The Rise of the Third Reich

The weapon of Nazi Germany that worries the generals of the British and American navies most now is not the huge Hindenburg-class battleship, nor is it the Zeppelin-class that can carry 80-100 aircraft (different containment methods and different numbers) An aircraft carrier is not an elusive wolf pack in the water.

But remote-controlled weapons! Including Fritz-X remote control gliding bomb, Hs-293 ​​remote control gliding bomb and V3 remote control guided missile.

These remote-controlled guided weapons are either mounted on aircraft or installed on surface ships. They can carry out precise and fatal strikes against British and American ships in combat, and at the same time, they can put the aircraft or ships carrying such weapons in a relatively close position. At a relatively safe distance. They are simply killing people and setting fires happily without any danger to themselves. This makes the fighters of the free world feel extremely frightened.

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

Therefore, 20,000 meters has become the upper limit of the use distance of German radio-controlled weapons. And 20,000 meters away is a safe distance relative to radio-controlled weapons, which is about 21,970 yards when converted into imperial units (Americans usually use imperial units). The U.S. Naval Operations Department added an insurance factor and added 22,000 yards - when battleships/battlecruisers and aircraft carriers engage in battle, they must try to keep the distance from enemy aircraft and ships at 22,000 yards.

The German planes were unstoppable, and the U.S. anti-aircraft guns could not reach beyond 22,000 yards. However, it is easy to maintain a distance from the enemy ship on the opposite side. Even if you can't stop the opponent from approaching, you can still run away! Maintaining a firefighting distance of 22,000 yards is not difficult for the British, American and Soviet battleships and battlecruisers.

As for heavy cruisers and large light cruisers (over 10,000 tons), the safety distance requirements are slightly relaxed and set at 20,000 yards. This is not difficult for a heavy cruiser with a 203mm caliber main gun.

Therefore, the two commanders of the British and American cruiser formations who were ordered to clear the way for the two battleship/battlecruiser detachments, the American Rear Admiral Wright and the British Rear Admiral Burnett, were very careful to put their fleets in a position to be vulnerable to V3 remote-controlled missiles. dangerous distance away.

On December 9, at 18:10, the radar on the heavy cruiser USS Chester, commander of the 1st Advance Team of the Allied Combined Fleet, Rear Admiral Wright, first discovered the enemy ship formation.

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

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

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

It is difficult to distinguish the ship type through radar signals. However, as long as the opponent does not use any interference or camouflage means, the current US ship-based radar still has a certain probability of distinguishing the size of the enemy ship.

"What direction are they sailing in?"

"West-southwest, it seems to be traveling parallel to and opposite to us."

"It seems they know our location." Colonel Cohen, the captain of the heavy cruiser USS Chester and the team's chief of staff, said.

"That's for sure. There are their reconnaissance planes in the sky, and there may be German submarines in the water." Major General Wright is not nervous. It is now a "long night on the ice and sea". It is already pitch black after 6 o'clock in the evening, and the aircraft cannot Unable to release remote-controlled glide bombs.

"If they want to attack us, then fight them!" Major General Wright thought for a moment and ordered, "Now form an artillery formation, in order: USS Chester (heavy cruiser), USS Louisville (heavy cruiser), USS Augusta (heavy cruiser), San Francisco (heavy cruiser), Red Caucasus (Soviet heavy cruiser), Kirov (Soviet heavy cruiser), let the 1st cruise patrol unit (composed of the 10,000-ton light cruiser Atlanta and 6 destroyers Composition) cover on our right.

Then send power to the Soviet Union and the Shropshire, the flagship of the 2nd Advance Team, and inform them of our situation. "

The 2nd advance team is 15 nautical miles south of the 1st advance team. This team is also composed of 6 heavy cruisers, 1 10,000-ton light cruiser and 6 destroyers. The missions of the two advance teams are the same, which is to search the battlefield and drive away enemy light ships to prevent them from launching torpedoes and missiles during battleship battles.

Less than a minute after the telegram was sent, the radar officer of the heavy cruiser USS Chester reported again: "Sir, another group of enemy ships has been discovered! More than 10 ships in number, distance 29,000 yards, bearing 100 degrees."

Another formation coming?

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

"It's also a small ship."

20 or more small ships? What is this for?

"Commander, the speed of the enemy ship formation on our right front seems to be a bit slow, less than 15 knots."

At this time, the radar officer of the USS Chester reported another situation. The two enemy ship formations approaching the 1st advance fleet were actually moving at different speeds. The formation on the left has a high speed of 25 knots, but the formation on the right has only 15 knots.

How is this going?

Major General Wright and Colonel Cohen looked at each other, both confused.

"Commander, the enemy ship formation on our right has turned to the right!" After a while, the radar officer of the USS Chester reported the situation again.

"How many degrees did it turn?" Major General Wright asked.

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

Starting with T?

"They are heavy cruisers?" Major General Wright asked hurriedly, "Can they be distinguished on the radar?"

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

"What's the distance?"

"26,000 yards."

"Fire a few flares to see the situation." Major General Wright ordered to fire the flares.

Chief of Staff Colonel Cohen asked: "Fire flares at both enemy ship formations?"

"Yes! Look what kind of ships they are?"

The heavy cruiser Chester's secondary batteries quickly fired several flares, and the observation posts reported their observations.

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

About 1,000 tons? This is a torpedo boat (lightning strike ship)! Are the Germans going to launch torpedoes?

"What's the distance now?" Major General Wright asked.

"23,000 yards."

How could it be hit from such a distance? Major General Wright and Colonel Cohen looked at each other, with more confusion on their faces.

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

That must be the case!

Rear Admiral Wright nodded and ordered: "Prepare to turn right, and at the same time order each ship to fire freely. The enemy ships must be blocked from 20,000...no, 22,000 yards away."

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

"Is it a heavy cruiser or a battleship?"

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

Major General 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 is complete!"

On the bridge of the SP-class reconnaissance cruiser Lviv that had just been discovered by the USS Chester's radar, Colonel Rosinger, commander of the 1st Lightning Strike Team 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 set up the so-called "golden comb formation" on the sea.

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

This tactic caused great suffering to the British convoy fleet in 1941, with the loss of two to three hundred ships.

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

And they don’t know now that Germany already has a spear torpedo with a range of more than 20,000 meters. Although RB’s Type 93 torpedo is very powerful, the Germans have never used this ultra-long range torpedo in the Atlantic Ocean. It seems that they only love guided weapons.

"Order the reconnaissance aircraft to drop flares and the torpedo attack ships to prepare to launch torpedoes!" Colonel Rosinger immediately issued the order, "Shoot all the torpedoes at once, and then disperse and retreat."

The "Beast-class" and T-class torpedo ships participating in the war today are not large in tonnage, and the T-93 torpedoes they carry are also very limited. They are all two twin launch tubes. And there is no ammunition prepared - the T-93 torpedo is a very dangerous weapon, and it is very troublesome to launch, requiring temporary addition of oxygen. So if you don't consider reloading multiple times, you just have to knock it down in one go.

So 30 torpedo ships launched 120 quite deadly 610mm caliber T-93 torpedoes at once!