“…… In other words, the British reinforcements probably left the Galapagos around the fourth day of the new year? ”

"To consider the worst, after the British set off at a cruising speed of fourteen knots, the starry night and night, including the refueling of the oil tanker on the way, a total of ...... Thirteenth. ”

"Understood, Britain and the United States made a good calculation, no wonder the Saratoga has not appeared for a long time."

Upon learning of the change in the enemy's situation, the admirals immediately guessed the ins and outs of the strange situation during this time.

The whereabouts of the 180 Special Fleet, which was pinned down by the landing operation, were clear, and it was easier for the enemy to take the lead by moving and settling.

"It's not a good place to stay for long." He Wuxin, the captain of the Yongle, said in a deep voice: "Xia Jinbo, I suggest that the fifth formation be left behind, and the main force of the fleet will immediately go and jump to the outer line." ”

"Yes, the enemy soldiers on Kauai Island have been defeated and retreated, and they can't afford to make much of a storm." The captain of the Kaihuang also chimed in.

How can a field army be bound for a long time for the sake of siege? This is tantamount to sacrificing the all-important advantage of mobility.

Many eyes were condensed on Song Zhongkai's body.

After a long silence, he spit out a few words with a solemn expression, "No, the main force does not move." ”

Without waiting for everyone to be surprised, he added: "The second formation was telegraphed to adjust the cordon, take the main island of Hawaii as the center of the circle, and rearrange the submarines in the directions of 90, 115, 135, and 150. ”

He Wuxin immediately understood Song Zhongkai's intentions, and couldn't help but worry: "Is this a bit risky?" There's no need to just count it. ”

The latter glanced at him and said lightly: "If you leave now, won't you have to come back after that?" ”

Some people hung their heads and said nothing, and some people stopped talking, but everyone was silent.

Then, Song Zhongkai, who was expressionless, stared at the wide map, and said again: "Truthfully forward it to the Lu Xun, and the landing force should pacify Kauai Island as soon as possible, at least to ensure that the airport is safe and available." ”

Not long after, Ouyang Zhanghua, who was on the Ziwei Zuoyuan, also learned of this decision.

He has always been elegant, and he couldn't help frowning and complaining: "Xia Jinbo's courage is boundless!" What is he going to do?! ”

A major staff officer of the Ziwei Zuoyuan sighed: "No wonder the number of enemy aircraft sorties in the past two days has been far less than expected. ”

"It's too dangerous to calculate, it's the territory of the Americans! No, call the Yongle and disagree with this decision, and the fleet must stay away from Hawaii immediately. ”

"Order."

The premise of the Ming Army's decision to attack Hawaii was that the U.S. military had only two aircraft carriers left after the Battle of Tarawa, and abandoned Midway Island and Wake Island, and it was estimated that the British army would not be able to send aircraft carriers for reinforcements at least three months.

Even so, there is no small risk of attacking Hawaii - the US military has a larger number of land-based aircraft, and there are aircraft carriers in ambush in the shadows.

The present situation was that the British army had unexpectedly sent reinforcements, and the ratio of the enemy's air forces had been reversed in an instant, and the own side of the labor expedition was at a disadvantage.

The opponent's decision was already clear - to deliberately avoid a fight, and wait for the arrival of the two British aircraft carriers before attacking together, while the Ming fleet was supporting the landing force to seize the impregnable island of Oahu.

Song Zhongkai seemed to anticipate Ouyang Zhanghua's opposition, but only replied, "If we are sure to destroy at least one enemy aircraft carrier in the early stage of the engagement, this battle is completely likely to be won."

Song Zhongkai's basis was that the two British aircraft carriers had come from afar, and the Brilliant had not been delivered for a long time, so it was doubtful how much combat power the two could actually exert.

In contrast, our five aircraft carriers all have more experience.

Second, the 20th Air Raid Fleet has not yet been exposed, and the Taiwei Zuoyuan and Tianshi Zuoyuan are also lurking in the dark.

Third, once the landing force takes control of Kauai, the Lihue airfield will soon be put into use after emergency repairs, and then the air force combat units will be able to transfer to the station, and there will no longer be a clear gap in the number of planes between the enemy and us.

The two sides exchanged telegrams four or five times, and finally Ouyang Zhanghua reluctantly agreed to this plan.

But he also has conditions - if the 20th Fleet is exposed in advance or the Kauai airfield is not put into operation in time, the fleet must be evacuated to a distance of 400 kilometers.

As a result, the key to determining the deployment of the campaign fell to the landing force.

"It's a strange thing, this British man is so bold, ruthless enough."

On the bridge of the Luxun, the officers were shocked to learn that the British had dared to send a brand-new battleship that had been delivered for several weeks.

Zhou Changfeng was surprised and quickly thought of historical events - it seems that when the Bismarck was intercepted, the British also pulled a battleship that had not yet been debugged into the battlefield?

