I Became a Captain of the British Empire

Battle of the Bay of Biscay (4)

“Bearing 200! Distance 20,000! Bandit 30! Keep approaching with this ship!”

The sound of propellers spreading furiously. The main gun of Indipatigable, which had fired the last salvo, quietly descended and stopped.

Now that the main guns have stopped firing, you can change course without worrying about the bridge.

The floor tilted and the bow of the giant turned outside the window. Despite taking several hits, the Indipatigable’s speed did not decrease in the slightest.

It turns slowly without violent movement. From above, the captain must be diligently giving orders to steer.

I heard that the first launched ships have problems with their height, but this guy seems to be different. The bottom is not too inclined and the wake is smooth.

“The contrast is smooth.”

“It’s great work.”

As expected, he is a talented person who will rise to the rank of admiral of a powerful fleet in the future. Even if it’s a desk bite, it seems that elites are elites.

After enjoying the soft vibration for a while, the chief of staff opened his mouth.

“It’s a real world difference compared to the days of Repulse.”

“… Are you talking about me?”

When our eyes meet, I turn my head. I glared at the chief of staff with poop-chewed eyes, then looked away with a sigh.

It is not too late to grind after returning.

“Entire fleet, full speed ahead on course 045! Deploy a circular formation, and make sure not to evade until ordered by the flagship. The distance is maintained at 1.5 km.”

“yep!”

A fleet of destroyers surrounds both sides of the Indipatigable. The guys on the left smoke a smoke screen to block the enemy’s view. The water column, which had risen furiously, receded as time passed.

Unable to catch up with the fleet running at 30 knots, the enemy fleet fell behind. Now you can fully focus on anti-aircraft warfare.

“Fleet, prepare for anti-air combat!”

The sound of sirens waking the ship. The footsteps of the gunners thumped and echoed in all directions.

Gulp, a sailor who was standing watch swallowed dry saliva.

Maybe it’s because most of them are new recruits, all of them look nervous.

However, no one in our command, who had been with us since the days of Repulse, shuddered. For us, who suffered from air raids by large aircraft carriers several times, such raids were a daily occurrence.

Estimated number of enemy planes about 30. The wind is weak and the sky is clear, so we will dig straight ahead.

“Estimated time of arrival of the bandit, about 10 minutes!”

“Let’s drink some tea and wait. Kirk!”

With plenty of time, I looked back and shouted. Just in time, the guy who was running somewhere stuck his head out the door.

“Bring me a cup of tea.”

Before long, Kirk frowned as if he couldn’t understand. The sighs of the chief of staff could be heard vividly from the side. But I calmly nodded at Kirk.

“What are you doing if you don’t listen to orders?”

Soon he grumbles and goes to get in the car.

In the meantime, I looked back at the slightly buzzing Gyeonsi and shouted.

“What are you all doing without looking around? Make sure there are no periscopes!”

Of course, it changes course frequently and the speed is 30 knots, so there is no worry that the submarine will catch up, but it is ubiquitous.

In any case, the sailors seemed to be relaxed thanks to the intentional display of calmness.

There is a slight bewilderment, though.

“What is the point of asking you to drink black tea during a battle?”

“Do you remember what the Chief Warrant Officer of Repulse said? Commanders must not show agitation at any time.”

I shrugged my shoulders and replied to the chief of staff who sighed and complained.

In any case, it is the British who brew black tea in the train. There shouldn’t be a problem with this level of performance.

However, the complaint of the chief of staff had a different meaning.

“Then are we supposed to be quiet?”

“ah… … .”

I ordered three more from Kirk, who soon brought a cup of black tea, and I could see a man’s face tearing up.

boom- boom-

The sound of anti-aircraft gunfire when an empty glass is put down. A 4-inch anti-aircraft gun fires from the aft deck. Thanks to the generous hull, the number of anti-aircraft guns of the Indipatigable is greater than that of the Repulse.

A 6-inch grape that goes up to 60 degrees in elevation, albeit clumsily, added saturation. The sky was instantly covered with black smoke.

“Enemy squadron, disperse!”

“Three planes shot down so far!”

“Destroyer team, request permission for evasive maneuvers!”

“Tell me to stay on course! It’s no problem if they drop their torpedoes and turn them on!”

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Perhaps because it is a destroyer stationed on the mainland without experience in anti-aircraft warfare, it still prioritizes evasion over shooting down.

Certainly, there were not many aircraft that fell below the limits of large-caliber anti-aircraft guns. However, the collapse of the formation was noticeable.

The attack party, which had been united as a group and flew, soon divided into three branches and rushed.

Front, right side and back view. If there are no bombers, they all drop altitude at the same time.

However, as they accelerated hard, they finally entered the range of the cannon.

“Pom Pom Po, fire.”

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Pom-pom guns opened fire from a total of four ships and built a wall with yellow tracers. Autocannon with one quadruple turret for each destroyer.

However, this Indipatigable is specially equipped with 5 guns in 8-gun turrets. There are three batteries that can be focused on one side, including one installed on top of the No. 2 turret. Although it looks small, it is 24 gates in terms of gunfire.

It’s like a spider’s web.

The squadron approaching from the right flank was staggered by barrage and torn to shreds. The sailors cheered as they watched the enemy plane go down in flames.

“Enemy squadron! annihilation! Ah, one more crash!”

“You’re doing great! Just go like this!”

Among the admiring sailors, he deliberately spoke in a loud voice.

“Look, gentlemen! Those flying flies are no match for our battleships!”

Only then did a confident voice come from among the sailors. Fists and shouts were thrown into the sky, and gunfire rang incessantly.

* * *

At the same time, French Air Force Captain Henri Chloé pulled the steering wheel wildly, frowning at the anti-aircraft fire pouring down from the white hull in the sea several kilometers away.

