Lei Shaoqing and Huang Xiaotian had to return to the Navy Headquarters two days late, and as soon as the two came back, they were first arranged to go for a physical examination, and Tan Renhao also came over at this time, told Lei Shaoqing and Huang Xiaotian his thoughts, and won the support of the two. Subsequently, Tan Renhao formally put forward his opinion to Gan Yongxing, saying that for the time being, he would not make a clear battle plan, but only complete the deployment of troops, and then determine the specific battle plan according to the actual situation after the US military had taken action. And Gan Yongxing also quickly submitted this opinion to Marshal Nie Renfeng, who did not express his position immediately, but decided to make an announcement at the commanders' meeting.

Before the commanders' meeting was officially convened, Nie Renfeng first announced the personnel arrangements for the Fourth Task Force, Huang Xiaotian was promoted to rear admiral and appointed acting commander of the Fourth Task Force, and Jiang Zhongmin was transferred to the post of chief of staff of the Fourth Task Force, and the two partnered to command the Fourth Task Force to fight.

Subsequently, the commanders' conference was officially convened, and on the first day of the meeting, Tan Renhao put forward his ideas, which were supported by Gan Yongxing, Yan Guozhong, Liao Hanxiang, Lei Shaoqing and Huang Xiaotian. Nie Renfeng also decided to adopt this opinion, first deploy the fleet, and then the Navy Command and the two theater commands will work out several sets of relevant operational plans, and after the US military has taken action, it will decide which set of operational plans to adopt or draw up a new operational plan according to the actual situation. In addition, Nie Renfeng also announced the strategic arrangements of the empire for 25 years, the approximate military expenditure allocation ratio for 25 years, as well as the navy's recruitment plan for 25 years, warship construction plan, and so on.

The specific deployment arrangements are:

Task Force 1 is on standby in the waters off the Kaping Amalei Atoll, ready to reinforce the two theaters at any time. The time for the first task force to maneuver to the standby sea area is 15 December, and the fleet is responsible for the specific navigation work. In order to ensure the combat effectiveness of Task Force 1, the Navy Command will arrange a rapid combat support fleet (supply fleet) for it.

Task Force 2 will be on standby in the waters between the Mariana Islands and Wake Island for December 10 and will be supported by a rapid combat support fleet. The deployment task is also the responsibility of the fleet itself, and the Pacific Theater is responsible for assistance and support.

After completing its recuperation (during which time Task Force IV took over its combat mission), Task Force 3 returned to the Southwest Pacific Theater by 10 December. and continued to provide support to the Marine Corps, with Kozawa protecting the convoy and fighting the U.S. Navy's fleet in the Southwest Pacific Theater.

Task Force 4 arrived in the Southwest Pacific Theater in early November to replace Task Force 3 to support the Marine Corps. After the return of Task Force 3, Task Force 4 will move to the waters north of the Solomon Islands. In coordination with Task Force 3, continue to support Marine offensive operations in the South-West Pacific.

Marines stationed in the Mariana Islands increased their troops to Wake Island by 2,500 troops (Wake Island's original garrison was 5,000), a Marine Division to the Marshall Islands, and an additional 5,000 troops to the Gilbert Islands. In addition, three Marine Divisions were dispatched from the Ryukyu Islands to the Mariana Islands to strengthen the defense of the Mariana Islands. Two newly formed Marine Divisions were dispatched from the Imperial mainland to the Southwest Pacific Theater to strengthen offensive operations in the Southwest Pacific Theater. Finally, one Marine Division was repatriated from Japan to the Ryukyu Islands, bringing the number of strategic reserves back to the strength of three Marine Divisions (previously five Marine Divisions).

On the HNA side, three additional shore-based air wings will be deployed to the Mariana Islands. About 900 combat aircraft. Other than that. The shore-based air force of the Navy, which was originally based in the Mariana Islands, will reinforce 200 combat aircraft to Wake Island (150 from Wake Island) and 150 combat aircraft each to Kwajalein Atoll, Majuro Atoll and Tarawa Island. Strengthen the forces of the Navy on these islands. Among these aircraft that reinforced the front line, there were at least 200 long-range maritime patrol aircraft, including the first night patrol aircraft of the Tang Imperial Navy's naval aviation to be equipped with surface search radar. In addition, HNA will also reinforce five shore-based air wings with about 1,500 fighters to the Southwest Pacific Theater, of which at least two wings will be deployed in Rabaul and Bougainville Island to strengthen the offensive strength of the Marine Corps.

