After the new theater system was finalized, the responsibilities of the naval command were greatly reduced, and the tasks were greatly reduced. In the past, the Navy Command was responsible for the planning of campaigns, and for this purpose the Navy Command maintained several hundred staff officers and three main staff bodies, which were responsible for the planning of campaigns in the Pacific, Indian Ocean, and South Atlantic. Now that the planning of the campaign has been entrusted to the theater of operations, at least in the Pacific direction, this task is entrusted to the theater command, and as a result, the size of the naval command is also being reduced.

After returning to Zhoushan, Tan Renhao first conveyed the principal's meaning to Gan Yongxing, and then the two began to plan for the strategic direction. In other words, the naval command only needs to come up with the purpose of the campaign, and the specific campaign operations are entrusted to the two theater commands with full responsibility. What Tan Renhao and Gan Yongxing have to do is only to issue the campaign objectives that need to be achieved, and then the theater command will submit a specific campaign plan and campaign requirements, and the naval command will be responsible for the overall management of the rear, distribute the campaign resources needed by the theater, coordinate the combat operations of other theaters in the course of the campaign, and finally wait for the theater command to report the results of the campaign.

This relationship is simple and straightforward, the work burden of the naval command has been greatly reduced, and the pressure on Gan Yongxing has also been much less; from a stricter point of view, Gan Yongxing has actually become the commander-in-chief of logistics for the commanders of the various theaters, and his responsibilities are more reflected in ensuring the smooth implementation of the campaign plan in the various theaters and coordinating the actions between the theaters. Three days later, Gan Yongxing issued campaign requirements to the Pacific Theater Command and the Southwest Pacific Theater Command. At this time, Liao Hanxiang and Yan Guozhong had just taken office, and it would take several days for them to come up with a specific battle plan.

"What the principal means is that Task Force 1 will go to the Southwest Pacific Theater and cooperate with Task Force 3 to assist Team 6 in attacking the Bismarck Islands and New Guinea Islands."

Gan Yongxing moved his buttocks, "So, you should stay for a few more days, I have already called Hao Dongjue, and the training of the First Task Force has just ended." Now the officers and soldiers are being given a break. After Admiral Yan Guozhong submits the plan, it will not be too late for you to come out. ”

Tan Renhao had no choice but to accept this opinion, and Gan Yongxing kept him in order to ask him to review the battle plans submitted by the two theaters. At present, the strategic steps taken by the navy are basically determined by Tan Renhao, and he also knows this strategic step best, so he is naturally the most able to know most clearly whether there are any loopholes in the operational plan submitted by the theater. In addition, now the command of the Navy is being laid off. Many staff officers have been assigned to the theater headquarters, and Gan Yongxing is about to become a "bare-bones commander", and he also hopes that Tan Renhao can stay for a while longer. From a personal point of view, Tan Renhao naturally wanted to stay in Zhoushan for a few more days, at least to be able to eat a few more dinners at home.

"Do you think that allowing Task Force 2 to operate alone in the Central Pacific can stop the attack of the US military?"

"Chief of Staff, there is really nothing to worry about on this issue."

Tan Renhao has actually been thinking about this, if he doesn't take into account the importance of the Southwest Pacific, he would prefer to lead the First Task Force to deal with Wake Island. Instead of leaving Task Force 2 to carry out this task. "Let's put it this way. Lei Shaoqing does have some shortcomings, especially as an aircraft carrier commander, he is more than cautious. Insufficient entry. But I believe that this is not a problem, and he will definitely continue to improve. In the Wake Island direction, our main task is actually defensive, not offensive. It will not be very difficult to take Wake Island, and when the time comes, if the US aircraft carrier battle group dares to find trouble, Lei Shaoqing will not be able to seize the opportunity to destroy the enemy, and with his steadiness, it will not be a problem to hold Wake Island. When the time comes. After we start a fight in the southwest Pacific, the US Navy will inevitably withdraw its fleet in the direction of Wake Island and reinforce the Southwest Pacific theater of operations. And it was we who really had to face the Enterprise, not Task Force 2. ”

Gan Yongxing nodded slightly. "And how sure are you?"

"Chief of Staff, it's hard for me to answer this question."

