After the forces and indigenous troops of the Philippine islands were cleared by the autumn wind of the Dingbei Army, Lin Daxin ordered the 15th Division to be temporarily stationed in various parts of the Philippines, the Marine Division and the Third Fleet of the Northeast Navy to stay in Manila, and 2 battalions of marines and 8 general-class large fast armored cruisers to garrison Guam and Wake Island, two strategically important islands in the Pacific Ocean.

And the remnants of the Katipunan organization began to hide from the capture of the Dingbei Army.

Lin Daxin himself was about to lead the 14 ironclad battleships of the Second Fleet back to the northeast, when Chen Ergou, the commander of the Guards Division, almost ran into Lin Daxin's room in the Manila Governor's Palace.

Chen Ergou said anxiously: "Principal! Something is wrong! ”

Lin Daxin was looking at a map of the distribution of minerals in the Philippines brought from modern time and space, and when he heard Chen Ergou's words, he frowned and asked, "What's wrong?" ”

Chen Ergou handed Lin Daxin a piece of paper, and said anxiously: "The military intelligence bureau has sent a telegram that the intelligence officers in Hong Kong have received important news that the Americans and Italians are colluding together and are ready to do something against us!" ”

As soon as Lin Daxin's face changed drastically when he heard this, he immediately took the telegram and took a closer look; this was a telegram from Li Kunlai, director of the Military Intelligence Bureau; Hong Kong intelligence officers learned from an officer of the US Navy's Asian Detachment that the United States and Italy had agreed that the US Navy's Asian Detachment and the Italian mainland would send a fleet to Asia to attack their Northeast Navy together, and that they would first attack the Northeast Navy's fleet in the Philippines. Then occupy the Philippines.

The telegram also introduced the situation of the Asian detachment of the US Navy, which originally had nine warships in Hong Kong, including five all-steel battleships. 2 large armored cruisers and 2 protective cruisers, which had just left Hong Kong, were supposed to wait for the Italian fleet in a port somewhere in Indonesia, but there was no exact information on the exact location of the port.

Moreover, the intelligence personnel also received information that the United States has sent three more all-steel battleships to strengthen the strength of the Asian detachment, and these three all-steel battleships will also arrive in Asia in the near future. and the U.S. Asian Detachment to rendezvous.

As for how many warships Italy would send from the mainland, the intelligence officers did not receive specific information.

Lin Daxin gasped. If the Military Intelligence Bureau had not learned this important information in advance, he would have immediately led the Second Fleet to leave the Philippines and return to the Northeast Arthur base, then the Third Fleet would have stayed in the Philippines, because eight general-class large fast armored cruisers had been sent to escort two Marine battalions to receive Guam and Wake Island. Only 9 large fast armored cruisers remained in the port of Manila, Philippines.

If it is attacked by the US Navy and the Italian Navy, then the 9 warships of the Third Fleet will be more than lucky!

Lin Daxin slapped the telegram on the desk, and then said hatefully: "I didn't expect the Italians to pop up again, it seems that the lessons given to them in the first two times are not deep enough!" The Americans are also bold enough, I thought that before the United States and Spain declared war, they bought the Philippines in advance, although the Americans may be angry, but with the Northeast Navy, which is now the second largest in the world in terms of tonnage, the Americans should suffer this dumb loss. I never thought of it. The Americans, in alliance with Italy, were to unite against us and, in the event of a war with Spain, provoked another war with our four northeastern provinces. ”

Chen Ergou asked, "Principal! Now what do we do? ”

Lin Daxin thought about it for a moment and ordered: "Sue Jiang Chen, the commander of the Second Fleet." Cancel the plan to return to the Lushun base. At the same time, the Second Fleet and the Third Fleet were brought into the first level of combat readiness, and a telegram was sent to the First Fleet at the Arthur base and our submarine detachment, asking them to go to Manila Port immediately. ”

Chen Ergou nodded and said, "Yes, principal!" I'll go inform the Navy right away! ”

Lin Daxin said: "The military intelligence bureau has not yet developed into Indonesia, you can contact the Chinese representatives in Manila and let them know the relationship with Indonesia." Help us find out where the U.S. Navy and the Italian Navy will converge in Indonesia, where they want to sneak up on our Philippine fleet. I will govern others in the same way, and if we find their rendezvous and supply points, our navy will strike first! ”

Chen Ergou said worriedly: "But if we want to attack the US Navy and the Italian Navy first, we won't take care of it, and those countries that don't like us will pop out if they don't like us!" ”

Lin Daxin heard what Chen Ergou said made sense, those foreigners only allowed the officials to set fires, and the people were not allowed to light the lamps.

Lin Daxin said: "That also allows the Chinese in Indonesia to help inquire about the strength of the Italian Navy, and at least monitor when the fleets of the two countries will attack us." ”

Lin Daxin was a little irritable in his heart, according to intelligence, Italy has been building warships frantically in recent years, and now it has at least 14 very advanced all-steel battleships, I don't know how many the Italians will send. Plus an American fleet, grandma's, it's not funny!

After receiving Lin Daxin's order, the 10 all-steel battleships and 2 submarines at the Lushun base were filled with ammunition on the warships, and at the same time took several supply ships, so they immediately left the Lushun base and sailed to Manila, preparing to join the Second Fleet and the Third Fleet at the port of Manila.

On May 5, 1898, the Italian Navy's Second Expeditionary Fleet, led by Commander Roberte, arrived at the port of Tarakan on the Indonesian island of Tarakan, located northeast of Kalimantan, Indonesia.

