The Rise of the Third Reich

"Commander, the Palmyra Atoll garrison reported that American infantry has landed on the islands and reefs, and a fierce battle is currently taking place on the islands and reefs!"

Inside the 8th Fleet flagship "Kitagami" heavy mine cruiser, Fleet Chief of Staff Kami Shigetoku was reporting the news just received to his superior Mikawa Junichi.

Because of Yamamoto Isoroku's efforts, neither Mikawa Junichi nor Kami Shigetoku were dismissed from their posts, but their spirits were much lowered. Especially Michuan, who looked a bit gloomy.

The two heavily mined light cruisers "Kitagami" and "Oi" and 10 "Yugumo" class destroyers arrived at Pearl Harbor in the early morning of February 12 to join the 8th Fleet. Yamamoto initially planned to transfer the three Kaohsiung-class heavy cruisers to Pearl Harbor, but he gave up because Nagumo Chuichi was worried that they would be attacked by U.S. fighter planes on the way.

Therefore, the current main combat strength of Mikawa Junichi's fleet is 2 heavy mine cruisers, 2 "Shimakaze" class ships and 10 "Yugumo" class ships. All heavy mine ships are most suitable for night battles and sneak attacks.

Therefore, when Mikawa Junichi attacked Palmyra Atoll this time, he simply did not use the heavy cruiser as the flagship (there is still a heavy cruiser "Kinugasa" in the 8th Fleet that is intact), but boarded the heavy mine and light ship. Patrol the "Big Well" number.

Moreover, in the list of ships deployed, there are no heavy cruisers, ordinary light cruisers and ordinary destroyers. There are 14 heavily mined cruisers and destroyers. In the eyes of Mikawa Junichi and Kami Shigetoku, those without "heavy" "Thunder" ships are basically useless in night attacks and sneak attacks. Carrying them with them is also a burden, so it would be better to just go out with all mine-heavy ships.

As for night artillery battles, there is no need to consider them at all. The level of Americans' night artillery warfare is obvious. Maybe they can fight when the main force of the combined fleet comes, otherwise they will definitely not be able to fight with a few old cruisers of the 8th Fleet.

Therefore, Kamizhongtoku's plan this time was to conduct a torpedo attack. If he encountered an American battleship, he would release two mines and then escape. If you are lucky and get close to an American landing ship, then go on a killing spree and sink a lot of them - this is a war of attrition, consuming ships, consuming lives, consuming fuel, it all depends on who can withstand it first.

In addition to the adjustment in combat methods, the fleet's approach and retreat methods have also been changed. They no longer advance or retreat in formation, but spread out to avoid being caught by American carrier-based aircraft. Wait until they approach Palmyra Atoll before merging to form a lightning strike formation.

Of course, there is air cover. The 1,300 kilometers south from Pearl Harbor were covered by shore-based aircraft (Winds and Zeros), and the last 400 kilometers (approximately 216 nautical miles) were covered by night cover and the high-speed advance of ships, striving to be completed within 8 hours.

According to the plan, the 1st Lightning Strike Team of the 8th Fleet will break into the vicinity of Palmyra Atoll in the early morning of February 15, and must disperse and evacuate after up to 4 hours.

However, unlike the last time the surface fleet attacked alone near Midway Island, this time the submarines belonging to the Japanese 6th Fleet will also launch a sneak attack together.

"Just start a fight," Mikawa Junichi breathed out softly, "this way all the American ships can't leave and retreat to the open sea."

Shen Zhongde smiled coldly and said: "Commander, if the American large ships dare to leave, we will use naval guns to destroy their landing troops! If their large ships do not leave, the 300 people on the 14 heavy mine ships will The 93 torpedo is about to show off its skills. It can sink a few cruisers and maybe even a battleship.

Now the Americans can produce light cruisers and destroyers quickly, but the production of battleships and heavy cruisers cannot be done quickly. According to reliable intelligence, the Americans now only have 9-10 battleships, the United Kingdom (Canada) has 5, and the Soviet Union has a few more... However, the Soviet Union does not dare to go to war with the Empire now, so the Americans can only use 14 or 14 battleships. ships, far less than ours. "

The two Kronshtadt-class battlecruisers of the Soviet Union did arrive in the Pacific with the U.S. 3rd Fleet, but they did not appear near Christmas Island and Palmyra Atoll. Instead, they escorted a huge transport fleet to Vladivostok via the North Pacific route. Accompanying these two Soviet battlecruisers, in addition to the escort ships of the Red Navy, there was also a submarine formation with a total of 136 submarines!

In this time and space, fighting side by side with the British and American navies were not only the battleships of the Soviet Red Navy, but also the large Red Navy submarine force.

Based in the United States and Canada, they fought side by side with British (Canadian) and American submarine forces in the Atlantic Ocean. Although they suffered a lot of casualties, they also achieved good results, sinking hundreds of thousands of tons of European submarines. Community ship.

Now, the final decisive battle on the Soviet Union's western battlefield is about to begin, in order to prevent Japan from taking advantage of the situation. The remaining submarines of the Soviet Red Navy will all be concentrated in Vladivostok. Once Japan starts war with the Soviet Union, they will immediately enter the Sea of ​​Japan and the coast of China to break diplomatic relations - these are the submarines that fought with Dönitz on the Atlantic battlefield for more than a year. Troops!

And most of the submarines they own are not originally made by the Soviet Union (all were damaged), but "Baby Shark" class submarines made by the United States!

