An hour before the Allied Tomanaga flotilla returned to the aircraft carrier after the air raid on the Mariana Islands, the battle situation faced by Nagumo Tadaichi changed completely.

At 7:20 a.m., the No. 4 search plane of the USS Alaska, which had been delayed for half an hour, flew to the end of the search sector at a distance of 300 nautical miles in a course of 100 degrees.

Before the plane had time to fly close to observe, it immediately reported to the Nagumo troops: "Ten warships have been found, and it seems that they are Chinese ships." Azimuth 10° (azimuth based on the Mariana Islands, the same below.) ), 240 nautical miles from the Mariana Islands. The course is 150°, the speed is more than 20 knots, and the time is 7:28. ”

This extremely important telegram was received a few minutes later by the flagship Akagi because it was forwarded by Alaska. Nagumo Tadaichi and his staff on the bridge of the Akagi received this telegram like a bolt from the blue. Up to this point, no one had expected that the Chinese surface forces would appear so quickly, and no one had expected that the Chinese warships would be on standby nearby to ambush the Allied forces. Now, the whole situation has changed.

The intelligence staff officer immediately ascertained the position of the Chinese ship on the nautical chart and estimated the distance of the Chinese allies, and China was exactly 200 nautical miles away from the allies! That is, China is in the circle of attack of Allied aircraft, but if there are aircraft carriers in the Chinese forces, the Allies are also in the circle of attack of China. The important question now is: what is the composition of the Chinese army? Are there aircraft carriers?

The report on the search aircraft did not say anything about what exactly the Chinese army included. This made Nagumo Tadaichi, Chief of Staff Kusaka, and the staff officers both worried and annoyed. "Ten warships. It seems to be a Chinese ship", it is very unclear. Obviously, these warships can only be Chinese ships, but which types of ships are included?

At 7:47, the USS Akagi sent a message to the search aircraft of the USS Alaska: "Find out the type of ship and keep in touch." ”

As a result of the discovery of the Chinese surface forces, two minutes earlier, Nagumo Tadaichi had already taken another action. In preparation for the second air attack on the Mariana Islands, starting at 7:15, the torpedo flotilla of the Akagi and Kaga, which had been left in the second attack wave, hastily unloaded the torpedoes and replaced them with 800 kg of bombs. By this time. The reloading of ammunition is more than half complete. Now, however, it is urgent to be prepared to meet the Alaska fleet in case the report confirms that the Chinese fleet is a real threat to Nagumo's forces.

So. 7:45 a.m. Nagumo Tadaichi ordered the two aircraft carriers to immediately stop the ammunition reloading work. And ordered the entire force to prepare for the attack on the Chinese ship.

At 7:58, the search aircraft of the USS Alaska reported that the Chinese ship had changed course. Now the course is 180 °, but the ship class is still not reported.

In this regard, Nagumo's staff officers were anxious. At 8 o'clock, the Akagi ordered the Alaska search aircraft to immediately report on the composition of the Chinese fleet.

Finally, at 8:09, the reply came: "The Chinese ships are five cruisers and five destroyers." ”

Ono Intelligence Staff Officer said proudly: "As I thought, there are no aircraft carriers. ”

He casually handed the telegram to the chief of staff of the grass deer. The reaction of the chief of staff of Kusaka was that if there were no aircraft carriers in the Chinese fleet, the Nagumo forces could rest assured that they would be picked up later, and now the Chinese air force on the Mariana Islands should be annihilated first.

But the relief brought by the 8:09 news did not last long. At 8:20 a.m., the search plane of the USS Alaska reported: "The Chinese fleet seems to have an aircraft carrier after the fight." ”

The report made everyone on the bridge of the Akagi nervous. However, because it is said "as if", everyone is still skeptical. The situation has not yet been definitively discerned. Optimistic people deduce this: if the Chinese fleet really includes aircraft carriers, why didn't the Chinese carrier-based aircraft come to attack the Nagumo forces?

At 8:30 a.m., another report was received from a water patrol plane: "There are still two other warships in the Chinese fleet, apparently cruisers. The bearing is 008°, 250 nautical miles from the Mariana Islands, the course is 150°, and the speed is 20 knots. ”

The situation is not optimistic, and based on the size of the Chinese military force and the size of the navy, Nagumo Tadaichi concluded that there is at least one aircraft carrier in the Chinese army. Because China simply has no such precedent for letting five cruisers and destroyers sail in formation on the sea. It is no secret in the whole world that China has aircraft carriers as the core of its formations. If there are more than six cruisers and destroyers, there must be aircraft carriers.

