The search for the coast of Madagascar went on for several days, and on the 13th, Tan Renhao finally got the exact news that the enemy fleet had left the Mozambique Channel and disappeared into the Indian Ocean along the island of Madagascar, bypassing Cape Amber. But this information came too far, and these few days were enough time for the British and French expeditionary fleets to run thousands of nautical miles, and even if they were to move at cruising speed after getting out of danger, the British and French expeditionary fleets would definitely reach the southeast of Durban at this time, not too far from Cape Town.

This information was confirmed by many sources, and the water patrol aircraft found oil stains in several bays, which were heavy oil or lubricating oil leaked from enemy warships. The Marine Corps officers and men in charge of the search also found some waste abandoned by the enemy warship, including some broken spare parts from the battleship that had washed up on the beach. In addition, some indigenous fishing boats also spotted the Anglo-French expeditionary fleet, and reported it to the Imperial Marines. This information is beyond doubt, and it is also direct evidence confirming the escape route of the Anglo-French expeditionary fleet.

After a few days, Tan Renhao's mood completely calmed down. He was not surprised when he received reports from various quarters one after another. After all other possibilities have been ruled out, the rest is no longer credible, that is a fact. This is a bit like solving the case, and at that time, Tan Renhao asked people to look for clues, not to confirm that his inference was correct, but to connect the entire combat operation and "complete" this combat operation. Again, it helps him get to know his opponents. If this was Cunningham's planned operation, then it is enough to prove that Cunningham was a commander in danger. A commander who can make clear judgments and make wise decisions in the face of danger, a most difficult opponent to deal with!

Hereunto. Tan Renhao can also be regarded as having a more comprehensive understanding of Cunningham. And he also contrasted Cunningham against another formidable opponent, Spruance.

In most cases. Cunningham was not Spruance's fleet commander who was willing to take risks in order to win. This can be seen from the first encounter between the Anglo-French Expeditionary Fleet and the Third Task Force, as well as the naval battle that broke out a few days ago. Even at the time, Cunningham was confident enough to take out Task Force 3, but he did not take any active offensive action. Instead, they chose to retreat. This may have something to do with Cunningham's characterization of the mission, and if Cunningham regarded Task Force 1 as the biggest threat, then he would not blindly waste his precious forces on Task Force 3. But fundamentally, Cunningham would not take risks blindly, and even if there was a hope of victory, he would choose to retreat when he was not sure how big that hope was, or when the hope was relatively small. If you look at this alone, then Cunningham belonged to a more conservative fleet commander, and this is probably a tradition of the British Navy.

But the problem is. If Cunningham really looked at him that way, he would be completely wrong. In fact, this is how Tan Renhao judged Cunningham's command characteristics before. He made this judgment from the results of the 3rd Task Force and the combined Anglo-French expeditionary fleet. And it was this judgment that led him to think that Cunningham would retreat south at full speed when he directly encountered the combined Anglo-French expeditionary fleet, so from the beginning. He let the bomber go straight south, not thinking that Cunningham would choose the most dangerous route among the dangers. Obviously, it was this realization that made Tan Renhao make a wrong judgment. At the same time, it also proves that Cunningham was not a conservative commander, and there are other factors that limit his activities, perhaps, not his own at all, such as the supreme purpose of the mission, the orders of his superiors, the internal contradictions between the task forces of the two countries, and the condition of the warships, which will have an impact on the decision-making of the fleet commander. On the contrary, Cunningham should be a good commander with a lot of brains and the ability to keep his cool in the face of danger, seize the slim chance of victory, or seize the opportunity to escape!

Tan Renhao spent several days studying Cunningham carefully, and at the same time, he was also repeatedly studying the actions that had been maneuvering with Cunningham during this time. The more he studied, the more he discovered, and the more he paid attention to the British Naval Fleet Commander who had escaped through his fingers. And Tan Renhao also knows very well that it is not easy to get a new opportunity, if he can get another chance to defeat Cunningham, then he must learn a lesson and change his opinion of Cunningham, so that he can seize the opportunity and finally defeat Cunningham!

When Tan Renhao was doing these mental work, most of the other work was taken care of by Chang Jianxin and Jiang Zhongmin. The two of them didn't bother to talk about Renhao. After knowing that the British and French expeditionary fleet slipped out from under Tan Renhao's nose, they also knew that Tan Renhao was in a bad mood, and even Jiang Zhongmin put aside the competition between him and Tan Renhao at this time. To put it bluntly, these troubles were actually caused by the fiasco of Task Force 5. If Task Force 5 is not defeated, then Task Force 1 and Task Force 3 will not need to enter the Indian Ocean at all, and there will be no need for Tan Renhao to bear these troubles.

