Chapter 462: The British Bait
"Marshal, if we are going to attack with an aircraft carrier, it would be best to draw the German fleet away from the protective perimeter of their shore-based aircraft."
After determining the general policy of using aircraft carriers to attack the German fleet, the only remaining thing was for the Naval Operations Department to formulate a plan. Because of his valuable experience in Mediterranean operations, Lieutenant General Ted of the Air Force also rushed to the Navy Department on the afternoon of June 7 to participate in the formulation of the plan. The first suggestion he made was to avoid the protection of German shore-based aircraft. lock up.
"The Germans' new fighter jets (referring to the Fw-190) are very powerful when combined with the Fokker Zero, and there is no way to fight them with the Spitfire." Ted said, "But the range of the German new fighter jets is obviously It’s not as big as the Fokker Zero, and its combat radius is about 400-500 kilometers.”
"Then we need a bait to attract the German fleet," Second Sea Lord Lieutenant-Admiral Lister (the same Lister who commanded the British aircraft carrier in the Mediterranean) put his hands on the edge of the chart table and said thoughtfully, "The bait has to be big enough and fragrant enough, and I think the Hood is a very attractive bait."
"What? Hood?" Marshal Pound was startled by this suggestion. "That is the largest and fastest battlecruiser of the Royal Navy! If we lose the Hood, then the Royal Navy will have no way to deal with the German engagement-breaking battleships that have entered the Atlantic."
There are still many battleships and battlecruisers in the Royal Navy, but these battleships and battlecruisers, whether new or old, all run relatively slowly. 27 knots and 28 knots are considered fast. Only the Hood has a high speed of more than 30 knots. The three German battleships are conservatively estimated to have a high speed of more than 30 knots, especially the four battlecruisers (P-class) currently undergoing sea trials, which are estimated to have a maximum speed of about 33 knots!
Once they complete their sea trials, they will definitely break into the Atlantic to break diplomatic relations. If Britain does not have the Hood, it will be difficult to capture these four "battle cruisers" - although the United Kingdom can reduce Germany's risk to Britain and the United States by transiting in Iceland. route threat, but the UK also has routes to South Africa, India, Singapore and Australia.
These routes must be escorted by Britain itself. If a few German fast battle cruisers break into the South Atlantic and Indian Ocean, Britain will be in big trouble.
"It is precisely because the Hood is so important that we can use it as bait." Vice Admiral List shrugged and said, "Moreover, if the German fleet is safely transferred to the port of Brest, then we can block Gibraltar. The operation in the Straits will fail, and then we will not have to worry about breaking up the engagement.”
Marshal Pound's face became very solemn after hearing these words. He knew that Lister's analysis was very reasonable.
"So where should the Hood be located?" Marshal Pound asked.
Lieutenant General List replied: "Northwest of the Faroe Islands, 500 nautical miles away from Bergen."
500 nautical miles is almost 926 kilometers. Although the Fokker Zero, Ju88 and S.M.79 can still be obtained, they are close to the limit of combat radius. If you attack fixed targets such as airports and ports, it is not a big problem, but if you want to deal with fleets operating at sea, it is not enough. Because after the fleet flies over the target area, there is still a process of searching for the target. Moreover, fighter jets will also be deployed at airfields in the Faroe Islands and northern Scotland to cover the Hood formation.
"But there are also two aircraft carriers in the German fleet." Marshal Pound said, "There may be 60 carrier-based aircraft on them."
Admiral Ted interjected: "The German carrier-based dive bombers can only carry 250 kilograms of aerial bombs, and they do not have carrier-based torpedo bombers. Therefore, the German carrier-based aircraft force does not have sufficient anti-ship capabilities, and fleet air defense is the only is their main mission.”
"Well, let's make a suggestion to the Home Fleet to use the Hood to lure the enemy into a decisive battle with the aircraft carrier." Marshal Pound pondered for a moment, "However, shore-based aircraft cannot be idle. Shore-based aircraft should be used to fully weaken the German High Seas Fleet. , and then dispatch the aircraft carrier to annihilate them in one fell swoop!”
The Home Fleet Command on the Home Fleet flagship "Nelson" battleship in the Firth of Clyde (on the western coast of Scotland) immediately began to adjust its deployment after receiving the order from Marshal Pound. Although it suffered a disastrous defeat in the Mediterranean, today's British Royal Navy is still a powerful navy that cannot be underestimated.
The main force of the Royal Navy is the powerful Home Fleet. In June 1941, the Home Fleet had three battlecruisers, including HMS Hood, HMS Reputation, and HMS Counterattack, HMS Nelson, and HMS George V. 9 ships including HMS King of the World, HMS Prince of Wales, HMS Queen Elizabeth, HMS Warspite, HMS Barham, HMS Warrior, HMS Malaya and HMS Ramillies Battleship.
