I Became a Captain of the British Empire

Naval battle off Newfoundland (2)

“Henry, descend! Follow me!”

An intense engine sound spreads. The bullet-torn air lets out a terrifying scream, and the canvas wings flutter under the pressure.

Norman Stahl, who was performing a CAP (Note: Combat Air Patrol, Combat Air Patrol) mission with the Lexington Fighter Wing, lowered the nose while calling for a follower. When two wings flashed between his scopes, he pulled the trigger. Tracer beams twinkled in the air.

“Damn it, missed it!”

Stahl chewed curse words and turned the plane around. The scene of a fierce turning was spread out in front of him. Only dozens of aircraft visible. The sound of bullets splattered in his ears.

“Major! Up at 11 o’clock!”

Hearing the muffled voice from behind, Stahl raised his head. Under the shining sun, four bombers passed in formation.

“Sheesh, I’ll have to accept these guys’ greetings later.”

He waved the beacon. Seeing the fluttering flag, Yogi raised his nose after him. I pushed the engine throttle and soared as if I was sticking my head out above the clouds. The silhouette of an enemy plane filled with crosshairs flashed for an instant.

“Those bastards, machine guns in the rear! finish it!”

Fierce shots intersected, but the bomber that Stahl was targeting caught fire first. With the wings bearing the Royal Air Force crest torn, the bomber fell over in a haze of gray.

Subsequently, one of the bombers covering the flank was also exposed to bullets fired by Stahl’s Yogi. The fuselage, which had been torn apart by machine gun bullets, crashed with fragments flying.

As the surviving aircraft spread and descended, Stahl tried to follow them. However, as he rolled his aircraft with a chilly feeling, he soon found out that his judgment was correct.

“Damn it, stay under those bastards! Get down!”

Breaking into a cold sweat at the sight of the bullet stem protruding from the ground, he lowered his nose. The sound of the engine following behind me came like a ghost. He swallowed dry saliva and gripped the steering wheel tightly. There was still a lot of red flags left.

“Allies, you have the upper hand! The interception rate is 50% so far!”

Fleet Gunship, Battleship From the bridge of the Mississippi, Task Force 16 Commander Admiral William Herbert peered through binoculars at the skies above the air battle. The sky with tracer bullets and projectile smoke came to him deeply as if it were a painting. Not at all to those fighting in the field.

“Watch starboard! Enemy ships found in Defense 080! Distance 27000!”

“Is it an enemy ship?”

The admiral asked nervously at the watchman’s report. It was a natural reaction.

They’re much more of an opponent than a small raid.

“A large ship, a battleship… No, two ships!”

“It’s them again.”

The admiral snorted. It was obviously a squadron that had been following them since it had just departed from the port.

The ship approaching from the stern is Tiger. The enemy who sunk Langley in the previous year’s battle.

It was Hamyeong who had been seeing him for a long time, so he seemed familiar. In any case, since he was a veteran who had been involved in the war since World War I, he could not have known it.

And the long sail with a white mast leading the way…

“Mighty Hood, the master has taken a heavy step.”

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Perhaps it was because of the flashy title, the fighting spirit flared up even more.

Knock down the pillars of England from this spot! That is what symbolizes the downfall of the Royal Navy.

It was the admiral who had such expectations.

“Anyway, isn’t the movement obvious?”

“Is that a tactic?”

When the chief of staff asked, the admiral crossed his arms and nodded.

Approaching during an air raid. Where have you seen it a lot?

Admiral Herbert couldn’t help but snort.

“Are we going to use the same tactics we used? The honor of the Royal Navy has also fallen to the ground.”

The two laughed silently. It was an opportunity that only a winner could have.

Although they are not sure of the future situation.

Eventually, the admiral waved his hand and gave instructions.

“Notify the entire fleet. keep the circle. Do not leave formation until the enemy ships approach within 20,000m. When the air raid is over, we move to Danjongjin immediately.”

“Yes, Admiral!”

Looking at the busy soldiers, Admiral Herbert nodded proudly.

This is the ability of the US Navy’s elite battleship unit. This is an opportunity to avenge the previous year’s battle.