The Second Expeditionary Fleet of the Italian Navy came here to join the Asian Detachment of the US Navy, which had been waiting here for a long time, and at this time, the three Illinois-class all-steel battleships sent by the United States had already joined the Asian Detachment at Taragan.

In this way, the Asian detachment of the US Navy has reached 8 all-steel battleships, 2 large armored cruisers, and 2 protective cruisers, which is already a fairly strong fleet, comparable to the fleet of the Italians on their second expedition to Asia. The strength is still a lot worse.

After the destruction of the mercenary fleet of the Italian Navy and the First Expeditionary Fleet of the Italian Navy, the Second Italian Expeditionary Fleet that came over this time mainly came to take revenge. The second was to occupy half of the islands of the Philippines, so the new warships of the entire Italian Navy almost poured out.

The Italian Navy has eight Queen Margaret-class all-steel battleships with a displacement of nearly 15,000 tons, all of which are in the Second Expeditionary Fleet, namely Queen Margaret, Alfonso, Dante, Angelo, Dejo, Sirio, Giancaro and Khima.

Of the four Queen Elena-class all-steel battleships with a displacement of nearly 14,000 tons, four joined the Second Expeditionary Fleet, namely Queen Elena, Silvio, Valero and Sergio.

Only two Queen Elena-class all-steel battleships remained in Italy.

The Italian Navy has a total of 10 large fast armored cruisers of the Dotenaro class with a displacement of 9,700 tons, and this time there are also 6 of them. They are the Dotenaro, Pia, Perae, Pinciga, Rafael and Diegol.

In addition, there are 4 Elba-class fast protection cruisers with a displacement of 2,800 tons, the Umberto, the Rickli, the Chaona, and the Kuferla. and 10 transport ships loaded with supplies also arrived at Tarakan Island.

There are a total of 22 warships in the entire Italian Second Expeditionary Fleet, and because the main reason for the total destruction of the Italian First Expeditionary Fleet last time was a sneak attack by Lin Daxin's submarine, each warship of the Second Expeditionary Fleet of the Italian Navy is equipped with a simple depth charge newly developed by the Italian Navy. It was specially prepared for Lin Daxin's submarine.

Commander of the US Navy's Asian Detachment, George? At the pier of Taragan Harbor, Dewey said warmly to the Italian commander Roberte who had come down from the all-steel battleship Queen Margaret, the flagship of the Second Italian Expeditionary Fleet: "Welcome to Taragan Port, Indonesia, I am George Commander of the Asian Detachment of the US Navy?" Dewey. ”

Roberte smiled and said, "It's an honor to meet you, George?" Commander Dewey, I am Roberte, commander of the Second Italian Expeditionary Fleet, and I hope we have a happy cooperation this time! Completely destroy the evil Lin Daxin fleet! ”

George? Dewey said, "Commander Roberte, we have established a supply point in this port of Tarakan. Can give us 2 fleets for wartime replenishment. ”

Robert said with satisfaction: "George? Commander Dewey was very thoughtful, what is the situation of Lin Daxin's fleet in the Philippines now? ”

George? Dewey said: "According to information from the Philippine Liberation Organization Katipnan, Lin Daxin's 14 ironclad battleships and 9 large fast armored cruisers are currently in the port of Manila. It's a pity that this indigenous army of Katipunan is too weak. In a short period of time, it was defeated by Lin Daxin's army, and now there is not much left of this organization in the Philippines, otherwise it can become a good cannon fodder for us when our two armies attack the Philippines. ”

"Our army in Italy has already begun to prepare for an expedition to the Philippines, as long as we defeat Lin Daxin's Philippine fleet," Roberte said. After destroying his main fleet of all-steel battleships, our Italian army will land in the Philippines! ”

George? Dewey nodded. After defeating Lin Daxin's fleet, the U.S. Army will also come to the Philippines and occupy half of the Philippine islands.

George? Dewey continued: "At my station at the port docks of Talagan, I have prepared a welcome reception for the friendly Italian troops, to which all the senior naval officers of your army are invited!" ”

Robert said happily: "No problem, all of our senior officers of the Second Italian Expeditionary Fleet must attend the welcome banquet, George?" Commander Dewey was so polite! ”

That night, in a simple bungalow in the port of Talagan, senior officers of the US Navy and senior officers of the Italian Navy held a simple welcome reception, and the two fleet commanders both delivered an enthusiastic speech, which can be regarded as a pre-war mobilization, saying that it is the bounden duty of the two just countries of the United States and Italy to destroy the evil Lin Daxin fleet, expel Lin Daxin's forces in the Philippines, and liberate the Filipino people under Lin Daxin's cruel rule.

Finally, the commander of the US Navy's Asian detachment, George? At the welcome banquet, Dewey and Roberte, commander of the Italian Second Expeditionary Fleet, agreed that three days later, on May 8, the two fleets would go out together to attack Lin Daxin's fleet in the port of Manila.

But George? Unbeknownst to Dewey and Roberte, after the U.S. Navy's Asian Squadron arrived at the port of Talagan, there was a small town not far from the port, and in the middle of the night, a carrier pigeon suddenly flew out of one of the houses and flew northeast.

The pigeon flew all the way to a wooden house in a fishing village on a small island in the Sulawesi Sea, where two young Chinese fishermen rowed their boats towards Zamboanga in Mindanao before dawn.

And this night, after the arrival of the Second Italian Expeditionary Fleet, another carrier pigeon flew out of the town...... (To be continued)