When he met Yan Guozhong, Tan Renhao's first judgment was that Yan Guozhong hadn't slept for at least three days, and his eyes were even darker than the newly discovered animal called "Panda". And Yan Guozhong's expression was very haggard, it seemed that not only had he not slept for several days, but he was probably not even in the mood to eat.

When he came to Yan Guozhong's office, Tan Renhao first saw Huang Xiaotian and Chang Jianxin who were chatting in a low voice. After the two saw Tan Renhao, they also stood up immediately, and then nodded at Tan Renhao.

"Now, we're all here." Yan Guozhong's voice was a little hoarse, which was the result of smoking too many cigarettes.

"Don't waste any time, let's get straight to the point. General Tan, when you arrived, we received another piece of information that the US fleet had appeared in the waters north of the Fiji Islands at a speed of about 16 knots, and it was expected that the first batch of warships would arrive at Port Vila on the night of the 9th. And Port Vila can't accommodate all the warships, so there must be a group of warships heading to Brisbane. ”

Tan Renhao nodded slightly. "Where's the battleships that arrived earlier?"

"All of them are in the port of Brisbane, and in addition, the three repaired battleships have also arrived in the port of Brisbane, and we are now numbering this fleet Task Force 31, and the commander should be Rear Admiral Kincaid," Yan Guozhong said, inviting Tan Renhao to sit down. "The situation is already obvious, the US fleet will launch a counterattack by the 15th at the latest, and we are running out of time."

Tan Renhao touched his forehead, this point does not need to be reminded, it is indeed too hasty to plan a combat operation in less than ten days.

"Task Force 1 will arrive at Rabaul in three days. I have already arranged for the mooring of the fleet and the rest of the officers and men. Yan Guozhong continued, "In addition, I also contacted General Hao Dongjue. He would have arrived at Rabaul with the fleet in his hand. ”

Tan Renhao nodded slightly, he didn't sleep on the plane. I've been thinking about this ground operation. Not to mention anything else, just reading the framework document of the battle plan given to him by Gan Yongxing took him several hours.

"General Yan, let's discuss it tomorrow." Chang Jianxin noticed Tan Renhao's tired look, "General Tan has been on the plane for a day. I'm definitely tired, so we'll all have a good rest tonight and we'll discuss the relevant arrangements in detail tomorrow. ”

Yan Guozhong glanced at Tan Renhao, and then laughed awkwardly. "Okay, then we'll talk about it tomorrow. Let's go to dinner first, and everyone has a good rest in the evening. ”

At dinner, no one mentioned the issue of this operation, and everyone knew the difficulty of this operation, so they were all avoiding this issue. I don't want to spoil the atmosphere of this rather hearty dinner. Yan Guozhong drank a few more glasses, but was the first to be helped back to rest by the adjutant. Huang Xiaotian also left immediately after the meal because he still had to deal with the two newly formed small aircraft carriers.

"Let's go out for a walk." Tan Renhao sent out an invitation.

Chang Jianxin nodded. Just let the adjutant not have to follow too closely. After the two walked out of the general's restaurant, they strolled around the barracks.

"Do you know the new chief of staff of the old mineland?" Chang Jianxin first opened the topic, and he did not rush to propose this combat operation.

"I heard Hao Dongjue say that he was newly promoted, right?"

"Yes. I used to be in the dry field of the 1st Task Force, and at first I was assigned to the communications department, and then you left, and you were sent to study for a few months, and then you were assigned to the aviation operations department. He graduated from aviation school, but he studied aviation communications, not aviation operations. Chang Jianxin said as he took out a cigarette, "His name is Zheng Guanhua, do you have any impression?" ”

Tan Renhao thought for a while, then shook his head. "He was a junior officer?"

"Yes, I came here after the establishment of the First Task Force, not from the Fifth Task Force, and when you were the commander of the fleet, he was not an official staff officer, but only a communications officer."

Tan Renhao nodded. "And what about his abilities?"

