Chapter 344 The overall situation has been decided
At night, the US submarines and cruisers carried out no less than seven or eight harassments, each time they appeared as small groups. Every time they were hit by torpedoes, they immediately retreated and enjoyed it and raided them all night.
Although the South China Sea Fleet suffered no losses, this kind of disturbance also made the fleet feel a headache. Moreover, after the carrier-based aircraft set off after dawn, their disturbance will definitely become even worse. It is not easy for the fleet to completely get rid of them, so they had to temporarily endure the biting attack of this mosquito. If a mosquito is there, it will be slap it, and the mosquito flew away and ignore it.
After the fleet endured a long night of more than ten hours, it finally dawned, but the Atlantic Fleet's retreat and harassment was not over yet. Their ships had been sunk three at night, and the cruiser severely damaged one, and they were still carrying out their plans.
After dawn, the US surface ships did not dare to get too close. They fought and retreated, but they accompanied the South China Sea Fleet like shadows, as if they were disgusting suitors, and they could not drive them away even if they wanted to.
Just as dawn, Li Guoqiang issued an order to form three formations to take off immediately, escorted by six J-2 aircraft, and went to the waters ahead to find the Aidel fleet, leaving behind a squadron of bombers and six J-2 aircraft, three of which were too seriously injured and could not continue to carry out the mission, so he had to stay for maintenance. The remaining twelve bombers and six J-2 aircraft set sail one after another, performing reconnaissance missions in the surrounding airspace and anti-submarine aircraft, and the other reconnaissance aircraft went with the formation to find the Aidel fleet to carry out attacks.
Li Guoqiang, Huang Shusheng and several officers walked out of the deck, because the threat from the fleet from the air was basically lifted, so there was no need to worry too much about safety issues. Submarines and destroyers were controlled by the outside, and the speed of the fleet gradually began to be fixed at about twenty knots, so that the Tang-class submarines could keep up with the speed of the fleet.
Li Guoqiang frowned slightly. He was thinking about how to get rid of the harassment of bed bugs such as the Atlantic Fleet. He thought for a few hours last night before falling asleep. After thinking about it, he still felt that he had to take a certain risk. Through the speed advantage of the fleet's surface ships, he left the US harassing ship behind. The longer the time, the more ships were thrown away, and finally he could pursue the US aircraft carrier with ease.
"I think it's better to let fight the fighters fight them and keep these bed bugs away from us." Huang Shusheng expressed his opinion. He was also quite bored after being attacked overnight.
"I want to do this, but our pilots have suffered too much. After all, the Atlantic Fleet has anti-aircraft artillery protection. If one or two aircraft are lost, I can't bear it." Li Guoqiang sank slightly, and then he let out a sigh and said slowly.
"That's true. The lives of these excellent pilots are much more valuable than those American bed bugs. It's a pity to lose." Huang Shusheng nodded slightly and thought.
Li Guoqiang looked at the distant sky, and after a while, he spoke again: "When the plane went out to detect where the bed bugs in the Atlantic Fleet were hiding, and after finding their specific location, we can move forward with confidence and boldness. It would not be too late to let the submarines clean up them."
At around nine o'clock, all the planes sent out to perform the mission gradually sent back messages. The search for the location of the Atlantic Fleet had already obtained a specific position. The Atlantic Fleet had long been scattered on both sides of the north and south, waiting for an opportunity to harass it, and accompanied the South China Sea Fleet from west to east, and never left.
After obtaining the general distribution of the US military, Li Guoqiang decided to start dividing the fleet into two parts, allowing the submarine troops to slowly drag back, and be responsible for attacking US warships along the way. The aircraft carriers and destroyers chased the Aidel fleet at a speed of more than thirty knots in front, and must wipe out their aircraft carriers before they fled back to Panama.
After the surface ships emerged from the front, they gradually threw away the US warships on both sides, but the ships lying ambushed on the road still had a great threat. The destroyers and anti-submarine aircraft of the South China Sea Fleet were moving around very carefully, in order to discover the target as soon as possible, disperse or annihilate it.
Since the speed of the US submarine is less than fifteen knots, it is difficult to get close to the aircraft carrier fleet from the side and can only be blocked from the front. Soon, several US submarines entered the aircraft carrier's defense circle, and anti-submarine aircraft and destroyers jointly strangled them, and as a result, about three US submarines were all sunk.
This time, the US submarines did not choose to run away after fighting. Instead, they began to choose to break through into the aircraft carrier defense circle and attempt to get close to the aircraft carrier, because the Atlantic Fleet had found that it would no longer work if it was used to harass the tactics like at night. Because the South China Sea Fleet abandoned the submarines, their speed immediately increased by one-third. It was almost impossible for a fleet that was sailing at such a high-speed, to harass it at any time. Therefore, the US commander had to order its warships to take the initiative to attack and try to break through the aircraft carrier defense circle. However, the harassment of small ships did not achieve much effect.
