Chapter 823
Surrender is out of the question; we must keep fighting.
Therefore, it must be given sufficient attention!
As for the relevant details, he decided to write a report to report to his superiors immediately after the war, suggesting that the construction be rolled out as soon as possible so that the three services could truly achieve seamless connection and smooth cooperation in the next joint operation.
The next second, the army commander issued an order: "Signals, contact the Air Force Operations Command immediately and have them relay the relevant information down as soon as possible."
"The next operation must be carried out in coordination with the Navy's comrades. For the time being, the Navy's comrades will be in charge. There must be no mistakes!"
"Yes, sir." The communications soldier immediately sprang into action after receiving the order.
After learning about the Navy's relevant operational plans, the Air Force Operations Command Center immediately contacted the combat formation heading to the front lines and issued relevant orders directly to the captain.
The relevant communication was quickly established.
In the main control room of the 10,000-ton destroyer of the First Combat Regiment, the communications soldier immediately reported the situation to the air force fighter squadron: "Reporting to the captain, Lieutenant Colonel Geng Jihui, the leader of the air force fighter squadron, requests to communicate with us."
Captain Chen said without any hesitation, "Take it."
After the communication channel was established, Geng Jihui's voice came through very quickly: "Captain Chen, this is Lieutenant Colonel Geng Jihui, the commander of this combat formation. As instructed by the commander, we will cooperate with your operations and follow your command."
"Okay, you've all worked hard," Captain Chen said cheerfully.
After a brief exchange, Lieutenant Colonel Geng Jihui in the air understood what their mission was.
For them, being able to participate in this operation is of great significance, and they are very excited just thinking about it!
On the other hand, the second interception procedure has been completed. Not all anti-ship missiles were shot down; many of them successfully penetrated the defenses.
In the main control room of the USS Enterprise, the radar monitor immediately reported the battle situation: "Captain, the second round of interception has ended. 98 anti-ship missiles remain and have successfully penetrated the defenses, continuing to approach our fleet."
"There are 28 kilometers left to our fleet. The final round of interception will begin at 15 kilometers."
At 15 kilometers, the SeaRAM close-in weapon system reaches its maximum range, which is almost negligible; it's better than nothing.
Willis felt a sudden chill rise from the soles of his feet, quickly travel through his tailbone and straight to the top of his head, chilling him to the bone. This was just too terrifying!
In the first round of resistance, only eighty-odd missiles remained, but this time they were just two short of one hundred, meaning they had more than ten more anti-ship missiles. This was clearly not going to allow them to survive.
The last few anti-aircraft missiles left were already scarce, less than a quarter of what they had at the start of the second round of attacks. How were they supposed to intercept them? This was utterly disastrous for them!
If things go as expected, they will suffer unprecedented losses this time, and even the survival of the Enterprise carrier fleet is still in question.
Captain Willis's face instantly turned so dark it was almost dripping with water. He kept his mouth tightly shut and didn't utter a single word, as if he didn't know what to say.
The vice-captain, standing nearby, whispered anxiously, "Captain, the final round of interception is probably going to be difficult. The fleet is likely doomed."
Willis suddenly gave a bitter laugh and said weakly, "Seven years ago, the Dragon Xia Navy probably wasn't in such a bad state as we are now, right? They've finally gotten their revenge."
When he said that last sentence, he could clearly feel his heart bleeding!
The vice-captain nodded in deep agreement, but said nothing. His expression was one of sorrow and helplessness.
"Damn it!" Willis slammed his hand on the control panel in frustration. "We're really getting worse and worse. We actually got beaten up by the Dragon Xia Navy! It's so damn shameful."
"Going back like this would mean a fate even worse than the Longxia Navy, with so many crew members killed or wounded. Even if I were lucky enough to make it back alive, I'd probably still be punished. If I'm unlucky, I might even be sent to a military court!"
After saying this, the two fell into a brief silence, their faces showing frustration.
