When Liao Hanxiang received a telegram from Tan Renhao (actually forwarded by Yan Guozhong, only the theater command has an ultra-long-range radio), he was also a little puzzled, and Tan Renhao asked what the remaining supplies of the US troops on Wake Island were doing? But Liao Hanxiang knows his son-in-law very well, and Tan Renhao sent a telegram back at this time, and marked the word "urgent", which must have a very important reason. When he was in doubt, he also arranged for a staff officer to investigate.

It is not easy to estimate the surplus supplies of the US army, which mainly depends on the enemy's ammunition consumption reported by the front-line troops, as well as the enemy's strength (this can calculate the consumption of living materials), the approximate number of materials sent to the island by the US army before, the amount of materials destroyed, etc., and then do a few arithmetic problems, and finally what can be obtained is also an approximate result, and deviations are inevitable. Liao Hanxiang did what he could, and then sent the data to the Southwest Pacific Theater Command.

Tan Renhao received the telegram at noon. After he had lunch, he asked Hao Dongjue to eat, and the two took turns staying in the command cabin, waiting for more news.

"Three to eight days, this error is a little too big, right?" When Hao Dongjue returned from eating, the telegram arrived.

"It's already precise." Tan Renhao called Hao Dongjue outside the command cabin and did not delay those staff officers. "It is now noon on the 24th, that is, the supplies of the US military will be exhausted between the 27th and the end of the month. If the U.S. military wants to take Wake Island as soon as possible, then their supplies will last for three days at most. ”

"In other words, on the afternoon of the 27th, the US military may not have much ammunition."

Tan Renhao laughed. "It's quite possible. The previous Marine counterattack destroyed a large number of supplies on the American ground, and the main consumption was the Marine Corps shells, and there were no shells. It is difficult to achieve victory with infantry alone. Therefore, the U.S. military will inevitably send a convoy of convoys to deliver supplies to Wake Island during this period. Perhaps, now this flotilla is already on its way. ”

"It's possible, but what's the point?"

"Herein lies the problem.

Tan Renhao watched Hao Dongjue light a cigarette before saying, "The U.S. military bombed and shelled Midway Island yesterday. If their main target is Midway, how many days will it take to prepare for fire? ”

"At least three days, five days is also tense if you consider the strong defenses on Midway, and maybe I'll spend more time preparing for firepower."

"If it's three days, then the time for the U.S. troops to land is the 26th, or the 27th, if it's five days, then it's going next month, don't you think there's a problem?"

"What's the problem?" Hao Dongjue looked at Tan Renhao.

"The key to capturing Wake Island is not just the ammunition of the U.S. Marine Corps. And the support that can be obtained. From the 22nd, the pace of the American offensive slowed down, if only by relying on the strength of the Marine Corps. There is almost no possibility that the U.S. military will take Wake Island on the 27th, right? Tan Renhao leaned on the guardrail, "But the same, if the U.S. military is going to land on Midway." Powerful fire readiness is also required. The American fleet needs to contribute in both directions, and no matter how strong Spruance is, he relies on those three small aircraft carriers, and some cruisers, which destroyers can do? At least, by this time today, we haven't received a telegram that Midway has been bombed again, and the U.S. forces haven't shelled Wake Island with their fleets, don't you think it's ridiculous? ”

Hao Dongjue nodded slightly, talking about Renhao's analysis is quite reasonable.

"The U.S. military's ground offensive is arranged too tightly, so compact that it is a little hard to believe, and it is even more difficult to succeed." Tan Renhao sighed, "Moreover, there are too many problems in this. Their purpose is to deal with the second task force, but now it is clear that the second task force will not go to reinforce Midway Island, and Zheng Guanhua will not move until our side wins the victory, and as long as the second task force is still operating in the southwest of Wake Island, then Spruance cannot arrange artillery bombardment battleships to support the battle on Wake Island, and all his warships have to be concentrated near the three small aircraft carriers, which will contain the actions of the American fleet, which is enough. Halsey could not avoid a fight, sooner or later he would be driven out of the Coral Sea by us, and sooner or later he would be discovered by our submarines. From Halsey's point of view, the longer the time drags on, the less favorable the situation will be for him. Therefore, Spruance will definitely try his best to take out the second task force, and then we will have to send an aircraft carrier fleet to the Central Pacific theater, and at this time, Halsey's opportunity will come, he can concentrate two aircraft carrier fleets to fight one of our aircraft carrier fleets, and the result can be imagined. And as long as Spruance can hold back one of our task forces in the Central Pacific, then we will probably have to face a situation of one dozen or three! ”

"That's what you mean by timing?" Hao Dongjue also understood Tan Renhao's train of thought at this time.

