.

Zhou Changfeng, who was on the bridge of the battleship Longshuo, witnessed this scene the whole time, his face stiffened, and then he took a deep breath.

Lin Xunzhen, who was beside him, had an expression of disbelief, as if he couldn't accept the fact that it was happening in the distance at all.

He yelled, "Fuck! It's a mad dog! ”

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The bomber just hit the front flight deck of the Amamichi Ugaki at an angle of incidence of about 40 degrees relative to the horizontal plane, and the wooden deck absorbed a certain amount of impact, so that the plane did not instantly crash into powder, but disintegrated and shattered into several large wrecks and countless fragments.

Fragments of red-hot metal littered the deck, igniting several planes parked at the back of the deck.

The 500-pound bomb it dropped before the impact also hit the Amagichi Ugaki -

A bomb hit the anti-aircraft gun platform on the port side, and the two twin 38.4mm anti-aircraft guns and sailors were instantly engulfed in the flames of the explosion.

The other three all ran diagonally through the wooden flight deck and steel trusses, and then two smashed into the hangar deck armor and exploded, while the other slipped and jumped due to the small angle of incidence, slipped out of the open on the right side of the hangar, and exploded in the air as it was about to fall overboard.

The Amaichi Ugaki light aircraft carrier uses an open hangar, and the shock wave of the explosion in the hangar can be released to both sides, which can reduce the damage suffered by the battleship itself.

However, the planes and personnel in the hangar inevitably suffered heavy casualties, nine carrier-based torpedo planes were damaged to varying degrees, seven ground crew members and four ensigns, lieutenants, and captains of the "Chu" torpedo squadron were killed on the spot, and 26 ground crew members and crew members were wounded.

The bomb that slid out of the hangar and exploded in the air on the sea also caused some damage, and the countless high-speed fragments it produced smashed the starboard anti-aircraft gun platform, gangway, roller shutter, and hull of the ship.

The chief officer of the fleet hurriedly called to inquire, but the Amagichi Youyuan reported that the situation was urgent and the loss statistics had not yet been completed.

"How's your ship doing? Report the loss! ”

"Reply, the bomb did not penetrate the powerful deck, the first half of the hangar caught fire, the fire was very large, the damage management team was rescuing, and the power supply was unstable......"

"Boom-"

A loud noise could be heard over the radio communication, which immediately drowned out the human voices.

Everyone turned their heads to look at the Tianshi Youyuan in unison, only to see a few more flashes of light and smoke suddenly appear in the middle of the hull.

A major said nervously: "I'm afraid that the bomb hanging on the plane in the hangar has exploded......"

The battle will not press the pause button because of this, and the fierce battle between the sky and the sea continues.

The incoming Wheatley and Blenheim bombers were scattered by anti-aircraft fire, and only a dozen flew over the fleet to drop bombs.

Dozens of aerial bombs exploded into columns of water that soared into the sky, with larger columns of 500 pounds and smaller columns of water weighing 250 pounds.

The hit rate of horizontal bombing was not high, and the dense anti-aircraft fire significantly affected the targeting and delivery of bombs.

In the end, only the heavy cruiser Yanshan was hit in the stern by a 250-pound bomb, killing one and wounding four; Another minesweeper was hit by a near-miss, resulting in a small amount of flooding.

The actions of Lieutenant Joyle's crew undoubtedly encouraged the other Australian pilots, and soon another damaged Blenheim MkI light bomber turned around and dived straight towards the Ming fleet.

Before, I didn't know what to do because I didn't expect it for the first time, but this time the Ming fleet didn't dare to take it lightly.

The air defense control officers of each ship were giving instructions sharply, and for a time almost half of the small fleet's anti-aircraft fire was concentrating on it.

The 20.8mm and 38.4mm anti-explosive and tracer anti-explosive bombs gathered from all directions were like spotlights in the exhibition hall.

The Blenheim bomber's left wing snapped, then turned into a tumbling fireball, deviated from the direction of flight, and plunged heavily into the sea, just over 200 meters away from the heavy cruiser Yinshan.

This is the end of this thrilling battle, and the officers and soldiers in charge of handling the weapons may be able to breathe a sigh of relief, but those who are responsible for the damage management team continue to fight.

