"Are you sure that the 'Daihai' can be repaired on the Guam side?"

"Absolutely sure, I've been in contact with Guam. Now that two new catapults have been loaded onto the transport, they will depart from Naha this evening and arrive in Guam in three days. In addition, the engineers arranged by General Liao Hanxiang have repaired the crane in Apra Port, and the necessary engineers will arrive at Andersen Airport tomorrow by transport plane, and the 'Dai Hai' can be repaired in Apra Port without returning to Naha. ”

Tan Renhao nodded slightly, let the communications officer leave first, and he called Hao Dongjue over. "Pick a few destroyers that need the most maintenance, follow the 'Daihai' back to Apra Harbor, contact General Liao Hanxiang, and ask them to repair this aircraft carrier as quickly as possible, and after they have a definite answer, come and tell me immediately. The other warships were incorporated into the 'Xingkai Lake' aircraft carrier battle group, and although we only have one aircraft carrier, we still have combat effectiveness! ”

"I'll arrange it as soon as possible, when are you leaving?"

"Do it right away, General Yan Guozhong must be a little impatient to wait!" Tan Renhao sighed, half an hour ago, he received another telegram from General Yan Guozhong, asking him to rush to Lae immediately. "The fleet will be handed over to you, contact me when you reach the Isabel Waterway."

Hao Dongjue sent Tan Renhao outside the command cabin, a fireboat had already docked the "Xingkai Lake" aircraft carrier, and Tan Renhao could only take the seaplane on the cruiser to Lae. Now the Tang Empire has not yet equipped aircraft carriers with special tactical transport aircraft, maybe there will be next year.

When the seaplane left the catapult of the cruiser "Li Jing", Tan Renhao leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes to recuperate. Until now, he couldn't believe that after several hours of fierce fighting, the 1st and 3rd task forces had succeeded in destroying more than a dozen US airfields on the Solomon Islands. Judging from the photographs sent back by the reconnaissance planes, the damage to the regular airfields of the US military was very serious, and it was difficult for some major field airfields to be repaired quickly. The U.S. military wants to restore air forces on the Solomon Islands. It will take at least two days or more to rehabilitate these airports. Within two days, the Marine Corps will certainly repair the airfield in Rabaul, and then the HNA fighter planes will be stationed in Rabaul to provide air defense cover for the Marine Corps, and the Marine Corps will certainly build more airfields, and the HNA will gradually seize air supremacy to lay the foundation for the Marine Corps' advance into the Solomon Islands.

After only a few hours of fighting, Tan Renhao felt extremely tired. Arguably. He spent those hours in fear. This fight is like fighting a stronger opponent, Tan Renhao not only has to hit the opponent's vital parts, but also avoid the opponent's fists, as long as he takes a punch, it is either death or injury, he also has to try to prevent the opponent from punching and stopping the opponent's attack. The battle was very difficult, and the final victory was not easy to come by. Perhaps, Tan Renhao should be most grateful to those high-quality pilots and the staff officers who shared the huge pressure for him. A fleet is a team. A combat team. And a good fleet will fight as a whole, not tens of thousands of individuals. When Tan Renhao retook over the first task force. He was very dissatisfied with the quality of the officers and men, especially those officers in the fleet staff, many of whom would even tremble under the whistling sound of the enemy's bombers! After more than half a year of fighting, the First Task Force has become an excellent fleet, not only the best fleet in the Tang Empire, but even the best fleet in the world. Perhaps, in addition to so many brilliant victories, Tan Renhao's biggest gain is the tens of thousands of high-quality officers and men in the fleet, as well as a staff headquarters that can operate efficiently!

The seaplane had been flying in a southwesterly direction, landing once in the sea at the northwest corner of New Hanover Island. The Marines set up a seaplane supply point here. In peacetime, it is mainly used to provide emergency landing points for long-range maritime patrol aircraft, as well as to replenish fuel. Because the cruiser's surface seaplanes could not fly directly to Lae, a refueling session had to be carried out here.

