Chapter Summaries

The German Home Fleet’s Capital Ships endured the US and British second wave of carrier-aircraft attacks, suffering the loss of the Wiesenburg and Frederick the Great while drawing fire away from their carriers. With the enemy’s aircraft depleted, Marshal Lütjens ordered the German carrier formation to launch its counterattack.

• Lieutenant General Görcke warned Major General Rudolf that the US and British second wave was approaching and ordered the fleet to remain prepared.
• The US and British second wave attacked the German Capital Ships while German fighters withdrew to refuel, leaving the aircraft-carrier formation protected.
• The Wiesenburg was struck by eight heavy torpedoes and sank, becoming the German Navy’s first Capital Ship lost in the battle.
• The Frederick the Great sank after suffering heavy bomb and torpedo damage, while Lieutenant General Görcke remained aboard the lightly damaged Kaiser.
• Lieutenant General Karl Wietzel reported that the German fleet had located the US and British forces, and Marshal Lütjens ordered the carrier-based aircraft launched.

The German Home Fleet's Aircraft Carrier Formation launched a massive counterattack while its Capital Ships formation endured devastating losses from American and British aircraft. Admiral Ernest King celebrated the damage to the German fleet, but Lieutenant General Halsey warned that their aircraft losses were severe and the German carriers remained undiscovered.

• The German aircraft carriers launched a first wave of FW-190 fighters, Dive Bombers, and Torpedo Bombers toward the American and British fleets while crews prepared a second wave.
• Lieutenant General Görcke learned that the Battlecruiser Wörth had been hit by twenty-five Aerial Bombs and twelve Torpedoes, and the ship sank after its sailors abandoned it.
• The American and British aircraft exhausted their bombs and torpedoes and returned to refuel and rearm, with fewer than 200 aircraft remaining from their second wave.
• Lieutenant General Halsey reported that the American and British aircraft had sunk four German Capital Ships and damaged three others, but warned Admiral Ernest King that their own losses were enormous and the German aircraft carriers were still missing.

Admiral Ernest King and the British admirals realized the Allied carrier strikes had hit the German Capital Ships while missing the German aircraft carriers, suggesting the Germans had set a trap. With most Allied aircraft lost, they prepared for an expected German counterattack, but feared their mistake could decide the battle.

• Admiral Ernest King and Lieutenant General Halsey realized the German aircraft carriers had not been with the Capital Ships attacked by Allied planes and suspected a trap.
• Admiral Ernest King ordered fighters to prepare for interception, ships to enter anti-air combat mode, and returning aircraft to prioritize fighter fuel and ammunition.
• Admiral Ernest King watched fewer than 150 of the 648 aircraft return, including only a little over forty fighters, and feared another defeat.
• Admiral John Tovey and Admiral Andrew Cunningham learned the Allies had sunk four German Capital Ships and heavily damaged three, but had not found the German aircraft carriers.
• Admiral John Tovey cursed the pilots and commanders for overlooking the carriers, while Admiral Andrew Cunningham warned that the fatal mistake could determine the battle.

The American and British fleets braced for a German carrier-aircraft counterattack after damaging the German Home Fleet’s Capital Ships formation. The German aircraft arrived in force, and their superior escort fighters gained the upper hand in a fierce aerial battle.

• Admirals Andrew Cunningham and John Tovey ordered their fleets to prepare for a German counterattack.
• The German aircraft appeared on the American and British fleets’ air-search Radar, and Lieutenant General Halsey reported at least four hundred enemy aircraft.
• Admiral Ernest King ordered the air-defense fighters to take off, sending 130 F4U fighter planes to intercept the German force.
• The German group’s 144 FW-190 fighters attacked the F4Us, and the German pilots quickly inflicted heavier losses.

German carrier-based FW-190s overwhelmed the US and British fighter escorts and closed in on their fleet. As the fleets’ anti-aircraft guns opened fire, the German aircraft began an attack aimed first at escort warships and then at the carriers, with nine Essex-class carriers designated as primary targets.

• German carrier-based FW-190s shot down US and British F4U fighters while the allied pilots failed to stop them from covering the German bombers.
• Lieutenant General Halsey warned Admiral Ernest King that the German aircraft would attack in fifteen minutes, and King hoped the fleet’s anti-aircraft fire could hold them off.
• The US and British fleets opened fire with their anti-aircraft guns as the German aircraft approached, and one German dive bomber was destroyed by a 127mm shell.
• The German carrier-based aircraft commander ordered the pilots to target large aircraft carriers before medium and light carriers, leaving the capital ships for later.
• German pilots began their attack by targeting the outer escort warships and then the core aircraft carriers, with nine Essex-class carriers marked as primary targets.

