Time passed slowly, and Tan Renhao slowly became nervous. Luo Jinming sent 12 "Ospreys" with auxiliary fuel tanks instead of torpedoes to carry out reconnaissance missions. These "Ospreys" have a range of up to 5 hours with a full fuel load and a 5oo liter drop tank. This bomber, which has a maximum take-off weight of 58oo kg, is bulky, but it also has the advantage of being bulky, at least it can fly a little longer with more fuel when it is not hanging a torpedo.

An hour before dawn, Tan Renhao had not yet received the information sent back by the reconnaissance plane. However, at this time, dozens of fighters on the two aircraft carriers had already stopped on the flight deck and rested all night (not a rest, especially when they were attacked by Japanese warships, the explosions woke up the pilots), and the pilots had already boarded the planes, and the aviation crew was helping the fighters start the engine and prepare for takeoff. Half an hour later, the first batch of Sparrowhawks with auxiliary fuel tanks lifted into the air. Tan Renhao arranged a squadron of 36 air defense fighters, which was the largest capital he could get now.

Now Tan Renhao has to continue to wait for news, and no one knows whether the reconnaissance plane sent by Luo Jinming will be able to appear in the Japanese fleet. In addition, even if the reconnaissance planes appeared in the Japanese fleet, the remaining bombers in Tan Renhao's hands would organize one bombing at most, and the bombers lost last night were too many, so that he did not have enough strength to organize two waves of bombing.

"The fighter jets of Renhao 6 are coming."

A squadron of 12 "Eagle" fighters of the 6th Squadron flew over the aircraft carrier and then circled and joined the ranks of the fleet's air defense fighters. Soon 12 Eagles from each of the other two teams also flew over. This is a new type of fighter that the 6th Voyage was equipped with after the outbreak of the war, using the Wind 13 motive of the Chengfei formula, and its performance is a little stronger than that of the "Sparrowhawk", and it was the best fighter of the 6th Voyage at that time. However, these fighters have a combat radius of less than 1ooo kilometers. Therefore, it was impossible to escort the bombers bombing Ryukyu Island, and they could only carry out air defense patrol missions in the waters around the mainland. This time, after receiving the request of the first task force, the 6th Air Fleet sent out this batch of fighters an hour before dawn.

With the increase in the air defense strength of the fleet, Tan Renhao also breathed a sigh of relief in his heart. Although he doesn't know much about the performance of the "Eagle" style, and he doesn't know if the "Eagle" will be able to defeat the "Zero Battle", but judging from the performance that the "Eagle" did at the beginning. Its maneuverability is certainly not bad, and it may not be under the "zero war".

The last half hour of waiting was the most painful, and every time the telegram sounded, Tan Renhao's hand would tremble slightly, and then he looked at the staff officer in charge of the communication. But. Each time it was not the news of the return of the reconnaissance aircraft from the front.

"Chief of Staff." A communications officer quickly ran over after receiving a telegram, looking very wrong. "Commander Ji Xiaobin is dead!" "What!?" Tan Renhao jumped up from his chair suddenly, "What did you start saying?" ”

"Commander Ji Xiaobin was killed, Commander Li Jing was hit by two shells on the bridge, and all the people in the bridge were killed. Major General Ji Xiaobin was among them. ”

Tan Renhao suddenly felt a softness on his body, and then sat down. Together with Lei Shaoqing next to him, he also felt that his feet were weak, although he and Ji Xiaobin had not known each other for long. But he knew that Major General Ji Xiaobin was a good person, a good commander who could let Tan Renhao wield freely. In the eyes of Tan Renhao and Lei Shaoqing, it is normal for there to be death in war, and anyone can be martyred, but why is it Ji Xiaobin?

All the officers in the staff department consciously took off their hats, and these officers were brought out by Ji Xiaobin single-handedly, and no one was sad when they heard the news of Ji Xiaobin's death. There was silence in the command headquarters. Only the motor is making a "ticking" sound.

"Don't stay and go back to your post!" Lei Shaoqing regained his composure first, now is not the time for a moment of silence for the general, "If we want to avenge Commander Ji Xiaobin, then we have to find the Japanese fleet quickly." ”

Tan Renhao trembled. He slowly pulled out his cigarette, but didn't light it. Finally, he crushed the cigarette case and smashed it on the floor.

