Chapter 119 The First Air Battle

In the circular array of the second cluster, there is also a strange battleship. There is a strange giant iron box in the front of the front and rear masts, and two hanging towers, but it looks a bit like a work ship.

This is the latest seaplane mothership of the Chinese Army, "Flying Eagle", with a standard displacement of 9,800 tons. It carries twenty seaplanes and is stored in the hangar on the upper deck and in the cabin by folding wings. It is equipped with lifts. Before taking off, it is transported to the sea by a crane tower, and it is provided with buoyancy on the sea surface with the floating boat under the aircraft providing buoyancy, and takes off.

The ship also uses fuel-powered, with a speed of 24 knots, equipped with four 75mm high-level dual-purpose rapid-fire cannons, ten 37mm rapid-fire cannons, and six hundred and twenty crew members.

In addition, there are six weird battleships.

Compared with other warships, these ships have very low freeboards, equipped with four double main turrets of two or three millimeters, as well as dense 75 mm secondary guns, 37 mm machine guns, and even heavy machine guns. The strangest thing is that the underwater part has an anti-torpedo cabin of up to five meters wide, which is a typical tumbler.

This is a shallow water heavy gunboat - hammer class specially designed and manufactured by the Chinese army to support landing nearshore. Its standard displacement is 3,200 tons and its maximum speed is 12 knots. Its characteristics are shallow draft and high buoyancy, and the second is sturdy and durable. The protection thickness of its key parts is up to nine inches. This kind of warship can even enter the Yalu River or Heilongjiang during the water rise period, which plays an important role in land combat.

In addition to these, the Chinese army also had twelve thousand-ton shallow water heavy gunboats or sea defense ships accompanying them. Although these warships had poor ocean performance, their draft was shallow and suitable for near-shore support. They were a weapon for landing operations.

Located outside the third cluster, there are the first and second light patrol teams, and they are also surrounded by circular formations around the Chinese warships.

The Second Light Cruise Team has four Hound-class light cruisers: Hound, Mastiff, Mastiff and Vicious Dog. This is a modification of the British Apollo-class third-class protective cruiser. It has a standard displacement of 3,400 tons and a maximum speed of 20 knots. It has a 152-mm single-mounted main gun installed in front and back.

The First Light Cruise Team has four Mustang-class light cruisers: Mustang, war horse, galloping horse, and horse. It is a modified British Goddess of Justice-class third-class protective cruiser with a standard displacement of 4,360 tons, a maximum speed of 20 knots, and a 152 mm single-mounted main gun in front and back.

The outermost periphery is the third mine team composed of a Battle Knife-class light patrol and six thick fog-class destroyers. In addition to the Big Knife light patrol during his tenure, the fourth team also includes three fog-classes, including the Rain Mist, which survived the Black Panther formation before. The other three fog-classes in Jiaozhou Bay will also join.

The fourth cluster is at the end of the formation.

Closely surrounded by the destroyer are a series of auxiliary ships: the large repair ships Luban, Mozi, and the fleet oil tankers Lingnan, Huainan, large submarine support ships Hailong, Haima, and the British hospital ships Huatuo and Bian Que.

Behind it is a huge transport fleet, carrying the Fifth and Sixth Divisions of the Chinese Marine Corps formerly stationed in Taiwan, as well as the First Marine Independent Brigade composed of Ryukyu garrison troops.

Cruising outside the fourth cluster were the fifth and sixth torpedo teams composed of a plum-class blush-class blush cruiser as its flagship, leading six old-style destroyers in the Water Moon class.

Around the fleet, under the clouds, several seaplanes equipped by the Flying Eagle are paying attention to the surrounding sea conditions.

Seabird-type seaplane, wooden, canvas skinned, biplane, three-seater, three-floating boat, rear seat equipped with a light machine gun, carrying two 25 kilogram bombs, with a ceiling of 3,000 meters, a maximum speed of 120 kilometers per hour, and a range of 300 kilometers. It mainly provides reconnaissance and anti-submarine operations for the fleet.

This is an unprecedented huge fleet in the history of the Chinese Empire, and it is also the strongest formation that a single country in the Pacific of this era has ever possessed.