"Yes, that's Halsey's timing." Tan Renhao sighed, "But the question is, what will Spruance do to take out the second task force?" ”

"If Zheng Guanhua does not move, he has no chance, and the question now is, what can he do to force Zheng Guanhua to drive the second task force out of the cover sea area of shore-based fighters......"

"That's it, what can Spruance do to force Zheng Guanhua to move?" Tan Renhao looked at his partner.

"Then why don't we take a look at the totality?"

Tan Renhao's expression froze on his face, and after a while, he seemed to have figured out something, and then laughed.

"What comes to mind?" Hao Dongjue is very clear about Renhao's "flash of inspiration" judgment.

"The key to the U.S. military is the battle on Wake Island." Tan Renhao walked back and forth on the gangway, "If you think about it, if the battle on Wake Island drags on, then Spruance will not be able to concentrate on bombing Midway, and the landing on Midway Island will have to be delayed. Moreover, as long as the U.S. forces occupied Wake Island, then Task Force 2 would either retreat towards Kwajalein Atoll or in the direction of Guam. In this way, Spruance has a chance. ”

Hao Dongjue also thought about it. "You mean, while the battlefield is in chaos. Spruance has a trick to fish in troubled waters? ”

"And what other chances does he have?"

"That's right, so the U.S. forces will definitely storm Wake Island, and as long as the replenishment of ammunition and supplies arrives. Then Spruance is likely to return to the waters near Wake Island, leaving at most a dozen warships to continue shelling on the side of Midway. Hao Dongjue took out another cigarette.

"When the time comes, if the second task force does not retreat in time, it will be bombed."

When Hao Dongjue said this, Tan Renhao suddenly thought of one thing, that is. If you want to let Wake Island hold on, then Liao Hanxiang will not only replenish a group of troops for Wake Island as soon as possible, but also find a way to make it impossible for the US military reinforcements to reach Wake Island.

The prospect of providing reinforcements to Wake Island is slim, Spruance's fleet is operating in the nearby waters, and as long as the convoy leaves Guam, it is very likely that it will be spotted by American submarines, and Spruance will definitely wait near Wake Island to let the fleet die on its own. As a result, Liao Hanxiang has not sent a convoy until now, and the operation to reinforce Wake Island has been delayed.

The only way to do this is to take out the U.S. convoy so that the U.S. forces on Wake Island don't get enough reinforcements. Although now more than 2,000 officers and soldiers of the Tang Imperial Marines on Wake Island are unable to launch a counterattack. It is not an opponent who is ten times the number of American troops who are their own, but as long as the American troops do not have ammunition and supplies, it is impossible to take Wake Island in a few days. And at this time. The only transport fleet that can intercept a strong escort force is the second task force!

Thinking of this, Tan Renhao's thinking became clear. The U.S. military will certainly take a gamble and use their transport fleet to gamble on the second task force. Well, Spruance will definitely stop the bombing of Midway as soon as possible. Maneuver to an advantageous position. As soon as the Spruance Ground Fleet leaves the waters around Midway, then it will be time for Task Force 2 to be in danger.

When Tan Renhao told these inferences, Hao Dongjue did not have any objections. Killing the Second Task Force is the highest goal of the US military, not to mention the loss of one transport fleet, even if it is worth losing several transport fleets. In addition, if Spruance moves fast enough, maybe the US military will not lose a ship because of this!

