The 1st Task Force was more than a day later than the 2nd Task Force (referring to the time when the 2nd Task Force left the Kerama anchorage) and on the 24th, the 1st Task Force arrived in the waters of the Palau Islands, where it received a refueling, which was also the penultimate refueling of the 1st Task Force before participating in combat operations (the fleet had already brought enough ammunition when it came out, and would not have resupplied ammunition without special needs).

"You say, Lao Lei, will they mess up this time?"

After waiting for more than a day, Hao Dongjue and Tan Renhao were extremely bored.

"Probably not!"

Tan Renhao leaned against the wall behind him. "I heard that it was not the American general named Spruance who commanded the American fleet this time, and Halsey had already gone to the Southwest Pacific Theater, and the most likely commander of the fleet was Fletcher."

Hao Dongjue nodded slightly and closed his mouth. In fact, whether or not the 2nd Task Force can defeat the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier battle group will be directly related to whether the 6th Squadron can land on Wake Island. According to the analysis of Hao Dongjue and Tan Renhao, even if Lei Shaoqing can't kill the "Enterprise" with conservative tactics, he should at least force the "Enterprise" to leave the waters of Wake Island, and then let the 6th team go ashore smoothly. The 6th Sentai launched the campaign to land on 6 Wake Island, which will be the signal for the Southwest Pacific Theater to attack. At that time, the attention of the US military will be focused on the Central Pacific region, and in order to prevent the Tang Army from capturing Midway Island and then fighting all the way to the Hawaiian Islands, the US military will inevitably defend Midway Island and strengthen its troop deployment in the Hawaiian Islands. Immediately, Yan Guozhong launched offensive operations in the southwest Pacific, and he was able to catch the United States by surprise, and by the time it reacted, the 6th team had already landed in Lae, and had even captured Lae and obtained a bridgehead in the southwest Pacific. From this point of view. The actions of Task Force 2 were crucial.

Tan Renhao was also a little worried about this day, he knew Lei Shaoqing too well. In terms of personality, Lei Shaoqing is a very open person, but at the same time, he is a very stubborn person. Since childhood, there have been many fights between the two, although Lei Shaoqing has never taken advantage of it every time, but he has never admitted defeat to Tan Renhao. I have never given up on challenges and efforts. If Lei Shaoqing still adheres to his command concept, then this time it will be at most a success. At the same time, Tan Renhao did not believe that Lei Shaoqing was the kind of person who easily admits defeat, if he wants to win, then he must change his tactical thinking and adopt more risky tactics, that is, more radical tactics, so that the second task force may still win, or lose everything. So. How will Lei Shaoqing choose?

"If it was really Fletcher who was commanding the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier battle group. Maybe our worries are unfounded! ”

It's hard to say that Fletcher has seniority in the U.S. Navy, and he has suffered losses. Even if he is still a conservative commander, and Shaoqing and Lao Chang also use old-fashioned tactics, maybe they will be entangled for a while. ”

Tan Renhao sighed, "Perhaps, we will have to wait a few more days in this sea area before we know if there is a chance to go south." ”

Hao Dongjue took out a cigarette. "Then it depends on whether they can seize this opportunity to turn around, if they take out the 'Enterprise', then the US Navy will lose the right to operate in the Pacific in the next four months, and we will have four precious months, which is enough to sweep the island of New Guinea and the Bismarck Islands. This will be of great help to our future offensives. ”

"It depends on Shaoqing's judgment and determination."

Before the second half of Tan Renhao's words could be spoken, a staff officer rushed out of the command cabin and said breathlessly: "Commander, chief of staff, I have received the news, the news of the second task force." ”

Tan Renhao and Hao Dongjue were startled and immediately walked into the command cabin.

"The telegram I received was half translated, and the Second Task Force won a complete victory this time. It's a real victory. ”

Hao Dongjue snatched the half of the telegram that had just been translated, glanced at it, immediately laughed, and handed the telegram to Tan Renhao. Tan Renhao calmly read the telegram, and his expression did not change much.

