"That's ...... Wouldn't that be too risky? Eisuke Yamamoto wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, shook his head and said, "Even if we can strike before the merger of the Chinese and British fleets and achieve victory, it is impossible to go undamaged, right?" So that we have a high probability of losing to another enemy fleet that then rushes to the battlefield......"

When it comes to the end, I can't be ruthless! Yamamoto Fifty-six's heart sank suddenly, he knew that now was the critical moment of life and death, and there was still a fifty percent chance of winning if he fought back, then the general trend was really gone, and then he was waiting to be surrounded by the Chinese and British navies! Even if Trotsky had liberated the Middle East and India, it would not have saved Japan from bad luck. "Your Excellency, Commander!" Just as Yamamoto Fifty-six was pondering how to persuade Eisuke Yamamoto, Otakijiro, a staff officer of the Combined Fleet Aviation who was standing behind him, suddenly said loudly: "Your worries are completely unnecessary, because we will not engage in a fleet artillery battle with this fleet attacked by the I-21 at all, and this time we should use air strikes to solve the opponent!" ”

"Air strikes?" Eisuke Yamamoto shook his head slightly, "But our plane is not an opponent of China and Britain......"

"No, Your Excellency, Commander. Our carrier-based aircraft cannot beat the carrier-based aircraft of the main Chinese fleet, not only because the Chinese aircraft are more advanced, but also because of their large number, and the three heavy aircraft carriers of the Chinese are estimated to carry 3 carrier-based. However, the British Brave-class aircraft carriers can only carry about 4 carriers, of which no more than 15 fighters. And we can send more than 2 carriers at a time, how can we resist with just 15 fighters?

As for the threat of Chinese carrier-based aircraft, there is no need to worry too much, because our specific location has not been revealed by the Chinese. If they want to attack with carrier-based aircraft, they must send seaplanes after dawn tomorrow to find the enemy, and wait until they appear with us. Perhaps our air strikes on the British fleet are over. At that time, we can retreat north and enter the protective circle of shore-based aircraft on the island of Okinawa. One P7 fighter jet is deployed there, plus six I-15 modifications on four aircraft carriers, which is enough to protect the main force of the combined fleet. ”

Eisuke Yamamoto frowned and shook his head slightly: "Onishi-kun, are you so sure that it was the British Far East Fleet that was attacked by the I-21?" ”

Onishi smiled heavily. said: "My subordinates are not sure, but ...... If it is China's main fleet that is attacked, then we should not let go of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Therefore, the subordinates built yì, and the whole fleet moved closer to the direction reported by the I-21. Carrier-based aircraft will be sent after dawn tomorrow morning, and in the meantime the fleet should continue to pursue westward, in case the carrier-based aircraft attack fails. Decisively put in the capital ship and fight a fleet decisive battle with the enemy of China's main fleet! The six 'Guangdong' class ships of the Chinese are not at all the opponents of our three ships, "Akagi", "Kaga", and "Tosa"! ”

"And what about the British Far East Fleet?" Eisuke Yamamoto asked rhetorically.

"If it is the Chinese who are attacked, then there is no need to worry about the British Far East Fleet!" Yamamoto took the question with a smile. "Because Britain has not yet declared war on Japan...... And I believe that, with the reflexes of the old empire of the British Empire, even if they were to declare war, they would certainly not have time to declare it tomorrow morning! ”

"Well said!" Eisuke Yamamoto has made up his mind. A cold glint flashed in his eyes: "So there is an eighty percent chance of winning!" Order the fleet to change course and move in the direction of xx north latitude and xx east longitude, all moving forward!

After dawn, the flag was hung out: The rise and fall of the country, in this battle, all the soldiers, work hard! ”

……

July 3, 1932 at 3:03 a.m.

In the western Pacific Ocean, about 23 nautical miles due south of Okinawa. Heavy aircraft carrier USS Nakayama.

The sky was overcast and bright, the sky was densely covered with thick rain clouds, and there was a faint dull sound of rolling thunder in the distance to the southeast.

