Tan Renhao arrived in Wuxi in the afternoon, and Liao Hanxiang arrived a few days ago, and he came to Wuxi to select a group of pilots for the strategic strike force (the strategic strike force has no basic training institutions, and the pilots are all recruited from the training bases of the HNA Army) to prepare for the formation of the Third Strategic Strike Army. After Liao Hanxiang received a call from Nie Renfeng, he immediately helped Tan Renhao select a group of the best pilots, and these pilots will be supplemented to the First Air Wing.

On the morning of 16 July, Tan Renhao returned to Guangzhou in advance (the pilots will receive new fighters in a few days and then be transferred directly to the airport near Guangzhou).

"Engineers at the Jiangnan shipyard made more than a dozen repair proposals."

Hao Dongjue is also focusing on this matter, "But no one believes that the aircraft carrier can be repaired on the 25th." ”

"We believe it, and whether others believe it or not, we will know on the 25th." … Ａp． n

Tan Renhao took off his coat, the temperature in Guangzhou was much higher than in Wuxi, "Do you remember what we did on Iwo Jima?" Last time, it was a modified bomber, but this time, we will have a big competition to repair the battleship, organize all the personnel, and I will go to the shipyard in the afternoon to personally supervise the work. Also, go get all the engineers and I'm going to ask you about the situation in detail. ”

"Okay, I'll mobilize immediately."

Hao Dongjue also came to the momentum, "Damn, I don't believe it, we can't create a miracle." ”

After lunch, Tan Renhao took his staff officers to the No. 3 dock of the Guangzhou Shipyard. The aircraft carrier "Yangtze River" is lying in this dock. The water has been drained, thousands of shipyard workers, and dozens of engineers are busy repairing the battleship, and a large amount of supplies and spare parts are piled up on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier.

Tan Renhao was also taken aback when he saw this aircraft carrier. There are two huge holes in the hull of the aircraft carrier, one of which is near the engine room, and the steam turbine inside has been dismantled. This was all ground damage caused by torpedoes, and if it weren't for the fact that the watertight armor plates of the aircraft carrier had not been destroyed, the aircraft carrier would have been doomed. When Tan Renhao boarded the aircraft carrier. The location of the four shots was immediately identified. Four aviation armor-piercing shells were on the port side at the forward end of the flight deck, at the elevator A, on the starboard side of the tail section, and at the anti-aircraft gun group on the left side of the tail section. Among them, Jiang Zhongmin was injured by the bomb that hit the No. A elevator, which is only more than ten meters away from the ship's island, and it is a miracle that Jiang Zhongmin can survive the disaster. The parts of the bomb had been sorted out, and the holes in the flight deck had been covered with steel plates, but they could still be imagined. What was it like when the aircraft carrier faltered back to the port of Guangzhou.

"General, this is Chief Engineer Zhang, and he is responsible for the design of the 'Yangtze River' class aircraft carrier."

Hao Dongjue brought a middle-aged man about fifty years old over. He is Zhang Qingsheng, a ship design engineer at Jiangnan Shipyard, the chief designer of the "Yangtze River" class aircraft carrier, and also an academician of the Imperial Academy of Engineering.

"Mr. Zhang, thank you for your hard work."

After Tan Renhao shook hands with Zhang Qingsheng, he immediately said, "I won't go around the bush anymore, the marshal's request is to let the 'Yangtze River' return to the fleet before the 25th." The difficulties are great, but the tasks are also important. Don't say anything else. Can I tell you that this is directly related to the success or failure of the Imperial Navy, is there confidence in launching the aircraft carrier on time? ”

"This ......"

Zhang Qingsheng looked embarrassed. He also knows that military requirements are now above all else, but requirements that exceed actual capabilities are empty talk. The engineers are very rigorous, and he doesn't want to make empty promises.

"Mr. Zhang, if there is any difficulty, you can say it, and we will find a way to solve it together."

Hao Dongjue immediately added a sentence beside him.

"Yes, if there is any difficulty, let's figure it out together."

Tan Renhao took out a cigarette.

"Two generals, I don't dare to make any guarantees."

Zhang Qingsheng refused the cigarettes handed by Tan Renhao, "Let's say so." It will take at least a month and a half to restore the Yangtze River, and now there are only eight days left. Unless a miracle strikes, ......"

"Then we're going to do this miracle."

