It's better to conquer them than to command the steel torrent

Chapter 248 | The Cicada Awaits
A large number of SB2U Defender dive bombers concentrated their attack on HMS Illustrious. The beautiful armored carrier was hit directly by four or five 500-pound aerial bombs, but the damage was negligible, leaving it with only smoke and no visible damage.

For modern aircraft, the 3-inch (76 mm) thick armored flight deck of the Illustrious is equivalent to a wall of sighs.

To breach its defenses, at least a 1000-pound (454-kilogram) heavy bomb would be needed, which is too heavy for the aircraft available at the beginning of the war.

Dive bombing has a high hit rate, but the terminal velocity is lower than that of free fall, because dive bombers try to maintain a constant speed during the dive phase.

The adjacent HMS Ark Royal did not attract any attacks; only a few American aircraft carried out the attack, causing the only effective and substantial damage in this wave of airstrikes.

The bridge of HMS Ark Royal was hit directly by an aerial bomb. The violent explosion caused 30 to 40 casualties. There was a quadruple slug gun in front of the bridge. The flying high-speed fragments turned the area into a bloodbath, and about 10 gun crew members were killed or wounded.

The U.S. military suffered heavy losses in this battle; less than one in ten of the torpedo bombers that went out to attack survived, while the dive bombers had a much higher survival rate. However, the results achieved were negligible.

The setback did not dampen the morale of the US task force. Neither fleet showed any intention of retreating, and they sailed towards each other, seemingly setting the stage for another large-scale naval battle that had not been seen for many years.

Unlike the original plane, since the Great Unified Federation did not participate in the naval treaty, the cruisers built by the Federation's defense navy do not have the distinction between 'light cruisers' and 'heavy cruisers'. The American Navy cannot match them, so the design can only be matched with the United Kingdom Royal Navy, and is more targeted.

Both cruiser formations simultaneously charged to the front.

The vanguard battle began at around 1 p.m. on August 27.

The so-called vanguard battle is a duel between the reconnaissance fleets of both sides, in order to expand one's own reconnaissance range, ascertain the general composition of the enemy, and destroy the enemy's reconnaissance fleet as much as possible.

During the European war, the vanguard battles were the highlight before the main fleet's decisive battle. However, nowadays, due to the presence of aircraft carriers, the vanguard battles have become perfunctory and half-hearted, and not exciting at all.

Despite heavy losses in the morning's attack, HMS Raider and HMS Yorktown managed to organize an attack, launching a fierce air assault on the Royal Navy's vanguard fleet.

The heavy cruiser USS Cumberland was severely damaged, and the light cruiser USS Orion was forced to abandon the ship after an hour of unsuccessful repairs.

The two sides fought fiercely in the vanguard battle, resulting in a 60/40 split. Their fighting spirit intensified, and the main fleet was already faintly visible on the distant horizon. The battleship duel was about to begin.

Ernest King is a classic example of a guy with a terrible personal life but a brilliant job. He's notorious for his drinking and womanizing, but when it comes to fighting, he truly deserves the praise of an omnipotent God.

Admiral Kim knew very well that his side was no match for the enemy. Naval battles—especially duels between battleships—were often extremely simple and brutal: the bigger the pipe, the stronger it was.

In a real battle, the enemy's two Lion-class battleships would be a nightmare for our side, with a top speed of 30 knots and devastating firepower from their triple-mounted 16-inch (406 mm) guns.

Before the North Carolina-class battleships entered service, all of the American Navy's battleships were slow-moving tortoises, putting them at a clear tactical disadvantage.

However, in order to win, we must fight even if we know we are no match.

The two sides opened fire one after the other at a distance of more than 20 kilometers. Heavy shells weighing 800 to 900 kilograms flew through the air for several tens of seconds before crashing into the sea, splashing up towering columns of water!

One battleship after another successfully achieved straddle firing. The saying goes, "Straddle firing relies on skill, hitting the target relies on luck." Achieving straddle firing meant the firing data was correct; continuing to fire increased the chance of a hit, but that depended on luck. The lucky one in the Battle of Halifax was the USS Colorado, which achieved the first hit at 16:22 PM. A 406mm armor-piercing shell struck the Lion's superstructure, sending countless fragments flying hundreds of meters away, killing or injuring dozens of people.

Five minutes later, HMS Rodney of the Royal Navy also successfully retaliated, hitting the aft deck of HMS Maryland with two consecutive shells. The powerful shockwave threw more than a dozen sailors into the sea...

The main fleets of both sides clashed fiercely on the blue sea!
Although the two sides fought fiercely at the beginning, the Royal Navy's superior quality gradually became apparent. HMS Lion and HMS Reckless fought with increasing ferocity, and the terrifying firepower of their triple-mounted large-caliber guns completely overwhelmed HMS Tennessee, whose superstructure was riddled with holes and filled with smoke.

The Americans seem to be in dire straits? Cunningham is hesitating whether to take the risk.

At 16:15 p.m., just as he was about to order the raising of the Z flag in imitation of Nelson's actions, the Hood's air defense observation post suddenly shouted a warning.

"Enemy aircraft! Enemy aircraft spotted at 130 degrees! Line of sight 16 degrees!"

Looking into the distance, one can see a large cluster of tiny black dots in the western sky, which are easily overlooked if one does not look closely.

What's going on? Southeast? That's deep in the Atlantic Ocean!

Cunningham immediately became alert.

Before he could give the order, several Tubular Swallows that were on standby took off immediately. Together with the six or seven Tubular Swallows that were already circling over the Royal Ark and the Illustrious, a total of eleven or twelve were assembled.

The British pilots seized the opportunity to climb and gain a favorable altitude, intending to use their energy (gravitational potential energy) advantage to intercept and disrupt the invading enemy.

This sudden formation of aircraft was the carrier air wing belonging to the USS Saratoga and USS Enterprise!

The 18th Task Force is divided into two groups. The 1st Task Group is currently engaged in a real battle, but what about the 2nd Task Group?
Compared to the 1st Task Force, which acted as bait, the 2nd Task Force was the one lurking in the shadows.

The 2nd Task Force, acting as a flank, sped eastward under the cover of night after leaving port, averaging 27 knots as it plunged hundreds of nautical miles into the Atlantic Ocean and disappeared into the deep sea.

Task Force 2 was a small force, consisting mainly of the USS Saratoga and USS Enterprise, as well as the heavy cruiser USS New Orleans (CA-32). The USS Lexington was not participating this time because it was still under repair after being damaged by a torpedo at Norfolk.

The American Navy has made great strides in aircraft carrier tactics, conducting a series of 'fleet problem' exercises during the interwar period and gradually developing its own unique aircraft carrier tactics.

A full-deck attack might seem like a reckless one-shot deal, but its power in actual combat is indeed not to be underestimated.

More than a dozen swift-nosed swallows swooped down at high speed to try to intercept them, but to little avail; instead, they were entangled by some agile wildcats.

These F4F Wildcat fighters came from VF-6 squadron, which belonged to the USS Enterprise. VF-6 was one of the first units to be equipped with the new carrier-based fighters and was very experienced.

If the water buffalo and the tube-nosed swallow were like two chickens pecking at each other, then the appearance of the wildcat was literally like a tabby cat sweeping through the chicken coop!

(End of this chapter)