Rat-a-tat-tat!
Two carrier-based FW-190 fighters streaked over the American fleet's destroyer Taylor. This destroyer was one of the Fletcher-class destroyers and was now attached to the Yorktown carrier battle group.
The Yorktown was a newly commissioned Essex-class aircraft carrier, inheriting the name of the Yorktown aircraft carrier sunk in the Battle of the Azores. However, like her predecessor, the current Yorktown seemed to have poor luck as well. In this naval battle, she became one of the first targets attacked by the German carrier-based aircraft group.
Aircraft machine-gun bullets swept across Taylor's anti-aircraft positions. The bullets struck steel plates with a clanging rattle, sending sparks flying everywhere. At the same time, there came the sound of bullets hitting human bodies.
"Ah!" Cries of agony rose one after another. Sailors were continually struck and fell into pools of blood.
Although Fletcher-class destroyers displaced as much as two thousand tons, and were armed not only with five 127mm main guns but also ten 40mm Anti-aircraft Guns and seven 20mm Anti-aircraft Guns, their firepower could be considered formidable.
But the instant their anti-aircraft fire was suppressed, the German carrier-based aircraft group immediately launched its attack.
Four Dive Bombers began diving toward the destroyer from high altitude.
At an altitude of only five hundred meters above the sea, the four Dive Bombers released their bombs. Five-hundred-kilogram heavy Armor-piercing Shells howled down toward Taylor.
"Damn it, evade!" Taylor's captain roared.
Taylor immediately made an emergency evasive maneuver. The entire warship swerved left and right, trying to avoid the danger descending from the sky.
Boom!
A violent explosion erupted at Taylor's stern, engulfing the entire aft section. One bomb struck the stern, blasting it to pieces. Even the Propeller Shaft was blown apart. Taylor's power rapidly vanished, and before long, she floated on the sea like