Chapter 40: The Real Big Fish

Facing the sudden onslaught of British aircraft, more than ten German fighters hovering in the airspace near Cardiff immediately bravely intercepted them. Due to the capture of the forward base of the Isle of Wight, the short range of the Bf-109 had been temporarily overshadowed by the glorious achievements of the German Air Force. Technological improvements, such as additional fuel tanks, had been initiated, but they couldn't be put into combat in just a month or two. As for the Fw-190 fighter, which was favored by Hermann Göring, it had just begun pre-production, and formal production still required debugging and improvement, with corresponding pilots undergoing training.

Seeing that the limited number of Messerschmitt fighters struggled to resist the sudden attack of the British Naval Air Service, Logan quickly left the cabin of the Ju-52. He knew that with the slow speed of the Ju-52, even if it forcefully took off, it would easily be shot down by any British fighter.

The conspicuous Cardiff airport was indeed designated as the primary target by the British Naval Air Service. While the German fighters engaged in combat with the new and old generations of British carrier-based fighters - the Gladiator and the Swordfish - a squadron of Swordfish carrier-based dive bombers flew low. At this time, the German anti-aircraft firepower deployed around the airport was very limited. The bombers easily dropped bombs on the runway and warehouses, instantly destroying two Ju-52s attempting to take off and a Stuka refueling beside the runway. The airport was engulfed in flames and thick smoke in no time!

After scrambling into a shelter near the runway, Logan, although looking disheveled, was not at all discouraged. It was said that during the most critical moments of the Battle of Britain, the Royal Air Force had strongly requested the Navy to provide all carrier-based fighters for support, but the Royal Navy did not agree. They refused to provide carriers or carrier-based aircraft, citing the need to protect sea routes and ports, resulting in the Royal Air Force losing air superiority. The Royal Navy's carrier-based aircraft, in terms of equipment level, were still using outdated biplanes. The Swordfish and Gladiator were already outdated models, and the Fulmar, since its service in June 1940, had been criticized by commanders and pilots. Only the Fulmar, converted from a fighter, performed decently. It was the first British aircraft to shoot down a German aircraft in the war (on September 26, 1939, a Fulmar from the HMS Ark Royal shot down a German Do18), and it was also the first Allied aircraft to sink a large enemy warship during the war (on April 10, 1940, Fulmars from 800 and 803 squadrons cooperatively sank the German light cruiser Königsberg). Ironically, when the Royal Navy found that its newly commissioned Fulmar fighter was no match for the Messerschmitt-109, they had also requested the Air Ministry for help and requested a license to produce the successful Spitfire fighter. Unexpectedly, they were bluntly rejected.

After waiting anxiously for about ten minutes, headquarters finally replied with a short message: "Operation Shark Hunt has been initiated. Colonel, please return to headquarters as soon as possible!"

"Return? Return my foot!"

Logan tore the telegram paper into pieces, not to mention that the runway surroundings were already in chaos after the departure of the British carrier-based aircraft, and German fighters arriving later could only hover over the airport helplessly. Leaving at such a crucial moment when such a spectacular battle was about to begin was no different from missing out on the wedding night.

Seeing a well-preserved bucket truck not far away, Logan didn't care who its driver was or which unit it belonged to. He quickly ran over, got in the truck, and drove swiftly towards the port.

Since dawn, the British ground forces, aware that they would be bombed into smithereens without air superiority, had been covertly assembling outside the city and had not launched a large-scale attack. Occasionally, gunfire could still be heard in the city, but that often attracted a large number of fierce German paratroopers to besiege them. Taking advantage of the early morning, German paratroopers had posted English notices on the streets and even at the doorsteps of British residents' homes. The notices stated that as long as weapons were surrendered, not only would there be no investigation, but food rations would also be provided daily per capita. However, after these notices were posted, the only weapons confiscated by the Germans were four flintlock shotguns and more than ten kitchen knives. Regardless of the era or country, there were always some cowards who feared death or dared to taunt formidable enemies!

Given the "friendly" atmosphere, German paratroopers did not trouble ordinary British residents or captured militiamen too much. In this atmosphere, Mr. Hans Logan alone drove a canvas-covered bucket truck through the city. Although he was targeted by snipers before reaching the port, he had already seen billowing smoke not far away. Sure enough, not only did the British Naval Air Service fiercely bomb the Cardiff airport, but more than thirty bombers were also sent to attack the port, causing unnecessary casualties to some army officers and soldiers who had not yet landed. Two cargo ships sunk in the port seriously affected the use of the two east-side docks. Fortunately, the two fuel-laden cargo ships were not hit by bombs. Although they each only carried more than ten tons of gasoline, once they exploded, most of the docks would likely be engulfed in flames. As for the German seaplanes, since they were not combat-capable, they were obediently hiding at Petersstone-Wentloog on the north side of Cardiff Harbor. If they were attacked by the British Naval Air Service, Admiral Röder would surely be very distressed!

