Chapter 343: Soldier Mission

Then there was a loud bang, and the US pilot felt that he was quickly wrapped in a ball of strong heat and fire, as if he had entered a sea of ​​fire. With the fire, his body suddenly turned into fragmented pieces of limbs and scattered, and his consciousness dissipated and he died.

"These Americans don't plan to go back to their hometowns. They are all outlaws. Everyone should be careful." Looking at the wreckage of the US military aircraft falling rapidly towards the sea and splashing debris, a J-2 pilot reminded others.

"All units should pay attention. At two o'clock in the northeast, three US military aircraft appeared again in the direction of the northeast, asking for support." As soon as the pilot finished speaking, a sudden loud voice suddenly sounded in his headphones, which shocked his mind again.

"There is work to do again." Several pilots muttered to each other, then turned the nose of the aircraft and flew towards another airspace.

The US aircraft obviously could not win in large-scale air combat, so they had to adopt this scattered sneak attack tactic. However, the South China Sea Fleet with powerful air-spinning radar was able to detect targets located dozens of kilometers away in time, arrange troops in time, and send planes and warships to intercept.

Then dozens of US torpedo planes appeared in the surrounding airspace. No matter how they could hide their traces, they finally found that they were hit by a joint attack by planes and warships without exception. The other party would suddenly appear around them at critical moments, giving a fatal blow. All the aircraft trying to approach the aircraft carrier were spared and gradually all were shot down.

Although the US military's harassment did not cause much damage, only a few torpedoes hit two destroyers, fortunately, they did not cause major damage. The fleet frequently dealt with US aircraft, and its speed of advancement was affected to a certain extent. It has been advancing at a speed of about fifteen knots while resisting the harassment.

After about half an hour, the US planes gradually disappeared, and the South China Sea Fleet began to drive at full speed and head eastward. At this time, the distance from the Edel fleet was about 400 kilometers, and the distance from the Atlantic fleet was about 120 kilometers. It took about two hours before it could meet the ships of the Atlantic fleet.

Not long after, a large group of fighter jets appeared in the sky. The plane led by Zuo Yunfeng and Luo Zhigang gradually returned, and there were only fifteen fighter jets left in the entire fleet, and they could only temporarily form one squadron. There were six squadrons left in the bomber, and most of their strength was still preserved.

However, most fighter jets have different degrees of damage, so they cannot continue to set sail. However, in the war situation, Li Guoqiang has to send these planes that may have fallen due to mechanical failures caused by injuries to the blue sky again, because the fleet's air force has been greatly reduced at this time, and there is no way for pilots to perform their missions safely. This is the time to play the pilot's personal heroism.

The planes landed on the deck one after another, and the expressions on the pilots' faces were very complicated. They were both relieved of the brilliant achievements they achieved today and saddened by the loss of a large number of close comrades. However, the sense of mission of the soldiers made them not have too much time to express their sorrow. They had to cheer up and continue fighting, and not immerse their emotions in sorrow for a long time. Depression is obviously unfavorable for the battle.

Looking at the pilots who walked off the plane with serious expressions, the sailors on the deck stood in rows to welcome and applauded and cheered. This was specially arranged by Li Guoqiang and Huang Shusheng. They wanted the pilots to forget their sorrows as much as possible and enjoy the joy brought by victory as much as possible to mobilize their emotions and keep them full of fighting spirit.

Many people walked up and hugged these jing english people who had just returned from the brink of death, expressed their congratulations to them, expressed their admiration for their heroic performance, and expressed their condolences for their lost comrades.

"How much pilots are reduced?" Li Guoqiang was still in the command room, with an equally complicated face. He turned to ask a young tall officer.

"It's probably half the loss. The fighter pilots suffered the biggest loss, with more than three-quarters of the loss. This battle was entirely up to them to persevere." The officer responded in a low voice with a slightly melancholy look.

"This is war." Li Guoqiang never felt uncomfortable for his fleet that lost so much Jingying. Only he knew the feeling in his heart. After tears swayed in his eyes for a few times, he still endured it and continued to calm down and sighed.

Li Guoqiang and several officers walked out of the command room and walked towards the deck outside. The surrounding airspace had been quiet for a while, and now it was approaching dusk, and the plane's vision was not wide enough, and the plane on the aircraft carrier could not take off later.

During these ten hours at night, Edel's fleet could only allow Edel's fleet to escape. After the reconnaissance planes returned one after another, they could only use reconnaissance ships to track their locations. But Edel naturally knew that the protection of the night provided them with a natural barrier, so how could he not take precautions? Therefore, the spy ship was easily discovered by them.

Li Guoqiang was also ready to search again the next day. He was also worried that Edel would change his course under the cover of night, so that the South China Sea Fleet would not allow them to go where they went, but he was ready to focus on the route that directly connects to the Panama Canal, and the South Pacific region was also a route that Edel could go far.