Therefore, he decided that before the second air attack on the Mariana Islands, he must first attack these Chinese warships.

However, there are still serious obstacles to an immediate attack on China. At 7:45 a.m., when Nagumo Tadashi ordered to stop reloading ammunition, most of the torpedo planes of the Akagi and Kaga had already been loaded with bombs.

In addition: In order to strengthen combat patrols and guard against attacks by Chinese shore-based aircraft, all Gale fighters of the Second Attack Wave Air Force have taken off.

As a result, the only planes that were actually loaded with ammunition and could be used to attack the Chinese warships and were lined up on the flight deck for takeoff were the 36 dive bombers of the Feilong and Canglong.

Nagumo found himself in a dilemma.

If he sends dive bombers to launch a preemptive attack on the Chinese Pacific Fleet, they will not be covered by fighter planes and may suffer heavy losses.

Also, whether to use the torpedo planes that had been unloaded and loaded with 800 kilograms of bombs parked on the flight decks of the Akagi and Kaga (the torpedo planes that had completed the reloading of ammunition were pushed back onto the flight decks of the two aircraft carriers, apparently, and were left there; at the same time, the reloading of other torpedo planes was stopped. The torpedo sails, which had not yet been unloaded and replaced with bombs, were apparently placed in the hangar below. ), which is also a problem.

For ship targets, although the bomb is not as effective as a torpedo, if it can hit directly, it can still inflict heavy losses on the Chinese ship. However, torpedo bombers needed fighter cover more than dive bombers. To be effective, they must fly in a straight line and on a flat surface, so that it is not possible to dodge. If there is no cover from the convoy. They could easily become a live target for nimble Chinese fighters.

Nagumo Tadashi thought about what he should do. Tomanaga's planes returned from an air raid on the Mariana Islands, making it all the more urgent to make a quick decision. Many planes have already suffered, and the escort fighters are running out of gas.

Tomanaga's plane must be recovered quickly, otherwise there will be more losses. Or immediately let dive bombers and torpedo planes take off and attack China without fighter cover, in order to free up the flight deck. Otherwise, move these planes out of the way so that Tomanaga's plane can land, but that would delay the attack.

At this time, Rear Admiral Yamaguchi, commander of the Second Aircraft Carrier Squadron of the task force, made an urgent proposal to Nagumo Tadaichi. Yamaguchi's flagship, the Wyvern, is still quite far from the Akagi. On board the ship, he received continuous reconnaissance reports from the USS Alaska search aircraft. However, Nagumo Tadaichi delayed giving the order to attack immediately, which he felt was both unwise and dangerous.

He instructed one of his destroyers to relay his signal to Nagumo Tadaichi: "I think that the attacking force should be ordered to take off immediately. ”

However, Nagumo Tadaichi thought it would be too risky to send attack planes without fighter cover. An hour and a half ago. Chinese planes that came to attack Nagumo's troops. Heavy losses due to the absence of fighter cover. This fact is also fully proven.

He believed that the planes that had attacked the Mariana Islands and the second wave of fighters that had been transferred to combat patrol duty should first be withdrawn, and then the forces should be reorganized and temporarily withdrawn north. In order to avoid the Chinese fighters attacking again, and after all preparations are made, they will turn around and attack with all their strength to annihilate the Chinese Pacific Fleet.

Nagumo's idea makes sense. His troops are well matched and he also has a great advantage in strength. Therefore, if he throws all his forces into a large-scale attack, it will not be difficult to annihilate China.

This strategy is orthodox, but it has a flaw - it ignores the time factor. Victory in battle does not always belong to the stronger side, but often to the side that can respond more quickly and decisively to the unforeseen and to seize the fleeting opportunity more quickly.

Nagumo Tadaichi made the decision shortly after 8:30 a.m., and the first thing to do was to take back the planes that had attacked the Mariana Islands, thus effectively deciding to take a second, more prudent plan of action.

After the order was given to clear the flight deck and prepare for the recovery of the aircraft, the exhausted ground crew began to send the torpedo planes to the hangar below again, and as now ordered, to re-unload the bombs in the hangar and load the torpedoes.

