Chapter 746: 108,000 American Idiots
A plane was firing at the disposable Spitfire piloted by Flandersek!
Flandersek looked back and was immediately overwhelmed by despair. Because there was a Fokker Zero behind him, or to be more precise, a Fokker Zero D-2 carrier-based fighter.
This was a low-altitude enhanced version of the Fokker Zero, and also the latest model. This model of the Fokker Zero completely abandoned the route above 5,000 meters and chose a BMW-303A 14-cylinder air-cooled engine with an output power of up to 1,400 horsepower.
This "small 14-cylinder" (power is not as good as the large 14-cylinder of the BMW-800 series, but the weight and volume are also much smaller) air-cooled engine does not have a MW50 system and a supercharger, so there will be a problem of rapid output drop at medium and high altitudes above 5,000 meters. However, this design also has an advantage, that is, every bit of the weight of the engine can be used to enhance the power when used at altitudes below 5,000 meters.
After replacing the engine, Fokker's designers also enhanced the ground (sea) attack capabilities of the Fokker Zero D series (there are two models, D-1 and D-2, of which D-1 is shore-based and D-2 is ship-based) according to the situation on the Soviet-German battlefield.
The aircraft's armor, fuselage structural strength, firepower and mounting capacity were particularly strengthened. The firepower was enhanced to the G131 machine gun, and the mounting capacity was enhanced to a maximum of 1 250 kg bomb and 2 150 liter auxiliary fuel tanks.
Therefore, the Fokker Zero D series has a special ability that the previous generation of Fokker Zero did not have - the ability to clear the battlefield in advance.
The so-called clearing the battlefield in advance is actually the fighter version of the "fuel tank tactics". It first appeared on the Eastern Front battlefield, targeting the characteristics of the "short legs" of Soviet fighters, using the Fw-190G series and Fokker Zero, which have relatively ideal endurance and ground attack capabilities, to harass Soviet airports. Lure the opponent's aircraft to take off, then circle and entangle with them, and wait until the opponent runs out of fuel before sending bombers to drop bombs.
The Fokker Zero D series seems to be designed for such despicable tactics! This aircraft can do almost anything below 5,000 meters, circling, dogfighting, diving, and sweeping the ground. It is good at everything. And after hanging two auxiliary fuel tanks, the range can reach about 2,400 kilometers. Although it is much worse than the previous generations of Fokker Zero, it is enough to bully the Soviet Union's short-legged fighters.
After this type of aircraft arrives on the German Navy's aircraft carrier, although it will not deliberately play "airfield pressure", it is okay to do it occasionally.
Today, Lieutenant Colonel Heinz Barr, the commander-in-chief of the first assault wave sent by the aviation fleet of the European Combined Fleet, is an experienced old pilot who is very familiar with the situation in the Norwegian Sea. After discovering that there are many Spitfires chasing Ju288 in the air, he immediately ordered a squadron of Fokker Zero D-2 aircraft to fly over the Faroe Islands-because the skills of British carrier-based aircraft pilots have declined sharply, and there are no Spitfires that are difficult to land on British aircraft carriers, so Lieutenant Colonel Barr thought that these Spitfires took off from the Faroe Islands.
As a result, a Fokker Zero squadron led by Captain Nowotny, the ace pilot of the German Naval Aviation Force, hit the target by accident and killed the Flanderseck that was about to land and another 20 to 30 "disposable Spitfires".
Just as Nowotny led his team to kill over the Faroe Islands, the massacre on the sea also began. Although the "disposable planes" of the American tycoons damaged many Ju288s, forcing them to drop heavy bombs and escape, and also shot down 3 of them. But today, the Germans' attack means are not limited to Ju288 dropping remote-controlled gliding bombs.
"Brothers, I am Lieutenant Colonel Heinz Barr, the commander-in-chief of today's air strike." Heinz Barr drove his Fokker 100 carrier-based dive bomber around the chaotic British and American fleets on the sea, and then began to issue orders to the carrier-based aircraft group.
"The priority target is the enemy's escort aircraft carrier, then the oil tanker, then the large ordinary transport ship, and then the small boat."
"Lieutenant Colonel, do you want to attack the battleship? There are many battleships on the sea." At this time, someone asked through the airborne radio.
"No need," Lieutenant Colonel Barr replied, "We have limited time and bombs, so we have to attack the most threatening targets. The fuel on the oil tanker and the weapons and ammunition on the transport ship will cause huge casualties to our army brothers, so they are the most threatening. Let's blow them all up now!"
This is undoubtedly a very correct decision. Before, the main force of the European Joint Fleet "picked up" only low-value grain ships at sea. Wheat and egg powder will not cause losses to the European coalition forces on the island of Ireland, but weapons and ammunition and high-quality gasoline will become dangerous goods once they reach the UK, so they must all be destroyed!
