Chapter 1196: Suggestion 1 from the Air Force

Slide 1196

As a veteran empire, as the only country in the world where the sun never sets, it is normal for the United Kingdom to be inferior in a certain way. It is understandable that the industrial scale is not comparable to a rising power on the other side of the Atlantic, but the British The background is terrible! The German fleet hit the British fleet twice in a row, and really thought the British were at a loss? too young too simple!

After the meeting, after most people had left the meeting room of the Admiralty, Churchill, Sir Fisher, and Jericho went to an office next door to continue their small meeting, and here, they Encountered Commander Hugh Montagu Trenchard, the commander of the Royal Flying Corps!

The current position of the lieutenant general is the commander of the British Royal Expeditionary Forces flight team. He is not domineering from the name, but in fact this buddy holds at least 4,000 aircraft and more than 120,000 officers and soldiers! It is the most important pillar of the air power of the Allies! And in history, this buddy was the first chief of staff after the establishment of the Royal Air Force, the first air marshal in British history, and has the reputation of the father of the Royal Air Force!

"Dear Lieutenant General Trentchard, I think you should know why I invited you here. A week ago, we sent a request to you and your aviation team and provided information about the battle. I I think, as the most respected and capable commander in the Air Force, you can provide enough suggestions for our actions. The Royal Navy does not only attack opponents at sea. When necessary, we will cross the air and take the opponent’s The port exploded into a sea of ​​flames." Churchill said in a very infectious language.

"That's it. I have made some preparations, but they are not sufficient. Here, I need to finally verify some details with the personnel of the fleet." Lieutenant General Trentchard said somewhat cautiously. Although this buddy was the first air marshal in later generations, but that is the future, facing the current Sir Fisher and Admiral Jericho, his position as the head of the aviation team is still lower. In fact, this buddy has reached the later position. Still not Jericho. Later, he was also a marshal, and also served as the Governor of New Zealand...

"General Jericho, what kind of weapons do you recommend to use to attack German warships? From the current point of view, the various bombs we used when we rushed into battle in the last battle had limited power." Lieutenant General Trenchard asked.

"It is best to be a torpedo or a heavy armor-piercing projectile. If there is no suitable type of ammunition in the Air Force’s ammunition arsenal, I think it is possible to modify 12-inch and 13.5-inch naval shells, or even 15-inch shells." Jericho He also had a draft, and he prepared this matter 2 weeks ago. So some ideas have been formed.

"With torpedoes, I am afraid there are some problems. First of all, we don't know the hydrological situation of Wilhelmshaven. We don't know the depth of the dock. If the torpedo is thrown from the air, it is very likely that it will sink to the bottom before the depth control system reacts. It is also unclear whether the Germans deployed lightning protection nets around the warship berths," said Lieutenant General Trentchard.

"Is it not a big problem with lightning protection nets? The new thermal power torpedoes are more powerful, and there is a cutting device in the mine head, which can easily cut the opponent's lightning protection nets." Jericho is indeed the commander of the large fleet. Technical business is also very proficient. What he said was indeed the truth. In fact, in World War I, the heavy torpedoes had a good killing effect on the lightning protection net driven by the heat engine. Think about it, the heavy torpedo weighing about 1.5 tons had 30-40 knots. When the speed hits, the kinetic energy is also great!

"It was a heavy torpedo for ships, but aviation torpedoes were not good. The first-generation aviation torpedoes we used weighed only more than 400 kilograms, which is less than one-third of the torpedoes used on ships. This impact is no better than that of decades ago. Compressed air-powered torpedoes are strong, and the current heavy-duty lightning protection nets have a weight of more than 100 tons, and are supported by a very solid support. Light torpedoes are difficult to tear off the protection, if the torpedo weighs 800 kg, it may be possible, but , Definitely can't keep up with this action." Lieutenant General Trenchard said.

"This is just a problem of the torpedo itself and its projection. If you consider the carrier aircraft, the trouble will be even greater. Even if we now have a torpedo weighing 800KG, then the carrier aircraft is still an unavoidable problem. This weight is absolutely critical. Most aircraft are too big, and our attack range is a little far away. O-400 certainly cannot perform this task, and FB27 is somewhat reluctant. The V1500 has this ammunition capacity, but think about it. The 38-meter giant with its wings spread out from low altitudes at a height of tens of meters in complex terrain is too difficult to throw torpedoes. You are making elephants dance." Will tactfully reject Jericho's suggestion.

If it is off the coast of the UK, Lieutenant General Trentchard can make the twin-engine aircraft carry torpedoes to attack. The maximum load capacity of O-400 and FB27 is between 1700 lbs and 2200 lbs. This weight is enough to carry a torpedo of about 800kg, but don’t think that an aircraft still has the maximum load. Can have the largest voyage. Please, according to the law of conservation of aircraft weight, when the aircraft’s bomb load reaches its maximum, the fuel load will definitely decrease a lot, so the range is definitely not enough.

For example, B17 and B29, the former has a maximum load of more than 7 tons, and B29 said it is 10 tons, but the former weighs just over 30 tons the latter weighs 60 tons! Where is this weight difference? Don't think that the buddies who designed the B29 are brainless! What really measures the output of a bomber is actually the amount of bombs carried under a fixed range. When bombing targets at a longer distance, the B17 may only be able to hold 2.5 tons of bombs. The B29 can carry more than 6 tons! This is the real gap between the two sides.

Therefore, if you are offshore, Admiral Jericho's opinion can be implemented, but if you have to fly hundreds of kilometers to torpedoes in Wilhelmshaven, the V1500 can theoretically do it. Other aircrafts should wash and sleep. In fact, in a port environment, with the operability of a World War I aircraft, in a tightly guarded port, driving a big guy with wings spread out to 38 meters lowered to a height of tens of meters to face the opponent's ground and air Firepower and fighter jets throw torpedoes... This is definitely a life of nine deaths! Maybe I haven't dropped the torpedo and I don't know what was hit by something!

"So, you mean, if we attack the German warship in the port, then we can only use bombs?" Jericho said with a little disappointment. Although he was very unwilling, he really couldn't refute the opinions of professionals. , People are the master who specializes in studying how to take the bomb over and then throw it down. Regarding the degree of professionalism, it is useless to tie the other three people together!

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(End of this chapter)