PS: The second update is here! Ask for a subscription, ask for a monthly pass! Thank you for the monthly pass of QT0815 and Aoyan I! Thank you for the evaluation votes of the book friend Arthur Wang!

At the headquarters of the Chinese Navy's Pacific Fleet in Puerto Ayora, the atmosphere was very tense. Admiral Gao Yihai, commander of the Pacific Fleet, and Vice Admiral Zhao Hongcai, chief of staff, both had very unsightly faces. The captains of several capital ships of the Pacific Fleet also gathered in the headquarters, but the dreary atmosphere completely gave people the feeling that the mountain rain was about to come and the wind was full of buildings.

"Chief of Staff, let me introduce the specific situation to everyone!" General Gao Yihai said.

"Okay!" Vice Admiral Zhao Hongcai nodded, glanced at everyone, and then said: "According to the latest information we have received, the US fleet has only been on Santa Cruz Island for one day, and it is expected to arrive at Port Ayora from nine to ten o'clock tomorrow morning." Several light cruisers that we sent from the Tumaco naval base are tracking them. The U.S. fleet consisted of a total of 14 battleships, including four 'Wyoming-class' battleships, four 'New York-class' battleships, and six 'Nevada-class' battleships. There were also 10 'Philadelphia-class' heavy cruisers, as well as 12 light cruisers and about 20 destroyers. ”

After listening to Lieutenant General Zhao Hongcai's introduction, the air in the headquarters seemed to be condensed, very quiet, and it seemed that only the sound of everyone's breathing could be heard. Very idlers, everyone was stunned by the strong strength of the American fleet, you know, even if these battleships are inferior to the 'Han-class' battleships of the Chinese Navy, the gap is not too big. And the Americans, dispatching 14 such powerful battleships at a time, have long exceeded the capabilities of the Pacific Fleet. The Pacific Fleet had only one 'Han-class' battleship, two 'Qin-class' battleships, two 'Zhonghua-class' battleships and one 'Baiqi-class' battlecruiser. The 'Zhonghua-class' battleships have been in service for more than ten years, and although the performance is barely okay, that is when dealing with ordinary battleships. Once you encounter a super battleship equipped with a 343 mm main gun, I am afraid that it will be more disadvantaged.

"There is no doubt that the Americans are menacing this time, trying to eat us before our main fleet arrives, or to destroy the Santa Cruz naval base. These Americans are completely treating us as soft persimmons. Hum! Let them know that our Pacific Fleet is not muddy, and if they want to eat us, they have to break a few teeth! Fleet Commander Admiral Gao Yi said.

Everyone's spirits lifted. Before. After learning that the American fleet was so powerful, everyone was a little worried that it was no match for the Americans. But how can the Chinese Navy be frightened by this? The Americans are strong, and that's only temporary. By the time the main fleet arrived, it would be time for the Americans to flee with their tails between their legs.

"Commander. How to fight with the Americans, you give orders! Commodore Hu Dawei, the captain of the battleship 'Emperor Guangwu', said first.

"Yes, Commander! We, the people of the Pacific Fleet, are definitely not a bad breed! The Americans are just our defeated men, and we can't fight with them! The other captains shouted as well.

"Okay, everyone, be quiet. The General Staff and the Admiralty have already sent us orders, if they are overwhelming. We were asked to withdraw to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base in Hawaii. However, I don't want to retreat like this, no matter what, I have to fight with the Americans! Now I command. The "Zhonghua" and "Yanhuang" are ready to withdraw to the Pearl Harbor Naval Base, and the "Guangwu Emperor", "Qin II" and "Qin III" and the "Wang Qian" battlecruisers form the main formation to meet the American fleet! General Gao Yihai ordered.

"Why? Commander. Can't we be deserters just because our ships are old, right? Our warships have been in service for more than a decade, though. But the combat power is still strong, and the 305-mm main gun with fifty times the caliber can still penetrate the American battleships! "As soon as the captains of the 'Zhonghua' and 'Yanhuang' heard that Gao Yihai would let them withdraw to Hawaii, they immediately stopped doing it, and hurriedly retorted.

"Okay, don't quarrel between you two and listen to the commander! Although the main guns of the 'Zhonghua' and 'Yanhuang' were able to penetrate the American battleships, the Americans' main guns were also able to penetrate the armor of the 'Zhonghua' and 'Yanhuang' with ease. At the same time, the maximum speed of the 'Zhonghua-class' battleships was only 225 knots, and the US fleet had so many advanced battleships and a large number of heavy cruisers this time, that once they were encircled, it would be difficult for the 'Zhonghua' and 'Yanhuang' to break through. The maximum speed of the 'Han-class' battleships was 26 knots, and the 'Qin-class' battleships were also 24 knots, and their battleships could not catch up with them, except for the heavy and light cruisers and destroyers of the Americans. If the battle is dangerous, we can break through immediately! This is also for the maximum preservation of Cheng dù's preservation strength! You two just obey the order! Lieutenant General Zhao Hongcai, Chief of Staff, also said!

