Whether it was Le Yiqin, who had returned to the Myitkyina field airfield and celebrated with his subordinates, or Tang Qiuli, who had focused all his attention on the fleet that was about to cross the Strait of Malacca, they didn't know that another senior general of the Japanese army died on the battlefield in the Indochina Peninsula.

Moreover, it is also the first of the Japanese air force, Nomura is honored to bring this honor, Tang Qiuli's plan, has been sent to Le Yiqin, the core gist is to dispatch all the fighters and bombers of the Southern Flying Group, at dawn tomorrow, to carry out wanton and indiscriminate bombardment of the Japanese shore artillery positions along the coast of the Strait of Malacca, and cover the fleet along the Lì Tongguò.

Originally, he only wanted to send bombers, but Tang Qiusheng reminded him that Taiwan is another important base of the Japanese army, and the fleet and the Japanese bomber group on Hainan Island have won a big victory, but their whereabouts have also been exposed.

Moreover, Tang Qiusheng judged that the dying Third Fleet of the Japanese Navy must have also received information, and many factors added up to make the independent division fleet the target of the Japanese high-level concern, after all, the Rangoon battlefield was still in a stalemate.

Tang Qiusheng was worried that Taiwan's Japanese air force would send fighter planes and bombers to attack the fleet for a long time; at that time, with Japanese shore artillery on the right and Japanese planes in the air, coupled with the Americans with an obscure attitude and ill intentions, the situation of the fleet would be very bad.

Tang Qiuli agreed very much with Tang Qiusheng's caution. However, he did not think that at this time, MacArthur dared to make trouble, after deciding that the fleet would cross the Strait of Malacca overnight. He sent a telegram to MacArthur, and the content and wording of the telegram were very crisp and obvious, a warning.

"General MacArthur, First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Allied Forces in China and Southeast Asia, said that at about 21 o'clock tonight, the fleet of our Independent Division will pass through the Strait of Malacca. At that time, the U.S. troops stationed on Sumatra must provide the necessary assistance, and if the losses and consequences caused by your military mistakes or deliberate difficulties are caused, the U.S. military will bear them, and I will also consider them. It is hoped that the general will be cautious in taking the means of armed retaliation until all the US troops stationed in the area are eliminated. ”

It's a naked warning. The words have made it clear, if my fleet, when passing through the Strait of Malacca, you Americans are playing tricks and unsightly tricks, such as turning off navigation lights, laying mines in the channel of the strait, and firing shells by mistake, etc., when the time comes. I'll settle accounts with you MacArthur, and as for what my fleet is going to do, there's no need to tell you MacArthur, whether you know it or not.

Tang Qiuli just put his words on the table, lest MacArthur, who was cunning and extremely selfish, would play tricks behind his back. Under the pretext that he was not clear about the situation, thinking that it was the Japanese fleet and so on, after doing this, he was still not at ease with the Americans, and sent a telegram to Akizumi, "Fleet Command, take necessary precautions in the direction of the US military position, and once the US military makes any provocative move, it will be resolutely attacked, and there is no need to consider the consequences." ”

MacArthur, who received Tang Qiuli's telegram, was in an extremely troubled state, he knew what the independent division fleet was doing through the Strait of Malacca and rushing to the Andaman Sea, and that earth-shattering sea and air battle could not be hidden from anyone, and MacArthur also got accurate information through his own intelligence channels.

From MacArthur's heart, he would rather the Japanese warships sink to the bottom of the Andaman Sea, than such a fully formed fleet fall into the hands of Tang Qiuli, which will increase the absolute strength of the Chinese, that is a fleet with three aircraft carriers, more than seventy warships, get these, Tang Qiuli can pull up two fleets, is something MacArthur never wants to see, that is not to add fat to Tang Qiuli? It is not in the interests of the United States.

To this end, he has ordered the US troops on the island of Sumatra to use any means to obstruct or delay the fleet of the Independent Division to pass through the Strait of Malacca, and if necessary, to take advantage of the Japanese shore artillery to block and the two sides are fighting each other, to fire black artillery in the back, provided that the Chinese do not notice.

In addition, he also ordered the submarine force to send ten submarines to dive into the Andaman Sea to find an opportunity to sink the Japanese warship.

But at this time, Tang Qiuli's telegram came, and his attitude was tough and his words were straightforward, MacArthur had a few big heads at that time, and all the tricks and means could not be used, which annoyed Tang Qiuli, who was called the devil of China by the Japanese, and the consequences were very severe, MacArthur thought that with his strength in Southeast Asia and the South Pacific, he could not bear Tang Qiuli's anger.