The last task of this combat operation is to make a campaign summary, to be precise, a staged campaign summary.

On the evening of the thirteenth, Tan Renhao called Chang Jianxin and Jiang Zhongmin over. He first gave a detailed account of the combat operation from beginning to end, then he made a summary analysis of the campaign, and only at the end did he mention why this result occurred, why the enemy fleet was missed, and what needed to be improved and what needed to be strengthened.

"Renhao, you haven't had a good night's sleep for a few days, let's discuss these things tomorrow." Chang Jianxin is a little worried about Tan Renhao, and in the past few days, he has also been carefully paying attention to Tan Renhao's every move.

"Yes, we only received the final report today, so let's discuss it tomorrow." Jiang Zhongmin sighed secretly, he felt that Tan Renhao was putting pressure on himself.

"There's no need, let's make it clear today, so everyone can sleep peacefully." Tan Renhao smiled reluctantly, and then continued, focusing on his analysis of this battle. and a new understanding of Cunningham's opponent. In the end, he said: "The biggest problem is that we miscalculated the ability and courage of our opponents. This is not the first time we have made such mistakes. But this is definitely the last time. Perhaps, it will be difficult for us to get new opportunities. But we must deal with it, and when a new opportunity arises, we must not make the same mistake again, and we must not allow the Anglo-French expeditionary fleet to slip through our fingers again! ”

Chang Jianxin and Jiang Zhongmin glanced at each other, and then they both fell silent. Both of them have been busy with all aspects of tedious affairs for the past two days. Therefore, there was no such comprehensive reflection on this combat operation as Tan Renhao. Now that Tan Renhao has mentioned the issue of "underestimating the enemy," they have all realized that in combat operations, in fact, everyone has committed the mistake of underestimating the enemy. From the very beginning, they didn't know enough about Cunningham, and they never saw this opponent as a serious threat!

"Judging by the current situation, the Anglo-French joint expeditionary fleet must have returned to Cape Town."

Tan Renhao sat down, "This can be seen from the clues we have obtained. The escaped British and French battleships were not damaged in the battle, but there were oil spills and damaged spare parts. It must have been caused by a storm. If the Anglo-French expeditionary fleet had not returned to Cape Town before that, they had been active in the storm zone for at least a month. And no warship can be without any damage. Cunningham's sneak attack has been a complete failure, and we have heightened our vigilance, and it is absolutely impossible to continue the sneak attack.

Therefore. Cunningham had no choice, he had to return to Cape Town before the ship could sail and the fuel ran out. ”

"If they return to Cape Town after they have left the battle, then within five days the Anglo-French expeditionary fleet will be in Cape Town, and our spies there should have made new discoveries."

"Don't get too much hope up at the intelligence that the spies send back." Tan Renhao glanced at Jiang Zhongmin, "If we can catch the British and French spies, then our spies in Cape Town must be in danger now." Before that, we had received a false piece of information that almost caused us to run headfirst into Cunningham's ambush circle, and it was sent back by a Cape Town spy officer. So, now that our spies in Cape Town have been controlled, and the intelligence services have changed their passwords, all of this proves that even if new intelligence is sent out of Cape Town, there is no credible value, at least not at all! ”

Jiang Zhongmin nodded slightly, he was already dizzy from being busy.

"If the combined Anglo-French fleet returns to Cape Town, we can consider continuing to attack Cape Town." Chang Jianxin changed the topic, and talked about Renhao's words too directly, which made Jiang Zhongmin feel a little embarrassed.

"I'm also thinking about this problem, if I attack Cape Town now, it is not very likely that I will be ambushed by the Anglo-French Combined Expeditionary Fleet, but the problem is that it is difficult for the First Task Force to participate in the battle at this time, and the three battleships in the Third Task Force have been damaged, even if it is not a major damage, it will take time to maintain." Tan Renhao paused slightly, "Bad weather is still our worst enemy. According to the latest weather forecast, the weather will gradually improve by the end of the month, and the storm will move south, and it is likely to leave the sea near the Cape of Good Hope by mid-April. And by this time, the conditions are ripe for our assault. So, I think, we should stay in Moroni and wait for the weather to improve. ”

After speaking, Tan Renhao looked at Chang Jianxin and Jiang Zhongmin, waiting for them to reply.

"If the weather doesn't get better, we really should stay here. Not only the ships of Task Force 3 need to be maintained, but also the ships of Task Force 1. ”

Chang Jianxin nodded. "Then let's do it, I'll arrange the maintenance of the battleship tomorrow, and those engineering ships will come in handy now."