The South China Sea Fleet overcomes all the way, sinking and injuring more than a dozen submarines and several cruisers along the way. Slowly, fewer and fewer US troops were scrambling ships along the way. However, the Tang-class submarine formation dragged behind only strangling wars against US submarines, and does not intend to annihilate the entire Atlantic fleet, because the amount of ammunition they carried was limited and they lost the supply of the fleet, and they did not want to be too threatened when the ammunition was exhausted.
The vast ocean also provides good concealment for US submarines, and the pursuit of both sides did not have much result. The US military ships, which were abandoned by the South China Sea Fleet, knew that they could not catch up with the South China Sea Fleet, but they still wanted to ambush again on the way when they returned, so the Tang-class submarines still needed to do their best to find the US submarines to annihilate them.
After all, US submarines are not like Tang-class submarines. They can lurk at the bottom for one to two weeks before they can surface for ventilation. US submarines need to surface for ventilation every day. Of course, they sometimes have the option to surface at night.
The Tang-class submarine formation has maintained a complete formation, following the surface ships of the South China Sea Fleet from west to east, in order to meet with the fleet as soon as possible after they have completed their mission.
After a long flight and search, the second bomber finally found the location of the Edel fleet at around 10 o'clock. They were about 300 kilometers away from the route expected by Li Guoqiang, so the plane did not find their location at the beginning. After a large-scale search, it was discovered and was eventually tracked by the reconnaissance plane.
Four bomber formations carried out the second round of bombing of the US aircraft carrier. The bombing went very smoothly. Although the total number of aircraft was not as high as last time, it was not disturbed by the US aviation force, and the bombing effect was much better.
The USS Falton aircraft carrier caught fire and exploded, sinking into the depths of the ocean. The USS Washington aircraft carrier cockpit and steam turbine were seriously damaged, lost power, and could not continue to move forward. It was abandoned by Edel. The personnel on the ship were urgently transferred to other warships, and all the important equipment could be taken away.
Although each of the other three aircraft carriers was hit by five to ten shells and torpedoes, they did not sink because of their good luck.
However, at this time, the number of bombers in the South China Sea Fleet dropped sharply again, with only more than 40 aircraft remaining to return to supply. Apart from the severely damaged aircraft, the total number of bombers was less than 40 during the third round of attacks. At this time, the fighter jets were also responsible for certain bomb drop tasks, but the amount of bomb drops was very limited.
The third and fourth rounds of air strikes ended around the afternoon..., and at this point the only US aircraft carrier was left with Chicago. New York and Los Angeles suffered major damage. Among them, Los Angeles was seriously damaged. It is estimated that the US military could not recover its emergency repairs and would stop sailing soon. New York could barely continue to advance with Chicago, but its hull was already full of holes and seemed to be unable to withstand much wind. If you add a few more shells, it might sink.
After a whole day of continuous pursuit, the aircraft carriers of the Edel fleet ultimately failed to escape the misfortune. Three of the five aircraft carriers sank, leaving only the trampled Washington and New York, which were parked on the sea, and had to be abandoned by Edel.
At about 6 o'clock in the evening, there were only a dozen aircraft left on the South China Sea Fleet aircraft carrier, two of which were fighter jets, twelve bombers, and other aircraft had all fallen on the sea. Although the South China Sea Fleet wiped out all the aircraft carriers of the Edel Fleet, it also paid huge losses.
The most critical moment of the collision between the two strongest fleets in history has ended, and the naval aviation forces of both fleets have almost been lost. The South China Sea Fleet cannot continue to pursue the remaining ships of the Edel fleet in depth, because further advancement is not very safe for the aircraft carrier.
After learning that all the US aircraft carriers were lost, Li Guoqiang immediately ordered four large tugboats of the fleet to tow the Washington and New York back to the back of the fleet and sailed from east to west with the team.
The entire night fleet returned at full speed, and their destination was in the Hawaii area. After the Edel fleet was annihilated, the Hawaii landing battle continued. The Marines had set off from Okinawa and Taiwan respectively and arrived in Hawaii about a week later. The Hawaii area that lost domestic support from the United States would be trapped for a long time is very low.
The remnants of the US Atlantic Fleet were still carrying out harassment wars, but their energy gradually disappeared. As the South China Sea Fleet returned to the west coast of Hawaii, they were sunk and dispersed one after another. The remaining ships almost lost their combat effectiveness because their ammunition and material supplies were insufficient. The US military failed to form a supply line from Panama to Hawaii, nor could they provide long-term and effective supply to these ships.
Although the remaining naval aviation forces in the South China Sea Fleet only had about 30 aircraft, they were enough to dominate this area. The U.S. military's supply materials could no longer be transported to Hawaii Island, and those scattered soldiers had to return to Panama one after another.
Li Guoqiang ordered the fleet to rest for a week, only perform simple reconnaissance missions, waiting for the supply materials arrived from the First Fleet to be delivered after a week. At this time, the entire fleet's aviation shells and torpedoes were only less than one-tenth of the air raid mission. If there is another air raid mission, it is obvious that it can no longer fight for a long time, and the supply materials must be waited for.
The first batch of replenishment substances arrived in Hawaii two days later, and the large troops later had more replenishment substances being transported. After capturing Hawaii, the Chinese Navy will use Hawaii as a long-term base and must store enough materials to cope with the next American plan.