When the plane landed on the sea, Tan Renhao woke up from his sleep. While the crew was busy refueling the plane, Tan Renhao went outside to the beach to take a few breaths of fresh air, and an unknown Marine soldier brought him a bowl of hot porridge, which was probably what these Marine officers and soldiers ate at night. Half an hour later, the seaplane left the area and continued to fly southwest towards Lae, when the plane arrived in Lae. It's already the second half of the night.

"General, sit here for a while!" The person in charge of receiving Tan Renhao was a second lieutenant officer of the Theater Command, "General Yan Shiqi arrived first, and he is now inside, if you want to go in......"

"No, I'll just sit here for a while, can you make me a cup of tea?" Tan Renhao didn't want to meet Yan Shiqi now.

"No problem, I'll make you tea right away!" The second lieutenant officer immediately went to make a cup of tea and brought it over, "General, do you want to have some snacks?" ”

"No hassle. When did General Yan Shiqi come over? Tan Renhao glanced at the room inside, he could vaguely hear a little sound, it seemed that Yan Shiqi was complaining to Yan Guozhong.

"Two hours ago, almost an hour and a half went in." The young second lieutenant officer stuck out his tongue, "I've been arguing about something inside, I wonder why Commander Yan didn't kick him out!" ”

Tan Renhao was stunned for a moment, then immediately laughed, and then took the second lieutenant officer away. It's true that a young calf is not afraid of tigers, and a small ensign officer dares to evaluate a rear admiral. However, he is also a staff officer in front of Yan Guozhong, and Yan Shiqi will not take a small chief of staff.

Tan Renhao sat outside for more than ten minutes, and as soon as he finished drinking the tea in the cup, the door of General Yan Guozhong's office was pushed open with a "bang", and then Yan Shiqi strode out with a flattening breath. He glanced at Tan Renhao, and then walked out of the theater headquarters quickly. Tan Renhao didn't want to say hello to Yan Shiqi, he felt that he didn't have anything to talk to the commander of the fleet of this rear admiral who was not close to him, and he didn't want to touch this mold. After seeing Yan Guozhong waving to him behind the door, Tan Renhao put down the teacup, tidied up the military uniform on his body, and walked into Yan Guozhong's office.

"You're starting to see it?" Yan Guozhong shook his head as he spoke, "Yan Shiqi still has that temper, I knew him five years ago. At that time, he was still the captain of the battleship, and he was so angry that no matter who dared to contradict him. ”

"Different people, different styles!" Tan Renhao didn't comment too much.

"I don't like that!"

Tan Renhao immediately laughed, Yan Guozhong's temper was not small, when attacking Iwo Jima, he almost shot a captain officer of the Marine Corps with his own hands, and that captain officer was only because his company suffered too many casualties. In three hours of fighting, they lost sixty percent of their troops, and they could not continue the attack.

"Okay, what do you think of this combat operation?" Yan Guozhong asked Tan Renhao to sit down.

Tan Renhao took off his military hat and sat on the chair in front of Yan Guozhong's desk. "Barely completed the task, although there were some losses, but not much, as we expected, and most importantly, the Marines gained a few days of precious time. If the airfield can be built quickly, and the HNA can deploy fighter jets as soon as possible. In the future, there will be no need for Task Force 1 to operate here. ”

"I have ordered the field airfield to be built as soon as possible. Now the supplies are ready, as long as the US bombers do not come to sabotage, two days will be enough. Other than that. I also contacted the HNA side, and they promised to deploy at least two squadrons of fighters to our side as soon as possible, and to deploy bombers as soon as possible, depending on how quickly we can build several other airfields. After Yan Guozhong finished speaking in one breath, he then sighed, "Your actions are very successful, don't take those complaints to heart." Although I have not yet received the operational report, it is conceivable that under the circumstances, Task Force 1 has made the best efforts. What is the situation with the 'Daihai'? When will combat effectiveness be restored? ”

"We have already gone to Apra Port, and if it goes well, it can be repaired within ten days." Tan Renhao explained succinctly, "Do we have a new mission?" ”

"We don't need your help here for the time being, but", Yan Guozhong smiled and took out a telegram, "Your father-in-law doesn't seem to want you to have an easy life." This is a telegram I received before you came, and there was a little trouble in the Pacific theater. ”

Tan Renhao immediately frowned. This would never be a "trouble", if it was just a small trouble, it would not have allowed him to fly more than a thousand nautical miles and rush to the theater command to drink a cup of green tea with a somewhat bitter taste.