While one by one the returning planes landed on the flight deck, the hangar deck below was desperately trying to reload the torpedo planes. Ground crews, dressed only in short-sleeved shirts and shorts, hurriedly unloaded the bombshell. They didn't have time to send the dropped bombs back to the bomb magazine below, so they had to pile them up next to the hangar. In the face of urgent orders, the rules and regulations were not practical, and the casual placement of these deadly bombs made people feel extremely remorseful when they later bombed the Akagi by Chinese fighters.

At 8:55 a.m., when the retrieval of the plane was almost complete, Nagumo Tadaichi took action to carry out the rest of his plan.

He sent a light signal to the ships, ordering: "After the completion of the take-up operation, the Allied forces will temporarily sail north." It is planned to contact and annihilate the mobile forces of the Chinese war. ”

At the same time as the above order was issued, Nagumo Tadaichi sent a telegram to Shusu Nagano and Nimitz on board the Montana and Vice Admiral Kondo, who commanded the raiders, to inform them of the new tensions.

Telegram: "At 8 o'clock, one Chinese aircraft carrier, five cruisers and five destroyers were found. China is located at 010°, 240 nautical miles from the Mariana Islands. The Allies will sail for China. ”

The inaccuracies and omissions in this telegram are noteworthy. Combining the Alaska search plane's repeated reports, there was only one compromise reported at 8 o'clock, which might have caused him to make his initial discovery of China half an hour later than he actually had if Nagano and Nimitz had not received those reports.

This situation is undoubtedly closely related to the apparently inaccurate statement in the narrative of the official operational report of the Nagumo unit that the Alaska was received at 7:28 a.m., which was reported to be the time of receipt of the search plane of the Alaska.

There is also an inaccuracy in this telegram, that is, the position of China is supposed to be the position at which it was first discovered at 7:28, and less than the position at 8:00. And there is no mention of twenty-five minutes before this telegram was sent. It is also strange that the last telegram of the other two cruisers, reported by the USS Alaska at 8:30 a.m., said: "The Allies will sail to China," but did not specify a temporary northward retreat to prepare for an attack.

At 9:18 a.m., the Mariana Islands attack team and the fighters of the second wave of combat patrols were all recovered. The course of the Nagumo force at this time was 030°, and in order to reduce the threat of shore-based aircraft in the Mariana Islands, in order to gain a favorable position against the Chinese fleet, the speed was increased to thirty knots.

Having succeeded in repelling the many attacks of the Chinese shore-based aircraft, which were very worried, many sailors felt that the outlook was not gloomy. Although it has already been rumored. The Chinese Pacific Fleet has been discovered. But until the end of this operation. Many people knew the details of the discussion on the bridge of the Akagi, and the results of the discussion led Nagumo Tadaichi to finally decide to postpone the attack until the time when he could carry out the attack with all his might.

A lot of people don't understand the discussion, therefore. It was relieved that the second attack wave did not go to the Mariana Islands. At the same time, it was regretted that the torpedo planes were hastily reloaded with bombs in order to carry out a land attack.

At least the dive bombers of the Flying Dragon and the Canglong were ready to attack China. As a result, many Allied soldiers expected that the planes would be ordered to take off immediately.

But their expectations were disappointed because. The aircraft of the first attack wave had already begun to be retracted, and there was no indication that the dive bombers had taken off.

When everyone learned of the order given by Nagumo Tadaichi at 8:55 a.m. to temporarily withdraw north and wait for the fleet to reorganize before attacking, the expectations of many turned to consternation and disappointment.

Now is the critical juncture that will determine the outcome of this battle, and it is easy to understand what a difficult decision Nagumo Tadaichi faced at that time.

However, many people still find it difficult to justify the decisions he took after the war. Shouldn't he have given up other considerations and immediately sent dive bombers to attack the Chinese fleet? Shouldn't he also send even bomb-loaded torpedo planes to take off to attack the Chinese fleet?

He was supposed to let the torpedo planes take off and stand by in the sky until enough fighters had returned home to refuel before taking off to act as cover. Those planes returning from the Mariana Islands could at least remain in the skies for the bombers to take off. Injured planes that could not remain in the sky could force their way down at sea and the destroyers would rescue the pilots.

As the saying goes, "Be smart afterwards." ”

However, even without fighter cover, it would have been wiser to let the dive bombers take off immediately. There is no other feasible way to fight an aircraft carrier in which it is better to break the jade than to destroy it. At this critical juncture, it should be considered necessary to send even a fleet of horizontal bombers without cover to take off.