Historically, the Prince of Wales's main gun sighting device was still being adjusted, and sailors were also training, but the Royal Navy still sent her out to intercept the Bismarck, which was a thorn in the eye and a thorn in the flesh.

"Zhou waits for the edict, the Admiral has ordered you to clear the resistance of the enemy forces on Kauai Island within two days to ensure that the airport is safe and usable, and the Air Force plans to come over on the 14th." As he spoke, the communications staff officer handed over the telegram with both hands.

"Got it." Zhou Changfeng nodded.

Okay, now the pressure is here.

Following Zhu Lingjing's advice all along, Zhou's reply was very "thorough".

He said it was feasible to weaken U.S. forces in Kauai to the point where they "could not pose an effective threat to the airfield" in two days, but it did not guarantee the elimination of the remaining enemy.

In the complex terrain of the island, the defeated defeated soldiers with a firm fighting spirit can hold out on to resist for a long time, and it is very troublesome to clear up; in history, after the US military has captured the island, it often takes 10 days and half a month to clear out the remnants of the enemy.

On the morning of May 12th, it was another sunny day, and if it weren't for the war, it would be a good time to travel and vacation.

As the moon set and sunset, the Mountain Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Marine Brigade finally came ashore, two battalions of 80mm howitzers and one battalion of 112mm howitzers were deployed, and the engineer battalion began to repair the Lihue airfield.

And at the front, after a night's rest, the units that had been prepared began to move one after another.

In the temporary station, the officers and men packed up their weapons and equipment, and many went to the supply point to get more bullets and grenades before leaving.

"Don't overeat, it's time to go!"

"Check your equipment, bring grenades, and don't leave your first aid kit behind."

"A team, assemble!"

Ten Type 38 A medium tanks were also launched, and the commander leaned out of the commander's command tower with half of his body, constantly beckoning.

A tank that had been repaired overnight also rushed to join the fight, and the hole in the front of the hull that had been pierced by a 37mm armor-piercing bullet had now been patched — a small thin sheet of steel had been temporarily welded.

Seventeen Type 40 wheeled armored reconnaissance vehicles of the reconnaissance battalion of the first squadron also lined up and slowly drove over, and a few minutes later, six wheeled assault guns of the assault artillery team of the 5th Marine Regiment also arrived on time.

Both have the same chassis and turret, differing only in their weapons and usage.

Reconnaissance vehicles using 20.8mm anti-aircraft guns are handed over to reconnaissance units for use, and in the given establishment of the Military System Bureau of the Ministry of War, the reconnaissance battalions of infantry divisions and marine brigades will have a team of equipment.

The three platoons are exactly the same, each platoon is equipped with three vehicles for the first and second squads, the third squad is equipped with off-road vehicles and motorcycles, and the platoon headquarters also has one car, each platoon is equipped with a total of 7 vehicles, so this team of the reconnaissance battalion will have a total of 21 Type 40 wheeled armored reconnaissance vehicles.

The assault guns using 80mm mountain guns were handed over to the infantry units, and in the latest establishment, the infantry artillery units of the infantry regiments and marine regiments were reorganized into assault artillery units, and the original 4 112mm infantry guns were replaced by 6 wheeled assault guns.

[Picture-Type 40 wheeled armored vehicle]

"Plans changed?"

"Nothing has changed! Just follow along, don't run around. ”

The commanders of each vehicle gathered together, and the tactical plan was spread out on the hull of an armored car, and everyone gathered over to confirm the battle plan.

At this time, a voice suddenly came from the front, "Bring more food and drink, I don't know how long it will take to fight this time!" ”

Some people collected surplus water bottles from the bodies of American soldiers killed in yesterday's fighting, filled them with clean water, and brought them with them for later use.

At 8:30, the offensive operation had officially begun after a delay of half an hour.

The urban area of Kauai County is dominated by low-rise wooden buildings, most of which are typical American-style houses.

Similar to Zhou Changfeng's judgment, Lieutenant Colonel Cyril of the 60th Infantry Regiment of the U.S. Army believed that such a fragile urban area was not suitable for deployment, and there were no conditions for street fighting.

He only placed two battalions in the city, of which Company A guarded the two places with reinforced concrete buildings, the Kauai Middle School and the Belinda Hotel, as strong support points; Company B is responsible for dispersing operations in urban areas and containing attrition; Company C was on standby on the outskirts of the northern city as a tactical reserve.

The 60th Regiment's direct subordinate troops and the 1st and 3rd Battalions, totaling more than 2,000 men, were all stationed in the preset positions southeast of Mount Kawhichini.

The battle in the urban area of Kaoai County began at 8:47, and the leading Ming army's vanguard team was ambushed by B Company.

"Dada-da-"

Dense bullets shoot from the houses on the left and right!

"There's an ambush!"

The soldiers of the Ming army immediately returned fire with the weapons at hand, and on the streets, light machine guns, submachine guns, and rifles from both sides played a weapon concerto, and all kinds of gunfire were intertwined.