German carrier-based aircraft tore through the American fleet’s defenses and devastated its escorting warships. Yorktown was struck by bombs and left burning, while Hornet and Wasp also came under attack.

• Two German FW-190 fighters strafed Taylor, killing and wounding sailors and suppressing its anti-aircraft fire.
• German dive bombers hit Taylor’s stern and then sank the destroyer with further bombs.
• German aircraft attacked the cruisers and escorts around all three American carrier groups, sinking ships and weakening their defenses.
• Halsey and Ernest King recognized that Yorktown, Hornet, and Wasp were all in danger as German aircraft pressed their attacks.
• German dive bombers struck Yorktown, and a burning aircraft crashed onto its deck before three bombs penetrated the carrier and caused extensive fires and damage.
• German aircraft also attacked Hornet and Wasp, leaving all three American carriers burning as their crews fought to control the damage.

German carrier-based aircraft sank Yorktown, Hornet, and Wasp after overwhelming their defenses. Admiral Ernest King acknowledged that the US and British Navy had lost the battle, while German attacks on the remaining carrier groups continued.

• German aircraft hit Yorktown with bombs and torpedoes, leaving the carrier badly damaged and flooding.
• Yorktown's captain ordered the crew to abandon ship, and the carrier sank ten minutes later.
• An explosion destroyed Hornet's ammunition magazine, and the carrier sank within five minutes.
• Admiral Ernest King concluded that the US and British Navy had lost the battle as Wasp came under attack.
• German aircraft sank Wasp less than ten minutes later and continued attacking the other carrier groups.

German carrier aircraft devastated the American and British fleets, sinking the Bunker Hill and Franklin after their first strike had already crippled the escorts and damaged both carriers. As the fleets retreated, a second German wave caught them and began attacking the remaining carrier groups.

• German carrier aircraft sank escort ships and tore open the anti-aircraft defenses protecting the Bunker Hill and Franklin.
• German bombs heavily damaged both carriers before the first wave ran out of ammunition and withdrew.
• Admiral Ernest King ordered the American and British fleets to retreat, while their surviving aircraft proved too depleted to mount another effective strike.
• German radar detected a second wave of carrier aircraft, and its fighters scattered the few American and British fighters sent to intercept them.
• German aircraft sank the Bunker Hill and Franklin, then attacked the Essex, Intrepid, Bennington, and Boxer carrier battle groups.

The German Navy’s carrier-based aircraft destroyed the American Navy’s remaining fleet carriers while the British commanders feared their own medium carriers would be attacked next. With all nine American fleet carriers sunk, the British prepared to resist a possible third German air strike.

• Admiral Ernest King and Admiral Husband Kimmel watched as German aircraft devastated the American fleet carriers.
• Admiral John Tovey and Admiral Andrew Cunningham worried that the British carriers would become the Germans’ next targets and ordered anti-aircraft preparations.
• German aircraft attacked the remaining American carriers directly after their escorting warships were nearly destroyed.
• Essex sank after taking more than twenty bombs and over ten heavy aerial torpedoes.
• Intrepid, Bennington, and Boxer sank, leaving all nine American fleet carriers destroyed.

After sinking the American fleet carriers, the German Navy launched another carrier-aircraft strike against the British fleet. German aircraft sank British carriers and escort ships, leaving the British Navy facing defeat as the attack continued.

• Lieutenant General Hans reported that the German Navy had sunk all nine American large fleet carriers, and Marshal Lütjens ordered another round of attacks.
• The German carriers launched a third strike aimed at the British Navy’s medium carriers as American and British commanders prepared their fleets for air defense.
• German aircraft attacked the British escorts, sinking destroyers and cruisers before pressing on toward the carriers.
• German aircraft sank the British carriers Valiant and Victorious under heavy anti-aircraft fire.
• Admiral John Tovey and Admiral Andrew Cunningham watched as British carriers were sunk one after another, and the British Navy’s defeat became apparent.

The German carrier-based aircraft devastated the American and British fleets, sinking the British carriers and leaving both navies unable to reverse their defeat. Aboard Montana, Admiral Ernest King and the other commanders debated whether to retreat or continue fighting as the Germans prepared to press their advantage.

