While waiting for Chang Zhixin's arrival at the airport, Tan Renhao got the battle plan formulated by Yan Guozhong, he took a general look at it, and he just had time to think about the solution to the problem.

So far, the campaign deception carried out by Yan Guozhong has been largely successful, and in the intervening months, reconnaissance reports have shown that the US military has been strengthening Brisbane's defenses, and MacArthur has set up five lines of defense around Brisbane, of which the main line of defense has three layers, and the depth of the defense has expanded to hundreds of kilometers, and the southern end of the defense line has even reached the vicinity of Balina. More than 350,000 U.S. troops are concentrated near Brisbane, including more than 80 percent of the main force and at least 60 percent of the mobile forces. In addition, the US military also seized the time to build several large field airfields behind the Brisbane defense line, and the number of combat planes deployed near Brisbane alone reached 1,200, while the US military had only about 2,300 combat planes on the entire Australian continent at this time. In other words, MacArthur was still convinced that the Imperial Marines would land near Brisbane, otherwise he would not have concentrated so many forces near Brisbane, and the number of troops deployed in other districts was pitiful.

Tan Renhao didn't ask Yan Guozhong in detail about the deception methods used, but just asked Lei Shaoqing to give him a brief explanation. And he could basically understand MacArthur's thoughts. The delay in the offensive by the Imperial Marines only deepened MacArthur's fears about Brisbane. The U.S. military deployed in Brisbane has as many as 350,000 troops, and to land in Brisbane, it is necessary to have adequate preparations, so in MacArthur's eyes, the Imperial Marines have stayed on the periphery of the Australian mainland for several months, and it can be seen that they are preparing for the attack on Brisbane.

What's more, Australia has now largely become an isolated battlefield since the capture of New Caledonia. After the Imperial Navy's fleet entered the Tasman Sea, the U.S. military was no longer able to provide reinforcements to the Australian battlefield. A large number of convoys that had been scheduled to arrive in Australia between March and June were forced to stay in New Zealand and not dare to move on. Although there is a certain industrial base on the Australian continent. For example, at that time, the U.S. military had built vehicle factories in Charleville and Burke to provide maintenance services for the armored combat vehicles of the Australian Corps, and there were large dockyards in Melbourne and Sydney, responsible for providing maintenance services for warships and ships, and there was also an aircraft maintenance plant in Adelaide, where most of the combat aircraft could be maintained. However, Australia is still a region without a sound industrial base. There were not enough steel plants, chemical plants, no production of airplanes. The factory for combat vehicles does not have a supporting spare parts factory. As a result, Australia does not have a sound foundation for warfare, and an isolated Australia will not be able to provide the necessary support for its military.

At that time, the maintenance and maintenance of most of the combat equipment of the US military deployed in Australia was problematic. Minor faults can be solved, and important spare parts such as engines, gun barrels, etc., need to be replaced and shipped from the continental United States. It cannot be produced directly in Australia. In addition, the small ammunition factories on the Australian mainland can only provide guns and ammunition for the US military, small-caliber artillery shells (mostly mortar shells), and some small bombs, and heavy artillery shells, high-powered aerial bombs, these ammunition cannot be produced in Australia, perhaps, the only thing to be thankful for is. Australia has always been a relatively developed region in agriculture and animal husbandry, and has a relatively complete food processing industry base. War. The empire has been importing cotton, wool, corn, wheat and other agricultural products from Australia, so the food supply of the US military is still relatively sufficient, and there is no need to send food from the United States mainland to Australia.

On the whole, when it comes to this point, as long as the Imperial Navy controls the Tasman Sea, there is no need to attack Australia, especially when the resources in the South Seas, South Asia and other regions have been developed and sent back to China in a steady stream to support the military industrial production in the Empire, Australia's resources are no longer very important. From a purely military point of view, at this point, it is completely possible to temporarily let Australia go and advance the Hawaiian Islands, and when the Hawaiian Islands are defeated, the US troops on the Australian mainland may not have ammunition to use. At that time, another ordinary force can easily occupy Australia. But the problem is that war is not only determined by military factors, more often than not, it is much more affected by political factors.

