webnovelfull Chapter 683 Naval Battle (5)
Chapter 683 Naval Battle (5)
The battleship Musashi, as the sister ship of the Yamato-class battleship, also stands proudly on the ocean with its huge displacement of 406 tons and unparalleled defense, and is known as the "unsinkable steel behemoth". The battleship's ability to withstand attacks has reached an unprecedented level. Even when facing a frontal bombardment of a -caliber battleship gun, it is difficult to cause fatal damage to it.
The armor protection design of the Musashi is the key to its becoming the "ocean overlord". The thickness of its main armor belt is comparable to that of the Yamato, and it also uses high-strength steel plates, supplemented by a scientific angle design, which effectively disperses the impact of enemy shells. This design not only increases the defensive effectiveness of the armor, but also makes it easier for shells to ricochet or break when penetrating the armor, thereby reducing the actual damage to the ship.
In addition, the key parts of the Musashi, such as the ammunition depot and the engine room, are heavily wrapped with multiple layers of armor plates, forming an indestructible protection system. The turret armor is even more extreme, and even a 406-caliber shell can hardly pose a fatal threat to it. This comprehensive and powerful armor protection enables the Musashi to maintain a high degree of survivability when facing enemy fire.
The structural design of the Musashi also fully demonstrates its excellent ability to withstand impact. Its hull is built with high-strength steel, which can withstand huge impact and pressure. At the same time, the internal structural layout of the hull has also been carefully designed so that each part can support each other and resist external forces together. This perfect combination of structure and materials provides the Musashi with a rock-solid defense foundation.
Faced with the eight V2 rockets whistling like meteorites in the sky, even Vice Admiral Yamamoto Kaede, who was full of confidence in the solid armor of the battleship Musashi, could not help but frown at this moment, and an unprecedented sense of urgency surged in his heart. He knew very well that the explosive power carried by these epoch-making V2 rockets was enough to pose a fatal threat to any battleship, and even the Musashi could not completely ignore its power.
"All ships, immediately enter emergency air defense status!" Yamamoto Kaede's voice was transmitted through the command system, steady and powerful, throughout the fleet.
"Anti-aircraft gun crew, activate maximum firing rate. Air search radar tracks the target with all its might. Make sure to lock onto the trajectory of the incoming missile in the shortest possible time!" He continued to issue orders, speaking quickly and clearly. Every order was accurately conveyed to the corresponding combat units.
Under the command of Kaede Yamamoto, the anti-aircraft gun crews in the fleet responded quickly, with artillery fire roaring and dense fire nets interweaving in the air, trying to intercept the V2 rockets approaching at high speed. The anti-aircraft gun shells drew shining tracks in the air, interweaving with the tail flames of the V2 rockets, forming a thrilling picture.
However, Yamamoto Feng knew that it was difficult to completely intercept these advanced missiles with anti-aircraft fire alone. He quickly adjusted his strategy and turned his attention to the warships near the battleship Musashi.
"Ships around the Musashi, immediately perform emergency evasive actions! Perform serpentine maneuvers at maximum speed, disperse the formation, and reduce the risk of being hit by a concentrated attack!" He decisively issued a new order. After receiving the order, these warships quickly adjusted their course and speed, and shuttled across the sea like a school of nimble fish, trying to avoid becoming targets of V2 rockets.
The entire fleet seemed to be activated at this moment, and each combat unit moved quickly and orderly under the precise command of Yamamoto Kaede. Anti-aircraft artillery roared continuously, and the warships flexibly avoided the threats from the sky.
Faced with the eight V2 rockets that were whistling like messengers of death, although the fleet's air defense system tried its best, it failed to pose much threat to these high-tech weapons.
First, the flight altitude and speed of the V2 rocket far exceeded the interception range of most anti-aircraft artillery. The V2 rocket used advanced rocket engine technology, which could reach a very high flight speed in a very short time, and its flight trajectory was parabolic, which could easily exceed the effective firing height of traditional anti-aircraft artillery. Therefore, when the V2 rocket approached at an astonishing speed and altitude, the fleet's anti-aircraft artillery could only look up to it and could not form an effective interception firepower network.
Secondly, the guidance system of the V2 rocket was also extremely advanced at the time. It used a combination of inertial guidance and radio guidance, and was able to continuously correct its course and attitude during flight to ensure accurate hits on the target. This highly accurate guidance system made the flight trajectory of the V2 rocket extremely difficult to predict and intercept. Even if anti-aircraft artillery could briefly track the flight trajectory of the V2 rocket, it was often difficult to shoot it down before it adjusted its course.
The advantages of the V2 rocket in terms of flight altitude, speed, guidance system and explosive power made it difficult for the fleet's air defense system to effectively intercept it. Therefore, when facing these high-tech weapons, the fleet could only take evasive measures as much as possible to reduce losses and buy time to counterattack.
As the eight V2 rockets on the horizon cut through the sky with deafening roars, they were like messengers of death, accurately locking onto the Musashi battleship and slamming into this former overlord of the ocean from different angles and heights.
The first V2 rocket passed over the stern of the ship, almost brushing the edge of the main mast, but just before it missed the target, it made a slight adjustment in trajectory and suddenly fell, hitting the rear deck of the Musashi. The huge explosion instantly drowned out the wind and waves on the sea, and the anti-aircraft gun positions on the rear deck were blown to pieces. Flames shot up into the sky, and smoke filled the air. Several gunners were engulfed in the sea of fire before they could even send out a call for help. The shock wave of the explosion caused the hull of the Musashi to shake violently, as if a huge mountain was shaking on the sea.
The second V2 chose a more concealed angle and passed by the side of the Musashi, aiming directly at the secondary turret on the side of the ship. With a deafening roar, the secondary turret was instantly engulfed in flames, and the complex mechanical structure inside the turret was twisted and deformed in the explosion, turning into a pile of scrap metal. Debris and flames flew everywhere, and the surrounding decks were also charred, leaving a mess.
The third to fifth V2s arrived almost simultaneously, and they seemed to have been planned for a long time, hitting different vital parts of the Musashi. One penetrated a corner of the main armor belt, and although it failed to directly destroy key equipment, the powerful impact still caused damage to many parts of the battleship. The power system was affected, the lights on the ship flickered, and some areas fell into darkness.
Another one hit near the bridge, and the debris from the explosion fell like raindrops, killing and wounding the commander and staff on the bridge, and the command system was temporarily in chaos. Another one directly hit the outer protective layer of the ammunition depot. Although it did not immediately cause the ammunition to explode, it had already caused panic and fear on the entire ship.
The next two V2 rockets made the Musashi even worse. One rocket hit the main turret on the front deck directly, and the huge explosion force blew the turret into pieces, and almost all the gunners on the turret were killed. The damage to the main turret not only weakened the firepower of the Musashi, but also caused serious damage to its overall structure.
The last V2 seemed to be a fateful decision, as it avoided all interceptions and accurately hit the engine compartment of the Musashi. With a violent explosion and flames, the engine system of the Musashi was severely damaged, and the huge ship began to slowly lose power, losing its former majesty and arrogance.
The forward patrol ship "Polang" of China's First Fleet in the North Sea was reporting the latest battle situation to the flagship "Longteng" via radio waves. The air was filled with a tense and exciting atmosphere.