"We're still going to have to deal with some complicated details during this time." Tan Renhao let out a sigh. "Lao Chang, you are mainly responsible for the maintenance of the battleship, I will arrange a few staff officers to assist you in the maintenance of the aircraft carrier, you also know the aircraft carrier very well, although the damage to the battleship is not big, but many subtleties must be checked, otherwise if the problem is exposed during the operation, it will be a big trouble."

In the past few days, he has also been to see some of the warships in the fleet, and there are no major problems, but there are many small problems, especially the battleships in the third task force, most of which have some minor problems. Fortunately, these problems are not serious, and maintenance work can be carried out by relying on engineering vessels without having to return to a port with professional maintenance facilities.

"Zhongmin, you are still in charge of the supply mission, and in addition, you must send the prisoners back to Colombo as soon as possible and hand them over to the military police over there. The wounded should also be taken care of. Tan Renhao looked at Jiang Zhongmin, "In addition, we must pay close attention to the establishment of a seaplane base on the island of Madagascar, and when the storm moves south, we must try to expand the search range of patrol planes, and we can let Colombo provide another batch of patrol planes, and if there are not enough personnel, we must also arrange them as soon as possible." ”

Jiang Zhongmin also agreed, and these were originally his jobs.

"I'll take care of the rest." Tan Renhao let out a sigh and felt a lot more relaxed.

"This combat operation was full of twists and turns, and many unexpected things happened. Perhaps, we will never get a better opportunity, but we can't just give up, if there is no opportunity, then we have to create the opportunity ourselves, and do all the preparations, we can seize the opportunity, and we can create better opportunities! ”

The eyes of the three of them have become more determined, it is not easy to defeat the enemy, but it is even more difficult to defeat a strange and powerful enemy. But this is not an easy and difficult thing, as soldiers, they can only face difficulties, not retreat!

The room was quiet, and the mood of the three of them was a little complicated. Suddenly, all three of them laughed, and the atmosphere relaxed. Tan Renhao stretched out his hand first, then Chang Jianxin put his hand up, Jiang Zhongmin also put his hand up, and the three hands were held together. Now, what they lack is not confidence and patience, but an opportunity!

The Jedi Strikes Back Section 37 Success

The changing situation of the weather is still the most concerned by Tan Renhao. When he arrived in Colombo, he received a copy of the Indian Ocean's climate change for the last decade from the Port Command. This data records the specific climate conditions in each year, each day in this decade, and most importantly, the change of weather conditions such as sea conditions, wind direction, and wind strength in each year. Tan Renhao's own knowledge of the weather is limited to the surface, but there is a special meteorological officer in the fleet headquarters, who is responsible for providing weather forecasts for the fleet.

Compared to the Pacific Ocean, the fluctuations on the map of meteorological changes in the Indian Ocean are considerable, and to put it bluntly, the weather changes in the Indian Ocean are more drastic and volatile. In addition, a comparison of the changes over the past 10 years shows that it is difficult to determine the climate change in all but a few months when the weather is extremely harsh. For example, in some years, the weather conditions are completely improved by the end of March, while in other years, the weather is unusually bad until the end of May. This adds to the uncertainty of meteorological changes, and no one can judge whether this year's weather will improve at the end of March or delay until the end of May.

In order to grasp the changes in the weather as much as possible, Tan Renhao also asked for several meteorological planes from Colombo, which are actually long-range water patrol planes equipped with some special equipment for collecting and observing meteorological conditions, and can also carry meteorological observers to the front to observe meteorological changes. These planes arrived one after another around the 15th, and then they were sent out by Tan Renhao.

At the same time, the repair of the battleship was also in full swing. Back in the time of the 1st Task Force. Chang Jianxin is in charge of the maintenance of warships. At that time, Lei Shaoqing was still the chief of staff of the First Task Force, and he was often recommended to be a navigation staff officer. As for the maintenance of the battleship, Tan Renhao is generally arranged for Lei Shaoqing to be directly responsible. And Lei Shaoqing usually calls Chang Jianxin to deal with it together.

At that time, the only ones who could provide maintenance assistance for the battleships were the engineering ships that arrived at Moroni with the supply fleet. These engineering vessels have basic maintenance equipment and even a few large cranes, and their main purpose is to help with repairs for ships that are unable to return to port. In order to make the best use of the maintenance capacity of these engineering ships, Chang Zhixin first conducted a general survey of the situation of each warship in the two task forces. Then, according to the damage to the battleship, reasonable arrangements were made for smooth repairs.

