Battle of the Third Reich Chapter 3: Dive in

　　"Red No. 2, Red No. 2, here is the red captain, keep the formation in formation."

　　rik. Captain Dermo covered his throat communicator and stared coldly at the wingman on his left. Perhaps the pilot felt the captain's cold eyes or heard the dissatisfaction in the leader's words, the wingman immediately reduced his speed and slowly retreated to his position in the formation.

　　 "Where did this guy come from, Stevin." Captain Dermo let go of his throat communicator, and he turned to Hank, the communications and machine gunner sitting behind him. Sergeant Major Steffen asked aloud.

　　 "Oh? Are you talking about the red number 2? I'm not sure, I heard it seems to be Hamburg." Stevin was looking down at the communication frequency meter, and he raised his head quickly when he heard Dermo's question. Answered loudly.

　　"Hamburger? I thought this guy was from Bavaria. This guy is like a wild boar. He must still hate me for drunk his wine last time, so I tuned such an unruly rookie. Come to my squadron. This guy has been doing tricks since the start of the takeoff. I must ground him at the end of this battle. Energetic is good, but I don’t need to be active enough to ignore discipline in the battle. Idiot."

　　Demo hated the newly transferred subordinate’s disciplinary behavior. If it weren’t for the mission, he would want the guy who repeatedly violated the formation discipline to roll back to the base, and then wash his **** and wait for him to kick it. Go on a kick.

　　"Haha, Rick, don’t be angry about this little thing, after all, that kid has just graduated from aviation school. Some impulses are normal, young people. Do you remember when you first came to the regiment It's not like he was running rampant. At that time, the regimental commander was not half angry by you. At that time, you were like an out of control locomotive, and it was chaotic wherever you went." Stevin said with a smile.

　　 "That was two things. At that time, I was too young and inexperienced, yet..." Demo quickly distinguished.

　　"Then this kid is not the same. He is two years younger than when you came in. Maybe he will be the second one. You may also. Anyway, we have time to teach him. He will mature in battle. Yes, just like you." Stevin interrupted Dermo's defense, he said casually.

　　"Maybe, maybe I should give this kid some time. This is his first combat mission. Later I will pay attention to his performance in combat. If he really has combat quality, I will Considering giving him a chance to grow. But now... this little bastard." Demod quickly yelled while holding down his throat communicator: "Red No. 2, Red No. 2, you have already flown out of the formation. I lean back. Sergeant Ralph, this is the last time I warn you. If you violate the formation discipline again, I swear I will put your joystick in your **** and hang you on mine. Throw the bomb rack into your backyard from a height of 5,000 meters. I did what I said. Do you understand?"

　　 "Understood, sir..." Ralph replied loudly, but in Dermo's ears he sounded a little unhappy. The Red No. 2 swung its wings twice, then staggered back to the formation, and the other pilots' soft laughter came from the headset.

　　 "The same is true for you, keep communication open." De Mo shouted angrily.

　　 "Asshole? I said Captain, you really dare to say it." Stevin smiled and shook his head.

　　"What is this, remember our last time..."

　　 "Wait a minute..." Stevin interrupted Dermo, and he held the headset tightly with his hand.

　　 "What did you receive?" Dermo glanced at the meter and then raised his head to look at his partner in the rearview mirror and asked suspiciously.

　　 "The emergency call is the base command station. I received your communicator." Stevin said solemnly, and then he turned on the communication switch, and bursts of eager calls came into Demer’s headset .

　　"This is the Dragon's Den, this is the Dragon's Den. Call the Red Dragon. If you hear it, please answer. Call the Red Dragon. If you hear it, please answer."

　　 "I am a red dragon, and I am a red dragon. The voice is very clear, and the voice is very clear." Dermo replied loudly.

　　"Red Dragon, the goal is changed, the original mission is cancelled, you now have a new mission, please reply when you hear it. Repeat, the target is changed, the original mission is cancelled, and you will perform the new mission."