With regard to the Strategic Strike Force, in addition to continuing to deploy additional heavy bombers to the South-West Pacific Theater (deployed at the airfield near Lae), two additional regiments of bombers will be deployed to the Pacific Theater, including 50 heavy bombers capable of reconnaissance missions on Wake Island. Fifty of the same aircraft will be deployed on Tarawa Island, while the rest will remain in the Mariana Islands.

Judging from this series of troop deployments, the Tang Empire set up two lines of defense in the Pacific theater.

The first line of defence is: Wake Island - Kwajalein Atoll - Majuro Atoll - Tarawa Island. This line of defense only served as an outpost and was not solid. Through this line of defense, the main fleet of the US Navy did not dare to advance westward easily, and it was necessary to seize these advancing islands, and this provided time for the Tang Imperial Navy to concentrate its fleet forces for maneuver, so this line of defense was important enough. It can be said that if the naval fleets of the two sides are to fight a decisive battle in the Central Pacific, then the four islands in this direction will play an extremely crucial role.

The second line of defense is: Mariana Islands, Capina Amarangi Atoll, New British Island. Heavy troops were deployed on this defense line, which was the focus of defense and the bottom line of the Tang Imperial Navy's defense in the Pacific theater. Because of the need for defense, most of the troops are concentrated on this line of defense, first, the depth of defense has been increased, but the troops can be quickly put into the first line of defense, which has played a fundamental role.

Judging from the defensive deployment of the Tang Empire's navy, this is still an offensive deployment, which is completely in line with the situation of the Tang Empire at that time. The offensive forces in the southwestern Pacific direction were not weakened much, and with the entry of the 4th Task Force into the battle, the offensive forces of the Tang Empire in this direction were strengthened from mid-November. Obviously, while the Tang Empire turned to a defensive position, it did not give up the offensive, and continuing to sweep the southwest Pacific was still the focus.

On the other hand, the Pacific Theater has also been strengthened, and more troops have been provided to the Pacific Theater than to the Southwest Pacific Theater of reinforcements to the front. In particular, in terms of the deployment of the fleet and the arrangement of the Marine Corps, the Pacific theater of operations has received more assistance. In terms of the deployment of shore-based fighters in the sea and sea routes, the density of land in the Pacific Theater is also larger. This also indicates that the Tang Empire is preparing to arrange a decisive battle with the main fleet of the US Navy in the Pacific theater. If the US Navy were to strike back in this direction, then the Tang Imperial Navy would never budge.

Of the most important of the entire deployment, Task Force 1.

In the battle for sea supremacy, the role of the shore-based aviation unit of the sea is actually not very large. The main thing is that the attacking side should try to avoid entering the strike range of the opponent's shore-based tactical bombers, and the threat of heavy bombers to the battleship is not very large. Therefore, in addition to providing long-range reconnaissance support, the HNA can play a very limited role in the attack of aircraft carriers in defensive operations.

The core force in the struggle for sea supremacy is still the aircraft carrier fleet. And this is the reason why Task Force 1 is a mobile force. Except for Task Force 1. The Tang Imperial Navy actually had only two aircraft carriers in both directions, and the United States would definitely concentrate four aircraft carriers to attack, so no matter which direction the First Task Force appeared, it would be able to make up for the gap in strength and thus turn the tide on the battlefield.

In considering the arrangement of the mobile fleet, Nie Renfeng's point of view is very simple: the First Task Force is now the most elite fleet of the Imperial Navy, and its combat experience and quality of officers and men are no longer below the Second Task Force. And Tan Renhao is a very good firefighter. Almost all the battles in which he participated were of a firefighting nature, and he was most familiar with how to fight the enemy in disadvantaged conditions. Opposite. Lei Shaoqing is relatively conservative and lacks enthusiasm, while Huang Xiaotian is highly motivated, but he is inexperienced, and it is easy to cause problems, so it is the most reasonable arrangement to let Tan Renhao command the first task force to act as a firefighter.

When Tan Renhao proposed to complete the deployment of troops first, and then make a campaign plan, he knew that the task of the first task force was to once again assume the main force. Always ready to reinforce the battle in both directions.

