bullyxtreme Chapter 178: U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft dispatched, Hurricane-class attack nuclear su
Chapter 178: U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft dispatched, Hurricane-class attack nuclear su
Qionghai is located in the southern waters of the ancient country. The name of Qiong Island is also taken from the word Qiong in Qionghai.
The eleven dashed lines in Qionghai are all the territorial waters of the ancient country.
It is also one of the busiest sea areas.
It is the main sea route connecting Dongzhou and Xizhou.
Every day, a large number of ships travel between the two states for trade.
At the same time, all the materials imported and exported by Fuso from Xizhou and Nanyang had to pass through Qionghai.
Under the icy waters of Qionghai, a huge submarine is traveling at a speed of 18 knots at a depth of about 60 meters underwater.
This huge submarine is the first ship of the first squadron of the first nuclear submarine detachment of the Renaissance Army Navy, with the hull number UH-1101.
After arriving in Qionghai, the UH-1101 attack nuclear submarine surfaced to the communication buoy and sent a radio wave towards the Sumatra Base No. 3 in the Netherlands colony.
It is difficult for a submarine to find a merchant fleet in the vast ocean, and it is even more difficult to identify whether it is a merchant ship from Fuso.
Therefore, reinforcements from the No. 3 branch base are necessary.
Although Branch Base No. 3 is currently only a resource base, it has already occupied an area in the eastern part of Sumatra.
It currently has a guard force of an infantry brigade, an air force base and a naval base.
At the Dongdan Air Force Base, they responded immediately after receiving the radio waves from the UH-1101 nuclear submarine.
"Order the AWACS to assist the First Squadron in locating the Fuso fleet in Qionghai. All civilian and military vessels must transmit their coordinates via medium and long wave radio to the First Squadron's three submarines."
Soon, a land-based EC-121 airborne early warning aircraft took off from a three-kilometer-long military airport and roared towards the Qionghai Sea in the northeast.
The EC-121 airborne early warning aircraft was developed based on the C-121 medium transport aircraft, so it has a maximum range of 7400 kilometers, which also means that it has the ability to stay in the air for a long time.
The AN/APS-95 search radar has a large-scale search capability and the ability to initially filter out sea clutter, so it is the most appropriate to use it to carry out this sea search mission.
However, relying solely on early warning aircraft is not enough; strategic reconnaissance aircraft with the ability to conduct long-range reconnaissance and stay in the air for a long time are also needed.
The mission carried out this time along with the EC-121 airborne early warning aircraft was a mysterious high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
It is the famous U-2 single-engine, single-seat high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
This reconnaissance aircraft made its first flight in August 55 in the original time and space, so the Red Alert Base also unlocked this extremely powerful high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
Using these two models to carry out this mission is indeed a bit of a waste of talent.
However, this combination is the best combination at present.
After the EC-121 airborne early warning aircraft searches for the target through radar, it sends the target information to the accompanying U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
The U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft then headed to the target area for a precise search.
If we find that the ship sailing on the sea is a merchant ship from Fuso, then the next step will be easy.
The target information is sent directly to the Hurricane-class attack nuclear submarine located under the ocean, which will carry out the sinking mission.
If not, then you can only keep looking until you find it.
This is not like looking for a needle in a haystack.
Because generally speaking, merchant ships have a relatively fixed route at sea, just like roads on land.
If you deviate from the course, you are not only likely to get lost, but you may also encounter danger at any time.
For example, reefs, huge waves, etc.
Therefore, the fleet only needs to search along the main route, which further narrows the target.
However, the ideal is very full and the reality is very skinny.
On the first day, the No. 1 aircraft group returned in vain.
During the ten hours of the mission, they discovered more than a dozen fleets and single ships, but they were basically merchant ships from countries such as John, Gaul, Hans, and Italy, and even several warships.
But no Fuso merchant ship was found.
In the No. 3 branch base, someone immediately made a suggestion.
"Why not send a ship to monitor the Singapore-Malaysia Strait? As long as Fuso merchant ships travel between Dongzhou and Xizhou, the Singapore-Malaysia Strait is a necessary route.
All we have to do is spot the target and wait in the channel."
As for the merchant ships passing through the Singapore-Malaysia Strait from Fuso to Xizhou, the submarines have to keep an eye on the route. If they miss it, they will miss it.
Yu Zhipeng, commander of the No. 3 branch base, couldn't help but praise the suggestion when he heard it.
Several small offshore patrol boats disguised as fishing boats were immediately dispatched from the naval base to the western area of the Singapore-Malaysia Strait.
The narrowest part of the Singapore-Malaysia Strait is only 20 to 30 kilometers.
No passing ship can escape the eyes of these patrol boats.
What’s more, this method is not only efficient, but also saves time and effort.
There is no need to even deploy early warning aircraft.
However, considering the safety of the sea and air space, it is still necessary to send early warning aircraft for surveillance.
At noon the next day, a merchant ship flying the Fuso flag indeed appeared in the Singapore-Malaysia Strait.
This is a cargo ship loaded with scrap steel, with a full load displacement of more than 8500 tons.
Fuso needed a large amount of steel to produce weapons and build warships, but their domestic production capacity was limited.