For example, while an engineering ship repairs a damaged mast on one ship, it can also inspect and repair the piping system inside the hull of another ship at the same time. And arranging two such warships together for maintenance, then one engineering ship can provide maintenance services for two warships at the same time, which speeds up the maintenance of warships and also increases the utilization rate of engineering ships. Of course, these tasks need to be carefully arranged, and Chang Jianxin found dozens of officers in the fleet to assist him in this work, which was the most important of the two task forces at that time. It's probably the busiest thing to do.

The work on Jiang Zhongmin is also gradually unfolding, especially from late March, as the storm gradually shifts southward. The pace of establishing a base for seaplane activities has also gradually accelerated.

The first seaplane bases were built in the northern part of the island of Madagascar, facing the Strait of Mozambique. Actually, this is made up of a small landing ship, or a flat-bottomed barge. Or other vessels that can provide docking, refueling, and simple maintenance operations for seaplanes anchor in sheltered bays, and then become temporary bases to support seaplane activities. Of course, in addition to the boats, some infrastructure should be temporarily built on the nearby shore, and when it is necessary to move, it is convenient to change the location of the activity base.

Beginning in late March, Jiang Zhongmin set up similar bases for seaplane activities in several bays on the island of Madagascar facing the Indian Ocean. In addition, a similar base for seaplane activities has been established in the central part of the island. By early April, the storm had largely left the waters off Madagascar, and Jiang Zhongmin had set up a seaplane base at the southern tip of the island and for the first time set up the same base on the island of Ruriwang.

All aspects of preparation are being carried out in an orderly manner, which can be regarded as a special training for the three young generals. Different combat environments, different opponents, and different fighting styles can all be said to be new attempts. In the past, whether it was Tan Renhao, Chang Jianxin, or Jiang Zhongmin, it was impossible to be as patient as now. And for the three fleet commanders, in many cases, all they need is patience.

In addition to preparing for the next battle, in mid-March, Tan Renhao and his team also received a piece of good news, which was not from the Indian Ocean battlefield, but from the Pacific theater. To be precise, it's a good news from the Southwest Pacific.

After more than a month of fierce fighting, on March 9, the Marine Corps under the command of General Gan Kuo-chung had captured Noumea, New Caledonia, and was now sweeping away the remnants of the enemy forces on the island. When they received the news, it was already 12 March, and the battle report was forwarded from the Navy Headquarters, and it also contained a copy of the content, that is, the preparations for attacking the Australian mainland were basically in place, and the progress was normal, and if there were no accidents, the combat operation of attacking the Australian mainland would be launched at the end of March or early April at the latest.

In early February, on Tan Renhao's way out of the Lion City and heading for Colombo, the Marines under the command of Gan Quoc Chung completed the New Hebrides and captured Port Vila. This was the third major victory of the Marines in the Southwest Pacific Theater since the Battle of the Solomon Islands and the Battle of Port Moresby, and it was also the most determined step of the Imperial Navy towards the Australian mainland.

In the combat operation to capture the New Hebrides, Yan Guozhong invested 12 marine divisions before and after, and maintained at least four marine divisions fighting on the front line for a long time, mobilizing hundreds of support ships, large and small, including more than 50 fire support ships alone. During the assault on Port Vila, the Marine Fire Support Ship once again showed its might. A group of artillery ground fire support ships almost completely replaced the position of the previous artillery fleet, and for the first time, the Marine Corps had its own direct fire support ships.

The Second Task Force, which replaced the Fourth Task Force to carry out combat missions in the southwest Pacific, also displayed strong combat effectiveness when it was given the opportunity to train its troops. Unlike the combat operations of Task Force 4 in the Southwestern Pacific. Hao Dongjue brought the fleet's aviation strike capability to the limit almost to the limit. In order to allow the carrier aircraft to be dispatched without interruption, the Navy Command also sent an additional supply fleet to provide support to the second task force. And in the late stages of the attack on Port Vila.

Hao Dongjue even organized several night bombing operations with good results, and this was also the first large-scale and large-scale night bombing operation of the Imperial Navy's carrier-based aviation.

The purpose of the attack on the New Hebrides was only to prepare for a southward move to New Caledonia, so the American troops on some of the islands had not yet surrendered. Before the reconstruction of Port Vila was ready, the Marines rushed to New Caledonia and completed the landing operation in New Caledonia in early February.

Beginning in mid-February, when the Port Vila Raid was officially completed, the Marines attacking New Caledonia had advanced to the vicinity of Noumea, and the offensive operations against Nouméa had begun. Then. The first attacking force was only about two divisions in strength, and MacArthur committed at least 120,000 U.S. ground troops to Noumea, and a large number of U.S. troops held several important positions nearby. These include two large military airports in Burai and Moandu, while there are no large military airports near Noumea.

