Lei Shaoqing and the others came back in the middle of the night, and the news of the arrival of the second task force on Iwo Jima had not spread, so the fleet could only leave early and return late. In this way, even if there is an American submarine operating nearby, it will be judged to be the first task force (the American submarine does not dare to come to the anchorage, otherwise, the battleship in the anchorage will become the target of the submarine torpedo) "Ren Hao, what's so urgent?" ”

Lei Shaoqing rushed over without even eating dinner.

"Just coming back?"

Tan Renhao saw Lei Shaoqing's expression and knew that he rushed over after receiving the news. "Dongjue, go to the officer's cabin and ask for a few boxed lunches, and wait until you go to my cabin."

"No problem, old Lei, what do you want to eat? We have a lot of food here! ”

"Whatever, it's good to fill your stomach, Chang, what do you want to eat?"

Lei Shaoqing took off his gloves.

"Whatever, I don't have much appetite. Tokaku, bring a few beers! ”

After Hao Dongjue left, Tan Renhao took a few charts on the chart table, brought the information sent to him by Liao Hanxiang, and called Lei Shaoqing and Chang Jianxin to his cabin. Soon, Hao Dongjue carried a few boxed lunches, and asked a cook from the officer's cafeteria to help carry a few bottles of beer.

"We don't have a lot of time left, we talk as we eat."

Tan Renhao didn't have the habit of wasting time, and in front of these three brothers, he didn't need to beat around the bush.

When Lei Shaoqing and Chang Jianxin were gobbling up the food on the plate, Tan Renhao told Liao Hanxiang about coming over to organize the front-line joint command and the message conveyed.

"So, the headmaster has already made up his mind to change the command structure of the Navy?"

Lei Shaoqing said as he wiped the oil stains off his mouth, and then took out a cigarette. "However, there is certainly no small resistance. We all know the location of General Liao Hanxiang, and the principal sent him to seem to be mainly trying to mobilize us. ”

"Well, the premise is. Our position must be improved! ”

Chang Jianxin interjected, "We will definitely support the principal's reform measures, but the problem is that our roots in the navy are not strong now." How many rear admirals, commodore are there in the Navy? No less than a thousand. As junior generals, brigadier generals, and rear admirals were sacrificed and had no status in the navy. If the Rector wants to use our support to change the existing command structure of the Navy. Then we must first strengthen our position! ”

"This is directly related to this battle!"

Seeing Lei Shaoqing and Chang Jianxin singing and harmonizing, Tan Renhao and Hao Dongjue both laughed.

"What are you laughing at? Doesn't our words make sense? ”

Lei Shaoqing was a little confused.

"Looks like we don't need to worry about the cooperation between these two partners."

Hao Dongjue smiled and patted Lei Shaoqing's shoulder, "Old Lei, you two can really grow double reeds, it seems that your cooperation is quite pleasant!" ”

Lei Shaoqing hesitated, and immediately pounced on Hao Dongjue.

"Alright, no kidding, be serious!"

When Tan Renhao said this, even Chang Jianxin laughed. There are Lei Shaoqing and Hao Dongjue. When will you be able to get serious?

"Shaoqing and Lao Chang's words are not wrong, the point is with us, and the key point is whether we can win another battle!"

Tan Renhao put down the lunch box. Then picked up the beer bottle. "Let's put it this way, if we win again, the headmaster has more reason to promote us. But the problem is that the highest equivalent rank of commander of the task force is now rear admiral, and there is no one to replace us for the time being. Therefore, if the president wants to promote us, he must break this rule, set up a new personnel system, and then start from this system and do another major operation on the command system of the navy! ”

Chang Jianxin and Lei Shaoqing both nodded. Here's the key. The Navy's command structure is based on personnel arrangements, which is why the Naval Personnel Department is so important (second only to the General Staff). In fact, this is the key to limiting the reform of the naval command system. Nie Renfeng's last reform, in order to gain enough support, he had to bypass the personnel reform. Now the problem has been exposed, and if the personnel system is not thoroughly reformed, it will be difficult for the command system of the Navy to undergo major changes!

"Then let's see how we can get a new victory!"

