Invincible from the sword

Chapter 401 The appetite of the Japanese army is big enough

In the intelligence room, there is no office at all.

So I can only chat in a pile of intelligence papers.

Zhang Lei was quite surprised by this intelligence team.

The place is also a little too small.

It seems that Nimitz really doesn't pay much attention to this intelligence team.

Rochefort had met Zhang Lei.

And I admire Zhang Lei very much.

Before the Battle of the Coral Sea, Zhang Lei's judgment on the Japanese fleet shocked Rochefort.

My heart is nothing but shit or shit.

At that moment, Rochefort felt that he was really uneducated.

I can't even think of a more advanced adjective.

During the Battle of the Coral Sea, Zhang Lei's judgment was much more useful than the information obtained by his intelligence team.

For such a powerful person, Rochefort refused to accept.

Although Zhang Lei saw Rochefort for the first time, he was not polite to him because of time constraints: "Lieutenant Colonel Rochefort, please tell us what you have heard about the Japanese army."

Rochefort nodded: "In the past few days, we have discovered that the Japanese army has very frequent telegram exchanges.

And in the telegram, a code name was frequently mentioned.

This code name is AF.

But where exactly is this AF, we still don't know anything.

However, according to my judgment, there are two most likely places for this code name.

One is the Aleutian Islands.

The other, is Midway. "

Rochefort is very confident.

But in Zhang Lei's view, this is tantamount to not saying anything.

Zhang Lei thought for a while and said, "Lieutenant Colonel Luo, the code name of AF should have appeared before, right?"

Ok?
Rochefort froze for a moment.

Been there before?
Can't you?
Why do I have no impression at all?
Rochefort thought for a while, he really didn't have any impression of this code name before.

Rochefort is also a very conceited person.

He shook his head firmly: "Commander Zhang, I admire your judgment on the actions of the Japanese army.

But this code name of AF, I'm sure, has never appeared before. "

Zhang Lei shook his head: "Lieutenant Colonel Luo, have you ever thought that this code name might have been mentioned before the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor.

Because I judge, this code name is Midway Island.

Therefore, the Japanese army will definitely mention this code name before attacking Pearl Harbor.

Midway is the gateway to Hawaii.

If AF stands for Midway Island, before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, it is absolutely impossible to avoid this code name. "

Hey?
Rochefort was taken aback.

What Zhang Lei said seemed to make sense.

Why didn't I think of it before!

Zhang Lei is right.

The strategic location of Midway Island is very important.

That's the gateway to Hawaii.

The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor could not avoid Midway Island at all.

Therefore, before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, they will definitely conduct an early investigation of Midway Island.

Even the ships of the Japanese army will appear near Midway Island.

The Japanese military's water reconnaissance aircraft are also likely to refuel in the waters of Midway Island.

After figuring this out, Rochefort immediately went crazy.

Quickly found out all the Japanese telegrams intercepted before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.

A big box full.

There are almost a thousand copies.

Rochefort's mind is very good. After eliminating some information that he didn't want to do, he quickly found an inconspicuous telegram.

The telegram consisted of only a few lines.

It probably means that a Japanese seaplane is preparing to refuel at AF during the investigation process.

From the usual perspective, the content of this telegram is completely garbage information.

There is no value at all.

But now, with this inconspicuous information, Rochefort's eyes widened in shock.

The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, and seaplanes carried out reconnaissance.

From the map, the AF location for seaplane refueling can only be Midway Island.

Fake!

Rochefort trembled with excitement. !
There really is this AF!

I'm so crazy! !

Rochefort is [-]% sure that this AF is Midway Island! !
Niubi ah.

The way Rochefort looked at Zhang Lei changed immediately.

Very fanatical.

Sure enough, all the awesome people are the same.

He just found an idea and solved the problem that troubled him.

Rochefort said to Nimitz: "General, I am sure that the target of the Japanese attack this time is Midway Island."

Compared to Rochefort's excitement, Nimitz is still calm.

Of course, this is all superficial.

In fact, his heart was already throbbing with excitement.

Midway...

The appetite of the Japanese army is big enough.

The importance of Midway Island is self-evident.

He immediately sent a telegram to Halsey, commander of the No. 16 Task Force, asking him to withdraw the No. 16 Task Force from the Aleutian Islands to Midway Island.

Order No.17 Task Force Commander Fletcher to immediately let the fleet gather at Midway Island.

At the same time, report the news to Nestor.

In Nimitz's view, the situation is now very clear.

The Japanese target was Midway Island.

And his Pacific Fleet is going to ambush the Japanese fleet at Midway Island.

For Nimitz, though, it's a big challenge.

