Age of Conquest Reborn

The Sulu Sea in early July is not the best season, but the weather today is good. At least, that’s what Lieutenant General Takasu Shiro, commander of the First Fleet of the Japanese Navy’s Combined Fleet, feels like this. The sun shines through the portholes.

, the light shines into the command cabin, everything becomes brighter and makes people feel comfortable.

The First Fleet left the main force of the Combined Fleet and was alone in the Sulu Sea to escort the Imperial Army evacuating from Luzon and Mindanao. It had been active in the waters for more than ten days. Since the arrival of the First Fleet under its command, Su

The sea area of ​​​​Luhai became quiet. The China Division fleet, which had previously defeated the army's useless bunch and was frightened by the news, ran away to no one knows where.

Lieutenant General Takasu was quite sorry for this, but he was covering the airspace where the Army retreated. He had several fights with the China Division's land-based aviation, and he also weighed the enemy's capabilities. To be fair, he could only be regarded as second-rate.

They don't even have the guts to go out to the Sulu Sea airspace for air combat. What threat can such an opponent pose?

The carrier-based aircraft of the two aircraft carriers of the First Fleet fought several times with the China Air Force's land-based aircraft group, and achieved an absolute advantage in shooting down eight enemy fighter jets and damaging more than ten, while losing five carrier-based aircraft and injuring six of their own.

It controls the land and airspace in the Sulu Sea and even extends to Mindanao and southern Luzon. From this, it can be inferred that the number of land-based fighter jets of the China Air Force in the two places is not large at all.

Due to the shortage of transport ships, the armies on Mindanao and Luzon did not evacuate very quickly. However, Lieutenant General Takasu Shiro was not in a hurry and did not rush. His fleet was divided into two. Each had an aircraft carrier.

At the core, carrier-based aircraft were constantly dispatched to provide air fire cover for the Army, which was suppressed by the China Division's ground forces. Only then did more than 100,000 Imperial Army soldiers board the ship and retreat safely.

In this sense, I am the savior of the Army. Of course, the guys in the Army, although the battle was not going well, still know how to be grateful, and my table is almost full of thank you telegrams.

, Regarding these, Lieutenant General Takasu Shiro just smiled indifferently, but he felt quite satisfied in his heart. The Imperial Navy has always been several heads higher than the vulgar Army.

Lieutenant General Takasu Shiro was in a very happy mood. After eating the breakfast brought by the orderly, he leisurely browsed the telegrams with the army and fleet headquarters. Fleet Chief of Staff Colonel Terayama walked in and said, "Your Excellency, Commander, today

This is the last group of armies to retreat. Now they have boarded the ship and left the port. The escort mission of our First Fleet is basically over!"

"This is a thank you telegram personally sent to you by Lieutenant General Yoshioka, commander of the 57th Imperial Army Luzon Defense Division!" As he said that, Colonel Terayama handed the telegram to Lieutenant General Takasu.

Lieutenant General Takasu didn't even look at it and put it aside. He could guess what the telegram was without even looking at it. It was nothing more than words of thanks, which had no nutrition or taste. Similar telegrams, he could guess.

I'm tired of looking at it.

"Terayama-kun, do you have any new orders from Fleet Headquarters?" Vice Admiral Takasu asked.

"No!"

"Oh, I know!"

Chief of Staff Terayama hesitated and said: "Commander, since our escort mission has ended, why doesn't the Fleet Command issue an order for us to return to the main fleet? Our First Fleet continues to stay in the Sulu Sea.

Is there anything to do?”

Lieutenant General Takasu was very sensitive. He looked at his chief of staff and asked, "Terayama-kun, what are you worried about?"

Chief of Staff Terayama thought it would be better to make it clear, "Commander, the current position of our fleet cannot be said to be very safe. You see..."

As he spoke, Colonel Terayama walked to the military map and said, "The Sulu Sea is between Kalimantan, Mindanao and Luzon. Now, these three islands have all fallen into the hands of the China Division.

The combat radius of the China Division's land-based aircraft fleet can completely cover the entire Sulu Sea."

"You cannot help but be alert to this situation. In addition, the Combined Fleet and we have sent reconnaissance planes for days to search for the location of the China Fleet, but found nothing. So, the China Fleet has six aircraft carriers and more than 160 warships of various types.

, where exactly is it?”

"Commander, the current position of our First Fleet is a solitary force, and the Second Fleet is far away in the Banda Sea. If we are attacked by the China Fleet and the land-based fleet, even if we mobilize reinforcements, it will not be in time.

ah!"

Vice Admiral Takasu was speechless, but the expression on his face clearly showed disapproval. Terayama's words were all nonsense. As the commander of the First Fleet, how could he not know the danger of his fleet's current position?

"Then according to Terayama-kun's wishes, what action should we take?" Lieutenant General Takasu Shiro asked lightly.

The commander's indifference made Chief of Staff Terayama very uncomfortable. His orders seemed to be treated with extreme contempt, but he still faithfully performed his duties. "Commander, in accordance with the opinions of the Ministry of Home Affairs, firstly, immediately request the combined fleet

Headquarters, when we return to the main force of the fleet, we should at least move to the Banda Sea and get closer to the Second Fleet so that we can rely on each other!"

