"Commander, the report of the Palmyra Atoll garrison that the American infantry has gone to the reef, and a fierce battle is currently going on on the reef!"

Inside the heavy mine cruiser "Kitakami", the flagship of the 8th Fleet, the chief of staff of the fleet, Shen Shigetoku, was reporting to his superior, Mikawa Gunichi, the news he had just received. Pen, fun, pavilion www. biquge。 info

Because of Yamamoto Fifty-six's protection, Mikawa Junichi and Shen Shigetoku did not lose their official positions and resigned, but the spirit of both of them was much more restrained. Especially Sanchuan, the whole person looks a little gloomy.

The two heavy mine-mounted light cruisers, the USS Kitakami and the USS Oi, and 10 destroyers of the Yukumo-class arrived at Pearl Harbor in the early hours of 12 February to join the Eighth Fleet. Yamamoto's initial plan to transfer the three Kaohsiung-class heavy cruisers to Pearl Harbor was abandoned because Nagumo Tadaichi was worried that they would be attacked by US fighters on the way.

Therefore, the main combat strength of the fleet of the Mikawa Gunichi is 2 heavy thunder cruisers, 2 "Island Wind" class and 10 "Yuyun" class. A heavy thunder ship of all colors is the most suitable for night combat and sneak attacks.

Therefore, when Mikawa attacked Palmyra Atoll this time, he simply did not use the heavy cruiser (there was also a heavy cruiser "Kinugasa" in the 8th Fleet that was intact) as the flagship, but boarded the heavy mine and light cruiser "Oi".

Moreover, in the list of ships that went out of battle, there were no heavy cruisers, ordinary light cruisers, and ordinary destroyers, but 14 cruisers and destroyers equipped with heavy mines -- in the eyes of Mikawa Junichi and Shen Shigetoku, those ships that did not have "heavy mines" were basically useless in night raids and sneak attacks. It's also a burden to take them with you, so it's better to go out with all the heavy mineships.

As for night artillery battles or something, there is no need to think about it at all. The level of night artillery warfare of the Americans is clearly there, and the main forces of the Combined Fleet may be able to fight it, otherwise they will definitely not be able to defeat it with a few old cruisers of the 8th Fleet.

So this time, the plan formulated by Shen Zhongde was a sneak torpedo attack, and if he encountered the capital ship of the Americans, he would release two waves of mines and escape. If you are lucky enough to touch the vicinity of the US landing ship, then you will go on a killing spree and sink as many as you want -- this is a war of attrition, consuming ships, human lives, and fuel, depending on who can't withstand it first.

In addition to the adjustment of the mode of operation, the way the fleet moves and retreats has also changed. No longer advance and retreat in formation, but spread out and walk, so as not to be swept away by the carrier-based aircraft of the Americans. Wait until it is close to Palmyra Atoll before converging to form a lightning strike formation.

Of course, there is air cover. The 1,300 kilometers south of Pearl Harbor were covered by shore-based aircraft (Hurricane and Zero), and the last 400 kilometers (about 216 nautical miles) were covered by night cover and the high-speed advance of ships, which were completed in eight hours.

According to the plan, the 8th Fleet's 1st Lightning Strike Team will break into the vicinity of Palmyra Atoll in the early hours of February 15 and will have to disperse after a maximum of four hours.

However, unlike the last time when the surface fleet attacked alone near Midway, this time the submarines belonging to the Japanese 6th Fleet will also launch a sneak attack.

"It's good to fight," Mikawa Junichi exhaled softly, "so that all the big ships of the Americans can't leave and retreat to the open sea." ”

Shen Chongde smiled coldly and said, "Commander, if the Americans' big ships dare to leave, we will use naval guns to destroy their landing force!" If their big ships don't go, the 300 93 torpedoes on 14 heavy mineships will be able to show their skills, and they can sink a few cruisers, and maybe even a battleship.

Now the Americans can quickly produce light cruisers and destroyers, but not battleships and heavy cruisers. According to reliable intelligence, the Americans now had only 9-10 battleships, the British (Canada) had 5, and the USSR had several...... However, the Soviet Union did not dare to go to war with the Reich now, so the Americans really had only 14 or 5 battleships, far less than ours. ”

The two Soviet Kronstadt-class battlecruisers did follow the U.S. 3rd Fleet to the Pacific, but they did not appear near Christmas Island and Palmyra Atoll. Instead, it escorted a huge convoy of transports through the North Pacific route to Vladivostok, and in addition to the escort ships of the Red Navy, these two Soviet battle cruisers were accompanied by a submarine formation of up to 136 ships in total!

In this time and space, it was not only the capital ships of the Soviet Red Navy that fought side by side with the British and American navies, but also the submarine forces of the Red Navy, which were equipped with large units.

Based in the continental United States and Canada, they fought side by side with British (Canadian) and American submarine forces in the Atlantic, and although they paid a lot of casualties, they also achieved good results, sinking hundreds of thousands of tons of gross tonnage of European Community ships.

Now, the final decisive battle in the western theater of the Soviet Union is about to begin, in order to prevent Japan from taking advantage of the fire and looting. The remaining submarines of the Soviet Red Navy will all be concentrated in Vladivostok, and once Japan starts a war against the Soviet Union, they will immediately enter the Sea of Japan and the coast of China to break up diplomatic relations -- this is the submarine force that has been fighting with Dönitz in the Atlantic theater for more than a year!

And most of the submarines they have are not original Soviet-made (all damaged), but American-made submarines of the "Little Shark" class!

