At 11:30, Nagumo Tadaichi's lieutenant general's flag was moved to the Nagara. Two minutes earlier, the Hawaii's search plane had reported: "China is 90 nautical miles away from the Allied forces, and the bearing is 070°. Time: 11:10. "People were shocked by the news. Then Chief Staff Officer Oishi Admiral Osa suggested to Nagumo Tadaichi: "China is much closer than we originally thought. If we advance at full speed, we will have the possibility of a surface battle with China. ”

It is believed that the Chinese had seven cruisers and five destroyers accompanying the aircraft carriers. If the two Allied fast battleships, two heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, and twelve destroyers could engage in surface combat with the Chinese during the day, the Allies could have annihilated the Chinese ships with artillery fire and torpedoes.

But there were only five destroyers with the Nagara. The other ships, some guarding the three wounded aircraft carriers, and some were retreating north with the battleships Haruna and Kirishima, the heavy cruisers Alaska, Hawaii, and Wyvern.

Nagumo Tadaichi considered Oishi's suggestion until 11:53 a.m., and then proceeded to act on this suggestion by radioing a brief order to the fleets of Nagumo's troops: "Now the Allies are going to attack China. Assemble!"

At 11:56 a.m. and 11:59 a.m., the order was repeated. The order of 11:59 also indicated, at 170. The course line was in the 10th destroyer squadron, the 8th cruiser squadron, and the 3rd battleship squadron. At the same time, the Nagara sailed north-east at a speed of twenty-four knots to rendezvous with the ships.

Before giving these orders. Nagumo Tadashi sent a telegram to Vice Admiral Kondo, commander of the Nimitz and Mariana Islands Raiders, telling them about his current situation and plans. The telegram was sent at 11:50 a.m., and it said: "As a result of the bombing attack by Chinese fighters at about 10:30 a.m., the 'Akagi,' 'Kaga,' and 'Soryu' suffered considerable damage and a fire broke out, resulting in the loss of combat effectiveness." The command of the task force has been transferred to the 'Nagara' and intends to lead the entire force to withdraw north after the attack on China......"

At 13 o'clock, the search plane of the Alaska reported the discouraging news that China was retreating, and since China had air superiority at this time, it was estimated that it would maintain a safe distance between the Allied fleets. And frequent air strikes. China's alert forces consisted only of cruisers and destroyers. So it would be stupid for China to have a decisive battle with artillery and torpedoes. Moreover, the Chinese ships are supported by aviation from the Mariana Islands, as well as a considerable number of reconnaissance aircraft. It's obvious. No matter how desperately the Allies pursued. There is little hope of winning in the war with China, and one can only fall into the trap of China.

So, more than an hour after the Nagara sailed north-east. Nagumo and his staff decided to abandon their plans to fight during the day. However, there is always something to be done, and the most likely next thing to do is to engage in a night fight. As a result, Nagumo Tadaichi decided to temporarily retreat westward, and at the same time, prepare for a night battle with China.

At 14:45, the Nagara caught up with the Flying Dragon and other warships. The troops were regrouped, with flagships in the front, aircraft carriers in the center, and battleships and cruisers on either side. At 16:20, Nagumo Tadaichi received a report from Rear Admiral Yamaguchi. The report said that the Wyvern was ready to use its remnants of aircraft to attack the China aircraft carrier at dusk. The commander of the mobile unit agreed to this plan, but still ordered the troops to continue to withdraw westward and break away from China while preparations for the attack were underway.

Rear Admiral Yamaguchi planned to send his plane at 18 o'clock. As mentioned above, the Chinese dive bombers attacked again at 17:03, depriving the Wyvern of its combat effectiveness and depriving Nagumo's forces of the last remnants of their air power. Nagumo's staff officers realized that defeat was a foregone conclusion, and their only hope was to avoid greater losses. However, since everyone felt responsible for the defeat in battle, no one was willing to propose a retreat.

The dire situation is becoming more and more apparent. Allied air forces have been annihilated, while China has at least one aircraft carrier undamaged; The Allies did not completely destroy the airfields in the Mariana Islands, and some of the Allied warships were still within range of the Mariana Islands' shore-based aircraft; Air supremacy is firmly in the hands of China; The winner is decided.

