HCB Chapter 55: Fuso-class battleships removed from the list, annihilating the Fuso attacking fleet
Chapter 55: Fuso-class battleships removed from the list, annihilating the Fuso attacking fleet
The TBM-3 torpedo bomber is the most advanced improved model of the TBF Avenger torpedo bomber. It has greater horsepower, longer range, and can also carry auxiliary fuel tanks or rockets.
However, during World War II, American torpedoes were generally unreliable, even their newly improved MK13 aviation torpedo.
Therefore, when choosing aviation torpedoes, Jiang Hua was not limited to American models, but selected many models.
Among them, one torpedo was successfully selected and became the main aviation torpedo used by the Restoration Army Navy in the future.
This thing is actually the Japanese air torpedo, also known as the Type 91 aerial torpedo.
It was also one of the few weapons the Japanese could use during World War II.
The early models of the Type 91 oxygen torpedo were not reliable, so the Type 4 was used.
The main thing is that the power of the warhead has been enhanced, so the weight has increased from 923 kilograms to 300 kilograms. The warhead weighs more than kilograms, which also greatly increases the power of this Type torpedo.
However, there are some restrictions on launching this Type 91 Kai 4 aerial torpedo.
For example, the speed cannot exceed 240 kilometers per hour and the height cannot exceed 200 meters.
But this torpedo is extremely fast, with a maximum speed of 42 knots and a range of 2000 meters.
Basically, if it is dropped within a range of 1000 meters, it is almost impossible to avoid the attack of this torpedo.
Fuso became the target of concentrated fire from the TBM Avenger torpedo squadron.
Immediately, a formation of three TBM torpedo planes entered the attack route.
The Fuso was in ruins, with bullet holes and blackened armor everywhere. Thick smoke was still billowing from the interior of the cabin, and the damage control team was overwhelmed.
In addition, the anti-aircraft guns on the ship were destroyed, so they had no way of taking care of the three incoming Avenger torpedo planes.
"put!"
When the distance was within 1000 meters, three Avenger torpedo planes flying in parallel at an altitude of about 150 meters dropped torpedoes almost simultaneously.
After the Type 6 torpedo entered the water, it quickly rose to a height of about meters above the water surface under the action of the depth-setting device.
The draft of the Fuso battleship is 8.6 meters, so a depth of 6 meters is just right.
With the powerful output of the 140-horsepower engine, the Type 40 torpedo accelerated very quickly, and soon the speed was increased to 74 knots, or kilometers per hour.
"Torpedoes, three torpedoes spotted on the port side, they're going too fast!"
"It's over!"
Rear Admiral Takizo Kojima knew that the battleship Fuso was doomed.
At this moment, the rudder of the Fuso was blown up and it was unable to maneuver at all, and could only move forward at a speed of 16 knots per hour.
There is no way to avoid the incoming torpedoes.
So they could only watch as the Fuso battleship was hit by three torpedoes on its port side.
“Boom…Boom…Boom…”
Accompanied by a deafening roar, three water columns shot up into the sky.
Such a violent explosion caused the Fuso battleship to shake violently.
As the water column fell, three large holes were torn in the port side torpedo belt of the Fuso battleship, and seawater rushed back through the holes frantically.
Flames also burst out from the cabin, and thick smoke rose into the sky.
As a battleship built during the last world war, it is nearly twenty years old and its protection system is outdated.
A battleship weighing more than 737 tons has only 574 watertight compartments, of which only are underwater.
Moreover, the design of this Fuso-class battleship was very risky from the beginning.
At that time, the middle section of the ship adopted a high-risk layout of ammunition depot-boiler-ammunition depot-boiler.
Once the middle boiler room is destroyed and high temperature pours out, it is almost inevitable that the ammunition depot will explode.
Now the battleship Fuso is experiencing the consequences of this high-risk layout.
Among them, a Type 91 aerial torpedo penetrated the anti-torpedo belt armor and rushed straight into the boiler room in the middle section.
Accompanied by a huge explosion, the entire boiler room, including equipment and people, was destroyed. The fire began to spread, and the high-temperature steam cooked all the survivors.
When the high-temperature steam and flames spread to the ammunition depot next door, a fatal explosion followed.
“Boom…Boom…”
Less than 20 seconds after being hit by the torpedo, a series of even more violent explosions were heard, and the entire Fuso battleship seemed to have an internal earthquake.
Then a violent shock wave broke through layer upon layer of decks, and main guns weighing thousands of tons were blown away.
Endless flames shot up into the sky, as if they were going to reach the clouds.
Major General Takizo Kojima, the fleet commander, lost his grip on the ship during the violent explosion and was thrown out. He hit the wall hard and passed out without any consciousness.
This secondary explosion was extremely fatal to the Fuso battleship, which had poor defensive capabilities.
The seawater could not be stopped from pouring in, and there was no possibility of rescue.
It was only a matter of time before the battleship Fuso sank, so the Avenger torpedo planes focused their attention on another big guy.