Tan Renhao didn't let Zhang Qingsheng continue, "Lack of manpower? Then you say how many people are needed, and I'll figure out how to arrange it. Missing spare parts? A whole shipload of spare parts from Dalian will arrive tomorrow. Missing ingredients? What is missing, make a list, and we will solve it directly. Any other difficulties can be raised, and we only ask for one point. That is the 25th, the 'Yangtze River' must be launched and return to the battle sequence of the fleet. Whether or not we can create this miracle depends on the efforts of us, especially the engineers who know the Yangtze River best. ”

"How many spare parts are there, and what are they?"

Zhang Qingsheng no longer complained about anything.

Tan Renhao was stunned for a moment, and then he remembered that he was in too much of a hurry when he left Zhoushan, and he didn't go to the logistics office to get the list of spare parts.

"Here's the list, look at it, we don't know much about it."

Hao Dongjue took out a document, then nodded with a smile at Tan Renhao, "This was sent by the Navy Headquarters before you came back." ”

This is exactly the list of the ship's loading cargo, which details the type, name, and quantity of spare parts that were shipped on the ship.

"Yes, all the necessary large spare parts are available, and only some small spare parts are missing."

Zhang Qingsheng quickly browsed it, and then said to Tan Renhao, "Small spare parts can be processed temporarily, only these large spare parts need to be manufactured in a special factory, and now, we need a workshop, a workshop with supporting lathes." ”

Tan Renhao nodded, and then looked at Hao Dongjue.

"Mr. Zhang, do you have the design in your hand?"

"The drawings can be sent by Jiangnan Shipyard immediately, this is not a problem."

"Okay, you send someone with me to contact the factory in Guangzhou, Nuoda is in Guangzhou, can't you find a factory workshop?"

Hao Dongjue immediately laughed, "Wait for the drawings to be sent, start processing immediately, how much time will it take?" ”

"Look at the equipment of the factory, but also the technical ...... of the workers"

"We are responsible for all this, what spare parts are needed, and the drawings of the spare parts are provided by you."

Tan Renhao didn't let the two continue to discuss, "Now, what problems still need to be solved?" ”

"Manpower, the most important thing is manpower."

Zhang Qingsheng hesitated, "There are not enough workers at the Guangzhou shipyard at all, and most of them are busy with the construction of new aircraft carriers. There simply aren't enough people. ”

"How many redundant workers are there in Jiangnan Shipyard, Dalian Shipyard and Weihai Shipyard?"

Zhang Qingsheng shook his head slightly. "Now the construction of new aircraft carriers is very intense, and all the newly trained skilled workers are used, and the workers who are being trained cannot undertake this kind of work, and even if there are, there will not be many."

Tan Renhao nodded slightly. "I am personally responsible for this matter, and today I will contact the Navy Command and find as many as I can. And if that's not enough. Let's figure it out again. ”

"Mr. Zhang, I have an idea, I don't know if it will work."

Hao Dongjue interjected next to him, "The maintenance work requires a lot of manpower, we can mobilize the officers and soldiers of the fleet to participate in the maintenance work, they also know the aircraft carrier quite well, and you arrange personnel to guide the officers and soldiers, responsible for issuing maintenance tasks, and supervising the maintenance work, how about it?" ”

"This ......"

Zhang Qingsheng thought for a moment. "If these officers and men are familiar with aircraft carriers. Yes, of course, we still need a lot of skilled workers, engineers. ”

"Well, I promise, engineers will arrive tomorrow, and our officers and men will be able to participate in the maintenance work by this evening."

Tan Renhao threw away the cigarette butt, "Now, is there any difficulty?" ”

"There are basically no big problems, and I haven't fully thought of small problems."

"In that case, from today onwards, until the aircraft carrier is repaired, I will stay here. Be your deputy! ”

Tan Renhao said very cheerfully, "In the work of repairing aircraft carriers, I am your deputy leader, if you need anything, you can directly order me." Mr. Zhang, our soldiers are very happy to do things, as long as we can ensure that the aircraft carrier is repaired on time, even if I am asked to sell blood, it will be no problem! ”

"Since General Tan has said so, can we still not sell our lives?"

Zhang Qingsheng also laughed. He often interacts with military personnel and is well aware of the personality of front-line commanders like Tan Renhao.