At 17:32, another search aircraft reported that the Chinese Pacific Fleet continued to retreat eastward. The glimmer of hope for a night battle is slimmer. Nagumo was obviously anxious when he heard the news. However, Oishi continued to advocate night fighting. He asked the Nagara to prepare the Nagumo Force's only nighttime frame detection aircraft it was carrying to search for the Chinese Pacific Fleet.

Of course, if China cannot be found, it will not be able to fight. Everyone realized that there was very little hope that a reconnaissance plane would go looking for the Chinese ship in the dark of night. Therefore, among the other staff officers of the Nagumo Command, the atmosphere of suspicion grew, but Oishi insisted on his claims. Oishi also suggested that all the destroyers guarding the wounded aircraft carrier be reinstated in order to strengthen the forces of the night battle. Nagumo Tadaichi agreed to this proposal and issued an order to assemble the ships, including the destroyers that were on standby with the aircraft carrier.

This operation came as a complete surprise to the other staff officers. What happens to these aircraft carriers if they sink without rescuers around? Moreover, unless the ship's crew is rescued before dawn and the wounded aircraft carrier is disposed of, and the retreat is completed, all this will be the target of rampant Chinese fighter attacks by daylight. Everyone must think the same way, but no one dares to say anything.

At 6:30 p.m., the Hawaii sent a report with a light signal, which added to the melancholy atmosphere on the Nagara: "At 17:13, the second aircraft of the 'Chikuma' found three Chinese aircraft carriers, sixteen cruisers (destroyers of China, light cruisers in the west) and twelve destroyers (plus frigates) thirty nautical miles east of the burning aircraft carrier. The Chinese fleet is sailing westward. ”

This news forced the original plan to be reconsidered, as it showed that the Chinese forces were much larger than the Allies had estimated. The Nagumo fleet also has only two American cruisers at the moment, which have radars on them. There is only one night reconnaissance plane, and if you want to find China and defeat China, you can't do it even if you are lucky.

On the other hand, if the night battle is lost, the Allies will not be able to escape the attack of China at dawn, and the Allied warships will be slaughtered like squatting ducks.

Nagumo Tadaichi realized this danger and finally decided to abandon the attempt at night battle, and chose the wiser policy of retreating and joining the main forces of the combined Japanese and American fleets for another battle. The destroyers on the rescue mission were sent back to the wounded aircraft carriers to standby.

The battle had been lost, and Nagumo retreated to the north and west, the flaming Wyvern following closely behind. But soon the distance was getting bigger and bigger. It had to be left behind, accompanied by two destroyers, the Fengyun and the Yuyun.

Nagano Shushen and Nimitz's battle I, on the bridge of the USS Montana.

In the early morning of 10 November, the Montana, the flagship of the Japanese-US Combined Fleet, sailed eastward to 800 nautical miles north and west of the Mariana Islands. It was sunrise at 4:52 a.m., but the fog that had enveloped the force for days was still thick. No other ships in the group could be seen from the Montana.

On the bridge of the USS Montana. Silence. Everyone was thinking about the Nagumo force that was at the forefront of the entire fleet. "Are they also surrounded by fog?" There was a great deal of concern that the fog might disrupt the entire battle plan.

The sun is finally out. The fog is less thick, and people's mood is better. Finally, the order to refuel was given, and the battleship "Nagato" was connected to the refueling pipe of the "Toei Maru" tanker.

5:35 a.m. The Montana received a telegram from the search plane USS Alaska saying that a Chinese reconnaissance plane had been spotted. Nagano and his staff waited anxiously, estimating that the Chinese reconnaissance plane would soon be able to spot Nagumo's troops.

At 5:55, the search aircraft of the Alaska reported that fifteen Chinese fighters had flown in, and it seemed that the Nagumo forces were about to be attacked. However, the Japanese-US joint fleet was not worried about this, because they believed that the attack team of the air raid on the Mariana Islands had taken off safely, and the combat patrol planes of the Nagumo Force could easily deal with these Chinese planes.

