In the dark, the U.S. fleet was more nervous than Vice Admiral Abe. Pen % fun % Pavilion www.biquge.info

The U.S. transport fleet consisted of three troop carriers and five warships.

In the dark of the night, a flare suddenly appeared above the fleet's head without warning.

Under the light, the US transport fleet was like thieves suddenly exposed to the public, and it suddenly became a mess.

The alarm quickly reached the bridge of the command ship of the escort fleet, a light cruiser, along with the call tube.

"A fleet was found approaching in the southwest, at a distance of 22,000 kilometers, with a course of 85 and a speed of 24 knots."

"We're exposed, damn it. Let the troop carrier immediately move east, call in the support fleet, and prepare for battle. ”

After the order, the U.S. convoy split into two parts, three troop carriers made an emergency U-turn and headed east, and five battleships rushed to the southwest.

About five nautical miles east of the US transport fleet, another US transport convoy received the alarm and immediately divided its troops.

Four destroyers were left behind to protect the four transports in the fleet, and the flagship battleship USS North Carolina led two heavy cruisers and four destroyers and rushed to the battlefield at increased speed.

Arriving on the battlefield faster than the first onboard fleet were the Zero seaplanes in the fleet.

These Zero seaplanes had already hung up their flares and were ready to go to Kuah airfield to drop them to indicate the targets for the fleet to bomb.

Suddenly, it was "ambushed" by the US fleet, and the Zero seaplane took off in an emergency catapult and rushed to the surface of the sea where the flares were raised.

Three parachutes were quickly dropped over the U.S. fleet, followed by three more.

The battleship Hiei immediately opened fire, followed by the 203-mm guns on the four heavy cruisers.

Blinding flames shone across the pitch-black sea, and shells streaked through the night and flew towards the American fleet.

Under the light of Japanese artillery fire, the huge body of the battleship flickered, pointing out the target to the American warship, and the American warship immediately returned fire.

The destroyers of both sides, while firing, approached at a relative speed of almost fifty knots.

After closing the distance, seeing that the American warship was rushing out of the light coverage area of the flares at high speed, the Japanese destroyers immediately resorted to searchlight tactics.

Thick pillars of light swept across the sea, locking onto the American warships one by one, and deadly shells and torpedoes were fired at each other.

The searchlight illuminated the U.S. warship, but it also allowed the U.S. warship to discover the location of the Japanese warship.

There were eight Japanese destroyers, outflanking the American warships from the left and right flanks, and the commander of the American fleet decisively gave the order.

"All the ship's guns fire freely, first hit the enemy ship with searchlights, and the battleship will charge in a straight line with the same course, and fire torpedoes at those big guys."

Five American warships braved the wind and waves, and at maximum speed, tried to rush through the gap in the outflanking formation of the Japanese light battleships.

Of the five battleships, three managed to outflank the Japanese destroyers, while the two destroyers running at the back were successfully intercepted.

The destroyer O'Baron was the first to be killed, and a Japanese destroyer always locked on it with a searchlight, even if it was hit twice in a row with its guns.

A 356-mm armor-piercing shell falling from the sky put an end to the charge of the Obaran, piercing through the section between the main gun and the bridge and penetrating to the bottom of the ship, almost tearing the battleship in half.

Two torpedoes hit the O'Barang one after the other, and the violent explosion extended from the bow to the stern, and the O'Baran sank to the bottom of the sea with a full ship of flames.

The second to be sunk was the destroyer Cushing, the Cushing was hit by an armor-piercing projectile from the starboard direction on the hull below the waterline, the right hull was flooded in large quantities, the speed slowed down, and then it was torpedoed, the thin hull was thrown up by the powerful shock wave of the Type 93 torpedo, and then fell heavily to the surface of the sea, three minutes after the sinking of the O'Baran, following in the footsteps of the O'Barang, reunited with his comrades at the bottom of the sea.

The light cruiser Atalanta and two destroyers successfully passed through the encirclement of the Japanese two-wing battleships, narrowed the distance between them and the Japanese capital ships, and quickly released torpedoes.

The trajectory of the six torpedoes, drawing a fan on the surface of the sea, rushed towards the battleship Hiei and the heavy cruiser Kaohsiung next to it, but they were easily avoided because they were still too far away.

By the time the second round of torpedoes was loaded, the distance between the two sides had been reduced to within three thousand meters.