Tan Renhao smiled and shook his head, "I don't make any promises until I kill the enemy, or be killed by the enemy. ”

"It seems that you are getting more and more savvy."

Gan Yongxing said. He pulled out a cigarette. "Okay, you go back and rest early today, Liao Hanxiang and Yan Guozhong should submit the battle plan in the last two days, and we will discuss it later."

Tan Renhao didn't delay much, it was already past six o'clock in the evening, and he had to hurry back for dinner.

Two days later, the Pacific Theater's operational plan was first submitted to the Navy Command, which was not only Liao Hanxiang's arrangements for the campaign, but also the requirements of the campaign and other aspects. Tan Renhao went to Gan Yongxing's office immediately after receiving the news, and what surprised him a little was that Marshal Nie Renfeng had already rushed back from the capital and was looking through the battle plan submitted by Liao Hanxiang in detail.

"There is no earth problem overall."

Nie Renfeng took off his old glasses, he nodded at Tan Renhao, motioned for Tan Renhao to come and sit down, and then said to Gan Yongxing, "Our guarantee is very important, can we meet the requirements put forward by General Liao Hanxiang?" ”

"No problem, I'll arrange it as soon as possible."

Nie Renfeng handed over the document to Gan Yongxing, and then said to Tan Renhao: "I just came back from the capital, and Liao Hanxiang submitted a detailed plan, and it seems that he also spent a lot of time. I looked at it with the chief of staff and thought it wasn't a big problem. ”

"All aspects have been considered, but Liao Hanxiang has a great appetite."

Gan Yongxing gave the document to Tan Renhao, "Judging from his plan, maybe he is not only going to attack Wake Island, but also wants to take Midway Island in one go." ”

Tan Renhao was secretly taken aback, and then quickly opened the battle plan. In order to attack Wake Island, Liao Hanxiang applied for two 6th Divisions, plus three heavy bomber regiments, sufficient boarding 6 ships, and ammunition and supplies needed to maintain at least two 6th Divisions for three months. After reading it, Tan Renhao also laughed, Liao Hanxiang's posture really doesn't look like he is going to attack Wake Island, if he is given a few more 6th divisions and two fleets, he may go to attack the Hawaiian Islands.

"What do you think?"

"The plan is very good, it is indeed detailed and comprehensive, and the requirements are very rich."

Tan Renhao didn't say too much about his father-in-law, "If we use these forces to attack Wake Island, it will be nine times out of ten, but will this affect our combat operations in the southwest Pacific direction?" ”

"The impact shouldn't be very big. Yan Guozhong's side mobilized at most five troops of the 6th Division, and there were many islands that needed to be captured, so the troops invested at one time would not be too large, and the requirements for boarding the 6th ships would not be very high. ”

Gan Yongxing sat next to Tan Renhao, "We have roughly calculated that the 6 ships we have now can send at least three 6th divisions ashore at one time, and after deducting the loss of ground in actual combat, it is enough to ensure that the troops of the two divisions go ashore." We can assign a 6-division of 6 ships to the Pacific theater of operations. The rest is left to Yan Guozhong. In this way, in the South-West Pacific, we can guarantee the delivery of at least one and a half divisions of combat units at one time. Of course, the islands here are relatively dense, and as long as we capture the first island, it will be much less difficult to climb 6 battles in the future. ”

"If that's the case, then is it necessary for us to attack Midway?"

Talking about Renhao's question made Nie Renfeng and Gan Yongxing both embarrassed, geographically speaking, Midway Island is more important than Wake Island, if Midway Island is defeated. You can use Midway as a springboard. Gradually conquer the entire Hawaiian Islands, but in the same way, it will be very difficult to attack Midway. The U.S. military has hundreds of warplanes on Midway. In addition, a large number of warplanes were deployed on the nearby islands, and the garrison on Midway exceeded 5ooo people, and there were huge fortifications, and if you really wanted to attack Midway, you would need to invest at least two 6th divisions and at least four aircraft carriers, and at present, it is impossible to gather so many troops.

"We'll think about this later."