The curtain has been lifted, and everything is going according to plan. Attention on the bridge was now focused on the loudspeakers that had been picked up from the radio room, which relayed the telegrams received to the bridge. The search machine began to send back reports, but Nagumo's flagship had not yet sent a message, apparently it was still maintaining radio silence.

After a while, the commander of the attack team that attacked the Mariana Islands, Admiral Toonaga, reported that the air raid mission had been completed and recommended a second air strike. Nagano and his staff were looking forward to the news of the second attack wave, believing that the Chinese air force on the island would soon be annihilated.

Nagano Shusei, who was already old, had been suffering from stomach problems since the day before, but when he heard the report of the jubilant staff, he was in good spirits. Everyone felt that the operation was going well.

However, the report that followed took them by surprise. The report was received at 7:40 a.m. and was distributed by the Alaska search machine at 7:28 a.m. The telegram said: "Ten warships were found, apparently Chinese ships. "This is very clear, contrary to the estimates of the Allies, the Chinese fleet is nearby.

The people on the bridge were nervous - a Chinese army was within range of the Allies! It immediately occurred to people that a week earlier there had been unusually frequent radio communications in China, and now they know what was going on.

Now the question is, what kind of troops does the Chinese army consist of? Everyone didn't say anything, but they were nervous. It wasn't until about 8:20 a.m. that the planes of the USS Alaska sent another report that the Chinese fleet consisted of five cruisers and five destroyers, and about ten minutes later, they added that there was an aircraft carrier behind the Chinese forces.

That's a big chunk of fat! The people on the bridge of the USS Montana were excited.

Chief Staff Officer Kuroshima asked, "Isn't Nagumo's plan to prepare a second attack wave, possibly to attack the Chinese surface forces?" Aviation Staff Officer Sasaki replied with great confidence, "Yes, sir, the second attack wave will be able to take them out soon." ”

The Sanhe operational staff officer interjected: "Has the second attack wave already set off to attack the Mariana Islands?"

This sentence made everyone suddenly think that not long ago, everyone was still expecting the Nagumo Force to send a second attack wave to attack the Mariana Islands to annihilate the Chinese shore-based air force! Sasaki looked flustered, and he hurriedly called the radio room. There is no news that the second attack wave has flown to the Mariana Islands.

"Nope. There is no news yet. ”

Only then did everyone breathe a sigh of relief, thinking that the Chinese aircraft carrier would soon be taken out by the second attack wave of the Allies.

This optimism is strange, because not only when the battle plan was being made, but even a few minutes ago, no one had imagined that there would be an encounter with the Chinese aircraft carrier near the Mariana Islands. People were surprised for a moment that this estimate had suddenly been turned out to be wrong, but it seemed that they were not very worried about it, and no one would have thought that the Japanese-American Combined Fleet Command had made a grossly negligent mistake, and everyone seemed to be completely convinced, no matter how prepared China was. As long as the Chinese fleet is discovered by the Japanese navy. The Japanese navy will be able to annihilate it. The situation reminds one of a wrestling ring where an allied powerhouse is confident in his own strength and stands majestically in the center to let his opponent strike first.

8:47 a.m. The search machine of the Alaska reported again. Two other Chinese cruisers were spotted two hundred and fifty nautical miles north east of the Mariana Islands. This driver is clearly doing a good job. Contacts with China continued, but soon he called to say that due to a lack of fuel. Had to go back. This made the Montana anxious for a moment for fear of losing contact with China, but soon heard that Rear Admiral Lovech, commander of the Eighth Cruiser Squadron, had ordered the aircraft to maintain contact until another aircraft came to take over.

Lovich's alertness was praised by Chief of Staff Ugaki, who said that Nagumo's forces were perfectly capable of handling their mission. But at 9 o'clock, the search plane reported that ten Chinese carrier-based aircraft flew straight to the Nagumo unit. This elated conjecture was abruptly stopped. After that, almost two hours later, no news was received about Nagumo's troops. However, even if the situation was unclear for the time being, Nagano Shusei and his staff did not feel the slightest bit uneasy about the upcoming battle.

