While Tan Renhao was puzzled, Spruance was arguing fiercely with his two partners about the next move of the fleet. The Fifth Fleet did change course in the early hours of the 11th, or to be precise, in the middle of the night of the 10th. The radio signal from the 319 submarine was picked up by the submarine radio relay station at Midway, as well as by the Fifth Fleet's listening stations. It was this radio signal that made Spruance aware of the danger, and radio analysts in the U.S. military quickly determined that it was a telegram from a Don Empire submarine. By the time the destroyer arrived, the Project 319 submarine had already left the anti-submarine search range, and Spruance immediately ordered the fleet to turn to 350 degrees and increase the speed to 27 knots.

By about 6 p.m. on 11 July, when the fourth batch of reconnaissance planes of the Second Task Force had returned one after another, the Fifth Fleet was 400 nautical miles away directly north of the Second Task Force, and those reconnaissance planes were only a few dozen nautical miles away before they could find the Fifth Fleet. Sporuance's luck was so good that he slipped under the noses of task force 2 with a beautiful sidekick.

As night fell, all three task forces of the Fifth Fleet returned to their normal cruising speed of 16 knots and adjusted their course to 280 degrees. Spruance already had a relatively clear understanding at this time, his approximate whereabouts have been exposed, and the Tang Imperial fleet that was operating in the waters near Kauai Island before will definitely go north to intercept it, and it is very likely that the two main fleets have gone north, which can be confirmed from the telegram sent by the Kauai side during the day, the Tang Empire's carrier-based bombers did not bomb Kauai during the day, and all the fighters that appeared over Kauai Island were carrier-based fighters, although it was impossible to judge whether these fighters were in the main fleet. But one thing is for sure, if the main fleet is still operating near Kauai Island. Then there will not be only carrier-based fighters, and not more efficient carrier-based bombers. In addition, Task Force 3 also left the waters near Kauai the previous night and did not return to the battlefield during the day. Thus, Spruance roughly deduced that both of the main fleets of the Don Empire left the landing ground near the island of Kauai.

Based on this judgment, Spruance thought that it was a very irrational choice to fight the main fleet of the Tang Imperial Navy at this time. The Fifth Fleet had to avoid the blow first, and then surprise the enemy after they thought they had left the battlefield. Catch your opponent off guard, thus laying the foundation for victory. Therefore, the best strategy now is to bypass the main fleet of the Tang Empire heading north and hide in the sea areas that the other side cannot anticipate. This is also the fundamental reason why the Fifth Fleet turned westward at night. However, the other two did not agree with Spruance's decision, and Turner and Mitchell did not agree.

"It's simply taking a risk, and we don't have to take any risks at this time." Turner advocated an immediate withdrawal, "Our whereabouts have been exposed, and it is clear that the Tang Imperial Navy has set up a dense submarine cordon northeast of Kauai. As long as we are still operating west of this submarine cordon. The main fleet of the Tang Empire will not give up pursuing us. Therefore, to sail west now is undoubtedly a dead end. Now we should withdraw and wait for the next chance! ”

Spruance smoked non-stop and had worked together for so many years, and he knew the partner very well. On the battlefield, Turner can be regarded as a fierce general, as long as the battle is fought, Turner will show extreme bravery. In the first few battles, Turner showed bravery that everyone admired. But the problem is that outside of the fight, Turner appears to be extra cautious. Especially in the planning phase of the campaign, Turner's caution often led him to become very conservative, thus missing out on the opportunity to win and win.

"We shouldn't go west now, but we can't withdraw either." Mitchell didn't fight Spruance, he did it against Turner. "If we retreat to the east, we will definitely pass through the Tang Empire's submarine blockade line again, and then the main fleet of the Tang Empire's Navy will have the initiative, and they can catch up and force us to fight a decisive battle with it. It is also possible to go around to our east in advance, and one day and one night will be enough for them to deploy the ambush circle. Even if our opponents adopt the most conservative tactics and return to the battlefield of Kauai after our retreat, we will lose Kauai and ultimately lose the entire battle. Judging by the situation during the day, after the withdrawal of the main fleet of the Tang Imperial Navy from the battle, the offensive momentum of the Tang Imperial Marine Corps on Kauai Island weakened a lot, and it is clear that our role has been manifested. As long as we have been active on the battlefield, then the main fleet of the Tang Imperial Navy will not be able to support the offensive operations on Kauai Island, and we will be able to hold out on Kauai Island. Of course, this is not a long-term solution, the Tang Imperial Marines have their own aviation support forces, and with more and more field airfields under their control, the Tang Imperial Naval Aviation will participate in the war on a large scale, and even without the direct support of the fleet, they can still take Kauai Island. Therefore, we must not stand still, we must take more active actions and take the initiative to find the main fleet of the Tang Empire for a decisive battle! ”

"You mean, we're going south now?" Spruance looked over to Mitchell. He felt that Mitchell was very similar to himself two years ago, and he did not hesitate to take risks in order to win, but the problem was that the current commander of the Tang Imperial Navy Fleet was no longer at the level of two years ago, and the current US Navy was not at the level of two years ago. Risk-taking has the potential to lead to victory, but it can also lead to complete defeat, and most importantly, the victory achieved through risk-taking often comes at a huge, painful price that the current U.S. Navy cannot afford.

Mitchell nodded, didn't say anything more, he meant it very clearly.

"No, now we must not venture south!" Turner almost roared, "This is tantamount to suicide, the two main fleets of the Tang Empire are concentrated in our south, even if our sneak attack is successful, what can we do?" At most, we can defeat one of its main fleets, not even a task force, and an opponent's counterattack can wipe us out! ”

"Do we have any other choice?" Mitchell asked directly at Turner.

