Chapter 636 Long Road 6

Morning, 7 o'clock.

On April 10, Minikoi Island is 40 nautical miles southwest of the Eight-degree Strait.

The majestic bow was pointing to the east, standing on the deck, and the fiery red sun slowly rose along the muzzle, as if there was a shell outside the sky that was burning into a fire.

In the tern of the light cruiser Xiangjiang, the 15-meter-long seaplane arm rotated to the right, and a osprey engine that stayed on it began to roar. In the light curtain of the propeller, the pilot in the cockpit raised his thumbs to the deck.

The insurance was unlocked, and the compressed air bucket under the spiral arm expanded sharply. Then the pilot seemed to feel that he had been kicked in the buttocks and was suddenly ejected with his beloved fighter.

No one likes this feeling, but this is the only way for the fighter to take off in a short distance. When the plane rushed out of the deck, it rushed to the sea as if it had fallen. When it was about to touch the water, the nose finally pulled up slowly. After hovering over the fleet, the war eagle roared to the east. Rush to the north.

In the bridge of the flagship Sichuan, Ye Zukui looked up at the nautical clock on the wall. It has been 37 hours since he found that the Campbell Fleet moved here. According to the report of the Golden Eagle, the Campbell Fleet has accelerated to 20 knots again since yesterday afternoon, and several cruisers have been sent out, so you can see He has found something wrong, so he hopes to find out the truth about Colombo as soon as possible.

All I have to do now is to pester him here for at least 3 hours.

4 Hebei-class battleships, 2 light cruisers and 6 destroyers, the mission is not easy.

The Queen Elizabeth-class battleships Malaya, the American battleships Pennsylvania, Arizona, and the American heavy cruisers Northampton and Chester are all big guys with four double 381mm/L45 heavy guns.

The battleship Ireland, which was forcibly snatched from the Ottomans, has five double 343mm/L45 heavy guns, two French Brittany-class battleships, Brittany and Provence, and also have five double 340mm/L45 guns, plus a total of three Nelson-class guns. Five double 305mm naval guns.

The total number of heavy naval guns is 100: 48.

If it weren't for the procrastination, I would definitely turn around and run away. Maybe it doesn't seem like his temper, but it's pointless that fools won't do such a thing.

Of course, I am not passively beaten. The L50/356mm naval gun is the first generation of naval gun with electroslag refining and internal chrome plating technology, with a maximum range of 32,000 meters. At present, all the high-explosive bombs on the four ships have been exhausted, and the remaining 70 680 kg heavy armor-piercing shells are left. Although the muzz speed of the shells after using heavy shells will be lower than that of British and American guns of the same caliber, the killing is indeed real.

According to the test, 254mm armor can be penetrated within 25,000 meters, and even 17,000 meters can even break through the armor of the same naval gun.

The most important thing is that as the fire control methods such as naval surveillance of various countries begin to be gradually improved, the distance between naval battles is getting farther and farther and farther. In this way, horizontal armor will be tested. That is to say, at a distance of 25,000 meters, no one can stop except the new ships being built by countries around the world and the active Guam class. Live!

"Report, the reconnaissance aircraft found four British cruisers at a distance of 35 nautical miles and a speed of 23 knots, which are expected to contact in half an hour."

"20 knots, 15 degrees left, let the light patrol turn on the radar, inform the Colombo Marines to evacuate immediately, and all the patrols leave!" Ye Zukui glanced at the deck, and the sailors had begun to enter the battle position one after another. The two main turrets in front of him first began to rotate left and right to detect the servo. I don't know if Campbell would regret it when he faced his gun.

While Ye Zuyu sneered, Campbell looked at the three distress telegrams on the table and did regret it.

The first letter was received at the time of departure, the second letter was received yesterday morning, and the third letter was just received. Although the content is roughly the same, it is the news of Colombo's urgent request for help, but the information revealed is different.

The first telegram showed hundreds of aircraft and battleship heavy artillery, and the second one also had aircraft and heavy artillery, but now this envelope has become only a 152mm naval gun. The most important thing is that the opposing army did not continue to advance in depth after occupying several important towns next to the port!!

What does this mean?

It shows that the other party is likely to use thousands of soldiers on the five transport ships that accompanied the departure to carry out a fein. Due to the fierce artillery fire and a large number of aircraft, the garrison asked for help from itself without clear distinction.

If the judgment is correct, the enemy's mothership and transport ship may have left yesterday. At their speed, they may have now passed through the Eighth Strait and entered the Arabian Sea.

Now you have two ways to turn around and chase immediately, or continue to go south.

What should I do?

Just as Campbell hesitated, a shout suddenly shattered his thoughts.

"Enemy aircraft!"