However, MacArthur was absolutely unwilling to give up like this, and he did not hesitate to use any means to weaken the strength of the opponent or to contain the emergence of a new opponent, which was the established strategy of the Americans; since he did not dare to use the tricks, he retreated to the second, he ordered the submarine forces to enter the waters of the Andaman Sea in advance, and to sink the three aircraft carriers of the Japanese while the Chinese fleet and the Japanese fleet were fighting fiercely.

Tokyo, Japan, the base camp of the General Staff, received the information from the chief of staff of the air force, Major General Takahashi, it was already more than eight o'clock in the evening, the General Staff was blown up at that time, and the chief of the General Staff, Prince Zaihito of the Imperial Palace, hurriedly drove to Emperor Hirohito, what kind of general's majesty, the prince's demeanor, all *** to hell! It's too big.

It's not that he committed suicide to a lieutenant general of the air force, making him so anxious, a small lieutenant general, he can't let His Royal Highness be so out of shape, and he died Hasegawa Kiyoshi, and it's not a big deal, but in the Takahashi telegram, the purpose of the independent division fleet was reported, which made his heart tremble, and it was one of the only three fleets in the Great Japanese Empire.

Moreover, it is the strongest fleet, what is the fleet of the devil going to do? Is it obvious, go and capture the captives! Jae-in almost gave himself a mouthful, "What do you think, how can the fleet of the Great Japanese Empire become a prisoner of the Shina people?" "But it's strange, where did the independent division fleet, which has not moved for several years, come from? And beat Nomura to suicide by caesarean section?

Prince Zaihito, who was depressed, saw Emperor Hirohito, and hurriedly told the situation, Hirohito had a black line on his face at that time, the matter was urgent, and it was too late to convene a military meeting in front of the emperor.

All warships that can be driven must be brought back, and those that cannot be driven must immediately sink themselves, in short, they cannot be left to the devil Tang Qiuli, in this regard, Hirohito and MacArthur have the same goal, the troops stationed in Singapore and the Malay Peninsula must do whatever it takes to block the independent division fleet through the Strait of Malacca.

All the artillery, concentrated in the narrowest part of the strait, look at the madness and ruthlessness of Emperor Hirohito, if possible, he will order the infantry, paddling, with grenades and explosives, to bomb the warships of the independent division.

The First Fleet immediately rushed from the waters of the Rollin Islands to the waters of the South China Sea to meet the Third Fleet, and in the most ruthless move, it ordered the 11th Air Force stationed in Taiwan to dispatch all its planes to carry out wanton and indiscriminate bombing of the Independent Division's fleet in the Strait of Malacca.

Didn't the Americans have a secret military mutual assistance agreement with the Great Japanese Empire? This time, it was time for the Americans to fulfill their promises, for the sake of the Third Fleet, Emperor Hirohito had already made a ruthless decision, and did not hesitate to force the Americans to show up, and the content of the telegram was also harshly worded and tough.

"Your Excellency General MacArthur, I am instructed by His Majesty the Emperor to fulfill the secret military treaty between Japan and the United States, and to assist the Imperial Army of Japan in blocking the Independence Division's fleet in the Strait of Malacca.

Emperor Hirohito is ruthless, at the critical moment, it's time to show sincerity, if you MacArthur plays double-faced and three-edged tricks, and you get angry at both ends, Lao Tzu dispatched the imperial army to destroy you Yankees.

This telegram was sent in the name of Prince Zairen, the chief of the General Staff, to increase the weight, MacArthur received a telegram from Prince Zairen, chief of the general staff of the Japanese army base camp, before nine o'clock that night, poor MacArthur, staring at the two telegrams on the table with straight eyes, not knowing how to be good, they are all clear and tough, **naked threats, I don't know how to be good, isn't this fatal?

The point is, MacArthur can't be provoked, whether it is the Japanese or Tang Qiuli, as long as they do it, the power of the Americans will be wiped out, this cunning and insidious Yankee, tasted the bitter fruit, how can sugarcane have two sweet truths, cheap can not be taken advantage of!

The attention of both sides of the Indochina Peninsula battlefield, which should be the attention of the three parties, was focused on the independent division fleet, and the main battlefield in Yangon was ignored, which was unexpected by Tang Qiu.

On the night of 19 November, at 21:08 p.m., the fleet of the Independent Division appeared at the entrance to the eastern end of the Strait of Malacca, looking at the narrow channel, the city of Singapore, which was supposed to be brightly lit, was now dark, and the commander of the fleet, Vice Admiral Tang Qiuquan, said to himself: "The Japanese are ready," and then ordered: "The fleet is ready for battle!" ”

（）――