“Squadron! do not scatter! It’s meaningless if we don’t attack at the same time! … Damn, I can’t hear you.”

Gritting his teeth, he nervously fiddled with the air force’s signature muffler.

The Air Force, which became independent under the nickname of ‘Sky Cavalry’ with the return of its establishment, took control of air supremacy and support from the Army as its main mission. Because of this, these anti-ship missions were originally supposed to be the work of the Naval Air Corps.

Although most of them did not sink in the frigid waters of the Atlantic Ocean with the aircraft carrier Béarn.

pop-

Anti-aircraft shells bursting nearby engulfed the formations that were barely following. The shredded canvas wings blazed like kindling and fell headlong.

“Damn it, what kind of mesh is this dense?”

“Enemy ships are too fast. Does that size make sense at that speed?”

“Raimi guys… You created a ridiculous monster.”

The captain gritted his teeth and looked at the enemy battleship.

The enemy ship, which had a long hull like a whale, was running at a high speed similar to that of a destroyer, not enough to fire powerful anti-aircraft fire.

Some of the squadrons approaching in circles from the front dropped their torpedoes. However, the enemy battleship turned smoothly and passed between the torpedoes with ease.

“A crazy monster… … What the hell is our navy doing?”

“When have they ever done a good job?”

He also shook his head in agreement with the complaint of the rear gunner. Aside from how that bulk could move so fast, the strength of its own navy, which so far hadn’t done any damage, was just a question.

However, time to complain was a luxury. The comrades around him were decreasing moment by moment.

From aircraft caught in anti-aircraft fire, to aircraft torn by autocannons, to aircraft with engines blown out by shrapnel.

The formation, which had stupidly rushed head-on, was already drowned in the sea without a single stroke left.

Henri, who barely survived the hell road, shouted at the last comrade who followed.

“Louis! descend! Follow me!”

The country should also wear guns.

While he was thinking about that, his machine went through countless fires.

* * *

Royal Navy battlecruiser ‘Indipatigable’ bridge.

The air corps that once covered the sky were pulverized one by one by bullets, and now less than half remain. Some of the surviving squadrons turned back and forth aiming for cross-toned strikes, but were driven away without finding a gap in the circular formation.

Judging from their inexperienced operation, it seems that those guys also don’t have much experience in anti-ship operations. It’s all these times, though.

Still, there were guys who were approaching gears. A torpedo had just passed by the side of the ship.

If this is enough, it’s time to allow evasive maneuvers.

“Notify the fleet! Each trap action freedom!”

“Each trap action freedom! Raise the signal!”

As if waiting, the destroyer fleet turned course at full speed.

A form that looks straight at the player at the right time. If you do that, the hit area will be extremely reduced, making it difficult to shoot torpedoes.

Thanks to that, the enemy plane that had infiltrated was also set ablaze in a flurry of pom-pom-po while turning to catch the torpedo angle.

“The sky is clear!”

Cheers filled the bridge, along with the report he hadn’t heard in a long time.

The first anti-aircraft battle was successfully completed.

It will have a great meaning for the new recruits. But there are still barriers left for them.

“Attention everyone! The battle isn’t over yet!”

The sailors turn their heads at the loud sound. A bridge where silence lingers.

After looking around for a while and enjoying the tension, I cleared my voice and ordered again.

“Notify the fleet! Form Danjongjin again, and block the lead of the enemy battleship line!”

Busy footsteps followed.

As I looked out the window at the destroyer changing formation and moving, a voice came down in full view.

“Admiral, the distance to the enemy ship is 27,000.”

The voice of Captain Tom Phillips.

Realizing his intention, I nodded.

“Captain, you can engage on your own!”

“All right.”

Indipatigable’s gun that fires straight away. As soon as I lowered my head, a hot wind passed over my head.

Feeling the vibrations of an earthquake, I quietly raised my head.

The game is just beginning.

* * *

French 2nd Task Fleet battleship Duquen.

Looking at the anti-aircraft battle unfolding over the horizon, Admiral Muslier let out a light sigh and wrinkled his face.

“Stupid Air Force bastards! You didn’t even hit a single shot!”

The waiting hull, reflected on the clear surface of the water, was clearly showing its white paint without even the slightest bullet marks.

Originally, it was intended to close the distance at the same time as the air strike to deliver a blow. However, the attempt was repeatedly thwarted by subsequent air strikes by enemy carrier-based aircraft and occasional threatening maneuvers by enemy destroyers.

At least, I hoped that the allied torpedo bombers would hit a few torpedoes, but all that could be seen was the agony caused by the falling of the allied aircraft.

At the end of the sight of the aircraft being cut into four parts with the engine on fire, the admiral took down his binoculars.

“Enemy ship firing!”

“Turn the course! 030!”

At the screaming report, Admiral Muselier shrieked. Eventually, the shadow of the water column was engraved on the hull of Duquen, which broke the waves and split the water.

“Red bullets, narrow bullets!”

vibrating hull. The admiral looked back at the bridge crew and shouted.

“What are you doing? Squadron commander, counterattack!”

“Out of range!”

The admiral gritted his teeth and took up his binoculars.

The distance is 27,000. Even if they use new ammunition that has just been mass-produced, they cannot reach it.

As proof, the salvo fired by the tourbills at the rear left a meaningless column of water far away from the enemy ship.

But the enemy ship was different. The second consecutive Japanese sacrifice was a leisurely collaboration with Duquen.

I’m sure you’ll get hit a few times. But I don’t see any other numbers.

The admiral bit his lip and shouted.

“Fleet, full speed forward! Close the distance!”

The two steel monsters howled with gunfire and advanced. Countless water columns blocked their path.

However, the 30,000 ton giant never stopped moving.