Feng Yundong turned his head to look at the deck of the aircraft carrier Zhongshan, although he had not yet received the order to attack, but the deck was already busy, several Thunder Eagle (Attack 2B) carrier-based aircraft with foldable wings were lifted to the deck by the elevator, and the ground crew officers and men pushed them to the stern of the ship to line up, and then loaded the 25 kilograms of armor-piercing bombs loaded with carts onto the bomb hook on the belly of the aircraft.

A seaplane catapult of the "Seagull" type had been placed on the seaplane catapult of the battlecruiser not far from Guangdong, and was preparing to shoot. After seeing this seaplane ejected. Feng Yundong retracted his gaze: "What happened to the situation of the British Far East Fleet?" ”

"Several more waves were attacked by Japanese submarines. The Iron Duke was hit by a torpedo and broke a few meters through, but it was not critical, and now the biggest trouble was the Indian Emperor, and the power compartment was blown through by a Japanese torpedo. Yan zhòng entered the water, and now the voyage has dropped to 5 knots, and the entire fleet is dragged down by it. ”

Feng Yundong raised his eyebrows, he himself was born as a submarine force commander, submarine combat is his old profession, and he also commanded a submarine to sink the Japanese battle cruiser Kongo. However, the 1923 King Kong was not equipped with mine protection and blockage, and the British Iron Duke-class battleship was not only equipped with up to 5 mine protection and blockage in the modernization 3 years ago, but also thickened the originally relatively thin waterline armor, and was actually shot through the power compartment by a Japanese submarine with a torpedo! It's a bit incredible, if it weren't for the British cutting corners, the Japanese would have developed a high-powered torpedo! This should be noted and try to avoid close combat with Japanese light cruisers and destroyers.

Vice Admiral Jiang Mosan, the chief of staff of the fleet, who was studying the nautical charts beside him, was also shocked, and if the British Far East Fleet could only maneuver at an hour of five nautical miles, it would be tantamount to spinning in place. And in case there are Japanese submarines monitoring nearby, the Japanese may dispatch carrier-based aircraft to attack as soon as dawn, and now the British Far East Fleet looks good!

"Mo San, what do you think? Will the Japanese carry out air strikes? Feng Yundong suddenly asked. A few torpedoes hit by the black light are confused, but the air raid is ...... It seems that no news of a declaration of war has yet come. ”

"It's all come to this point, what else is there to be afraid of?" Jiang Mosan paused, thought for a while, and said: "The British will not give up after suffering losses, and will definitely send reinforcements from the mainland, so that Trotsky will have a chance." In this regard, the Japanese will do it to the end! ”

"Will they really be cannon fodder for the Soviets with all their hearts?"

"It's not about being cannon fodder single-mindedly. It's strategy! Jiang Mosan said: "No matter how much you fight in the South Seas, the Western Pacific, and the South Pacific, they are not the main battlefield. It was the Soviet Union that really played a decisive role, and the real decisive battlefield was in Europe! As long as the Soviet Union can win in Europe, Japan will not be afraid of losing more in the East, even if the mainland is occupied by us. In the end, it can be called back. In this sense, the prime minister was right to put the main financial and material resources on the construction of the 6th Army and the Air Force, and only by defeating the Soviet Union could we win the war. And Japan's leaders are well aware of this. ”

"The Japanese are cannon fodder for the strategy of a world war, so why should we condone this cannon fodder? Was the Chancellor really not worried about the success of Trotsky's plan? ”

Jiang Mosan shrugged his shoulders. He smiled bitterly: "The prime minister is far-sighted and can see what we can't see, Yizhi, I don't think you need to think about it, just implement it according to the 'Pacific 1' plan." Saying that, he looked up at the sky outside the window where the dark clouds were gradually lowering, shook his head and said, "This time, I'm afraid God will help the Japanese devils." At most, our carriers can make one sortie, and then we should run away...... Otherwise, it would not be a joke to encounter the capital ship of the Japanese Combined Fleet on a rainy day! ”

……

"Sir, it's time to decisively abandon the battleship Emperor of India!"

