After Gan Yongxing received the news that the 6th Sentai had occupied Alamagan Island, Tan Renhao received this battle report from the Navy Command. Almost like everyone else, Tan Renhao and Hao Dongjue couldn't believe that the 22-man commando team could occupy the island in a few hours, and they also annihilated the American troops on the island without a single one!

"It's so *** beautiful!"

After Hao Dongjue's spirit recovered, he was more excited than everyone else, "Who would have thought that the 6th team would not call on so many reserves on Asunción Island, and only used a submarine to send a 22-person commando team to Alamagan Island, and these 22 people also eliminated nearly 200 American troops on the island and occupied this extremely important island." Damn, if you have a chance, you must meet those scouts with your own eyes and see how good they really are! ”

Tan Renhao smiled and shook his head, the fleet has been hovering and waiting for the past few days, both of them only work during the day, and several senior staff officers take turns to be in charge at night, so both of them have enough spirits. Looking at Hao Dongjue like this, he has fully recovered and is in peak condition.

"Renhao, who do you think came up with this idea? With a 22-man commando team to occupy an island, I'm afraid that the people who thought of this plan would be different! ”

"Nobody came up with this plan."

Tan Renhao leaned back in his chair, "Originally, it was planned to let these scouts go up to find out the deployment of the US military, and then the HNA dispatched bombers to blow up the radar and communication center on the island, and the main force of the 6th Combat Team went ashore. In this case, it will probably not be possible to occupy the island of Aramagan until daylight on the 17th. It must have been those scouts who, having figured out the enemy's situation, had privately decided to attack immediately. However, their decision was completely correct, if they waited until the daytime on the 17th to attack, the reinforcements of the American army, at least the bombing opportunities of the American army, would cause heavy losses to the 6th team, turning a surprise attack into a hard-fought battle! ”

Hao Dongjue laughed along. "Then I'll have to find a chance to meet these scouts, they're all good, if I succeed in forcing the American fleet into battle. Then they have made the first contribution! ”

"Do what you have in hand first!"

Tan Renhao stood up, "The chief of staff did not let us participate in the battle on Alamagan Island, it must be because the officers and men of the fleet have been fighting for many days and need time to recover their energy and combat effectiveness. Now that Alamagan has become a new battlefield, the U.S. military will definitely fight back desperately. If my guess is correct, the U.S. military will not only mobilize the 6th team on Pagan Island, but even the 6th team on Saipan. And to avoid being bombed by us. The ships transporting the US 6 squad will be mainly focused on night operations. Now, it's time for those ships that escort the convoy to contribute. ”

"You're saying that the chief of staff will gather our escort warships and engage in a night battle with the Americans?"

"When we have more important tasks with Task Force 3, what other warships do we have besides these escort ships?"

Tan Renhao glanced at Hao Dongjue, "Perhaps, the chief of staff will ask the escort warships of the Second Task Force that have just returned to Ryukyu Island to form a new fleet and come to help the Third Task Force." It doesn't matter, though. ”

"If Task Force 2 can take advantage of the opportunity to make a difference. So Lao Lei and Lao Chang ...... them"

"Don't think about it so much. The Chief of Staff and the Headmaster have always valued us, and if there is a chance for Shaoqing and Lao Chang to save some face, then they will definitely send the escort warships of the Second Task Force to fight. Of course. Let's not expect too much, it takes two or three days for these battleships to arrive, and the state of the officers and men is not adjusted, so their role is not decisive. ”

Tan Renhao turned the chart on the table to the page of Agrihan Island, "Now, the most important thing is when Team 6 will be able to take Agrihan Island." After the battle on Allamagan Island began, the progress of Team 6 on this side should be much faster. If within a few days, the 6th Sentai can successfully capture Agrihan Island, threaten Pagan Island, and mobilize heavy troops to support Alamagan Island. The U.S. military is in a situation of total passivity. When the time comes. The only way for the U.S. military to save the war is to send a fleet to regain sea supremacy and cut off our maritime connection with Aramagan Island, so as to ensure that the defense line of the Northern Mariana Islands does not collapse quickly. ”

Hao Dongjue nodded slightly. "If the purpose of the U.S. military is to secure the entire Mariana Islands, then the fleet must be sent before Agrihan Island is completely captured by us. Otherwise, when we gain a firm foothold on Agriphan Island and a field airfield is built, the US military will not even have the slightest hope. ”

Tan Renhao smiled and took out a cigarette. "Then it is impossible for the US Pacific Fleet to wait for the reinforcements to arrive, and their departure from the port will be within these two days!"

