When trucks and oil trucks were sending aviation fuel over, Tan Renhao also received the latest news from the headquarters. In the past few days, Tan Renhao has been in contact with the naval command. However, instead of using the fleet's communication channel, he "usurped" Qian Shouxin's communication equipment and used the radio station at the port base to communicate with the naval command. This was mainly to prevent the Japanese side from knowing the whereabouts of the task force.

"Yesterday, the Japanese Combined Fleet had already left Tokyo Bay." As the chief of staff of the fleet, Lei Shaoqing is still responsible for the intelligence work of the fleet. "Judging from the telegrams sent by the intelligence officers and the submarines, the Japanese Combined Fleet is now heading south at full speed, and it is expected that the Japanese Combined Fleet will go to the Volcanic Islands to replenish fuel, or join up with another fleet north from Truk there."

Many staff officers looked at Tan Renhao and Lei Shaoqing, even Hao Dongjue and Chang Jianxin.

"Now the Japanese Navy has three, maybe five, aircraft carriers." Tan Renhao took over Lei Shaoqing's words, "The 'Fengxiang' and 'Long Yao' have been renovated in the shipyard before, and according to the information provided by the Intelligence Bureau, the flight deck of the 'Fengxiang' has been lengthened to 180 meters, so that new fighters can take off. In addition, the 'Dragon Scream' has also been transformed. And last month, the two aircraft carriers left the shipyard and conducted a series of sea trials in Tokyo Bay. ”

"That is, we have the possibility of encountering five Japanese aircraft carriers." Lei Shaoqing pointed to a chart hanging on the blackboard, "However, we still have an advantage in terms of aviation strength. Of Japan's five aircraft carriers, three large fleet aircraft carriers each carry 84 combat aircraft. The two small aircraft carriers carry even fewer fighters, and the maximum number of combat aircraft they carry is between 300 and 330, while the number of combat aircraft of our three air groups is more than 330. In addition, the long-range fighters of the Army Aviation on the island of Ryukyu will be responsible for providing cover for the fleet, the bombers of the Army Aviation will take on some reconnaissance missions, and the anti-submarine patrol aircraft deployed on this side. Therefore, we are no worse than the Japanese fleet in strength. ”

"Chief of Staff. And what about the battleships of the Japanese fleet? "An officer asked a question.

"Now the Japanese Navy has at least five, if not six, battleships." Tan Renhao pressed his hand. did not let Lei Shaoqing speak. "However, the battleship poses little threat to us. Now the sea conditions in the western Pacific are very good, which is very suitable for aircraft carrier operations. We didn't give the Japanese fleet a chance to get close at all, and at most we could just escape. As for the Japanese battleships, what do we have to worry about? The Japanese 1st Battlefleet was almost completely annihilated, and it is believed that the little devils decided to let the battleships charge before they decided to charge. I'm sure I'll think about what to do with our bombers. ”

Everyone laughed, the bombing of the Japanese First Battlefleet can be said to be a classic example, but the navy also summed up the bombing and asked the fleet commander to avoid night battles as much as possible during the battle. In particular, the returning bombers landed on the aircraft carrier without any navigation signals at night, which was simply playing with their lives. However, this order will be on Tan Renhao for the time being, and whether Tan Renhao will abide by such a regulation, God knows.

"Still. The anti-aircraft fire on the Japanese battleships was very fierce, and if the Japanese side let the battleships escort the aircraft carriers, then we would suffer a great loss. Of course, there are also doubts.

"That's a good question, but don't we have five large cruisers with no worse anti-aircraft firepower than the Japanese battleships?" Tan Renhao laughed. "It is undeniable that battleships with several hundred anti-aircraft guns installed were the backbone of the air defense of the fleet. However, among the Japanese battleships, the firepower of the four "Kongo" class ships was not strong, and the speed of the other places could not keep up. The only threat was the Yamato. However, the 'Yamato' has only only been put into service, and the quality of its crew is doubtful. And in other respects, we have an advantage, 5 large air defense cruisers. There were also more than a dozen heavy cruisers. The anti-aircraft fire on these ships was very powerful. Therefore, we are in terms of fleet air defense. By no means worse than the Japanese fleet. ”

