The 18,000-ton mass-produced aircraft carrier Cougar, built by the Germans, was the first priority target chosen by the American fleet, and it was also the only regular Allied aircraft carrier to be sunk in this naval battle. To be honest, the aircraft carrier was not attacked much, far less than the sunken aircraft carrier of the Glorious fleet in the British fleet, and the real blows were only three times, two 1,000-pound high-explosive shells and one torpedo, two bombs pierced the flight deck and the fragile horizontal armor, blowing two steam turbines to pieces, and another bomb exploded in the hangar, causing an unstoppable fire. The other torpedo hit near the aircraft carrier's motor compartment, originally according to the standards of the Germans, the core compartment of the motor compartment should be deployed in two ** compartments, but in order to save trouble, the motor compartment of the Cougar adopts a centralized arrangement, coupled with the underwater defense system is not powerful, not only the depth is only 2.5 meters, but even the thickness of the TDS armor is only 40mm, which is definitely a typical shoddy system, so under the effect of its own problems and a little luck, it led to a fatal shot of the Puma medium-sized aircraft carrier

When the USS Cougar was still on fire, it seemed reluctant to accept its fate. The battle in the air was over, and less than 100 of the more than 500 US planes that attacked finally returned, while the number of attack planes returned no more than 40, and as many as 80 percent of the Allied carrier-based planes were all reduced to pieces under the layers of interception by the Luftwaffe. The loss of more than 400 aircraft of various types was nothing more than the sinking of a medium fleet aircraft carrier and an aviation cruiser, plus two light cruisers and several destroyers. In terms of combat performance, the results of this attack of the Americans are completely incomparable with those of the Germans. But in any case, with the return of aircraft from both sides. The day's engagement finally came to an end, and yes, although it was still early, by the time the last FW190 fighter landed on deck, it was only two o'clock in the afternoon, but at this time neither side was capable of launching a second wave of attacks that day

There is no doubt that the Allied fleet was victorious in this engagement, which was unprecedented in proportion. But as the victorious side, he also paid an extremely heavy price, just attacking the Allied fleet and throwing away more than 600 aircraft of various types, and on the way back, the Germans lost nearly 50 planes of various kinds due to breakdowns and accidents, and in the fleet defense operation. Although the Germans had the advantage in the war, they also lost hundreds of aircraft, and these planes together lost more than 800 aircraft, which means that the entire Allied aircraft carrier battle group has lost about 40 percent of the carrier-based aircraft, not including those aircraft that landed with injuries and needed to be repaired

In addition to the material losses, what is even more terrifying is the consumption of personnel. The planes that did not make it back must have been gone, along with the pilots on it, and the remaining pilots who participated in the battle were very tired, and almost all the pilots of the carrier-based aircraft had taken to the skies that day. The ground crews who acted with the pilots were also very tired, and the Germans gained a very high combat effectiveness in a short period of time through large-scale overdrafts, but now, the sequelae came, and the entire fleet was so sleepy that it almost did not have the ability to strike again

As for the Allied fleet, not to mention the 5 aircraft carriers that were in an even worse situation, the British lost nearly 400 Spitfires in the interception operation. Subsequently, due to the sinking of the aircraft carrier, more than 100 aircraft of various types were lost, and the total number of losses was close to 600, and the fleet responsible for attacking the Allied fleet was also defeated, nearly 1,000 aircraft were wiped out, and many aircraft were damaged. After a fierce battle, the number of Spitfires of the Entente countries was greatly reduced, and the defensive operation was not enough, let alone the offensive. The ground crews were similarly overstaffed, and the Allied fleet retreated to the east while preparing its defenses

"I can't afford to fight" Although theoretically the Germans still have 6 percent of carrier-based aircraft left, there are about 1,200 of them. However, after eliminating the faulty aircraft and those that need to be repaired, there are only 1,000 aircraft left to use, which seems to be a large scale, but if ordinary carrier-based aircraft are dispatched to carry out attack missions, then only 500 aircraft will have what effect on a fleet as large as the Entente? Just look at the Allied fleet attacking the Allied fleet at noon today, although I don't want to admit it in my heart. But at this time, Count Spee knew very well that the Confederate fleet was also debilitating itself while damaging its opponents. Of course, at the time of the estimate, Count Spee somewhat overestimated the air defense capabilities of the Entente fleet, and with the massive losses of Spitfires, the air defense of the Allied air forces fell faster than the Allies imagined