"It must be so, the most important thing now is whether we can show the American fleet in time!"

Hao Dongjue turned the page of the chart. This is a large-scale chart from the Mariana Islands to the Hawaiian Islands, "After the American fleet left Pearl Harbor, there were three routes to choose from, one north, two middle, and three south. If we take the northern route, it will be very easy for our long-range reconnaissance planes to be spotted and then intercepted by our two task forces with all their might, and then the US fleet will surely die if there are pursuers in the rear and roadblocks in front. If they take the middle route and go directly west, they can use the long-range reconnaissance planes on Wake Island and Midway Island as their eyes, but we will not easily enter the strike range of the US long-range bombers, and they are not very sure of winning. The only option for the U.S. fleet was to go south, from the Marshall Islands to the Hall Islands and then to the Southern Mariana Islands. After receiving the cover of shore-based aviation, look for an opportunity to fight us! ”

Tan Renhao sat down, now that the chief of staff is making a point, there is no need for him to interject.

"The chief of staff has sent more than thirty submarines to be deployed between Midway and Wake Island, and there are two submarine cordons."

Hao Dongjue quickly marked the two submarine cordons on the chart. After the Battle of the Mariana Islands, the Navy Command readjusted the submarine cordon and shifted its focus to the central Pacific Ocean, mainly to grasp the activities of the American fleet. "Plus, we have more than a dozen safari submarines outside Pearl Harbor. There is a high probability that the American fleet will be spotted by our submarines after leaving the port. If we can catch the whereabouts of the American fleet, then the fleet will go out ......"

Hao Dongjue moved the icon representing Task Force 1 to the east of the Mariana Islands on the chart. ”

Find a suitable position, wait for the American fleet to arrive, and then concentrate on the attack. Perhaps, when the time comes, we will not need the intervention of the Third Task Force, and we will be able to kill the Yankees. ”

Tan Renhao lit a cigarette. There was no rush to speak. Hao Dongjue's suggestion was very offensive, and the basis was to attack, mainly to kill the enemy fleet, without taking into account his own losses.

"Renhao, what do you think? We just need one chance, just one chance! ”

"And what about our losses?"

Tan Renhao stood up, "Although none of the US aircraft carriers can participate in the war now, it will be within three months. All four US aircraft carriers will be back to combat effectiveness. By then, the second task force had almost regained its combat effectiveness, and the ratio of our aircraft carrier forces was five to four. If we were to be hit hard, it would be four to four, or even three to four. The main purpose of this campaign was to gain sea supremacy, not to annihilate the enemy fleet. Of course, annihilating the enemy fleet is the best way to seize sea supremacy, but the problem is that after the enemy fleet has been annihilated, there is no guarantee that sea supremacy will always be in our hands. So what's the point? ”

"What do you mean......"

Hao Dongjue didn't expect so much. In his opinion, if eight battleships can be killed, then the main position of the first task force will be unshakeable.

"The purpose of the campaign must be achieved while ensuring one's own safety. Complete campaign missions! ”

Tan Renhao's words were very brief, he glanced at Hao Dongjue, and then laughed, "Dongjue, your proposal is indeed very valuable, but the problem is that we ignored one point. ”

"What?"

Hao Dongjue also took out a cigarette, he was very aware of the gap between himself and his partner.