However, the submarines of the Red Navy did not attract the attention of the Japanese Navy, and their eyes were only fixed on the two powerful Kronstadt-class ships......

Japan's Eighth Fleet and submarine forces, which were ordered to engage in a tug-of-war of attrition with the United States near the Hawaiian Islands, also aimed their main targets at large US surface ships.

"Commander, the detective has found the target!"

Just as the lightning strike battle of the Japanese 8th Fleet took advantage of the cover of night and quietly approached the waters near Palmyra Atoll, the captain of the Kitakami suddenly reported, "At 10 o'clock, the distance is 28,000 meters, and the number is 8...... It's like a big ship! ”

Mikawa Junichi and Shen Chongde looked at each other when they heard this: The time has come for the 93 torpedo to show its skills!

"Sir, the Japanese fleet has discovered us, and they have formed a lightning strike formation."

Almost at the same time, with the heavy cruiser USS Northampton as its flagship, Arleigh . Brigadier General Burke also received a report from the staff officer.

In fact, the whereabouts of the Japanese lightning strike fleet after its merger were constantly under the surveillance of Katarina's seaplanes. Otherwise, Ali. Burke's patrol group would not have appeared right in front of the Japanese fleet......

"Let the destroyers charge!" Ali. Burke told his chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Austin, that "all the heavy cruisers were not allowed to fire without orders, and the four T2 tankers maintained their current speed and course, continuing to camouflage the heavy cruisers." ”

There is no doubt that Arlie. Burke put a trap on the Japanese, defrauding the Japanese with 4 empty T2 tankers posing as heavy cruisers 93 torpedoes...... This is a small trick commonly used in the Guyana-Caribbean battlefield, because the destroyers and mine-strike ships in Europe and the United States are all "waves", and there are no torpedoes to spare, that is, those contained in the torpedo tubes, and after the fight, they have to find ammunition ships to replenish them.

Therefore, it is a common trick of the US military to deceive the German and Italian mine-strike ships, and then the high-speed destroyers rush up to fight an artillery battle.

However, he will definitely be surprised today, because the Japanese Yugumo-class and Shimakaze-class destroyers have torpedoes on hand.

In addition, the Japanese 3rd Submarines Force, which consisted of 7 submarines, had also infiltrated the battlefield near Palmyra Atoll at this time, preparing to go on a killing spree.

"Your Excellency Commander, the ships are ready for torpedo attacks!"

At about 3:30 a.m. on February 16, 1944, Hawaii time, the chief of staff of the 8th Fleet, Kamishigetoku, loudly reported to Commander Gunichi Mikawa on the status of torpedo preparations (93 torpedoes should be oxygenated before launch).

"Mixi!" The Mikawa army was very satisfied with the quick movements of his subordinates, and it was indeed a well-trained Japanese navy!

"Order the ships, start the charge, speed 31 knots (two heavy thunder light cruisers can only drive to 31.7 knots) ......"

"Report!" Before Sanchuan's order was finished, he was interrupted by the shouts of the staff officer, "The teleprobe has discovered the enemy ship, and there are more than 15 ships in the direction of 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock, and 10 o'clock, and they are heading towards us at high speed!" All are light ships...... It should be a destroyer! ”

What the? The Mikawa Army was stunned one by one, and more than 15 American destroyers charged at high speed...... Is this going to be a lightning strike? Americans actually play night lightning strikes?

……

"Baga, Mikawa Junichi is really a big fool, the lightning strike team under his command was actually attacked by the lightning strike formation of the Americans, and also lost 5 Yukumo-class, and the Ojing was also heavily damaged......"

In the middle of the night on February 16, Tokyo time, the disappointing battle report of the 8th Fleet was once again delivered to Yamamoto Isoroku and Nagano Shuse.

The first night battle at Palmyra Atoll, which had just ended a few hours earlier, had gone wrong again -- the Japanese lightning formation had met the American lightning formation, and a torpedo-to-torpedo melee had taken place on both sides.

As a result, 5 powerful Yugumo-class destroyers were sunk by American torpedoes and naval artillery, and the 6900-ton lightning light cruiser was also beaten and bruised by the American heavy cruisers, and now they are still on the way to retreat, and I don't know if they can be saved?

Of course, the mine-striking ships of the 8th Japanese Fleet and the submarines of the 6th Fleet were not without gains. According to the reports of the two fleet commands, in this melee, 4 American heavy cruisers or large light cruisers were sunk and 2 were heavily damaged. 2 more American high-speed destroyers were sunk or heavily damaged.

In addition, the Japanese 4th Submarines also slipped into the destroyer alert circle of the American landing formation, and went on a killing spree inside, sinking at least 15 landing ships/transports and 2 destroyers. However, it also paid the price of 3 "lost contact".

In other words, in the "First Night Battle of Palmyra Atoll", Japan sank 5 destroyers and 3 submarines, and 1 heavy mine and light cruiser in exchange for 4 suspected heavy cruisers (in fact, 3 T2 and 1 heavy cruiser), 4 destroyers and 15 landing ships/transports were sunk by the United States (not so many, only 11 were sunk), and 2 heavy cruisers were heavily damaged (in fact, they were only broken).

Although the exchange ratio is slightly favorable to the Japanese side, considering the huge numerical superiority of the United States, it is obvious that the Japanese side will not be able to fight.

"Shrink to the Hawaiian Islands!" Yamamoto Fifty-six glanced at Nagano Xiu, who was scolding, and smiled lightly, "It seems that we can't win against the United States on the periphery of the Hawaiian Islands, but in the Hawaiian Islands, our advantage is still huge!" ”