"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The giant cannons were roaring, and they slammed the heavy shells on the battleship in the distance. The shell fell into the sea, splashing a column of water that soared into the sky. The entire surface of the sea seemed to be boiling.

On the battleship 'Iowa', the flagship of the US Fleet's 2nd battleship formation, Lieutenant Admiral Ingersoll looked serious. In another hour, the first capital ship formation will arrive. However, for them, this hour is very difficult. If their losses are too great within this hour, I am afraid that after the first capital ship formation arrives, they will be powerless.

"No, it's night now. Even if the Germans' radar performance is very powerful, it is impossible to sink our huge battleship! If we are lucky, we might inflict an unbearable price on the Germans!" Lieutenant General Ingersoll said to himself secretly in his heart, as if to strengthen his confidence.

"Boom! Boom!"

Orange red flames shone at the muzzle, and when the shells were thrown out, it also revealed the outline of the battleship's hull. Although there is guidance from the artillery sighting radar, it is not very accurate. Therefore, when the battleship appears, the opponent's sailors will also be used as a reference for the distance.

The sailors on both sides are working hard and want to cause as much damage as possible to the other side. So much so that this naval battle has reached its climax from the very beginning.

"Stop the shelling, adjust the orientation, and raise the muzzle twice."

On the battleship 'Caesar', the gunner is modifying the direction of the bombardment based on the data obtained by the gun sight radar.

If it is daytime, it is not difficult for the battleship "Caesar" to hit a target 15 kilometers away. However, at night, even with the guidance of the artillery radar, if you want to hit the target, you need more luck. If you are unlucky, even if you waste a lot of shells, you may not be able to hit the target.

It can be said that the naval officers and soldiers of the two warring parties are trying to see who has better luck. Maybe, the side with better luck would be relatively easier to win this naval battle.

"General, the first battleship formation of the United States is approaching us. It is estimated that it will arrive at the battlefield in less than an hour. I am afraid that there is not much time left for us." Lu Lu, chief of staff of the battleship formation of the German Navy's home fleet Major General Dove was a little worried.

Lieutenant General Gerke, the commander of the formation, nodded: "If the five 'Montana-class' battleships of the Americans arrive, it will indeed be a very big trouble for us. We don't have a warship, Can fight it!"

"Command the fleet to continue to close the distance. If possible, close the engagement distance to 10,000 meters." Lieutenant General Gerke made a decision instantly.

For a battleship equipped with a 410mm main gun or a 380mm main gun, if the combat distance is shortened to 10,000 meters, it is almost equivalent to a bayonet fight. Because, at this distance, whether it is a 410mm artillery shell or a 380mm artillery shell, it is very likely to tear the armor of the enemy's battleship. At the same time, the armor of one's own battleship is also very likely to be penetrated by shells fired by the enemy. Therefore, further shortening the distance means that the battle will become more intense.

If there is enough time, Lieutenant General Gerke may not make such a risky decision. However, when the first U.S. battleship formation was approaching, he had to find a way to give the German fleet as much advantage as possible before the arrival of American reinforcements. Otherwise, once the American reinforcements arrive, the situation will become even more unfavorable to the German fleet.

"Yes, General!" Major General Rudolph nodded, and he also knew that this was the only choice they could make now. After all, the number of capital ships in the German fleet has an absolute advantage. In the case of a bayonet fight, they are much more likely to win.historical

"General, the Germans are continuing to turn, and they are closing the distance between us!" An officer reported.

Lieutenant General Ingersoll's expression became more serious.

"Order all ships to hold on no matter what. The Germans are preparing to fight us desperately. As long as you hold on, reinforcements will come. When the time comes, we will win!" Lieutenant General Ingersoll ordered .

Although he has already seen what the German fleet is trying to do. However, he has no choice. Unless they abandon the seriously injured battleship 'Illinois', the moderately traumatized USS 'Wisconsin' and 'Kentucky'. Otherwise, they would not be able to prevent the German fleet from closing the battle distance.

If those three battleships were really abandoned, the US Navy's 2nd Battleship Squadron would be considered a heavy blow.

"Boom!"

Ten minutes after the battle started, the German Navy scored its first hit since the start of the war. A 380mm artillery shell fired from the battleship "Thuringia" of the German Navy hit the battleship "Illinois".

The shell hit the front deck of the battleship "Illinois", and after penetrating the front deck, an explosion occurred. At the same time, a fire broke out.

The raging fire illuminated the battleship 'Illinois'. Although the damage control personnel on the battleship immediately started to put out the fire, the German Navy seized this opportunity.

The shelling of the four "Helgoland-class" battleships became more and more accurate.

"Boom! Boom!"

Shells kept falling around the battleship 'Illinois', as if they might hit the battleship at any time.

Even though the battleship 'Illinois' is a huge battleship with a displacement of 58,000 tons, it still looks very helpless at this moment.

A minute later, a 380mm shell hit the battleship 'Illinois' again. The shell hit the side of the battleship, and a 127mm secondary gun was blown away, leaving a hole in the side of the battleship, as if a piece had been gnawed off by a monster.

Fortunately, the place where the shell hit was above the waterline. If it moved down a certain distance, it might be enough to cause more damage to the battleship 'Illinois'.

"General, the situation of the battleship 'Illinois' is very bad, they have been hit consecutively!" An officer reported.

After Lieutenant General Ingersoll heard this, he couldn't help feeling tense. He knew that the battleship "Illinois", which had already suffered heavy damage, was probably doomed after being besieged by four German battleships.