"The key now is that we need to figure out the purpose of the Japanese fleet." Lei Shaoqing didn't wait for the other staff officers to speak, and said, "The fleet will go to sea this evening to covertly approach the Japanese fleet and look for fighters." Our fuel can be used for seven days, and within seven days, the naval command will arrange a replenishment operation at sea. However, we believe that these seven days will be enough time for us to take out the Japanese Combined Fleet. ”

After the meeting, the staff officers immediately went to prepare for departure. Tan Renhao felt that there was nothing to do. He hadn't forgotten what he had talked to Nie Renfeng and Gan Yongxing that day, but he couldn't tell anyone else about these things. This time the Japanese fleet suddenly went south, obviously not only to find the decisive battle of the Tang Imperial naval fleet.

"Renhao, are you worried about the Japanese fleet?" After the staff officers all went out, Lei Shaoqing came over, and took out a cigarette, and now he also has the "privilege" of smoking in the cabin.

"The Japanese fleet has nothing to worry about." Tan Renhao smiled bitterly, and then took the cigarette handed by Lei Shaoqing, "If the Japanese side wants to fight to the death this time, it will be an opportunity for us, and I am worried about another country." ”

Lei Shaoqing frowned slightly. "You say the United States of America?"

Tan Renhao nodded and said, "Have you read the news in the past few days, as well as the navy's battle report?" ”

Lei Shaoqing didn't speak, he knew that Tan Renhao hadn't finished speaking.

"The United States of America has repeatedly protested against our submarine attacks on ships flying their flag. And in the past few days, our submarine forces have attacked several convoys heading for Japan, many of which are under the flag of the United States of America. Tan Renhao walked to the chart table, "Come and see." This time the Japanese fleet suddenly went south, while Truk's fleet went south. Are they going to the Volcanic Islands? This is obviously unlikely, there is no port on Iwo Jima for so many warships. So where are they going? ”

"Guam?" Lei Shaoqing was taken aback, it was an overseas territory of the United States of America.

This is the only explanation. If the Japanese fleet was going to rendezvous in the waters near Guam, then what was the attitude of the United States of America in this war? ”

Lei Shaoqing was silent, obviously he had to think about this issue.

That night, the fleet "quietly" left the port of Naha. The fleet did not sail directly to the east, but first to the south. According to the plan, the aircraft carrier units of the three groups will reach the aircraft carrier at dawn, and the ground bombers will be on the ground. In addition, HNA's anti-submarine patrol aircraft will take on the first round of reconnaissance missions. However, there is little point in such reconnaissance operations. At least the fleet of the Japanese Navy could not have appeared in the waters near the Ryukyu Islands so soon.

Tan Renhao didn't sleep all night, he stayed in the headquarters all the time. Before the fleet set off, the news and intelligence he received made Tan Renhao always feel that there were many problems in this combat operation.

The United States of America has moved its Pacific Fleet home port from San Diego to Pearl Harbor, the Hawaiian archipelago. And the Pacific Fleet of the United States of America, which has eight battleships, three aircraft carriers, more than a dozen heavy cruisers, is not under the size of the 1st Task Force. It was also the largest deterrent of the United States of America in the Pacific at that time, especially those eight battleships. It has always been the biggest imaginary enemy of the Tang Empire's navy. At the same time, the United States of America also sent several diplomatic notes to the Tang Empire, demanding that the Tang Empire stop attacking transport ships flying the flag of the United States of America. The Imperial Government did not react much, and the submarines of the Imperial Navy were still searching the route from Tokyo to San Francisco for convoys bound for Japan, and any transport ships were on the list of places to attack.

The same situation occurred in the Atlantic, where the submarine forces of the German Reich did it more directly. The submarines of the Tang Empire also attacked the convoy close to the Japanese side, and did not take the initiative to run to the side close to the United States of America to carry out a sneak attack (the range was not enough), and the submarines of the German Empire even appeared in the waters off the east coast of the United States of America. Outcome. The United States of America, in the absence of several fruitless diplomatic notes, has announced that it will send destroyers to escort the convoy of the United States of America, which will be replaced by the convoys of the British Empire and the Kingdom of France in the middle of the Atlantic. And during more than two months of escort operations, the warships of the United States of America had already exchanged fire with the submarines of the German Empire several times.