Even as the rangefinder on top of the mast headed toward the horizon, stretched graphite fluttered in the sky. The brave Fleet Air Corps held their noses in the face of fierce machine gun fire. But the admiral didn’t even pay attention to it.

The size of the raid is around 20s at best. It is difficult to disengage even one battleship with such an air attack. no, it can be said to be impossible.

Much more disturbing to him were the enemy battlecruisers, who never knew when they would open fire.

“Is the reconnaissance plane’s report intact?”

“Yes, an enemy aircraft carrier spotted. There seems to be one more ship in terms of radio communication.”

“Two carriers and two battlecruisers… It’s the same as the mobile unit that caught up with us from the port.

Admiral Herbert thought, stroking his beard with one of his folded hands.

Where are the other two battleships?

“Chief of Staff, didn’t you say the reconnaissance aircraft still wasn’t watching you?”

“Yes, if anything went wrong, I would have fired a flare right away.”

“I guess so. however… Something is wrong.”

He was wary of feeling uncomfortable.

Despite their inferior strength, they continue to provoke the US fleet by hitting and running repeatedly. A few bombs had already been dropped around Lexington. Of course, the machine that threw the bomb was torn to pieces by the annihilating anti-aircraft fire.

In any case, he is so reckless that it is difficult to think of him as a 13-year-old.

There must be something up, the admiral thought.

“Admiral, maybe that’s all of the enemy fleet?”

“What do you mean by that?”

“The fact that there were two battleships could be a hoax.”

“hmm?”

He listened to the chief of staff.

If he is right, the Atlantic Fleet was being deceived. It would be natural to head straight for the Newfoundland Sea with overwhelming force right now.

but…

“It is certain that two battleships have escaped from the Mediterranean Fleet. This is guaranteed by France and Italy.”

Otherwise, there is no way to allow other countries to roam the Mediterranean like never before.

However, the words of the chief of staff did bother me.

Even if you fly a scout plane like that, if you can’t see it, you can’t help but feel bad. It doesn’t even show up in the port.

“For now, watch the trend. Tell them not to let their guard down.”

Having said that, the admiral looked at the empty surface.

No one knows what lies in the shadow of the wide sea.

Captain French of the battlecruiser Hood was looking at the horizon with cold eyes.

“Damn it, I can’t even see the slightest movement from this side.”

He squeezed his binoculars tightly as if frustrated.

It was already the fifth time it had appeared in front of enemy ships, but they seldom pursued it.

“You have to drive us out to make a landing or not. Do you want to avoid battle?”

I definitely expected that. From their point of view, even if the schedule is delayed, it gives them an advantage. Perhaps if we waited another month, some of the US capital ships currently undergoing repairs in the dock would join the ranks.

French doubted whether the current task force would be able to stop such an augmented U.S. Navy.

So, if you want to see the game, you should watch it here.

“Admiral, how about closing the distance and attempting an artillery battle for a moment?”

At Captain French’s suggestion, Admiral Pound turned his head. The admiral tilted his head as if thinking for a moment.

“Hmm, well. I guess I’ll have to wait a bit longer.”

Frenchy almost let out a sigh. Originally, the Fleet Commander is to stand on the sailing bridge along with the staff.

However, Admiral Pound climbed up to the ceiling to see the battlefield directly. At first, I wondered if it was to give detailed command on the battlefield.

However, he has been watching the battlefield with a quiet face since the morning.

French had no idea what the Admiral was thinking.

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Pound, of course, had his own ideas. Even while maintaining a poker face to his subordinates, tens of thousands of cases constantly collided in the old admiral’s head.

‘Did they see the lure? No, even that is not a reason to avoid a showdown. They haven’t even hit each other yet. I don’t see any sign of backing down. But it’s not like I’m actively involved… .’

The two sides were completely unknown to each other.

Because of the ambiguous balance of power, someone is reluctant to step forward.

After half a day had passed in this state of affairs, Pound heard someone shouting.

“Damn, why are you doing this? It wouldn’t be enough to rush in right now and sink them all!”

It was Hood’s lookout who brought up those words. It’s a story that hot-blooded and reckless soldiers would tell, but it caused an unexpected reaction.

“How long have you been following me around?”

“I don’t know, he must have been scared on the bridge.”

