Knowing that danger is real and that it could come at any time, waiting is more like an ordeal.

It's just that it's not been waiting.

Throughout the night, basically every few hours, they would receive a message from the Fourth Fleet Command, or the Navy Command, or the Military Intelligence Bureau, or other relevant agencies, or forwarded, which made Bai Huawei and Liu Zunling very upset.

Mostly battle reports from other units.

Although most of the news had nothing to do with the fleet operation, and it was very messy, and there was a feeling that I couldn't touch the north, these news confirmed Bai Huawei's guess in disguise.

On the first day of the battle, until the early morning of the 5th, the Nuland Navy did not send carrier-based attack aircraft to bomb the Aliu and Khowaii Islands.

Patrol planes sent to search in the central waters of the Guia Ocean were shot down during the flight.

In addition, the patrol planes did not detect the Nuland fleet or suspicious ships before they were shot down, and may have not had time to report the situation to the rear.

As a result, there is a huge reconnaissance gap in the central Guina.

Strictly speaking, this is actually a "black zone", and the Imperial Navy does not know the specific situation in this sea area of more than 20 million square kilometers.

The only thing that is certain is that those Nuland fighters that shot down the patrol plane must have been supported by AWACS.

Is it a carrier-based AWACS? Or is it that the Nuland Air Force dispatched a large early warning plane, with the support of tankers, to carry out a mission in the central waters of the Guia Ocean.

Because the Navy's patrol planes were not equipped with electronic reconnaissance equipment and did not have the ability to carry out electronic reconnaissance missions, after losing more than 10 patrol planes in a row, they still did not find out the situation, and they did not even know whether they encountered the F-14 of the Nuland Navy or the F-15 of the Nuland Air Force.

Anyway, they were all shot down by enemy aircraft with long-range air-to-air missiles outside the line of sight.

To this end, the Air Force dispatched one large electronic reconnaissance plane in the early morning of the 5th.

If all goes well, then it will be possible to find out the situation as soon as the morning of the 5th, and at the latest on the afternoon of the 5th, that is, whether there is a Nuland fleet in the central waters of the Guia Ocean.

After supper, it was almost dawn.

Bai Huawei did not return to the cabin, but rested in the officer's canteen for a while. Liu Zunling didn't go to rest, but after eating supper, he went to the command center for a turn. As long as you are not too busy, you have to go to the main operational command departments such as the navigation bridge, the aviation operations center, and the tactical intelligence center.

According to the unwritten rules, under the state of combat deployment, the second-in-command is on duty at night.

However, Bai Huawei is also very conscious. Shortly after Liu Zunling left, he went to the commander's bridge.

Because they had just eaten supper, and the two stayed up all night, when they returned to the commander's bridge, Liu Zunling brought Bai Huawei a cup of coffee.

Drinking coffee is a traditional naval culture, and almost every naval officer has their own unique taste.

As for the admirals, not to mention more.

In Bai Huawei's words, an admiral like him from a naval family doesn't need to taste it at all, just by the aroma to judge the quality of the coffee.

The point is that after winning the Second Global War, the Imperial Navy no longer has to worry about coffee.

At the beginning, after the end of the First Global War, because of the loss of the southeastern region, the Imperial Navy has been facing the dilemma of having no coffee to drink for more than 20 years. In order not to be controlled by others, the Imperial Navy even opened coffee plantations in the southern region of the mainland. It's a pity that due to the influence of climate, varieties and other factors, the quality of the coffee grown in the empire is obviously unable to meet the requirements of the navy, or it cannot meet the picky taste of naval officers.

In the words of the outside world, the Imperial Navy actively sent troops to occupy and control the southeast during World War II in order to regain the world's largest coffee producing area.

Of course, this is actually a joke.

Before Bai Huawei could taste it, the communications officer on duty hurriedly ran over.

Just received the message, forwarded by the command of the Navy.

A large electronic reconnaissance plane launched by the Air Force was shot down by fighters of the Nuland Navy about 1,000 kilometers south of the Aliu Islands.

Fortunately, the large electronic reconnaissance plane made a crucial report before it was shot down.

According to the electromagnetic signals intercepted by the electronic reconnaissance plane, it was the Nuland Navy's F-14 that carried out the interception mission, or the missile launched from more than 100 kilometers away. The point is that one Nuland Navy E-2C commanded the F-14 to intercept the electronic reconnaissance aircraft almost 400 kilometers away.

In fact, it was the E-2C that discovered the electronic reconnaissance aircraft, and the F-14 was killed in time.

In addition, the electronic reconnaissance aircraft did not detect the Nuland Navy warship before it was shot down, nor did it intercept the radio signals sent by the warship.

