Chapter 1092 Missiles in the Atlantic Ocean 5

"There are at least 9 large fleet aircraft carriers, 9 super battleships, and an unknown number of Independence-class light aircraft carriers and escort aircraft carriers. In addition, there are at least thousands of various shore-based aircraft in the Windward Islands, the North Wind Islands, Puerto Rico and Trinidad... At least on paper, the Americans have an overwhelming advantage!"

Marshal Raeder looked at the report of the 10th Submarine Group just forwarded by the Atlantic Front Command, and his face became extremely serious-U-2511 under the 10th Submarine Group used a periscope to discover 8 large fleet aircraft carriers under the escort of dozens of destroyers three hours ago, entering the western entrance of the Panama Canal. If another large aircraft carrier that passed through the canal before is counted (Enterprise), the number of large fleet aircraft carriers of the US military in the Atlantic has reached at least 9.

The European Combined Fleet currently has only 5 large fleet aircraft carriers in the Atlantic, including Zeppelin, Peter Strasser, Prussia, Bohemia and Austria.

In terms of super battleships, the Americans have at least 9 in the Atlantic, while the European Combined Fleet has 10 (2 Hindenburg-class, 2 Bismarck-class, 3 Richelieu-class and 3 Veneto-class), but these battleships are not as good as the 4 Iowa-class battleships of the United States in terms of firepower and protection, so they have no advantage in the battleship decisive battle.

In addition, because the Atlantic waters near Guyana are close to the islands where the US military has heavily deployed troops, the US military also has an overwhelming advantage in the number of shore-based aircraft.

"Without the overwhelming advantage on paper, how dare the Americans fight us?" With the support of missiles and atomic bombs, Hessman was very confident and laughed: "In my opinion, we still have to give them a little more chance of winning! Let the 30th and 31st Task Forces go directly to the waters near Georgetown to obtain it."

As soon as he said this, Raeder and the Chief of Naval Staff Messer were both shocked. Raeder looked at the situation map of the Atlantic battlefield and took a deep breath: "Use the 5 aircraft carriers, 6 battleships, and 2 missile ships of the 2nd Fleet to fight against almost the entire US Navy, if..."

"No ifs!"

Before Raeder finished speaking, Hersman had already interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "Marshal, after we have TV-guided remote-controlled missiles, the American battleships and aircraft carriers are obsolete. So the 20th and 21st Task Forces already have enough power to destroy the main force of the US Navy. The problem now is how to lead the main force of the US Navy outside their shore-based aircraft protection circle, or to the edge of the shore-based aircraft protection circle."

Although the 20th Task Force has only 2 missile ships and can only launch 40 Reaper 2 anti-ship missiles at a time (with 40 spare missiles), this 2.5-ton giant missile is very powerful. Even if an "Iowa" class battleship is hit by one, it will at least be severely damaged.

As long as 25% of the 40 missiles fired at a time hit, the nine American super battleships can be hit by one missile on average, which is enough for them to go into dock for repairs for several months... If the other six battleships of the 20th Task Force did not kill them all!

So Hessman was not worried about not being able to win the battle. What he was worried about now was that there was no way to lure out the American fleet.

"Marshal, where should we fight the Americans?" When Hessman asked the question, his eyes were fixed on the Bermuda Islands, which is located in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, more than a thousand kilometers away from the east coast of the United States.

"In the Bermuda Islands!"

Marshal Raeder really read out the name of the Bermuda Islands. In the entire Atlantic Ocean, the only place where the fleets of the United States and Europe could fight was probably the waters near the Bermuda Islands.

Because the Bermuda Islands are neither far nor close to the US mainland, just over a thousand kilometers away, the combat radius of the P51 and P47 deployed on the east coast of the United States can barely reach it, but it is impossible to carry bombs and attack, so the threat to the surface ships of the European Community is limited.

As for the heavy bombers such as the US B-17, B-24 and B-29, although the range is sufficient, because there are no missiles available and they cannot dive bomb, the threat to surface ships is also limited.

The land area of ​​the Bermuda Islands is very small, only a few dozen square kilometers, and it is composed of seven main islands and more than 150 small islands and reefs. The land that can be used to build airports is very limited, and there is no defensive depth, which can't withstand the close bombardment of battleships.

Therefore, the number of fighters deployed by the US military on the Bermuda Islands is also limited, but only about 200, including a large number of seaplanes and heavy aircraft converted into reconnaissance aircraft, and their own defense capabilities are not strong.

In addition, the distance between this archipelago and the German-controlled Azores is more than 3,000 kilometers, and the distance to Guyana is also close to 3,000 kilometers. Basically, it is beyond the combat radius of the Me264, so the Americans do not have to worry about being attacked by German aircraft equipped with remote-controlled missiles.

