In the early days of the war, there was a very incongruous voice within the Tang Empire's navy, that is, many people (especially the generals of the navy) believed that the fleet was no longer useful. On the battlefield where air forces are prevalent, the fighter planes deployed on the islands can secure sea supremacy, and there is no longer a need to use the fleet to seize sea supremacy.

There are two bases for this theory: First, the theory of the victory of the air force (which is completely different from the theory of the victory of the air of an aircraft carrier commander like Tan Renhao), and the second is that the dense islands in the western Pacific Ocean provide the basic conditions for the air force to be stationed.

In the first two years or so of the war with Japan, the HNA once proved the vulnerability of the fleet in the face of shore-based aviation, and in the strategic counterattack, the shore-based aviation of the HNA played a tremendous role, especially the devastating strategic bombing of Japan by the strategic strike force (which actually belongs to the category of naval aviation), which made more people firmly believe that the fleet would be very vulnerable in the face of shore-based aviation if it could grasp the sea supremacy by deploying fighters on the islands.

This theory was challenged for the first time in the Battle of the Mariana Islands, especially in three large-scale naval battles, in which shore-based aviation barely had the opportunity to participate in naval battles, and decisive battles were fought between the fleets of both sides. However, in the Battle of the Mariana Islands, HNNA's shore-based fighters still played a key role, especially in the combat operations to support the Marine Corps, and Haian's shore-based bombers were irreplaceable by the fleet (and vice versa).

However, in the following large-scale battles, this theory was completely overturned. It doesn't matter whether it is the offensive operation to capture Lae, or the campaign operation to attack the Marshall Islands, the Gilbert Islands, and the two subsequent naval battles in the waters off Wake Island, and the naval battles in the waters of the Solomon Islands, all prove that it is still the fleet, especially the aircraft carrier task force, that can really control the seas.

Although shore-based bombers have a very important position on the battlefield, they are not a decisive force.

Other than that. What is really vulnerable is the island airfield in front of the aircraft carrier, and not the aircraft carrier in front of the island airfield.

It was also from this time that no one put forward the "theory of the uselessness of the fleet" anymore. This was proved by real combat and strengthened the position of the fleet. No matter how many reasons there may be for those who advocate shore-based aviation, they will never be able to change the three natural flaws of the island's airfields.

One is the fixity of the island's airport. As a mobile airfield, aircraft carriers can maneuver extensively on the battlefield, and in addition to avoiding enemy ground attacks, the most important thing is that they can be flexibly deployed according to the actual situation on the battlefield. The islands are immovable, and the fighters deployed on the islands control the surrounding waters within a few hundred nautical miles at most, and this control is not secure.

The second is the passivity of shore-based aviation. Aircraft carriers can avoid danger by moving, while islands must not move. Therefore, in the confrontation between shore-based aviation and aircraft carriers, shore-based aviation will always be the passive side, while the aircraft carrier will be the active attacking side, and the most effective method for the passive side on the battlefield can only be active defense, and defense can never offset the attack, so shore-based aviation can only be passively beaten.

The third is the geographical limitations of the islands. There are indeed many islands in the western and southwestern Pacific Oceans, and some of them are suitable for airports. Deployment of shore-based aviation. However, in the vast Pacific Ocean, there are no islands suitable for deploying air forces in the vast majority of the sea areas, so the operations of shore-based air forces have been greatly restricted. Again, the limitations of this geographical factor cannot be changed. Therefore, this also determines the limited range of use of shore-based aviation.

It is precisely these three factors that ultimately determine that shore-based aviation is only a supporting role on the battlefield, and by no means a leading role. The key force in seizing sea supremacy is still the fleet, which used to be the battlefleet and now is only the aircraft carrier fleet. Both warring sides were quick to realize this, so they desperately built a large number of aircraft carriers instead of building a large number of island airfields. At the same time, several decisive battles between large-scale aircraft carriers were also fought for sea supremacy and to destroy the opposing fleet.

From this point of view, the position of the fleet is one in which no forces or arms can be replaced.

