"Six aircraft carriers, six attack targets, first of all, to ensure the destruction of the aircraft carriers of the US military." Huang Xiaotian spoke quickly, "Make sure that the US bombers can't fly, we only have one chance, but we can create another chance, if we can blow up the US bombers before they take off, then we have a chance to attack again!" Everyone, let's go now! ”

The lead pilot quickly rushed out of the aviation operations center and ran towards their plane, while the same command had already been transmitted to the other two aircraft carriers through the radio communication system. The fighters have been transported to the flight deck, the aviation crew is doing the final checks, after the reconnaissance planes have departed, all the bombers are filled with fuel, and after the commander has given the bombing order, the bombers only need to hang up the bombs and torpedoes and take off. The fighters are all hung with large auxiliary fuel tanks, and the combat radius of the "Golden Eagle" is farther than that of the bombers; after the auxiliary fuel tanks are hung up, the fighters can fly longer in the sky, and in addition, they can also rush to the front of the bombers in the middle of the flight, tear open the air defense network of the Fifth Fleet for the bombers, and cover the bomber assault!

Huang Xiaotian watched from the door of the aviation operations center as the pilots boarded the planes one by one, and then walked towards the command cabin on the upper level of the island. After the reconnaissance plane departed, he did not calm down, and it was not until he received a telegram from Major Tang Fei that he learned that the Fifth Fleet could not escape this time. Less than 10 minutes after receiving the reconnaissance report, he completed the bombing deployment task, and the aviation service personnel also hung ammunition for the first batch of bombers at this time, and his work efficiency far exceeded Huang Xiaotian's estimate. １６Ｋ…

"Another reconnaissance plane confirmed Major Tang Fei's report, and it was indeed the Fifth Fleet." Yan Yulong was in charge of handling other combat affairs in the command cabin, "In addition, we have not received any other news from Major Tang Fei, I am afraid that he has already died." ”

If Huang Xiaotian did not show his grief side, there would be sacrifices in the battle, and Tang Fei's sacrifice was of great value, which was also the fate of most reconnaissance plane pilots. "Let the second batch of bombers also take off as soon as possible. Also, are the radars all turned on? ”

"Five minutes ago, the three 'Rui Beast' class radars were already in operation, and now the radars on other warships are being activated one after another."

"Well, Spruance must have sent a reconnaissance plane as well, maybe it's flying towards us, it's very close to us."

Judging by the situation at the time of the last encounter with the Fifth Fleet, the Fifth Fleet was not equipped with SB3Cs of the reconnaissance model. SBD is still used for reconnaissance missions. At this time, the distance between the two sides is 320 nautical miles, which is almost the ultimate strike radius of the "Shooting Water Bird" and the "Sea Eagle", and it is also almost the ultimate reconnaissance radius of the SBD. If the SBD flies only 300 nautical miles, then it will not be possible to find the fourth task force. Extrapolating from the time, Spruance will definitely let the reconnaissance plane take off before dawn, so the US military reconnaissance plane may arrive at any time between 7 and 8 o'clock, and now that it has passed 7 o'clock, perhaps Spruance has delayed the take-off time of the reconnaissance plane a lot.

Huang Xiaotian did not let the fleet go south at this time in order to shorten the flight distance of the bombers when they returned. The main reason is to avoid colliding with the US reconnaissance plane. If Spruance had only set a reconnaissance radius of 300 nautical miles. Then the Fourth Task Force should stay outside the flight radius of the US reconnaissance planes to avoid exposure.

"Commander, a telegram from the Root River."

Huang Xiaotian and Yan Yulong both immediately turned around. Yan Yulong hurriedly took the telegram. The "Nehe" was the flagship of the "Death Fleet," and according to Huang Xiaotian's order, unless they encountered the US fleet or were discovered by US reconnaissance planes, they should not send a telegram back. At this time, the "death fleet" was in the direction of the 4th Task Force 150 degrees, about 300 nautical miles from the 4th Task Force and about 200 nautical miles from the 5th Fleet. The "Negawa" sent a telegram proving that the US reconnaissance planes had discovered the "death fleet"

Yan Yulong nodded after reading the telegram, and then gave the telegram to Huang Xiaotian. The "death fleet" was exposed. An SBD arrived over the "Death Fleet" ten minutes ago, but was forced to fly away by anti-aircraft guns, but this SBD did not fly away, probably thinking that the aircraft carrier was behind the "Death Fleet" and was preparing to bypass the "Death Fleet" and look for the aircraft carrier in the rear.