Hao Dongjue immediately cleaned up the table, and Tan Renhao spread the chart of the Pacific Ocean on it.

"The U.S. aircraft carrier fleet is probably ready to leave at the end of this month, on the 31st, or at the beginning of next month."

Tan Renhao pointed to a few red lines on the chart. "This is our submarine cordon, and in order to catch the whereabouts of the US fleet, the chief of staff spared no expense to arrange hundreds of submarines and deploy these five submarine cordons."

"It seems that the above is also attaching great importance to this ground combat operation."

"That's for sure!"

Tan Renhao nodded at Lei Shaoqing, "According to the words brought by General Liao Hanxiang, the Navy Command will give us greater authority this time." If my judgment is correct, the chief of staff will at most give us a general campaign request, and we will be responsible for the specific actions, and the naval command will not intervene, or will interfere less with our command. In other words, both task forces have been freed to let go of their hands and feet, allowing us to play freely! ”

"It's good now, so that we can make appropriate adjustments according to the changes in the enemy."

Chang Jiexin immediately laughed. In the "Battle of the Philippine Sea" and the "First Battle of the Marianas", the second task force was too confined to death, lost the opportunity once, and then suffered heavy losses. If enough freedom of movement had been granted, Task Force 2 would not have fared so badly.

"The Navy Command will provide us with timely intelligence support, and Liao Hanxiang will act as a liaison between the two fleets."

Tan Renhao lit a cigarette, "After these problems are resolved, we must first judge the enemy's actions and make preliminary deployments. ”

"Renhao, we'll fight you this time!"

Lei Shaoqing said first, "It's not me talking nonsense, the three of us are all mixed up with you, if we didn't have your guidance at the beginning, we wouldn't have been able to get this far." This battle is very crucial, and defeating the enemy is the most important task, so I think it is most appropriate for you to be the supreme commander. ”

"You can't say that, we're working together. Of course, if necessary. I'll get back to you in time! ”

Tan Renhao smiled and nodded, "Okay, now let's get down to business, do you think that if the American fleet attacks, will they take the southern route, or the northern route?" ”

The question arises, if the enemy is to be defeated. Then you have to judge the enemy's whereabouts first. The character of the aircraft carrier engagement dictates that this is extremely important. The Mariana Islands spanned thousands of kilometers from north to south, like a chain across the western Pacific Ocean, blocking the path of the Imperial Navy's eastward advance. The northern and central parts of the archipelago are now under the control of the Empire, while the southern part of the archipelago is still under the control of the U.S. military. This also gives the American fleet too many options.

"If we go north, the U.S. fleet will be easily spotted by our long-range reconnaissance aircraft deployed on Iwo Jima, the Ogasawara Islands, and long-range maritime patrol aircraft on Asunción. Unless the U.S. fleet aims to capture the islands to the north, or to strike at Iwo Jima and the Ogasawara Islands, it is unlikely that they will take the northern route. ”

Chang Zhixin spoke first, "Now." Almost all of the U.S. ground forces in the Pacific theater were committed to the southern part of the archipelago. There are also islands such as the Caroline Islands and the Marshall Islands, where the ground forces that the US military can use are extremely limited. The number of transport vessels is also limited. It was impossible for them to launch a large-scale landing campaign before seizing sea supremacy. Therefore, I believe that the possibility of the US fleet going north first is extremely slim. ”

Tan Renhao nodded slightly, the ground staff of the Navy Command must have judged that the US fleet would take the southern route because of this.

"But the problem is, if they go south, then it's completely expected by us."

Hao Dongjue is also a skeptic.

"The possibility of taking the southern route should be quite high."

Lei Shaoqing stood on his side as chief of staff, "The US fleet can use the planes they deploy on the islands along the way to provide reconnaissance for the fleet. In addition, it is very difficult for our submarines to operate in the inter-island waters, and the chances of being detected are too great. Our reconnaissance planes could not fly that far. The American fleet could quite well come along this route of the Marshall Islands. Then lay in ambush in the Hall Islands, or east of the Caroline Islands, south of Guam! ”

"If there is a fight, unless the US fleet goes north, we can only go south, and at that time, they can also get the support of shore-based aircraft to make up for the gap in the number of aircraft carriers, and the certainty of victory is greater!"

