Invincible from the sword

Chapter 464 Really Let Zhang Lei Be Right

In just a few seconds, the Japanese naval artillery shells arrived.

Although the soldiers on duty on the Hornet saw the Japanese naval guns firing, it was useless at all.

He still cared about sounding the alarm, and the shells flew over whistling.

Meat! ! ! !

Boom boom boom! ! ! !

The huge shell hit the Hornet's sidestring.

After a violent explosion, the shell blasted a large hole in the Hornet's sidestring.

The Hornet, which was hit by shells, creaked in pain.

Sea water poured directly into the cabin along the huge hole.

In the engine room of the Hornet, white smoke rose from the furnace after being flooded by sea water.

A few seconds later, the Hornet's engine room was completely flooded by sea water.

The violent explosion made the Hornet tremble violently.

A soldier from the Lighthouse Kingdom was sleeping, and fell off the bed with a crackling sound.

Many soldiers disappeared before they knew what was going on.

The plane on the deck was also shaken and fell into the water a lot.

There are about a dozen of them.

Fletcher, who was sleeping, jumped out of bed suddenly.

A look of shock.

He ran outside without even caring about putting on his clothes.

The sound just now was too loud.

It just made Fletcher's heart skip a beat.

The explosion was not far from him.

Fletcher had a sense of foreboding.

Could it be that the Japanese warships attacked his No.16 task force fleet! ? ?
As soon as Fletcher ran to the deck of the USS Enterprise, the Chief of Staff of Task Force No. 16 came over with a shocked face and told him: "General Fletcher, the Japanese army has attacked us.

The Hornet is hit! "

watt! ? ?

Hornet?

When Fletcher heard that it was the Hornet, his heart immediately sank.

This is the main aircraft carrier of his fleet.

If there is a problem with the Hornet aircraft carrier, then his task force will lose at least one-third of its combat effectiveness.

Fletcher looked at the distant fire with a telescope, his mind went blank.

my Lord.

Zhang Lei was right.

The lunatics of the Japanese army really attacked us.

The aircraft carrier USS Hornet is now billowing with smoke.

The fire blazed into the sky.

There was a lot of activity on deck.

The Japanese fleet in the distance is shelling with all its strength.

The fierce flames produced by the fired shells caused the Japanese fleet to flash and flash in the dark.

The rumbling sound of the naval guns made Fletcher feel half cold.

The soldiers of the First Marine Division on Guadalcanal looked in shock at the sea not far away.

Damn.

Can this naval battle be fought at night?
After hearing the shelling at sea, Lao Fan, the commander of the First Marine Division, hurried out to check.

At the same time, he ordered his troops to strengthen their guard.

The Japanese army actually attacked at night.

This is not a good sign.

Zhang Lei was right. The Japanese army did not give up on Guadalcanal.

Lao Fan was very sure that the Japanese army's troop carrier would definitely take advantage of the present to transport a large number of Japanese ground troops to the island.

Falk.

Maybe the Japanese ground troops will attack later.

Lao Fan immediately ordered to be vigilant.

Especially the troops at the front must be alert to the sudden attack of the Japanese army.

Lao Fan's First Marine Division is not good at field combat.

If the Japanese attack now, it will definitely be a test for Lao Fan's [-]st Marine Division.

Because the Japanese fleet attacked suddenly, Fletcher's No. 16 Task Force had no time to react.

At this time, Fletcher had no idea how many warships the Japanese fleet had arrived.

Within minutes, Fletcher received word of the loss of the fleet.

In just 5 minutes, his No. 16 task force had two battleships and five destroyers sunk.

What shocked Fletcher the most was that the aircraft carrier USS Hornet also sank.

Fortunately, before the aircraft carrier Hornet sank, the pilots and some soldiers on it had retreated.

Fletcher did not dare to be careless, and after reporting the situation to Spruance, he ordered his No. 16 Task Force to retreat.

Must retreat.

If he stays here again, his loss will only be greater.

Spruance was taken aback by Fletcher's telegram.

Fletcher actually retreated?
Are you kidding me?
His No.16 task force has a lot of battleships!

Although the Japanese army carried out a sneak attack on the No.16 task force, in Spruance's view, this showed that the Japanese army was short of troops.

Otherwise, with the arrogant temper of the Japanese combined fleet, it would be impossible to carry out a sneak attack at night.

Spruance estimated that the number of Japanese warships that attacked Fletcher's fleet would not exceed twenty.

If Fletcher fights back, he can completely defeat the Japanese army.

This guy actually retreated!
Doesn't he know that on Guadalcanal Island, there is still the First Marine Division of their Lighthouse Country?

Without the protection of the No.16 Task Force, the First Marine Division would be exposed to the range of the Japanese warships' naval guns.

In this case, the casualties of the First Marine Division will be very large.

Spruance was shaking with anger.

Now Fletcher has retreated, and Spruance has nothing to do.

Fletcher can only be ordered to assemble in the waters east of Guadalcanal.

He will immediately lead Task Force No.17 to join Fletcher's Task Force No.16.

Now that Fletcher has retreated, the Japanese fleet will definitely push the fleet to the waters near Guadalcanal Island.

In this case, not only Japanese ground troops could land on Guadalcanal.

The Japanese warships and carrier-based aircraft can also support the Japanese ground force attack.

This was a disaster for the First Marine Division.

At the same time, Spruance was also preparing for a decisive battle with the Japanese combined fleet in the waters off Guadalcanal.

If the combined fleet of the Japanese army can be severely damaged this time, then the entire combined fleet of the Japanese army will no longer be able to make any waves.

Without the combined fleet of the Japanese army, the subsequent battles would be much easier to fight.

Spruance frowned.

Thinking about how to attack.

In the end, Spruance decided to ask Zhang Lei for advice.

Zhang Lei, who received the telegram from Spruance, was taken aback.

What the hell!

Didn't I tell him to be wary of the Japanese army's sneak attack at night?
Why was Task Force No.16 still beaten?
And retreated?
Isn't this the death of the First Marine Division?

Stilwell's embarrassing elder.

If Guadalcanal is recaptured by the Japanese, it will be very difficult for his joint forces to supply in the future.

By that time, the situation in the Kangaroo Country will take a turn for the worse.

Fletcher, is his head rusty?
Actually retreat!

Zhang Lei thought for a while.

As a whole, Spruance is right.

Although Fletcher's fleet retreated and the Japanese gained control of the Guadalcanal waters, this also attracted the Japanese fleet.

This instead gave Spruance the opportunity to annihilate the Japanese Combined Fleet.

Of course, the overall strength of the Japanese combined fleet is not weak.

Although in terms of the current number of warships and aircraft carriers, the Japanese army is at a disadvantage.

But this disadvantage is not great.

Spruance must have a targeted offense Caixing.

(End of this chapter)