Chapter 732 Outpost Battle-Fatal Distance

The weapons of Nazi Germany that the generals of the British and American navies are most worried about now are not the huge Hindenburg-class battleships, nor the Zeppelin-class aircraft carriers that can carry 80-100 aircraft (different ways of accommodation and different numbers of aircraft), nor the elusive wolf packs in the water.

Rather, they are remote-controlled guided weapons! Including Fritz-X remote-controlled gliding bombs, Hs-293 ​​remote-controlled gliding bombs and V3 remote-controlled guided missiles.

These remote-controlled guided weapons are either mounted on aircraft or installed on surface ships. They can carry out precise and fatal strikes on British and American ships in combat, while keeping the aircraft or ships carrying such weapons at a relatively safe distance. It is simply a happy killing and arson, but there is no danger to itself, which makes the fighters of the free world feel extremely frightened.

While being frightened, the Americans also began to work on copying radio-guided bombs. Starting in April 1942, the Americans began to develop a guided bomb code-named VB. Before starting to copycat, American technical experts first conducted a comprehensive test on the German remote-controlled gliding bombs picked up from the battlefield. During the test, they found that the radio remote control device used by the German remote-controlled gliding bombs has an effective distance of 20,000 meters. After 20,000 meters, the signal will become very weak, and it is difficult to effectively control the gliding bomb. In fact, it is not that the Germans cannot make better radio signal transceivers, but it is difficult for operators to see the target clearly at too far a distance.

So 20,000 meters became the upper limit of the use distance of the German radio-controlled weapons. Beyond 20,000 meters is a safe distance relative to radio-controlled weapons, which is about 21,970 yards when converted into the British system (Americans usually use the British system). The US Navy Operations Department added a little insurance factor to make up 22,000 yards - when battleships/battlecruisers and aircraft carriers are engaged, they should try to keep the distance from enemy aircraft and ships at 22,000 yards.

German aircraft cannot be stopped, and the US anti-aircraft guns cannot reach 22,000 yards at all. But it is easy to maintain the distance from the enemy ships on the opposite side. Even if you can't stop the enemy from approaching, you can still run! Maintaining a 22,000-yard engagement distance is not a difficult task for British, American, and Soviet battleships and battlecruisers.

As for heavy cruisers and large light cruisers (more than 10,000 tons), the safety distance requirement is slightly relaxed and set at 20,000 yards. This is not difficult for heavy cruisers with 203mm caliber main guns.

Therefore, the two British and American cruiser formation commanders who were ordered to open the way for the two battleship/battlecruiser divisions, Rear Admiral Wright of the United States and Rear Admiral Burnett of the United Kingdom, were very careful to keep their fleets out of the dangerous distance that was vulnerable to V3 remote-controlled missiles.

At 18:10 on December 9, the radar on the flagship Chester heavy cruiser of Rear Admiral Wright, commander of the 1st Advance Squadron of the Allied Combined Fleet, first discovered the enemy fleet.

"Commander, target found, distance 30,000 yards (27,400 meters), bearing 353 degrees, number more than 10 ships, speed about 25 knots!" The radar officer on the Chester reported loudly.

"Can you determine the type of ship?" Rear Admiral Wright asked.

"Not a large ship," the radar officer replied. "Maybe a destroyer."

It is difficult to distinguish the type of ship through radar signals, but as long as the opponent does not take any interference and camouflage means, the current US ship-borne radar still has a certain chance to distinguish the size of the enemy ship.

"What direction are they sailing?"

"Southwest, as if they are parallel to us."

"It seems that they know our position." Colonel Cohen, the captain of the Chester heavy cruiser and also the chief of staff of the squadron, said.

"That's for sure, there are their reconnaissance planes in the sky, and there may be German submarines in the water." Rear Admiral Wright was not nervous. It was now the "Ice Sea Night". It was already pitch black after 6 o'clock in the evening, and the aircraft could not drop remote-controlled glide bombs at all.

"If they want to attack, let's fight them!" Rear Admiral Wright thought for a moment and ordered, "Form a bombardment formation now, the order is Chester (heavy cruiser), Louisville (heavy cruiser), Augusta (heavy cruiser), San Francisco (heavy cruiser), Red Caucasus (Soviet heavy cruiser), Kirov (Soviet heavy cruiser), let the 1st Destroyer Squadron (consisting of the 10,000-ton light cruiser Atlanta and 6 destroyers) cover our right side.

Then send a telegram to the Soviet Union and the flagship Shropshire of the 2nd Vanguard Squadron to inform them of our situation."

The 2nd Vanguard Squadron is 15 nautical miles south of the 1st Vanguard Squadron. This squadron is also composed of 6 heavy cruisers, 1 10,000-ton light cruiser and 6 destroyers. The missions of the two vanguard squadrons are the same, which is to search the battlefield and drive away the enemy's light ships to prevent them from launching torpedoes and missiles when the battleships are fighting.

