At this time, thousands of kilometers away, on the aircraft carrier "Liu Changxun".

Because it was night, Bai Huawei was still resting when he received the telegram from Zhenbao Harbor, and Liu Zunling immediately called him.

The investigative report is unequivocal.

In addition to the pilot's report, there are several very clear photographs that make it possible to identify not only the aircraft carrier, but also the carrier-based aircraft parked on the flight deck.

It is indeed the "Kitty Hawk" of the Nuland Navy.

It's just that after getting this information, Bai Zhizhan was in a dilemma.

It's not that it's just 1 aircraft carrier, but the "Kitty Hawk" is too far from the transit island, about 2000 kilometers, which is already beyond the combat radius of carrier-based aircraft.

In addition, the landing fleet was not found!

In other words, more than 1,000 kilometers south of the "Kitty Hawk", there is a large fleet, and the landing fleet is between the "Kitty Hawk" and the fleet.

The front must be the 51st Task Force?

Or is the task force where the "Kitty Hawk" is located in two corners, with another aircraft carrier, the "Nuland", at the front?

If so, Task Force 51, with its three Nix-class supercarriers, would not be there.

Just when Bai Huawei thought about it and couldn't make up his mind, Jumbo Harbor sent the latest news.

The Nuland army has landed on the Transit Island!

Crucially, there are as many as three battalions of beach-rushing troops, and not only hundreds of landing craft and hovercraft, but also more than 100 transport helicopters.

In addition, dozens of VTOL fighters and helicopter gunships were providing fire support to the landing force.

In terms of size, the landing ships of the Nuland Navy are almost out of the nest, at least 6 amphibious assault ships, as well as 6 integrated landing ships are here.

Otherwise, it would not have been possible to commit so many troops in the first wave of assault.

Obviously, the Nuland navy's storming of the transit island is no longer speculation.

Even if there is no follow-up force, just the three marine battalions that landed in the first wave will be able to take the transit island.

As for the carrier-based aircraft that appeared over the transit island, there were very few.

Actually, it's understandable.

The Nuland Navy has six amphibious assault ships capable of carrying up to nearly 150 vertical take-off and landing fighters. Under the circumstance that air supremacy has already been seized, vertical take-off and landing fighters can completely replace carrier-based aircraft and provide support to ground troops, so as to reduce the combat burden of carrier-based aviation.

If anything, the Imperial Navy also has amphibious assault ships and vertical take-off and landing fighters, but the importance is far less than that of the Nuland Navy.

The reason is also very simple, the Imperial Navy had powerful carrier-based aviation.

In addition, the Marine Corps is only one branch of the Navy, while in the Nuland Republic, the Marine Corps is the fourth branch of the armed forces under the command of the President. It is precisely because of this that the Nuland Marine Corps has always followed the policy of small but complete military construction, while the Imperial Marine Corps is more like the ground forces of the Navy.

All in all, the first target of the Nuland Navy was Transit Island.

Taking the transit island, it will also be able to blockade the Howaii Islands, prevent the Liangxia Empire from increasing troops to the eastern islands, and lay the foundation for the capture of the entire archipelago.

The idea is clear, and the purpose is very clear.

However, the basis for the capture of the Khowaii Islands was to seize and control the sea, and this could only be achieved by eliminating the 41st Task Force.

Although theoretically, after capturing the transit island, it will definitely be able to take the Howaii Islands, and all it will take is time, but for the Nuland Navy, what is lacking is time.

The Imperial Navy had been working hard in the Khowaii Islands for decades, building a large number of military bases on major islands such as Honou Island, garrisoning more than 200,000 troops, and hoarding large quantities of war materiel, which would surely hold out for several months.

Besides, there is also Task Force 41 on the periphery.

In fact, it only takes a few months.

From this point of view, even if the Nuland Navy attacked the transit island, its ultimate goal would still be to lure the 41st Task Force to a decisive battle. To be precise, it is to go to the sea area of its choice to fight a decisive battle, so as to seize the initiative on the battlefield and lay the foundation for victory.

Task Force 51, then, may not be north of the transit island.

This is Bai Huawei's speculation, and he is not very sure of this speculation.

When Bai Huawei was undecided and Liu Zunling was also puzzled, a young staff officer came up with a set of extremely detailed data.

Beginning in the early morning of the 6th, in the next 24 hours, the number of enemy planes attacking the transit island, to be precise, sorties.

More than 350 sorties were made by bombing enemy aircraft alone!

If we count the enemy planes that carried out air supremacy missions, they must have made more than 450 sorties.