"Very good, after Huang Xiaotian left, he became the chief of staff of the fleet aviation operations, and his performance was very good, and we have been testing him. Later he was promoted to colonel, and after Lao Lei promoted him to chief of staff of the fleet, he was promoted to brigadier general. ”

"Since you all think he's good, there shouldn't be much of a problem." Tan Renhao stopped, "Old Chang, how is the situation of the Third Task Force now?" ”

"Very good, actually, I think in the Third Task Force, I have more room to play, how to say, I am also from the Orthodox Naval Academy, and the best thing I learned at the beginning was gunnery."

Both laughed. When Chang Zhixin was assigned to the Fifth Fleet, he was still convinced that aircraft carriers could not replace battleships, and he considered himself to be exiled. At that time, Tan Renhao knew that this senior brother, who graduated a few years earlier, was very accomplished in artillery, but his luck was not good.

"I've read the report of Task Force 1 in the Battle of Midway, and perhaps we should have been lucky this time." Chang Jianxin changed the subject, "At least, our opponent is not Spruance, but Halsey. Judging from Spruance's command these few times, he is a difficult opponent, and we have suffered several losses at his hands. Comparatively speaking, Halsey is a little easier to deal with. ”

"Perhaps, Halsey should at least be a little more 'refreshing.'" Tan Renhao smiled and nodded, "This time there are six fleet aircraft carriers, and there may even be six small aircraft carriers entering the Southwest Pacific Theater, Halsey alone cannot command it, with his ability, at most he can command a three-aircraft carrier task force, and the US military is very likely to have three aircraft carrier task forces to participate in combat operations, then Halsey has to appoint two task force commanders, and now, we don't know which two US generals will sit in these two positions." ”

"This is a headache for the intelligence department, even if Halsey only commands a task force, he is also the commander-in-chief." Chang Jianxin hesitated, "Renhao, I've always had a question. I don't know if the suspicion is justified. ”

"What's the doubt?" Tan Renhao leaned on a jeep next to him.

"Don't you think the Coral Sea is a little too small?"

Tan Renhao frowned, but he didn't react immediately.

"I mean, if the U.S. military had deployed so many warships in the Coral Sea.

Isn't it a little too crowded?

Chang Jianxin lit another cigarette, "Even if the U.S. military only has three task forces to participate in the war." And we only sent two task forces to the battle, five task forces, thirteen aircraft carriers, operating in such a narrow sea area, it is very likely to crash into the ground. And. In fact, it is very likely that there will be two battleship task forces, then there will be thirteen more battleships, counting all the escort warships, and the number of battleships concentrated in the Coral Sea is more than three hundred, which is a little too dense! ”

Tan Renhao was secretly surprised. "You're saying it's impossible for the U.S. military to concentrate all of its activities in the Coral Sea?"

Chang Jianxin nodded slightly. "It's like more than 300 people fighting in a small room, and everyone can't use their hands and feet, how can this fight be fought?"

"This analysis makes a lot of sense." Tan Renhao quickly thought about it, "Taking the First Task Force as an example, the fleet's mobile sea area during combat is at least 200,000 square nautical miles. Moreover, this is still a combat maneuver, and actions such as grabbing positions before the operation require a wider sea area. Excluding the strike range of shore-based bombers on both sides, the five-straight task force is enough to fill the entire Coral Sea. It will definitely be a scuffle then. And this situation is even more unfavorable to the US military, and if we lose both, we will take advantage, and the US military's losses will definitely be greater. And there is no hope for their counterattack. ”

"There's definitely something wrong with that."

Tan Renhao let out a sigh and didn't hurry to speak. The question he started asking made his mind much more flexible, and then he noticed some problems that he hadn't noticed before. While thinking about it, Tan Renhao glanced at Chang Jianxin from time to time, which made Chang Jianxin a little inexplicable.

"Chang, don't you think the efficiency of the intelligence department during this period is a little scary?"

"What do you mean?" Chang Jiexin had already lit his third cigarette, and he hadn't had a good rest in a few days.