So they bought cheap scrap steel from abroad and re-smelted it.
And John and other countries certainly support this.
Not only can the unwanted scrap steel be sold, but it can also strengthen Fuso to deal with the Restoration Army.
The Izumo Maru cargo ship had no idea that they were being targeted at this moment.
However, there is still some distance from the Singapore-Malaysia Strait to the Qionghai waters.
At the speed of about 12 knots of the Izumo Maru merchant ship, it would take about 40 hours to enter the Qionghai waters.
As for why they didn't take action directly in the Singapore-Malaysia Strait, it was very simple. It was to avoid attracting the attention of John's Far East Fleet and avoiding unnecessary complications.
That's why we took action in the Qionghai waters.
Anyway, this is a long-term task, so there is no need to rush.
Two hours after the Izumo Maru merchant ship appeared, another Fuso merchant ship passed through the Singapore-Malaysia Strait.
In just one day, as many as eight Fuso merchant ships passed through the Singapore-Malaysia Strait.
And half of them were loaded with scrap steel.
Others are carrying various industrial products/equipment, food, etc.
Yu Zhipeng was very surprised by the dense concentration of merchant ships.
“I didn’t know until I saw it, and I was shocked. I didn’t expect that the trade between Fusang and Xizhou was so frequent.
It seems that there is great potential this time!"
Then a look of joy appeared on Yu Zhipeng's face.
For him, the more Fuso merchant ships there are, the better.
According to the estimated time, when the Fuso merchant ship had arrived in the Qionghai waters, a group of aircraft consisting of an EC-121 airborne early warning aircraft and three U-3 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft took off immediately from the Dongdan Air Force Base.
In fact, there is no need to deploy any early warning aircraft or reconnaissance aircraft at this time.
Because three Hurricane-class nuclear-powered submarines are already lurking in the waterway.
Just waiting for the Fuso merchant ship to show up.
The U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft does not need to fly too high. As long as it flies to an altitude of meters, there will be nothing that can threaten it.
So the pilots only need to wear ordinary pressure suits.
After knowing the enemy's approximate location, it was not surprising that the Izumo Maru was found through the combination of EC-121 early warning aircraft and U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft.
After 48 hours of sailing, the Izumo Maru merchant ship has entered the Qionghai waters and has sailed hundreds of kilometers.
A U-8000 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft flying at an altitude of 2 meters locked onto the Izumo Maru through its onboard reconnaissance equipment and transmitted its location to the EC-121 airborne early warning aircraft.
The U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft's onboard communication equipment cannot directly contact the Hurricane-class attack nuclear submarine located under the seabed, so it needs to be transferred through the EC-121's onboard communication equipment.
After receiving the approximate coordinates of the UH-1101 attack nuclear submarine, Colonel Zhang Yunjie, commander of the First Submarine Squadron and temporary captain of the UH-1101 nuclear-powered submarine, immediately issued an order.
"Left 10, forward three!"
As the order was given, the underwater behemoth lurking beneath the sea began to turn and head towards the target area at full speed.
With the efficient operation of the submarine reactor and steam turbine, the UH-1101 attack nuclear submarine soon increased its speed to over 20 knots.
In addition to the UH-1101 submarine, the 1102 and 1103 attack nuclear submarines also received orders.
However, their target was not the Izumo Maru, but the Fuso merchant ship following behind the Izumo Maru.
Three U-2 high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft were just opposite three Hurricane-class attack nuclear submarines.
With more precise coordinates, it was easy to find the Izumo Maru merchant ship.
Using the submarine's passive sonar, the UH-1101 submarine was directly on the Izumo Maru's route waiting for it to approach.
At this moment, the UH-1101 submarine is like an assassin lying in ambush. As long as the enemy appears, it will be killed with one blow.
The dozens of crew members on the Izumo Maru all stayed in the cabin obediently, and no one ran out.
Because the weather has turned cold now, no one wants to go out and suffer.
"Captain, the target will be within the effective range of our T-head within ten seconds."
"Captain, the target has entered the effective range of our boat's T-head. Should we fire?"
Upon hearing this, Zhang Yunjie immediately picked up the intercom next to him.
"I'm Zhang Yunjie, shoot at the target immediately!"
As the order was given, the UH-1101 submarine responded in less than ten seconds.
When the torpedo hatch at the bow of the ship was opened, an MK35 heavy-guided torpedo shot out under the catapult of water pressure, and then the engine started and headed towards the Izumo Maru merchant ship 5 kilometers away.
The MK35 heavy torpedo is a type of submarine-launched torpedo that was only put into service in 49.
However, the equipment now is the later MOD 3 type.
The guidance method is primary/passive acoustic, and it has the ability to directly lock onto the enemy.
Not to mention that the Izumo Maru is just a merchant ship. Once it targets it, even a destroyer fleet will not be able to escape.
It not only has active and passive acoustic guidance modes, but also has a maximum speed of 27 knots and a range of 13 kilometers.
Dealing with any ship of this era is basically a dimensionality reduction attack.
This is the horror of the Hurricane-class attack nuclear submarine.
The Izumo Maru merchant ship will also become the first merchant ship sunk by an attack nuclear submarine, and will surely go down in history.