Tan Renhao arrived at Guam on the morning of 11 September, half a day earlier than the First Task Force. When he stepped off the plane, he was very confident in this combat operation, but when he saw Liao Hanxiang, he felt that he was not so sure.

"I'm so tired these days." Liao Hanxiang didn't go to the airport to talk to Ren Hao, "You can also see that Gan Yongxing has arranged so many things, and everything has to be dealt with in time, and I have been in the office every night for the past few days." How's it going, okay along the way? After living at home for a few days, Xiaoyu is okay? ”

Tan Renhao laughed, and he hung his hat on the coat rack by the door. "I slept on the road, and during this time I was so busy at the command of the Navy that I was about to fall apart. Xiaoyu is not bad, she asked me to come and see you. ”

"When will it be produced?" Liao Hanxiang walked over and sat on the sofa.

"It's a few months away, and she's going to have regular check-ups." Tan Renhao also sat down, "Originally, I wanted to stay at home for a few more days, but this time the combat mission was too compact, and I couldn't stay for a few more days, so I rushed over." ”

"I've already contacted Hao Dongjue, and the First Task Force will probably arrive this evening." Liao Hanxiang took out a cigarette, "Do you have any plans for this combat operation?" ”

Tan Renhao shrugged his shoulders. "We haven't thought about it yet, and now we don't even know who we are."

Liao Hanxiang nodded slightly, he also knew that his son-in-law was not the kind of person who acted according to the plan, and he would never make too detailed plans in advance. He went to the desk and picked up a document and gave it to Tan Renhao. "It's our submarine that just sent it back. I haven't had time to send it to the naval command yet, maybe it will help you a little. ”

Tan Renhao glanced at the cover of the document, and then opened it. This is a submarine that discovered intelligence on the American fleet.

"That fleet carrier was back at Pearl Harbor at the end of last month, and our submarines couldn't get into Pearl Harbor. However, it can be judged that the aircraft carrier was not lightly damaged, and it was below the waterline, and it probably took some time to repair. While Tan Renhao was looking through the documents, Liao Hanxiang continued, "In addition. Three small aircraft carriers are also returning to Pearl Harbor, arriving at Pearl Harbor in about three days. What do you think the U.S. military will do? ”

"Spruance will definitely put four aircraft carriers together." Tan Renhao closed the document, "He has already attacked the Second Task Force, and now the strength of the US military has nothing to hide, we will not be fooled again, so Spruance will not use the same tactics again." If he dares to separate the four aircraft carriers, then the US Navy will not be far from the end. ”

"Do you think they'll stay, or go to the Coral Sea?"

Tan Renhao did not rush to speak, until now, he was not sure that the Fifth Fleet would stay in the Central Pacific. Or was sent to the Southwest Pacific. The relevant information has not yet been sent, and if the deception has worked, then Nimitz will let the Fifth Fleet stay. But if Nimitz had seen through this deception, he would have sent the Fifth Fleet south immediately.

"Did Chief of Staff Gan Yongxing send a warning to Yan Guozhong?"

Tan Renhao nodded. "Sent the news before I left, to keep Task Force 4 on alert. General Ngan Kuo-chung also telegraphed back that the attack on Port Moresby would be completed by the 20th at the latest. Then he needed about half a month to adjust the deployment of troops and prepare for the attack on the New Hebrides. Even if the Fifth Fleet headed south, the Fourth Task Force would be ready for engagement. ”

Liao Hanxiang pondered for a while and said, "Then, the key now is that if the Fifth Fleet stays, how should you find Spruance and kill the Fifth Fleet." ”

"I'm also thinking about this, but now we have limited information, and Hao Dongjue is still on the way." Tan Renhao laughed, "When Hao Dongjue arrives, let's talk about it again in the evening." ”

"Then you first find out about the deployment on our side." Liao Hanxiang stood up, "I have prepared an office for you, you can use it temporarily, I will come to you in the afternoon, and then go to pick up Hao Dongjue, let's have dinner together in the evening." ”

Tan Renhao took the documents that Liao Hanxiang had given him and went to the office that had been temporarily assigned to him.