The maintenance work of the "Yangtze River" aircraft carrier has been accelerated in an all-round way. In the middle of the night, the bulk carrier carrying a large number of spare parts entered the port of Guangzhou, and stopped directly next to the pier closest to Dock 3. Hao Dongjue personally arranged a senior staff officer, with hundreds of officers and soldiers, to unload the cargo on the ship and then send it to the dock.

That night, Tan Renhao called Gan Yongxing and asked for an engineer to be dispatched. Gan Yongxing, in the name of the Navy Command, immediately demanded that the three shipyards arrange for a group of engineers to board the plane and rush to Guangzhou that night. This group of about 220 engineers and technicians sent by Jiangnan Shipyard, Dalian Shipyard, and Weihai Shipyard rushed to Guangzhou Port before dawn on 17 July, and was immediately arranged by Zhang Qingsheng to various maintenance teams.

The officers and men of the two aircraft carriers of the First Task Force joined the maintenance ranks on the night of 16 July, and it was only on 17 July that they began to take part in the maintenance work. These officers and men have served on the aircraft carrier for more than two years, and they all know the aircraft carrier very well, and although they are not skilled workers, they are still much better than those who have not been trained.

On the 17th, Hao Dongjue took a young engineer arranged by Zhang Qingsheng to find the Guangzhou Machinery Factory, which is a factory specializing in processing and manufacturing machine tools, with the design drawings of those spare parts sent from the Jiangnan Shipyard. As soon as the person in charge of the factory heard that the navy needed a batch of urgently needed spare parts for the maintenance of warships, he immediately organized a group of skilled workers to work overtime to process this batch of spare parts.

A large quantity of supplies for the repair of the battleship was also delivered on the night of the 17th. At this time, nearly 300 engineers and technicians, more than 1,200 workers from the Guangzhou Shipyard, and 800 officers and men of the First Task Force were already participating in the maintenance of the aircraft carrier. In addition, at least 2,000 mobilized officers and soldiers are responsible for providing help and assistance in the maintenance work. Tan Renhao mobilized almost all the forces that could be mobilized to ensure that the aircraft carrier was repaired as scheduled. He himself stayed in dock 3, where he lived in a workshop, and perhaps he couldn't help much here (no one would let a general do the general work, and he was not very familiar with the structure of the aircraft carrier, let alone some skilled worker), but his presence actually inspired everyone else to know that the fleet commander was here, and that he was fighting and working with them.

On the 19th, the newly delivered boiler was installed in the aircraft carrier, the structural repair of the hull was successfully completed, and the two huge holes were filled. That night, the carrier was launched and began watertight tests, while the workers responsible for repairing the interior of the ship's hull and the flight deck continued to be busy.

On the 21st, the newly sent elevators were loaded onto the aircraft carrier, the flight deck, and the repair of anti-aircraft artillery was completed. The watertight test was passed. Before the rest of the repairs were completed, the aircraft carrier began an intense test run to check whether the newly installed boilers and steam turbines were functioning properly.

On the 22nd, the elevator test was completed, and the repair work of the hangar was successfully completed, and then, the workers injected fresh water into the pipeline of the aircraft carrier to test the tightness of the pipeline (in fact, it must not be operated in this way, but at that time, in order to rush for time, it could only be done in this way) On the 23rd, the test was completed, and the newly installed power system was operating normally. The pipeline tightness test was also successfully completed, and several leaks found were filled. The aircraft carrier began to install new anti-aircraft guns, and at the same time began to repair the ship's internal structure with all its might, laying a new flight deck (the flight deck of the aircraft carrier is actually made of steel plates, and the repair work is to replace it with new steel plates, and some of these steel plates are made temporarily) On the 24th, the aircraft carrier left the dock and began the slow sailing test. The refitting of the flight deck was completed before this, but during the slow train navigation test, there were still some decks that were not installed, and the workers remained on the aircraft carrier and continued to complete the installation work (in fact, it was mainly the installation of some auxiliary equipment, especially the blocking cable) On the 25th, the flight deck was all installed, and the aircraft carrier left the port of Guangzhou and did a navigation test at cruising speed in Lingdingyang. In the afternoon of the same day, the "Hayabusa" fighter piloted by an instructor successfully landed on the aircraft carrier, and then ejected and took off, completing the flight test.

On the same day, Tan Renhao also received a telegram from the Navy Command that it was time for the First Task Force to depart!