The initial battle did not go well, had it not been for the arrival of a large number of fire support ships, and the fact that Task Force 2 had firmly controlled the sea supremacy. And if strong aviation support is provided to the Marine Corps, I am afraid that the result will be unpredictable. At that time, the two divisions of marines faced more than 100,000 American troops, not to mention attacking, and even defending was a little difficult. It was not until 15 February, when the airfield on Efate Island (the island where Port Vila is located) was restored, and a large number of shore-based bombers of the HNA began to provide strong air support to the marines, and then Yan Guozhong put three Marine divisions that had completed their recuperation into the battlefield. By the end of the middle period, Yan Guozhong had committed at least seven Marine Divisions in New Caledonia, and another five Marine Divisions were about to complete their recuperation, and the shore-based bomber units of the HNA and the heavy bombers of the Strategic Strike Force were fully engaged in the battle. The situation on the battlefield changed completely, and the American troops retreated to Noumea and several important strongholds, making a final stubborn resistance.

The assault on Nouméa continued until 24 February, and although the Marines pushed the line forward several hundred metres, the losses were very large. The U.S. military built a large number of fortifications in Noumea, many of which were permanent fortifications made of reinforced concrete. In addition, the Marines attacked from the land direction, rather than directly from the port direction, and the problem was even greater due to the geographical environment.

Yan Guozhong changed his strategy at this time, and after continuing to maintain pressure on Noumea, he sent two rotating Marine Divisions to capture the large military airfields of Burai and Moandu. The capture of the two airfields ended on 30 February, and by 2 March, the Marine Corps engineers had resumed some of the airfields, and some of the HNA shore-based bomber units had been transferred.

By this time, Task Force 4 had also completed its rest and returned to the battlefield on March 4. Originally, it was planned that the 4th Task Force would replace the 2nd Task Force and let the 2nd Task Force return to Rabaul for temporary rest, but the 2nd Task Force remained on the battlefield. On this day, Yan Guozhong also put the three marine divisions that were prepared for the campaign into the battlefield, concentrating more than 180,000 ground troops, plus 1,200 shore-based combat planes of the NAVY, more than 400 heavy bombers of the strategic strike force, and two powerful task forces, and these troops launched the final attack on Noumea.

In terms of Tan Renhao's own feelings, so many troops went to fight Noumea, that is, they would smash eggs with stones. The general offensive lasted five days, and by 9 March, Noumea was under the control of the Marines, and the operation to sweep up the remnants of the American army lasted another three days, and on the same day that Tan Renhao received the good news from the naval command, the last force of American troops surrendered to the Imperial Marines.

At this point, it can be regarded as the end of the second phase of combat operations in the Southwest Pacific theater. According to the overall strategic plan of the Imperial Navy, the first phase of the offensive in the southwest Pacific ended with the complete capture of the Solomon Islands, while the main purpose of the second phase of the offensive was to encircle the Australian mainland and complete the task of capturing the New Hebrides and New Caledonia. The final stage of combat operations was the capture of the Australian continent.

The first two phases of combat operations were in preparation for the third stage of combat operations. In other words, when Yan Guozhong defeated Noumea, the combat operation to attack the Australian continent was officially launched.

It was also an extremely significant and significant victory for the Imperial Navy in the Pacific. At this point, the Coral Sea was completely under the control of the Imperial Navy, and with the long-range patrol aircraft and long-range reconnaissance aircraft deployed to New Caledonia began to operate, it was no longer possible for US ships to enter the Coral Sea.

In addition, the southeast gate of the Australian continent has been opened to the Imperial Navy, and now it only takes a few more steps to land on the Australian continent.

The telegram also mentioned in detail the preparations for attacking the Australian mainland, Yan Guozhong was discussing with Gu Xunlei about ground operations, and Lei Shaoqing had already returned from injury, and the position originally planned to be left to Tan Renhao was now assigned to Lei Shaoqing, and the combat operations of the fleet in the southwest Pacific will be under the unified command of Lei Shaoqing. Therefore, Lei Shaoqing also became one of the three main commanders of the Southwest Pacific Theater.

Preparations are being made in all respects, the infrastructure of Port Noumea is being repaired, the Marine Corps is beginning to assemble on the front line, the Army units are being transferred to Noumea and Port Vila, the air force is being transferred, and the 4th and 2nd Task Forces are preparing to receive a third aircraft carrier battle group, and the horn of the attack on the Australian mainland has been sounded!