Except for lunch at noon, Tan Renhao has been reading these documents in his office to grasp the deployment of troops in the Pacific Theater.

During this time, Liao Hanxiang made major adjustments to the deployment of troops in the Central Pacific Theater.

After the Battle of the Coral Sea, Liao reinforced a Marine Division to Midway and evacuated a group of about 5,000 wounded and non-combatants. Han Shaofeng remained on Midway Island and was in charge of the defense of Midway. In addition, HNA's fleet of combat aircraft on Midway has increased to 200, and there are 120 long-range patrol aircraft on the water. During this period, Han Shaofeng not only comprehensively strengthened the defense of Midway Island, but also built this island into a strong sea fortress, in Han Shaofeng's own words, even if the US army mobilized 100,000 troops, it would be impossible to take Midway Island!

After the fall of Wake Island, Liao also strengthened the defenses of the Marshall Islands and the eastern islands of the Caroline Islands, and even strengthened the defenses of the Gilbert Islands. In addition to the deployment of additional ground forces and aviation forces on Kwajalein Atoll, Majuro Atoll, and Tarawa Islands, the Marine Corps has deployed defensive forces and built field airfields on the islands near the three atolls. These field airfields do not station combat aircraft in peacetime, but only provide emergency landing sites for HNA fighters when needed. At that time, the Imperial Marines deployed on the two islands numbered 50,000 men, and there were more than 500 naval combat aircraft and more than 200 long-range patrol aircraft.

The defenses on the Mariana Islands have not been strengthened much, with the only notable being the fact that the Marines have built a seaplane base on South Bird Island to provide landing and refueling for long-range patrol aircraft. In this way, long-range patrol aircraft on South Bird Island and Midway Island can monitor the waters between the two islands. Prevent the U.S. fleet from suddenly appearing west of Midway.

This is an adjustment made by Liao Hanxiang after learning the lessons of the previous operations.

Obviously, in Liao Hanxiang's series of deployments, in addition to the army units that have arrived one after another.

Landing fleet, transport fleet. As well as the naval combat aircraft, all the deployments are to strengthen the defense, not to prepare for the attack, which makes Tan Renhao feel a little worried, if the US military judges Liao Hanxiang's deployment intentions, then it will not easily believe that the Tang Imperial Navy will attack the Hawaiian Islands. Therefore. It is very likely that the U.S. military will let the Fifth Fleet go south. Even if the Fifth Fleet stayed, Spruance would not act rashly, let alone take the initiative to provoke a battle, so the First Task Force would have to take the initiative to look for opportunities and take the initiative to attack. But the problem is that if Spruance had seized the loophole of the First Task Force, it would not have been the First Task Force that would have won in the end, but the Fifth Fleet!

Now, Tan Renhao has a little headache. He didn't complain about Liao Hanxiang, after all, Liao Hanxiang was his father-in-law. Other than that. As the commander of the theater of operations, Liao Hanxiang bears much greater pressure than Tan Renhao. The purpose of this campaign was only to annihilate the Fifth Fleet, not to attack the Hawaiian Islands. Regardless of the outcome of the naval battle, Liao's mission was to strengthen the defenses in the Central Pacific, rather than actively attack. Therefore, when Liao Hanxiang adjusted the deployment of troops in the theater. Naturally, defense is the first priority, not offense.

The crux of the problem is here, Tan Renhao has always been worried that Nimitz and Spruance will not be easily fooled, and as long as they figure out the deployment of the Tang Imperial Navy in the Central Pacific, they will definitely not be fooled. The best outcome would be a close naval battle between the 1st Task Force and the 5th Fleet, in which both sides would be able to deal a fatal blow to the opponent, that is, whoever spotted the opponent first and attacked first would be victorious, and in this case, the number of aircraft carriers would not really make much sense. The worst result was that when the First Task Force was still looking for traces of the Fifth Fleet in the Central Pacific, Spruance had already appeared behind the Fourth Task Force, and then launched a rapid strike, and the Fourth Task Force was completely annihilated, and then the First Task Force went south, while Spruance returned to the Central Pacific, and the United States continued to attack in the Central Pacific.

