After the capture of Asunción, Team 6 did not immediately launch the next round of attacks. As a springboard for the capture of the Mariana Islands, the status of Asunción Island is very important, and the 6th team also needs time to build this island into an offensive base, not to mention anything else, just the airport provided to the HNA will take more than ten days to perfect, just pave the runway, so that the fighters can land the equipment is enough, in order to deploy combat aircraft here, it is necessary to establish the most basic ammunition depot, fuel depot, camp for pilots to rest, command center, communication center and so on. Otherwise, there is only one runway, and at most it is a runway, not a field airfield.

Although the scale of the battle on Asunción was small (the combined ground forces of both warring sides were less than 1ooo), its significance was significant, and it would become a major battlefield in the fierce battle between the Tang Empire and the U.S. Navy and Air Force. More importantly, the battle on Asunción Island allowed the Tang Empire to feel the "pulse" of the US military Judging from the performance of the US military in the first two days of the campaign, the US military deployment in the Mariana Islands is not strong, and it is not ready to attack Iwo Jima and Ogasawara Islands at all, otherwise it would not have been able to pose a serious threat to the Tang Empire's army in the most critical two days.

This judgment is very important, because it directly affects the combat operations of the Tang Emperor's ** team in the later stage. It was on the basis of this judgment that the Navy Command made a decision on the 3rd to advance the next round of attacks of the 6th Squadron from the 12th to the 8th, that is, the 6th Squadron would embark on the 6th Agrihan Island on the 8th. In fact, under the circumstances at that time, it was impossible for the 6th team to complete the full preparation for the 6th battle before the 8th, let alone the successful 6th climb.

Agrihan is a larger island than Asunción and can build at least two airfields on it, and it is an airfield that can support heavy bombers. This is the real forward base, and the 6th team chose Asunción Island to prepare for the attack on Agrihan. At that time, the U.S. military garrison on Agrihan Island numbered about 25oo people. And there are well-established fortifications, and a field airfield (after the battle, the fighters deployed here were withdrawn to Saipan, and the airfield only received those fighters who could not return to Saipan) According to the 6th team's own estimates, to capture this island, at least 7ooo troops need to be invested, and it is also necessary to get full fire support (air support is the most important) 6 teams need to get at least 5o tanks (self-propelled guns) and two battalions of artillery, a large amount of combat materials, It took half a month to complete the task. However, according to the situation at that time, even if the attack was launched on the 12th, the 6th team might not be able to make these preparations.

The convoy carrying the tanks and artillery most needed by the 6th Sentai was planned to arrive on Asunción on the 10th, while the convoy carrying the war materiel would not arrive until the 11th. In addition, the Deng 6 Fleet, which transported 5ooo officers and men of the 6th Sentai (including a batch of supplies), could only arrive on the 8th at the earliest. If the attack were to be carried out on the 8th according to the plan of the Naval Staff, unless the 2nd Task Force or the 3rd Task Force participated in the battle, the 6th Sentai would have great difficulties. Especially in the first five days. Team 6 hardly has the ability to fight other than expanding the 6 games!

Admiral Yan Guozhong raised his objection on 4 July, the day the Navy Command revised the operational plan, but his opinion was rejected. The naval command guaranteed that the most needed supplies of the 6th team would arrive on the night of the 7th, and the 6th team would ensure that it would land on Agrihan Island on the 8th.

The 1st Task Force received a telegram from the Navy Command in the early morning of the 4th, knowing that the battle plan had been advanced. Tan Renhao arrived at the command cabin at half past four in the morning, half an hour after the telegram came.

"!"

Tan Renhao scolded secretly, "This is definitely not the decision of the chief of staff, and the principal will not do this, they are all very aware of the situation of the 6th team, and they must be ready to land on the 6th Aglehan Island in such a short time, unless those transport ships of the 6th team have wings!" ”

"But this is indeed an order from the command of the Navy."

Tan Renhao shook his head, then sighed. "Now there is a cabinet commissioner in the command of the Navy. Do you think the headmaster will give such stupid orders? ”

"You mean ......"

"Forget it, that's not something we should be concerned about!"