"Looks like Spruance is going to be fooled!"

"Don't get your hopes up, if Spruance noticed that there were no fighters intercepting that SBD, he wouldn't have believed that we were behind the 'death fleet.'"

Huang Xiaotian walked to the chart table. He quickly measured the position of the Fifth Fleet and the "Death Fleet", and the BD's cruising speed on reconnaissance missions was about 180 knots, which was a little faster than when carrying out bombing missions. Now the distance between the two sides is 200 nautical miles, and the Fifth Fleet has been sailing in the direction of the north-east, that is, in the direction of the "death fleet", then the SBD should be about 250 nautical miles away from the "death fleet" when it departs, which will take about 80 minutes of flight time. That is, this SBD took off 80 minutes ago, and if the Fifth Fleet sent a large number of reconnaissance aircraft, then the reconnaissance aircraft of the Fifth Fleet took off between 5:40 and 6:20. If there were also reconnaissance planes flying northward, then the US reconnaissance planes would now be about 50 to 120 nautical miles away from the Fourth Task Force, and it would take 20 to 40 minutes to discover the Fourth Task Force.

"The fleet turned south after half an hour, approaching the Fifth Fleet." Huang Xiaotian made a new decision, "I hope that Spruance will set the reconnaissance radius at 30 nautical miles instead of 350 nautical miles, so that we will have a chance to completely annihilate the Fifth Fleet, or retreat after completing the attack!" ”

Yan Yulong nodded and immediately called the navigation staff over. He knew what Huang Xiaotian meant, it would definitely take a lot of time for the bomber group to attack the Fifth Fleet, which had six aircraft carriers, so it would consume a lot of fuel in the battle, so when it came back, the bombers would not be able to fly 320 nautical miles, and during this period, the fleet must go north to shorten the return flight distance of the bombers, so that the bombers could return to the aircraft carriers. If the number of returning bombers is sufficient. Then a new attack can also be organized, and if there are few bombers returning home, then the battle can be considered to be ended. Half an hour later, the first batch of bombers and two groups of escort fighters all set off, and the second batch of bombers was taking off.

Huang Xiaotian also called the aviation operations staff officer over. "Contact Colonel Yuwen. Let him rush to the front of the bomber group as soon as possible, and expand the width of the flight route, if he encounters the US bomber group, he must go all out to intercept the US bombers, and Wang Zhihua's plane group will be responsible for the escort mission. Tell him directly that the fleet has no air defense fighters, and whether or not he can ensure the safety of the fleet depends on whether he can break up the bomber group of the US army! ”

It was not that Huang Xiaotian did not leave air defense fighters for the fleet, but that he left one squad of fighters to carry out air defense patrol missions, and the other eight squadrons of ground fighters were all sent out by him. by Yuwen Cui Lei. Wang Zhihua and the two men each led four squads to form two escort groups.

Yuwen Thunder can be regarded as a veteran with real qualifications, and he has also appeared in the front. That is, before the outbreak of the war, when the Fifth Fleet was conducting exercises, he was beaten and stunned by Hao Dongjue. Prior to the formation of Task Force 4, Uwen Trilei served in several units, from Task Force 1 to Task Force 2, to Reserve Training Group, and then to Task Force 1, and then to Task Force 4. Now he is the 21st most recorded ace in the Imperial Naval Aviation. It is the 14th air combat ace in the carrier-based aviation unit, and its total combat record has reached 48, and it is the second air combat ace in the fourth task force.

The number one air combat ace of the Fourth Task Force is Wang Zhihua, whose record has reached 62, ranking sixth in the naval air carrier-based aircraft unit. Wang Zhihua, who was two years younger than Yuwen, joined the army after the outbreak of the war, and was not a fighter pilot at first, but was almost assigned to the bomber unit, but there was a shortage of fighter pilots at that time. Wang Zhihua was selected into the fighter unit. It can be said that he was a genius pilot, and his first achievement was in Task Force 4, which was less than two years ago. In other words, his 62 achievements were all achieved in less than two years, and judging from this achievement, he can definitely be regarded as the number one air combat ace of the Imperial Navy.