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While Nagumo's forces retreated to the north, four Allied aircraft carriers were nervously preparing for an attack on the Chinese ship. The attack team consisted of thirty-six Type 99 dive bombers and fifty-four Type 97 torpedo planes. But it was impossible to send enough fighters to cover it, because the Chinese fighters would soon attack again, and the vast majority of the Allied Gale would have to be used to protect Nagumo's forces themselves.

As a result, only thirty racks were freed up. aircraft (five per aircraft carrier) to cover the bomber fleet. The attack convoy of 120 aircraft was to be ready to take off at 10:30 a.m.

After the search planes of the USS Alaska reported that there was an aircraft carrier in the Chinese Pacific Fleet, many people estimated that China would soon attack, and they were puzzled by China's delay in attacking.

Those who survived the battlefield learned after the war that the Chinese Pacific Fleet had been waiting for the Allies to approach for a long time, and the seaplanes taking off from the Mariana Islands were constantly reporting to it about the movements of the Nagumo forces, and that China was choosing the most favorable time to attack the Allies.

Vice Admiral Ji Hongchang, commander of the Seventh Aircraft Carrier Group of the Chinese Pacific Fleet, intended to carry out the first attack on the Allied forces while the Allied aircraft carriers recovered the planes returning from the Mariana Islands and refueled them. His strategy of waiting for a good opportunity finally paid off.

The prey is at hand, and the patient hunter enjoys all favorable conditions.

The seventh aircraft carrier group of the Pacific Fleet has three aircraft carriers, the flagship is the Zhongxing Chinese-built nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, and the other two are the modified and upgraded First Emperor-class aircraft carriers. The 7th Aircraft Carrier Squadron consisted of eight cruisers and ten destroyers, as well as twelve frigates.

The Chinese warship discovered by the water training ship of the US heavy cruiser USS Alaska was just a signal specially released by Ji Hongchang to Nagumo Tadaichi. The main force of the aircraft carrier has always been behind those ten warships.

Between 7:02 and 9:02, China took off a total of 131 Seahawk-3s, some carrying heavy bombs and some torpedoes. And it is completely different from the Japanese side, because of the powerful thrust-to-weight ratio of jet fighters, without affecting maneuverability, the Chinese carrier-based aircraft carried by aircraft basically no less than 500 kilograms.

From about 9:20 a.m., Allied alert ships reported spotting Chinese carrier-based aircraft approaching the Allied forces. The Allies were about to be attacked by a concentrated attack by Chinese fighters.

The Nagumo forces are facing the worst crisis it has ever experienced. Is it possible to get out of this crisis? The Allied interceptors took off amid the cheers of all those on the ship who could work and might watch them take off, and the whole force was nervous.

Reports of Chinese fighters approaching the Allies were constantly being sent, and in the end it became clear. Chinese fighters come from more than one aircraft carrier. Nagumo and his staff realized this. Their optimism immediately vanished.

The only way out of this catastrophe is for the plane to take off immediately. The order was given: "Hurry up and prepare, take off immediately!"

This command is almost superfluous. Pilot. Ground crews and pilots are preparing for takeoff in extremely tense pools.

When the Chinese fighters were first spotted by Allied alert ships and combat patrol aircraft, the Chinese fighters could not be seen from the Akagi. But soon in the blue sky in front of the right side of the Akagi, slightly above the water antenna, some small black dots appeared.

In the sun. The wings of these distant planes shimmered. From time to time, a small black dot caught fire. Dragged the black smoke into the sea. Allied fighter jets are fighting Chinese fighters. The distance was so far away that the people on the fleet could hardly see the battle situation.

At 9:30, the bridge lookout shouted again: "Chinese fighters." A torpedo-carrying jet fighter with a starboard 30 ° approached at a low altitude!".

Then, the port side of the bow lookout also shouted: "Chinese torpedo plane, 40 degrees to the port side, approaching the Allies!"

Chinese fighters approached from both sides close to the sea. They formed a single column, less than five nautical miles from the Allies, and it appeared that their goal was to make a direct line for the Akagi.

The Chinese fighters continued to rush in and came under fire from the anti-aircraft guns of the Akagi.

Both teams of Chinese fighters flew to the launch point, and everyone waited to see the torpedoes aimed at the Akagi splashing water. But strangely, the Chinese fighters did not drop mines, and at the last moment they seemed to leave the Akagi and fly over the heads of the Allies and flew towards the Wyvern in the left rear.