Tan Renhao didn't want to bring the discussion to the cabinet government, as well as politics, they were just soldiers. "When will the reconnaissance aircraft be dispatched?"

Hao Dongjue also felt that it was not good to talk about the cabinet. He looked at the sailing clock and said, "Preparations will be made in half an hour, still according to the plan, an hour before dawn." ”

"How many reconnaissance aircraft were arranged for the first batch?"

Tan Renhao walked to the chart table. At present, every aircraft carrier ground air group has a reconnaissance aircraft squadron, which is a special reconnaissance plane for the aircraft carrier. Of course, when necessary. These reconnaissance planes can be used as bombers or torpedoes.

"24, all carrier-based aircraft."

Hao Dongjue also walked over, "The second group of reconnaissance planes is composed of seaplanes, and they will leave half an hour late, so that the time for the two groups of reconnaissance planes to arrive at the sea area for the scheduled search is exactly the same." The third group of reconnaissance planes will leave an hour and a half after dawn, and the first two groups will return home by the time they arrive at the predetermined sea area. And the third batch of reconnaissance aircraft will increase to 48 units. ”

Tan Renhao looked at the chart for a while, but he didn't pay much attention to Hao Dongjue's words.

"Do you think there's a problem?"

Hao Dongjue felt a little nervous when he saw Tan Renhao's serious look.

"No, I think today will be the day of the winner."

Tan Renhao flipped through the table for a while, and turned out the folder containing the battle reports he had received in the past few days. "If you take a good look, the US military has been bombing Asunción Island for the past few days, and some of those heavy bombers have taken off from Guam, and some have flown in from Wake Island. But the U.S. military has never invested in the fleet, nor has it invested in the 6 Sentai team. Why? ”

Hao Dongjue had already read those battle reports, and he glanced at Tan Renhao. "You're saying that the U.S. side is planning a large-scale counterattack?"

Tan Renhao nodded. "They're definitely planning a counterattack, and it's definitely going to be huge. The main force of the counterattack was the US task force. As long as the US task force seizes sea supremacy, the United States can deploy a batch of fighters to the Mariana Islands within 12 hours, and the six combat teams deployed by the US military here have more than 30,000 people, and the capture of Asunción Island will be at most 5ooo. The United States has a ready-made airfield on Agrihan Island, and it must have a batch of supplies in stock, which can keep the 6 Sentai from worrying about the ammunition of the previous days. And now, that small fleet of the US military is on Guam, ready to go north at any time. That is, with the exception of the fleet, which did not appear, all the preparations of the US military were completed. ”

"And the 6th Fleet."

Hao Dongjue reminded.

"Yes, and the 6th Fleet."

Tan Renhao smiled and nodded, "Maybe this 6th fleet is coming now." However, it will take at least a few days for the US task force to seize sea supremacy, and for US fighter planes to seize air supremacy. These few days are just the right time for the 6th fleet to arrive in ......"

Before Tan Renhao's words were finished, a communications staff officer walked over briskly with a telegram.

"Renhao, your kid's guess is accurate again."

Hao Dongjue glanced at the contents of the telegram. handed the telegram to Tan Renhao. The content of the telegram was exactly the news of the American transport fleet. A submarine patrolling near Midway Island is now heading west with a fleet of twenty to thirty ships, and a large number of destroyers escorting it. This must be the US 6th Fleet.

"Everything is ready now, only the east wind is owed!"

Tan Ren Hao looked at it quickly, then lowered his head, and his eyes fell on the chart, "So, where is this 'east wind'?" ”

Hao Dongjue took out a cigarette. "It seems that these two days ......"

"It should be today!"

Tan Renhao glanced up at Hao Dongjue, "Look at this telegram." The time of the appearance of the American transport fleet in the waters near Midway, the degree of navigation. Calculate the arrival time again......"

"The day after tomorrow?"

Hao Dongjue immediately calculated in his heart.