The more he thought about it, the more he felt a headache. He had to leave the Fifth Fleet behind, and then he had to launch a decent attack, whether it was a desert island or an island defended by American troops. Judging from the current timing, the landing fleet will arrive at the earliest on the 12th, and the time to start the campaign will definitely be after the 20th, and in the meantime, the Fifth Fleet will most likely leave Pearl Harbor and be heading south at full speed. By the time the Tang Marines landed on one of the islands in the Hawaiian archipelago, the bombers of the Fifth Fleet were almost flying over the Fourth Task Force. Then, it is necessary to let the First Task Force set off first, and first choose an island to drop some bombs, and continue to create illusions so that the Fifth Fleet can stay!

But the question is, when the 1st Task Force bombs the US forces on the island, will the 5th Fleet stay somewhere nearby and wait for the bombers of the 1st Task Force to depart? If so, then Task Force 1 is definitely finished, and if not, then there is a possibility of a decisive battle with the Fifth Fleet. And the only way to do this is to bomb the Fifth Fleet before it leaves Pearl Harbor, so that the Fifth Fleet cannot threaten the First Task Force!

Thinking of this, Tan Renhao probably knew it in his heart.

"General, the fleet has arrived, and now it is entering the port, do you want to go over?"

Tan Renhao glanced at Du Xing by the door, and immediately stood up, only then did he realize that the sky was darkening, and it was already evening.

"Let's go find General Liao first."

When Tan Renhao arrived at Liao Hanxiang's office, Liao Hanxiang was discussing matters with several commanders in the theater, so he did not accompany Tan Renhao to the port to meet the First Task Force. Tan Renhao didn't delay much, and immediately took Duchen to the port.

When they arrived, the aircraft carrier "Xingkaihu", the flagship of the First Task Force, had slowly approached the dock, and Hao Dongjue immediately ran down from the aircraft carrier after seeing Tan Renhao.

"Yes, you kid has no one to take care of you this time, you must have done a lot of bad things, right?"

Tan Renhao greeted him with a smile.

"Dude, you can't spew blood, you also know how many things have to be dealt with in the fleet, and I do it all by myself, I have to eat quickly." Hao Dongjue followed Tan Renhao towards the jeep, "You've seen Lao Lei, how is he doing now?" ”

Tan Renhao was stunned for a moment and said, "It's not ideal, maybe he won't be able to return to the fleet." ”

Hao Dongjue frowned slightly. "Will he be able to stand up?"

"I'm sure he can, but in his current physical condition, he's not fit to serve on a warship." Tan Renhao sighed secretly, "I talked to the chief of staff, if Shaoqing can stand up, then the chief of staff will arrange for him to go to the naval headquarters." Of course, we all want him to stand up. ”

Hao Dongjue also nodded slightly. "I also believe he can stand up.

How are you doing at home? ”

"Yes, your sister-in-law should be about to give birth, Qinglian was also at home when I went back, and Shaoqing's parents also came." Tan Renhao briefly introduced, "There is nothing to worry about. ”

"Then you didn't stay?"

"Why? You mean your sister-in-law giving birth? Tan Renhao glanced at his partner, "I also want to stay, but the question is, will the chief of staff and the principal let me stay?" ”

Hao Dongjue smiled and shook his head. "Then we'll have to hurry up, and hopefully you'll get back to see your newborn son. Are there any plans for this combat operation? ”

"Not yet, let's go eat first." Tan Renhao helped his brother-in-law open the car door, and then followed in, "There are still a lot of troublesome things now, how is the situation of the fleet?" ”

"Basically, there are no problems." Hao Dongjue took out a cigarette after getting in the car, "The enthusiasm of the officers and soldiers is quite high, and this time another batch of officers have been promoted, and the newly promoted officers have also received military ranks." Everyone was looking forward to a new victory, and many people even took the initiative to write a petition for war. ”

Tan Renhao smiled, and after asking Du Xing to drive to the hotel, he didn't say anything more. Everyone aspires to win, but is it so easy to win?