The Rise of the Third Reich

Submarine found! ?

Halsey, who had just breathed a sigh of relief, was almost knocked down in the bridge of the Little Rock when he heard the bad news.

The arrival of these submarines was just a coincidence. He had just sent out most of the destroyers at hand to block the pursuers, and the German submarines arrived. Needless to say, it must be a new type of German submarine that can travel underwater at such a fast speed that it cannot be caught.

The fires on the three Iowa-class battleships have not yet been extinguished, and it is easy to see open flames on the dark sea.

The German submarines only needed to aim at the open flames and launch torpedoes to sink the three battleships that had suffered heavy damage.

"Anti-submarine!" Halsey already knew in his heart that the odds were stacked against him, but he still refused to give up easily. "The Iowa, Wisconsin, and Missouri immediately took the anti-submarine route, and the other ships carried out anti-submarine operations!"

Rumble…

Less than 5 minutes after Halsey's order was issued, the originally calm sea water began to boil like water in a boiling pot, and several violent waves instantly appeared on the sea.

This is a destroyer dropping depth charges!

However, there were no German Type 21 U-boats under the sea where the depth bombs were dropped. Such submarines that could sail at 17.2 knots underwater were difficult to catch. Moreover, the number of American destroyers and light cruisers currently guarding the three Iowa-class ships is limited, and they simply dare not leave the seriously injured ones they protect to catch the submarine.

Therefore, the depth charges being thrown down now are just to make a sound, to embolden people, and to scare the Nazi wolves in the sea.

"The Yankees are scared of us and they're dropping depth charges."

Lieutenant Colonel Erich Top, the captain of the submarine U-3010 and the commander of the 27th Submarine Detachment, heard the dull roars and saw waves like fireworks rising from time to time on the dim sea through the periscope. I understand what happened.

As an ace U-boat captain who once served as captain on a destroyer for a period of time and is no stranger to anti-submarine warfare, he certainly knows how much the Type 21 U-boat is a weapon that makes destroyer captains desperate.

It is difficult for existing sonar to detect underwater submarines when the destroyer is sailing at a speed of more than 18 knots, and the speed of the Type 21 U-boat underwater is as high as 17.2 knots. If you want to track the Type 21 U-boat, the destroyer must arrive. 18 knots or more.

When the Type 21 U-boat sails at a low speed of about 5 knots, the submarine is quiet enough to avoid any existing sonar.

After many successful attacks on destroyers (submarine attack destroyers!), German U-boat captains mastered a very useful trick: first approach the enemy destroyer at high speed, deliberately make noise, and then reduce the speed to be quiet. travel. A threatened U.S. destroyer is likely to drop depth bombs, and the explosion of the depth bombs will render American sonar ineffective in a short period of time. In this way, American destroyers will be completely unable to detect underwater U-boats. The Type 21 U-boat can naturally accelerate and look for opportunities to take action very freely.

Just before nightfall on September 5, 12 Type 21 U-boats led by Lieutenant Colonel Top used this tactic to scare Americans and successfully tricked American destroyers into dropping depth bombs.

Because of the interference to sonar caused by the explosion of depth charges (it takes 15 minutes for the explosion of depth charges to ignore the interference), the underwater world has now become the domain of Type 21 U-boats. Even if they are traveling at full speed, American destroyers cannot detect them. .

"Maintain depth, speed 5 knots."

"Torpedo room ready, use T1 torpedoes."

"Prepare for battle."

Lieutenant Colonel Top, who had already seen three Iowa-class battleships still emanating flames from the periscope, suppressed his excitement and issued one order after another. Six powerful T1 torpedoes were pushed into the six torpedo tubes at the bow of the boat.

It is different from the electrically propelled T2 torpedo which has excellent stealth but slightly slower speed (30 knots) and insufficient explosive charge (200 kilograms). The T1 torpedo using traditional steam propulsion has greater speed and range. It can hit 6,000 meters at a high speed of 44 knots and 8,000 meters at a speed of 40 knots. Moreover, the T1 torpedo has enough charges. The warhead of the T1B torpedo currently used on Lieutenant Colonel Top's submarine is equipped with a full 350 kilograms of high-performance explosives, which is theoretically enough to cause underwater protection for the Iowa-class battleships. What a heavy blow - the Iowa-class underwater protection can only withstand the blow of 300 kilograms of TNT explosives, and cannot stop the T1B torpedo with 350 kilograms of explosives at all.

As for the shortcomings of the T1B torpedo-the wake of the torpedo when sailing, it is not a problem at all for the Type 21 submarine that can maneuver underwater at a high speed of 17.2 knots. And it's already very dark now. If you want to see the torpedo wakes, you have to turn on the searchlight, which will expose the destroyer's position... and the destroyer is also the prey of the Type 21 U-boat!

"6800 meters!"

"6500 meters!"

"6000 meters!"

"..."

Top's voice made the atmosphere in the U-3010 boat more and more tense, and drops of sweat continued to drip down everyone's forehead and cheeks.