"Second, if the Combined Fleet Command does not approve our request, then it will directly call Commander Yamamoto and request that the remaining warships of the First Fleet be immediately returned to the fleet organization. In this way, we will have seven aircraft carriers and more than 200 ships each.

The first fleet of battleships is enough to deal with threats from all directions!"

Chief of Staff Terayama is an outstanding staff officer. What he said is correct. It is a mature word and a sound strategy. Even Lieutenant General Takasu agrees with it. But the key to the problem is that Commander Yamamoto and himself do not think so. They are in a situation where

The different positions and heights doomed his vision to be limited.

Therefore, as soon as Chief of Staff Terayama finished speaking, Lieutenant General Takasu smiled and said, "Terayama-kun, do you think Commander Yamamoto of the Combined Fleet will omit or fail to consider these issues?"

One sentence, like magic, immediately blocked all the words of Chief of Staff Terayama. He smiled bitterly and said: "The staff dare not doubt the wisdom of Commander Yamamoto and you!"

The words of Chief of Staff Terayama were by no means forced against his will. The five generals of Yamamoto had an absolutely transcendent status in the Imperial Navy. Some energetic young staff officers could privately criticize any member of the Imperial Navy.

Commanders, including the head of the navy, Admiral Nagano Shuzan, but he would never speak ill of Admiral Yamamoto.

Within the Combined Fleet, Admiral Yamamoto’s prestige is greater than that of any other commander. Who doesn’t stand in awe when mentioning Admiral Yamamoto? His Excellency Yamamoto achieved this with brilliant achievements, including the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor and the destruction of Pearl Harbor twice in a row.

The U.S. Pacific Fleet defeated the former hegemon of the Pacific, the furious U.S. Navy, to pieces. Later, as a naval admiral, it commanded more than one million troops in the war against the United States, and achieved remarkable results.

Throughout the history of the Imperial Navy, who else can create such brilliant achievements? Within the Imperial Navy, Admiral Yamamoto is a god, sacred and inviolable. Everyone, including Chief of Staff Terayama, regards Admiral Yamamoto as their idol.

Seeing his own words, he was impressed by Chief of Staff Terayama. Lieutenant General Takasu smiled gently and said: "Terayama-kun, the suggestion you just made is by no means untargeted. I will seriously consider it. The first fleet might as well be in Sulu

Haihai area, stay a few more days!"

"The current position of our fleet is in the waters near the Cagayan Islands. Order the fleet to move north. Mr. Terayama, convey my order. The fleet will continue to move north and cruise in the waters near the Cuyo Islands. I have a hunch that something will happen.

What?"

Vice Admiral Takasu’s premonition was correct. In the afternoon, when he was still about 300 kilometers away from the Cagayan Islands, he received a report from a carrier-based reconnaissance aircraft, “Report to Fleet Headquarters, on Busuanga Island.”

In the nearby waters, a small fleet of a division was discovered, consisting of five main warships and about forty small gunboats, and it is now sailing towards the South China Sea at high speed!"

"Oh!" Lieutenant General Takasu raised his eyebrows, feeling excited about finding prey. This is the first time in more than ten days that the First Fleet has captured traces of the China Fleet. Although there are only five warships, Lieutenant General Takasu can't help but worry.

It's a pity, but it's the only gain.

As for the more than forty small gunboats, they automatically ignored them, "Gunboats!" In the Imperial Navy's establishment, gunboats probably belong near the port to maintain maritime security and scare fishermen, even if there are fifty gunboats

, it is no match for one of its own main battleships.

Lieutenant General Takasu instantly determined the battle plan in his mind. Now that he had found the traces of the China Fleet, even though there were only five ships, he could not let go. He ordered: "Order, the reconnaissance planes continue to monitor and conduct reconnaissance for the ships."

The carrier aircraft guides the target!”

"Order the first carrier-based fighter wing and the first carrier-based bomber wing to take off immediately. The target is the China small fleet. It is required that the battle be ended within an hour and all be sunk. The other carrier-based aircraft combat units will enter a group.

Level combat readiness, waiting for orders at any time!"

I can’t explain the reason, but Colonel Terayama, the chief of staff of the First Fleet, always feels that the appearance of this small Chinese fleet is too strange. After searching for many days, it has disappeared, and now it suddenly appears, which makes people suspicious.

It's a conspiracy!

"Your Excellency, Commander, please hold off on issuing the order!" Colonel Terayama added, "Don't you think that this small Chinese fleet appeared too suddenly? The staff suspects that this is a conspiracy by the Chinese to try to attract our fleet.

Stationed in pursuit, and then..." What happened next, he couldn't say, he just felt it was abnormal.

Surprisingly, Lieutenant General Takasu did not show any displeasure after being stopped. On the contrary, he looked at his chief of staff with admiration and praised: "Terayama-kun, your calmness and composure make me very pleased.

!”

(To be continued) (To be continued) Please search Piaotian Literature for better novels and faster updates!

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