The communications staff officer glanced at the commander cautiously and said: "This is good news, so I am in a hurry to come to you, the following message is still being translated, and there is a specific report on the results and losses." ”

Tan Renhao nodded slightly, and said to the communications staff officer: "Go and translate all the telegrams first, and then send them over." In addition, if Admiral Yan Guozhong has a telegram, he will also come to tell us immediately. ”

The communications staff officer nodded, and immediately ran away.

"Ren Hao, this time Lao Lei and they finally made a comeback!"

Hao Dongjue laughed excitedly at this time.

Tan Renhao also smiled. "Judging from the previous telegram, the Second Task Force has already killed the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier battle group, sunk at least nine warships, and the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier is finished, which is indeed good news. In addition, if our judgment is not wrong, Shaoqing and they also bombed Wake Island and seized air supremacy, and now I am afraid that a larger bombing is being organized! ”

"If Task Force 2 has no warship losses, then this is really an absolute victory!"

Not long after, the communications staff officer sent over the other half of the translated telegram, and at this time, Hao Dongjue's prediction came true. Task Force 2 not only annihilated the USS Enterprise aircraft carrier battle group, sinking nine, or all American warships, but also bombed the airfield on Wake Island almost simultaneously, destroying the airstrip, one-third of the hangars, three anti-aircraft positions, and a fuel depot. Now the fleet is organizing a larger-scale bombing campaign, and in the previous operation, not a single battleship was damaged in the fleet, and only more than two dozen fighters were lost (counting the losses of the previous day), if you analyze the results of the battle, this is definitely an absolute victory. In the naval battle of aircraft carriers, it is already very difficult not to lose warships, and of course, the loss of fighters is inevitable by anyone. Task Force 2 took out the last U.S. Navy aircraft carrier in less than two hours of fighting, and also seized air supremacy over Wake Island. And the American fighters on Midway Island, which is closest to Wake Island, will not be able to fly at all, let alone threaten the 2nd Task Force and the upcoming 6th Fleet. The 2nd Task Force has been dispatched to shell Wake Island after dusk to open up the 6th Fleet for the 6th Fleet. The aircraft carrier squadron of the 2nd Task Force will also be moved to the east of Wake Island to cover the 6th Fleet on the front. At the same time to avoid the attacks of American long-range bombers.

When Tan Renhao finished reading the battle report, he deduced it with Hao Dongjue on the chart, and then both of them determined that Lei Shaoqing's tactics this time were extremely risky, and he attacked directly after seeing that opportunity, not only seizing the opportunity, but also expanding the opportunity into victory. This is exactly the quality that an aircraft carrier commander, or a fleet commander, must have. The importance of opportunity in naval warfare trumps everything. Maybe chance is what others call luck. No commander can completely avoid making mistakes, and it is not who makes fewer mistakes that determine the victory or defeat of the sea, but who is able to seize the opportunity, which is very slim and can easily be missed. In fact, seizing the opportunity itself is to avoid making mistakes, and letting go of the opportunity is to make mistakes. Therefore, the side that can take the opportunity will be the winning side.

"Judging from the combat operations of the Second Task Force this time, Shaoqing and Lao Chang should have understood the essence of naval warfare, it seems. We really have nothing to worry about! ”

"I said it a long time ago. The two of them just didn't burst out, they really broke out, and their abilities are definitely not below us! ”

Hao Dongjue looked a little hindsight. "It must have been the fiasco last time, which made both of them suffer and woke them up, otherwise Lao Lei and Lao Chang would not have won so quickly this time, and they won in a way that the enemy did not expect. This must be a classic naval battle, and it may be written into future naval textbooks! ”