When he learned that the aircraft carrier of the Aidel fleet was completely wiped out, the defenders in the Hawaii area immediately felt extremely nervous and disappointed. All the reinforcements they expected were blocked, and Hawaii was surrounded by numerous encirclements at this time.
Hawaii can still get contact with the United States through submarine cables and obtain the latest information. The US Department of Defense still issued an order to defend Hawaii and wait for reinforcements. The US Navy has not preserved much strength. The so-called reinforcements are just some scattered soldiers and their combat capabilities are completely different from the Pacific Fleet, which originally had seven aircraft carriers. The South China Sea Fleet does not need aircraft, and can wipe them out with only destroyers and submarines.
Paul, commander of the Hawaiian Land Warfare Division, and Lorman, commander-in-chief of the Hawaiian land and air, were hiding in the air defense in the mountains of the southeast of Oahu Island, and urgently formulated a combat plan for the subsequent Hawaiian defense battle, but there were not many tactics that could be chosen. It seemed that there was no good way to prevent the Zhenguo Army from landing besides defending the strongholds.
The Aidel fleet, which lost its aircraft carrier, fled back to Panama in a panic. After passing through the canal, it fled to the United States. Robert, commander of the US Pacific Fleet, detoured from the South Pacific region into the South American continent, and after landing, he went north and gradually entered the United States.
The US Department of Defense did not make too much statement about the almost entire Pacific Fleet being wiped out, but in any case, Robert's position as commander-in-chief could not be saved. He announced his resignation on the third day after returning to China, and then he was replaced by Lieutenant General Clayton, who is also an old-fashioned officer in the US Navy.
Clayton was originally the chief of staff of the US Atlantic Fleet. He was fifty-three years old. He was a capable officer with many years of experience in naval command. He had played out in many joint exercises with friendly forces. He was once called the hope of the US Navy and was deeply trusted by the senior U.S. Department of Defense after a brief choice, he decided that he would serve as the commander of the Ocean Fleet that would be reorganized.
At this time, after losing the sea control in the Pacific region, the US military no longer divided the fleet into two parts: the Pacific and the Atlantic Ocean. Instead, Clayton commanded a unified fleet. The mission of the fleet also changed from fighting outside the ocean to defending the United States from being attacked by the enemy. The Americans had to choose the local defense strategy.
The frustrated Aidel still retained his original official title and served as deputy commander of the fleet. Although he did not make any contribution to this battle, he still retained some of the fleet's strength. The US Navy did not have many candidates to choose from, so he had to stay at Aidel and let him continue to command.
The degree of sensation in the United States can naturally be imagined as to the destruction of the Pacific Fleet. Since the United States decided to join the war, it has suffered a defeat and has almost never fought a decent battle. The powerful America fell in front of the giants of the New China, and was beaten to pieces and was covered in bruises and lost its vitality.
In the early stage of the war, the Americans' strategic task of trying to fight for sea control in the South China Sea in the Taiping region was completely ruined. At this time, they had experienced the huge influence brought by the technological gap. The United States, with strong shipbuilding capabilities, could not resist the strong rise of the Chinese navy. The fantasy of stifling the Chinese navy in the high-speed starting stage has been completely shattered, and their decision to start a war with China has pulled the United States into a huge quagmire, and the Americans can no longer see the hope they originally wanted to see.
The United States is in full swing, and the streets and alleys are filled with sad atmosphere. The New York Times made the fastest comment and the argument is low: "As an old capitalist power, as a powerful country that accounts for more than one-third of the world's industrial production, it was defeated by the emerging capitalist China. This day is a shame for the Americans and the most painful situation since the founding of the United States. All American people feel extremely sad..."
Other major newspapers have made long comments. The American media and the public expressed great loss about the failure of the United States. A country that is arrogant and considers itself extremely noble was defeated by the hands of a newly emerging backward country. The proud head of the Americans is difficult to lower their heads at this moment. They are not convinced because the poor impression of the Chinese yesterday is still deeply imprinted in their minds. They will not easily change their ideas because of the appearance of Li Tiancheng.
"The United States cannot fail, we must continue to fight." A Chicago media outlet put up a title that attempts to restore morale.
Analysts in the United States are making further analysis and predictions on the future situation. They are analyzing the consequences of the continued battle between the United States and China, the possible reversal of the situation, and the period when the war may have a turning point.
Between October and November, four more aircraft carriers of the US military will be launched in shipyards in Boston and New York respectively. During this period, it is difficult for the Chinese navy to recover and it is impossible to attack the East Coast of the United States through the Panama Canal. The Americans seemed to see hope again.
News that made them feel unfortunate immediately came from the other side of the ocean. On October 22, the Chinese Ministry of Defense announced to the world that the two other aircraft carriers of the Zhenguo Army, the Taiwan and Hainan, had been launched and put into service, and the Zhenguo Army's fourth aircraft carrier fleet was built, but the fleet was unable to participate in the Battle of Hawaii in time due to insufficient training. It would not be officially involved in the war two months later.
Chapter completed!