However, the submarines of the Red Navy did not attract the attention of the Japanese Navy. Their eyes were only fixed on the two powerful Kronshtadt-class ships...

The Japanese 8th Fleet and submarine force, which were ordered to engage in a tug-of-war of attrition with the United States near the Hawaiian Islands, also aimed their main targets at large American surface ships.

"Commander, the electronic detector has found the target!"

Just when Japan's 8th Fleet's lightning strike took advantage of the cover of night and quietly approached the waters near Palmyra Atoll, the captain of the Kitakami suddenly reported, "10 o'clock direction, distance 28,000 meters, number of 8 ships... …It’s like a big ship!”

Mikawa Junichi and Kami Shigetoku looked at each other after hearing this: It's time for the 93 torpedo to show off its skills!

"Sir, the Japanese fleet has discovered us, and they have formed a lightning strike formation."

Almost at the same time, Commodore Arleigh Burke, who used the heavy cruiser Northampton as his flagship, also received a report from his staff.

In fact, the movements of the Japanese lightning strike fleet after the merger have been under the surveillance of Catalina seaplanes. Otherwise, Arleigh Burke's patrol brigade would not have appeared just in front of the Japanese fleet...

"Let the destroyers charge!" Arleigh Burke said to his chief of staff, Lieutenant Colonel Austin. "All heavy cruisers are not allowed to fire without orders. The four T2 tankers maintain their current speed and course and continue to disguise themselves as heavy cruisers."

There is no doubt that Arleigh Burke set a trap for the Japanese. He used 4 empty T2 tankers to pretend to be heavy cruisers to deceive the Japanese of 93 torpedoes... This is a common trick in the Guyana-Caribbean battlefield, because European and American destroyers and torpedo ships are all "one wave". They do not have torpedoes and ammunition, just the ones contained in the torpedo tubes. After the attack, they have to go to the ammunition ship to replenish them.

Therefore, it is a common tactic of the US military to deceive all the German and Italian lightning strike ships, and then rush up with high-speed destroyers to engage in artillery battles.

But he will definitely be surprised today, because the Japanese Yugumo-class and Shimakaze-class destroyers are equipped with torpedoes.

In addition, the Japanese third submarine force, composed of seven submarines, had also sneaked into the battlefield near Palmyra Atoll at this time, preparing to go on a killing spree.

"Your Excellency, Commander, all ships are ready for torpedo attacks!"

At about 3:30 a.m. on February 16, 1944, Hawaii time, the 8th Fleet Chief of Staff Kamishunetoku loudly reported to Commander Mikawa Junichi the status of torpedo preparations (93 torpedoes must be oxygenated before launching).

"Yaoxi!" Mikawa Jun was very satisfied with the swift movements of his subordinates. They were indeed well-trained Japanese navy!

"Order all ships to start charging at a speed of 31 knots (the two heavy mines and light cruisers can only reach 31.7 knots)..."

"Report!" Before Sanchuan's order was given, he was interrupted by the shout of the staff officer, "Electronic detection found enemy ships, more than 15 ships in the direction of 8 o'clock, 9 o'clock, and 10 o'clock, heading towards the enemy at high speed. We are coming! They are all light ships... they should be destroyers!"

What? The Mikawa Army was stunned one by one. More than 15 American destroyers charged at high speed... Is this a lightning strike? Americans actually also do night lightning strikes?

…

"Baga, Mikawa Junichi is such a big fool. The Lightning Strike Team he commanded was actually attacked by the Americans' Lightning Strike Formation. Five Yugumo-class ships were lost, and the Okaihao was severely damaged..."

Tokyo time, late at night on February 16th, the disappointing battle report of the 8th Fleet was once again delivered to Yamamoto Isoroku and Nagano Osamu.

The first night battle on Palmyra Atoll that just ended a few hours ago went wrong again - the Japanese lightning strike formation met the American lightning strike formation, and there was a torpedo-to-torpedo melee on both sides.

As a result, five powerful Yugumo-class destroyers were sunk by American torpedoes and naval guns, and the 6,900-ton Thunderbolt light cruiser was also beaten black and blue by the American heavy cruiser. It is still on the way to retreat. I don't know if it can be saved?

Of course, Japan's 8th Fleet's lightning strike ships and 6th Fleet's submarines are not without gains. According to reports from the two fleet commands, four American heavy cruisers or large light cruisers were sunk and two were seriously damaged during this melee. Two other U.S. high-speed destroyers were sunk or severely damaged.

In addition, the Japanese 4th submarine force also slipped into the destroyer warning circle of the US landing formation and went on a killing spree inside, sinking at least 15 landing ships/transport ships and 2 destroyers. However, it also paid the price of three "lost contact".

In other words, in the "First Night Battle of Palmyra Atoll", Japan sank 5 destroyers and 3 submarines, and severely damaged 1 heavy mine and light cruiser, in exchange for 4 suspected heavy cruisers from the United States ( In fact, 3 T2s, 1 heavy cruiser), 4 destroyers and 15 landing ships/transports were sunk (not that many, only 11 were sunk), and 2 heavy cruisers were severely damaged (actually they were only damaged).

Although the exchange ratio is slightly in favor of Japan, considering the huge numerical advantage of the United States, Japan obviously cannot win.

"Shrink to the Hawaiian Islands!" Yamamoto Isoroku glanced at Nagano Shushen, who was yelling, and smiled softly, "It seems that we can't beat the United States outside the Hawaiian Islands, but in the Hawaiian Islands, our advantage is still huge!"