The chief of staff of the British Far East Fleet handed Admiral Barkes the latest weather forecast he had just received from the command of the Chinese Navy, and out of the corner of his eye, he couldn't help but glance out, the clouds in the sky were thick and dense, and one of the most common rainstorms on the sea in the summer might be coming.

"That's a 30,000-ton battleship!" Bakes squinted at his chief of staff and said coldly: "And theoretically." The British Empire is still at peace! ”

"But...... A voyage of 5 knots is not enough to throw off the submarine, and the fleet is likely to be under the surveillance of Japanese submarines. The chief of staff paused, and then said: "It is better to let the Indian Emperor slowly sail to the port of Keelung in China, and the main force of the fleet will quickly move south and leave this place of right and wrong." ”

"No, that's putting a precious battleship to death, in case the war really breaks out, it won't reach Keelung at all!" Barkes gestured to the sky outside. "Soon it will rain, and then the Japanese carrier-based aircraft will not be able to find us, if there is a decisive battle for the fleet! Hum. The Hood, Nelson, and Rodney weren't vegetarians either! Moreover, the 6 Cantonese-class ships of the Chinese are all rushing over, and then we can sink all the capital ships of Little Japan! ”

It turns out that his immediate boss still has plans in this regard......

"Air raids! Air raid! Ten o'clock! ”

The voice suddenly sounded in the bridge of the Hood, followed by a piercing siren. The British Far East Fleet, which was sailing slowly, suddenly became a mess and began to form an air defense formation on the sea. Fortunately, the Japanese fleet was spotted 2 kilometers away from the British fleet. And the voyage was slow, so the British fleet was given plenty of time to prepare. The fleet was soon transformed, with destroyers and light cruisers on the outside, heavy cruisers in the middle, and aircraft carriers, battleships, battlecruisers, tankers and transports on the innermost side. All the anti-aircraft guns and anti-aircraft machine guns raised their barrels and pointed at the approaching huge group of aircraft in the sky.

The 15 Sea Fighter carrier-based fighters on the aircraft carrier USS Brave also roared into the sky, rushing towards a group of more than two Japanese fighters. Although Britain's aviation industry was far ahead of Japan's, Britain's aircraft design concept, especially the carrier-based aircraft design concept, was very conservative and eccentric, and all carrier-based aircraft had navigators on them, and the result was naturally that the superior performance of the motive was offset by the excess weight of the two-seater, and the performance of these sea fighters was almost on par with the Japanese I-15, and they were quickly defeated in the face of the opponent's overwhelming numerical superiority.

……

"3 meters on the port side, two torpedoes!"

"Right full rudder!"

"Can't dodge, shock-proof, prepare!"

"Boom!"

As soon as the Japanese fleet came up, it used all its strength, and more than 160 torpedo attack planes and light bombers almost swarmed down, completely ignoring the dense anti-aircraft fire of the British fleet, and only pounced on the battleships, battlecruisers, and aircraft carriers that were firmly guarded by destroyers and light cruisers. And the battlecruiser HMS Hood, the largest flagship of the entire British Far East Fleet, undoubtedly attracted the most Japanese fighters. After a long period of dodging, two black barracuda-like Japanese airborne torpedoes slammed into the burly body of the Hood from under the blue waves, and the huge waves rushed onto the deck. The huge ship with a full load displacement of 48 tons trembled violently twice, as if it had been struck twice by some underwater monster.

"Report the damage!"

As soon as he stood firm, Admiral Bakes shouted loudly.

"One torpedo in the bow and one in the amidships, the No. 4 oil depot was ruptured, and a large amount of fuel leaked......"

"The engine room is flooded. The boiler tube is ruptured, the No. 3 steam turbine is faulty, the power is damaged, and the flight is estimated to drop by more than 3%, and it is estimated that it will take several hours to troubleshoot......"

It's okay, it's okay. Just a few minor injuries.

Hearing the report of the first mate of the Hood, Admiral Barkes sighed softly, for the 48-ton warship, these damages were not fatal at all. But when he looked up, his face suddenly turned blue. Japanese fighter attacks continued, either dropping bombs or dropping torpedoes. The anti-aircraft fire of surface ships was also at its fullest, and from time to time planes dragging long plumes of smoke fell from the sky. However, the situation of the British fleet on the water was not much better, bombs fell from the sky, torpedoes shuttled on the crest of the waves, and from time to time huge fireballs and water columns rose, and from a distance, every large ship seemed to be smoking and burning.