It is the sister ship of the Fuso-class battleship - the Yamashiro battleship.
The biggest difference between the Yamashiro battleship and the Fuso battleship is that they use a main gun layout of two in the front and four in the rear, which is also the best sign to distinguish the two battleships.
The Fuso's explosion was seen by all the Fuso Navy crew members.
When the Yamashiro became the new target of attack, all the surrounding destroyers and cruisers rushed towards the Yamashiro at all costs.
However, their weak anti-aircraft firepower was unable to stop the attack of the Avenger torpedo planes.
"Swish swish..."
One after another, aerial torpedoes rushed towards the left and right sides of the Yamashiro, 9 at a time.
"Speed up, full speed ahead!"
However, the Yamashiro battleship could only reach a speed of 24.5 knots, but the Type 42 aerial torpedo had a maximum speed of knots.
If you are targeted within a range of 1000 meters, you can only bear it.
But how could a battleship of more than 9 tons with few watertight compartments possibly withstand nine Type torpedoes?
Not to mention the Yamashiro, even if their flagship Nagato-class battleship arrived now, it would be useless.
It is estimated that only the Yamato-class battleships can withstand it, but they will be seriously damaged if not killed.
Nine bombs poured in from both sides of the ship, accompanied by bursts of explosions from inside the cabin, and towering water columns were raised on both sides.
The entire battleship began to tremble as if Li Yunlong was having the hiccups.
This time, the battleship Yamashiro also had extremely bad luck.
A Type 91 aerial torpedo exploded right below the ammunition depot.
The consequences can be imagined. In the extremely violent explosion, the entire Yamashiro battleship was even broken in the middle, and the keel was directly blown off.
You can imagine how violent the explosion was, considering that the keel is the hardest part of the entire battleship.
Such a violent explosion also stunned the pilots in the sky.
"Oh my goodness, this is incredibly powerful! The Type 91 torpedo is truly incredible."
"I want to fly a torpedo plane too. Our rockets are just a tickle to these warships."
The Avenger torpedo squadron launched a total of 12 Type aerial torpedoes, directly destroying two Fuso-class battleships weighing more than tons.
From then on, the Fuso-class battleships could be removed from the Fuso Navy Combined Fleet.
The Fuso Navy witnessed two battleships being sunk in just a few minutes.
They didn't expect that the aircraft they once looked down upon would be so powerful.
And they paid a heavy price for their arrogance.
Both battleships sank, and the other Fuso warships didn't even know what to do.
They didn't know what to do, but the shore-based aviation forces knew what to do.
Of course, start with the biggest one!
The largest vessels on the sea right now are undoubtedly the two Myoko-class heavy cruisers.
They are the heavy cruisers Ashigara and Nachi.
Compared to the Fuso battleship, the Myoko-class heavy cruiser is much smaller.
The full load displacement is less than half, only 1.4 tons, and the main guns are 5 twin 203 mm naval guns, totaling 10 guns.
The only four 4mm high-altitude secondary guns had been destroyed, so they were no more than targets.
At this time, the belated DO217 bomber group finally arrived at the battlefield.
When they saw the battle situation, they all cried out in panic.
"They were too fast. They didn't leave us any of the two battleships."
As secret killers equipped with new weapons, they naturally want to show their strength in this battle.
But from the scene it seems that they have no chance to perform.
Because the two main battleships have sunk.
As for the Myoko-class heavy cruiser, even a small mosquito is still meat.
But the Avengers had no intention of leaving it to them, and chose to keep it for themselves.
There are still 24 Avenger torpedo planes loaded with Type torpedoes left.
The two Myoko-class heavy cruisers were immediately surrounded.
According to the on-site command, three aircraft will form a formation and take turns to attack during the attack, so as to maximize the combat effectiveness.
Facing the Myoko-class heavy cruiser that had lost its anti-aircraft artillery.
Torpedo planes can easily approach within 1000 meters to launch an attack.
So no matter how the two Myoko-kyo ship twisted back and forth like a bitch, they could not avoid the high-speed attack from the Type 91 torpedo.
After all, the Type 91 torpedo does not frequently produce duds like the American torpedoes, so its reliability is still very high.
Amidst a series of explosions, the two Myo-class heavy cruisers followed in the footsteps of the two Fuso-class battleships.
The remaining three light cruisers and eight destroyers were unaware of the dire situation, and running away became their only option.
But someone had to stay behind to attract fire, and this burden was given to several destroyers.
Two Tianlongs and one Kuma immediately sped off in different directions.
But no matter how fast they run, can they outrun the fighter planes?
Not a single battleship escaped, all were sunk within half an hour, and all the fighter planes had basically used up their ammunition.
Many pilots were still not satisfied and patrolled at low altitude. When they found Fuso Navy soldiers floating on the water, they started to fire at them with their machine guns.
He left satisfied only after the fuel ran out.
And this battle will surely shock the whole country, Dongzhou and even the world.
This was also the naval battle with the largest number of sinkings since the end of the last war.
When this news was spread, the sensation it caused can be imagined.