It can be said that attacking Australia was originally a political necessity. Since the United States took away the ruling power of Australia from the Tang Empire, Britain and other countries through clever seizures during the "Tang-Japanese Hundred Years' War", the empire has been extremely dissatisfied with the United States' control of Australia, which can be said to be one of the biggest contradictions between the empire and the United States. Australia was first discovered by the explorers of the Tang Empire, although in the following few hundred years, control of the Australian continent changed hands several times, but the Tang Empire has always had a place in Australia, until now, there are still some descendants of the Tang Empire, as well as the Tang Empire and the Australian Aboriginal mixed race living in the northwest of Australia. But since more than 100 years ago, after the empire lost Australia and completely left Australia, the Tang Empire had great hopes for returning to Australia, and even for a long period of time, returning to Australia was regarded as a sign of the empire's rejuvenation. It can be said that the Tang Empire had this factor in formulating a strategic plan to put Australia before the Hawaiian Islands. From a purely military point of view, Australia is actually far less important than the Hawaiian Islands.

Tan Renhao didn't think too much about political factors, he was just a soldier who carried out orders. Now the Imperial Prime Minister has decided to attack Australia first, and to use the attack on Australia to eliminate domestic suspicion and instability. Therefore, the Imperial soldiers had to take Australia first.

In the evening, the four of them went to Lei Shaoqing's place, he originally lived in the villa where Halsey lived, and later after Yan Guozhong arrived in Port Vila, Lei Shaoqing gave this villa to Yan Guozhong, and he himself moved to another villa nearby. It was originally intended to be reserved for Mitchell, but when the Third Fleet was annihilated and Mitchell went to Brisbane, the villa was not renovated. It is precisely because of this that Lei Shaoqing asked the villa to be renovated in accordance with the traditional way of the empire.

"Shaoqing, your taste is not bad, what are these paintings? It's confusing, and I can't see a name at all. ”

"Ren Hao, you are the soil bun that has entered the city. This is the abstract painting art of the West! Chang Jianxin walked over with a smile.

"Abstractionist?" Tan Renhao frowned, "There seems to be a guy named Picasso." He paints the ground? ”

"I think it's mostly fakes."

"Don't pretend to understand if you two don't understand, this should be modernist." Hao Dongjue also walked over. "It's definitely modern, not abstract."

"Don't pretend to be the three of you." Seeing the three of them there, Lei Shaoqing smiled and shook his head, "However, I don't know what kind of school this is, it was my adjutant who found these paintings in the basement, and I think it's not bad, it's a different style from our ink paintings." So it hung up. ”

"It seems that none of the four of us are much better." Tan Renhao also laughed, "it." But I don't think it's any kind of art, it looks like a kindergarten child's graffiti. ”

"Come on, that's not our specialty!" Chang Jianxin walked towards the dining table first, "We might as well fill our stomachs first, and then discuss the business, what kind of painting is he and what does it have to do with us?" ”

The other three all came to the table and made a meal, and Lei Shaoqing's adjutant immediately brought a few dishes bought from the canteen, as well as some braised vegetables. Two bottles of Shaoxing rehmannia wine were delivered.

"Yes, that's what we like the most!" Chang Jianxin immediately opened a bottle of wine, "Lao Lei, your kid is living a very moist life here, and there is even rice wine." ”

"It's all for you, and the last time I went back, I bought a few bottles and brought them over."

"There are no strong points, such as Moutai. Wuliangye, Jian Nanchun. Shuijingfang or something? Hao Dongjue has no interest in rice wine, he thinks that drinking rice wine is not much different from drinking vinegar.

"It seems that there is a bottle of Moutai." Lei Shaoqing immediately called the adjutant over and asked the adjutant to bring the bottle of Moutai.

