To be precise, even the US intelligence departments did not expect that Japan would attack on all fronts and fight an all-out decisive battle against the US Navy under such unfavorable circumstances.

General Halsey commanded his forward troops to attack the front and expose his Japanese decoy fleet first, which was his usual style. In fact, his style of play is the simplest - whether it is a bait or not, as long as he bumps into it headlong and eats the opponent, it is undoubtedly how appropriate it is.

Regardless of whether it is cheap or not, take advantage of it first. This was what Halsey had in mind, and his idea was also supported by Spruance, another commander of the US Navy fleet in the back. The general also believed that the Japanese would not fight with all their might here, because even the Nimitz behind him did not quite believe that the Japanese navy would fight back here.

But the U.S. aircraft carrier fleet is not a soft persimmon for nothing, the USS Saratoga and the USS Raider maintain vigorous combat effectiveness, and the USS Hornet and the later launched Wasp are among them. Together with the three converted aircraft carriers temporarily requisitioned from the British Navy, this time the US Navy fleet had an overwhelming superiority over Japan in aviation, with more than twice as many planes as the Japanese.

A full 7 American aircraft carriers against 3 Japanese aircraft carriers was the capital of the US Navy to dare to launch a head-on decisive battle, so Spruance did not hesitate to take off a second wave of attack aircraft to carry out saturation air strikes against the Japanese decoy fleet.

"We want to concentrate our forces on annihilating their decoy fleet before the other fleets of the Japanese Navy appear in the theater of operations!" General Spruance looked at the charts and said, "Since the Japanese think it is a good idea to put this fleet here and let us attack first, then we will make the Japanese regret doing it!"

However, he was more cautious than the fierce Halsey, and when he was determined to attack first and eat the Japanese navy's decoy fleet, he had not forgotten the other fleets of the Japanese navy that might appear in the theater of war. Therefore, after issuing the order to dispatch a second wave of attack planes, he added a second combat order: "Let the reconnaissance plane unit take off! Focus on reconnoitring these directions where there were islands! Where there are still thick clouds, we must also focus on reconnoitring! We must not let go of any blind spots......

Watching his reconnaissance planes take off one by one and disperse in all directions, Spruance raised the corners of his mouth and smiled, he was using a dignified plan to deal with Yamamoto's conspiracy, and if he kept himself from making mistakes, he could make Yamamoto Fifty-six have no chance.

For example, if you set up a decoy, then in the course of the battle, this decoy will inevitably become the enemy's primary target -- if the enemy does not take the bait, it will be counted. Therefore, all decoy troops must be attacked by superior enemy forces first, and try to hold back the enemy attacking them as much as possible.

The battleship Ise has now eaten two aerial bombs, and a fire broke out in part of the chimney. However, the powertrain is still in good condition, still maintaining a maximum speed of more than 20 knots. Another warship, the Hyuga, is even more super-level and has not been hit by the US military so far.

However, the good fortune of the Japanese Navy seemed to have been almost exhausted at this moment, first of all, the battleship Ise, which had already ignited a large fire, was once again hit by ammunition dropped by American planes, and this time it was not an aerial bomb, but a torpedo! This torpedo hit the bow of the Ise, causing a huge hole in its bow to blow up. At this time, the speed of the Ise had to slow down, and then began to drag down the entire Japanese fleet.

Like flies finding cracked eggs, American planes began to besiege the slowing down battleship, and soon the central main turret behind the chimney of the battleship Ise was hit again, and this time the Ise was unlucky, because the ammunition in the turret exploded, completely depriving the battleship of its power system.

"Send a telegram to the battleship Hyuga! Let Miura-kun take over as fleet commander. On the bridge of the battleship Ise, the former fleet commander leaned on the table and ordered: "If you can't get to the telegraph room, use the flag and the lights! If the fire is too big and the smoke is too thick, then put the sampan!"

At the same time as he gave the order, a Japanese destroyer that approached and tried to rescue the soldiers who had fallen into the water was hit by an American plane, blown into two and sunk to the bottom of the sea, even faster than the Ise, which was already about to sink. Heavy oil and burning flames floating on the surface of the sea, densely packed with soldiers who have fallen into the water, the end of the Ise is coming.