　　"Red Dragon understands that the original mission has been cancelled and requests new instructions."

　　"Close-range air support, located in the village of Itna, you are going to clear the ground obstacles for the vanguard of General Guderian. They met the stubborn resistance of the French forces."

　　 "Order received."

　　"Now you turn to 210, and the target area is 90 kilometers away from you. The opponent has light anti-aircraft firepower, and you will be guided by the ground guidance team. That's it, I wish you good luck."

　　"Red Dragon understands, turn to 210."

　　Demo tapped the communicator lightly, and Stevin quickly adjusted the communication frequency to the formation communication.

　　 "Listen to all personnel, the original mission has been cancelled. We are now going to perform close air support missions to clear the way for General Guderian. Now everyone is following me. Pay attention to maintain the formation."

　　 Demo released the throat communicator and then gently pressed the control lever. The plane tilted its wings and slowly began to turn. The entire formation, led by the lead plane, turned its head and flew slowly towards the target area.

　　 The cumbersome Stuka was slowly advancing at an altitude of five kilometers, the dark green painting looked a little bluish under the sunlight. This powerful killing machine may be the ugliest of all its ugly companions. The huge and thick inverted seagull-shaped wings, the same huge fixed landing gear and wheel fairing, the towering cockpit and the tall The vertical tail, especially the huge engine radiator that looks like a bathtub on the outside, is a nightmare for aerodynamics experts. This is a terrible thing that almost overturns all aircraft design rules. works. To be able to fly such a monster plane into the sky, German aircraft designers do have extraordinary courage and perseverance.

　　 This terrifying strange bird has a pitiful 880 horsepower JUMO211DR engine, which is really too small for this six-ton ​​monster. It uses a stupid takeoff. Constantly reminding the pilots of this, hitting the pilot's confidence.

　　 For a professional dive bomber, flight speed and altitude are not particularly important performances. The longitudinal stability and the rigidity of the body during the dive are the issues that must be concerned. This kind of aircraft gave the designer a satisfactory answer to this question. Its stability during dive is surprisingly high. This is due to the two huge fixed landing gears and the huge dive speed brakes under the wings. It is the function of the so-called "pneumatic brake". The huge landing gear is equivalent to two vertical stabilizers when diving, and the diving speed brake makes this effect even more remarkable. But this also causes another problem. Stuka’s longitudinal stability is really too good. It’s so good that it’s very difficult to make it suddenly make a slightly larger maneuver. And this type of Actions are often the most common way to avoid the opponent's fighter attack.

　　 Stuka's sturdy airframe enables it to withstand the huge torsion unimaginable by other aircraft, enabling it to immediately recover from a dive state after a high-speed dive, during which the airframe must withstand at least six G pressures , It may have been broken into pieces before changing to an ordinary fighter jet to recover half of the dive process.

　　 These remarkable performances make this dive bomber deserved to be the best ground support force in the early days of World War II. Its emergence has radically changed the German Army’s combat mode. Some old combat methods in the past were abandoned. A new close air support tactic was developed on the basis of the plan for the use of this aircraft. When the war began, the development of this tactic created by the Luftwaffe and the Army was far ahead of their European counterparts. Especially in the United Kingdom. When the Germans first created this tactic, some people in the British Army put forward similar theories, but they got diametrically opposite results from the Germans. Due to the opposition of those staid and stubborn British officers, later Even the troops would be ruthlessly reprimanded for a rehearsal of this tactic. As a result, the British paid a heavy price for their shortsightedness.

　　 Stuka’s excellent dive performance enables it to accurately throw bombs on the target’s head in battle, with an error of less than 30 meters. This error can be reduced in the hands of an experienced pilot. Some people can even reduce the error to a range of five meters. Any target within this distance cannot avoid the damage caused by the bomb explosion.

