Comrade, your ingredients are too complicated.

The moment Fleet Commander Li Yujie gave the order, the two Bogue-class escort carriers suddenly erupted in a frenzy, with battle alarms blaring throughout every corner of the ship, and the crew had already switched to attack mode.

Soon, the ground crew in their navy blue uniforms and the first batch of carrier-based pilots scattered like arrows, guided by the bridge command center and the ship's broadcast system.

The mechanics, dressed in colorful vests, were half-crouched, their waving signal batons cutting through the noise on the deck, and the fighter jets quickly taxied to their respective takeoff positions under precise control.

About seven minutes later, the legendary Captain Philip returned to the bridge of the Yellow River.

Seeing his comrade's serious expression, he decisively saluted and said:

"Commander, the Zhongtiao Mountain and Jieshi Mountain are ready to launch the first wave of attacks!"

Li Yujie nodded slightly and, under the watchful eyes of his staff, walked out of the cruiser's command post with his hands behind his back. He gripped the railing with both hands, the sea breeze lifting the hem of his clothes, but his gaze remained fixed on the two escort carriers that were busy in the distance.

"What a pity. If the Borg-class's performance wasn't insufficient, I would definitely have chosen it as the flagship for this landing operation."

"It's such a pity that I can't witness the first batch of carrier-based pilots taking off in person."

A qualified surface flagship must be equipped with a powerful communication center and a complete staff command space; otherwise, it will be unable to serve as the nerve center of the entire fleet.

The Borg class, however, was destined to be out of reach of that positioning from the very beginning of its design.

Her narrow bridge could not accommodate a large number of staff officers, and there was no space below deck to install the latest communication equipment. With such limited hardware, coordinating a single escort fleet was already the limit, let alone commanding joint operations of multiple ship types.

Furthermore, her fragile armor and monstrous speed would inevitably make her a target for enemy dragon fists in fierce naval battles.

No rational naval commander would place his command team on such a fragile platform.

If you want to use an aircraft carrier as your flagship, then it has to be the main carrier.

Sensing the regret in his commander's sigh, the legendary Captain Philip calmly stepped forward, patted his comrade on the shoulder, and offered words of comfort:
"Li, the Zhongtiaoshan and Jieshishan are only escort carriers. I'm sure you'll have the opportunity to witness the day when carrier-based aircraft take off from their normal course in the future."

"Alright, let's put aside our sentimentality for now. It's time for the formation to set off."

"Do you want to send all the fighters and attack aircraft to attack directly, or do you want to send some troops to scout out the enemy's defenses on the landing zone first?"

Upon hearing this, Li Yujie nodded and quickly adjusted his mindset.

At this moment, the two escort carriers in the center of the fleet were sailing against the wind, and he could vaguely see the planes parked on their decks.

"Are all the fighter jets ready? What carrier-based aircraft have the two captains prepared for the first wave of attack?"

Philip skillfully opened the notebook he carried with him; the slightly damp pages were densely covered with the configuration of the attack formation.

He pointed his finger to the first wave of combat plans, his voice steady and clear:
"As per your request, the first wave of attacks from the Zhongtiao Mountain and Jieshi Mountain aircraft consisted entirely of Flying Dragon attack aircraft. There were a total of 16 aircraft, all heavily armed, each carrying one 1000+ kilogram and two 500 kilogram missiles."

Turning the page, his fingernail left a mark on the second wave of charts:
"The second wave consisted of the same number of aircraft, but the Flying Dragons were equipped with a precision strike configuration of 16 rockets plus a 250-kilogram aerial bomb."

Finally, Philip's finger stopped on the third wave. A slight smile played on his lips, and a barely perceptible hint of longing appeared on his face.

"The final wave consisted of 16 Sea Furies, which, in addition to their four fully loaded Western guns, were also armed with eight rockets and two 250-kilogram incendiary bombs."

"Whether it's closing the battle or intercepting enemy aircraft, our new equipment will definitely give the Japanese a big surprise."

Here they come! The carrier-based aircraft that everyone has been waiting for has arrived.

Thanks to its massive previous investments in the aviation industry, the PLA has now fully unlocked the entire range of British carrier-based aircraft.

When the Yellow River opened and the Brave Tiger was awakened, preparing to select fighter jets for the two Bogue-class destroyers of the North Sea Fleet, the production options on the system interface were even more exaggerated than War Thunder's tech tree.

It truly encompasses all the technological evolutions spanning two decades, from the three-seat armed sightseeing aircraft of the interwar period to the turboprop counter-rotation aircraft of the early Cold War.

After rigorous selection, eliminating outdated equipment such as the Swordfish, the hastily modified Seahurricane, and the early Seafire which was destined to crash upon landing, Huanghe focused its attention on six top-tier carrier-based aircraft:

Seafire MK47, Sea Venom, Sea Fury, Firefly, Torch, and Wyvern.

With six teams advancing to the next two, the final choice was obvious: Hai Nu and Fei Long were successfully selected.