Regarding Hao Dongjue's smart performance afterwards, Tan Renhao could only sneer. After the fact, everyone can say a big truth, but before the event, how many people know that their decision is correct? As a matter of fact. This is the difference between the commander of the fleet and the chief of staff of the fleet. The decision made by the commander of the fleet has a direct bearing on the life and death of the tens of thousands of officers and men of the fleet, and on the victory or defeat of the battle; perhaps a small mistake will bury the entire fleet, and if one is not careful, the best opportunity to annihilate the enemy will be missed. And the chief of staff of the fleet actually does not have such pressure, the chief of staff only has the right to give an opinion, and cannot make a decision beyond the commander (unless the commander has already died), that is, even if the chief of staff gives an opinion. In the end, it is up to the commander to agree, so the chief of staff can make a lot of opinions, perhaps some of which are contradictory. Tan Renhao is well aware of the contradictions and pain when making decisions at critical moments. Before Hao Dongjue became the commander of the fleet, he would never understand how the commander of the fleet felt when he made a major decision. At least, Lei Shaoqing should understand that feeling now.

"What are you laughing at?"

Hao Dongjue hasn't woken up yet.

"Nothing, if possible, I would like to send a congratulatory telegram to the past, but for now the fleet is to keep the radio silent."

Tan Renhao shrugged his shoulders, "Maybe General Yan Guozhong will give us a new order soon, you go and organize, after receiving the order, the fleet immediately turns around and rushes to the battlefield." We may be able to start operations in the city of Rai before August arrives. ”

"Okay, then I'll go and mobilize all the staff officers now!"

Hao Dongjue stood up, "There's news, I'll come to you again." ”

In the evening of the same day, Yan Guozhong's telegram came, because the Second Task Force successfully seized the sea and air supremacy of Wake Island, and the time for the 6th Task Force to land on Wake Island was determined to be the next morning, and the time to capture Wake Island would not take more than 10 days (the latest assessment) Therefore, Yan Guozhong also advanced the time of attacking Lae by five days, and the planned time for landing 6 was 2 August, and in order to ensure the smooth landing of the 6 Squadron, the 1st Task Force should seize sea and air supremacy at least on 28 July. The 3rd Task Force then entered Huon Bay and bombarded Lae, preparing for at least three days of artillery fire before the 6th Brigade landed on the 6th. In other words, the last time for the Third Task Force to enter Huon Bay was 30 July, while the 1st Task Force had only two days to destroy the US airfields in Lae and the Bismarck Islands from 28 July, seize air supremacy, and then sweep away the warships deployed by the US Navy in the waters around this area to seize sea supremacy.

"If we advance at the cruising level, even if we come out tonight, we will not reach the waters on the back side of the Bismarck Islands until the night of the 26th."

The nautical staff officer marked two routes on the chart, "The distance between these two routes is not much different, the east can easily avoid US submarines, and the west can enter the attack sea area more quickly." ”

"We can't take any risks on the eastern route."

Tan Renhao turned to the chart of the Bismarck Islands and the island of New Guinea, "Based on the calculation of the strike radius of the fleet air force of 3oo nautical miles, if we want to bomb the airfields of the US military on the island of New Guinea, as well as on the Bismarck Islands, New Britain Island, and other islands, then the sea area of the fleet's activities will be greatly restricted." ”

The nautical staff immediately drew on the chart the sea area where the fleet could operate. This sea area is indeed very narrow, and the fleet is also within the strike range of US shore-based bombers.

"According to the most conservative estimates, how many airfields can we bomb at a time?"

Tan Renhao glanced at Hao Dongjue.

"At most, three, if you calculate to the maximum, it is only five airfields, which requires at least one squadron of fighters to carry out bombing missions."

Tan Renhao nodded slightly. "Then, we can't wait until the 28th to do it again, and when the fleet goes south, it will first bomb the Bismarck Islands, then make a big turn to avoid the American reconnaissance planes, and then bomb the island of New Guinea and the airfields on the other islands from west to east. Dong Jue, what do you think? ”

"It's the only option we have!"

Hao Dongjue did not raise any objections.

"Then do this, the fleet immediately turned around, went south at 18 knots, planned the route, the first batch of bombers, and strived to solve the US field airfields on the Bismarck Islands on the 28th, and bombed the island of New Guinea with all its might on the 29th!"

The fleet immediately began to turn, and compared to the previous combat missions of the second task force, Tan Renhao's mission was not very flexible.