　　 But this performance of Stuka also brought some troubles to the pilot's combat. In sharp contrast with the excellent diving performance it possesses, its maneuverability has gone to the other extreme. Stuka's maneuverability can be described as terrible. Although the huge aileron can get rid of it from a high-speed dive, the inertness caused by this makes the pilot sometimes crazy about it.

　　When encountering an enemy fighter’s attack, the pilot’s control on these two ailerons cannot get a timely response. Each action will be delayed for one or two seconds to get a response, and one or two seconds is enough for those The light fighter had drilled dozens of holes in Stuka. The Stuka's longitudinal stability prevents it from making large-scale maneuvers in time, even the dullest fighters are more flexible than it. Although the sturdy airframe makes it more resistant to damage than fighter jets, it can only extend its survival time a bit, and it will be shot down sooner or later.

　　 Coupled with its awkward speed, the speed of less than 200 kilometers per hour when full of bombs makes it an ideal prey for enemy fighters. Especially when it dives, any external interference will cause It loses control, and at that time, a single blow from a fighter jet is enough to turn it into a burning metal fragment on the ground.

　　 Its performance makes it an unquestionably excellent weapon and an indisputable excellent target on the battlefield. This is Stuka, a weapon full of contradictions.

　　The pilots of the Luftwaffe had realized the fragility of this kind of aircraft when encountered by enemy fighters. A battle on May 12 confirmed their judgment. At that time, a Stuka formation had completed its attack mission and was on its way back. There was no fighter to **** them. They encountered a whole formation of French fighters. The French drove an old-fashioned Curtishawk 75. The result of the battle surprised everyone. None of the twelve Stukas were shot down. The French No plane was lost in this one-sided battle. This incident sounded a wake-up call to all Stuka pilots, which reminded them that the aircraft they were flying was always in a dangerous state without fighter escort. But what made them depressed was that the battle did not touch the Air Force command organization. They did not make any reaction, as if this incident had never happened before, Stuka’s pilots were still dispatched alone to perform the mission. Continue to fly alone in the enemy's airspace without escort.

　　 "We are here, do you see the following situation?"

　　Demo looked at the burning French position below through the machine window. He led his Stuka group to hover over the battlefield. Now they are at an altitude of 4,500 meters. The clouds here provide them with a very good cover. Through the gaps in the clouds, they can clearly observe the situation on the battlefield, but the enemy can hardly notice these drilling in the clouds. Black spots in and out.

　　 "Attention all crews, prepare to enter the battle." Captain Durmo gave a solemn order, and then he said to Stevin who was sitting back: "Have you contacted the guiding unit?"

　　 "Contacted, I'll take it for you." Stevin replied loudly.

　　"This is the red dragon. We have reached the sky above you. You can give us directions."

　　"Red Dragon, this is Greyhound. I am glad to meet you. Now I will show you the direction of the target."

　　The answer from the ground guidance team was clear and loud. Dermo saw that a bunch of red smoke columns had risen on the ground. They were smoke cans lit by ground troops. Each bunch of smoke represented a German army there. This simple identification method could effectively avoid it. The tragedy of own people bombing oneself happened. A huge German military flag was spread out, and the troops on the ground also spread a huge arrow with white powder in front of the flag, which indicated the position of the enemy.

　　 Actually, they don’t have to do this. Demo has already clearly seen the enemy’s position in the air. Two ring-shaped howling positions surround a small village. He can even tell that they are parked on the road in the village. A large number of trucks and people running back and forth. Five German tanks were burning between the two trenches, and billowing black smoke filled the sky above the position. In front of the trench, De Mo saw the three burning armored vehicles. Among the wrecks, he could still vaguely see the bodies of German soldiers and various guns scattered around.

　　 "Red Dragon, do you know the target location now?"

　　 "Clear, we will launch an offensive immediately." Under the instructions of the ground guidance squad, Dermo and his men knew the exact location of each target that needed to be bombed.

　　 "Everyone knows where they are going to attack. Each team will enter the offensive position in turn, let the Frenchmen taste our bomb. The first group, come with me." De Mo shouted loudly. , And then led his own three-aircraft formation rushed towards the French position.