Everyone has turned their attention to Lieutenant Colonel Top. At a distance of 6,000 meters, the T1B torpedo can already reach a top speed of 44 knots. However, the order to launch torpedoes was not issued for a long time.

It was not until Top reported the number "3000 meters" that Lieutenant Colonel Top ordered in a deliberately lowered voice: "Prepare torpedoes No. 1, No. 2, No. 3, No. 4, No. 5, and No. 6, set it." 5 meters deep. Start pressurizing!”

The current target is an Iowa-class battleship with a standard displacement of nearly 45,000 tons. Its underwater mine protection armor cannot be weak. Therefore, Lieutenant Colonel Top prepared to fire 6 T1B torpedoes in one go.

And in order to ensure a hit, he also took the risk of letting the submarine sail less than 3,000 meters away from the target.

"Supercharging completed!"

"The target is 3,000 meters, launch torpedoes No. 1, 3, and 5!"

"Torpedo No. 1, No. 3, and No. 5 have been launched!"

"Torpedo No. 2, No. 4, and No. 6 are launched!"

"Torpedo No. 2, No. 4, and No. 6 have been launched!"

There were six soft bangs, bangs, bangs, and the U-3010 submarine's body shook slightly, giving people a light feeling.

Six torpedoes sailed towards an Iowa-class battleship 3,000 meters away at a speed of 44 knots. They would hit or miss in about 2 minutes.

There was silence in the U-3010 boat, everyone was waiting anxiously in their hearts, and time seemed to have frozen at that moment. Lieutenant Colonel Top held the pocket watch and stared at the hands. When the hands circled more than two times, he became extremely nervous.

Boom boom boom...

Three dull sounds were heard, and Lieutenant Colonel Top immediately raised his periscope and saw that the huge warship being targeted had been engulfed in fire. In the light of the fire, he could still see falling water that was more than ten meters high. wall!

Lieutenant Colonel Top stretched out his right hand and handed over a Leica camera. Top placed the camera lens on the eyepiece of the periscope and took a photo. Then he immediately retracted the periscope and loudly issued the order to evacuate: "Left rudder 20, full speed Evacuate!”

When the U-3010 boat turned rapidly underwater and accelerated its evacuation, Admiral Halsey, who was riding on the light cruiser USS Little Rock, felt his heart suddenly rise to his throat.

Three torpedoes hit the mine protection armor below the waterline on the port side of the battleship Wisconsin. The huge destructive force caused by the underwater explosion of 350 kilograms of TNT explosives immediately tore apart the side main armor belt and main mine protection spliced ​​together. However, the Iowa class has multiple watertight compartments and a three-layer bottom. In theory, the hits of 2-3 torpedoes cannot affect its combat effectiveness at all.

However, the Wisconsin has been hit by 4 large missiles and was seriously injured long ago. The fire has been burning for several hours and has not been extinguished. Moreover, due to the violent explosion and fire, many equipment on the Wisconsin have malfunctioned. Can it be done? It's really hard to say how it could withstand the blows of three German torpedoes.

Moreover... there should be more than one German submarine underwater, and it is impossible for them to launch only three torpedoes.

Halsey's conjecture soon became a reality. Just a few minutes after the Wisconsin was hit by a torpedo, 12 torpedoes were launched by U-3011 and U-3012 boats, which also belonged to the 27th Submarine Detachment of the 1st Submarine Group. They rushed towards the Missouri and Iowa respectively, and 7 of them hit their targets. The Missouri was hit by 4 torpedoes, and the Iowa was hit by 3 torpedoes.

Less than 5 minutes later, the U-3013 and U-3014 boats of the 27th Submarine Detachment both launched an attack. 6 of the 12 T1B torpedoes hit the target. Among them, the Wisconsin was hit by a mine again and took 4 of them. Another two torpedoes hit a Fletcher-class destroyer that was dropping depth charges next to the Wisconsin and scanning the sea with a searchlight (searching for torpedo trails).

What followed were four Type 21 U-boats, U-3015, U-3016, U-3017 and U-3018. These four U-boats launched a total of 24 rounds at the three Iowa-class battleships that were already swaying on the sea. A T1B torpedo! 13 of them hit the target!

Less than 3 minutes later, three other submarines belonging to the 27th Submarine Detachment, U-3019, U-3020 and U-3021, fired another 18 torpedoes. This time, 10 torpedoes hit!

At this point, the first round of attacks by the 12 Type 21 U-boats participating in tonight's submarine night attack is over - yes, the first round! These 12 Type 21 U-boats all carry 24 T1B-type torpedoes that can attack large surface ships. If they are all launched, the number will be 288... Not only are the three Iowa-class boats that have been severely damaged unable to be saved, but even these three torpedoes The destroyers and light cruisers escorted by the Iowa-class battleships, including the USS Little Rock aboard Admiral Halsey himself, would be sent to the bottom of the sea by German torpedoes.