Chapter 496 Changes

"General, don't hesitate anymore, this is our only chance." You En urged.

"Yes, General. Don't hesitate anymore. If we miss this opportunity, it will be really difficult for us to resist the French attack." George also said.

"This is an opportunity for us, but if something goes wrong, our loss will be great. If the 7th Fleet is severely damaged again, I am afraid that Washington will directly send me to a military court. "McCain said with some concern. In fact, worrying about Washington's punishment is only one aspect, and the other aspect is for his own sake. The reason why he has such a status today is entirely because his 7th Fleet is one of the most elite fleets in the United States, if the 7th Fleet suffers any damage. Nak shakes his foundation.

"General, if something goes wrong, we can completely order the fleet to withdraw. In that case, even if there are losses, it is completely acceptable." You En said. The cunning of course he knew what McCain was thinking. Because he himself is like that. His infantry division was also regarded by him as a guarantee of his status.

McCain considered for a while, and finally made up his mind to take the gamble. Although this will take a lot of risk, if the plan is successful, it will also bring him a lot of benefits. Compared with the benefits, the so-called risks seem a little insignificant. In addition, as Youn said, once he finds that the situation is wrong, he can order the fleet to retreat. In that case, even if there is a certain loss, it will not be very big, and it should be within the acceptable range.

Just do it, now that the decision has been made, McCain immediately went to prepare. As the commander of the 7th Fleet, he is used to fighting with his soldiers, no matter how unfavorable the battle situation is, this is the case. This is why he is loved by all officers and men of the US 7th Fleet. It is also the professional ethics of an admiral. Another advantage of his doing this is that he can effectively command the fleet and avoid excessive losses to the fleet.

Under McCain's order, all officers and soldiers of the US 7th Fleet took action. Many soldiers had a hint of worry on their faces, but they were more determined and excited. As a soldier in the United States Navy, it is his inescapable responsibility to stand firm against the enemy, even though this responsibility may cost their lives. During the battle tonight, from the loud explosion, they could imagine how fierce the battle on the front line was, which made their blood boil, who were already accustomed to the smoke of gunpowder. Unfortunately, they did not receive an order to fight, so they all had to hide in the military port. But well now, the order of their great commander has finally come down. The vast majority of U.S. officers and soldiers held a sigh of relief in their hearts, and they must let the rampant French know how powerful the U.S. Navy is. Under this kind of thinking, they work harder.

Time passed slowly. The sky gradually brightened up. By the time of planting at 5 o'clock in the morning, there was already a hint of white belly in the sky. This means that daylight is coming. At this moment, the surface of the sea is also much clearer. Although it was still a bit blurry, the shadows of the two warring parties could probably be seen clearly. In this case, the French fleet is still very advantageous. Because the American fortress is really too big, compared with these behemoths, the French warships are much smaller. Therefore, in terms of hit rate, the French fleet is much higher than the US military.

"How many American fortresses have we destroyed so far?" On the Poseidon, Commander of the French Atlantic Fleet Kirkbride asked.

"General, so far, we have destroyed 20 US military turrets. The remaining 8 turrets are 5 large turrets and 3 medium sized turrets. And these turrets have also been damaged more or less, and their combat effectiveness is also great. Discounted. I don't think we will be at a disadvantage even if we fight head-on now," Vitry said. After resting for several hours, he returned to his post again.

"And, since most of the US military's forts have been destroyed by us, there have been many loopholes in their defenses. I think it's time for us to send the marines to land." Vitry continued.

"It seems that our mission has been overfulfilled. Only the landing of the marines is not busy. First, the soldiers are very tired after a night of high-intensity combat. It is time for them to rest. Secondly, the US military fortress has not been completely eliminated. Although there are loopholes, the Marine Corps may still suffer a lot of losses if they land. Thirdly, the 1st Infantry Division of the 2nd Iberian Army will take two days. We can get there. When they arrive, we can attack Sao Paulo on both sides, and the effect will be better." Kirkbride said.