"Eat first, everyone eats first, drink when you're full, and besides, don't drink too much today." Tan Renhao picked up the chopsticks as he spoke, "I'm so hungry, I've been waiting for more than two hours, aren't you hungry?" ”

The four of them immediately devoured it, but they didn't have anything to eat, and they didn't care very much. The four-man lieutenant ate at the small kitchen table and did not come to the dining room. Within a moment, the dishes on the table were swept away, and Lei Shaoqing asked his adjutant to buy a few braised dishes, which could be regarded as appetizers.

"Chang, how is the situation on your side now?" Tan Renhao leaned back in his chair, and he asked Duchenne to make him a cup of tea.

"It's not bad, the fleet only arrived a few days ago, and after a round in Brisbane, I returned to Noumea after warming up the officers and soldiers, and now there are still some small problems that have not been solved, and I let Gu Zhenyun be in charge." Chang Jianxin poured wine, "Some of the warships also went out of the port for training in the morning, and now they are in the best condition, and the officers and men are also excited, when will we start fighting?" ”

"Now we still have an important problem to solve," Lei Shaoqing took over and told Chang Jianxin about the preliminary firepower preparations.

"Yan Guozhong's arrangement is also a little too careless, even if it is to achieve the purpose of deception in the battle, you can't give up the early firepower preparations, right?" Chang Jianxin's expression immediately became serious.

"I have already talked to Yan Guozhong about this, and I will go to him in the evening." Tan Renhao paused slightly, "Yan Guozhong's arrangement this time was too cautious, because the time was in a hurry, so he didn't take care of many details, which is understandable. But if the landing is to be successful, and it is to be achieved quickly, then preliminary fire preparation is indispensable. ”

"Renhao, do you have any specific ideas?" As soon as Lei Shaoqing said this, the eyes of the three of them were focused on Tan Renhao.

"I began to think about it, if the entire campaign plan was revised at this time, it would be too late, and it would certainly not be possible to get the Marines ashore before the 20th, so we must try to minimize the return of the changes, and act as much as possible according to the plan that Yan Guozhong has already formulated, and only make changes to some of the key arrangements." Tan Renhao picked up the teacup, "The most important thing is the preliminary firepower preparation, judging from the US defense targets that Yan Guozhong has listed now that must be destroyed, as well as the comprehensive strike capability of the three task forces, even if it is calculated according to the standard of destroying eighty percent of the targets and the maximum combat efficiency of the three task forces, we will need at least 24 hours, that is, one day and one night, to complete the preliminary firepower preparations." Therefore, the landing time must be delayed, and the fleet arrived at the theater on the afternoon of the 17th, began bombing from the early morning of the 18th, and completed the mission by the early morning of the 19th, then the marines could only land on the morning of the 19th at the earliest, and considering other problems, perhaps the landing time had to be delayed until the 20th. ”

The expressions of the three of them sank, and the day's firepower preparation still seemed rushed.

"I haven't thought about some specific details yet, I'll go to Yan Guozhong and talk to Yan Guozhong in detail." Tan Renhao looked at Lei Shaoqing, "Shaoqing, you have to hurry up and revise the specific tasks assigned to each fleet, so that the staff officers will work overtime at night, and after we go to talk to Yan Guozhong, we will come up with a new mission plan as quickly as possible." ”

"I've already sent a notification."

"Chang, you should rush back in the evening and get the fleet ready for departure as soon as possible."

"No problem, I'll get in touch with the pilot later."

"Dongjue, you also have to make the fleet ready to set off as soon as possible, this time the second task force will have to undertake at least half of the bombing mission, which is not easy, I'm afraid you have to mobilize the pilots in advance."

Hao Dongjue nodded. "I know, don't worry, Task Force 2 is in combat condition at all times."

"Then let's talk about this first, I will go with Shaoqing to General Yan Guozhong, Lao Chang, you will call us when you arrive at the fleet. Dongjue, you help me inform Zheng Guanhua that the fleet will be ready to set off this evening, and the supply operation must be arranged in advance. ”

After the four of them said yes, Hao Dongjue took the first step to say goodbye and returned to the fleet, and then Tan Renhao and Lei Shaoqing sent Chang Jianxin to the airport by the way, and then the two went directly to Yan Guozhong, there was no time for them to delay.