Strong ships and powerful guns, officers and soldiers are well-trained, have high morale, and are eager to fight. Most warships have been synthesized and practiced many times, and have the unique killing weapon of air weapons. In general, they have indeed reached the peak of naval combat power in this era.

This fleet exuding sharp and murderous aura and awe-inspiring giant cannons is advancing north at a speed of fourteen knots, aiming directly at the most important naval base of the Chinese army's Jiaodong Peninsula: Jiaozhou Bay.

The flagship of the Chinese Empire's mobile fleet, Guangzhou.

The rising sun shone slanted, and the light and shadow floated, as if a raging fire was ignited on the starboard side of the steel warship.

The Battle resounded throughout the ship.

The naval soldiers sleeping soundly in the hammock and the naval officers resting on the bed all jumped out of the bed like an electric shock, lifted up their clothes and put them on their bodies, stepped on the battle shoes on the ship, and tied buttons and belts while running.

For a moment, the black and white uniforms on the deck intertwined, and they ran towards their respective battle positions in an orderly manner. Inside the secondary turret, the electric bullet lifter opened the cover, and the ammunition hand picked up the heavy 152 shells, and alternately transmitted to the gun position, filling in the muzzle, closing the gun bolt. The gunner quickly shook the handle under the command of the artillery leader.

The cannon suit has been removed, and the black hole is aimed at the side of the side.

The bridge sailors and officers rushed up to their respective positions along the gangway, and the staff officers rushed into the battle bridge in a straight posture, standing solemnly.

A roar came from the horn inside the ship.

"Main turret No. 1 is in place"

"Second Turret No. 1 is in place"

"All turrets are ready for convenience"

"The loss management team arrived at their respective combat positions"

"The engine room is finished"

...

"Report to the captain, the whole ship is in place"

The captain of the battleship Guangzhou, Zhang Zhengyu, pressed his pocket watch and nodded: "The entire ship took seven minutes and two seconds."

He turned to Xu Fan: "Please give me advice from the commander and commander."

Xu Fan said calmly: "There has made progress, but it is not good enough. What I want is six minutes. Order each group to correct any problems if they are in place."

"The battle that is about to happen will determine the final success or failure of the Empire's war." Xu Fan looked around everyone, but his peaceful tone contained a sound of metal and stone. "Any negligence may cause unpredictable consequences. So, what I want is not to be sure, but to be foolproof."

After lunch, Guangzhou.

Since it was built according to the Imperial Mobile Fleet flagship from the very beginning, the chief cockpit on the Guangzhou was luxurious. According to Xu Fan, who donated tens of millions of yuan to the Navy every year, these people would have to shoulder the important task of survival of the country once they went to sea, and it was understandable to live comfortably.

Xu Fan's cockpit is the cabin of the captain of the motorized fleet, which is completely in accordance with the standards of the royal suite on the top floor of the Imperial Hotel. The outer room is a wide conference room, with a study, bedroom, bathroom, and decorations are also a combination of Chinese and Western styles, and Xu Fan's favorite private wine cabinet is indispensable. Generally speaking, the Imperial fleet is prohibited in combat duty, and the only exception is the fleet commander to entertain special guests.

However, Xu Fan did not drink wine today. The teak tea table was covered with snow-white tablecloths, but the same colored purple clay tea set was placed on the tea tray of red sandalwood. The tea fragrance swayed. The serviceman gently adjusted the tea cups and then handed them to the two sitting opposite him.

The former commander of the motor fleet and the current commander of the first team, Admiral Lin Taizeng, who came to discuss the situation on a traffic boat, sipped a sip of red wine, closed his eyes, and whispered after a while: "Authentic Lu'an melon slices, which is indeed a magical product."

Xu Fan on the opposite side smiled: "Kaishi, you are so hidden. I originally thought you only understand the Tieguanyin and Wulong in Fujian, but I didn't expect you to appreciate Huiqing."

"If I guess correctly, these are probably the old tea trees in front of the bat cave, which are really magical..." Lin Tai once exclaimed a few words and said frankly, "You know, after the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, Mourinho invited me to drink Kung Fu tea, which was the Lu'an melon slices. In fact, there was no other meaning, it was just a relationship. He was very interested in how you kneaded us old Beiyang into it."