No sooner had two torpedoes been fired than the cruiser Atalanta was hit by two 203-mm shells from the starboard side.

On the right side of the hull, near the bow, there are two more huge bullet holes.

Two shells killed most of the torpedo men in the bow and damaged the torpedo launchers.

"Keep firing and hit that big guy's building."

Despite the heavy losses, the Atalantan's naval guns continued to fire at the nearby Hiei, hitting the Hiei's radar and then the seaplane launchers.

Hit again by two 203-mm shells, the Atalanta could no longer hold it and slowly sank.

In less than half an hour of fighting, only two destroyers of the five warships of the US fleet were still resisting.

Both destroyers were locked by Japanese searchlights, and it was only a matter of time before they were sunk.

At the last moment, a powerful round of artillery fire fell from the sky, and the heavy cruiser Chokai was hit with the steering gear and lookout, and was forced to flee to the west, away from the battlefield.

"There is a fleet approaching to the east, 18,000 kilometers away."

"The Torikai was shelled by the enemy, the steering gear and the lookout were injured, and they asked to get out of the battle."

When Abe received the report, he couldn't help but scold: "Yaga, the observatory has seen the enemy, and the radar room hasn't reported yet." ”

Abe's cursing had not yet disappeared, and in front of the right side of the battleship Hiei, four thick white water columns rose into the air, quickly attracting Vice Admiral Abe's attention.

"Battleships, there are battleships in the enemy's fleet, order the fleet to immediately retreat at full speed in the direction of Savo Island, taking the northern part of Savo Island."

Vice Admiral Abe knew too well the performance of the battleship Hiei, a veteran ship that had been in service for nearly 30 years, and was frequently used as the main force of battleships, mainly because it was originally a battle cruiser, and with its high speed, it was able to keep up with light warships for shore shelling, or follow aircraft carriers to escort ships.

Facing off against battleships with an unknown number of enemies is not something that such a veteran ship should do.

What's more, the enemy has another fleet with battleships, and Vice Admiral Abe is more and more sure that he was "ambushed" by the Americans.

Lieutenant General Abe decisively gave the order to retreat, but when he retreated, a sinister smile flashed on his face.

The 1st onboard flotilla released smoke and left the battlefield and advanced to the north-west of Savo Island, where the lookout from time to time reported the position of the enemy in the rear to Vice Admiral Abe.

The radar in the radar room also inexplicably returned to normal, sending a more detailed report to the bridge.

The U.S. fleet behind him seemed to be bent on avenging the death of their comrades, and pursued closely behind Vice Admiral Abe.

The two fleets, one after the other, chased each other and escaped north of Savo Island.

"Report, Vice Admiral Mikawa sent a telegram that his fleet was on standby fifteen nautical miles due north of Savo Island."

"Great." Lieutenant General Abe shook his fist fiercely.

Vice Admiral Mikawa's fleet was the 2nd Plate Fleet, with two battleships Nagato and Mutsu as the core, and two heavy cruisers and seven destroyers under its command.

During the escape, Vice Admiral Abe made contact with Vice Admiral Mikawa, commander of the 2nd Aircraft Fleet, and the two agreed to assemble north of Savo Island to engage the U.S. fleet again.

Vice Admiral Abe lured the U.S. fleet in the rear all the way to the ambush site, but just when the lookout post had already seen Vice Admiral Mikawa's fleet, the U.S. fleet made a reasonable move.

"What, the enemy ran away. Immediately turn around and pursue. Lieutenant General Abe shouted.

In an instant, the situation on the battlefield reversed, and Abe and Mikawa led their troops to turn around and begin to pursue the American fleet.

In the pursuit battle, the disadvantages of the two battleships Nagato and Mutsu were revealed, with a maximum speed of 25 knots, allowing the two battleships to slow down the speed of the whole fleet.

Seeing that the distance between him and the American fleet was getting farther and farther away, Vice Admiral Abe glanced at his watch angrily.

"It's too late, inform Lieutenant General Mikawa and let him continue to monitor the sea area to the east and cover my shelling of Henderson Airport."

The two fleets, one to the east and the other to the south, parted ways.

At 2:40 a.m., six Zero seaplanes visited Henderson Airfield, and flares floated over the airfield, illuminating targets for naval guns.

Abe's fleet was divided into three columns, with destroyers being the closest, cruisers second, and battleships farthest, and the sea was blazing, and heavy artillery fire fell on Henderson airfield.