In the central North Atlantic, a massive fleet was sailing northward. Dozens of huge warships were sheltered at the heart of the fleet. These warships included aircraft carriers and battleships. Around those carriers and battleships were large numbers of cruisers and destroyers.
Above the fleet, dozens of fighters patrolled the airspace. The anti-air search radars aboard the fleet's warships operated continuously; the moment they detected a suspicious target, they would immediately direct those air-defense fighters to attack.
Seaplanes regularly took off from or landed among the fleet. These seaplanes had been dispatched to scout the surrounding waters and search for traces of the German Home Fleet.
The American and British fleets undoubtedly possessed formidable strength, but if they wanted to defeat the German fleet, they first had to find it. Otherwise, what good would all that strength do? If they could not locate the German fleet, they had no way to launch an attack.
Aboard the aircraft carrier Essex, Admiral Ernest King's brow was tightly furrowed. Standing beside him was Admiral Husband Kimmel. Both men wore exceptionally grave expressions.
"The German Carrier-based Aircraft Unit is indeed no trifling force. The Army Air Corps' losses are too great. If this continues, no matter how many aircraft the Army Air Corps has, I'm afraid it won't be able to hold on much longer," Admiral Ernest King said.
"Yes, General. In just two days, the Army Air Corps has lost 350 B-17 heavy bombers and 650 P-51 fighters. Yet the losses inflicted on the Germans have been very small. If this continues, the Army Air Corps' attacks will likely cease before long. When that happens, the Germans' Atlantic Fleet and Mediterranean Fleet will no longer remain in the waters near the Bermuda Islands. That will be an enormous threat to us," Admiral Husband