While the Liberty ships carrying the artillery, tanks, ammunition and aircraft of the American Expeditionary Force were sent to the bottom of the sea by German and Italian bombs, 108,000 American Expeditionary Force officers and soldiers had safely arrived at Scapa Flow, which was tightly protected by armored turrets, anti-aircraft guns, torpedo boats and anti-submarine nets.
In a luxuriously decorated cabin on the Normandy cruise ship with a displacement of more than 80,000 tons, several leading figures of the American Expeditionary Force, including Lieutenant General Eisenhower, Lieutenant General Stilwell, Major General Fredendall, Major General Patton and Major General Bradley, were gathered together.
They were drinking coffee with General Alexander, the Supreme Allied Commander of the Irish Theater of Operations, who came to greet the American Expeditionary Force, and Major General Hobert, who commanded the British 11th Armored Division and fought against German armored forces on the island of Ireland. Discussing the war on the island of Ireland.
"Mr. Commander, we have not encountered Tiger tanks on the island of Ireland. Maybe the number of such tanks is limited and they are too heavy to be transported by sea. On the island of Ireland, we have encountered the most powerful German tanks. The tank is their Type 4 H. It has very strong frontal armor and a very powerful 75mm cannon, which is a very difficult weapon to deal with, but we already have ways to defeat it, and we have some now. Weapons that can fight against Panzer IV and even Tiger tanks, such as the Churchill Type 4 tank and the assault gun developed on the basis of the Churchill Type 4 tank.”
The person speaking was Major General Hobert, a rare armored expert in the British Army. Because he was too old and his official career was not good, he retired from active service for a time. Later, with the intervention of Churchill, he became the commander of the 11th Armored Division. In June of this year, he led his troops to fight in Ireland and achieved several modest victories. Therefore, he firmly secured his position as division commander and was also selected by Marshal Alexander. As a right-hand man.
The Churchill Type 4 tank that Major General Hobert is talking about now is the best tank in the UK. Not only is the armor very strong, but it also has a powerful 6-pound gun, which is enough to fight against the German Type 4 H tank.
In addition, the British also developed the Churchill 4 assault gun based on the Churchill 4 tank. This is an emergency weapon that has no history. It actually removes the turret of the Churchill 4 tank and directly inserts a powerful 17-pound anti-tank gun into the body of the Churchill 4 tank. Transformed into an assault gun.
With the Churchill No. 4 tank and the Churchill No. 4 assault gun, the British Army in Ireland has weapons that can theoretically fight against German armored forces. However, the problem that the UK now encounters is insufficient numbers and no air superiority.
"The issues of quantity and air superiority are not difficult problems for us." Eisenhower replied with a smile. "What we lack now are usable models and tank guns... If your 17-pounder gun is really highly penetrating, we will also It can be installed on the body of an M4 tank. We brought a lot of M4 tanks and M10 tank destroyers this time, a total of 1,000, and we can use half of them for modification. As for aircraft, we also brought a lot. As long as the P51, P38 and the newly commissioned P47 are deployed, Ireland’s air superiority will definitely return to our hands.”
Eisenhower only brought 2 armored divisions to Ireland, with a maximum of 500 tanks/tank destroyers in operation. However, the Americans felt that for every tank in operation, at least one reserve tank should be prepared. So the number of tanks/tank destroyers shipped to the UK is 1,000!
And considering the strong armor strength of the German Army, these tanks/tank destroyers are all M4 and M10 types. Their bodies can be used to carry 17-pound anti-tank guns.
And there are 500 M4 and M10, plus 500 assault guns equipped with 17-pound anti-tank guns, plus the British's own Churchill 4 tanks and Churchill 4 assault guns. Ireland's chances of winning this battle seem to be very high.
General Alexander and Major General Hobert both laughed and were about to say a few colorful words. A liaison officer from the U.S. Navy suddenly rushed in in a panic. He even forgot to perform military salutes and started shouting a report.
"Just received an urgent call from the New York. The NR21 fleet was besieged by hundreds of German aircraft. The losses were very heavy. Most of the oil ships, ammunition ships and equipment transport ships were sunk. These included transport tanks/tank destroyers. 10 freewheelers of cars!”
What? Several American and British generals were all dumbfounded. The free wheels of 10 transport tanks sank! Most of the oil tankers, ammunition ships and equipment transport ships also sank! So... what are the 108,000 American soldiers here in Scapa Flow going to do to fight the Nazis? With the rifles they carry?
This is obviously unrealistic, so what else can they do now? It seems that the only thing left is to help the British people consume the already insufficient food!