"General, are you alright?"

Logan parked the car in front of the temporary command post, where Lindemann emerged from a nearby air raid shelter looking disheveled. Originally built by the British to guard against German bombings, its current role had been completely reversed.

Lindemann took off his military cap and brushed off the dust. "Ah, I'm fine! Colonel, it's good to see you! I was just worried about you..."

"Thankfully, the planes hadn't taken off yet, or I would have had to practice parachuting!" Logan joked optimistically, while scanning for figures in blue naval uniforms. Since the arrival of the landing fleet, the colors on the dock were no longer so monotonous!

"Hey, Lieutenant Lant, can you reach those seaplanes?" Without skipping a beat, Logan called out to a naval lieutenant he had only met forty minutes ago, one of the battlefield liaison officers from the German Navy.

The naval lieutenant, not tall but sturdy-looking, appeared to be in his early forties, with a dark complexion.

"It should be no problem, sir! What are your orders?"

"Which type of seaplane of yours has the longest range and highest speed?" Logan seemed to pose a question that didn't intersect with the conversation.

The lieutenant straightened his chest and replied, "The Heinkel 115-C1, sir! It has a maximum range of up to 3300 kilometers and a combat speed of over 350 kilometers per hour, sir!"

"How many do we have now?" As the operational commander, Logan knew very well how many seaplanes the navy planned to deploy in which area, but despite the plans, there were always some aircraft that couldn't be deployed on time due to various reasons during actual combat.

The lieutenant reported professionally, "7 aircraft, and we also have 5 B1 models and 3 A3 models, sir!"

"15 aircraft? Good, very good. Have them prepare for action. This time, the targets are some big fish!" Logan ordered without hesitation.

As "Operation Shark Hunt" was transmitted via radio waves to the waters off the western coast of Britain, the 8 German submarines lurking in the northern Celtic Sea and the southern entrance of the Strait of Dover became active, like sharks smelling blood. The captains sailed north in a fan-shaped search formation according to the plan, while staring intently at the sea, trying to spot any unusual colors amidst the unchanging waves. However, for a strait mouth nearly 80 kilometers wide, the deployment density of just 8 submarines was far less than that of their companions operating in the English Channel and the North Sea—aside from those returning from the North Atlantic with depleted torpedoes and those undergoing repairs in docks in the homeland or France, there were also combat submarines maintaining the minimum blockade of the Atlantic Ocean that the German Navy could muster, and every submarine available to the German Navy had already been deployed in "Operation Neptune's Wrath," and in the North Sea and the English Channel, the captains had indeed proven their worth with their achievements!

Although only 8 submarines were assigned to deal with the potential appearance of British carriers, since the operational area was far from the ports, each of them was the most advanced and powerful VII-series submarine in the German Navy. They had set out from French ports just before the battle, so their fuel, supplies, especially torpedo reserves, were very abundant. What's more, 5 out of the 8 captains had already achieved more than 30,000 tons of victories. The leader among them was the famous Günther Prien and his U-47. Prien's classic example of sneaking into Scapa Flow and sinking the Royal Oak battleship had long been the pride of the entire German Navy—Dönitz hoped that this ace captain would join the training department, but Prien ultimately decided to stay on board and fight!

In the era without onboard radar, the efficiency of submarines searching for ships at sea was actually quite limited. Fortunately, at this moment, the German Air Force had launched two entire squadrons of Bf-110 heavy fighters from the Isle of Wight airport. The pilots flew in a predetermined route over the Cornwall Peninsula and the Bristol Bay, then entered the Strait of Dover from the south to the north. Although they were quickly intercepted by British carrier aircraft, faced with the Gladiator and Fulmar, two not-so-excellent fighters, the German pilots finally had the opportunity to wash away their previous setbacks against the Royal Air Force's Hurricane and Spitfire. In the fierce battle, several aircraft managed to pass through the British aerial defense line and spotted three British aircraft carriers and seven escort vessels about 45 nautical miles north of the Strait of Dover. Upon identification, they were the state-of-the-art carrier Glorious, the stalwart Ark Royal, and the oldest Royal Navy aircraft carrier Furious, and among the escort vessels, one light cruiser, four destroyers, and two small combat vessels between frigates and gunboats were recognizable—it seemed that the ambitious entry of the Royal Navy into the English Channel was originally hoped to rely on a large number of escort vessels to resist the attacks of the German Air Force. However, by 1940, the Luftwaffe had the capability to counter large fleets, and the minefields deployed in the English Channel were just a catalyst for the British to be in disarray.