Xu Fan lowered his eyes slightly: "A Tie... If he was still there, I don't know how happy it would be. It would be such a honor to have such a war in his life to experience such a soldier."

"War..." Lin Tai once sighed lightly, "Marson, although I know it's a bit disappointing, I still hope that you will land in Jiaozhou Bay and command the battle on land. This battle is really too dangerous, we..."

Xu Fan shook his head: "Kaishi, this is not a question of whether it is dangerous or not, but I have no other choice, and neither does the empire."

Seeing that Lin Taizhe wanted to speak, Xu Fan waved his hand.

"You listen to me... It's not that I don't trust you, Kais. The time for the final battle has never been mature before. I'm relieved to hand over the fleet to you." Xu Fan said, "You are cautious and calm, and you won't make a rash move. Your prestige and connections can also shock those people below. But now it's different."

"The time for the decisive battle is ripe: the Japanese have invested in Liaodong, and the rear is empty, and the fleet has to be bound by the land forces and cannot actively choose battlefields and fighter jets. Our fleet can no longer suppress the passion for fighting, and now is the best time." Xu Fan said firmly, "If you suppress it, it will be the reverse effect. However, the decisive battle requires not only caution, but also release this long-accumulated fighting enthusiasm, allowing them to release the accumulation of ten years of hard training on the enemy's heads. You are not as good as me. After all, this army was created by me and my teacher, and my imprint is too deep. At this time, the fleet needs me, and the soldiers need their marshals."

Lin Tai was silent.

"The most important thing is that I need a complete victory, and the empire needs it too." Xu Fan took a sip of red wine, "The Americans' Great White Fleet has completed inspections on the West Coast and set off to the west. Although the fleet of sixteen battleships is a friendly visit, it is difficult to say whether it is a friend or an enemy when it comes. Once we win, we are seriously damaged, and the Americans may provide diplomatic and military protection to Japan and Russia, suppress us, and maintain the balance of power in the Western Pacific. At that time, we will be passive."

"So, this time we must completely eliminate the Japanese and Russian fleet so that they have no bargaining chips to bargain, and also shock the Americans." Xu Fan stared at Lin Taizeng, "Kais, even if it is you, I will never be at ease. Only I can control it myself. This is the most critical battle for the empire to lock in a complete victory. I will never be able to watch it on the wall."

Lin Tai once sighed: "Marson, since that's the case, I won't say much... But, no matter what, please do not go forward in Guangzhou, it's best to put the flag..."

"Kaishi, this time we must completely conquer the ambitious people from both the East and the West with a dignified formation, and strive for twenty years of peace. At this time, what we want is to be open and honest and convince them." Xu Fan shook his head, "I not only want to take my banner, but also lead a rapid formation to establish the victory. This time, we must let the naval soldiers of various countries watching the battle realize the extent to which the Imperial Navy has developed and let them know who the master of the Western Pacific is."

Lin Taizeng's mouth moved and eventually turned into a bitter smile.

Yellow Sea.

The sunlight spreads through the clouds on the sea surface, reflecting colorful light. Above a three-kilometer altitude, a light blue cigar-shaped monster is slowly moving forward at a speed of 30 kilometers per hour.

The Chinese airship "Floating 32" is conducting airspace patrols under the propeller powered by four high-power diesel engines.

"The signal flare in front... should be our seaplane, and the signal is... encountered by the enemy's air force."

The sound of the lookout hand suddenly changed from calm to astonishment, and the airship crew member who heard all this suddenly fell into a brief confusion.

Since the war started, the airship troops have experienced extraordinary achievements, and everyone has uncontrollably had an idea: the air is our world, and our army is the only force in the air.

But now, you are about to face hostile air combat equipment

How much power do they have? Do they have weapons? What tactics will they adopt?

No one knows it.

"Full boat preparation"

Captain Huang Qixuan was the first to wake up, roared and sounded the battle alarm.

"Send a telegram immediately to inform the enemy situation and the location of our boat"

More than a dozen crew members took their place.