• Admiral John Tovey and Admiral Andrew Cunningham watched the British aircraft carriers sink as German carrier-based aircraft continued their attacks.
• Admiral Ernest King and Admiral Husband Kimmel assessed the American and British losses and recognized the scale of their defeat.
• As darkness approached, the German aircraft returned to their carriers, leaving the American and British fleets battered and depleted.
• Admiral Ernest King called Admiral John Tovey and Admiral Andrew Cunningham aboard Montana to discuss what to do next.
• Admiral John Tovey urged the fleets to flee under cover of darkness, while Admiral Husband Kimmel warned that retreat would not protect their homelands from German attacks.
• Admiral Ernest King argued that their remaining four light aircraft carriers and sixteen Capital Ships still gave them formidable strength.

After suffering devastating losses, the American and British commanders sent seven fast battleships east at night to hunt the German carriers and salvage their defeat. Aboard Poseidon, Marshal Lütjens celebrated the German fleet’s success but warned that the surviving Allied capital ships could threaten them.

• Admiral Ernest King proposed using the night, when German carrier aircraft could not fly, to attack the German carrier formation, and Admirals Tovey, Cunningham, and Kimmel agreed.
• The American and British fleets selected three Iowa-class battleships and four Hood-class battlecruisers for the operation.
• The seven ships left the Allied formation and headed east under cover of darkness while King prayed for success.
• Marshal Lütjens read a report stating that the German carriers had sunk nine American fleet carriers and eight British medium carriers, along with numerous escorts.
• Lieutenant General Hans urged another German attack after daybreak, but Lütjens warned that the surviving Allied capital ships might attack the German carriers.

Marshal Lütjens ordered the German Home Fleet to withdraw cautiously after sinking seventeen American and British aircraft carriers, while the Mediterranean Fleet received word of the victory and prepared to exploit the opening. General Hermann Böhm saw a chance for his fleet to deal the enemy a devastating blow.

• Marshal Lütjens rejected another attack, ordered the Home Fleet to turn north and then west, and sent cruisers and destroyers to scout for enemy Capital Ships.
• Marshal Lütjens credited the Capital Ships formation’s sacrifices for drawing enemy aircraft away and ordered a seaplane to send a Telegram to the Mediterranean Fleet from a safe distance.
• The Mediterranean Fleet’s officer on duty woke General Hermann Böhm, and Lieutenant General Cramer reported that the Home Fleet had sunk at least seventeen American and British aircraft carriers.
• General Hermann Böhm praised the Home Fleet’s victory and declared that the Mediterranean Fleet could seize the opportunity to strike the Americans and British hard.

The German Navy Mediterranean Fleet seized the chance to attack the battered American and British fleets after locating them. The chapter ended as the Mediterranean Fleet launched its first wave of carrier-based aircraft.

• Admiral Hermann Böhm and Lieutenant General Schremel agreed to exploit the American and British fleets’ losses with an attack at dawn.
• The Mediterranean Fleet sent seaplanes to search for the enemy fleet and prepared its carrier aircraft to sortie.
• Admiral Ernest King learned that the Hunter Killer Group had failed and ordered his fleet to retreat westward.
• American F4U fighters shot down several German seaplanes, but the planes had already radioed the enemy fleet’s location.
• Admiral Hermann Böhm ordered an air strike, and the Mediterranean Fleet launched 48 FW-190 fighters, 66 Dive Bombers, and 66 Torpedo Bombers in its first wave.

After a German seaplane exposed the American and British fleets’ position, Admiral Ernest King ordered the fleet to prepare for another German carrier attack. The German Navy Mediterranean Fleet sank the remaining American light carriers and began its assault on the three Montana-class battleships, whose fate was sealed as the second wave arrived.

• A German seaplane sent a telegram before being shot down, prompting Admiral Ernest King to turn the fleet northwest and prepare its air defenses.
• Radar detected about 150 German carrier-based aircraft approaching from the south, and Admiral Ernest King ordered every ship to repel the attack.
• The German aircraft bypassed the depleted Allied carrier air groups and targeted the American fleet’s four remaining light carriers: Langley, Cabot, Bataan, and San Jacinto.
• German aircraft sank all four light carriers in less than half an hour, leaving the American and British fleets without aircraft carriers.
• The German Navy Mediterranean Fleet attacked the three Montana-class battleships; after the first wave failed to sink them, the arriving second wave sealed their fate.