After the Chinese fighters flew over the Akagi, the gunners on the Akagi calmed down and immediately opened heavy fire on the Chinese fighters together with the Flying Dragon. Under such heavy artillery fire and the close pursuit of Gale fighters, the number of Chinese carrier-based aircraft is constantly decreasing.

In the end, seven Chinese fighters fired torpedoes at the Flying Dragon, five on the starboard side and two on the port side. Allied fighters continued to urgently withdraw the Chinese fighters. The Wyvern made a sharp turn to starboard to avoid the torpedo.

Countless worried eyes watched as if there were no water mines and no explosions, and many breathed a sigh of relief.

The Allied fighters ran out of ammunition in the heat of battle and returned to the mothership to replenish, but the few fighters also ran out of gas. The ground crew warmly welcomed the returning pilots, patted them on the shoulder, and loudly encouraged them. When the plane was ready, the pilot immediately nodded, opened the throttle, and flew back into the sky. In the course of this desperate air battle, such scenes have appeared again and again.

While the Chinese carrier-based aircraft were attacking, the four Allied aircraft carriers had been continuing preparations to counterattack the Chinese. One by one, the planes were lifted up from the hangar and quickly lined up on the flight deck. Every second counts.

At 10:20, Nagumo Zhong gave the order, and as soon as the preparations were completed, the plane took off immediately. On the flight deck of the Akagi, all the planes had already started. Huge aircraft carriers began to sail against the wind. Within five minutes, all planes are ready to take off.

Five minutes! Who would have thought that in this brief moment, the tide of battle would change completely!

Visibility is good. The clouds are 3,000 meters high, and the clouds occasionally disperse, providing good shade conditions for the approach of Chinese fighters.

At 10:24, from the barrel of the bridge, the command to start taking off was given. The captain waved the little white flag, the first one. The fighter jet was at full throttle and flew off the flight deck.

Suddenly, the lookout shouted in horror: "Dive bomber." ”

Everyone looked up. Three black Chinese fighters were seen diving vertically towards the Akagi. Some machine guns began to fire heavily at the Chinese fighters, but it was too late.

The huge black shadows of these Chinese Sea Hawk-3s grew larger and larger, and suddenly, many black things shook miserably from under the wings. Bomb! Straight to the head of the fleet! Many instinctively lay down, and some climbed behind the bulletproof guards of the flight command post.

First came the terrible screams of the fighters, followed by the roaring explosions of the bombs that hit them directly. Then another dazzling flash of light, followed by an explosion, louder than the first.

The ground crew on deck were slammed into the blazing air. After that, there was another vibration, but a little lighter. Apparently the bomb was thrown to the side of the ship. Didn't hit.

The machine suddenly stopped firing, and a dead silence followed. The Allies stood up and looked at the sky, and the Chinese fighters had disappeared from sight.

The Chinese fighter drove straight into the plane and was not intercepted. This was due to the fact that a few minutes earlier the Allied fighters had just returned after blocking the Chinese torpedo fleet. It's too late to take off.

So to speak. China's second wave of fighters was bought at the expense of the first wave of fighters. At the same time, because the Chinese fighters had been hiding in the clouds before diving, by the time the Allies found out. It is too late for aircraft carriers to evade. The Allies were in the most vulnerable situation, when the flight deck was filled with loaded and refueled planes ready to attack.

On the Akagi, many of the soldiers who had not yet reflected looked around numbly, and the damage caused by a few seconds of effort made the allies creepy.

A large hole was blown in the back of the elevator in the middle of the flight deck, and the elevator was blown up like a burnt glass plate and collapsed into the hangar.

The steel plates of the flight deck rolled upwards in a strange shape. The tail of the plane was cocked, and a blue-blue tongue of fire stretched out from the plane, and thick smoke was emitting.

The fire was spreading, and many people couldn't help but cry. The detonation would destroy the entire warship, and the thought of it was terrifying for everyone. The Captain kept shouting, "Get out of the way!" Those who have nothing to do, get out of the way!"

The pilot's standby room, here, was already crowded with badly burned people who had been removed from the hangar deck. One explosion was soon followed by several more explosions. Each explosion shook the bridge building. Smoke rushed from the blazing hangar into the aisle into the bridge and standby room, forcing the soldiers to find shelter. Many climbed back onto the bridge and saw that the Kaga and Soryu had also been shot, emitting thick columns of black smoke. It's a daunting sight.