Both of them knew very well that even if they withstood this wave of anti-ship missile attacks, they would ultimately face a miserable fate, and whether they could continue to serve in the military was still a huge question mark.
"Captain, perhaps..."
After a moment's hesitation, the first mate cautiously said, "How about we surrender?"
"surrender?"
Willis frowned immediately, then flew into a rage, "Are you crazy? You want me to surrender? Do you know what the consequences will be?"
He was like an old cat whose tail had been stepped on, jumping three feet high.
"Captain, do you think we have no way out?"
The vice-captain asked a question in return, then abruptly changed the subject, "The Longxia tribe has always had a tradition of treating prisoners of war well and not killing them if they surrender their weapons."
"Huchi! Huchi!"
Captain Willis's chest heaved violently, his breathing became heavy, but he didn't say a word.
This also shows how unsettled he was at that moment.
While he remained silent, the third air defense network began to take effect, with explosions rising and falling, and soon the flames illuminated the area, turning the seawater a fiery red.
In the turbulent sea, the soldiers who had jumped into the water from the two destroyers were still floating and struggling. They were not rescued by other ships and could only survive by relying on life jackets and lifeboats.
Seeing the sudden and terrifying scene, they hurriedly paddled in other directions, fearing they would be affected by the subsequent explosions on the warship.
"Oh my god, this is insane! Get off the warship right now!"
"This is terrifying, damn it! If we don't leave now, we'll be blown up. These anti-ship missiles are insane!"
"Damn it, when will this end? This is just trying to kill us! The Longxia Navy is a bunch of barbarians, lunatics. They're going to slaughter us all."
"Hurry up and leave, or it will be too late."
They weren't fools; they knew perfectly well that even the USS Enterprise was in grave danger before the war was over, and the shockwaves from the explosions could kill them at any moment.
At that moment, they all exerted every ounce of strength to paddle outwards, fearing that the fire at the city gate would spread to the innocent bystanders!
The dazzling light from the explosion illuminated the main control room of the aircraft carrier as if it were daytime, and the flames flickered on everyone's faces.
It was so blinding that Captain Willis instinctively raised his hand to shield his eyes, then lowered it again, deciding to let the flames shine on him. He was about to stare wide-eyed, wondering whether he would die or be killed by the anti-ship missiles. At that moment, the radar monitor loudly reported, "Captain, 82 missiles remaining!"
"I see."
Willis responded in a deep voice, then ordered, "Activate the close-in weapon system to intercept, quickly!"
"Yes." The operator immediately accepted the order.
Soon the Phalanx close-in weapon system roared wildly, firing a series of shells that formed a barrage of fire in the night sky.
Several explosions soon rang out, and the huge shockwaves from the explosions even made the massive USS Enterprise aircraft carrier shake violently.
Everyone in the control room hurriedly grabbed the handles, trying their best to keep themselves from falling.
They knew very well that the massive shaking was caused by an anti-ship missile hitting the aircraft carrier, and that the carrier deck had been attacked again, with a huge fireball exploding again right in front of the island superstructure.
There was no need for radar inspectors to report; Willis had already witnessed firsthand just how devastating the losses were—they were beyond description.
Fortunately, the aircraft carrier is a super-large warship, otherwise it would have sunk to the bottom of the sea by now.
At this critical moment, the radar monitor suddenly reported urgently: "Captain, a large number of Longxia tribe fighter jets have been spotted 200 kilometers away from our ship."
After hearing the report, the vice-captain subconsciously looked at Captain Willis, his head buzzing.
Continuing this battle is pointless; their defeat is inevitable, and there is absolutely no room for maneuver.
"Hey!"
Willis sighed deeply, suddenly understanding the meaning behind the vice-captain's words.
The losses are just the beginning; their casualties will only increase, becoming impossible to quantify. And now, with the Longxia Air Force involved, they have no intention of letting them continue to exist.
Suddenly, the word 'surrender' popped into my head.