Obviously, the Nuland fleet could not keep the radio silent all the time.

If it was close enough, then after the appearance of electronic reconnaissance aircraft of the Imperial Air Force, the Nuland fleet should have entered a state of air defense operations. Even if it is necessary to keep the aircraft carrier hidden, it is necessary to let the air defense battleship activate the radar, and at least the alert ship should be ready for battle.

Any fleet, especially after entering high-threat sea areas, arranges radar alert ships.

In the Imperial Navy, it was generally a universal destroyer, or an ocean-going frigate, to perform the vigilance mission. It's not that these two types of warships are more suitable, but there are too few air defense cruisers, and they are still the air defense pillars of the fleet, so they definitely have to stay behind to protect the aircraft carriers, and they can't easily go out and take risks.

As a rule, radar alert ships are 150 thousand away in front of the fleet, and they cooperate with the AWACS aircraft coming out of the front.

Fleet commanders tend to deploy radar alert ships in the direction of the greatest threat and operate independently, thereby expanding the range of the fleet's air defense.

However, this is not the core value of the existence of radar alert ships.

Here, when it comes to the operation of the air defense of the fleet.

During the Second Global War, radar alert ships were an extremely important air defense force and played an irreplaceable role in fleet air defense operations. Later in the war, especially in operations against the Nuland homeland, the Imperial Navy's task force often consisted of three or five light cruisers or large destroyers equipped with radars for vigilance missions. In combat use, these warships are almost always operating alone on the periphery of the fleet, at most they will be covered by anti-submarine destroyers, and combat losses have always been high.

In several large-scale naval battles, radar alert ships have become magnets that attract enemy firepower, and they are veritable "daredevils" in aircraft carrier battle groups.

This situation continued until the advent of carrier-based AWACS aircraft.

The reason is also very simple, the carrier-based early warning aircraft is also used to carry out air defense alert tasks, and fly high, see far, and fighter jets provide cover, when encountering a threat, they can turn to evade or retreat, not only the combat efficiency is far higher than that of the radar alert ship, the survival rate is also much higher.

After that, the Imperial Navy no longer developed radar alert ships.

To be precise, tactically, air defense warships are no longer allowed to perform alert tasks.

With the advancement of radar technology, especially the miniaturization brought about by transistors, radar has become standard equipment, and air alert is no longer the preserve of some kind of warship.

It's just that in specific combat use, radar alert ships still have the value of existence.

Over the past few decades, the Imperial Navy has been exploring new fleet engagement tactics, and radar alert ships have played a very important role in fleet battles. It's just that most of the time, it's no longer a vigilance mission, it's a deception mission.

To put it simply, it is to let a certain warship pretend to be an entire fleet to divert the enemy, distract the enemy, or deceive the enemy.

It is precisely for this reason that the Imperial Navy has equipped all warships integrated into the task force, including ocean-going frigates, with the same type of long-range air search and warning radar. Because the same radar works in much the same way, theoretically, the enemy cannot judge the model of a battleship by intercepted radar waves.

As for the tactics of using radar alert ships, it is not a secret at all.

The Nuland Navy has also concocted the same method, equipping destroyer-level warships with the same kind of anti-aircraft search and warning radar, so that they can carry out alert missions when necessary.

According to the intelligence provided by the Military Intelligence Agency, the Nuland Navy also used radar alert ships to pretend to be supercarriers during exercises.

It can be seen that in the use of radar alert ships, the Nuland Navy almost completely copied the tactics of the Imperial Navy, and learned the same thing.

Here's the key!

Prior to this, patrol aircraft of the Imperial Navy appeared, and they were all detected by the E-2C in time, and then shot down by the F-14 with missiles. Because of the distance from the Aliu Islands, and the fact that the Imperial Navy did not have a long-range strike force such as strategic bombers, the Nuland fleet did not act alarmed.

This time it was the electronic reconnaissance aircraft of the Imperial Air Force that appeared, and there were enough strategic bombers for the Imperial Air Force.

On the night of the 4th, the Imperial Air Force dispatched hundreds of bombers and flew thousands of kilometers to launch a counterattack on the Nuland mainland with cruise missiles.

After the appearance of the electronic reconnaissance aircraft of the Imperial Air Force, the commander of the Nuland fleet could still sit on the Diaoyu Tai?

Perhaps, dozens of bombers with long-range anti-ship missiles were following behind the electronic reconnaissance plane, which was about to launch an attack on the Nuland fleet.

As for reconnaissance, it's a trifle.

Do not forget that it is not only reconnaissance aircraft that can carry out reconnaissance missions, but also submarines that are hidden deep under the surface of the sea.