Though. The bombs dropped by Japanese planes were of limited power, and their on-board torpedoes were not as powerful as those fired by submarines. The large British warships on the surface of the water that were smoking showed no signs of sinking, but...... All of them were damaged in different ways!

"Admiral, the losses of the ships have been counted." The chief of staff held the notebook and whispered with a dejected expression: "...... The port side of the Iron Duke was flooded, and the bridge was damaged by a bullet; The No. 3 turret of the Emperor of India was hit by a bullet and could not be turned; The stern of the Nelson was mined, and the rudder was jammed; A chimney of the Rodney was blown through ......"

Listening to the report of the chief of staff as if it was a funeral, everyone felt as if a catastrophe was coming!

"Admiral, just now the main Chinese fleet broke the radio silence and telegraphed, and their seaplanes are now in the Japanese fleet. There were at least 1 battleship and 4 aircraft carriers, the coordinates were xx north latitude, xx Tokyo. It's less than 1 nautical mile away from us! ”

The communications officer's sudden report of bad news caused a gasping sound to be heard in the bridge of the Hood. For a high-sailing fleet, 1 nautical mile is a voyage of more than 3 hours! Most of the ships were damaged in different ways, and the power systems of several warships, including the Hood, were damaged. With a sharp drop in navigation, the British Far Eastern Fleet had no hope of escaping the battlefield.

"General...... Hurry up and call the Chinese fleet to come and join us! The chief of staff raised the building with a gloomy face. We have six capital ships, how can we delay for a while, as long as we stay up until the six battle cruisers of the Chinese arrive, the winner of this naval battle is still the British Empire! ”

……

On the island platform of the Zhongshan aircraft carrier, Feng Yundong was wearing a raincoat and holding on to the railing under the support of the staff officers, looking at the flight deck below. The ears were already filled with whistling, raindrops crackling on the thick steel plates, and the aircraft carrier with a full load displacement of more than 30,000 tons was constantly shaking in the waves. Ground crews on deck were busy loading a series of Attack 2B Thunderhawk planes with unloaded bombs onto the elevators......

The storm finally came, not long after the seaplanes became the main force of the Japanese Combined Fleet, and just before the two fighters and attack planes were ready to take off for battle. In such a storm, the carrier-based aircraft of the aircraft carrier naturally could not take off, and it seems that the luck of this naval battle was really on the side of the Japanese!

"Commander, I have just received a telegram from the British that their Far Eastern Fleet has been bombed by the Japanese, and that the power systems of several capital ships have been damaged at different stages...... Admiral Barkers wants our 6 battlecruisers to go up to meet them! ”

The communications staff officer of the fleet took the telegram he had just received and reported loudly to Feng Yundong.

Feng Yundong turned around and looked at his chief of staff, Jiang Mosan, Jiang Mosan shook his head: "Luck is not on our side, I think it's better to retreat south...... Anyway, the 'Pacific 1' plan does not require us to keep the British Far East Fleet. ”

"Luck?" Feng Yundong snorted coldly: "There is a saying in our hometown in Guangxi, if you fight, you don't lose, if you don't fight, how do you know that your luck is high?" Luck comes from fighting! So saying, he strode back to the chart table, and with a slid his finger on the chart, he found the current position of the British Far East Fleet, and then the position of the main force of the Japanese Combined Fleet, which were less than 1 nautical mile apart, and the distance between them and the main Chinese fleet was about 125 nautical miles. According to the maximum voyage of the "Guangdong" class battle cruiser at 33 knots, it will be possible to reach the battlefield in 4 hours.

"Let Bo Fuping command the battle cruiser detachment to attack, and the goal is ...... Over here! Feng Yundong's finger poked heavily and pointed at the location where the Japanese Combined Fleet was now located. To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to come to Biquge www.biquge.info to vote for recommendations and monthly passes, your support is my biggest motivation. For mobile phone users, please go to n