In addition, the Home Fleet also includes "Ark Royal", "Bearne", "Formidable", "Victory", "Indomitable", "Revenge", "Audacious" and "Pretorius" Asia" and other 8 aircraft carriers. The strength is still very strong!
However, not all of these 3 battle cruisers, 9 battle lines, and 8 aircraft carriers are staying in the Firth of Clyde.
Among them, five of the "Queen Elizabeth" class, as well as four escort carriers such as "Béarn", "Revenge", "Audacious" and "Pretoria" are not very powerful (Béarn It is not an escort aircraft carrier, but its combat effectiveness is similar) and some other cruisers and destroyers, forming the H fleet.
Fleet H is now covering a landing force to attack the Canary Islands of Spain, and is also responsible for supporting the defense of the Gibraltar Fortress.
The remaining main force of the Home Fleet. Now it is divided into Fleet A, Fleet B and Fleet C. Fleet A includes two battleships, the "Nelson" and the "Ramillies" (the last Revenge-class), which continue to stay in the Firth of Clyde. Fleet B includes the "Hood" and the "Prince of Wales", commanded by Vice Admiral Lancelot Holland, as a decoy fleet, heading to the northwest waters of the Faroe Islands.
Fleet C is the main force of the Home Fleet, including the "King George V", "Reputation", "Repulse" and four fleet carriers "Royal Ark", "Formidable", "Victory" and "Indomitable". Fleet C is commanded by Vice Admiral Somerville and cruises in the waters near Iceland, looking for opportunities to annihilate the main force of the German High Seas Fleet!
Just as the actions of the German High Seas Fleet did not go unnoticed by the British, the dispatch of the British Fleet B and Fleet C was also discovered by German submarines lying in wait in the North Channel (between Scotland and Ireland, where Fleet B entered the Atlantic Ocean) and near the Strait of St. George (between Wales and Ireland, where Fleet C left).
After learning that the British Home Fleet had almost been dispatched in full force, Admiral Raeder, who was at the Kiel Naval Headquarters, immediately summoned Hans Jeschonneck, Wolfgang von Richthofen and Admiral Otto Schneewind, Chief of the Naval Staff, to discuss countermeasures.
"The British that went south through the Strait of St. George are the main force of the Home Fleet," said Otto Schneewind. "They entered the Celtic Sea through the strait this evening, and they must have wanted to use the cover of night to avoid our planes in Brest."
The port of Brest, located on the Brittany Peninsula, is now an important base for the German Air Force and Naval Aviation. More than 700 combat aircraft of various types are deployed there, including the terrifying Ju88, S.M.79, Fokker Zero and Fw-190, as well as many He-115 seaplanes and Fw-200C that can be used for reconnaissance and attacking escort fleets. If the British C Fleet is "caught" by them during the day, there is no need to set up an ambush, as they will be blown up directly. Therefore, the British fleet usually uses the evening to pass through the Strait of St. George under the cover of fighter jets taking off from the home airport (this strait is the focus of German submarine minelaying, and it is very unsafe to pass through at night), and then disappears into the vast Atlantic Ocean through the Celtic Sea after nightfall.
"After dark, there will be several Fw200Cs to search. If they can be found, fighter planes can be dispatched to bomb them early tomorrow morning." General Hans Jeschonneck lit a cigarette, took a few puffs and said to Raeder.
Now the FuG200 radar system has been installed on the Fw200C, so it can go out at night to search for the British fleet at sea. If the opponent can be found, just follow behind, and when it gets light, the planes from Brest can bomb them. Because in one night, even if the British fleet sails at a speed of 20-25 knots, it can only run 200-250 nautical miles in the direction of the Atlantic at most, and the planes departing from Brest can always bomb them once or twice.
However, the performance of radars in this era was not very good, and there were no early warning aircraft like the ones in later generations that seemed to be carrying a pot lid. Under normal circumstances, airborne radars can only search a small fan-shaped area directly in front. Therefore, there is no guarantee that the British fleet will be found.
"In addition," Otto Schniewind added, "we have a number of submarines equipped with radar in the Atlantic waters near Ireland, which can also be used to search for the British fleet."
Raeder nodded and asked, "Can you confirm what types of ships this British fleet heading south has?"
Otto Schniewind shook his head. "Because it is dark and far away, it is impossible to confirm, but it is certain that there are at least 3 battleships and 2 aircraft carriers."
Raeder crossed his arms and thought for a while, muttering to himself, "I don't know where this fleet is going? Is it going south to reinforce Gibraltar, or north to reinforce the Shetland Islands?"