nashuaworldcup Chapter 219 Essex
Chapter 219 Essex
Alice stood before the colossal ship, a vessel built with the resources of the entire Amelansi shipbuilding industry, which was quietly moored in the harbor. Heavy rain shrouded the entire Hilla naval port in a thin mist, and the wooden deck reflected the glow of searchlights. Aircraft were constantly being hoisted onto the giant ship. Six months had passed since her last visit here. In those six months, the ship had gone from outfitting to launching, and now it was beginning its sea trials.
In Alice and Raffarin Low's design drawings, this Essex-class ship was not the original design, but the SCB-125A configuration, which is a modern version with an angled deck. It was equipped with the SM and SK radars currently in service at Amerlane, and various modern equipment was installed inside the ship.
Meanwhile, in the Emerald Country, where the magic-electric electronics industry had made great strides, the localization of the Essex-class ships was facilitated by the localized industries. The Shira Naval Ordnance Research Institute pooled its wisdom and modified the blueprints, which weighed several tons, and implanted a magic-electric energy bus that ran through the entire ship. In particular, the energy of the CA-1 magic-electric electromagnetic catapult device was modified to reduce its energy consumption.
The Essex-class aircraft carrier is Amerlane's only regular aircraft carrier at present, but not everyone in the Navy supports its construction. The military is a conservative group, and the officers who are used to big guns and big ships are more superstitious about dreadnoughts and post-dreadnought battleships with large-caliber guns. They are more interested in the North Carolina-class project in the fleet, but at this moment the North Carolina-class has to give way to the Essex-class.
It should be noted that the Navy's practice of air tactics only came from the seaplane catapult systems installed on the Dreadnought and Sovereign-class ships. These light steel birds could provide the fleet with warning and intelligence, but most people did not have much trust in their offensive capabilities.
The experience gained with aircraft carriers, a new type of weapon of war, is unique to the Aerospace Forces. This unique situation created stereotypes that even led to protests from some junior naval officers in the early stages of the Essex-class program. Had Alice not clearly stated that naval carrier-based aviation belonged to the Navy, the resistance would likely have been even greater.
In contrast, the veterans, while not showing much reaction, clearly favored the big guns and behemoths. It should be noted that the Essex-class was originally designed with 127mm dual-purpose guns, but the SCB-125A configuration finalized by Alice and Raffarin Low did not include 127mm dual-purpose guns, but only 40mm Bofors anti-aircraft gun groups and 20mm multi-barreled rapid-fire cannons.
If it weren't for the fact that Alice and Raffarin Low's aircraft carrier fleet configuration successfully achieved its tactical objectives and delivered an excellent exchange ratio in the wargaming simulation, Alice was certain that the Naval Committee would not have approved the Essex-class plan.
The appearance of this giant ship was more or less due to her immense prestige.
Raindrops pattered on Alice's raised umbrella, creating a rhythmic sound. The view of the hazy giant ship from this vantage point was quite unique. From Alice's vantage point, the square bow and flight deck pierced through the mist, the gray steel structure almost blending into the fog, occasionally reflecting the golden light of searchlights.
On the side-mounted island, the YE homing platform, SG horizontal search radar, SK-2 long-range air search radar, and MK-37 fire control system cover the island like a veil, giving the entire island a messy yet complex beauty. Many of these devices were manufactured for the first time. Thanks to the new technological revolution promoted by Raffarin Lo, scientists and engineers were able to redesign and manufacture these modern electronic devices, providing the Amelanian Navy with long-range detection capabilities.
Now, whether the enemy is in the sky or on the sea, even if they are out of sight, they will still be detected by this huge warship.
The sound of shoes splashing in puddles reached Alice's ears. She didn't turn around, but simply looked at the scene before her. From this vantage point, the massive steel and concrete dock looked like an indelible gray scar created by humankind on the earth.
"Miss, news has come from Brittany that the venue has been set up and the guests from various countries will be arriving soon. We will depart now and arrive at the same time as the participants from other countries."
Alice nodded. Behind her were two naval officers, one on each side, both wearing overcoats. One of them, a middle-aged man, calmly instructed his adjutant to speak on the phone. A moment later, a loud noise erupted from the ship.
woo-
The sounding of the ship's horn signaled her imminent departure from port. As Amelia's newest ship, the HMS Essex was about to sail south, displaying its majestic physique.
"let's go."
Rafis took the umbrella from Alice's hand. To show her closeness, Alice not only changed into a navy coat but also wore a sailor uniform, except that under the standard navy sailor uniform she wore a pleated skirt and stockings.
"Captain Halsey."
"Miss."
The composed captain led Alice aboard the ship, and a tugboat towed the giant vessel to the harbor, where two dreadnought-class battleships and three newly launched destroyers were waiting.
Although the Navy has some reservations about the Essex-class destroyers, it has unanimous support for another new class of ships: the Fletcher-class destroyers, which are the best, longest-range, and most versatile destroyers to date.
This 3050-ton full-load displacement ship represents the second technological revolution in the navy. The various electronic devices it has installed have further promoted the development of naval radar technology, and the fleet detection network and anti-submarine network it supports can be used for at least another 20 to 30 years.
After all, their opponents were at least at the pre-dreadnought level for at least twenty-three years, and the Amerlane Navy did not lack technology, but only the driving force for technological progress.
The fleet sailed south, and Alice sat atop the bridge command tower. Although it was raining in Hilla Harbor, the sea remained calm.
"Dumplings are calling Brittany, they're on their way and expected to arrive in 28 hours."
The fleet sailed at an economical speed of 28 knots. Alice looked around on the bridge, and Captain Halsey explained the various equipment to her. Although Alice had participated in the design of the Essex-class ships, most of them were original designs, involving hundreds of specialties, many of which she did not understand.
Halsey is a staunch supporter of aircraft carriers and new technologies, which is why he was appointed captain and fleet commander on this new warship. He firmly believes that the future of the Amerlane Navy lies in a carrier-centric fleet.
In his view, the projectile power of battleships cannot be compared with that of aircraft carriers, nor can their combat radius. Aircraft carriers can easily launch carrier-based aircraft groups in distant sea areas, while battleships with limited range can only be passively attacked.
Regarding air defense, there's a saying: "Air defense, air defense, nine out of ten times it fails." This illustrates its importance.