Seeing this, the captains of the battleships 'Zhonghua' and 'Yanhuang' had no choice but to accept their fate, who told their battleships to be slow? Moreover, when the battleships are lined up in a battle line to fight, the speed is often determined by the slowest battleship, and in the general intensity of the battle, it will not have much impact, but this time it is obviously a matter of life and death, and once the 'Zhonghua' and 'Yanhuang' are on the battlefield, they will drag down the other battleships. Therefore, there is no way to let them evacuate early. Although the number of American battleships is large, the maximum speed of these three class battleships is only about 22 knots, and once the Chinese Navy wants to break through, they will have no way!

"Alright, so be it! Let's go back and get ready. The 'Zhonghua' and 'Yanhuang' left in the afternoon, and the other capital ships set off in the evening to prepare to meet the US Navy! General Gao Yihai ordered.

"Yes!" Everyone replied in a loud voice.

After the captains of these capital ships left, Admiral Gao Yi and Vice Admiral Zhao Hongcai brought in Rear Admiral Li Hai, commander of the Santa Cruz Island Naval Base. After the fleet leaves, it will definitely become the target of attack by the American fleet.

"Commander Li, the main force of the fleet will leave tonight, but before we leave, we will have a fight with the American fleet. However, after we leave, the American fleet will definitely attack Santa Cruz. After all, destroying this place would reduce our threat to the Panama Canal. You're going to be stressed! General Gao Yihai said.

"Commander Gao, please rest assured, the tens of thousands of officers and men of the naval base are ready for battle, as long as the Americans come, they will definitely not be able to ask for any benefits!" Major General Lehi said firmly. The Pacific Fleet is at the Santa Cruz Island Naval Base, with tens of thousands of men. It includes two infantry battalions and three coastal defense artillery battalions, and the combat effectiveness is also very strong. But with so many formidable battleships dispatched by the American fleet, it will not be very difficult to destroy the naval base on Santa Cruz Island!

"If the base is gone, it can be rebuilt, and the most important thing is to save the personnel, which is the most important thing!" Lieutenant General Zhao Hongcai also said!

"Don't worry, Chief of Staff, I know what is important. The Americans did not have any troops to land this time, they just wanted to blow up the port and supporting facilities into ruins, so we would just use the fortress of the military port to fight them! The fortress in Puerto Ayora was much stronger than the fort in Port Basseterre, and even if the fortress was destroyed, at least some American warships would have to be pulled on its back. In addition, I hope that the submarine group will stay and cooperate with our operations! Major General Lehi said. At the Santa Cruz Island Naval Base, 12 U-2 Shark-class submarines were deployed, and the underwater defense forces of the base last night. If these submarines are used well, they can also deal a heavy blow to the American fleet!

"Okay, the submarine forces can stay. However, after the original Battle of the Red Sea, the British strengthened their defense against submarines, and at the same time prepared a lot of tactics to strike submarines. The U.S. Navy has learned these tactics from the British Navy, and submarine forces need to be especially careful when applying them! General Gao Yihai admonished.

"Commander, rest assured, we will not let you down!" Major General Li Hai saluted and said firmly!

At 4 p.m., the battleships 'Zhonghua' and 'Yanhuang' left Puerto Ayola with several light cruisers and destroyers and headed north. At 9 o'clock in the evening, the battleships 'Emperor Guangwu', the battleships 'Qin II', the battleships 'Qin III', and the battlecruiser 'Wang Qian' also left the harbor and headed east, ready to intercept the American fleet. In addition to these battleships, there were 6 'Jianghe-class' heavy cruisers, 12 'Ningbo-class' light cruisers and 16 'Fuqing-class' destroyers.

In the eastern Pacific, a huge fleet was sailing westward at 12 knots, with more than a dozen huge battleships floating like hills on the sea, and a number of heavy cruisers, light cruisers, and destroyers surrounding the battleships. The destroyers, in particular, were constantly cruising around the battleship, and the huge searchlights illuminated the sea. A few years ago, in the Battle of the Red Sea, the British suffered a heavy loss at the hands of the Indian Ocean Fleet of the Chinese Navy, and in the subsequent Battle of the Mediterranean, the American fleet led by Admiral William Benson also paid the price of sinking a battleship and wounding another. Therefore, for anti-submarine, Admiral William Benson paid special attention.

"How long will it take to get to Santa Cruz?" On the bridge of the battleship 'Nevada', Admiral William Benson asked. He was very excited in his heart, in his opinion, this battle was undoubtedly a shameful battle for the US Navy!