Then, at 10:50 a.m., Lieutenant General Yushiro Wada, communications staff officer, handed a telegram from the USS Alaska to Shusei Nagano and Nimitz without saying a word. The telegram said: "Attacked by Chinese carrier-based aircraft and land aircraft, the Chicheng, Kaga and Soryu caught fire. It is planned to engage the Chinese aircraft carrier with the Flying Dragon. The Allies temporarily withdrew north and regrouped their forces. ”

What I thought would be an easy win turned out to be a fiasco. Three of Nagumo's four aircraft carriers (including the flagship) have apparently lost their combat effectiveness, and only the Wyvern can continue to fight. Such a human disaster was unbelievable to Nagano Shusei and Nimitz and his staff.

When the bad news came, the commander of the Japanese-US joint fleet was stunned for a moment and could only hum a few times. The jubilant optimism of the staff just now suddenly became desperate.

Now, there is only one way that may prevent the entire operational plan from an immediate and total collapse. That is, to concentrate all the forces on the battlefield and overwhelm China with numerical superiority. Nagano decided to immediately use several of his battleships to support the mobile forces that had been badly hit, and personally direct the battle.

The fog fell again, and the Nagato and other warships refueling were barely visible from the Montana. Although time was crucial, it took a full hour to assemble the troops and set sail. The course was one hundred and twenty degrees, and the throttle was increased, so that the speed reached twenty knots. This speed was maintained in the fog, and soon the ships were no longer visible to each other. Such a dangerous voyage is unimaginable for ordinary seafarers, and it is also not allowed by common sense. But this is a battle, and like the war that gives rise to it, it is often beyond the bounds of reason.

At 12:20, Nagano Shusei and Nimitz issued the following order to the troops:

The units are to act and attack the Chinese Fleet in the Mariana Islands area by the following orders:

1. 12, Chazheng, the position of the main force is 25°08'N, 154°05'E, the course is 120°, and the speed is 20 knots.

2. The Mariana Islands Raiders (Kondo Force) sent part of their forces to cover the transport ship regiment and ordered it to temporarily withdraw to the northwest.

3. The 2nd Mobile Force (Insta Force) quickly joined the 1st Mobile Force (Nagumo Force).

4. The 3rd and 5th Submarine Squadrons were deployed on the C cordon. (Original editor's note: The location of the C cordon is 168° east longitude and 26° north latitude between 26° and 36° north.) )

From this order, it can be seen that Nagano Shusei and his staff did not give up hope of annihilating the Chinese surface forces and occupying the Mariana Islands. Shortly thereafter, Nagano and Nimitz instructed the transport group to stand by five hundred nautical miles west of the Mariana Islands. So that they can move closer to the Mariana Islands if they are to be taken in.

Now Nagano and his staff are most concerned about how many air forces China still has in the Mariana Islands, because this is something that must be seriously considered when formulating the next battle plan. Although all three Allied aircraft carriers were incapacitated, the Wyvern was intact and could be used to attack the Chinese aircraft carriers.

In addition, it is possible to engage in night battles on the surface or to use other means of attack. However, attacking China's shore-based air forces can only rely on mobile units. However, the results of the first air raid on the Mariana Islands are not yet known. So Rear Admiral Ugaki sent a telegram to Nagumo Tadaichi's new flagship, the Nagara, asking Nagumo Tadaichi to report in detail on the results of the first air raid. But there was no answer.

Nagano therefore concluded that Tomonaga's attack on the Mariana Islands would not be very successful, as evidenced by the fact that Tomanaga himself suggested a second air raid on the Mariana Islands. Nagano Shusei was worried about this. If not immediately destroy the aviation base of the Mariana Islands. The Chinese may wither more planes from the Philippines and Taiwan, and it will be even more difficult to occupy the Mariana Islands.

The Black Island Navy therefore suggested that a naval force be sent to bombard the Mariana Islands at night. Nagano and Nimitz immediately took this advice. The main force of Vice Admiral Kondo's raider force, which was closest to the Mariana Islands and had high-speed warships, was ordered to carry out this mission. Nagano Shufu also decided. The planned landing operations on the Mariana Islands and the Palikiel Islands were postponed until after the annihilation of the Chinese aircraft carrier force. In accordance with these decisions. Nagano and Nimitz issued the following order at 13:10:

1. Use the "C method of attacking the Chinese fleet".

2. The commander of the Mariana Islands Raiders sent part of his forces to shell and destroy the land aviation bases in the Mariana Islands tonight.