This is an analysis from a theoretical level, and from a practical level. This is a concrete manifestation of the fact that the fleet will destroy the enemy's airfields on the islands by surprise attacks, thereby seizing air supremacy, and further seizing sea supremacy.

In Tan Renhao's series of offensive arrangements, the destruction of the US airfields on Makila Island and Rennell Island was only a small part of the campaign, and his ultimate goal was to use a task force of two aircraft carriers to blow up the US airfields on the islands south and southwest of the Solomon Sea, and open a passage for the Marines and artillery fleet to go to Port Moresby. This strike task naturally fell on the Second Task Force and the Fourth Task Force.

The two task forces rendezvoused in the strait between the island of New Britain and New Guinea on the afternoon of the 12th, and entered the Solomon Sea in the evening of the same day. All night, the fleet sailed south. And the command of the two task forces also fell into the hands of Lei Shaoqing. Huang Xiaotian was in charge of the arrangements for aviation operations.

Huang Xiaotian has no opinion on this establishment, Lei Shaoqing is his old boss, when he was still an ordinary staff officer under Hao Dongjue, Lei Shaoqing was his chief of staff, and Huang Xiaotian was originally transferred from the position of chief of aviation staff of the Second Task Force to the Fourth Task Force, and Lei Shaoqing has always been his direct superior. Therefore, after the two fleets met, Huang Xiaotian directly proposed that Lei Shaoqing take overall command. Lei Shaoqing was also very aware of Huang Xiaotian's talent in aviation operations, so he "entrusted" Huang Xiaotian to arrange aviation combat operations in a unified manner.

In fact, at that time, the two task forces were just two aircraft carrier battle groups. Each of the two aircraft carriers has three squadrons of combat aircraft, and the "Lake Bell" aircraft carrier also has 12 reconnaissance planes capable of carrying out bombing missions.

When arranging aviation combat missions, Huang Xiaotian did not take into account the air defense of the fleet. The HNA has guaranteed that at least three squadrons of fighters will come over at about six o'clock to provide air defense cover for the fleet, and the fighters of these three squadrons are under the direct command of the fleet command. Therefore, Huang Xiaotian arranged all the fighters of the six squadrons to attack. At that time, they were required to ensure that they destroyed a total of four airfields, of which one was a regular airfield on Tagura, and the other three were field airfields.

To deal with the three field airfields that were not very large, Huang Xiaotian arranged a squad of "sea eagles", a squad of "water birds", and a squad of "falcons". All escort fighters had to carry rockets on ground strike missions. The remaining three squadrons of fighters were all assigned to deal with the regular US airfield on Tagura. Moreover, the fighters also hung rockets and took on part of the ground strike mission.

This deployment had already reached the captains of the two carrier-based air groups before 4 a.m. At that time, the fleet had reached the central part of the Solomon Sea and continued to sail south. By the time the bombers take off at half past five, the fleet is expected to be about 150 nautical miles from Tagura, and only about 120 nautical miles from the U.S. field airfield on the Dontelkasto Islands. In this way, the bomber group could reach the airfield of the US military after dawn and strike a devastating blow at it. As long as the first wave of bombing destroys the US airfield, then in the daylight for more than ten hours. At least three rounds of supplementary bombing are possible, depending on the actual bombing situation and the pilot's capacity.

While Huang Xiaotian was making bombing arrangements, the two formations of the First Task Force commanded by Tan Renhao also met about 30 nautical miles west of Rennell Island. He did not interfere with the combat operations of Lei Shaoqing and Huang Xiaotian, and after contacting the two task forces, he only determined the time of the bombing, and asked to notify him immediately after the bombing was successful, so that Tan Renhao could decide whether to continue westward or flee back immediately.

According to Tan Renhao's plan. If the bombing of the two task forces to the north had been successful before dawn. Then he could safely enter the Coral Sea and make his way to Port Moresby, encountering at most some American PT torpedo boats on the way. And around dawn. Task Force 1 was about 240 nautical miles from Tagura. If the bombing fails, then Tan Renhao can only cancel the attack plan this time, and immediately lead the fleet to flee north, as for the attack on Port Moresby, it will not be considered until he is safe.