"This must not be done, the Fifth Fleet is the last bit of foundation of the navy, and the loss of the fleet will not only make us lose the Hawaiian Islands, but also make us unable to defend the west coast, and the Tang Imperial Navy can attack our homeland for a long time. We must not allow the fleet to slip through the cracks. ”

Mitchell smiled wryly and shook his head, if he lost the Hawaiian Islands, even if he kept the Fifth Fleet, so what?

"There is some truth to your opinions." Spruance pressed his hand and stopped Turner, who was a little agitated. "We have to preserve the Fifth Fleet and at the same time crush the offensive of the Tang Empire's navy, which is not a simple task, but a rather difficult one. I don't want any disagreements between the three of us, we should all understand something. As soldiers, our purpose is the same, our mission is the same, and differences do not bring victory, they only bring us trouble. So, first of all, we have to unify our opinions, so that we can work closely together in the implementation of specific combat operations, understand? ”

Turner and Mitchell both nodded, and they weren't as excited anymore. Spruance's calmness had a big impact on the two, and excitement at this time could not solve the problem. "First of all. We must avoid the main fleet of the Tang Empire. Especially when the two main fleets are moving together, we don't have the slightest chance of victory. Spruance lit another cigarette, "Secondly." We had to find a suitable moment to send our bombers in a suitable place to destroy one of our opponents' fleets, preferably a main one, and then quickly retreat. Therefore, we have to be patient and have faith. ”

"When is the right time?" Turner picked up a cigarette as well.

"Soon, I believe, the time will come soon." Spruance smiled slightly, "Now." The commander of the ground fleet of the Tang Imperial Navy already knew that we were on the battlefield, so they would definitely search for us with all their might. According to the general method of warfare, the fleet of the Tang Imperial Navy would continue to search for three to five days, so these days were also the most dangerous. After five days, if the fleet of the Tang Imperial Navy still hasn't found out, then their commanders will think that we have withdrawn from the battlefield, and the time comes. What will they do? ”

"Maybe it's going to be back on the battlefield of Kauai?" Mitchell furrowed his eyebrows slightly. "Yes, there's a good chance they'll return to the battlefield in Kauai."

"But ......"

"But this is still not enough, to convince the commander of the Tang Imperial Naval Fleet that we have left the battlefield, it is not enough to rely on concealment." Spruance looked at Mitchell, "Tomorrow, arrange for a communications plane to return to Kauai, so that the Marines can temporarily stop preparing for a counterattack and move to full defense in three days." In addition, Admiral Nimitz was requested to arrange for reinforcements to go to Kauai to strengthen air support for Kauai. All of this can confuse the opponent and make the fleet commander of the Tang Empire think that we have withdrawn from the battlefield. As long as they let their guard down, as long as their fleet returns to the Kauai battlefield, the time is ripe. ”

"And then we make a quick sortie, grab one of their main fleets, quickly destroy it, and then immediately retreat?" Turner asked.

"Yes, seize this only opportunity, as long as we can defeat one of its main fleets and ensure that we do not suffer too heavy losses. When the time comes, our forces will be equal to those of our opponents, and we will be one step closer to victory! ”

Turner and Mitchell both nodded one after another, and after calming down, the two of them also knew very well that whether they could take out a main fleet of the Tang Empire Navy without suffering huge losses would be the first and key point.

"The fleet is sailing westward at its current speed, and in the early hours of the morning the course changes to 360 degrees and avoids to the north." Seeing that the two did not raise any objections, Spruance didn't want to waste any more time, "It is impossible for the Tang Imperial Marines to take Kauai in the short term, and we have time to maneuver with its fleet." Since we can't compete with the enemy in terms of strength and combat effectiveness, then let's be patient with the enemy first, and wait for the enemy to show his flaws first! ”

Turner and Mitchell got up to say goodbye, and Spruance didn't go to see them off.

At this point in the battle, Spruance's thinking has gradually become clear. If he wanted to turn the tide of the war, he needed at least three decisive chances, the first of which was to seize and annihilate one of the main fleets of the Tang Empire. These three opportunities must be mastered, and they must all be won absolutely, so that they can achieve the final victory. Obviously, it is definitely not easy to grasp the three opportunities, and it is even almost impossible to do. Spruance himself understood this, if it had been two years ago, he might have been full of confidence, but now, he felt that there was almost no chance of final victory, and the enemy would not give him three chances in a row, and maybe not even one chance to "charity" him.

Before, Spruance was calm and calm, and he just wanted to cheer up Turner and Mitchell, so that the two would not argue anymore and restore their confidence, but Spruance himself did not have much confidence. Maybe the main fleet of the Tang Imperial Navy will give up the full-scale search operation after three days, but the question is, will Tan Renhao and Huang Xiaotian easily change the battle arrangement? The Tang Empire Marines had successfully landed on Kauai and were rapidly expanding their landing grounds. The shore-based aviation of the Tang Imperial Navy has also begun to move to the front line, and a large number of escort aircraft carriers accompanying the Marine Corps in operations are also enough to provide aviation cover and support for the Marine Corps. As long as the Tang Imperial Marines deployed on Kauai and controlled a wide enough landing ground, with or without the support of the fleet, it would not have a great impact on the attack on Kauai Island, at most it would only change the time required to completely capture Kauai Island. Therefore, will the main fleet of the Navy of the Don Empire go to support the marines? This is obviously an unknown, and if the opponent does not support the Marines, then Spruance will not have any chance to launch a sneak attack!

The problems in the battle are not complicated, they are often very simple, but it is such a simple problem that not everyone can see clearly. Spruance saw clearly, so he didn't have much confidence in winning, while Turner and Mitchell, who didn't see clearly, were blindly pessimistic and optimistic. This made Spruance laugh and he didn't even want to let himself see so clearly that he lost the confidence to win.