It can be seen that unless it can be concluded that there is no threat at all, when the electronic reconnaissance plane appears, the radar alert ship in the Nuland fleet should appear.

In the face of a massive air strike that could come at any time, there is simply no point in maintaining radio silence.

Why, then, did the commander of the Nuland fleet feel that there was no threat?

Bai Huawei and Liu Zunling are very big.

In fact, after receiving this news, the two thought that there was indeed a Nuland fleet in the Guia Ocean, even if it was only one aircraft carrier.

The reason is also simple, the E-2C does not have air refueling capabilities.

In addition, to patrol the sea area at a distance of 400 kilometers from the aircraft carrier for 4 hours, the E-2C must take off with full fuel, which requires the use of catapults.

The first thing Bai Huawei thought of was actually the classic naval battle in which his father, that is, Marshal Bai Zhizhan, participated.

The Battle of the Guia Sea of World War II.

In this naval battle, the Nuland Navy played a small trick by letting one aircraft carrier act alone, in a vain attempt to create a surprise attack opportunity for the other two task forces.

As a result, the Nuland Navy was defeated in the battle and collapsed.

It's just that Bai Huawei then denied this speculation.

As the saying goes, if you suffer a loss, you will grow wiser.

Since the Nuland Navy had already suffered losses in World War II and paid the terrible price of defeat, what reason is there to repeat the mistakes of the past?

What's more, the 41st Task Force is not a rookie.

Based on the actual combat strength of the two sides, even if five aircraft carriers are concentrated, the Nuland Navy will only have a slight chance of victory, and it is impossible to easily defeat the 41st Task Force. After separating one aircraft carrier, relying on four aircraft carriers, the hope of defeating the 41st Task Force is even more slim.

Could it be that the 5 aircraft carriers of the Nuland Navy are in the North East Ocean?

Really planning to attack the Aliu Islands?

Although he was extremely surprised, Bai Huawei knew that if there was no other more reasonable speculation, he had to be prepared to go to the Guia Ocean to fight a decisive battle with the Nuland fleet.

Strictly speaking, this is not a bad thing.

When he went to the restaurant for breakfast, Bai Huawei told Liu Zunling that if there was still no more definite news by the afternoon, he would have to let the fleet turn north.

If you can, you will also have to schedule a refueling session overnight.

As for whether to go to the Guia Ocean or not, it is uncertain for the time being, and there is no need to make a decision in a hurry, after all, if you turn north on the evening of the 5th, you will not be able to enter the Guia Ocean until the early morning of the 7th at the earliest. If fuel consumption is taken into account, that is, it is not intended to be refueled in the Guia Ocean, and the voyage at an economic speed of 16 knots will not be possible until the afternoon of the 7th at the earliest, passing through the Khowaii Islands to enter the Guia Ocean at the earliest.

During the two days or so, anything could happen.

In essence, Bai Huawei still didn't want to go north.

Not to be afraid, but to go to the Guia Ocean in search of a decisive battle for the Nuland fleet is not of great significance, at least at the military level there is no such need.

Even if the Nuland fleet is defeated, or even annihilated, what can it be?

The Aliu and Khowaii Islands have been bombed, the large military bases are paralyzed, and the Imperial Navy is temporarily unable to launch combat operations against the Nuland mainland, so even if it wins sea supremacy, it will only maintain the status quo, and the existence of Task Force 41 will also maintain the status quo.

In that case, why take the risk?

Moreover, this "status quo" will be maintained for a long time.

It will take months just to get Jumbo Harbor back up and running, and to repair the infrastructure destroyed in the bombing, before it is deployed.

As for other aspects, such as the political impact of losing the Aliu Islands, there is no need for Bai Huawei to consider.

In fact, when making this arrangement, Bai Huawei made up his mind. Unless directly ordered by the Navy Command, it has been operating in the south of the Khowaii Islands, sailing to the waters close to the Khowaii Islands at most, and posing as if it can enter the Guia Ocean at any time.

At the end of the day, time is on the side of the Imperial Navy.

Do not forget that the Imperial Navy has a total of 15 active aircraft carriers, only 9 are in a deployed state, and the other 6 are either under maintenance or overhaul. Three of them will certainly be able to return to combat by the end of the year, and the other three will be able to return to the team in the first half of next year.

The key is that in the ports of the empire, there are more than a dozen mothballed large aircraft carriers, of which several are in better condition, which can be delivered within the year.

By the beginning of next year at the latest, the Imperial Navy will be able to add two new three-carrier battle groups.

By that time, it would not be too late for a decisive battle with the Nuland fleet.