"Ren Hao, everyone is looking at you, now you are the supreme commander of the fleet, you are responsible for the other officers and soldiers, and we have to avenge General Ji Xiaobin, our ......"

"I know, I know!" Tan Renhao wiped his hands on his body a few times, looking a little overwhelmed.

Lei Shaoqing immediately took out a cigarette and lit it before handing it to Tan Renhao.

Tan Renhao calmed down after taking two puffs. "Immediately contact the 6th Air and let them leave a large group of bombers with armor-piercing shells, ready to bomb the Japanese fleet after receiving the news."

"This ......"

"Hurry up and telegraph, don't delay." Tan Renhao glanced at Lei Shaoqing, and then said to the staff officer in charge of communications over there: "Immediately contact the reconnaissance plane in front and ask them to expand the search area." ”

"The chief of staff just received the telegram." Without waiting for the staff officer to give the order, a communications officer in charge of liaison with the reconnaissance aircraft unit received a telegram: "Eight nautical miles west of Yokodang Island, the Japanese fleet is now sailing westward, about one knot, and there is an aircraft carrier and several escort warships. ”

Tan Renhao was shocked, this was the largest reconnaissance range he had arranged. However, he immediately laughed, and this was exactly at the extreme combat radius of the fleet bombers.

"Let Deng Zi and Zhang Naiding come out immediately!" Tan Renhao threw away his cigarette butt: "Luo Jinming led the rest of the fighters to escort the bomber group, don't let the Japanese slip away!" ”

Fiercely, the battle alarm sounded, and the two carriers began to turn almost simultaneously, and one after another ejected from the flight deck. Mentally refreshed, the pilots are very active.

"Give me the microphone to connect to all the channels of the Fleet and Air Wing." Tan Renhao let out a sigh, and when the staff officer adjusted the channel, he tried to tone it first, and then said: "Everyone, I want to announce the unfortunate news that fifteen minutes ago, Rear Admiral Ji Xiaobin, commander of the First Task Force, was killed in a fierce battle with the Japanese fleet. Maybe. We should now mourn for the general, we should grieve for the general, but we don't have time for silence, we don't have time to mourn, what we have to do now is to avenge the general. Avenge the generals we respect and love! ”

Perhaps the most terrifying power is the power that comes out of grief. The news of General Ji Xiaobin's death is a stimulant. All the officers and men of the fleet, including those who were in the cockpit of the fighter planes, only anger remained in their feelings after learning the news. They forgot even about the pain.

Tan Renhao put down the microphone, then glanced at the officer in the cabin and said, "The fleet flags are lowered at half-mast, and the white signal flag is raised!" ”

In the navy of the Don Empire. The white signal flag does not mean surrender (raising the white flag is a signal of surrender of Western troops), but it means mourning for the fallen senior generals. This has been in the navy of the Tang Empire for hundreds of years. Admiral Tang Shifeng, the commander of the fleet on an expedition to Europe more than two hundred years ago, was killed in battle. After the fleet collectively hoisted the white flag and observed a silent tribute for the general, this became a naval tradition of the Tang Empire.

Almost at the same time, the signal flag for the take-off of fighters was also raised on the Japanese aircraft carrier "Flying Dragon", which was sailing at high altitude to the north of the Tang Imperial fleet.

Ten minutes ago, a submarine telegraphed the appearance of the Tang Empire aircraft carrier formation operating in its southwestern direction. This happened to be the same as the previous intelligence from the Japanese Navy's base camp, and the results of the radio measurement were consistent with the position of the Tang Empire's aircraft carrier formation determined by the submarine. Nagumo Yizhong didn't hesitate any longer. Immediately ordered all the bombers on the aircraft carrier to take off and attack the exposed aircraft carrier fleet of the Tang Empire.

Nagumo Kazutada immediately led the First Air Fleet out after receiving the order of the 65th General Yamamoto. Although there is only one aircraft carrier, Yamamoto Sixty-Five still has great hopes for Nagumo Kazutada. After leaving Tokyo Bay, the fleet headed 50 nautical miles south. Then it sailed southwest, avoiding the two submarines of the Tang Imperial Navy patrolling the area. Subsequently. The fleet entered the Seto Inland Sea, eventually exited the Bungo Waterway, and then headed south along the coastline southeast of Kyushu Island. Judging by the route it has chosen, the fleet is extremely operational and hidden. Nagumo Yizhong also knew very well that if the fleet of the Tang Empire appeared first, then the 24 fighters carried by the "Flying Dragon" would not be able to protect the safety of the fleet. This route really no one could have imagined, and it did make the First Air Fleet enter the war zone unconsciously, but it also made Nagumo Yizhong arrive at the battle area nearly six hours late, and lost the opportunity to cooperate with the Second Battle Fleet.