That's right, his mentality was about to collapse, and his beliefs were wavering because he realized that continuing to persist was no longer meaningful.
The Longxia tribe has a tradition of treating prisoners of war well and not killing those who surrender. Willis felt that surrendering might be a good option, at least for them.
But soon his heart tightened, and his little heart clenched.
Surrendering would mean a series of consequences; it wouldn't be like going on a trip to the Longxia tribe or paying New Year's respects to the Longxia navy.
Their surrender might save their lives, but it also means that huge risks will follow.
If they were to return to the Eagle Tribe, they would likely be taken to court, or perhaps shot dead by those hot-blooded lunatics!
After all, being defeated and captured is different from surrendering voluntarily, and they are two completely different things!
The former had already been defeated and had no room for resistance, so they had no choice but to be captured. Surrendering would mean that they were acting voluntarily, that the Eagle Tribe military acknowledged their defeat, and that they were bowing down to the Dragon Xia military!
The consequences of these two completely different events are also vastly different. Even if they manage to return to China by chance, the naval soldiers who risked their lives alongside them will likely face unfair treatment.
After a brief internal struggle, Willis banished the word "surrender" from his mind.
Surrender my foot! Keep fighting until you're captured.
The consequences of surrendering are too severe; we can't afford to bear them!
At this moment, the radar monitor urgently reported: "Captain, according to radar monitoring statistics, there are 70 Longxia Air Force fighter jets. They are 198 kilometers away from our ship, and their speed is..."
"Please give instructions, Captain."
The details have been reported, and the radar monitor's heart sank. He hadn't expected that the Longxia tribe had actually prepared a backup plan.
If a single anti-ship missile is launched from a fighter jet, they will be gone from this world forever!
They used to run rampant in other seas, showing off their power and doing whatever they wanted. Seven years ago, they even suppressed the Longxia Navy. But today, seven years later, the Longxia Navy has turned the tables and is rubbing their hands on the ground!
"Let's wait and see."
Willis didn't make a decision immediately. Instead, he waved his hand and turned to the communications officer, asking, "Communications officer, what's the current situation regarding the damage to the ships?"
The communications officer quickly reported, "Captain, the battle damage situation of each ship has been reported."
"In this round of anti-ship missile attacks launched by the Longxia Navy, we lost two cruisers and four destroyers. One destroyer was damaged, but since it did not hit any vital parts, Captain Holdre is organizing personnel for damage control!"
"According to current statistics, our aircraft carrier has been attacked by at least nine anti-ship missiles."
"Since it did not hit any vital parts, the ship is still able to sail."
"The casualties are being tallied on each ship, and it will take some time."
Hearing this series of battle damage reports, Willis felt a chill run through him, and his whole body trembled uncontrollably. It was terrible, utterly terrible!
However, upon further reflection, the current losses are still a little better than he had anticipated. Even so, the Enterprise carrier fleet has suffered the most severe losses since it entered service!
Fortunately, the USS Enterprise withstood nine anti-ship missiles; otherwise, the other auxiliary ships would have suffered even greater losses.
Moreover, these anti-ship missiles hit the aircraft carrier but did not sink it directly. If they had hit other ships, they would have increased the losses, and the consequences would have been even more serious.
When the Enterprise carrier strike group went into battle, it was at full strength, with 10 destroyers, 6 cruisers, and one aircraft carrier, making it a very formidable fighting force.
The first wave of attacks resulted in the loss of two destroyers, and this time so many more have been lost.
The Enterprise carrier fleet now has only three intact destroyers and one damaged destroyer, and only four cruisers, in addition to the Enterprise itself, which is riddled with holes.
When they departed from the military base located in the Eastern Wilderness Tribe, whether it was the numerous naval soldiers on the aircraft carrier or the sailors on the other ships, they were all in high spirits and full of morale, as if they were the strongest beings in the world, incredibly arrogant! (End of this chapter)