The Kaiser Wilhelm-class aircraft carriers were the second class of aircraft carriers built by the German Navy, entering service only after the end of the previous World War. With a full-load displacement of just over 25,000 tons, they could carry sixty-four carrier-based aircraft after their hulls and flight decks had been optimized. Their performance still lagged far behind the German Navy's later Deutschland-class aircraft carriers, Constellation-class aircraft carriers, and Sovereign-class aircraft carriers. Even so, they remained first-rate aircraft carriers by world standards.
Other than the United States, few other nations possessed aircraft carriers that could compare with them. More importantly, in the Far East Pacific waters, they were among the German Navy's most vital fighting forces. If these aircraft carriers were lost, the German Navy's strength in the Far East Pacific waters would suffer an enormous blow. That would also be extremely detrimental to the battles ahead.
Since they had never expected the Island Nation fleet to come for the German Navy's aircraft carriers, they had been completely unprepared and were caught flat-footed. Otherwise, the Indian Ocean Fleet's Aircraft Carrier Formation would not have fallen into such a crisis.
Admiral Conrad Albrecht had already made up his mind. Once dawn broke, he would launch carrier-based aircraft to eliminate those Amagi-class battlecruisers of the Island Nation Navy.
Given the strength of the Pacific Fleet's Aircraft Carrier Formation, sending just two Constellation-class battleships to attack would be enough to send the Island Nation Navy's four Amagi-class battlecruisers to the bottom of the sea. The other two could attack the Island Nation Navy's Carrier Fleet or provide air-defense cover for their own Capital Ships. After their Capital Ship Squadron had suffered such a crushing defeat, the Island Nation fleet certainly would not let the matter rest. It was certain that, once dawn broke,