"The room on the right! Machine gun! Machine gun! ”

"Someone! Medics get here! ”

"What about bazookas? Fast! ”

U.S. infantry fired grenades from Springfield rifles, and the smoke-emitting MkII grenades exploded after rolling around the streets a few times!

A minute later, Ming Marine infantry carrying bazookas arrived, aiming at the room with a rocket-propelled grenade.

The fierce fire continued for about half an hour, and the two tanks slowly drove past, firing continuously at the enemy's hiding house, and then firing fiercely with parallel machine guns and course machine guns.

Sawdust flew everywhere, and the house soon burst into flames, and the terrible screams seemed to be distorted by the heat of the flames, and the tone became rather eerie.

As the assault force advanced, telephone lines and shelter posts were laid out along the way, leaving a small number of soldiers to escort the prisoners and protect the rear of the attacking troops.

Soon, Zhou Changfeng called the front line.

"Don't grind, move forward boldly, the houses on this road are very brittle, no matter if you encounter resistance, you must advance to the front line of the school before 12 o'clock."

"It's the sir, and the department guarantees to arrive on time!"

The assault force began to move forward at an accelerated pace, and as the number of engagements increased, the officers and men became more skilled, and they were able to deal with the sudden opening of fire.

60mm and 81mm mortar shells continued to screech down and explode in the middle of the ranks.

Whenever this happens, the paramedics will rush to drag the wounded to the next house, and then race against time to bandage them.

At 10:52, four Type 37 ships that took off from the Beiluo Shimen bombarded Kaoai Middle School.

At this time, the assault troops were less than two miles away from Kaoai Middle School, and the soldiers shouted loudly when they saw the bombs and strafing of their own planes and the billowing smoke and dust rising up.

But the good times did not last long, and it didn't take long for the Type 38 medium tank numbered 3-1 to run over a mine.

"Boom !!"

The U.S. military specially planted an additional blasting canister under the mine, and the huge power of the two superimposed instantly blew up the tank, the chassis steel plate cracked, the rivets fell off, and the entire tank was engulfed in fire within ten seconds.

The intermittent detonation lasted for half an hour, and the No. 3-3 car behind accelerated forward, pushing the destroyed tank to the side of the road so as not to block the passage of the follow-up troops.

At 11:49, the assault force advanced to the front line of Khao Ai Middle School and cleared several houses in the vicinity.

The 112mm howitzers of the 1st Battalion of the Mountain Artillery Regiment of the 3rd Marine Brigade carried out the fourth round of isorapid-fire, firing a total of 72 shells, further destroying the outlying positions of the US troops at Kauai Middle School.

At 12:30, the Cormorant 8 heavy gunboat aircraft arrived over the target and began to provide air support to the assault force.

With the support of their own open and ground fire, the Ming army launched its first tentative attack.

The M3 anti-tank guns deployed by the U.S. troops in the ruins on the flank opened fire repeatedly, destroying and damaging one tank each, and the Marine Corps infantry who were fighting together were also suppressed by mortar and machine-gun fire and forced to retreat.

The soldiers used smoke grenades to mark the exposed anti-tank gun position, but the gunboat's five shots failed to hit, and the assault force was left to its own.

A reinforced platoon was ordered to deal with the enemy's anti-tank guns, and after an hour of fierce fighting with the American troops on the flank, they repelled two squads of American infantry and anti-tank artillery there, killing and wounding more than a dozen people.

Then the Ming army launched a second round of attack, the armored vehicle knocked down the broken school wall, and reached an extremely close position less than 60 meters away from the school building, and opened heavy artillery fire!

"Wow, blah, bh-"

Strings of armor-piercing tracer bullets fired from the cannon were like fire whips, scattering cement debris in all directions.

[Picture]

Lacking individual anti-tank weapons, the U.S. soldiers could only use grenades to attack the armored reconnaissance vehicle, but the grenades slid off the armor and ricocheted, rolling to the ground and exploding.

Company A, which was in a hurry, even fired smoke bombs at the tanks and organized soldiers to try to blast at close range, which forced back several Ming armored vehicles that were on a rampage.

In the evening of the same day, after calling for artillery support from the other side of the fleet, the assault force stormed the ruined Kauai Middle School.

Classrooms in the school building were in shambles, littered with cement, fragments of desks and chairs, and broken blackboards fell to the floor.

"Plant the flag! Call it a day! ”

The soldiers took advantage of the night to clean up the battlefield, and unexpectedly found a lot of supplies hoarded by the US military in the basement of the school.

Someone shouted in surprise that a box of brandy and a few cases of Coca-Cola had been found.

"Wow rub! Good stuff. ”

"Hurry up, give Lao Tzu a whole bite!"

After a day of fierce fighting, everyone had already drunk the water in their kettles, and the cool and delicious Coke was quickly divided, and the ground was full of empty glass bottles......

(End of chapter)

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