Aidel does not have to go to the Panama Canal to reach the East Coast of the United States. They can also go to the South Pacific region to the southern part of South America, detour to the Atlantic Ocean, and then bypass the eastern part of South America to the north and enter the East Coast of the United States. If they choose the third direction to go north and reach the western part of the United States, it is very unsafe to stay in the West Coast of the United States.

After comprehensive analysis and comparison, Li Guoqiang believed that the possibility of Edel changing course was not great, because if they detoured the South Pacific region, the arrival of the eastern United States would be long. During this period, they could not guarantee that they would not be searched by the South China Sea Fleet, because the advantages of the South China Sea Fleet are now very obvious, and the aircraft can still search on a large scale. The Edel fleet has lost its aviation reconnaissance ability and has lost its long-range alert ability, and can only rely on luck to avoid searching.

Therefore, only by sailing directly to the Panama Canal can the Edel fleet can we escape back to the eastern United States in the shortest time. This possibility is the largest. Now, just wait until dawn the next day and continue to send planes to find their location, conduct the second and next rounds of bombing.

Li Guoqiang, Huang Shusheng and others boarded a helicopter and then took off to the Nanjing aircraft carrier. A few minutes later, they landed on the Nanjing aircraft carrier deck. When they came down, they were warmly applauded by the officers and soldiers.

At this time, the only fighter squadron had landed on the Nanjing. Zuo Yunfeng had arrived at the Nanjing. Shenzhou and Taishan were no longer fighter jets. Moreover, Nanjing and Shenzhou maintained a complete bomber formation. Taishan and Huangshan had only one bomber squadron and other reconnaissance aircraft and anti-submarine aircraft.

Therefore, although this air strike caused great losses to the Edel fleet, if the results of the war are not expanded, the sacrifice of the South China Sea fleet will be in vain. With the United States' industrial capacity, it is very likely to repair these aircraft carriers in a short period of time. Once they are repaired, they will soon recover and launch together with other aircraft carriers that are about to be launched. At that time, the US Navy's strength has not decreased, but also its strength will increase greatly. This is what China's political utmost willing to see.

Li Guoqiang saw the pilots who were lined up in several rows to welcome him, and his eyes gradually glanced at each of them. He could not see the high spirits they had before they set off, and his expression was a little serious and tumultuous.

Li Guoqiang walked to Zuo Yunfeng who was standing in the first position, stood down, looked at him carefully, and Zuo Yunfeng immediately gave a standard military salute with a strong expression.

"Thank you for your hard work this time." Li Guoqiang reached out and patted Zuo Yunfeng's shoulder with his sincere heart, then gently flicked the dust on his shoulder bar with his fingers, and then said meaningfully.

"We are soldiers, and we can't say we have to work hard. Sacrifice for the country and fight bloody battles are our responsibility." Zuo Yunfeng's slightly dim gaze seemed a little low, but his voice was sonorous and loud.

Li Guoqiang stopped his eyes on Zuo Yunfeng's firm face, nodded slightly and praised: "Very good, the country has not given you any in vain. This is the quality that our best soldiers should have."

Li Guoqiang and other officers began to walk to the front of the team center, looking at these energetic young people and today's combat heroes, and felt a lot of emotion.

Li Guoqiang cleared his voice a few times, then looked around everyone, and slowly spoke: "I know that today's battle is very difficult and cruel for all the English who are in charge of the Kuomintang army. Although our army has an absolute advantage, the sacrifices we have made are also huge and unprecedented. It is the most significant loss since the establishment of our naval aviation."

"When you set out, there were nearly 200 people, but when you came back, there were only one hundred people. Nearly half of the outstanding pilots died. I felt extremely sad and extremely regretful." After a slight salute, Li Guoqiang continued to speak loudly, but there was not much sad tone.

Li Guoqiang carefully observed everyone's expressions. They were indeed very heavy in their hearts. No one could smile because of victory. After all, they lost a large number of comrades who had been with them day and night within a few hours. They would not be able to let go of anyone's heart.

"I know that losing your companions today will make you feel very sad. Isn't that the same with us commanders? People's hearts are full of ròu, and no one will not be moved." Li Guoqiang slowed down his tone a little and continued softly.

"But you have to remember that you are soldiers. The biggest difference between soldiers and ordinary people is that they must be cold-blooded to a certain extent. They must not only be cold-blooded to the enemy, but also be cold-blooded to themselves. They must be good at restraining their emotions, abandoning the emotions that affect the battle, and returning to normal as soon as possible."

"Soldiers must maintain high fighting will and perfect fighting spirit, high emotions are necessary. So from now on, I want you to be happy for victory and cheer from the heart. You must turn the pain of losing comrades into hatred for the enemy. From tomorrow on, you must not only carry out combat missions, but also avenge your comrades, shouldering dual tasks and missions." Li Guoqiang continued to say solemnly.