Less than a minute after the telegram was sent, the radar officer of the heavy cruiser Chester reported again: "Sir, another group of enemy ships has been found! There are more than 10 ships, the distance is 29,000 yards, and the bearing is 100 degrees."

Another formation?

"Can you confirm the type of ship?" Rear Admiral Wright asked.

"It's also a small ship."

More than 20 small ships? What are they doing?

"Commander, the enemy fleet in front of our right seems to be a bit slow, less than 15 knots."

At this time, the radar officer of the Chester reported another situation. The speeds of the two enemy fleets heading towards the 1st Advance Fleet were actually different. The formation on the left had a high speed of 25 knots, while the formation on the right had only 15 knots.

What was going on?

Rear Admiral Wright and Colonel Cohen looked at each other, both confused.

"Commander, the enemy fleet on our right turned right!" After a while, the radar officer of the Chester reported the situation again.

"How many degrees did it turn?" Rear Admiral Wright asked.

"100... seems to be 120 degrees." The radar officer hesitated for a moment, "They seem to be trying to grab the T-head position!"

T-head?

"Are they heavy cruisers?" Rear Admiral Wright asked hurriedly, "Can you tell them on the radar?"

"It shouldn't be a heavy cruiser, not that big... at most a destroyer."

"What's the distance?"

"26,000 yards."

"Fire a few flares to see the situation." Rear Admiral Wright ordered the firing of flares.

Chief of Staff Colonel Cohen asked: "Did you fire flares at both enemy fleets?"

"Yes! Let's see what kind of ships they are?"

The secondary guns of the heavy cruiser Chester quickly fired several flares, and then the observation post reported the results of the observation.

"Commander, the enemy ships are all small boats of about 1,000 tons."

Around 1,000 tons? This is a torpedo boat (torpedo boat)! The Germans are going to fire torpedoes?

"What is the distance now?" Rear Admiral Wright asked.

"23,000 yards."

How could it be possible to hit it from such a distance? Rear Admiral Wright and Colonel Cohen looked at each other, and there was more confusion on their faces.

"Commander, a safe distance of 20,000 yards must be maintained." Colonel Cohen seemed to have thought of something. "These torpedo boats may be equipped with remote-controlled missiles!"

It must be like this!

Rear Admiral Wright nodded and ordered: "Prepare to turn right, and at the same time order all ships to fire freely, and make sure to stop the enemy ship at 20,000... no, 22,000 yards."

As soon as he finished speaking, the radar officer shouted again: "Commander, another target is found, 29,000 yards away, 60 degrees... This seems to be a relatively large ship."

"Is it a heavy cruiser or a battleship?"

"It doesn't seem that big, probably a light cruiser or a large destroyer."

Rear Admiral Wright shook his head and glanced at Colonel Cohen beside him, "Colonel, what do you think the Germans want to do?"

...

"Colonel, the golden comb formation has been completed!"

In the bridge of the SP-class reconnaissance cruiser Lviv, which was just discovered by the radar of the Chester, Colonel Rosinger, commander of the 1st Torpedo Squadron of the European Combined Fleet, had just received a report from the chief of staff.

The 15 "Beast"-class torpedo ships and 15 T-type torpedo ships under his command have formed the so-called "golden comb formation" on the sea.

This formation was learned from the naval aviation, and it was a tactic used by the naval aviation to attack the British convoy. Two groups of torpedo bombers launched torpedo attacks on the enemy fleet at a 90-degree angle. The torpedoes dropped by the two groups of torpedo bombers formed a comb-like track in the water, and formed a 90-degree angle, making it difficult to avoid the target even after turning.

This tactic caused great suffering to the British convoy in 1941, and lost two or three hundred ships.

However, the German submarines and surface ships had never used the golden comb tactics, so Major General Wright and Colonel Cohen did not understand the German intentions for a while.

And they didn't know that Germany already had a spear torpedo with a range of more than 20,000 meters-although the RB's Type 93 torpedo was very powerful, the Germans had never used this long-range torpedo in the Atlantic, as if they were only fond of guided weapons.

"Order the reconnaissance plane to drop flares, and the torpedo boats to prepare to launch torpedoes!" Colonel Rosinger made a prompt decision and issued an order, "Shoot all the torpedoes at once, and then disperse and retreat."

The "Beast Class" and T-Class torpedo boats participating in the battle today are not large in tonnage, and the T-93 torpedoes they carry are also very limited, both of which are two twin-tube launchers. And there is no spare ammunition - T-93 torpedoes are very dangerous weapons, and it is very troublesome to launch them, and oxygen must be added temporarily. So don't consider multiple reloading, just shoot them all at once.

So 30 torpedo boats launched 120 very deadly 610mm caliber T-93 torpedoes at a time!