German carrier-based aircraft sank all three American Montana-class Battleships and then attacked the British fleet, leaving the Allies unable to stop Germany from winning the Atlantic battle. The chapter ended with the British commanders recognizing that their fleets could not prevent German control of the Atlantic.

• German carrier-based aircraft struck the Maine, Montana, and Ohio with bombs and torpedoes, sinking all three American Battleships.
• The German aircraft attacked two British Nelson-class Battleships and four Lion-class Battleships but failed to sink them after using much of their ammunition.
• Two hours later, the German Navy Mediterranean Fleet launched a third air attack on the British Capital Ships.
• Admiral John Tovey watched the British ships suffer under the attack, while Admiral Andrew Cunningham acknowledged that the Allied fleets had lost.
• Andrew Cunningham privately concluded that the Allies could no longer stop Germany from ruling the Atlantic or threatening a landing in North America.

The German Navy crushed the American and British fleets, securing control of the Atlantic, while the surviving Hunter Killer Group escaped German searches and headed back toward the United States. The chapter left the Germans confident that the few escaped ships could not change the outcome and could be dealt with during a future landing in North America.

• Admiral Ernest King ordered a telegram to warn the Hunter Killer Group that the remaining Allied capital ships were in danger and to break through the German blockade.
• Admiral Hermann Boehm learned that seven Allied capital ships were missing and ordered seaplanes to search for them, while the German Home Fleet also began searching.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel abandoned the Hunter Killer Group’s mission and steered it southeast, planning to return to the Caribbean by way of the south and west.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel received Ernest King’s warning about the Mediterranean Fleet’s victories and led the Hunter Killer Group cautiously away from German pursuit.
• Marshal Lütjens concluded that the missing Allied ships were still somewhere in the Atlantic but too difficult to find after dark, and agreed that their escape would not affect the German Navy’s victory.

After Germany’s decisive victory in the Battle of the Atlantic, Qin Tian approved preparations for a landing in North America. The chapter ended with the operation set to begin by the end of November despite the challenges of winter weather.

• Qin Tian met with Marshal Raeder, Field Marshal Manstein, and the Air Force Minister after they reported that Germany had won the Battle of the Atlantic.
• Marshal Raeder reported that German forces had sunk the American fleet carriers and several American and British battleships, leaving Germany in control of the Atlantic.
• Qin Tian praised Marshal Lütjens for turning the Home Fleet’s disadvantage into victory.
• Field Marshal Manstein said Germany had seized the Bermuda Islands and was readying troops and supplies for a North American landing.
• Manstein explained that winter weather would pose risks but would also hinder the defenders, and Qin Tian ordered preparations for the landing to begin.

After the American and British fleets suffered a crushing defeat against Germany, senior naval leaders realized they might no longer be able to stop the German advance. Frank Knox and Admiral Harold Stark went to the White House to report the news to President Roosevelt.

• Admiral Harold Stark, Frank Knox, Sir Dudley, and Admiral Nimitz learned that the American and British fleets had lost all their aircraft carriers and more than half their Capital Ships.
• Admiral Nimitz and Admiral Harold Stark concluded that their navies might be unable to recover, while Sir Dudley blamed the fleet commanders and set out to see the Prime Minister.
• Frank Knox feared Germany would soon attack North America and insisted that the unfinished American warships must not fall into German hands.
• Frank Knox and Admiral Harold Stark independently went to the White House and encountered each other there.
• President Roosevelt suspended his meeting, received Frank Knox and Admiral Harold Stark, and asked whether they had been defeated again.

President Roosevelt learned that the American and British fleets had been devastated, leaving the Atlantic under German control and a German invasion of North America imminent. He placed the nation’s defense in the hands of General Marshall and General Arnold, who faced the task of preparing the Army and Army Air Corps to resist the Germans.

• Secretary Frank Knox apologized to President Roosevelt for the Navy’s defeat, and Admiral Stark explained the battle’s losses and mistakes.
• Admiral Stark reported that the American and British navies had been crippled, while the Germans had lost four Capital Ships and damaged three others.
• President Roosevelt warned that German control of the Atlantic and Bermuda made an attack on North America imminent.
• General Marshall asked about German losses, and Admiral Stark described their comparatively limited damage and aircraft losses.
• President Roosevelt ordered General Marshall and General Arnold to prepare the Army and Army Air Corps to defend the United States against a German landing.