Real episodes of naval battles. Little-known facts about the amount of damage caused and the number of losses. Will the floating airfield be able to successfully withstand attacks from the shore? So, aircraft carrier squadrons are moving to distant shores …
Why did Nagumo retreat?
One of the mysteries of the attack on Pearl Harbor was the hasty flight of the Japanese squadron. If we discard the usual cliches, then instead of a destructive blow, a completely different picture emerges. On the day of the attack on Hawaii, the Japanese managed to sink or permanently disable only ten of the NINE ships in the harbor.
After which the Japanese suddenly interrupted the attack that had begun so successfully and rushed back like madmen. Despite the fact that the losses among the attackers were negligible - only 29 aircraft that did not return from the mission. Less than other exercises. And there were still a lot of “fat” targets on the shore:
- 4.5 million barrels of oil. The fuel reserves at the Pearl Harbor naval base exceeded all Japan's at the time;
- a huge dry dock 1010 for the repair of battleships and aircraft carriers;
- a submarine base, on the territory of which not a single bomb fell;
- a power plant and mechanical workshops (by leaving them intact, the Japanese nullified the results of their previous attacks; the Yankees rebuilt the base and ships as soon as possible).
All these objects were included by Japanese intelligence in the list of the highest priority targets. However, those who directly directed the attack turned out to be so stupid that they left the most important objects “for later”. The bomber pilots chose to attack the old 1915 Arizona.
And now the second wave of attackers returns to the ships. Complete success. The personnel are inspired and ready for new victories. Technicians, even without receiving an order, begin to prepare the aircraft for the third flight. Admiral Tewichi Nagumo, after hearing the reports of the pilots, gives a short order:
- Let's drop everything and leave. Immediately!
The Japanese squadron is retreating to the northwest.
Downed Japanese plane at Pearl Harbor
Japan regarded the attack on Pearl Harbor as a grand victory, the United States as a grand defeat. There was only one person who considered this operation unsuccessful, and that was Admiral Yamamoto himself. Admiral Yamamoto planned to lose up to 50% of the aircraft in Pearl Harbor, but destroy everything. First of all, the base itself, its oil storage, which later proved to be quite decisive in the war. And Nagumo did not do this. Yamamoto was more than dissatisfied with this, although he followed tradition and never criticized a subordinate who was directly on the scene.
Tuichi Nagumo is often portrayed as being overly cautious in human actions. The elderly admiral, against his will, was appointed the direct executor of the "naval blitzkrieg" in Hawaii. Therefore, having completed part of the assignment, the admiral no longer dared to tempt fate. I did not shy away, but retreated.
Why did Nagumo lose his nerves?
Admiral Nagumo was a competent officer, and in matters of operational management of the squadron, he probably knew better than any of the current "couch strategists". He could not help but know the rule of thumb, according to which, when removed into the ocean, for every 1000 miles, the squadron loses 10% of its combat power. The lack of fuel affects more and more, and any, even minor, damage threatens to become fatal.
He Japan to Hawaii 3, 5 thousand nautical miles. Acting at such a distance, the squadron weakened by almost a third.
What else did Nagumo know that those who undertake to judge his actions do not know?
That 74 of the planes that returned to the ships had various damages and could no longer take off that day. Four more crashed for non-combat reasons. Taking into account 29 combat losses, the aircraft carriers' air wings were knocked out by more than a quarter.
Nagumo knew that the base's defenses were constantly increasing. That 20 of the 29 irrecoverable losses occurred in the second wave. By that time, the Yankees had already woken up, found the keys to the ammunition cellars and met the Japanese with a wall of fire. Dozens of warships remained in Pearl Harbor - their revived anti-aircraft guns posed a threat to anyone who dared to appear over the base.
Cruiser Phoenix will survive Pearl Harbor, but will die in the Falklands War 40 years later
The Japanese burned and damaged three hundred aircraft at the airfields of about. Oahu, but how much more could be left intact? Air battles between deck bombers and American "Tomahawks" ended clearly not in favor of the Japanese. Lieutenants Welch and Taylor, who managed to take off, shot down six enemy planes in a few minutes!
At this rate, the third wave of attackers could have died in the Hawaiian sky in full force.
Nagumo knew that if he stayed for a moment more, his triumph could turn into disaster. When meeting with enemy aircraft and the fleet, he risked losing all six aircraft carrier ships and losing the war, not even having time to start it. And he gave the order to retreat immediately.
Morality. When attacking a peacefully sleeping base, more like an elite yacht club, the Japanese were unable to hit even half of the assigned targets. A few hours later, a squadron of six aircraft carrier ships was forced to flee from just retaliation.
Only complete carelessness and enchanting carelessness of the Yankees allowed Admiral Yamamoto to translate part of his plans into reality.
Fast forward from 1941 to 1982. To the Southern Hemisphere, where a large British fleet fought bravely against a small Argentine air force.
Falkland AUG Triumph
Now there are those who will certainly deny that the British have an aircraft carrier group. By pressing on the classification and terms, they will prove that the Hermes and Invincible were not full-fledged aircraft carriers, and that the British group itself was just a parody of the modern AUG.
The same parody as her opponent.
Marine reconnaissance and target designation - P-2 “Neptune” mod. 1945, and when the veteran was out of action, a passenger Boeing began to be driven over the ocean.
The main combat aircraft is the Skyhawk subsonic attack aircraft without radar (first flight - 1954).
Only six anti-ship missiles are in service with the Argentine Air Force.
The nearest air base is 700 km from the combat zone, on the island. Tierra del Fuego.