The direction of the offensive of the US forces is still uncertain, and this is also the biggest problem. After a comprehensive analysis of various factors, the chances of the US Navy counterattacking in the Central Pacific and the Southwest Pacific are about 50 percent. Counterattacking in the Central Pacific Ocean can avoid the heavy and attack the weak underbelly of the Tang Empire, but it will inevitably have a decisive battle with the Tang Empire's fleet with equal strength. A counterattack in the southwest Pacific will lead to a decisive battle with the Tang Empire in a hard-fought manner, but it can use the support of shore-based aviation, and the sea area where the fleet operates is relatively safe.

As a matter of fact. Nie Renfeng had already recognized this when he adopted this opinion.

The Pacific theater of operations was indeed the weak underbelly of the Tang Empire in the Pacific theater. The Pacific theater of operations covers a wide area" and has a limited number of troops and many flaws. The US military has more options for the direction of the offensive. In addition to Wake Island, the U.S. military can choose to launch a counterattack in the Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands, so as to open up the route with the southwest Pacific and threaten the flank of the Tang Empire's troops in the southwest Pacific theater, so as to connect its two theaters of operations.

This may not be impossible, in fact, it is very possible, after all, as long as the second task force is still operating in the waters near Wake Island, it will be very difficult for the US military to attack Wake Island. Similarly, as long as the Tang Imperial Marines have not captured the Solomon Islands, it will not be of much significance for the US fleet to go to the Southwest Pacific theater. The Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands are actually a salient between the two theaters of the Tang Empire and the U.S. military, and there are two ways to solve the salient, one is to outflank the flank, which means to attack Wake Island, and the other is to attack the frontal attack, which is to directly attack the Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands.

In the deployment of the Tang Army, the importance of the Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands can also be reflected. Task Force 1 is facing both islands, while Task Force 2 and Task Force 4 can be reached in a matter of days. In other words, according to the current deployment of the Tang Empire's fleet, if the US forces attack the Marshall Islands and the Gilbert Islands, I am afraid that they will have to face a strong opponent of the Tang Empire's three task forces and six aircraft carriers.

This deployment was determined by taking into account the situation in the Pacific theater as a whole, and the problem is also obvious, that is, the dispersion of forces, but in order to take care of the entire theater, it must be done.

The problem of dispersion of forces is likely to be exploited by the adversary, and in any direction, as long as an aircraft carrier task force is severely damaged, the Tang Imperial Navy will have to face an unfavorable situation. If the Second Task Force suffers heavy losses, it will only be able to use the First Task Force to meet the superior strength of the US Navy in the short term, and similarly, if anything happens to the Fourth Task Force, then the First Task Force can only be mobilized to reinforce the Southwest Pacific Theater in the short term.

If something goes wrong with Task Force 1 and Task Force 2 and Task Force 4 are unable to move quickly into place, it is very likely that the US military will have already seized a foothold in the Marshall Islands or the Gilbert Islands, and even if Task Force 2 and Task Force 4 rush over in time, they will have to face an opponent with the same strength as themselves.

In other words, according to this deployment of the Tang Imperial Navy, the key to winning the battle was whether the fleet that first met the enemy could stabilize its position before the support fleet arrived, and not suffer excessive losses.

Nie Renfeng knew this very well, this deployment was very risky, but there was no other choice.

In order to make the commanders of the three aircraft carrier task forces understand this shortcoming, during the commanders' meeting, Nie Renfeng also talked to Ren Hao, Lei Shaoqing and Huang Xiaotian alone, asking them to pay attention to and pay attention to this weakness, and when fighting, they must try to avoid fighting alone, if it really can't work, they can retreat appropriately to wait for the arrival of reinforcements, instead of showing the courage of a puppet and fighting a decisive battle with the enemy in a hopeless situation.

In addition to some long-term plans, the Commanders' Conference discussed topics related to the launch of a strategic counterattack by the US military at the end of the year, and during this period, the intelligence services provided several extremely important pieces of information confirming that the US military would definitely launch a counterattack before the end of the year, and would not drag it out until the beginning of 25. In other words, at the end of 24 years, a large-scale naval war will once again break out between the Tang Empire and the United States for sea supremacy in the Pacific.