The light cruiser Yanoe approached the Amaichi Ugaki at low speed, trying to help extinguish the fire and rescue it.

The previous violent impact caused the bomber's own fuel to spill on the deck and ignite a fire, and those red-hot metal fragments also ignited more Ming carrier-based aircraft.

The 500-pound bomb that exploded in the hangar did not penetrate the powerful deck, but it opened a large hole in the flight deck.

Half of the hangar was filled with flames, and billowing smoke poured out of the openings around the hangar, converging into a huge black plume of smoke that soared into the sky above the aircraft carrier.

The fire sprinkler system was turned on, but the violent explosion damaged many pipes, so only half of the sprinklers were working.

Countless fine mist sprayed down, barely suppressing the spread of the fire.

Ordinary lights don't work in thick smoke, so emergency lights emit an orange-red light with a longer wavelength that is easier to penetrate the smoke.

The damage management team of the Ming Navy ships is usually divided into three categories, which are distinguished by the color of the sleeves of different nights - red is the fire prevention team, yellow is the electrical team, and blue is the water pump team.

The standard attire of the fireproof detachment during the battle is to wear a steel helmet on the head, a fireproof scarf around the neck, fireproof gloves that reach to the elbows, and clothes and pants made of pure white flame-retardant fabric.

"What are you doing?! The bomb blows up and it's fucking dead! Throw them all into the sea! ”

"Report! The oil drums over there are swollen! ”

The damage management team pushed everything that had a potential explosion into the sea through the openings around the hangar - the oil drums were thrown away! Drop the bombs! Throw away the torpedo!

The heat of the flames heated and boiled the spray mist, mixing black soot and white steam, and the visibility was only a few steps away!

Many people have unknowingly suffered from heat stroke and even fainting shock, and everyone has to wash each other with water guns every once in a while to cool down and dispel the heat.

Thick toxic black smoke enveloped the superstructure of the Amagichi Ugaki and the captain had to order everyone to evacuate the bridge for refuge......

"Is there any structural damage?"

"Back to the general army, no, the powerful deck is still intact. No problem, this ship can't be sunk! ”

The feedback of the news and situation made the generals in the bridge of the Longshuo breathe a sigh of relief.

There is no structural damage, and it looks like it is not a big problem no matter how bad it is, and it can be repaired in a few months.

Zhou Changfeng was greatly moved, but he didn't expect to witness such a fateful game in Australia in his lifetime.

Originally, he also claimed to see what Australians are capable of, but it turned out to be an eye-opener......

The casualties of the light aircraft carrier Ugaki reached 88 in this battle, 19 officers and men were killed, 22 were seriously wounded, and 4 people were missing.

Given that some of the wounded suffered severe burns, it is feared that there will continue to be more serious deaths in the coming days.

After the hard work of the damage management team members, the fire was completely extinguished that night, and the Amagichi Youyuan was not at risk of sinking and was in stable condition.

At the sea burial ceremony held the next day, looking at the body bags that slipped from the stern of the ship into the sea, the officers and men of the navy could be described as having mixed feelings.

The naval fleet shot down a total of 4 enemy planes, and 5 carrier-based aircraft that took off to intercept them.

It was supposed to be an air raid that was easily defused, but it was hit like this, and the results were directly counterattacked.

Because of the inconvenience of preserving corpses, the navies of all countries almost without exception adopted sea burial, and although the Ming people were obsessed with burying them in the ground, they had to agree to sea burial whenever they wanted to board a warship.

Such kamikaze behavior is undoubtedly a great blow to morale, not only will make people's spirits highly stressed, but also make people doubt the legitimacy of their own attack.

"In the past, the previous battles were smooth, but now we are against death...... I really can't get used to it all at once. ”

Lin Xunzhen was both annoyed and embarrassed, and he was quite confident before, saying that the Australian army could not pose a threat to the fleet without dive bombers, and he immediately slapped him in the face.

Zhou Changfeng, who was beside him, pressed the burned cigarette into the ashtray and said calmly: "One hundred and fifty years is enough time for the people here to develop a sense of territorial identity, it sounds very short, and it can't be compared with hundreds of thousands of years of history, but if you think about it, there are seven generations." ”

"Yes, but it's only slightly more difficult."