Thirdly, the landing operations in the Mariana Islands and Palikil have been postponed for the time being.

The "Attack on the Chinese Fleet C Method" refers to the concentration of all the combat forces of the Mariana Islands and Paliquil to engage in a decisive battle with the Chinese Fleet.

More than an hour before the order was given, at 11:50 a.m. Nagano Shuseki and Nimitz received their first call after receiving Nagumo Tadaichi's transfer to the Nagara, reporting the extent of the damage to his three aircraft carriers and their intention to attack the Chinese fleet with his remaining forces, and then retreat north. Shortly after 2:30 p.m., the Montana received another telegram from Nagumo to Rear Admiral Instad's 2nd Mobile Unit, which was patrolling south of Paliquil. The telegram said:

1. At 14 o'clock on November 10, the position of the 1st Mobile Force was 20°48′ north latitude and 155°31′ east longitude (the position of the Mariana Islands was 12°~21°N, 144°~146°E). The Allies planned to go east, annihilate the Chinese Pacific Fleet, and then go north.

2. It is hoped that the 2nd Mobile Force will quickly join up with the Allied forces.

It was hoped that Rear Admiral Instadt's two aircraft carriers, the USS Franklin and the USS Falcon, would quickly move south to support Nagumo's forces, but the telegram received at 15:30 was not encouraging, and the telegram said:

"The 2nd Mobile Force immediately headed south after recovering the aircraft attacking the Port of England. On the morning of the 6th, the Allied forces will refuel at 34°40'N latitude and 155°20'E and then move south to join the 1st Mobile Army. At 3 p.m. on 10 November, the Allied headquarters was located one hundred and twenty nautical miles southwest of Port England. ”

The telegram made it clear that the Insta forces were still on plan to attack the Port of England in heavy fog. However, this telegram also indicated that it was impossible to expect the Insta forces to reach the Mariana Islands area before the afternoon of the 8th to take part in the fighting.

At the same time, the several reconnaissance reports received were also very contradictory, so that the Japanese-US Combined Fleet Command could not obtain accurate information on the strength of the Chinese aircraft carriers, and it was not until 16:15 that the radio report sent by Admiral Yamaguchi was not clear. "According to the reports of returning pilots, there are three aircraft carriers, five heavy cruisers and fifteen destroyers in the Chinese forces," the report said. After the Allied attack, two aircraft carriers were damaged. ”

It is clear that China is a formidable adversary by any measure, but the fact that Yamaguchi's pilots managed to damage at least two aircraft carriers was good news in a critical situation.

At 17:36, a search aircraft of the USS Hawaii made a radio report. Less than a hundred nautical miles east of Nagumo's forces, the Chinese fleet was found to have withdrawn eastward. Since the sunset was at 18:32 on this day, there was also hope that Kondo's troops might have a night battle to turn the tide of the battle in favor of the Allies. The Allied Navy placed a strong emphasis on night combat in its training program, and this tactic was especially popular with Allied commanders. Night battles now seemed to be the only chance to salvage the defeat.

However, the Allied misfortune was not over. At 17:55, Nagano Shushen received another shocking telegram from Nagumo Zhong: "The Flying Dragon, it was shot and caught fire." 17:30. Nagumo's last remaining aircraft carrier was incapacitated, and the front of the Allied offensive was completely destroyed.

At 7:15 p.m., one hour and twenty minutes after receiving the news of the destruction of the Wyvern. Nagano Shusu and Nimitz gave an order to his entire force. Judging by the whole situation at that time. The optimism of this order is strange: it seems that the commander of the Japanese-American Combined Fleet is deliberately trying to prevent the collapse of the Allied forces. The command says:

1. The Chinese fleet has been almost annihilated by the Allies and is withdrawing eastward.

2. Units of the nearby Japanese-American Combined Fleet are preparing to pursue the remnants of China and occupy the Mariana Islands at the same time.