"Something went wrong with the attack on Tarawa, and it looks like you're going to have to make another trip." Yan Guozhong stood up and walked slowly to the window, "Originally, I wanted to refuse Liao Hanxiang's request, the current situation of the First Task Force is definitely not very good, the fleet has been at sea for more than two months, the officers and men are in a state of high tension, and now there is one less aircraft carrier, I am afraid that there are many problems on the 'Xingkai Lake', let you return to the Pacific Theater, this is simply a joke." ”

Tan Renhao quickly skimmed through the message, and then sighed. "What can be done about the life of a natural old scalper?"

"If you feel that the current situation of the fleet is not suitable for continuing to participate in combat operations, I can tell Admiral Liao Hanxiang......

"General Yan, I appreciate your kindness, I don't want to be scolded by my father-in-law after I go back!"

Yan Guozhong immediately laughed. "I knew you'd decide, but I'm really worried about Task Force 1."

Tan Renhao nodded, in fact, Yan Guozhong was worried that the First Task Force would not be able to participate in the battle when the Marines attacked the Solomon Islands, which would affect the offensive operations in the Southwest Pacific Theater.

"Alright, you go and get ready first." Yan Guozhong walked over, "If you need to, you will set off tomorrow morning, anyway, there is no rush in these few hours." ”

"No need, I'll rush back immediately." Tan Renhao also stood up, and at the same time picked up his military cap, "I'll go to the Ministry of Communications first to send a few telegrams, so that the fleet doesn't have to turn." ”

"I'll take you to ......"

"Don't bother you, I'll just go by myself!" Tan Renhao said, and walked towards the door.

Yan Guozhong also followed, and he called a captain officer over and asked him to take Tan Renhao to the communication center.

After sending a telegram to Hao Dongjue, asking the First Task Force to go to Kaping-Amarangi Atoll to rendezvous with the supply fleet, canceling the plan to advance westward, Tan Renhao immediately rushed to the seaplane dock, where he boarded the seaplane that had sent him over. After refueling again at the supply point on New Hanover Island after daybreak, the seaplanes returned to the fleet in the afternoon, while the fleet was heading northeast to Kaping Amarangi Atoll to meet the incoming supply fleet.

"What's going on?" Hao Dongjue rushed to the cruiser "Li Jing".

"Let's go back to the flagship first, and we'll discuss it in detail later." Tan Renhao was not in a hurry to tell what had happened in front of the other officers, "When will the supply fleet arrive?" ”

"As soon as tomorrow evening, the supply work will take at least half a day, and we will try to speed it up."

Tan Renhao nodded, and then boarded the fireboat, and after Hao Dongjue followed, he said: "Try to shorten it to 12 hours, and wait for the navigation staff to call, we will set up a new route." ”

"Return to the Pacific theater of operations?"

Tan Renhao nodded, and said no more. Ten minutes later, the two boarded the flagship "Xingkaihu" aircraft carrier, and then Tan Renhao called the navigation staff over. In the deployment of new tasks to the nautical staff. Hao Dongjue went to call the staff officer in charge of logistics support over and arranged the task of supply work. Subsequently, Tan Renhao called Hao Dongjue outside the command cabin.

"There's something wrong over there, we're going to go over and put out the fire!"

"Looks like we're firefighters!"

Tan Renhao laughed. "There's nothing to complain about, do you want to watch Shaoqing and Lao Chang go to death?"

"Of course not, what the hell is going on over there?"

"Something went wrong with the combat operation against Tarawa Island." Tan Renhao patted his partner on the shoulder, "After arranging the work of the staff, come to my cabin." This is not to be announced for the time being, and we will announce new combat operations after the supply is completed. ”

Hao Dongjue nodded, he also understood that now the officers and men of the fleet are a little emotional, and they have been fighting at high intensity for more than two months, and they don't even have the opportunity to go ashore, and no one can stand it. It seems that we can only think of a way to arouse the enthusiasm of the officers and men.