The problem is already very obvious, the United States of America is gradually falling to the side of the "anti-Tang alliance" and has already taken real action in the Atlantic. Though. At present, the United States of America has not yet taken escort operations in the Pacific, but with the gradual expansion of the size of the Tang Empire's ocean-going submarine group, and with the gradual expansion of the Tang Empire's maritime strangulation of Japan, one day, the United States of America will participate in this war field.

This is what Tan Renhao is worried about. The Mariana Islands are part of the Overseas Territory of the United States of America, which now has more than 30,000 marines and hundreds of combat aircraft deployed on Guam, Saipan and Tinian Islands (the three largest islands in the Mariana Islands), including a number of newly equipped -17 Flying Fortress heavy bombers. Dozens of patrol aircraft. These bombers posed a great threat to the fleet of the Don Empire. Even if the United States of America has no intention of entering the war. Not ready to fight the Tang Empire for a life-and-death battle, but the United States of America could provide intelligence support to Japan. Bombers and reconnaissance planes were used to find the fleet of the Tang Empire, and after discovering it, it was reported to Japan. This would be enough to threaten the security of Task Force 1.

War with the United States of America is not something that Tan Renhao needs to think about, and he is not very afraid of the naval fleet of the United States of America. The problem, however, is that if the United States of America is using its status as a neutral country to secretly help Japan, then it will be difficult for him to cope. Thinking of this, Tan Renhao's gaze fell on the chart, and suddenly a thought suddenly flashed in his mind.

"Lei Shaoqing!" Tan Renhao looked back and saw that there were only staff officers on duty in the cabin, and he immediately called the nearest staff officer over, "Where is the chief of staff?" ”

"I don't know, it's still going to start, probably to arrange things for the morning."

"Then go get him." Tan Renhao took out his cigarette and felt that his words were a little heavy at the beginning, so he smiled and nodded at the staff officer. He also came from the staff officers, and he was well aware of the status of these staff officers, as well as his views on the commanders.

After a while, Lei Shaoqing rushed over.

"Shaoqing, come and take a look." Tan Renhao didn't wait for Lei Shaoqing to speak, so he pulled him over, "I told you yesterday that it is possible for the Japanese fleet to rendezvous near Guam, and now, I'm sure they must meet here!" ”

Lei Shaoqing glanced at Tan Renhao and wondered why.

"Yokohama's Japanese fleet departed almost simultaneously with Truk's, and both were sailing at maximum cruising speed. If you look closely, if they were to rendezvous at the Volcanic Islands, then Truk's fleet should have departed two days earlier. Tan Renhao sneered, "Kondo Takeshin's Second Battlefleet arrived in Truk a month ago, and at the speed of this fleet, they would not be able to meet near the Volcanic Islands unless they sailed at full speed at the beginning. Therefore, their only option was to rendezvous near Guam. ”

"Why Guam?" Lei Shaoqing was even more puzzled, "Could it be that the United States of America is going to provide the port to the Japanese fleet for use?" If this is the case, there will be no doubt that we will enter the war, and when the time comes, we will be able to attack the Mariana Islands in the name of justice. ”

"But we don't have enough troops to attack the Mariana Islands, and the United States of America won't do that." Tan Renhao sat down, "However, the United States can help Japan's merchant ships, so the Japanese side can let their oil tankers dock here." In the same way, American bombers could actually help the Japanese fleet find us in the name of patrol or training, and that would not be a violation of the laws of war. In the same way, American fighter jets can also be used as patrols to keep us from approaching Guam. In other words, the Japanese fleet can receive intelligence support and air defense cover from the United States, and the Japanese fleet can launch an attack on us in a relatively safe environment! ”

Lei Shaoqing glanced at Tan Renhao in surprise. "In that case, we don't have a very good chance this time."

Tan Renhao was silent, judging the enemy's situation, it does not mean that he has defeated the enemy. The question now is how to wipe out the Japanese fleet without going to war with the United States. This is indeed a matter of examining people, and Tan Renhao didn't know what to do for a while.