Republic of China: Ace Pilot

Chapter 825 The Battle of the Atlantic: The Sinking of the Bismarck

On the evening of June 7, 1941, in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean.

The wind and waves rose, with waves several meters high surging.

The battle between the British and German navies began amidst the storm.

The HMS Ark Royal was violently rocking in the wind and waves, and the indicator lights on the flight deck were flashing on and off. Finally, the takeoff order for the second wave of attack aircraft was issued.

Fang Wen gripped the control stick tightly, and the engine roared to life.

The supernatural ability controls the deformable metal inside the aircraft's engine, instantly boosting the engine's power.

Immediately, the fighter jets shot off like arrows, gliding at full speed along the deck. In just a hundred meters, they broke free from the aircraft carrier's restraints and plunged into the raging wind.

The wings swept over the crests of the waves, splashing water onto the cockpit windows and blurring the view, but it did not affect Fang Wen's control in the slightest.

The mechanical perception ability had long been integrated with the aircraft. Fang Wenhua transformed into an iron bird and soared through the wind and waves, clearly capturing every fluctuation of the sea surface airflow and the subtle changes in wind speed. He slightly adjusted the control stick, and the fighter jet steadily shuttled through the wind and waves, following the squadron formation and speeding towards the direction of the Bismarck.

At this moment, the Atlantic Fleet's encirclement tactics had already begun on the sea.

The British battleships HMS King George V and HMS Rodney were approaching from the northeast, while the cruiser squadron was flanking from the west, forming an encirclement and relentlessly pursuing the Bismarck, which was sailing at full speed toward Brest, France.

Meanwhile, the Bismarck, with its heavy armor and powerful engines, broke through the initial interception of the British cruisers, its main guns roaring intermittently as it unleashed fire on the pursuing British fleet. The heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen provided flank cover for the Bismarck, defending against the British flanking attacks.

Fang Wen's attack squadron flew for about an hour before finally spotting the outline of the giant steel ship in the twilight.

The Bismarck was entirely dark gray, with its 380mm main gun turrets standing tall and imposing. The ship sailed steadily through the wind and waves, while the anti-aircraft guns on the deck were already in full battle readiness, their muzzles pointing straight to the sky. The dense anti-aircraft fire network was like a giant net, waiting for British warplanes to walk right into its trap.

(The size of this battleship, named after the German Iron Chancellor, can be seen by comparing it to the small boat on the right in the picture.)

"Attention all crews, maintain formation, descend altitude, and prepare for penetration!"

The squadron leader's voice came through the radio, using the Taishan radio voice communication device that Fang Wen had brought.

Because of the different speeds of the aircraft models, Fang Wen's Taishan seaplane attack aircraft was on the outer edge of the formation and was not included in the co-flying formation.

While flying alongside the squadron, Fang Wen also used his special abilities to observe the situation ahead.

The first wave of Swordfish torpedo bombers that had set out earlier had launched their attack, but most of them failed to break through the defenses due to the Bismarck's dense anti-aircraft fire and the interference of wind and waves.

Because biplanes fly slowly, several aircraft were hit by anti-aircraft guns and crashed into the sea, trailing black smoke. Only one torpedo hit the side of the Bismarck, but failed to penetrate its thick armor, leaving only a shallow wound.

This battleship has very thick armor!

However, it is not without its weaknesses.

Fang Wen's attention shifted to the stern of the Bismarck, which was the battleship's fatal weakness.

Because that position is where the rudder and propeller are located, the armor is the weakest. Once hit by a torpedo, it would most likely lose its ability to turn and become a sitting duck for the British fleet. This is also the key reason why the Bismarck was sunk in history.

This time, Fang Wen also planned to use the same attack method.

However, unlike in the past, last time it was a British pilot's torpedo that hit the target by accident, this time he came prepared.

Twenty minutes later, the air squadron arrived at the combat airspace.