After all, in the original timeline, Sea Fury defeated Sea Venom and Ultimate Seafire in the bidding with an undeniable advantage, becoming the carrier-based fighter of the Illustrious and Vengeful classes.

This thing has even fought against the MiG-15, so using historically proven results is definitely the right approach.

As for why the Hiryu was chosen as the carrier-based attack aircraft?

The answer is obvious: not only is it high-performing, but its name is also auspicious, and it can even allow a Borg-level cosplayer to portray a bold or eagle-like figure. A torch?

Listen to this ominous name. If you drive it into battle, do you want to become a sitting duck or a human torch illuminating the sky?

firefly?
Given IJN's current pace of technological advancement, if they were to fly it into the sky, they'd probably be riddled with bullets by the Japanese.

Getting back to the point, as soon as the legendary Captain Philip finished his report, Li Yujie made up his mind.

He led the way back to the bridge, his fingertips brushing across the map of the landing zone, his gaze sweeping over the coordinates marking the positions of the Japanese coastal defense guns. Those old fortifications were nothing more than lambs to the slaughter in the face of the new carrier-based aircraft.

“Skip the reconnaissance step,” Li Yujie suddenly said, his voice carrying an unquestionable decisiveness. “It’s just a few coastal defense guns produced during the interwar period. Let’s send out the attack formation directly.”

"Splitting our forces to scout might actually alert the enemy."

"Roger that!"

······
Let's rewind five minutes to the moment when the Zhongtiaoshan escorted the aircraft carrier.

A sharp alarm suddenly rang out over the ship's loudspeaker. Squadron Leader Lin Mo put down his tactical board and straightened the collar of his flight suit as he stood up.

In the waiting room, the seven pilots stood up at the same time, and the folding chairs were neatly tucked under the table without making any extra noise.

"Attention, everyone! Prepare to board!"

"We are the first carrier-based pilots in the entire army to participate in the war, and we must complete the bombing mission brilliantly!"

"Yes!"

After speaking, Lin Mo led the squadron members through the corridor quickly, their non-slip boots making a steady rhythm as they walked down the path.

When the soldiers arrived at the flight deck, it was already filled with aircraft. The ground crew was already in place, moving the last few fighter jets to their correct positions.

The mechanics stood beside the already positioned fighter jet. Holding inspection forms, they calmly scanned every detail.

Lin Mo stood in front of the formation of aircraft, while the other pilots stood in a row with their backs to the Flying Dragon attack aircraft.

A sea breeze swept by, causing the straps of the flight suits to flutter slightly, but no one raised their hand to press them down.

“I’ll repeat the mission briefing again,” the company commander said in a low voice, but every word was clearly audible. “Target: Japanese coastal defense artillery deployed on the landing zone, and the marked firing points.”

"Remember these three points: Maintain formation and never leave your tactical position. Return to base immediately after exhausting your payload, and do not use your cannons indiscriminately on the ground. The lead and wingman must maintain coordination and prioritize the safety of your teammates!"

At this point, Lin Mo's sharp gaze slowly swept across the faces of each pilot:
"Comrades, we were once the elite of the 2nd Air Division, and now we are the navy's ace. Wherever we are, we will prove with our actions who the true masters of this sky are!"

"Board!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the indicator light on the side of the bridge changed, indicating that the countdown to the sortie had begun.

The comrades turned and walked toward their respective fighter jets. Lin Mo fastened his seatbelt and put the engine into standby mode.

Soon, the ground crew member leaned into the cockpit. He first checked the squadron leader's seatbelt, then checked the instruments again. Making sure everything was in order, he smiled and patted his comrade on the shoulder, saying:
"Use me in the first battle, and I will win."

"Team Leader Lin, take out the enemy!"

"it is good!"

As the deck officer waved the red flag, the Flying Dragon attack aircraft, carrying 2000 kilograms of bombs, charged toward the end of the deck like a beast unleashed from its cage.

The airflow stirred up by the counter-rotating propellers violently lifted the cap of a nearby ground crew member, swirling it as it was thrown into the churning waves at the stern of the ship.

The Bogue-class escort carriers have flight decks that are only 140 meters long.

Theoretically speaking, neither the Wyvern S4 in WT nor the Wyvern TF1 in WOWS could possibly take off safely from such a short deck when fully equipped with 1000+2×500.

Fortunately, the Flying Dragon of the North Sea Fleet is a high-quality product improved from the Awakening Brave Tiger system, and is the Flying Dragon S.MK.5E that originally only existed on paper in the original timeline.

The more powerful engine allows this performance monster to leave the ship as swiftly as a dagger, even from the short deck.

The reinforced fuselage allows it to carry more than twice the payload of the S4 Flying Dragon.

It's worth mentioning that the Flying Dragon S.MK.5E's hidden weapon inventory includes a top-secret option: a lightweight tactical nuclear bomb, though very few people currently know this secret. (End of Chapter)