　　Demo was doing the final preparations before the dive bombing in the cabin. He put the **** in the cruise position, adjusted the elevator and rudder, and adjusted the propeller pitch to the cruise position. Then he turned on the power switch of the altimeter and set the bomb height. This is an important instrument to ensure that he can get out of the dive before entering the dangerous height. It can calculate when the aircraft should drop the bomb and pull it up. Dermo sets it on the altimeter. The bombing height is 500 meters, which is the limit altitude at which the aircraft can safely escape from the dive. If it is lower, it will be difficult to guarantee that the aircraft will not hit the ground before being pulled up.

　　Demo turned the engine supercharger switch to automatic and then reduced the throttle to the minimum, then he closed the air inlet of the cooler.

　　 "Red No. 2, Red No. 3, are you ready?"

　　"Red No. 2 is ready."

　　"Red 3 is ready."

　　The wingmen responded loudly.

　　"Very well, let's start now, let the enemy tremble under our wings, and come with me."

　　Demo released the dive speed brake. At that moment, the nose of the plane sank sharply and Stuka automatically entered the dive state. The flight safety control system was activated by the linkage mechanism. The dive and demobilization system is now active. Two small red marking rods protrude from the upper wing surface of the wing. This is a hydraulic auxiliary mechanism that will drop bombs on the aircraft. It can limit the angle of the aircraft when it starts to work at the moment when the aircraft is pulled up, avoiding the excessive gravity that the body cannot withstand due to the steep pull up, causing damage to the body or leaving permanent damage.

　　Demo pushed the joystick steadily, and his eyes scanned the windshield on the right front. A series of lines were engraved on that piece of glass. This is an effective tool to help the pilot judge the dive angle. The lines all indicate a dive angle, starting from 30 degrees to 90 degrees, because the pilot’s psychologically felt dive angle is much steeper than the actual dive angle during the dive. In the past, the accuracy of the hit was often affected by the insufficient dive angle. , And now just look at which line is parallel to the ground to know which angle Stuka is diving at.

　　Demo prepares to make a 80-degree dive at a large angle, so as to ensure the accuracy of the bomb hit. And he also wants to know the technical level of his two new wingman pilots, because this kind of dive is just a piece of cake for an experienced bird like him, but it is a kind of right for the two novices behind. The test of skill and courage, Dermo believes that only pilots who have passed this test are qualified to fly his wingman.

　　 "Very good."

　　Demo found the shadow of his own wingman in the rearview mirror. The two Stukas were like ropes tied to both sides of the back of Demox’s tail, and the three Stukas Like an iron triangle, it rushed towards the French position on the ground. The pneumatic bagpipes installed on the landing gear began to scream, indicating that the current speed has exceeded the top speed in level flight. This terrible whistling sound is shocking, and it exerts even more psychological pressure on the enemy. Bombs hung on the plane.

　　 Stuka screamed and swooped down like a strange bird in **** from the sky. The ground rushed toward the cockpit, and De Mo's spirit became more and more excited as the ground approached rapidly. His body began to secrete a large amount of adrenal hormones, which made his reaction almost twice as fast as usual. . Dermo focused all his attention on the target, focusing only on the readings on the dashboard with a small amount of peripheral light. The plane continued to dive, reaching a speed of 560 kilometers. Now the plane is only more than 1,300 meters above the ground. Dermo can clearly see the panicked French soldiers and running on the ground. A string of bright machine gun tracers fired at him. The elevator has become very heavy. Demo needs a lot of effort to control it. He began to use the differential adjustment of the ailerons to adjust and maintain his aiming point. He fixed the nose firmly in a trench command bunker. , Waiting for the time to drop the bomb.

　　 Two strings of machine gun bullets swept across the top of the cockpit, and then two more machine gun bullets roared and hit the armor shell of the engine. The bullets failed to penetrate the 8 mm thick armor. Mars bounced off the armor and then hit the windshield of the cockpit.