Three. November 11 at 3 o'clock. The main force will reach 28~08 ° north latitude. Longitude 165°45′ east longitude, course 090°, speed 20 knots.

4. Mobile units, raider units (except for the 7th Cruiser Squadron) and submarine forces. Imminent contact and attack on China.

The extremely nervous nerves and bloodshot eyes of the people on board the Montana showed that everyone was worried. Everyone longed for a night battle, perhaps avenging the losses they had suffered. However, this hope was clearly impossible to realize, because at 21:30, Nagumo reported: "The Chinese forces have a total of five aircraft carriers, six heavy cruisers and fifteen destroyers (erroneous intelligence, multiple reconnaissance superimposed). China is in the western airline. The Allied forces were covering the Wyvern's retreat to the north and west, at a speed of eighteen knots. ”

"Nagumo's troops don't plan to fight at night!" Chief of Staff Ugaki said in a deep voice. This expresses the frustration of the entire staff of the Japanese-American combined fleet.

However, Nagano and Nimitz are still determined to fight at night. Knowing that there must be a unified command, he ordered Vice Admiral Kondo to command the night battle troops.

The Montana received an order from Vice Admiral Kondo to the night troops at 23:40. The command says:

1. The main force of the Raiders (Kondo troops) arrived at 25°28′ north latitude and 158°35′ east longitude at 3 o'clock on November 11. Then search east for China in order to carry out a night battle.

2. The Wyvern and Akagi of the 1st Mobile Force (At this time, it was already known that the Kaga and Soryu had sunk, and only the Wyvern and Akagi were still floating on the water. and its vigilance forces) immediately returned to the sea and participated in the night battle.

It was evident from this order that there was little hope of contact with the Chinese fleet before dawn, and that the Allies had pinned their only hope on it, so that the last ray of hope held by the anxious men on the flagship of the Montana was slowly extinguished.

The staff of the Combined Fleet aboard the Montana immediately turned to the next move, having abandoned the idea of fighting at night. Everyone knew in their hearts that the first battle had been defeated, but not a single staff officer suggested that the battle be suspended. Instead, they are desperately trying to get something back from their failures. They are like drowning people who grasp straw.

Various remedies have been proposed. An aviation staff officer suggested that the small number of aircraft on the nearby light aircraft carriers Zuiho (Yamamoto Force) and Kazesho (Kondo Force), plus all the seaplanes on battleships and cruisers, should be used to form an air force to attack the enemy fleet. He argued that this attack could at least inflict some losses on the enemy aircraft carriers and weaken the enemy's attack force, thus providing greater hope for the Japanese battleships and cruisers to turn the tide of the war.

The U.S. gunners advocated that operations be strengthened in accordance with the original policy of having heavy cruisers from the Kondo Force bombard the Midway Air Base at night. He said that if a sufficient number of warships equipped with large-caliber guns could be used, they could deal a great blow to the enemy air force on Midway, so that it would be inactive for at least a day. There was also a staff officer who was optimistic that the anti-aircraft fire of the battleship would be enough to repel the attack of the enemy aircraft carrier on Yamamoto's troops.

The preliminary plan drawn up by the American chief of arms and artillery staff, who is full of offensive ideas, based on everyone's discussions, is simply absurd. The scheme called for all battleships. The Montana, including the USS Montana, approached Midway in broad daylight on 11 November, shelling Midway's air base with their main guns. The plan was presented to Nimitz, and after reading the plan, he at least realized what the plan was actually a trick - a plan to save face, desperate, brutal, and self-defeating, and he bluntly rejected the plan. He said:

"You should understand that it is stupid to use warships to engage shore facilities. In addition, the airport at Midway is still available, and there are many land planes there. The enemy had some aircraft carriers that were also undamaged. Our battleships had great firepower, but not before we could get close to Midway and use our artillery. It will be annihilated by enemy aircraft and submarines.