Rows of anti-aircraft shells flashed as they came flying in.

The squadron leader's voice came through the radio equipment of each aircraft: "Disperse and fight, God help us, drop all the torpedoes."

The formation immediately broke up and dispersed, approaching the Bismarck battleship below.

A British Swordfish torpedo bomber leading the charge suddenly exploded in mid-air.

Fang Wen steered the plane at an angle, avoiding the debris scattered by the explosion.

He had just clearly seen that the unfortunate biplane crash straight into the German anti-aircraft artillery trajectory.

That's the most powerful 105mm SKC/33 twin anti-aircraft gun on the battleship below.

This anti-aircraft gun has a range of 12000 meters and can theoretically hit any incoming aircraft, but because it is relatively bulky and requires manual loading, its rate of fire is only 10-18 rounds per minute.

At that rate of fire, the hit rate against aerial combat aircraft was extremely low. Unfortunately, the British pilot he had just met was really unlucky and died there.

Fang Wen had no time to mourn for his newly acquainted pilot friend. He slammed the control stick, and the fighter jet instantly descended, dodging multiple anti-aircraft shells that were coming from different firing trajectories.

He continued to descend and flew in an arc, successfully avoiding the attention of the battleship's anti-aircraft gunners.

After flying 2 kilometers, he turned back and descended to 200 meters.

And as it got closer to the Bismarck, the plane's altitude gradually decreased.

In this way, the plane's flight altitude dropped to 50 meters.

The waves are right below us; if we lower our altitude any further, we'll be hit by them.

In such a situation, the plane would definitely lose balance, and the result would be that it flips over and crashes into the sea.

However, without lowering the flight altitude, it would be impossible to accurately launch torpedoes or avoid air defense fire.

Therefore, Fang Wen focused intently on operating the aircraft, avoiding the wind and waves below, and successfully reduced the altitude to 30 meters.

Getting closer!

The German anti-aircraft gunners on the Bismarck quickly spotted the unusually agile aircraft.

The FlaK 30 single-barrel gun on the ship's side quickly adjusted its firing angle and fired 20mm cannon shells at the aircraft.

But they were too late. The plane flew past at high speed and entered the blind spot of the FlaK 30's fire. The passing shells splashed up large sprays of water on the sea surface.

The remaining British pilots, who were searching for an opportunity at high altitude, also saw what was happening below and were all dumbfounded.

They had never seen anyone control a fighter jet so smoothly under such dense anti-aircraft fire.

And this was an ultra-low-altitude flight conducted in such windy and turbulent conditions.

More importantly, the aircraft he was piloting was not a biplane torpedo bomber, which was easier to operate and had better gliding performance.

The squadron leader couldn't help but exclaim in the squadron channel, "Fang, you're amazing! You're practically dancing on the crest of a wave!"

Fang Wen remained focused, his gaze fixed on the stern of the Bismarck. As the distance drew closer, he could clearly see the panicked figures of the German gunners on the deck and hear the deafening roar of the main guns.

When the fighter jet was only a kilometer away from the Bismarck, Fang Wen steadied the control stick and adjusted the aircraft's attitude to ensure the torpedo launch angle was accurate.

At a distance of 800 meters, he pressed the torpedo release button. A torpedo slid off the belly of the fighter jet, skimming the crest of the wave like a silver sword, hurtling towards the stern of the Bismarck. The instant the torpedo was released, Fang Wen immediately pulled back on the control stick, causing the fighter jet to veer to the side. It then quickly climbed, hurtling towards the sky to avoid the Bismarck's anti-aircraft fire.

The white line on the sea surface was rapidly approaching, and the German sailors all knew what that meant.

They all simultaneously picked up their weapons and fired at the sea, attempting to blow the ship up before it got too close.

This extremely low probability did not occur, and the sailors could only watch helplessly as the torpedo approached the stern of the ship.