Refueling in flight - the only serviceable tanker KS-130.
Light aircraft carriers "Hermes" and "Invincible" with "SeaHarrier" fighters (28 units) came out against the invincible air armada.
As a result, the following were sunk:
- destroyers Sheffield and Coventry;
- frigates "Ardent" and "Antilope";
- landing ship "Sir Galahad";
- transport / helicopter carrier "Atlantic Conveyor";
- landing boat "Foxtrot 4" (with UDC "Fearless").
Damaged:
- the destroyer "Glasgow" - a 454-kg unexploded bomb stuck in the engine room;
- the destroyer "Entrim" - unexploded bomb;
- destroyer "Glamorgan" - anti-ship missiles "Exocet" (the only one on the list, damaged by fire from the shore);
- frigate "Plymouth" - four (!) unexploded bombs;
- frigate "Argonaut" - two unexploded bombs, "Argonaut" was taken away in tow;
- frigate "Elekrity" - unexploded bomb;
- frigate "Arrow" - damaged by aircraft cannon fire;
- frigate "Brodsward" - pierced through by an unexploded bomb;
- frigate "Brilliant" - shot by "Daggers" from low-level flight;
- landing ship "Sir Lancelot" - 454-kg unexploded bomb;
- landing ship "Sir Tristram" - damaged by bombs, completely burned out, evacuated on a semi-submerged platform;
- landing ship "Sir Bedivere" - unexploded bomb;
- British Way naval tanker - unexploded bomb;
- transport "Stromness" - unexploded bomb.
If the detonators of Argentine bombs went off more often, then the Falkland Islands would now be called the Malvinas.
Despite the protests of supporters of the "full-fledged AUG", in Falklands-82 there was a confrontation between two air groups equipped with aircraft of the 1950s level. With an obvious result.
No half-measures in the form of floating airfields will save the squadron when meeting with shore-based aviation. Not the flight characteristics, not the amount of aircraft, and not the quality of the "floating airfields" themselves, to resist the Air Force. The only thing that can save in such a situation is air cover by its own air force. Otherwise, there is even nothing to try to fight. The result will be similar to the two paragraphs above.
We return to Falklands-82. VTOL "SeaHarrier" had an absolute advantage due to the presence of radar and a new modification of the "Sidewinder" missiles with an all-round seeker. If you do not take into account its take-off and landing characteristics, the performance characteristics of the "Harrier" corresponded to typical jet fighters of the middle of the last century.
The British also had some kind of AWACS. The capabilities of shipborne radars were often sufficient to detect subsonic aircraft flying above the radio horizon. Plus the presence of "spies" in the form of submarines patrolling about. Tierra del Fuego and promptly notifying the squadron about the planes that had taken off from the Rio Grande (the airbase was located on the ocean coast).
Argentine aircraft, by contrast, were overloaded with bombs and fuel. Even the most modern of them - "supersonic Mirages", in fact were shabby bombers "Mirage-5" from the Israeli Air Force. Unlike the British Sea Harriers, these “fighters” did not have radars, as well as the ability to turn on the afterburner - otherwise, they would have crashed into the ocean with empty tanks.
Despite desperate attempts to stop the pogrom, the naval aviation was unable to withstand the Argentine air force. Sami "Hermes" and "Invincible" remained intact only because they kept out of the range of the Argentine aviation, 150 miles behind the main forces of the squadron.
AUG supporters will immediately protest. If the Falklands were a full-fledged aircraft carrier, not a single bomb would have fallen on the British ships.
What cunning! To the British - a giant Nimitz with F-14 interceptors. Their opponents are subsonic attack aircraft and rusty bombs. If we are to play the alternative, then do it honestly!
Now we will arrange a normal "batch"!
So … Article 6 of the NATO treaty limits the geographic scope of the treaty to the 25th parallel of the north latitude. (islands and territories north of the Tropic of Cancer). Despite the extreme remoteness of the Falklands, the Joint Chiefs of Staff decided to provide Britain with direct military assistance in connection with "Argentina's violation of the UN Security Council resolution" and "refusal to develop and create weapons of mass destruction."
The American AUG headed by the aircraft carrier "Nimitz" immediately moved to the South Atlantic. On its deck are Hawkeye AWACS aircraft, the latest F-14 interceptors, and A-6 Intruder attack aircraft. A complete set of first-class aircraft!
Why are the Yankees so eager to "democratize" Argentina?
After the discovery of inexhaustible oil reserves on the shelf in 1967, the once impoverished Latin American country in just ten years turned into the richest "raw material power". To protect its natural treasures from troubled neighbors, General Galtieri's junta acquired an arsenal of first-class weapons abroad.
Instead of the outdated Mirages, there are F-15 Eagle air superiority fighters. At the helm - mercenaries, ex. Israel Air Force officers.
Instead of the 1945 reconnaissance "Neptune" - the long-range radar patrol aircraft E-2 "Hawkeye" and "Vorning Star".
Naval strike aircraft: 14 Super-Etandar missile-carrying bombers and 24 Exocet missiles (in reality, just such a set was ordered in France, of which only six anti-ship missiles and five carriers managed to arrive by the beginning of the war).
Instead of the only KS-130 tanker, the Stratotanker unit was deployed.
Instead of the Rapier air defense system, there are long-range S-200 and mobile Kvadrat air defense systems.
Stop! No Soviet weapons for the scoundrels from the fascist junta of Argentina, which erected monuments to Hitler! Let the “Hawk” air defense missile system be instead of “Squares”.
How will this battle end for both sides? Let the reader be free to decide who gets the Falklands.