"You...... A bit of contempt. ”

"These people are stubborn, and when the time comes, those who dare to resist will be counted as one of them." Lin Xunzhen, whose face was full of awe, said fiercely.

Zhou Changfeng can perceive that perhaps because of his special background, Lin Xunzhen's sense of national identity is particularly strong, and his arguments in many cases can be described as ruthless and cold-blooded.

Compared with the losses of the Navy's surface ships today, the Army has suffered much more in the few days since its landing.

The 6th Infantry Division of the Australian Army fought to the death in the deep position, and the 27th Infantry Division of the Army, which was responsible for the main attack, was stunned.

Its casualties had exceeded 1,200, and the 79th Regiment suffered heavy losses in the fierce battle, with several infantry units almost empty, and only thirty or forty men remained.

The 80th Regiment, which took over the attack, was even more unlucky, although it made a breakthrough with the support of the 1st Assault Vehicle Battalion, the Australian army used QF 3.7-inch heavy anti-aircraft guns to attack the Ming heavy tanks.

The 94mm anti-aircraft gun was able to penetrate 114mm thick homogeneous steel armor, which was impossible to defend against the Tiger two years later, let alone the early heavy tanks of today.

The 1st Assault Vehicle Battalion was destroyed and damaged in a short period of time, and a number of Type 38 heavy tanks were forced to retreat.

The 18th Brigade of the 6th Division of the Australian Army immediately organized five companies to launch a frenzied counterattack - the artillery support fired by Xu Jin was so close that it almost stuck to the infantry's face, far below safety standards, and even caused accidental injuries.

A bloody white-knuckle battle broke out between the two sides on the position, and then the 2nd Battalion of the 80th Regiment was driven out of the position that had been captured for a short time.

Zhong Chenhan, the commander of the 80th Regiment, who refused to admit defeat, personally wore a steel helmet to the front line to direct the battle, but was shot in the chest by an Australian sniper and died.

After several days and nights of hard fighting, the 6th Division of the Australian Army was finally completely repelled by the Ming Army, and the remnants withdrew into the city in an attempt to defend to the end.

The 1st Marine Brigade also suffered more casualties than expected, but it was generally okay - because the commander of the 27th Division had taken on a large task before the war, he was mainly responsible for the field offensive.

However, the following street fighting could no longer stay out of the matter, otherwise the 1st Marine Brigade would definitely be ridiculed in the future for not caring about the lives of friendly troops and not fighting hard battles. Mu Xiu is in a dangerous state in the forest, and if he doesn't have a good relationship with his neighbors, he will inevitably be isolated.

Zhou Changfeng, who was standing with his chest crossed, stared at the map and said solemnly: "Darwin is dominated by low-rise bungalows, with more brick and concrete buildings and fewer reinforced concrete buildings, and the key is to seize those reinforced concrete buildings as support points. ”

"Let's cooperate with the naval artillery to raze this city, it's too troublesome to clear it a little bit." Lin Xunzhen suggested: "Once the neighborhood where the enemy is entrenched is marked, carry out heavy artillery bombardment. ”

When Zhou Changfeng heard this, he waved his hand and vetoed, "No, it's just nonsense, the worse it is fried, the harder it is." ”

The command ship Lu Xun was still in the personnel run-in period, and there was still half a month to complete the training when it was launched, and Zhou Changfeng didn't want to catch the ducks on the shelves, so he didn't bring them with him.

When the Battle of Darwin is over, the Luxun will be able to set sail to join the fleet, and then it will be able to test the actual combat effectiveness of the amphibious command ship when it lands in Moresby.

According to the operational plan drawn up, the 27th Infantry Division was responsible for the southern city and the 1st Marine Brigade was responsible for the northern district.

The north-south attack split the whole of Darwin in two, capturing important buildings as a base of advance, and severing the defenders from supporting each other.

"Once again, we should concentrate on the use of automatic weapons, make more and better use of flamethrowers and explosives, advance steadily, and remember that we cannot go deep alone, and no detachment can break away from more than 150 meters alone."

"Order!"

Zhou Changfeng nodded slightly and raised his left hand, "Yes." ”

【Schematic diagram of the dizzy action】

(End of chapter)