Chapter 920: Big Fireworks on the Bismarck Sea

The blue sky, the vast ocean, the golden beach and the tropical woods in the distance. A huge figure appeared on the sea level to the east, and Lieutenant General Kato Sadayoshi, commander of the Japanese South Pacific Task Force, put down the telescope in his hand. Then he signaled the officer next to him to be on alert. The officer immediately got off, and all the off-duty personnel in the entire battleship returned to work. The entire fleet, led by the flagship Fuso, drew a huge semicircle on the sea and headed towards the target that appeared in the distance.

Scenes like this have appeared many times in recent months. The Japanese fleet is constantly patrolling in the waters disputed by both parties, and the Americans are doing the same thing. The two naval powers, both claiming to be the third largest in the world, have similar lineups in this area. Japan has two battleships, the latest Fuso-class battleship and the Kongo-class battlecruiser purchased from the United Kingdom. The American fleet on the opposite side did not show any weakness. The Americans took out their latest Nevada-class battleship and the second-newest battleship USS New York!

The firepower comparison between the two sides is Japan's 10 15-inch L42 main guns + 8 14-inch L45 artillery. On the American side are 20 10-inch L45 main guns. (The New York has five twin main gun turrets, one of which is in the middle of the hull. The Nevada has a 3223 layout.) Japan has some advantages in terms of firepower. As for defense? As in history, Nevada's thick side armor is absolutely powerful. Although it is not as good as Fuso's sloped armor, it is at least enough. And what about New York? Although it is worse, with only 12 inches of armor, it is enough to mock the King Kong-level 8-inch iron skin!

The Japanese fleet has a crushing advantage in terms of speed. The fleet composed of Fuso and Kongo can reach a speed of more than 26 knots, which is 5 knots faster than the American Iron Turtles! Of course, in the view of Lieutenant General Kato Sadaikichi, these data are more about just soldiers who feel safer and (except for the Kongo) perform tasks with a more positive attitude. No one expected that here, these human beings The behemoths created with the highest technological achievements can truly face each other in battle.

The same goes for the Americans opposite! This time the American fleet was led by Rear Admiral Sims. Although this person also participated in the Spanish-American War, his main task was to beat up the weak Spanish in the Caribbean and did not participate in the Philippine Naval War in the Far East. Originally, according to the original intention of the U.S. Navy Department, Maggie Fen, who had the most practical combat experience and a higher level, should come this time. However, the President of the United States believed that under the situation that "Japan is a member of the Allied Powers", it is best not to initiate a direct conflict between the two parties. Sending an officer who has fought against the Japanese fleet may cause the other party to misjudge. Therefore, what finally came was Major General Sims, who also had "actual combat experience", not Magiffin.

"Is this the latest Japanese battleship Fuso?" Sims was also observing the Japanese battleship appearing in the distance. If the American battleship gave people a thick feeling, it was like a North American brown bear. Then the Japanese battleship opposite looks very handsome. The slender hull combined with the simple and smooth appearance gives people a pleasing feeling.

How can I put it, generally speaking, fast battleships are better looking than slow battleships, such as Hood's handsomeness and Nelson's burliness...

"This battleship looks more like a Bavaria-class battleship with a turret added.

So it looks more slender, but I have to say that the combat effectiveness of this battleship seems to be stronger than our Nevada. "An officer next to him showed a trace of envy in his eyes.

"But we are strong enough! The armor is strong enough! There is also the armor on the front of the turret, which cannot be penetrated! Even the Germans can't." Another officer said with some dissatisfaction.

"Okay, let the boys prepare and finish what we have to do today!" Major General Sims said. Everyone has been at odds for several months. Even though neither side wants to take action, some tacit understanding has been formed behind the scenes. For example, after the two parties meet, they keep a distance of 12 to 15 kilometers, and then they sail northward in parallel for half an hour, and then leave in the opposite direction at the same time. That's it. The islands controlled by both sides are scattered across the vast ocean. Both sides spent most of their time cruising between the islands, bumping into each other, saying hello, and then leaving. that is it!

Everything unfolded according to the script, starting with the Fuso, followed by the battlecruiser Kongo, followed by the armored cruiser Asama, and finally the protected cruiser Akashi. And a few destroyers, and what about the Americans? Opposite are the battleship USS Nevada, the battleship USS New York, the armored cruiser USS Cincinnati, and a destroyer. In order to prevent accidents, neither side aimed their guns at their opponents, and no ammunition was even placed in the turrets.

The two fleets are sailing on the sea like this. If nothing happens, they will separate from each other in 20 minutes. But at this moment, a huge fireball suddenly rose from the middle of the hull of the protected cruiser Akashi at the end of the Japanese fleet. With a violent explosion, the entire hull was blown into two pieces. Within a few minutes, the entire hull The warship disappeared on the sea, leaving only the curled water vapor and smoke that gradually cooled down after the explosion to form a mushroom cloud tens of meters high...

"What is going on?!" Lieutenant General Kato Sadaikichi, who noticed the flash at the rear of the fleet, quickly ran to the stern of the ship. At this time, the explosion had only occurred for more than ten seconds. Through the observation hole on the command tower, Kato Sadaikichi could vaguely see See the raised bow and the raging flames! And the black smoke column that shoots straight into the sky! Violent explosions continued to come from the rear. This situation confused all Japanese...

"The Americans have deployed mines here?!" The first thing the Japanese thought of was that the Americans were causing trouble! After all, before this, Kato Nobuyoshi received intelligence that the U.S. Navy was laying mines in some controlled areas.

"It could be an attack by an American submarine! The water here is relatively deep, mines are not easy to deploy, and this is the ocean. The probability of laying mines here and waiting for the opponent to hit you is really low!" Kato Nobuyoshi immediately thought of this. The first order after the incident was issued: "All main battleships immediately follow the flagship and take an evasive route! Destroyer rescue!"

"The fleet enters the first level alert state! The fleet accelerates to 20 knots! Load the artillery! Prepare to fight!" Lieutenant General Kato Sadayoshi immediately ordered. The fleets of both sides met, and then one of his warships suddenly exploded. This shock was really big. , the instant mental stimulation made Kato Nobuyoshi a little extreme.

The storyline may be a bit abrupt, but the author said it will be explained in the next chapter~~~!