The Akagi hit two bombs directly, one at the rear of the central elevator and the other on the aft section of the port side of the flight deck. Under normal circumstances, the two bombs would not have caused fatal damage to the huge aircraft carrier, but the resulting explosion of gasoline and ammunition destroyed several entire sections of the ship, shook the bridge, and sent deadly debris flying everywhere in space.

As the fire spread through the winged planes on the flight deck, the torpedoes on the planes began to explode, making the fire even more uncontrollable. The entire hangar area became a sea of fire, and the flames quickly burned towards the bridge.

Beginning at 10:20 a.m., the carrier-based aircraft of China's 7th Aircraft Carrier Formation were divided into three groups, and 24 Seahawk-3s carrying air-to-air missiles were used to lure the Allied vigilant fighter group. The second was a squadron carrying torpedoes, attracting the anti-aircraft fire and attention of the fleet. This squadron also suffered the most losses, and there were less than fifteen fighters that were able to go back. The last wave, carrying heavy aerial bombs, dived and attacked the Akagi, the Soryu to the northeast, and the Kaga behind.

In this attack, China lost ten Sea Hawk-3s, but it also caused Nagumo Tadaichi's three aircraft carriers to lose their combat effectiveness, and killed many Gale fighters on fleet alert missions.

At this time, due to the spread of the fire, the three Japanese aircraft carriers completely lost their combat capability, and in particular, their communications with the outside world were cut off.

After the Chisei was hit and the command of Nagumo's Tadashi pair of troops was interrupted, Rear Admiral American Lovech, the second commander of Nagumo's forces and commander of the 8th Cruiser Squadron, immediately took command. Lovech's flagship was the USS Alaska heavy cruiser.

At the same time, the commander of the 2nd Aircraft Carrier Squadron, Rear Admiral Tabun Yamaguchi, took over the command of air operations. Rear Admiral Susumu Kimura, commander of the 10th Destroyer Squadron, led the light cruiser "Nagara" and six destroyers, and remained near the three injured aircraft carriers to wait for sail for rescue, alert, and cover - the rest of the warships of the Nagumo force, centered on the Wyvern, continued to retreat north......

Nagumo's staff officer; Rear Admiral Nagakusaka advocated that the commander's flag be immediately moved to the Nagara. Nagumo Zhongyi nodded reluctantly, and Caolu patiently continued to plead, "Sir, most of the allied warships are intact, you must command the troops. ”

The situation calls for immediate action, but Nagumo Tadaichi can't bear to leave his beloved flagship. He was especially reluctant to abandon the officers and men of the Akagi who had shared the weal and woe with him in the war. With tears in his eyes, Captain Aoki said, "Sir, there are Allied forces taking care of the warship. The Allies plead with you to move the command flag to the Nagara and continue to command the troops. ”

At this time, Adjutant Silin came over and reported to Kusaka: "The aisle below is on fire, and the only way to escape is to go down the rope from the front window of the bridge, and then go around the port aisle to the anchor deck." The Nagara's motorboat will lean on the left side of the anchor deck. You can use the rope ladder to go down. ”

Kusaka made a final request to Nagumo Tadaichi to leave the flagship. Nagumo finally knew that he could no longer continue his command from the Akagi, so he said goodbye to Captain Aoki and was helped by Adjutant Nishibayashi to climb to the window of the bridge. The chief of staff and other staff officers, as well as the personnel of the command, also left the bridge. The time was 10:46.

Only Captain Aoki, Chief Navigator, and Chief Flight were left on the bridge. There were also several sailors. Aoki desperately tries to get in touch with the machine room. The navigator was busy checking to see if there was a way to restore steering gear manoeuvring. The rest of the crew gathered on the anchor deck. Do your best to fight the fire.

However, tongues of fire had reached the bridge and burned the canvas awnings around the bridge building. The flight captain turned to the captain and said, "Captain." We can't stay on the bridge any longer. You'd better get out of here and go to the anchor deck, or you'll be too late. ”

"I am a man of the Yamato nation, the soul of Yamato, unless the ship has completely lost any chance of salvation." Aoki's answer, leaving the captain speechless, this is the tradition of the Japanese Navy.

At 11:30, Nagumo Tadaichi's staff and the wounded were all transferred to the Nagara. The cruiser was in motion, and Nagumo's flag was flying on the mast.