"Yes the day after tomorrow. The day after tomorrow, the American fleet will arrive. And the day after tomorrow is six days. ”

Tan Renhao took the cigarette and didn't rush to light it, "Our plan to land on Agripan Island on June 6 is eight days. Although it is unlikely that the US military will know the specific time when the 6th team will arrive at the 6th Arm, it can make a rough judgment through the preparations of the 6th team in the past few days. In the same way, if the U.S. forces have time to counterattack after this, they will lose their chance, and as soon as we gain a second stronghold, then the Mariana Islands will basically fall into our hands. Therefore, the U.S. military will definitely rush to attack Asunción before the 6th team lands on the 6th Agripan Island. In this way, the 6 Sentai will lose the rear base on the 6 Agrihan Island. The Deng-6 program will be forced to cancel. ”

"Moreover, if the U.S. fleet appears at this time, it will be able to inflict heavy losses on the 6th Squadron, at least those who will board the 6th Battleship will be greatly threatened."

Hao Dongjue also immediately figured it out, "When the time comes, our task force will definitely appear, and if the US military stays behind, it can also seize this opportunity to defeat our task force." When the time comes, whether it is the first task force. Or is the Second Task Force finished, and our attack on the Mariana Islands will fail. The 6th Sentai was also forced to retreat, or to engage in a tug-of-war with the American forces on the island of Asunción, which did us no good. ”

"Yes, it looks like we've got it all in one place."

Tan Renhao laughed, "If the United States adopts this tactical deployment, then it is very likely that their two task forces will act separately instead of being concentrated together." Much like our relationship with Task Force 2. One of the task forces was responsible for attacking our task force and boarding the 6th fleet when the 6th team attacked Asunción Island, supporting the 6th team to ascend the 6th, while the other task force was ambushed in the shadows, waiting for our task force to be exposed, and then immediately deliver the fatal blow! ”

"Well, they must have a task force to the east."

"There's another one in the south!"

Tan Renhao laughed, "This one in the east must be used to support the 6th team to ascend to the 6th, and the first thing it has to deal with is the third task force that has been exposed. The Chief of Staff placed Task Force 2 in the vicinity of Task Force 3, and with the reinforcement of shore-based fighter forces on Asunción Island, Task Force 3 became much more secure. If Task Force 2 can seize the opportunity and take out this American task force......"

"Then we're the only ones left!"

Hao Dongjue nodded again and again, as the battle situation became clearer and clearer, it was easier and easier to judge the activities of the US fleet.

"Yes, our mission is to prevent the American task force from the south from attacking the second task force."

Tan Renhao picked up the lighter, and then put it down again. "If the U.S. military's scheduled landing time for 6 days is 7 days, or even 6 days, then they should act now."

This is the reason why Tan Renhao judged that the battle would start today. In order to clear the obstacle for the 6th Sentai to ascend to the 6th, the US task force had to attack two days in advance, which was the minimum deadline. Then, the American task force hidden in the Hall Islands must go north as soon as possible and prepare for an attack. Although the US military could not judge the specific location of the Tang Empire's aircraft carrier task force, it could roughly determine a range. If you want to attack the Tang Empire's task force, you must at least let the task force in the south maneuver between Guam and Saipan (the returning bombers can only land on the island airfield, but cannot return to the aircraft carrier), and even maneuver to the sea area between Saipan and Anatahan. And this will take at least more than ten hours of sailing, that is, the American task force was already on the road last night.

Tan Renhao and Hao Dongjue glanced at each other, this time Hao Dongjue didn't ask Tan Renhao to prompt, he immediately went to adjust the deployment of the reconnaissance operation. The first batch of 24 reconnaissance planes is certainly not enough, and in order to ensure that the US fleet does not slip by, it is necessary to increase the number of reconnaissance planes, and the position of the fleet must be a little closer to the southeast, so as to ensure that the distance between the two sides is within the strike range of the Tang Empire's carrier-based bombers when the US fleet is present.

Hao Dongjue quickly mobilized a group of pilots. At 5:15 a.m. (15 minutes later than scheduled, because an extra batch of reconnaissance planes had to be prepared), the first reconnaissance plane, which was loaded with fuel tanks and filled with fuel was ejected from the flight deck of the "Yangtze River" aircraft carrier, and within 15 minutes, 48 "Ospreys" left the flight decks of the two aircraft carriers. The battle order was immediately conveyed, and the fleet quickly entered a state of pre-battle readiness.