If circumstances permit. When Instad's 2nd Mobile Force arrives, we can launch an offensive. But even if we finally failed to launch an offensive and had to admit defeat, we did not lose the entire war. We also have almost a hundred aircraft carriers in our fleet, including those that will be completed soon. So. There is no reason to be discouraged. Fighting a war is the same as playing chess. People who do it out of desperation are stupid. ”

As a result of Nimitz's sober-minded intervention. Dismissed Kuroshima's proposed plan. Not all of the staff officers were satisfied. Some people feel intolerable at the thought of taking responsibility for the defeat, and they fight for a chance to save face. Gamble on everything. This attitude was clearly reflected by one officer, who protested to Nimitz: "How can we account for this defeat to Tokyo? How to explain to Washington? ”

Nagano Shusei, who had been silent while listening to their discussions, suddenly spoke, and he said, "Leave this matter to me." I am the only one who apologizes to His Majesty the Emperor. ”

Nimitz was also silent for a long time, and then made the same answer as Nagano Shusei.

Nagano's short remark indicates that he has almost decided to abandon any attempt to attack enemy aircraft carriers and occupy Midway. At 0:15 on November 11, Nagano and Nimitz took the first step in abandoning such attempts by ordering Vice Admiral Kondo and Vice Admiral Nagumo (whose forces were still preparing for a night attack on enemy aircraft carriers and shelling Midway) to suspend such activities and return to the main forces. The command says:

First, the Midway Raiders (excluding the transport ship regiment currently on standby, but including the 7th Cruiser Squadron) and the 1st Mobile Force (except the Akagi, Wyvern, and their alert forces) joined the main force.

2. At 9 o'clock today, the main force will reach 22°08′ north latitude and 159°01′ east longitude. The course is 090 °, the speed is 20 knots.

Now Nagano Shusu and Chief Nimitz still have to endure the pain of making the decision to sink the Akagi. Earlier, Captain Aoki of the Akagi had asked for permission to sink the Akagi, and Shusmi Nagano and Nimitz ordered the matter to be put on hold as his own forces and Kondo's forces were advancing to engage the enemy.

However, now that the hope of engagement has actually disappeared, and the Kondo and Nagumo forces have been ordered to return to join the main force, this decision cannot be postponed. But the decision to sink the ship was extremely painful, because the Japanese Navy had never sunk its own warship. Shusu Nagano and Chief Nimitz finally took on this great responsibility, and at 2:50 gave the order to sink the Akagi.

At 2:55 a.m. on June 5, just five minutes after the Montana departed, the Commander of the Combined Fleet issued another order from the Montana. This order finally affirmed the defeat of the Japanese troops. The command says:

1. Revoke the Mariana Islands Operational Plan.

2. The Mariana Islands Raiders and the 1st Mobile Force (with the exception of the Wyvern and its alert forces) joined up with the main force, and this joint force refueled at 33°N, 170°E, on the morning of 12 November.

3. The vigilance force, the Wyvern, and its vigilance force should be driven to the above-mentioned locations.

Fourth, the transport ship group withdrew westward to get out of the range of enemy aircraft in the Mariana Islands.

In this way, the Mariana Islands battle plan was finally revoked. However, it is still a difficult and dangerous task to gather the scattered Japanese troops and to withdraw them safely from the battlefield, which is constantly threatened by enemy attacks. The enemy tasted the sweetness and thought about it.

In the British Harbor area of Micronesia, the Instad's aircraft carrier consists of nine fighters. An elite force of eleven dive bombers and six horizontal bombers. Braving bad weather, another air raid on the port of England was carried out on November 10. The planes took advantage of the cloud gap to destroy oil depots, hangars, large merchant ships and other targets, and the results were remarkable.

On the way back, several American P-40s of the Hayabusa Falcon's flight team and a Chinese squadron of Warhawk-2 fighters were encountered over Cape Ott on the northeastern tip of Umnak Island, and four enemy aircraft were reportedly shot down. During this air battle, the Allied pilots saw an airfield below. It was the only airfield discovered by Allied forces during this Micronesian operation.

In the air battle, the Allies lost five fighters and seven bombers, and two more were seriously damaged. Failed to return. This was the end of the attack on enemy territory in the Micronesian Islands by the 2nd Mobile Force of the Japanese-American Combined Fleet.