Just over ten seconds later, a deafening explosion rang out as the torpedo precisely struck the Bismarck's port rudder at the stern. The massive blast force destroyed the rudder mechanism, and the aftershocks also affected the propeller, causing its rotation speed to drop sharply.

Like a behemoth that has lost its way, the Bismarck's once steady course of navigation suddenly went out of control, and it began to spin in place on the sea, unable to move towards the port of Brest.

The ship rocked violently, the German soldiers on deck panicked, the main gun firing rhythm was completely disrupted, and a clear gap appeared in the anti-aircraft fire network.

The squadron leader immediately sent the information back to the aircraft carrier using a specific telegram message.

"Hit! Fang Wen hit the target!"

Onboard the HMS Ark Royal, a short telegram was received from a fighter jet, and the communications officer excitedly reported the situation.

This information was then relayed to the British fleet operating at the front.

With its steering gear jammed and unable to turn, the Bismarck completely lost its maneuverability. The massive ship was as if nailed to the turbulent Atlantic Ocean, unable to move even a step towards the French port of Brest.

Upon seeing this, the British fleet immediately adjusted its tactics, tightening the encirclement in an instant. The battleships HMS King George V and HMS Rodney accelerated first, pressing forward from the northeast, turning their main guns to aim at the immobilized steel behemoth, preparing to launch a fatal bombardment.

Even when trapped, the Bismarck's combat power remained terrifying.

The German sailors on board quickly regained their composure from the chaos. The 380mm main guns maintained their deterrent power, while the twin 105mm SK-C/33 heavy anti-aircraft guns and 37mm SK-C/30 medium anti-aircraft guns on both sides continued to pour fire on the incoming British aircraft. On the sea, the whistling of shells and the deafening sound of explosions filled the air. The thick armor withstood the first salvo of British naval gunfire. The shells struck the ship's armor, only scattering sparks, and failed to penetrate the core compartments.

The heavy cruiser Prinz Eugen continued to cruise on the flank of the Bismarck, using its agile maneuverability to harass the British cruiser formation with its 203mm main guns, attempting to share the firepower with the Bismarck. The two German ships, one defending and the other supporting, temporarily withstood the British sea and land attack, preventing the British from delivering a fatal blow.

The British fleet commander stood on the bridge of HMS George V, looking at the Bismarck, which was still stubbornly resisting, with a furrowed brow.

He knew that the longer it dragged on, the greater the risk; if German shore-based aircraft arrived to provide support, the pursuit plan would be disrupted.

After all, their own aircraft couldn't cause such damage to the warship, and German aircraft might very well have the same effect.

After a moment's thought, the commander immediately issued a new order: "Abandon the assault on the Bismarck, concentrate the main fleet, and encircle and annihilate the Prinz Eugen! First, destroy its cover, then slowly deal with this crippled battleship!"

Upon receiving the order, the British fleet instantly changed formation.

HMS King George V diverted half of its firepower, HMS Rodney approached at full speed, and several light cruisers and destroyers flanked it from both sides. A dense barrage of gunfire swept towards the Prinz Eugen in an instant, while the remaining Swordfish torpedo bombers in the air also changed direction and launched torpedoes to deter the heavy cruiser.

The Prinz Eugen was only a heavy cruiser, and its armor and firepower were far inferior to those of the Bismarck. Faced with the full-scale encirclement and suppression by the main British fleet, it was powerless to resist.

More importantly, it used to work flexibly and complement the Bismarck, but now the Bismarck can no longer help it and it is completely unable to withstand the encirclement and attack of the Atlantic Fleet.

Without the cover of fire from the Bismarck, it was quickly hit on the sides by British gunfire, the hull caught fire, the propulsion system was damaged, and if the stalemate continued, it would only sink.

Seeing the Bismarck spinning in place and barely able to save itself, the captain had no choice but to order a retreat.