And because the Bermuda Islands are too close to the US mainland, once they are captured by the Germans as a base for the Me264, all major cities on the east coast of the United States will be under the threat of atomic bombs.

Therefore, the Bermuda Islands are a place that the United States must defend and dare to fight a decisive battle!

…

"Admiral, the 56.4, 56.5, 56.6 and 56.7 aircraft carrier groups commanded by Vice Admiral Fletcher have all safely passed through the Panama Canal. According to the order of the Pacific-Atlantic Fleet Command, these four aircraft carrier groups will join the 30th Task Force, and Vice Admiral Mitchell will serve as the commander of the 30th Task Force."

On the morning of August 28, Eastern Time, Admiral Halsey, who was on the battleship "Iowa", received news that eight "Essex-class" aircraft carriers had arrived in the Caribbean.

After listening to the staff report, he turned his head and exchanged glances with the chief of staff, Lieutenant General Callahan. Callahan said: "Sir, the 30th Task Force now has 9 large aircraft carriers. When they are replenished, the number of their regular carrier-based aircraft will exceed 700! I think we can deploy them between the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico."

"Put them between the Leeward Islands and Puerto Rico?" Halsey frowned, "Is it to attack the Azores?"

Callahan thought for a while and said: "The waters near Guyana do not need 9 aircraft carriers. Our more than 3,000 shore-based aircraft on Trinidad Island are equivalent to 50 aircraft carriers. So the 30th Task Force should be used If the German Grand Fleet is to be mobilized or pursued, then the best target is the Azores... If the German Grand Fleet wins the sea and air operations near Guyana, then the 30th Task Force's attack on the Azores will help us keep Georgetown.

If the German Grand Fleet fails near Guyana, then the 30th Task Force's air strikes on the Azores can prevent them from retreating to Europe and create favorable conditions for the final decisive battle of the surface fleet. "

Although the area of ​​the Azores is much larger than that of the Bermuda Islands, with more than 2,000 square kilometers, it plays a similar role to the Bermuda Islands, and is the outpost of the European Community in the North Atlantic.

According to intelligence obtained by the United States, there are about 300 combat aircraft deployed on the Azores, including Ju288 medium bombers and Me410B-5 fighter-bombers that can carry Hs-293 ​​series remote-controlled missiles and Fritz-X series remote-controlled glide bombs (the penetration capability of this aircraft is far greater than that of Ju288, but the maximum range is less than 30% of that of Ju288), as well as He219 that can escort Ju288 and Me410B-5, and Fw-190 series and Fokker Zero D series fighters that can be used to protect the islands.

In addition, a squadron of Bv138 seaplanes was also deployed in the Azores, responsible for patrolling between Iceland and the Cape Verde Islands (a flight squadron equipped with Bv138 seaplanes was deployed in Iceland, and a squadron equipped with Bv138 seaplanes was deployed in the Cape Verde Islands). It not only blocked the passage of the US fleet to Europe and North Africa, but also caused heavy losses to US submarines that tried to enter the European and North African waters for commerce-breaking warfare.

In addition, the port of Heroes in the Azores is also the home port of the 4th Fleet of the European Community Combined Fleet (responsible for defending the North Atlantic).

Although the 4th Fleet is not the main force of the European Combined Fleet, but only a garrison fleet, it also has two aircraft carrier squadrons with "Kesselring" class aircraft carriers as the core and two anti-submarine squadrons with escort aircraft carriers as the core. When necessary, these four squadrons with aircraft carriers can also form a medium-sized aircraft carrier task force to participate in the fleet decisive battle.

If the four task forces departing from Brest and Gibraltar were defeated by the US Navy in the waters near Guyana, as long as they could retreat to the vicinity of the Azores, they could get support from the shore-based aircraft and four aircraft carriers there, and it would not be difficult to withdraw to the European continent smoothly.

So just as the Americans must defend the Bermuda Islands, the European Community now also regards the Azores as a place that must be defended.

Halsey nodded in agreement and was about to give an order when a fleet staff handed Callaghan two telegram copies. Callaghan took it and looked down, then suddenly frowned and said, "The submarine responsible for monitoring the port of Angra de Heroes lost contact two hours ago. The last telegram before the loss of contact reported that two German aircraft carriers of the 'Kesselring' class left the port of Angra de Heroes. In addition, the submarine monitoring the Grand Port of the Cape Verde Islands (located on St. Vincent Island) also reported that two 'Kesselring' class aircraft carriers left the port an hour and a half ago!"