Vitry nodded. Originally, he was just a suggestion, so he didn't continue to insist.

"Let's call it a day! Order the warships to prepare to retreat." Kirkbride said with a smile on his face.

Vitry quickly relayed Kirkbride's orders. After receiving the order, the French warships stopped firing one after another, and began to turn, preparing to evacuate the sea area.

The actions of the French army were observed by the US military, and they quickly reported to McCain.

"General, I just got the news that the US fleet has begun to retreat." You En reported to McCain excitedly. At the St. Paul Naval Port at this time, the 32 warships of the US 7th Fleet are all ready and ready to go into battle at any time.

McCain didn't say anything, but silently buried his head and began to pray. This is a habit of his, every time the battle starts, he will pray devoutly to God.

Three minutes later, McCain raised his head with a firm look in his eyes. "Heighten anchor and get ready to go," McCain ordered. Then, accompanied by the guards, he prepared to board his flagship 'Apostle'. The "Apostle" is a newly launched "North Carolina" class warship, which only joined the battle order of the US 7th Fleet half a year ago. However, the powerful firepower, fast speed and heavy armor of the "Apostle" deeply attracted McCain. Therefore, McCain named the warship the "Apostle". It was the best name for him as a devout Catholic.

"General, please let me go with you." George said suddenly at the moment when McCain was about to board the ship.

McCain was taken aback for a moment, and then he was relieved, with a gratified smile on his face. "No need, George. I can go. The fort still needs your command." McCain said with a smile.

"But general, I hope to fight with you. Besides, the command of the fortress can be handed over to General Youn." George insisted.

McCain pondered for a few seconds, and finally agreed to George's request. He knew that going this time would be dangerous, and George was his most trusted subordinate, so he didn't want George to risk himself. Another reason is that he wants the fortress to be in his own hands. This is not to say that he doesn't trust Eun, but Eun belongs to the army after all, and is separated from them by a system. But seeing George's insistence again and again, he finally agreed.

After boarding the ship, McCain immediately ordered the fleet to set sail. The 32 warships of the 7th Fleet of the United States sailed to the sea mightily.

At this time, it was the time when the French fleet began to turn. The American fleet suddenly came out of the port.

The shrill sirens immediately came to mind over the French fleet. It turned out that the light cruisers and destroyers at the rear that were used to guard against the U.S. 7th Fleet discovered the movement of the U.S. military, and it was too late to report to the flagship, and directly conveyed danger information to the fleet in the form of an alarm.

"Marshal, the U.S. 7th Fleet has appeared, and it is rushing towards our fleet." Vitry shouted in a panicked tone.

Kirkbride shook his head helplessly, Vitry was still too young~lightnovelpub.net~ It was fully shown by what happened just now. It seems that if you want to entrust Vitry with important tasks, you need to practice a lot, Kirkbride thought so.

"It seems that the opponent really knows how to choose the time? He was able to launch an attack at this time." Kirkbride said. However, there was no trace of panic in his tone.

Indeed, the timing of the attack chosen by the US military was indeed very good. At this time, the French fleet was very tired after a night of high-intensity fighting. The U.S. 7th Fleet rested for one night, waiting for work at leisure. Another point is that the current French fleet has just turned its bow and is preparing to withdraw from this sea area. And most of the soldiers relaxed. If the French fleet turns around again, it will definitely cause confusion in the queue. The last point is that, according to the current formation of the French fleet, battleships and battlecruisers are at the front, followed by center of gravity cruisers, and finally light cruisers and destroyers. And those destroyers and light cruisers were the first French warships to face the attack of the US 7th Fleet. During this period, people's common sense was that the heavier the tonnage, the more cannons, and the larger the caliber of the cannon, the more powerful the warship. If the French destroyers and light cruisers are divided according to this, they obviously belong to those battleships with relatively weak attack power.

But is this really the case? Are the destroyers and light cruisers of the French fleet really like sheep without attack power? The answer is definitely no.