In addition, AWACS aircraft, partner tankers, and anti-submarine patrol aircraft will definitely be dispatched, and the total number of sorties on all days will definitely not be less than 500.

This sortie capability, not to mention 1 "Newland" class, even if it is 3, cannot be reached.

If you can make 500 sorties in 24 hours, you will definitely have three "Nix"-class supercarriers.

In the Imperial Navy, only the "Xue Yuanzheng"-class supercarrier has such a strong sortie capability, and the "Chen Bingxun" class cannot reach it at all.

In the words of this captain's staff officer named Jiang Wenlong, the data will never lie.

No matter how cleverly camouflaged the Nuland fleet is, it can't hide its true face hidden under the powerful sortie ability.

In this regard, Bai Huawei also sighed.

The truth has always been in front of them, but he and Liu Zunling have always turned a blind eye, but a little-known young staff officer has his eyes like a torch.

It's just that who dares to guarantee that Jiang Wenlong's analysis will be accurate?

Here, Liu Zunling proposed that as long as the information obtained before can be proved to be false, it will be proved in disguise that Captain Jiang Wenlong's analysis is not wrong.

Bai Huawei did not delay, and immediately asked Liu Zunling to make arrangements.

No matter how you fight next, you must first find out the whereabouts of Task Force 51, and only after that can you make the correct tactical deployment.

At this time, on the 51st Task Force, the flagship of the "Nix".

Although the landing operation was smooth sailing, at least before the marines went ashore, they did not encounter too much trouble, and the battle after the marines went ashore was not directly related to the fleet, but Stark's mood was not good at all, and it could even be said that it was very bad.

At the beginning, Task Force 52 was threatened from the north.

It was not the shore-based aviation of the Liangxia Navy that launched the assault, but the strategic bombers of the Liangxia Air Force deployed in the Aliu Islands and the main island of Sagi.

In order to protect itself, Task Force 52 had to break the radio silence and enter a state of air defense operation.

Not to mention 2 aircraft carriers, 4 air defense cruisers in the fleet, 6 universal destroyers all used air defense radars, and their whereabouts were definitely exposed.

At this point, there is no secret about the existence of Task Force 52.

As expected, the Liangxia Air Force would definitely organize more bombers to attack the 52nd Task Force. Even if it is not possible to destroy Task Force 52, it can still consume the combat power of Task Force 52, force the fleet to return, or reduce the value of its existence.

If that were the case, Task Force 51 would have to fight alone.

In fact, after the defeat of the 52nd Task Force, the life of the 51st Task Force will not be much better, that is, the Liangxia Air Force will definitely turn the spearhead to the landing fleet, and when attacking the landing fleet, it will discover the 51st Task Force, and then start attacking the 51st Task Force.

In the morning, Stark summoned three wing commanders, as well as a senior staff officer in charge of aviation operations.

Stark asked if it was possible to launch strikes on several islands east of the transit island in advance on the premise of maintaining combat effectiveness, so as to weaken the threat from shore-based aviation and ensure that after being attacked by the Liangxia air force, it would be able to concentrate its forces against strategic bombers.

After some discussion, the three co-captains replied in the affirmative, but made some specific requests.

For example, it can only be used to paralyze military bases, and if necessary, the lost carrier-based aircraft must be replenished by the 52nd Task Force.

The key is to let the Air Force increase its bombing intensity.

It is a pity that the Nuland Air Force has long been in full force and has also used up its stocks of cruise missiles.

The only way for the Air Force to intensify its bombing efforts is to let bombers hang bombs or short-range air-to-surface missiles and then fly over the target and drop bombs.

There is no doubt that the losses will certainly skyrocket.

Let's not talk about whether it makes sense or not, whether the Air Force will agree to it is still a question.

If we only rely on carrier-based aviation, we must strictly limit the scope of the strike, or gradually expand the scope of the strike, and do not expect to win a single battle.

Then, you will definitely suffer a lot of losses.

What Stark can do is to report to the Navy Command and ask the Navy Command to arrange for additional carrier-based aircraft to fly to the West Coast as soon as possible.

When required, these carrier-based aircraft will be able to fly to Task Force 51 via Task Force 52.

In Stark's opinion, as long as he can successfully take the transit island, even if he will suffer a large loss, he can bear it.

Stark then asked his staff officer to make the arrangements.

It's just that the changes in the battle situation still far exceeded his prediction.