The Prinz Eugen, at full speed and under the cover of the wind and waves, desperately broke through the British encirclement and retreated eastward toward France.

A light destroyer was patrolling in this direction to prevent it from returning.

At this point, the Bismarck was completely isolated, without the cover of its escort ships or any maneuverability. It could only passively endure the repeated attacks from the British, like a weak lion surrounded by a pack of hyenas, with no power to resist.

After driving away the Prinz Eugen, the British fleet re-encircled and trapped the Bismarck in the core area.

The destroyer squadron launched a harassing attack first, taking advantage of the wind and waves to circle around to the side and stern of the Bismarck, continuously launching torpedoes to distract German firepower and disrupt the aiming rhythm of the ship's gunners.

The cruiser squadron continued to bombard the Bismarck at medium and long range, gradually destroying its superstructure, anti-aircraft gun positions, and secondary gun turrets.

The two main battleships, HMS King George V and HMS Rodney, slowly approached to the optimal firing range, preparing to launch a decisive salvo from their main guns.

Meanwhile, two torpedo bomber squadrons from the HMS Ark Royal took off again and headed towards the Bismarck.

Fang Wen, piloting a fighter jet, also followed the operation.

He maneuvered his plane high in the sky, coldly observing the hunt.

He did not launch another attack or participate in this battle. He did so for the sake of exchanging benefits. The upcoming battle for honor belonged to the British, and he had no interest in competing for it.

Time passed little by little.

Even though the second round of siege lasted for more than an hour.

The Bismarck hadn't sunk yet.

But it is already scarred and severely damaged.

The third round of attacks then commenced.

With the commander's order, the 14-inch main guns of HMS King George V and the 16-inch main guns of HMS Rodney roared simultaneously, dozens of heavy armor-piercing shells whistling toward the Bismarck, and a dense rain of bullets instantly covered the entire battleship.

The first salvo accurately hit the Bismarck's forward main gun turret, penetrating its thick armor. The ammunition compartment was triggered by a series of explosions, the turret was blown off, flames shot into the sky, and thick smoke enveloped most of the ship.

Bismarck's remaining main and secondary guns put up a fierce counterattack, sending shells toward the British battleships, but due to loss of control and a malfunctioning aiming system, they failed to inflict effective damage on the British.

The British fleet seized the opportunity and launched a continuous barrage of main guns. Wave after wave of fire relentlessly shattered the Bismarck's superstructure, destroyed its bridge, and paralyzed its command system. All of its 105mm and 37mm anti-aircraft guns were rendered useless, leaving only a few 20mm FlaK 30 single-barreled machine guns firing sporadically, which were soon overwhelmed by the barrage.

Seawater rushed in through the breach in the hull, and the Bismarck tilted rapidly, from a slight initial tilt to a tilt of thirty degrees, then forty degrees, and the massive ship began to slowly sink.

Subsequently, the engine room was completely destroyed, the entire ship lost power, and was plunged into darkness.

The surviving soldiers either abandoned ship and jumped into the sea or huddled in their cabins awaiting their fate.

Even so, the German army did not lower their flag, and the remaining sailors continued their final resistance.

Upon seeing this, the British commander ordered the destroyers to launch a final torpedo attack.

Several British destroyers approached at close range and launched torpedoes simultaneously. Several torpedoes hit the Bismarck's sides and bow in succession. The already damaged hull could no longer support itself, and the sounds of breaking and explosions continued.

At approximately 1:00 AM on June 8, 1941, the German naval flagship, which had once sunk the British battlecruiser HMS Hood and dominated the Atlantic, broke apart completely under repeated attacks from the British fleet. Bow down, it slowly sank into the deep sea in the eastern part of the Atlantic Ocean.

All that remained on the sea surface were large patches of oil slicks, burning wreckage, floating lifeboats, and German sailors who had fallen into the water.

The steel behemoth that once surged forth from the North Sea has ultimately become a relic at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean. (End of Chapter)