"If the Entente fleet decides to go north. Then we are ready to engage in a fleet artillery battle with them, and if they choose to withdraw in the direction of France, they will be handed over to land-based aviation and air forces for the time being, and then we will go to the Azores to replenish carrier-based aircraft. When Raeder asked what to do next, Count Spee gritted his teeth and made a shocking move, Count Spee's determination at the critical moment was no less than that of his predecessor, and he was absolutely unambiguous when he should be desperate

Of course, the reason why Count Spee put forward this somewhat radical plan of action is that from the current point of view, the Allied fleet still has an advantage, and according to German estimates, the loss rate of carrier-based aircraft on both sides is about the same. But the British lost a large number of cutting-edge Spitfires, and the gap in air superiority aircraft between the two sides was even greater than before the war. It may be a bit ineffective to attack such a large fleet with carrier-based aircraft, but if it is combined with the accompanying battleships and cruisers, then the Allies still have a great advantage.

Of course, Count Spee also had a hint of luck in his heart, and he gambled that his opponent would not dare to go north but chose to return to France to survive. So which of the two paths that the Allies would actually choose between the northward and eastward directions? At a time of life and death, the Entente decisively chose to move eastward, and it has to be said that today's battle really shocked the Allied naval top brass, and the heavy losses of the fleet made Britain and the United States feel heartache

To be honest, Nimitz could not have imagined the outcome of another fight between the two sides, with the best Spitfire fighters in the Entente fleet suffering heavy losses. It is estimated that there are no more than 200 aircraft that can be used, and the air defense capability is greatly reduced, and in the eyes of the Americans, if the Germans can make up a fleet of more than 400 aircraft, the Allied fleet is likely to directly lose 4 aircraft carriers, so even if they can break through the opponent's defense line and go north. The price to be paid was still unbearable for Nimitz and the others, and the fury and the other two aircraft carriers in the fleet were damaged, and the speed was limited to about 26 knots, and the injuries were likely to worsen. Obviously, these aircraft carriers could not be discarded at will, so the best thing to do was to retreat closer to France, and the Allied fleet did begin to withdraw at full speed in the direction of France, and for the time being, the Entente were acting exactly as the Allies had envisioned. The Germans, who are moving towards the encirclement set by the Luftwaffe Navy and Air Force, seem to have won the battle, but is this really the case?

"If we go east, we will be within the strike range of German land-based aviation, and how should we deal with the current situation of the fleet?" When Nimitz proposed to retreat in the direction of France, Halsey asked, the Americans were not unaware of the threat of the Luftwaffe, on the contrary, as the ground war declined, the Allied navies had always paid attention to the movements of the Allied land-based aviation

"I've thought of this. Don't forget, in addition to the air forces of the United States, Britain and France, France now has another powerful fighter force, and the Cascha Falcon fighter provided by Huaxia is a waiting force, and now it's time for them to exert their might," Nimitz said with a smile. The tone was full of a hint of relaxation Huaxia began to provide direct military support to the Entente early on, including 700 Cascha Falcon fighters and hundreds of pilots in the first batch of aid catalogs and as time went by, more and more Cascha Falcon fighters and flying fox fighters arrived in Britain, and even some troops have entered France, the United States and Britain have not let these cutting-edge aircraft on the field under pressure before this is just for emergencies, and now, the Huaxia Air Force has appeared, of course, These units are not yet able to bear the name of the Huaxia Air Force. They are the "Volunteer Army"

