While MacArthur was worried about the fall of the Fiji Islands, Yamaguchi Tarumi on board the Mizuzuru, the flagship of the 2nd Mobile Fleet, north of the Fiji Islands, was not pleased with the rapid progress of the Japanese troops landing on the island. Pen | fun | pavilion www. ｂｉｑｕｇｅ。 ｉｎｆｏ

In the original plan, the occupation of the Fiji Islands was only part of the plan, and the second part of the plan was to use the attack on the Fiji Islands as a bait to lure the US South Pacific Fleet into attack, and then use the overwhelming air superiority of the Second Mobile Fleet to destroy them.

In addition to sending fighters and battleships to give operational guidance to the Japanese troops landing, the Second Mobile Fleet sent a total of 18 Zero seaplanes and Type 97 torpedo planes to conduct dragnet surveys around the Fiji Islands, but no trace of the US fleet was found.

On the evening of 16 September, the second day of the Fiji Islands raid operation, Yamaguchi received telegrams from his subordinate warships, asking if it was possible to recall the planes patrolling outside.

With regret, Yamaguchi Tawen and the fleet drifted at sea for another night.

Near noon on 17 September, Yamaguchi received a telegram from Nobutake Kondo, who led a fleet to give operational guidance to the Japanese troops landing on Vanua.

The battle on Vanua's island was also coming to an end, and Kondo Nobutake sent a telegram to discuss the time of the fleet's retreat.

Yamaguchi's reply was to stay for half a day to see if there were any other needs for the landing force on the island.

Nobutake Kondo took Yamaguchi's advice, and the two fleets cruised around the Fiji Islands for half a day until eight o'clock in the evening.

In the past half a day, Yamaguchi Tawen had his last hope and let the reconnaissance planes search the nearby waters, but still did not find the main fleet of the US military, but instead Kondo Nobutake's second fleet fought two unsuccessful anti-submarine warfare around the islands.

After some contact, Yamaguchi Tabun confirmed with Kondo Nobutake that the landing force on the two islands could basically control the situation on the islands, and they met in the northern waters of the archipelago as planned.

The two fleets drove north side by side for a while, and then they exchanged treasures, and then they parted ways, one to the left (west) and the other to the right (east), and disappeared into the night.

Shortly after the two fleets parted, behind the Second Fleet led by Nobutake Kondo, an American submarine sent a telegram.

The Japanese fleet had withdrawn from the Fiji Islands and was on its way back.

Almost at the same time, the second mobile fleet, galloping eastward, received a telegram from Truk.

While patrolling the eastern part of the Fiji Islands, the submarine numbered I-26 accidentally spotted a large convoy of U.S. military convoys, with more than 20 convoys and escort ships.

"Yo Xi, these submarines have finally done something serious."

After receiving the telegram, Yamaguchi Tashi swept away the decadent expression of his previous life, and regained his enthusiasm for life.

According to the plan, after the Second Mobile Fleet has provided operational guidance to the army forces attacking the Fiji Islands, the mission of the second phase is to go to the east of the Fiji Islands to intercept the US fleet sailing from the US mainland to Australia.

In order to cooperate with the Second Mobile Fleet, six submarines departed for maritime patrols east of the Fiji Islands before the Second Mobile Fleet operated.

Yamaguchi Tashi heard a telegram in his hand, and with his staff officer and the captain of the Mizuzuru Nomoto to Hui Daisa, he stood in front of a huge chart of the Pacific Ocean, pointed to the chart and said:

"The submarine forces sent a telegram that an American fleet had been spotted at this position 1,200 nautical miles to the east, heading 260 degrees and at a speed of eight knots.

We know that most of the American convoys depart from New York, New Orleans and San Francisco, and the convoys from New Orleans and New York will first pass through the Panama Canal, then go south, and when they go to the eastern South Pacific, they will overlap with the route from San Francisco to Australia, and then arrive in New Zealand or Australia in Australia.

Our second mission is to go to the overlapping part of the route of the American fleet in the South Pacific, intercept the American convoy, and make sure that not a single transport ship enters Australia.

Now, the first blue whale has arrived, and you and I are working together to hunt this blue whale. ”

The blue whale is a synonym for the U.S. transport fleet, and Nomoto Osa said solemnly: "Commander, you give the order." Unless they turn around and return to the United States, they will only send those supplies to the bottom of the Pacific Ocean under the attack of the Imperial samurai. ”

Yamaguchi nodded and said to the staff officers beside him, "Calculate the route immediately, and try to intercept them between the Cook Islands and the Marquesas Islands." Also, reply to Truk and ask them to inform the submarine forces, closely monitor the movements of this transport fleet, and keep us informed at any time. ”

Two days later, in the northeastern part of Cook Island, Yamaguchi looked out the window at the clouds in the sky.

Nomoto Osa said worriedly: "If this weather is all the time, our fighters will not be able to take off." ”

"yes, it's going to rain heavily." Yamaguchi said.

"Can we just let them go, then follow them, and then attack when the weather improves? They have transport ships in their fleet, they are not fast, they can't go far. ”

Yamaguchi hesitated for a moment, then shook his head.