Almost at the same time that Nagano Shusō issued the order to revoke the Mariana Islands operation. The Allied forces suffered another misfortune, but this time not directly by the enemy.

At 13:10 on November 10, the combined Japanese-American fleet ordered Vice Admiral Kondo to send part of his troops to shell the Mariana Islands at night. Kondo then ordered Rear Admiral Kurita's support forces (the 7th Cruiser Squadron had four heavy cruisers and two destroyers from the 8th Destroyer Detachment) to carry out this task.

Armed with ten eight-inch guns, these four cruisers were the fastest warships of the Allied Navy. Vice Admiral Kondo also wanted to include the American high-speed battleships USS Missouri and USS Wisconsin in the attack team. Because their sixteen-inch guns can greatly increase the power of bombardment. But these two battleships belonged to the main force of his raiders. Relatively far from the Mariana Islands. Therefore, it was impossible to reach the Mariana Islands before sunrise on the 11th.

Rear Admiral Kurita received an order from Kondo to send his troops on an artillery mission at about 15 o'clock on the 10th. He immediately led his troops to speed up to the battle. But since he was four hundred nautical miles west of the Mariana Islands, even his cruiser could sail at a maximum speed of thirty-two knots. The chances of reaching the destination before dawn the next day are also slim. Even if he could, he would have to retreat under the threat of enemy planes during the day. Kurita therefore reported to Vice Admiral Kondo that in order to ensure the success of the bombardment, he hoped to have the cooperation of other forces. Kondo's own forces include the USS Zuiho and three light aircraft carriers belonging to the American Independence class, with a handful of fighters. He presented this suggestion to Nagano Cultivation. However, Nagano and Nimitz decided not to take Kurita's advice. Kurita had to go it alone.

Kurita's fleet, with tragic determination, hurried eastward. The destroyers could not catch up with the cruiser and were quickly left behind, and by 23 o'clock the destroyer was already out of sight of the cruiser. Preparations were made on each cruiser, and in the event of a failed shelling, a death squad was to be sent ashore to carry out the task of blasting.

At this time, the staff officers of the Japanese-American Combined Fleet aboard the Montana checked the location of Kurita's troops on the basis of Kurita's recent report, and found that Kurita's troops were farther away from the Mariana Islands than they had estimated, and they calculated that it was impossible to carry out the shelling mission on time. Therefore, 20 minutes after midnight, an order was issued to Kurita's troops to cancel the original mission. Kurita's troops were only ninety nautical miles away from the Mariana Islands when they received this order.

Kurita's forces complied with the orders of the Japanese-American Combined Fleet and turned the fast-moving cruiser to the northwest. Soon after, the flagship of the vanguard, the Kumano, discovered that there was an enemy submarine on the starboard side. Kurita immediately ordered the troops to make an urgent 45-degree turn to the left.

The Kumano used a low-light directional signal light to send an "emergency alert" to the second ship, the Suzuya! Emergency alert!" then turn to the left; The Suzuya then relayed the emergency turn signal, followed by the turn to the third limit number and then sent the same signal.

It was about two hours before sunrise. The clouds were low, shrouding everything in darkness. Since the detachment of the troops from the direction of the Mariana Islands, the tension on the cruiser has somewhat relaxed, and perhaps it is because of this relaxation that paralyzing carelessness arises. Whatever the reason, the last number in line failed to receive the turn signal in time and collided with the port side of the third limit.

The speed of each ship has been slightly reduced since the turn, but it still maintains 28 knots. As a result of this collision, the former bow part of the Mogami forward turret was knocked off and immediately grounded. The Okuma suffered minor injuries, and his combat ability and agility were greatly affected.

However, the disaster did not end there, and they were close to the Mariana Islands, and they had already entered the warning circle of the Chinese submarine force. In the darkness of the night, dozens of torpedoes quietly rushed towards the four heavy cruisers.

The successive explosions reflected most of the sky, and the collision caused the chaotic cruiser formation, which had no time to react. The most serious Mogami was hit by three torpedoes in a row and sank directly. The other three heavy cruisers were also not able to survive.

When the destroyer came to the rescue, the last of the Kumano was also on the verge of sinking. (To be continued......)