"What is the purpose of the enemy? The purpose of the U.S. fleet is to regain sea supremacy, and the only way for them to regain sea supremacy is to take out us. As long as we exist, the American fleet will not dare to let it go. There will be scruples, and there will be fears. Therefore, the first goal of the US fleet is to pull us out and fight and kill us! ”

Tan Renhao smashed his fist on the chart, "So, what will the enemy do to kill us?" If the enemy fleet takes the initiative to seek battle, then the third task force will be the first to go up, and the aircraft carrier will not participate in the artillery battle. That's good, eight battleships against six battleships. Moreover, the American battleships have an absolute advantage in the number of main guns, and the Yankees will definitely think that they have a chance to win, and we will definitely follow the third task force and take the opportunity to kill the American fleet. In the event that the shells of the battleship's main guns cannot hit our heads, what will the American fleet do against us? ”

"Bomber!"

Hao Dongjue immediately thought of the answer, "American shore-based bombers!" ”

"Yes, the only thing that poses a threat to us is American shore-based bombers. At that time, even if the American fleet is approaching, we can't beat it, and we can run it, at least much faster than those eight grandfather-class battleships! ”

Tan Renhao patted Hao Dongjue on the shoulder twice, and then said to him, "It is unlikely that American shore-based bombers will bomb us at night, unless their pilots have a pair of night owl eyes." Therefore, the most likely thing for the US fleet is to drag out the battle until daytime, at least at dawn, and we will definitely send a wave of bombers at this time, and the US shore-based air force will also send fighter planes to provide air defense cover for its fleet, and at the same time dispatch bombers to deal with us. At that time, as long as we fall, then the third task force will not be far from the end. ”

Hao Dongjue sighed, obviously the First Task Force was more important than the Third Task Force, but the First Task Force was not the main force to deal with the US Fleet, and the burden of battle was on the Third Task Force.

"The crux of the matter is that we must lure the US fleet out to fight, and we must not engage the enemy's air defense range!"

"Of course it's the best, but it's unlikely!"

Tan Renhao sighed and shook his head, "It would be nice if we could engage in a sea area where both of our shore-based aviation forces could wield their effects." ”

Their eyes fell on a small island on the chart at the same time, and they both laughed.

"Commander, Chief of Staff, Navy Command Urgent!"

Hao Dongjue immediately took the telegram, glanced at it quickly, and said to his partner: "The snake is out of the hole!" ”

An Imperial submarine operating outside Pearl Harbor showed up with the departing American fleet and immediately sent the telegram. As soon as the command of the Navy received the telegram from the submarine, it immediately turned around. Because the submarine then lost contact with the base, it was only certain that the American fleet had left Pearl Harbor, but not its size, degree and course. This is just an alarm, an alarm that returned the lives of a submarine and dozens of officers and soldiers, not a complete piece of intelligence.

"The enemy has made up his mind."

Tan Renhao glanced at his partner after reading the telegram, "This is a good thing, it's much better than us spending time here." Now you're busy, Chief of Staff! ”

Hao Dongjue immediately laughed, he had been a staff officer for so long, and he had been in the position of chief of staff for a while, and he knew very well what to do next.

Determining that the enemy fleet was out was only the first step in the initial preparations of the entire campaign, and next, Hao Dongjue had to formulate a series of battle plans (at least a few sets, or even a dozen) of the campaign arrangements that the enemy might take. None of these plans need to be too detailed, just a framework, and they will be gradually fleshed out after getting more information and more information about the enemy.

It was also the signal for the start of a new battle, and almost at the same time, Rear Admiral Yan Shiqi, commander of the 3rd Task Force, received an identical telegram. In this battle, Task Force 3 was the main force, and Task Force 1 was only the rearguard of Task Force 3. As a naval commander who greatly admires artillery warfare, perhaps the fact that the American battlefleet took the initiative to seek war was the best news Yan Shiqi received after serving as the commander of the fleet!

The two task forces immediately went into action, and the command of the Navy received a new order on the same day. The battle on the islands is still raging, and the two task forces are heading for a new battlefield. A bloody battle between the naval fleets of the two countries is about to begin!