Before the plane could be sent out, a new telegram arrived: the U.S. military had bombed Midway again. This time, Han Shaofeng did not forget to mention in the telegram that the size of the US military aircraft fleet is still about 100, that is, the number of all combat aircraft on the three aircraft carriers, except for the necessary air defense fighters.

At this time, Tan Renhao and Hao Dongjue were also a little confused. If Spruance was going to deal with Task Force 2, he should leave Midway as soon as possible. It's already the 24th, and it's normal to have two days to maneuver in place, and it's very likely that the U.S. convoy will arrive at Wake Island on the 25th or 26th, so Spruance will only have one day to get the fleet to maneuver, and he's still bombing Midway, why?

In the evening, new news arrived, the US convoy was discovered by a Tang Empire submarine about 300 nautical miles from Wake Island, and the submarine also fired a torpedo and attacked the convoy, but it did not have any effect. Liao Hanxiang is already organizing submarines to intercept the transport fleet, but it is definitely too late. The speed of this convoy was about 12 knots, that is, it reached Wake Island on the night of the 25th.

At this time, Tan Renhao was wondering if there was something wrong with his judgment. Liao Hanxiang must have ordered the Second Task Force to maneuver to the attack position and prepare to send bombers to intercept the US convoy. Spruance also sent bombers to bomb Midway Island in the afternoon, so the U.S. fleet was nearly a thousand nautical miles away from Wake Island, and it would not even be able to maneuver to attack the second task force in the early morning of the day after tomorrow.

"Could it be that Halsey has already arrived in the Central Pacific?" Hao Dongjue proposed a new possibility.

"Halsey left Port Vila on the night of the 19th, and if he had gone north at full speed and followed the nearest course, he might have been in the waters of the Marshall Islands by the 25th.

The problem is that there are several sections of this route that are within the patrol range of our reconnaissance aircraft.

Is it possible that Task Force 31, with three aircraft carrier battle groups and dozens of warships, will it be possible to avoid all the reconnaissance aircraft without being detected? Tan Renhao shook his head as he spoke, "Perhaps, Halsey's luck is particularly good and he is now adventurous, and maybe, he is still in the Coral Sea." ”

"So what do we do now?" Hao Dongjue hesitated for a moment, "Do you want the Second Task Force to give up interception?" ”

Tan Renhao hesitated, he wanted to speak several times, but he didn't say it several times.

"If we want, we have to contact General Liao Hanxiang quickly."

"No, this should be decided by General Liao Hanxiang." Tan Renhao did not agree to this in the end, "Spruance does not threaten the second task force, and Halsey's chance of successfully going north is less than one percent, if the second task force misses this opportunity, then the US military is very likely to storm Midway, and lose Midway and Wake Island, our entire defense line in the Central Pacific will collapse." General Liao Hanxiang will also see this, this is within the scope of the Theater Command, and he must know better about the battlefield situation than we do, and he will make the most reasonable decision. ”

"Okay, so what are we going to do?"

"Perhaps, the battle will start in these two days, and if Halsey doesn't go north, then we will have to watch out for his sudden blow. If Halsey has already gone north, then what we have to do now is to join forces with Huang Xiaotian and kill the 32nd and 33rd task forces, and even if we need to send an aircraft carrier fleet to the Central Pacific at that time, we will not suffer here! Tan Renhao sneered, "Now that the battle situation is foggy, I don't know how to analyze it." Tomorrow fifty percent of the reconnaissance force will be increased, leaving only one batch of bombers. Also, reducing three torpedo bomber squads and adding three dive bomber squads, we now need more reconnaissance forces! ”

"No problem, I'll arrange it immediately."

"Dongjue, pay attention, the search scope must be as thoughtful as possible." Tan Renhao stopped his partner, "Also, don't forget to tell Huang Xiaotian that they should also be equally vigilant." In contact with the old man, tomorrow Task Force 3 will maneuver within 80 nautical miles to the north of us. If Task Force 33 breaks through, then we'll have to rely on our usual nighttime shells to help us with our shells. ”

By this time, Tan Renhao had thought of everything he could think of, and he felt that there was a fog in front of him, and he couldn't accurately judge the situation on the battlefield at all!