Chapter 1084： Dive, attack (1/2)
If you look at it from a distance, the oil tanker and the aircraft carrier are very similar, they are huge in size, and the upper deck is flat.
In this era, ocean-going voyages must be accompanied by oil tankers. After all, the carrier’s fuel capacity is limited. When the carrier-based aircraft flies for a few days, the fuel is in a hurry. In combat situations, it is almost three. It needs to be refilled every day.
After Captain Masao Sato discovered the two ships, he didn't immediately take a closer look, fearing that they would be discovered by the other party. In this way, they made a mistake.
After taking off a large number of carrier-based aircraft, they found an oil tanker, and the other was not a cruiser, but a destroyer of several thousand tons!
After pulling up his plane, Lieutenant Akira Sakamoto shouted on the radio: ”One team, simulated attack, other teams, search for American aircraft carrier formations on the sea!”
Since this is an American oil tanker, maybe the aircraft carrier is nearby. Now that they are attacking the two ships, the other side will definitely call for help and call their aircraft carrier. It is good for us to carry out a large scale s attack!
Captain Akira Sakamoto was half right.
What they found was the oil tanker Neosho and the destroyer Sims. The two ships were still with the fleet yesterday, but afterwards they separated. They have to return to their home port and replenish their fuel. Look for formations.
In this way, they and the US aircraft carrier formation were separated by more than two hundred nautical miles. They did use radio to call the aircraft carrier formation behind, but the formation did not send a plane over.
Because at this time, the US aircraft carrier formation is making the same mistake as the island carrier formation!
One hour later, the attack formation did not find the American aircraft carrier, and they finally gave up.
”A small team, dive and attack!” Captain Akira Sakamoto gave the order.
The range of the Stuka bomber was not long, and the fuel they had left was only enough for them to return to the mothership, and could no longer be delayed.
As a result, the two Stuka dived down and dropped a bomb each towards the target. Although the two ships had spotted them a long time ago and were ready to fight, their anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns attacked the plane that swooped down from overhead. The shooting range is quite small.
These two kinds of ships did not have much air defense protection. Soon, two black smoke rose up on the sea. The tanker Neosho and the destroyer Sims were already burning on the sea.
It threw an empty formation of carrier-based aircraft and returned to the mothership one after another.
Just as the formation's carrier-based aircraft returned, Vice Admiral Takagi Takeo received the news that made him angry, that the aircraft carrier Xiangfeng was sunk!
Dive, attack!
93 fighter jets, bombers, and torpedo planes, according to the targets discovered by our maritime patrol aircraft, found the enemy's naval formation.
According to the report of the patrol aircraft: ”Two aircraft carriers and four heavy cruisers were found.” U.S. Navy Commander Fletcher thought this was the Japanese carrier force, so he launched an attack with all his strength.
After flying there, they discovered that it was two light cruisers and two gunboats. These were the cover forces for the Japanese landing. However, they were luckier. After continuing to search at sea, they finally found that the exaggerated fleet was worthwhile. Target of attack: Xiangfeng aircraft carrier.