"Report! Miura Daisa on the Hyuga sent a flag signal, saying that he could not see the command flag on our ship, so he temporarily raised the command flag and continued the battle in your place to command the fleet. ”

"Great! Miura-kun! It's really an honor to be able to fight alongside such a good soldier as you. The captain of the Ise smiled bitterly, then nodded and acknowledged his men's trespassing. He walked to the door of the bridge command headquarters, suddenly remembered something, and asked the officer behind him: "What about the first officer? Is there no news from the air defense command position?"

There was no way to effectively control the fire inside the battleship, and American planes were creating new explosion points everywhere. The iron staircase outside was also damaged by the bomb, and the telephone line was damaged, and the air defense command position had lost news for more than ten minutes. The officer shook his head, replying to his superior.

"Don't worry! Today, we are here to die on the battlefield, and it is a price that must be paid for His Majesty the Emperor and the Great Japanese Empire. As long as we can help our fleet win this war, then even if it all sinks here, what is there to regret?" The general, who had just been promoted to the rank of major general, patted his subordinates on the shoulders and smiled and encouraged: "A young man like you should live well! Go ahead! I approve you to use the sampan and continue fighting on the Hyuga!"

"Boom!" The main gun turret at the stern of the ship exploded, and the entire Ise battleship, which was originally flooded in the bow, was now flooded both at the bow and tail. The sheer twisting force of the sea made the sturdy warship squeak like steel bending, and it sounded terrifying.

Looking at the flames and black smoke from the explosion in the distance, the Japanese rear admiral straightened his clothes, signaled for everyone to leave, and then he walked to the radio position, grabbed the microphone, and gave the battle order he should have given.

"All the staff, as your commander and captain of this ship, it is a great honor to work with all of you, and now I have to regret giving my last order, all the staff...... Abandon the ship!" So in all corners of the battleship, the familiar voice of the captain sounded, and suddenly it seemed that all the noise had receded, and someone could even be faintly heard crying.

At this time, the battleship Hyuga gave its first order to take over as the flagship of the Japanese decoy fleet, that is, to order the decoy fleet to disrupt the fleet formation and start fleeing for their lives. I have to say that this order can be regarded as a rational combat order, but it was issued a little late.

Because right in the sky, the second attack unit of the US Naval Air Force has already arrived. One after another, American planes began to dive down from the clouds, and unlike the first time, this time there were more American planes loaded with torpedoes and more threatening torpedo attack planes.

"Report!" Far to the east, on the bridge of the battleship Nagato of the Japanese Navy's Eastern Mobile Fleet, that is, the fast battleship strike fleet of Yamamoto Isoroku, an officer pressed on the command knife in one hand and held a telegram in the other, and walked behind Yamamoto Isoroku: "Your Excellency Marshal, the battleship Hyuga has sent a telegram. ”

"Nian!" Yamamoto didn't look back, he stood in his place, coldly watching the calm sea being cut by the bow of his battleship. His fleet was moving at full speed, less than 100 kilometers from the projected position of the US Navy fleet.

"The battleship Ise is sinking and has lost all contact. As the commander of the highest rank on the field, I have taken over the command of the flagship and ordered the fleet to dissolve the formation and withdraw from the battle - Jiro Miura. When the officer had finished reading the message, he stood respectfully and respectfully, awaiting further instructions from Yamamoto.

Yamamoto Fifty-six raised his head, looked at the sky with not thin clouds, nodded and said, "The decoy fleet has completed their mission, and now it is up to me and Nagumo Zhong's fleet or two." They are all qualified soldiers of the Imperial Japan, and we will avenge these dead comrades-in-arms!"

"Hey!" all the officers present stood up and bowed their heads and bowed their waists respectfully. They all breathed a sigh of violation, as long as they were allowed to rush into the formation of the US aircraft carrier fleet, then it was time for them to use skilled artillery fire to wreak havoc on the US Navy.

What these people didn't know, however, was that an American reconnaissance plane had already spotted the white spray cut by this fleet in the ocean through the clouds, and the navigator behind the plane had already pressed his hand on the telegraph transmitter and sent out an important telegram: "The No. 015 reconnaissance plane has discovered the Japanese fleet, the exact number is unknown!"

"Uh......h ......Soon, a shrill siren sounded in the American fleet, and many pilots were putting on their own equipment and checking their planes according to the order to take off urgently. The U.S. fleet was busy, and everyone was nervous about discovering another Japanese fleet.