"No, the farther west we go, the closer we get to New Zealand, and we don't know when the weather will improve. If this bad weather continues, there is a good chance that we will miss out on a valuable opportunity. ”

"But this is the high sea, if our warship is seriously damaged in an artillery battle with the enemy, it will be difficult to repair it, and it will affect our next operation."

What Nomoto Daisa said made a lot of sense, and Yamaguchi Tawen fell into deep thought again, but soon, he found the answer.

"You're right, it's just that after we take out this American fleet, how many more American fleets do you think will pass through here?"

Seeing that Nomoto Osa was about to speak, Yamaguchi said: "Nomoto-kun, we will attack together with the battleship troops, and we must let them also share some battle achievements, and when the time comes, they will thank us for our generosity." ”

After Yamaguchi finished speaking, he turned to the communications staff officer.

"Inform the battleship forces to attack, with Ma Dazuo as the commander, and the American fleet must be stopped."

・・・・・・

Just south of the Marquesas Islands, a transport fleet numbered NB-14 cleaves the waves and gallops across the blue sea.

On the battleship Washington, the fleet's flagship, Rear Admiral Willis Lee, the commander of the fleet, looked through the bridge window at the overcast sky.

"Damn the weather, it's really like a baby's face, it can change, and our arrival in Australia is going to be delayed again."

The NB-14 fleet, commanded by Rear Admiral Lee, is undoubtedly a powerful fleet.

The N in the fleet number stands for New Orleans in the United States, and B stands for the Port of Brisbane on the east coast of Australia.

This fleet had twelve transports, but the number of warships escorting them amounted to nineteen.

Among the 23 battleships, there were three battleships, four escort carriers, two light cruisers, and ten destroyers.

What is the reason for Rear Admiral Li to command such a strangely organized fleet, the answer is to catch strong men.

In the original NB-14 fleet, there were only twelve transport ships, four Sangamon-class escort carriers, the battleship Indiana and two destroyers, a total of nineteen ships.

The NB-14 fleet sailed to the South Pacific and received a warning that a powerful Japanese fleet had appeared in the waters near the Fiji Islands, which had already been captured by the Japanese.

Almost at the same time, the fleet commanded by Rear Admiral Willis Lee, who had departed from Los Angeles to report to Australia's South Pacific Fleet, was also alerted and ordered to rendezvous with the NB-14 fleet, which was passing nearby, to escort the fleet to Brisbane.

Rear Admiral Lee, who was captured, had no choice but to lead his subordinate battleships Washington and Massachusetts, as well as two light cruisers and eight destroyers to join the NB-14 fleet and temporarily become the commander of this combined fleet.

Soon after the two fleets met, there was a slight twist and turn.

A sudden thunderstorm hit the fleet's head, and the transport's Liberty Wheel, the Pakrit Henry, failed to withstand the storm and broke down, dropping to two knots.

After the storm, it took a full day for the Henry to troubleshoot and keep up with the fleet.

The Henry slowed down the entire fleet, and had just been repairing the problem and returning the fleet to its normal eight-knot speed, only to encounter another thunderstorm that was brewing.

God willing, may the Henry not break down again.

Rear Admiral Li looked at the clouds in the sky and looked forward to the Henry, who had a criminal record.

At about half past eight in the evening, Major General Li was writing a logbook in his cabin when a series of loud thunderous noises suddenly sounded in his ears.

Major General Li walked to the porthole to look outside, but found that it was not thunder, and hurriedly walked to the desk to pick up the phone.

"What happened to the explosion just now?"

"The destroyer spotted a submarine with a suspicious identity and was attacking with depth charges."

Confirming that there was only a trivial problem, Major General Li put down the phone and continued to write the logbook.

Near nine o'clock, a thunderstorm brewed and slammed again on the fleet's head.

After making a phone call and confirming that the suspicious submarine had been expelled, Rear Admiral Li briefly washed up and lay down on the bed.

Major General Li's sleep was interrupted by a rapid knock on the door, and he took the coat handed by the adjutant, and Major General Li hurriedly put it on.

"What's going on?"

"The radar room has detected a fleet approaching in the northwest direction."

Major General Li picked up the white brimmed hat and buckled it to his head, and strode out of the bedroom.

Walking into the bridge, Rear Admiral Li anxiously asked, "What is the specific situation?" ”

"The radar room detected a fleet approaching us, and also detected anomalous radar waves, and the number of this fleet was about sixteen. The speed is about 24 knots, and if we don't change direction, we expect to meet them in two hours. I just sent a telegram to the command of the South Pacific Fleet, not their fleet. The captain of the USS Washington said.

"It's not our people, it's the Japanese." Major General Lee said.

Major General Li looked outside the bridge and found that the thundershowers had stopped, but the sky was still pitch black, and not even a single star could be seen.

Looking down at his left wrist, it's 2:44.

The maximum speed of the free ship was 11.5 knots, and it was completely impossible to escape the tracking of the enemy fleet.

Thinking of this, Rear Admiral Li decisively issued an order: "Immediately turn around the transport fleet and send two more destroyers to escort them, so that they can be careful of the Japanese submarines." Inform the other warships that the Japanese are coming, follow me, and go and kill the Japanese. ”