Another colonel fighter pilot of the Fourth Task Force is Zhu Cheng, Huang Xiaotian left him behind, and only left him 12 fighters, these 12 "Golden Eagles" will be the last line of defense of the Fourth Task Force, of course, Huang Xiaotian does not have much hope, the only thing he can count on is that before his bombers arrive, Spruance's reconnaissance planes have not yet discovered the Fourth Task Force, and the US bombers have not left the aircraft carrier!

At this time, the first bombers were taking off at full speed. Leading this batch of bombers were three colonel bomber pilots, namely Changsun Hong, Hao Lingheng and Chai Zhizhong. The first two were responsible for guiding the dive bombers, while Chai Zhizhong was the torpedo bomber pilot. Because one squadron of dive bombers was sent out on reconnaissance missions, the fleet had only two squadrons of dive bombers at that time. In the first group of bombers there was a squadron of dive bombers, and in addition there were four squads of torpedo bombers. According to Huang Xiaotian's arrangement, the task of this group of planes is to tear apart the air defense network of the US fleet, fight the air defense deployment of the Latin American fleet, and strive to destroy two or three aircraft carriers and open a passage for the second batch of bombers!

Two groups of escort fighters took off immediately behind the bombers, of which the group commanded by Yuwen Cui Lei took off first, and they would overtake the bomber group halfway, while the group commanded by Wang Zhihua took off one step later, and they would also overtake the bomber group before the bombers reached the skies over the Fifth Fleet.

After the first bombers, as well as the escort fighters, left the carrier, the fleet began to turn, and the aviation crew also sent the second batch of bombers to the flight deck. The second batch of bombers took off a little late, because there was still a batch of bombers that did not have ammunition on them. It was not until after eight o'clock that the second batch of bombers took off one after another. Among these bombers was a squadron of dive bombers, led by Colonel Zhang Zhiyun, and five squads of torpedo bombers, led by two torpedo bomber pilots. According to Huang Xiaotian's arrangement, these bombers should rush to the skies over the Fifth Fleet after the bombing of the first batch of bombers is over, and the air defense capability of the Fifth Fleet must be the weakest at this time, and the torpedo bombers can also more easily break through the fleet's air defense network and use torpedoes to solve the US aircraft carriers!

When the second batch of bombers took off one after another, Huang Xiaotian kept looking nervously at the southern sky. If the Fifth Fleet's reconnaissance planes had departed at 6:20 a.m., and Spruance had extended the patrol radius of the reconnaissance planes to 350 nautical miles, then one or more SBDs would have been heading towards Task Force 4 and would have been very close to Task Force 4. Of course, Huang Xiaotian also knows very well that as long as it takes another twenty minutes, if there is no US reconnaissance plane appearing, then he can breathe a sigh of relief!

"Reported, radar found target, due south, 40 nautical miles, is telling approaching. A contact signal has been sent, but the other party has not answered, it is not our fighter! ”

The time has finally come, Yan Yulong immediately ordered the fighter to intercept it, but the question is, even if the fighter intercepts successfully, Spruance can roughly judge the location of the fourth task force, and is it just a reconnaissance plane that arrived?

The hapless SBD did not make it to Task Force 4, and the four Golden Eagles shot it down about 30 nautical miles from the fleet. But at this time, another SBD appeared to the east of the fleet, and it was flying towards the fleet at a low altitude, and by the time the cruiser's radar detected this fighter, it was already less than 20 nautical miles away from the fleet. The fighters rushed quickly, but still a step too late, and the SBD was shot down about 10 nautical miles from the "Honghu" aircraft carrier battle group to the east of the fleet, and it was shot down after a telegram was sent.

When receiving the relevant report, Huang Xiaotian and Yan Yulong glanced at each other. The Fourth Task Force has been exposed, and Changsun Hong's fleet is still more than 200 nautical miles away from the Fifth Fleet, Spruance has enough time for his bombers to leave the aircraft carrier and come to attack the Fourth Task Force!