The 　　 bullet passed a few centimeters above Demer’s head, and a violent air current roared into the cockpit from the bullet holes in the windshield, and its scream even exceeded Stuka’s sharp The sound of the air whistle. De Mo gritted his teeth and stared at his target. This accident was nothing to him. He had encountered a situation worse than this, unless the bullet hit his head. Don't want him to stop his current job.

　　 The plane has dropped below one kilometer, and its speed has reached the upper limit of 600 kilometers. The solid ground is like a wall, and Stuka is carrying out the finals in the crazy bullet rain of French soldiers. Sprint. At this time, the alarm indicator on the altimeter finally lit up, which indicated that the aircraft had reached the bombing height. Demer pressed the bombing button on the joystick severely. The kilogram bomb and the four fifty kilogram bombs suspended on the wings immediately separated from the plane, and then rushed toward the target as if attracted by the ground.

　　Demo pressed the automatic leveling control button on the joystick, and the nose of the plane began to lift up quickly. The gravity of six Gs pressed him firmly in the seat. A speed of ten degrees corrected the dive. When the plane's nose just returned to the horizontal state, De Mo immediately retracted the dive speed brake, he adjusted the propeller pitch to the take-off position, opened the cooler damper and pushed the throttle fully, and the engine fired under the maximum boost of nine kilograms. A huge roar dragged Stuka's cumbersome body slowly towards the sky.

　　 After leaving the enemy's ground fire range, De Mo sighed lightly. He began to hover and rise. He wanted to observe the results of the bombs dropped in front of him and the fighting situation of his subordinates. The result made him very satisfied. His bomb accurately hit the target, not only blew the command bunker, but also completely destroyed a trench of about fifty meters, and billowing gun smoke was rising from the ruins. The results of the two wingmen of his own were also good, and the trenches they were responsible for destroying also completely collapsed, and the huge crater was a mess.

　　The other Stukas have basically completed their tasks, and most of them are leveling off from the dive. At this time, the last group of Stuka was entering the final sprint. With a few black spots falling from the wings of the three Stukas, a dozen brilliant fireballs, mud sticks and soldiers exploded on the French position. His body was flying in the air, and Stuka swept over the objects, then pulled up the nose and began to slowly climb.

　　 The French position has completely changed its appearance. The trenches and bunkers that can be clearly distinguished before have disappeared. What is left is a series of huge craters and corpses everywhere, and billowing smoke envelopes them. The sky above the entire position is like a doomsday-like miserable scene~IndoMTL.com~ Each crew reports their own situation, is there any loss? "

　　Demo controlled his own plane and hovered in the air. After throwing away the 450 kg load, the plane became much lighter. One by one three aircraft formations climbed upwards from all directions, and they began to slowly move closer to the formation of Dermo and gather.

　　 After listening to the reports of his subordinates, De Moo breathed a sigh of relief. His fleet did not lose a single aircraft in this attack, except that two of them were shot through the wings by French anti-aircraft machine guns, but they didn’t. Influence them to continue flying.

　　 "Greyhound, this is the red dragon. We have completed the attack mission, and the opponent's first line of defense has been completely destroyed. We have dropped all the bombs and we are going to return." De Mo took his formation. It circled over the German troops.

　　"Red Dragon, this is Greyhound. Good job, your mission has been completed. The next formation is on the way to here, and they will take over for you to complete the following missions. You can return, and the general will treat you I am very satisfied with the work, and he wants me to convey his gratitude to you."

　　"This is our responsibility. Please express our respect to the general. Goodbye."

　　Demo led his Stuka formation once again around the French position, and then flew slowly and mightily towards the forward base.

　　 Through the thick bulletproof glass on the front of the cockpit, Demo saw in the distance a group of planes as large as he was emerging from the clouds. They were slowly flying in their direction, inverted seagull-shaped The wing shone with golden light in the sunlight.