Of course, Tan Renhao did not think that the bombing would fail, but it was only four US airfields, and Lei Shaoqing had rich combat experience in this area, and Huang Xiaotian was still the chief of aviation operations staff of the Second Task Force. Hao Dongjue is also advocating Huang Xiaotian's ability. After the fleet was reunited, Tan Renhao let the fleet move west at a maximum cruising speed of 18 knots. And seize the time to count the remaining ammunition on each battleship, as well as check the situation of the battleship, and deal with some minor troubles. If the plan goes well, they will reach the perimeter of Port Moresby the next night, and after dawn, the HNA will also bomb the US airfield on the Port Moresby side. Task Force 2 and Task Force 4 will cooperate with Task Force 1 to strike Port Moresby the next day after completing their combat missions.

The rhythm of the entire combat operation is extremely tight, and any problem in any link will lead to the complete failure of the entire combat plan. Moreover, these combat steps are linked one by one, and there is great continuity. If one of the middle links does not reach the goal, then the subsequent actions are not necessary. And the final link in the whole campaign was the landing of two divisions of marines sent by Yan Guozhong near Port Moresby, which would be a few days later.

"I just received a telegram that Yan Guozhong had already asked the marines to prepare to board the ship, and they would arrive about three days late." Hao Dongjue came to the outside of the command cabin and said to Tan Renhao, "The marines of the two divisions, and at least the combat materials that can be used by these troops for forty days, and 70 landing ships and transport ships are needed alone, and I am afraid that the port of Lae has been filled with these ships now." ”

"Is there any news from HNA?" Tan Renhao turned around and leaned against the fence.

"HNA will let the bombers take off at five o'clock and carry out the first round of bombing of the US airfield on the other side of Port Moresby. If Lao Lei's operation is successful, the HNA will also carry out one round of supplementary bombing in the morning and at least two rounds of bombing in the afternoon. At present, HNA fighters are still moving towards Lae. I heard that most of the heavy bombers have been transferred to Jayapura, and they will also participate in daytime bombing operations. ”

"In this way, now it's time to watch the performances of Shaoqing and Huang Xiaotian." Tan Renhao looked at his watch, "If everything goes well, their bomber will take off in half an hour, and the results will be around seven o'clock." ”

"That's about the time. Why don't you go and rest for a while, and I'll call you later." ”

"No, I'll stand here for a while, we'll go to dinner before dawn, and when we come back we will know whether we should continue westward or flee north."

Hao Dongjue laughed. "Don't worry, Lao Lei should have asked Huang Xiaotian to arrange the bombing operation, I dare to follow you, we don't need to turn, we will go all the way to Port Moresby."

Tan Renhao smiled and shook his head, it's not a good habit to bet on war, and who can guarantee that there will be no case situation?

At this time, the two aircraft carriers at sea were already busy, and aviation crews were preparing for the bombers to take off. Soon, the first departing bombers were delivered to the middle of the aircraft carrier, where the pilots were listening to pre-war briefings in the aviation operations center, while aviation service officers were busy checking the status of the aircraft.

At half past five, the first bomber left the aircraft carrier "Lake Bell", and the bombers on the "Xuanzong" also began to take off one after another. By the time it was past six o'clock, all the bombers sent out from the two aircraft carriers had already departed. The bombers were all formed halfway through and flew to their destinations.

At this time, Tan Renhao and Hao Dongjue went to the officers' cafeteria. There were not many people inside, and the officers had breakfast between half past six and seven o'clock, and they had deliberately come twenty minutes early, so as not to wait because they were here, so that other officers would not be able to stay and have breakfast.

Before half past six, the two men returned to the command cabin, and the staff officers on duty at night were preparing for the shift change, which was from 6:40 to 6:50, and the officers who came to change shifts would go to have breakfast before coming, and the staff officers who had been replaced would go back to their cabins to rest after breakfast. The fleet is running in an orderly manner, and now Tan Renhao is waiting for the good news from Lei Shaoqing.