Captain Ethan looked bewildered: "But, why can't we catch up?"
It's understandable if the battleship squadron can't catch up; battleships can only go 22.75 knots at the fastest, and some can only go 18 knots, so it's difficult to catch up with enemy aircraft carriers going at 20 knots.
But the maneuver fleet has a speed of 31.5 knots; those battlecruisers were designed to sacrifice armor thickness to increase speed, so why can't they catch up with enemy carriers going 20 knots?
General Winter looked dejected:
"Because we don't know the location of the enemy's carrier, Ethan."
"Our seaplanes have all been shot down by them, and I believe their fighters are still patrolling around the carrier."
"Any seaplane that approaches it will be shot down, and it's difficult for us to get within 50 nautical miles."
(Note: Even if seaplanes spot the carrier, it's useless since planes at this time didn't have radios; they could only report the coordinates upon returning safely.)