“Damn it, my salary was overdue, so I have to go through this humiliation? Did I join the Navy for this?”

“Two there! Don’t be quiet!”

Discontent spread like an epidemic. The sailors looked at the horizon with increasingly frustrated eyes. Some even stomped their feet while watching the US Navy ships leisurely advancing in the distance.

“Captain, when are we going to fight?”

“Be quiet and wait. Everyone from above must have thoughts.”

“Damn it, my cousin lives in Canada!”

“Noisy! Everyone is the same! Do you know that you are the only one? Don’t talk nonsense, keep your seat, sailor!”

Officials who came out belatedly suppressed the uproar by yelling at the sailors who were causing a commotion. But this was just the beginning. Even among the officers, there were those who frowned as if they couldn’t stand it any longer.

“Captain, what’s going on?”

“Ah, Admiral! That is… .”

Frenchy, who was hastily giving orders everywhere, looked back at Pound in a cold sweat. Looking at him with a puzzled expression, Pound pondered.

‘The fighting spirit of the soldiers never dies. If so, is it time to poke it?’

He stood still, thinking over and over again.

Of course, the commander-in-chief must make dispassionate judgments in any situation. It is not right to give orders simply by being swept away by the public opinion of your subordinates. But he also had an idea.

‘I guess I need to try to react at least once with a long-range firefight. The time has come by now.’

The admiral nodded to himself. In the unlikely event of a hit, the morale of the entire crew would surely rise.

Hood’s crew are the most elite of the Royal Navy. There’s no way they’d refuse a fight like that.

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Pound knew that all too well.

Because he also prided himself on being a member of the Hood.

Soon after, he looked back at the staff and shouted out loud on purpose.

“Flyers, prepare for an artillery battle! But you can’t narrow the distance to less than 20,000 meters. Keep that distance unconditionally.”

The admiral’s voice echoed through the bridge’s ceiling and was clearly audible to all the crew around. In an instant, the staff received the order with bright faces.

“Yes, Admiral! Notice the flyer! Close the distance and attempt an artillery battle!”

Soon, a busy movement began. Captain French was also able to smile satisfied for the first time in a while.

“Gentlemen, it is time to teach them what the Royal Navy is. The gunnery field expects to narrow the gap within 3 rounds. There’s nothing you can’t do at this distance, right?”

Standing in front of Jeon Seong-gwan, French soon heard a confident answer.

“I’ll narrow it down within the second round!”

“good. I’m looking forward to it.”

He raised an eyebrow and looked out the window. A 15-inch gun mounted on deck radiated heat toward the horizon. But that wasn’t what the admiral saw. The cloud-filled white sky was reflected in his eyes.

“Watch starboard! Defense 030! Enemy battlecruisers rapidly approaching! Speed of about 30 knots! Distance 24000!”

“When it reaches 21000, open fire! The entire fleet, move to Danjongjin!”

“Main gun heat dissipation complete!”

“Raise the signal!”

The bridge of the battleship New Mexico was busy with voices coming and going. Admiral Herbert clenched his fists and exhaled deeply. Tension and excitement overtook the admiral at the same time.

The first engagement with the world’s largest giant. What navy can enjoy such an honor?

The admiral clenched his fists and shouted.

“We are the main characters who won the last Battle of the Atlantic! Let each ship work harder and show the glory of that time once again!”

Battleships play a key role in naval battles. It is an eternal truth. Wasn’t it our battleships that finally ended the British fleet in the last Battle of the Atlantic? Admiral Herbert smiled at the aircraft carrier following Dan Jong-jin. This time, it’s time to bring a criminal record comparable to them.

Admiral Herbert, watching the stack smoke rising from the horizon through his binoculars, approached the window after some time. As if I had been waiting, I heard a report from the watchdog.

“Enemy ship, start firing! Distance 21000!”

“Notify the entire fleet! Freedom to use weapons and evade maneuvers!”

As soon as the order was given, a huge flame covered the admiral’s eyes. The flames that dyed the outside of the window red soon turned into black smoke and flowed down from the Mississippi’s inlet.

“Japanese imperialism! About 35 seconds until impact!”