Floating No. 32 is a reconnaissance airship affiliated to the Imperial Chinese Navy. It belongs to the Qingyun class, six airbags, two diesel engines, propeller-pushed, and twelve people. It is equipped with high-power radio stations, observation, drawing and photography equipment. It is equipped with two 12.7mm water-cooled aviation machine guns and carries an air-launched forty-mm grenade launcher.

"All machine guns, number two bullets"

"No. 1 machine gun is ready for convenience"

"No. 2 machine gun is ready for convenience"

"Grenade launcher is ready for convenience"

"The enemy airship is on the left front, with unknown model, four numbers, two thousand and five hundred altitude, fifty speed, distance...twenty thousand to twenty thousand five thousand..."

The lookout's roar resounded throughout the airship.

The airship opposite is affiliated to the First Air Floating Team of the Japanese Navy. It is a Zeppelin-type hard airship made by the German Zeppelin Company that Japan just received. It has a wooden skeleton with a maximum speed of 80 kilometers per hour. It is equipped with a Madson machine gun, which is named "One-type Aircraft" in Japan.

In order to reverse the unfavorable situation of the war, the Japanese also invested a lot this time and ordered twelve small airships and four heavy airships in one go (by the standards of the Chinese army, at most medium-sized). This time, in order to hunt down the Chinese army's maritime reconnaissance forces and seize the power of sea area reconnaissance, Japan sent eight small boats to search for the Chinese army's air reconnaissance airships in a group of four companies.

Soon, the Japanese airship also discovered the Chinese army, quickly dumped the ballast water, and began to climb. On the Japanese boat, the captain rang the alarm bell, and the crew in white uniform rushed to the battle position.

The battle unfolds at a distance of two thousand meters.

The Huajun Aviation Machine Gun was specially developed for aviation operations. It uses the principle of self-balancing to reduce recoil and is equipped with air-firing sights. But the real secret weapon of the Huajun is still bullets.

In another time and space, the German Zeppelin launched a strategic bombing on the British mainland with its large bomb load and high ceilings, and its shocking power was no less than that of the V1 missiles of World War II. In order to fight against the German airship, Britain loaded special bullets for air defense fighters in 1916. Two of them were named "pomeroy" and "brock", which were high-explosive bullets. The other one was called "Buckingham", which was a fire bomb filled with white phosphorus. If these bullets were used to shoot at Zeppelin alone, the effect was very limited. After they were mixed, they became a deadly weapon.

High-explosion bullets can penetrate the airship's hydrogen airbag, allowing the escaped high-purity hydrogen to be fully mixed with the air, and then the incendiary bombs will detonate the large ball of mixed gas.

It turns out that this is an effective weapon against airships.

Although Japan has formulated the tactics of using airships to fight airships from the beginning, it lacks understanding of airship air combat. It only wants to use machine guns to kill and injure the opponent's personnel, penetrate the airbags, and force them to land or even fall.

The result of the battle surprised the Japanese side.

Although the Chinese airships fought against four, the Japanese airships could not effectively and accurately fired in strong airflows, and the damage to the Chinese army was not great. On the contrary, the Chinese airships, with the protection of the steel plate cockpit, fired mixed ammunition chains with heavy machine guns, quickly ignited the first Japanese airship. At first, it was a blue flash, and then the terrifying blue flames quickly engulfed the entire airship.

Seeing that the situation was not good, the Japanese airship quickly covered the firepower and turned the boat to evacuate. At this moment, the Chinese airship saw that its firepower was effective, and the morale was greatly boosted. He chased after him and shot hard.

At this time, the Chinese Flying Eagle ship-based aircraft, which issued an early warning, also followed the seabird-type seaplane numbered Water 89, and fired the Japanese airship airbags with similar mixed links.

In the sky, huge airships and wretched canvas skinned aircraft fired at each other, machine guns and bullets were flying all over the sky, and everyone's adrenal hormones were secreted rapidly.

At this time, few people realized that they were already making history.

The first battle between aircraft in human history, or the first air battle, took place on this day, over the Yellow Sea of ​​China, was jointly performed by Chinese airships and aircraft, as well as the Zeppelin of Japan.

The first squadron of the Japanese army's first floating brigade was wiped out.

Chapter 119 The First Air Battle
Chapter completed!