"There are even more difficult tasks waiting for you below. Everyone goes back and take a shower, wipes the smelly sweat on their bodies, and then go to the restaurant to have a full meal. In the evening, everyone gets together to chat and talk about tomorrow's battle plan. As usual, I hope to see you full of vitality. In the evening, I will come to accompany you to dinner and give you a cup of tea to each of you fight."

"Dissolve"

Li Guoqiang didn't want to say too much. He knew that people's emotions were sometimes difficult to control. These men with bloody bodies would not become vague just because of his few words. He just wanted them to get some comfort, at least they still had a strong fighting will in their hearts. Whether this will comes from the sense of responsibility of loyalty to the country or from the remembrance of their comrades, it was not important.

No matter how cruel the battle is today, we must continue fighting tomorrow. The pilots returned to the aircraft carrier and began to rest and adjust, adjust their mental state, relieve tension, and wait for the coming of tomorrow's battle.

The dark night made the South China Sea Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet unable to see each other with their eyes. The submarines of the Atlantic Fleet were quietly approaching, and the surface ships of the fleet were all slowed down and dragged behind them, in order to let the submarines tentatively harass the South China Sea Fleet and see how the effect was.

All 30 cheetah-class submarines of the US military were dispatched, some approaching the South China Sea Fleet, and some were ambushed on the road. They also adopted the practice of dispersing targets. Each three submarines were one, divided into ten, and harassing them from different angles. Some submarines sailed in the opposite direction, attempting to harass the South China Sea Fleet on the road.

Anti-submarine helicopters cannot play a role at night, and they can only rely on the sonar equipped by warships and submarines to find targets. The US Cheetah-class submarine is noisy, with more than 150 shells, which can easily distinguish it from ocean noise.

The South China Sea Fleet can only maintain a speed of about twenty knots at night, because it is impossible to put Tang-class submarines behind at this time, so the fleet's anti-submarine capabilities will be greatly weakened, and it is difficult to ensure that they will not infiltrate the aircraft carrier by the combined attack of US submarines and cruisers.

The fleet's aircraft carrier is still in the center, with four submarines protecting each left and right, front and back, about twenty kilometers away from the aircraft carrier, and the destroyer is located inside, about ten kilometers away from the aircraft carrier. The fleet narrowed its defense circle to prevent infiltration by US submarines.

At this time, the US Edel fleet was advancing at full speed, and they were advancing at a speed of about 25 knots. On average, the South China Sea fleet would be pushed away by about ten kilometers per hour. After dawn tomorrow, the distance between the two sides would once again exceed 500 kilometers.

But after dawn, the aircraft can search the surrounding waters. As long as the specific location of the Atlantic Fleet is determined, the South China Sea Fleet can choose the appropriate opportunity to increase the speed and let the submarines tow back, while the aircraft carriers chase the Aidel Fleet at full speed. At the speed of US submarines, it is easy to get rid of them. If there is no need to fight with them, just throw them behind.

The Atlantic Fleet did not dare to face the South China Sea Fleet. They were preparing to retreat at full speed after the first interception, but they still wanted to block the South China Sea Fleet's route. Some submarines are now starting to harass the war, while some are ambushing along the way on both sides of the route to cooperate with cruisers and other ships to harass them.

The US military knew that the main combat target of the carrier-based aircraft of the South China Sea Fleet was their aircraft carrier, so the South China Sea Fleet would not send planes to bomb the Atlantic Fleet, a seemingly unimportant target. Therefore, the Atlantic Fleet was not worried about being attacked by carrier-based aircraft. They just wanted to take frequent harassment when the South China Sea Fleet had a mission and could not take into account them, so that the US aircraft carrier could not escape the aircraft attack as soon as possible.

In this way, the anti-submarine and anti-ship missions of the South China Sea Fleet became more complex and arduous. The opponents adopted the method of running after fighting, just like guerrillas in the deep mountains, suddenly appeared somewhere to shoot machine guns, and then disappeared collectively and hid in the mountains. It was really difficult for regular troops to encounter such a team that played hide-and-seek. Regular troops generally did not have much time and strength to search for guerrillas everywhere to fight.

Just after nightfall, at about 7:30, a Tang-class submarine directly in front of the South China Sea Fleet used sonar to track three submarines that suddenly appeared more than 30 kilometers ahead. It was obviously a US cheetah-class submarine. There was no other underwater vehicle here that could form a formation and pass through the Pacific waters. Of course, it was impossible to be the noise made by fish under the sea.

After receiving the order, the fleet immediately sent a destroyer and two Tang-class submarines to intercept. After several torpedoes hit a target, the US submarine immediately surfaced and fled at a speed of about fifteen knots. The destroyer and Tang-class submarine chased for about five kilometers, sank one of the targets, and the other two targets escaped.

At this time, the task of the South China Sea Fleet was not to wipe out these troubled bed bugs, but to protect the aircraft carriers, submarines and destroyers did not chase them too far, and then retreated back to the original defense area, and continued to maintain a dense defensive formation in case other submarines came from other waters to rush.
Chapter completed!