At the same time, the crew of the Akagi continued their efforts to control the fire. But it is becoming increasingly clear that this is not possible. When the Akagi stopped, the bow was still facing the headwind. In order to escape the flames that were burning to the hangar deck below, the pilot and other crew members were evacuated to the anchor deck. As the generators stopped working, not only did the ship lose its lighting, but the water pump for extinguishing the fire was also unusable. The fire doors of the hangar had been burned down, and the chemical fire extinguishers did not work in this terrible situation.

The crew of the Akagi struggled to save the ship by finding several hand-operated pumps that were carried to the anchor deck, where they pumped water to the hangar below and to the lower deck through long hoses. Xiao defense personnel wore gas masks and used bulky firefighting equipment to fight the fire.

However, every explosion on the upper deck pierced the deck below, injuring many people and disrupting their desperate efforts. At this moment, another team stepped over the body of the fallen partner to catch up and continue the fight, only to be knocked down by another explosion. Ambulance crews and automatic ambulance attendants carried the dead and wounded away from the first-aid station below, which was crowded with the wounded. Doctors are as busy as machines.

The engine room was undamaged, but the fire near the middle deck severed all communication between the bridge and the lower deck. Still, the explosions, vibrations and collapses above, coupled with the fact that the herald bell had sounded the "stop" signal, told the cabin crew below that some parts had been damaged.

However, as long as the engines were intact and propulsion at full speed could be used, they had no choice but to remain in combat positions. They repeatedly tried to communicate with the bridge, but all means of communication, including many auxiliary devices, had been destroyed.

The fire continued to spread, and the fire grew more and more intense, and the heat passed through the air intakes and spilled into the bottom part of the ship, where the people working there began to pass out from suffocation. In order to save his subordinates, the electromechanical captain ran through the burning deck and finally brought the news to the captain and reported the situation in the engine room.

Aoki immediately ordered all the mechanical and electrical personnel to come to the deck immediately, but it was too late. The herald who tried to go down through the fire with this order was gone, and none of the crew in the cabin were spared.

Casualties are mounting, and the fire is becoming more and more uncontrollable.

At 18 o'clock, Captain Aoki finally decided that he had to abandon the ship. The wounded were transferred to the small boats and motorboats sent by the covering destroyers to dock alongside. Many of the unwounded, jumped into the sea and swam away from the Akagi. The destroyer rescued all the survivors.

After the rescue was over, Captain Aoki sent a telegram from a destroyer to the Japanese-American Combined Fleet Command at 19:20 requesting permission to sink the destroyed aircraft carrier. The Montana flagship intercepted the telegram. 22:25. The Japanese-American Combined Fleet Command issued an order to suspend the disposal of the aircraft carrier. Captain Aoki received this instruction and returned to the Akagi alone. He returned to the anchor deck, which had not yet been affected by the fire, and tied himself to the anchor to die.

At midnight, the destroyer Arashi, which was on standby next to the Akagi, received information that a Chinese fleet had been spotted ninety nautical miles east of the Akagi and its own position.

An hour later, the lookout saw several warships in the darkness. The commander of the 4th Destroyer Detachment, Admiral Ariga, immediately led his four destroyers, the Arashi, the Nobu, the Ogikaze, and the Maikaze, in pursuit.

But he didn't catch up, didn't make out what those dark shadows were, and returned to the aircraft carrier. It was later revealed that these mysterious fleets turned out to be Rear Admiral Tanaka's Second Destroyer Squadron.

The 2nd Destroyer Squadron was subordinate to Vice Admiral Kondo's Mariana Islands Raiders. The task was to directly cover the transport ship regiment.

Nagano Shusei and Nimitz ordered a delay in the disposal of the Akagi. It was because his troops were now marching eastward to attack the Chinese Pacific Fleet at night, so he did not think there was a need to rush to take this measure.

But now defeat seems inevitable, and the possibility of a night fight is slim. It is therefore necessary to take a decision quickly.

Nov. 11 at 3:50 a.m. Nagano and Nimitz finally gave the unfortunate order to blow up and sink the USS Akagi. Nagumo Tadaichi then conveyed the order to the Admiral Ariga. He was instructed to return to the unit after completing his mission. Admiral Osa Ariga ordered four of his destroyers to fire torpedoes at the Akagi.