Now the strength in his hands is stretched.

Very weak.

Two aircraft carriers are simply not enough.

Damn.

Why hasn't our new aircraft carrier been built yet! !

Nimitz was in the war room, frowning.

Thinking about what to do.

It would be nice to have another aircraft carrier.

At least it can increase his strength a little.

"Commander Zhang, do you have any specific plans regarding the Japanese attack on Midway Island this time?
I have to admit, I simply don't have a good way to deal with it right now.

The number of our aircraft carriers is at an absolute disadvantage. "

Zhang Lei calculated the time.

It would take six days at the fastest for the combined fleet of the Japanese army to arrive at Midway Island from the mainland of the island country.

This is ideal.

Under normal circumstances, it would take about ten days for the Japanese fleet to reach the outskirts of Midway Island.

This time is indeed very tense for Nimitz's fleet.

Now in the hands of Nimitz, the main combat weapon aircraft carrier is only two aircraft carriers, the Enterprise and the Hornet.

The Japanese offensive force will have at least four aircraft carriers.

Zhang Lei even felt that in order for the Japanese army to win the Battle of Midway, the entire United Fleet of the island nation would definitely come out in full force.

The number of aircraft carriers invested by the Japanese army in attacking Midway Island may even reach four.

In contrast, the two aircraft carriers in Nimitz's hands are indeed not enough.

However, it is not without advantages.

The biggest advantage in their hands now is that they have grasped the purpose of the Japanese army's attack on Midway Island.

In this case, ambush is the best way.

And isn't the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown still under maintenance at Pearl Harbor?

If the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown can be repaired in three days, then this aircraft carrier can fully catch up with the Battle of Midway.

Zhang Lei said to Nimitz: "Old man, can your USS Yorktown be repaired within 72 hours?"

watt! ?
Nimitz thought he had heard wrong.

72 hours? ?

If someone asked this question, Nimitz would have slapped it with a slap.

But it was Zhang Lei who asked this question, and Nimitz was not easy to get angry.

I can only say patiently: "Commander Zhang, maybe you have some misunderstandings about the maintenance of aircraft carriers.

It will take at least a month for the Yorktown to be repaired. "

Nimitz didn't make it very clear.

But the meaning behind the words is that Zhang Lei knows nothing about the basic knowledge of warships.

This is an aircraft carrier!
Just touch up the paint, it will take more than ten days.

The aircraft carrier USS Yorktown was bombarded with several bombs by Japanese bombers.

A huge hole exploded in the deck.

The supporting steel frame was also severely damaged.

According to Nimitz's estimation, it is an astonishing speed to be able to repair it in one month.

Stilwell also frowned and said: "Commander Zhang, the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier has been severely damaged.

When they retreated from the Coral Sea, the oil pollution alone stretched tens of kilometers.

The deck is badly damaged.

Casualties were not small.

Supplement for carrier aircraft.

The new carrier-based pilot.

These are big questions.

It is almost impossible for the Yorktown to participate in the Battle of Midway. "

Zhang Lei shook his head: "Old Ni, Old Shi, you are all too pessimistic.

At the same time, I have no confidence in the industrial foundation of your lighthouse country.

I have seen the battle damage of the aircraft carrier USS Yorktown.

As long as the maintenance workers work in three shifts and repair the USS Yorktown aircraft carrier within 72 hours, there will be no problem at all.

Lao Ni, your maintenance staff, the work is too easy.

It's time to make them nervous. "

The reason why Zhang Lei said that the Yorktown could be repaired within three days was because he had already seen the Yorktown when it returned to Pearl Harbor.

Although it looks bruised, the key points are all intact.

The main thing is to resurface the deck.

Today's aircraft carriers still use wooden decks.

It's not that hard to replace.

Moreover, the supporting structure under the deck is also a steel frame.

So 72 hours is enough.

As for carrier-based aircraft, North Lighthouse Aviation and Grumman in the Lighthouse Country now produce a fighter in an average of 5 minutes.

Incredibly fast.

The most troublesome thing is the pilot of the carrier-based aircraft.

These pilots are treasures.

They are also scarce talents.

It is very difficult to cultivate.

Even if the current carrier-based aircraft is a propeller aircraft, the requirements for pilots are very high.

In the Battle of the Coral Sea, Fletcher's No.17 task force lost dozens of excellent pilots.

It is difficult to make up for these experienced pilots.

Although the lighthouse country quickly added new pilots.

But these pilots had just graduated from flight school.

Did not participate in actual combat at all.

Even the operation of dive bombing has not been learned yet.

That's what hurts the most.

(End of this chapter)