Chang recommended a new sentence. He glanced at Tan Renhao, "If I were the commander of the American fleet, I would definitely do it!" ”

Tan Renhao still didn't speak. The reasons put forward by Lei Shaoqing and Chang Jianxin are not wrong, but the two ignore one point.

"What is the purpose of the American fleet?"

Tan Renhao raised this question.

Lei Shaoqing and Chang Jianxin were stunned and did not answer.

"They're here to fight us for a decisive battle to gain sea supremacy, right?"

Hao Dongjue came out with a sentence.

"Yes, the purpose of the U.S. fleet is to seize sea supremacy, not to deliver planes to Guam."

Tan Renhao sneered, "This task determines its actions. If the southern route is taken, then the task of the US fleet is to protect Guam, and at most provide aircraft to support Saipan. How many fighters and bombers can four aircraft carriers provide? Our shore-based fighters deployed on Anatahan Island were enough to drown it. If the purpose of the U.S. fleet is to destroy the 1st Task Force, then they will definitely not take the southern route, which will put them in an extremely passive position, with almost no active challenge, let alone the possibility of a surprise attack! ”

"They're still going to use surprise tactics?"

Lei Shaoqing glanced at Tan Renhao in disbelief. Surprise tactics are indispensable, and if you use them too much, you will only have a counter-effect.

"Why not? Although we have increased our vigilance, the battle between aircraft carriers is all about finding the enemy first, and attacking first, taking out the opponent without giving the opponent any chance! ”

Tan Renhao took out another cigarette, "If the U.S. fleet moves to the Hall Islands and sends warplanes to support Saipan, then their whereabouts have already been exposed." Therefore, they will never take the southern route easily! ”

"So you're saying they're going to take the northern route?"

Chang Zhixin was a little shaken.

Tan Renhao shook his head slightly. "It's also unlikely, those bombers in Luo Yunchong's hand are enough to keep any fleet away, unless their commander is a fool!"

"And what do you think the American fleet will do?"

Lei Shaoqing glanced at his partner, and his eyes immediately turned to Tan Renhao.

Tan Renhao laughed, he didn't rush to speak, because he himself didn't think about what the American fleet would do.

"Renhao, you mean that the mission of the American fleet is to take out us?"

Tan Renhao glanced at Hao Dongjue, then nodded.

"If that's the case, then their best ambush should be here!"

Hao Dongjue, the most imaginative of the people, marked a sea area on the chart, "Wake Island, South Bird Island, Mariana Islands, the Caroline Islands and the Marshall Islands between the sea area is more than 2,000 kilometers from east to west, and more than 1,500 kilometers from north to south." The eastern part of the sea is a blind spot for the activities of our reconnaissance aircraft. Its range is enough for two aircraft carrier fleets to fight. If the purpose of the American fleet is to take out us, then they will surely ambush us around here! ”

"But the problem is, we're not going here!"

Lei Shaoqing immediately raised objections.

"What would we do if we didn't know that the U.S. fleet was already in battle?"

Hao Dongjue's words reminded Tan Renhao. If they did not know that the U.S. fleet was about to go into battle, they would inevitably operate in the waters northeast of Saipan to support the Marines, which would give the enemy the opportunity to surprise attack. Thinking of this, Tan Renhao suddenly laughed.

"Renhao, have you thought of any way?"

"Fishing!"

Tan Renhao glanced at a few people, "Now the Yankees don't know that the Second Task Force has regained its combat effectiveness, so why don't we take the plan and give them a set?" ”

The three of them reacted immediately, but then they all looked at Tan Renhao in surprise. If you want to set up, then you must have a bait, and the first task force must be a bait, Tan Renhao is gambling with himself!

"Nimitz wants to take out us, and we want to take out those American aircraft carriers."

Tan Renhao stood up, "Both of us have the same goal, and this battle is inevitable, so we should try to fight it the way we want, right?" ”

Tan Renhao already has a general idea, of course, it will take a lot of effort to turn it into a plan.