Having been promoted to Nakasaki Fuchi, Fuchizu Mishio was the last to leave the flight deck of the aircraft carrier. In addition to the 12 anti-aircraft fighters left, the other 6o fighters and bombers carried by the "Flying Dragon" took off. Mishio Fuchizu also knows very well that they only have one chance, and if they can't grasp this opportunity, then they will be finished

At this time, Tan Renhao didn't know that the danger was approaching. He just waited for Deng Zi and Zhang Naiding's report. The two commanded torpedo bombers and dive bombers, respectively. In other words, Tan Renhao smashed all the cards in his hand and wanted to kill the Japanese First Air Fleet in one fell swoop. At the same time, Tan Renhao also realized that maybe the Japanese fleet had sent a group of bombers in advance, but he was not very worried, at least there were still dozens of air defense fighters in the sky over the fleet now, and those 6-voyage "eagles" could still reindeer for an hour and a half, while the "sparrowhawks" needed two hours before landing. If they had not been attacked in these two hours, Deng Zi's bombing campaign would have been completed, and by that time the Japanese fleet would have probably lost the ability to attack.

Thinking of this, Tan Renhao's mood calmed down a little. But there was one thing he didn't know at this time. The radar on the heavy cruiser "Guyu" has been turned off. It's a miracle that this radar worked continuously for a night without problems, and now the radar operator turns off the radar in order to check the status of the radar. And it takes about two hours to check the radar, which is almost a fatal mistake.

There was also a huge hole in the air defense of the fleet at that time. The main direction of alert of air defense fighters is northeast rather than north. The forward anti-aircraft patrol fighters were also patrolling in the northeast direction. This mistake was caused by Tan Renhao. In his opinion, the Japanese fleet was also exactly on the limit of the bombers' attack radius, so it was impossible for the Japanese bombers to fly in a roundabout way and could only attack in a straight line, so he focused his air defense on this direction, leaving only a few fighters to patrol in the north and east.

The pilots of the two "Sparrowhawks" patrolling the north side of the fleet were immediately taken aback when they saw the group of planes coming from the north, and they both signaled that they had encountered the enemy as they prepared to dive and intercept them. Then the two Sparrowhawks swooped down on the Japanese bomber group.

Tan Renhao was also shocked when he received the hostile attack alarm from the fighter jets. Without waiting for him to make arrangements, Hao Dongjue, who was in charge of the fleet's air defense operations, had already given a battle signal, and dozens of fighters patrolling over the fleet all met the Japanese bomber group. Then Chang Jianxin also issued a fleet air defense alert, and the heavy cruisers sailing in front of the two aircraft carriers immediately slowed down and prepared to return to the side of the aircraft carrier to provide close protection for the aircraft carrier, which is also the last two heavy cruisers in the fleet now.

Tan Renhao had not yet recovered from his surprise, and the fierce air battle began. However, the problem was soon exposed. The Sparrowhawks were all aimed at the Japanese bombers, and these naval pilots knew very well that it was the bombers that posed a threat to the fleet, not the "Zero War" with Japan. However, the pilots of Air 6 seem to prefer to shoot down enemy fighters, perhaps because they overestimate the performance of the "Eagle", or they want to prove that the "Eagle" is better than the "Zero". At the same time, when the "Sparrowhawk" risked being shot down by the "Zero Battle" and attacked the Japanese bombers with all its might, the "Eagles" had several "Eagles" against one "Zero Battle."

The battle in the air was extremely chaotic and created opportunities for Japanese bombers. Those fighter pilots of the 6th Voyage did not know the key points of the fleet's air defense at all, and even did not know that protecting the warship was the most important duty of the air defense fighters. And the elite pilots of the Japanese Navy on the "Flying Dragon" will not let go of such a good opportunity. They simply found a loophole in the fire net of dozens of anti-aircraft fighters, and then went straight to the two aircraft carriers.

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