"I mean, the information came too quickly during this time. There is information from the Military Intelligence Agency, and there is ground intelligence from our submarines and aircraft. This information has been confirmed, but is it a little too frequent? Before that, it was difficult for us to get a piece of useful information for several months, but now, in less than ten days, we have obtained so much information, and we have also judged the movements of the main fleet of the US army, and judged the direction of the enemy's main counterattack, don't you think this is a bit of a problem? ”

Chang Zhixin frowned, and then quickly thought about it. Tan Renhao didn't continue, he hadn't thought it through, this was just one aspect of what he thought of based on the new question he asked.

"Renhao, have you noticed a little?" Chang Jiexin broke the silence, "Why did the Yankees show their intentions? ”

Tan Renhao was taken aback and immediately said, "You mean that the U.S. military is deliberately leaking their whereabouts to us?" ”

"Think about it carefully, if the U.S. military wants to launch a key counterattack in the southwest Pacific, will it be easier to succeed in a strong attack or a surprise attack?"

Tan Renhao nodded, this question didn't need to be answered at all.

"A surprise attack is the most effective way to attack, if the U.S. forces can stealthily transfer the fleet over.

Not to mention, even a task force with three aircraft carriers, plus the ground forces here, will be more likely to succeed in their counterattack until we don't send more fleets over.

By the time we increase our forces in the southwest Pacific, the US military will already have the initiative, and when the time comes, if they arrange more fleets to participate in the war, then we will be in a state of complete passivity, and we will not even have the opportunity to organize defense. But now, the U.S. military has blatantly sent so many fleets over, we will definitely arrange all the main fleets in a-for-tat manner, even if the U.S. forces still have the advantage of troops, but they can no longer surprise attack, they can only attack, and the result of the strong attack is likely to be a defeat for both sides, and they will not get any benefits! ”

Tan Renhao glanced at Chang Jianxin again, this analysis is completely correct, if he is the commander of the US army, he should make a big deal on the side of Midway, and then take advantage of the Tang Imperial fleet to concentrate in the waters of Midway Island to immediately raid the Solomon Islands and Port Moresby and launch a strategic counterattack, and when the Tang Imperial fleet is transferred over, the main fleet of the US army is also transferred, and in the case of occupying the first hand, even if it is a strong attack, there is more certainty of victory.

"That's really problematic." Chang Jianxin took out the fourth cigarette, "Does Halsey really want to fight a tough battle with us?" ”

"Halsey is only the commander of the campaign, it is impossible for him to plan a strategic counterattack, it is ...... who determines the strategic counterattack" Tan Renhao was stunned for a moment, and immediately looked up at Chang Jianxin. Chang, have you thought of it? ”

"What?" Chang Jianxin also immediately looked at Tan Renhao.

"Why don't we think the other way around?" Tan Renhao immediately walked quickly in the direction of the headquarters, "The U.S. military is carrying out counterattack deployment in the direction of the southwest Pacific with great fanfare, and their purpose may be to attract our main fleet to this side, and the direction of the U.S. military's counterattack is not here, but the Central Pacific!" ”

Chang Jianxin quickly followed. "Then we need to warn immediately, hopefully it's still too late!"

The two quickly rushed into the headquarters, found the communications staff officer on duty, and asked him to immediately send the telegram back to the naval headquarters. The submarine cable has not yet reached Lae, so the naval command can only be contacted by telegraph. After the telegram was sent, neither of them rushed to leave, and added a code to the end of the telegram for an immediate reply.

After waiting for an hour, a call back from the command of the Navy came. As soon as the communications staff officer translated the telegram, Tan Renhao snatched it up, and after reading it, he gave the telegram to Chang Jianxin, and at the same time breathed a sigh of relief.

"Fortunately, at least Task Force 2 hasn't been hit yet." Chang Jianxin also breathed a sigh of relief.

"Our warnings didn't have much effect.

Tan Renhao sat down, "The chief of staff and the principal only issued a warning to the second task force, and if the strategic deployment is to be revised, the principal needs more evidence and more intelligence, and they will not listen to our biased words, we have no evidence at all!" ”

Both fell silent, both praying that their analysis was wrong, not correct.