In the sun, a seaplane suddenly emerged from the clouds. The two seaplane motherships in the formation were in a mess. Several Short 184s were urgently put on the sea. Before they took off to meet them, two consecutive telegrams brought by the communications officer made him suddenly fall into a chair.

Four forward cruisers were intercepted by the enemy's four Hebei-class battleships, and the enemy fleet in the port of Colombo began to leave!

Suddenly, Campbell's face turned a little pale. He looked at it again and again with his watch. He spent 37 hours and wasted 37 hours by himself! But can this be blamed on him? The investigation force is seriously insufficient, the lack of aviation advantage, and Colombo is too important. I'm afraid that any naval officer will go to the rescue when he receives a telegram for help and the news of a large-scale landing, even if it is a trap.

He can imagine that when the news comes back to China, his position as a fleet commander will definitely come to an end.

What's more serious is that he can't leave now. The speed of the ships in the fleet is not average, and the two fastest American heavy patrols in the capital ships are only 23 knots. If they turn around, the other party's four Hebei-class battleships faster than themselves can easily catch up and break them, so they must repel the other party first.

Fortunately, the aircraft carrier that worries him most should not be nearby. If there are only four Hebei-class battleships, he will not lose this battle, so since it is temporarily impossible to make up for it, it is better to take the opportunity to destroy these four battleships and lay the foundation for the future decisive battle!

Thinking of this, Campbell immediately reorganized the fleet. Five battleships with 15-inch guns were the first team, Ireland, Brittany and Provence were the second team, and three Nelson-class battleships were the third team. At the same time, the 12 fastest cruisers were ordered to immediately pursue west.

At 9 o'clock sharp, when thick smoke rose on the sea in the distance, the main force of the Indian Grand Fleet completed the reorganization.

"Report, reconnaissance aircraft report, the enemy has changed its formation."

The staff immediately marked Campbell's new formation. From the perspective of the first battleship formation, the Indian fleet has become a character shape. Five 381mm capital ships are on the front, three better battleships equipped with 340mm guns are on the left, and three weaker Nelson-class are on the right near the Indian coast.

"Would you like to surround?!" Ye Zukui looked at the two protruding wings and smiled coldly: "Campbell will continue to regret it!"

"Left full rudder."

In the shouting, the bows of the four Hebei-class battleships began to quickly lean to the west. This action was also quickly caught by Campbell, and immediately ordered the second team to deflect at the same time and not to be occupied the T position.

In the distance, six destroyers led by two Yangtze-class light patrols have exchanged fire with the British cruiser formation. The fierce artillery shuttled between the two, and fires kept blowing up from both sides.

Compared with the battle of the light patrol, the battle of the capital ship is very slow. Because Campbell did not order to take the initiative to close the distance, Ye Zukui decided to turn away.

"26,000 meters!"

At 9:45, when the captain reported this number, the Sichuan unexpectedly played a series of flags.

"Login has begun!"

This flag made Campbell's chest hit like something. There is no doubt that the opponent was deliberately humiliating himself, and some officers who knew the inside story were also very pale. Looking at the two small flags constantly waving, they wish they could go up and grab the signal soldier and kick him a few times.

"The second team, get closer."

Before Campbell's order was finished, the fire suddenly exploded in the distant sea made him suddenly open his mouth. Are you crazy? Fire at 25,000 meters? Are they too many shells?!

Like all Xinhua battleship commanders, Ye Zukui also chose to collect fire when facing a superior number of enemies!

This time he chose the battleship Ireland.

Ireland was originally the Rissadih built by the United Kingdom for Ottoman Turkey. Like all British export warships, it is heavy on attack and light on protection. This idea is actually very simple, that is, in case of becoming an enemy in the future, it must ensure that the British naval gun can be penetrated.

Under the care of 48 L50/356mm heavy guns, a water wall seemed to be erected in front of the Ireland. Waves of waves from the explosion invaded the left side of the ship. The grumpy and impulsive captain Brigadier General Cotter asked the distance over and over again.

When the two French Brittany-class battleships behind him fired back one after another, he felt that he was going to explode, because the Ireland was not equipped with a ladder-type centralized fire control system at all, so it had to be close to 20 million meters!

"Damn it, 30 degrees left, we."

Before Brigadier General Cotter's order was finished, the staff immediately reminded him: "Captain, we can't leave the front line!"

The battle line is the lifeline of battleships. As a team flagship, it must not leave unless necessary, because it will bring the rear warships into danger.

If you don't get closer, you can only be passively beaten!

Before Brigadier General Cotter continued to shout, a few harsh roars above his head made his face change greatly. He turned his head and saw that several columns of water had appeared on the right side of the ship.

"25,000 meters?! Is it possible to make a cross shot?

At the same time, Lieutenant General Campbell's face also changed, which means that the other party has completed the aiming and positioning, perhaps the next round.

"Boom!"

(to be continued)