The captain of the destroyer Nobu, Kokan Suntaro, later painfully recalled that when he shot the aircraft carrier with a powerful new Type 93 torpedo. How sad he was! The aircraft carrier turned out to be his first target in this war.

In twenty minutes, all four destroyers fired torpedoes. Seven minutes later, the huge aircraft carrier was submerged in the sea, there was a violent explosion under the water, and the shaking was felt on every destroyer.

At 4:55 a.m. on Nov. 11, sunrise was still a few minutes away.

After the last major battle on this aircraft carrier, two hundred and sixty-three people died on board. Before sinking the Akagi with a torpedo, the captain of the Akagi, Admiral Yoshishiro Miura, boarded the aircraft carrier, and Captain Aoki gave up his determination to live and die with the ship. Both of them were eventually safely transferred to the destroyer.

In the sudden attack of the Chinese dive bombers, the Kaga, which was bombed almost at the same time as the Akagi, did not last as long as the flagship. Nine Chinese fighters dived at it, dropping a bomb each. The first three bombs nearly hit, sending a column of water around the Kaga, but did no damage. But four of the next six bombs hit the front, middle and rear sections of the Kaga's flight deck. The bomb that hit the bow closest to the bow of the ship landed right next to the bridge and hit a small fuel truck parked there, causing fire to the entire bridge and the surrounding deck area, killing many people and killing the personnel of the command center of the warship on the spot.

There was fire almost everywhere. In the next few hours, the damage control personnel tried desperately to stop the spread of the fire, but basically failed, and there was hardly a place to hide on the entire warship. Most of the personnel had to retreat to the starboard dinghy deck for shelter. The aircraft carrier looks like it's about to be destroyed.

About three and a half hours after the bombardment, a new threat emerged. The aircraft carrier, which had been devastated by the fire, was now lifeless and began to tilt.

"Bang!" With a loud bang, flames rolled into the air, and the hull that began to tilt was instantly blown out of a large hole, which was the detonation of the oil depot on the aircraft carrier, and the result was to accelerate the destruction of the Kaga.

At this time, the uncontrollable fire burned more and more fiercely on the entire Kaga ship. Finally, at 16:40, the order was given to abandon the ship, and the personnel were transferred to the destroyers Hagikaze and Maikaze, who were waiting on the side. Two hours later, the fire subsided, and the once-elite aircraft carrier was now a burning hull, and after two loud explosions, the Kaga crew died eight hundred, or a third, in the battle.

The Soryu had one less bomb than the Kaga, but was just as badly damaged. When the Chinese fighters attacked, the deck crew was busy preparing for takeoff. They saw the Kaga on the left side of the Soryu explode and rise into a huge black plume of smoke and burst into flames, knowing that the Kaga was under heavy attack. People instinctively looked at the sky, and suddenly saw thirteen dive bombers diving vertically towards the Canglong, and it was 10:25 a.m.

The Canglong was hit by three bombs in a matter of minutes. The first bomb hit the flight deck in front of the ship's forward elevator, and the last two bombs hit the middle elevator, completely destroying the deck, and the flames quickly burned to the oil and ammunition depots. At 10:30, the Canglong completely became a sea of smoke and fire, followed by a burst of explosions.

Ten minutes later, the main engine stopped, the rudder system stopped operating, and the fire protection system was damaged. Due to the fire, the crew had to leave their positions, but when they hid on the deck, a huge explosion threw quite a few people into the sea at once. Just twenty minutes after being shot, the fire was so fierce that Captain Yanagimoto had to give the order to abandon the ship. In order to escape the scorching flames, many people immediately jumped into the sea, while others moved to the two destroyers in an orderly manner.

At 19:13, the surviving crew of the Canglong watched from several nearby destroyers as the Canglong finally disappeared from the sea. Along with the warship, 718 people below the captain were sunk.

ps: Yesterday, the power in the gorgeous dormitory suddenly went out, and the computer couldn't be turned on and couldn't be uploaded. Make up for it today.

These chapters have been difficult to write lately, and are a thousand words at most in an hour. From time to time, take a ruler, put it on the map, and look left and right. It's really hard to compare all kinds of materials again!!

And since this month, Gorgeous has also been preparing the outline of the second book, and there is a lot of information to consult. I changed a lot of ideas, and the result was that my head was getting bigger and bigger day by day. I have to go to and from work on time every day, and I feel very irritable.

So, please understand the gorgeous. (To be continued......)