In the afternoon, at noon, to be exact, at around 17:30 p.m. local time, Task Force 53, which was tasked with feints over the Guia, was dealt a devastating blow. In just a dozen minutes, the fleet withstood the onslaught of more than 100 long-range anti-ship missiles.

Needless to say, the results are true.

In fact, Task Force 53 is not a task force in the true sense of the word at all.

The core of the fleet is three "aircraft carriers" converted from fast container ships. Because the time was too rushed and it needed to be kept strictly secret, these three "aircraft carriers" only looked like aircraft carriers, and they did not have the ability to carry and operate carrier-based aircraft, let alone conduct aviation operations.

On the flight decks of these three "aircraft carriers", all models of carrier-based aircraft are placed.

In order to camouflage more realistically, each of the three "aircraft carriers" carries several helicopters, and helicopters are arranged to patrol every day.

The point is, the others are all real warships.

These warships, also from the Sunset Ocean Fleet, totaled 4 air defense cruisers, 6 universal destroyers, 6 anti-submarine frigates, and 4 supply ships.

Two of the anti-aircraft cruisers, two universal destroyers and two anti-submarine frigates came from the USS Kenny battle group.

During the voyage, that is, these warships are in contact with the outside world.

This arrangement is also aimed at deceiving the Liang Xia Navy and making the Liang Xia Navy believe that this is the 51st Task Force with 3 "Niz" class supercarriers.

At least judging by the previous performance, the deceptive purpose has been achieved.

Unfortunately, immediately after the blow, Task Force 53 was revealed.

Three freighters disguised as aircraft carriers were sunk, while three cruisers, three destroyers, and five frigates sank after being hit.

As for the other warships, they were also heavily damaged.

According to the telegram sent from Diego's base, Task Force 53 has been completely wiped out, and those ships that were lucky enough not to be sunk may not be able to return to their homeland.

Don't forget, the Guia has always been the main battlefield of the Liangxia submarine.

In a few hours at the earliest, or two or three days at the latest, the Liangxia submarines cruising nearby would swarm up and use torpedoes to send the damaged warships to the bottom of the sea.

To this end, the Navy Command has given an order to the commander of Task Force 53 to abandon the battleship as appropriate.

As for rescue operations, the Navy Command has made arrangements, such as sending seaplanes to the Galapagos Islands to search for officers and soldiers who have fallen into the water.

At this point, the whereabouts of Task Force 51 are no longer a secret.

Even if Bai Huawei is cautious in doing things, he can also think at this time that the 51st Task Force must be operating in the Guia Ocean.

In other words, Task Force 41 will return immediately.

It was only the afternoon of the 7th, and if the 41st Task Force returned as fast as possible, it would definitely be able to reach the waters near the transit island on the 9th.

Will the Marines be able to take the Transit Island by the 9th?

Also, will Liang Xia's army launch a counterattack in advance, such as dispatching bombers to attack the 51st Task Force with long-range anti-ship missiles hundreds of kilometers away.

In addition, threats from below the surface of the sea need to be taken into account.

It is certainly impossible to give up the transit island, not to mention that Stark will not consider it, and the senior generals of the Pentagon will not agree to it either.

In the current situation, the only option is to fight a decisive battle with Task Force 41, and the sooner the better.

As mentioned earlier, Bai Huawei is likely to choose to confront each other and fight the Nuland fleet after the arrival of the 61st Task Force.

In other words, what really needs to be considered is how to be able to fight the 41st Task Force as soon as possible.

First of all, it is necessary to find the 41st Task Force, or make a general judgment on Bai Huawei's tactical arrangements, and then speculate on the whereabouts of the 41st Task Force.

Obviously, this is also the most difficult part.

Almost all of Stark's information is related to defensive operations, and Bai Huawei is also famous for defensive operations in past exercises.

During the exercises, he rarely took the initiative to attack.

As for launching an offensive in the later stages of the exercise, it mainly relied on the superiority of troops to crush the opponent, and did not have much attainment in specific tactics, or in other words, outstanding performance.

It's just that it would be a big mistake to underestimate Bai Huawei's offensive ability!

Not to mention anything else, Bai Huawei was able to perform well in defense, because he was proficient in all offensive tactics and knew the most likely way for the opponent to play in various situations, and he could also adopt the most effective defensive tactics according to local conditions.

Besides, he is the son of Bai Zhizhan.

As the saying goes, a tiger father has no dog son.

Even if Bai Huawei is not a white war, he may never be able to reach the height of the white war, but since he was a child, he must be familiar with the navy's tactical system.

So, after determining that the 51st Task Force is in the Guia, how will Bai Huawei respond?

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