Nie Renfeng changed the subject, "First of all, we must make sure to take Wake Island." Push our front more than a thousand nautical miles further east. At that time, whether the U.S. military moves south to fight with us for islands in the southwest Pacific or counterattacks from the Hawaiian Islands, we will have plenty of room for strategic detours. Liao Hanxiang needs to ensure victory in order to open such a high demand. ”

"Whether it is necessary to attack Midway depends on our results in the southwest Pacific, and if necessary, it is not too late for us to plan an offensive operation here."

"Okay, then we need to wait for General Yan Guozhong's battle plan."

Because the Southwest Pacific theater of operations was hastily and gradually. It wasn't until Nie Renfeng went to the capital that it was finally decided, so Yan Guozhong needed more time to organize the theater headquarters and the theater staff, so he submitted the battle plan three days late.

As the number one general of the empire's 6th team, Yan Guozhong emphasized the difficulties and dangers of fighting on the 6th in his plan. In the battle plan he submitted, the Deng-6 operation was the core of the core. In this plan, it was necessary to first secure the city of Lae in the eastern part of the island of New Guinea, and use it as a base to first capture the island of New Britain, then move south to sweep the Bismarck and Solomon Islands, and finally sweep the New Hebrides and march into New Caledonia. The first phase of the campaign was the focus of the attack on Lae and the island of New Britain. After completing these two steps, the entire Bismarck Islands were swept away, and the Bismarck Islands were established as the main base of the Imperial Navy in the southwest Pacific. If the Great 6 regions of Australia are to be attacked in the future, then the Bismarck Islands and the island of Timor in the South Seas will become the base camp of the empire in both the east and west directions.

In order to ensure victory, the battle demand put forward by Yan Guozhong was high. He needed at least eight 6th Divisions, three of which were in reserve, additional ships that could transport two 6th Divisions, three months' worth of ammunition for eight 6th Divisions, and a convoy of transports that could meet the simultaneous needs of five 6th Divisions. In addition, it is necessary to assemble at least 15oo combat aircraft of the HNA and at least two heavy bomber divisions, two, preferably supported by three task forces. In other words, at that time, Yan Guozhong needed more than sixty percent of the front-line combat troops of the Imperial Navy!

This request could not be met immediately, and at that time only five 6th Divisions could be assembled at most, but the Navy Command assured that three 6th Divisions would be sent to the front as soon as possible. HNA bombers are not a problem, but the problem is that if the 6th Squadron is not able to quickly seize the US airfield in Lae and open up several new field airfields, then HNA bombers will not be able to deploy in the past. The heavy bombers of the Strategic Strike Force will be deployed mainly in the western part of the island of New Guinea, in the area controlled by the Tang Empire, and a number will also be stationed on Pohnpei Island. The First Task Force and the Third Task Force will take part in combat operations in the Southwest Pacific Theater, while the newly formed Fourth Task Force will carry out training missions in the South China Sea and can be transferred to the theater at any time. The biggest problem was the seaborne force, and the six ships that the navy was able to assemble at that time could only reach about seventy percent of Yan Guozhong's requirements.

When a conflict arises between the theater of operations and the naval command, the two sides will resolve it through consultation. Under the direct intervention of Nie Renfeng, Yan Guozhong finally lowered his requirements, at the cost of reducing the scale of the Deng 6 operation, the first wave of Deng 6 will focus on Lae, with the key goal of seizing the port and airport of Lae, and after consolidating the stronghold of Lae, he will send troops to sweep the island of New Britain. In exchange, the Navy was to organize a small fleet of four heavy cruisers, more than two dozen destroyers, which would be handed over to the direct command of Yan Guozhong. Under the circumstances, it was impossible for the 1st Task Force to charge ahead, and the 3rd Task Force was too large to be suitable for combat operations in a narrow sea area, and the 6th Squadron needed a small but capable fleet to ensure sea supremacy at night (which was the case later) and was busy until late July, when the battle plans for the two theaters were finalized. The Pacific Theater will begin operations to attack Wake Island at the end of July, while the Southwest Pacific Theater will begin operations in the city of 6 Rai by the beginning of August at the latest. Relevant combat units are also being deployed quickly. On July 23, Tan Renhao boarded a transport plane and returned to the port of Naha.

As the plane left Zhoushan, Tan Renhao looked at the islands below. He had a hunch that after leaving Zhoushan this time, he might not be able to come back for a long time.