The admiral slowly lowered his binoculars and turned his gaze to the surface of the sea. The water surface, broken by the recoil of the gunfire, was quickly filled with high waves, symbolizing the rough North Sea.

“It’s interesting to be able to maneuver through waves like this. Will I be able to get it right?”

With that thought in mind, I raised my binoculars again. No matter how much time passed, he hurriedly approached the bridge railing at the sound of the sea exploding. A towering column of water cast a shadow on the Mississippi’s broadside.

“Is it near bullets here?”

Herbert involuntarily swallowed a dry gulp. Although the impact was made 200m to the right of the Mississippi, it was a pretty good distance measure.

“To say this much without any shake correction is truly elite.”

Soon, reports of the Mississippi landings also reached his ears.

“Check the impact, original bullet!”

“Not satisfied! Squadron commander! Tell your subordinate ships to work harder!”

“Content, I understand!”

The Japanese imperialists came and went again. Hood’s second shot splashed water droplets of close-range bullets exactly 50 meters from the Mississippi’s port. Tiger’s shot also landed close to Idaho with fairly high accuracy, after which only Texas fired a salvo of fire. The range of the 12-inch gun did not reach 20 km.

“Is it 3 vs 2… But still, there is nothing good about this side.”

Again Mississippi’s main guns roared. Watching the smoke go away, the admiral closed his mouth and looked across the sea. The flames of the bombardment continued to rise from the decks of the two warships.

The number you see is still two. As long as the number of opponents is low, this side only needs to hit even one shot to slow them down. In close combat, the one with the most numbers has an unconditional advantage. I can’t even see their battleships. Victory depends on this.

After dozens of seconds passed, a voice full of joy was heard as if to live up to the admiral’s expectations.

“Looking at you! Hit the enemy ship! Fire on deck!”

Herbert involuntarily clenched his fists and swung his arms.

Battlecruiser Hood swung her massive hull through the water column. A sharp warhead flew in as if trying to catch the back, but it only shattered terribly into the thick side armor plate. Long 15-inch guns fired from the soggy deck.

“Engine room, report!”

“A shot in the boiler! Slow down!”

“Conservatives, your feet are slow!”

After the impact of the projectiles rang the bridge, Hood’s ships were noisier than the explosions of the shells as sailors, maintenance crews, and officers with fire hoses clamored. Admiral Pound, who had calmly stepped out of the busy bridge, opened his mouth behind Captain French.

“French, how fast can you go?”

“Yes, according to the report from the engine room, it seems possible up to 22 knots.”

“You’re faster than them. That’s enough.”

Frenchy, who reported with a nervous voice, was relieved by the admiral’s reaction. Fortunately, Pound didn’t seem to care too much. However, Frenchy looked up at the fire control room where the gunnery field would be located with disapproving eyes.

While 14-inch caliber shells penetrated the deck, Hood’s third shot scored a near-miss.

Allowing the enemy to attack first was not allowed by the pride of the captain.

“The 4th, landing!”

At the watchman’s report, French looked at the enemy battleship about to receive the fourth shot he had just fired. For a moment, I thought I could see a vague trail, but then a sharp column of water rose from the surface.

“I hit it! Enemy Battleship Negotiation!”

“good! Things are working a little better now!”

With a smile of repentance, he took his eyes off the binoculars and shouted. The water column was exactly enveloping the entire ship. But there was no light from the explosion.

“It’s not a fatal blow.”

As if he couldn’t bear it, he clicked his tongue and lowered his binoculars. It was such a good achievement.

It is difficult to inflict fatal injuries at 20,000 meters.

Even the thinly armored Tiger was easily able to block bullets that hit the side armor.

“Rating doesn’t matter. Captain.”

As Frenchy looked at the place where the water column had sunk, Admiral Pound approached and said, He was looking at a distant place other than the battleship row. It has been like that ever since.

“The operation is going according to plan. Let’s bring them out like this.”

“… Yes, Admiral.”

French answered quietly. He was a captain who knew where he was looking. So, without hesitation, I just focused on the mission.

Even after the captain had left, Pound looked at the shadowy sea with his hands behind his back.

“Let’s see if it goes as expected until the end. Colonel Lewis.”

He let out a light laugh and whispered.