"So after that, if we are able to return to the British mainland under the cover of the Chinese Air Force, what will we do next? The losses of the German fleet were not significant, and in replenishment of carrier-based aircraft. And after the corresponding maintenance work has been carried out, it can reappear in the Atlantic. I estimate that this time the German Navy will return to port for maintenance no more than 2 months, and then what should we do? Cunningham said with a frown. The main force of the Allied aircraft carrier formation still exists, and even if you throw away aircraft carriers that need to be overhauled like Fury, you can still make up about 18 fleet aircraft carriers, but the problem of carrier-based aircraft cannot be solved, and the entire fleet lacks a few hundred aircraft, and the fall of France has become a foregone conclusion, and the next one is Britain. The British could not have so many aircraft to replenish naval aviation, and the British Royal Air Force was eager to use all aircraft for air defense

"Well, this, when the situation in Europe stabilizes, I think I will take the fleet back to the United States for replenishment and maintenance." Nimitz hesitated for a long time but decided to tell Cunningham the truth. Of course, in the ears of the British, these words obviously mean that the Americans are going to run away, Britain, you hold on to yourself first, if the US and British fleets together still have a chance to defeat the Allied fleet and restore the sea transportation line, then if the Americans leave, the British Royal Navy will really become a fleet, and the German Navy, which has overwhelming military superiority and occupies France, can completely make the British fleet unable to get out of the cover range of land-based aviation

"Do you know what you're talking about? Can I understand that there is a rift in the Holy Alliance? Cunningham was shocked, and a look of weakness, anger, and even helplessness appeared on his face, but after calming down, he decided to ask Nimitz for an explanation.

"This is a strategic need, we have no choice, the British mainland cannot maintain such a large fleet, we still have a dozen aircraft carriers, dozens of main forces and more than two hundred various escort warships, just ask, is your country capable of providing enough manpower and supplies while resisting the Luftwaffe? Even the safety of some ports cannot be guaranteed, right? The value of the existence of the Navy is to go to sea to fight, and if it is not even possible to ensure the basic operation of the fleet, then what is the value of these warships? ”

"I know what you're worried about, the United States of America is not going to give up on the UK, we are allies. After the withdrawal of the German fleet, we will return to the United States, and then join the Chinese fleet, and I am confident that, with the addition of the Chinese fleet, we will be able to defeat our opponents in a head-to-head engagement, and we will complete the rest before the German navy recovers. Trust me," Nimitz said with all sincerity.

"Well, I trust you, and I trust the U.S. government to make the right choice, but it must be fast, the Germans will soon occupy France, and we are running out of time," Cunningham said after taking a deep breath.

"The British are gone?" Half an hour later, Cunningham and the others finally left, leaving with suspicion and a little hope, and they were a little unwilling. And after the outsiders left, Nimitz and the others could finally discuss some issues that could not be put on the table behind closed doors, for example, after returning this time, what should the French fleet do with it, should it be taken away or solved directly as a last resort? After the end of this war, the French Navy could even be described as unscathed, and the position of the French fleet in the weakened Allied Combined Fleet had risen, and in any case, it was impossible for the Americans to watch the French fleet finally be detained or even on the side of the Germans

"I suggest that after the fleet arrives off the coast of France, let the French fleet rush to England first, and then let the British pay attention to this fleet, anyway, we can't let them anchor in French ports anymore, in addition, we need to be prepared, once the French government decides to surrender, can we immediately support a question of resistance to the government in England?" I think de Gaulle is good, he is a soldier, he has a low political status, he is relatively easy to win over, and he is more resolute in the matter of confronting the Germans. One of the most important reasons, of course, is that he still has the best French troops at his disposal, and if we can take them away, at least the British will have an extra layer of security," Nimitz said, looking at the others.

Unlike ordinary generals, as the current head of the US Navy, Nimitz must have enough political sense, no one in the navy is more authoritative than him, and the decisions made by those politicians also largely depend on Nimitz's judgment and opinions, so he must consider the costs and benefits of various options by himself, "I hope Huaxia's actions can be faster" Nimitz sighed and said.

I'm sorry.,It's confusing enough in the past few days.,The chapter table of contents has been wrong several times.,But the order is right In addition.,Thank you for the reward of the book friend zhouyu1976~~~ and the monthly pass support of the book friend ynn7817~~~。 To be continued