afterglow

Chapter 516: One ebbs and flows, the other ebbs and flows; gradually turning into a protracted battle
The navy's agreed code name for a surprise attack was very appealing to Zhou Changfeng. He was worried that he would not hear the code name in the end. After all, the difficulty of a surprise attack in wartime was not comparable to that in peacetime.

"Wan Sheng!"

"Too cruel, too cruel..."

"Really, a monument should be erected and carved in stone to commemorate the merits."

Now that it was learned that Taiwei Zuoyuan's fleet had achieved great results, everyone in the Kauai Ming Army was extremely excited. A burst of cheers erupted in the headquarters, and everyone's eyes were blazing and their faces were rosy.

"It goes without saying, they are all well-deserved heroes. Of course we have to work harder." Zhou Changfeng looked around and waved his hand, "Snowball, understand? Expand your advantage!"

"Yes!" Dozens of people responded in unison.

The naval liaison officer put his hands on his hips and commented with satisfaction: "The high officials in the DPRK should not dare to do anything this time. It is estimated that everyone should record their top achievements, and then the top ones will record their extraordinary achievements. "

Zhou Changfeng, who was on the side, chuckled and said seriously: "That's for sure. If it doesn't work, I, Zhou, will take the lead and go to the gate of the Ministry of War to make trouble."

The liaison officer's eyes widened, he laughed and waved his hands, "Oh my God, I don't dare to think about it. When the time comes... I'm afraid even the Minister himself will have to rush out and ask you to calm down."

The Kauai Ming Army's current strength of less than 10,000 people can only be said to be more than enough for self-preservation, but not enough for attack. It is impossible to capture the heavily defended island of Oahu.

Because of the attack on Oahu, the routine bombing did not come this morning. Weiyuan Airport has finally been repaired after suffering for so many days.

The imposing leader of the second team, Cui Xusheng, issued a death order - from now on, the patrols would be on rotation, with the destroyers patrolling half in the sky and half on the ground for supplies.

After the U.S. military retreated in frustration a few days ago, Zhou Changfeng sent people to clean up the battlefield on the beach. At best, they were collecting usable supplies, and at worst, they were picking up rags.

This time is crucial for Kauai Airport. It must race against time to repair the runway. Otherwise, when the US military starts continuous air strikes tomorrow, it will miss the opportunity.

Anyway, there are more pilots than planes now, so those who didn’t take their turn have plenty of time to rest.

The Second Team of the First Destroyer Detachment had previously transferred 46 fighter jets to Kauai. As of now, excluding air combat losses and those destroyed by bombing, there are still 21 available.

Multiple airports on Oahu were temporarily paralyzed due to damage from the surprise attack. It is expected that the US military will take at least 12 hours to deal with the aftermath and restore the airport to use.

"Quick, quick, get out of the fucking way!"

Cui Xusheng is shaking people, Zhou Changfeng will certainly not fall behind.

He also repeatedly urged the Midway Island side to immediately transfer the fighter jets stranded there to enrich the power of Weiyuan Airport.

But in this situation, regardless of whether it is embarrassing or not, it is a good way to get something.

A total of more than a dozen D4 bulldozers of the US military were destroyed and damaged on the beaches of Kauai. Two of them were repaired and can continue to be used. In addition, the rd Marine Brigade Automobile Battalion also disassembled the parts of the destroyed bulldozers and pieced them together. , another one was repaired.

Zhou Changfeng Power Generation asked the second echelon that was still on standby in Saipan and Guam to prepare for departure, but not to transport all the troops over at once, but to transport troops and supplies alternately.

"Okay, that's almost it. Let's call the chariot to come over."

As a result, counting the only one of its own, the Kauai Ming Army has four bulldozers available, and the efficiency of the runway repair operation has been greatly improved.

The air force pilots were gearing up one by one, vowing to vent their anger. Some even made bold statements that if the airport was bombed again this time, they would not land even if they ran out of fuel!

The bulldozers filled the craters of various sizes and depths, and the tanks of the brigade's combat convoy rumbled up to crush them, and then the engineers laid down pieces of prefabricated perforated steel plates...

One after another, the Type 36 fighter planes taxied on the airport. The wheels rolled over the runway paved with perforated steel plates. The steel plates touched each other and made a continuous clicking sound.

Team 1 and Team 3 had already departed from the mainland and arrived at Midway Island ten days ago. However, the Weiyuan Airport at that time had been suppressed, so they were stranded until today.

The transportation capacity is limited, and transporting too many troops at one time will make it difficult to use force. It is most reasonable to send reinforcements in batches.

At noon that day, a PBY Catalina seaplane taking off from the Ford Island Naval Air Station on Oahu discovered the main force of the Ming army's fleet rushing toward Pearl Harbor from the southwest.

Looking at the countless warships on the sea in the distance, the crew members were so shocked that they opened their mouths. They were silent for a long time. Only the roar of the engine could be heard in the cabin.

After a full eight seconds, the main pilot said in a deep voice: "The information about Johnston Atoll is true...they are coming."

Song Zhongkai stood on the bridge of the battleship Yongle. He liked to stand in the center of the giant steel ship for a long time, looking at the boundless sea in front of him, thinking about and imagining possible changes in the war situation in the future.

A century-old navy is often used to describe the huge cost and time-consuming construction of the navy. For an industrial country, warships and bases are the easiest to solve. What is more difficult is talent training, which takes at least two generations. Build a complete training system.

Equally difficult but easily overlooked is hydrological and meteorological data. The Army regards maps as confidential treasures, and nautical charts are even more important to the Navy.

The Army might be able to send out scouts a few days before the war to conduct temporary reconnaissance and draw maps, but if the Navy wants to improvise, it will have to be at least a month in advance.

The logbooks, hydrological records, and nautical charts left over the years are all precious wealth. This is the foundation of a great naval power, but it is often ignored by people.

The four fleets of Britain, the Netherlands, the United States, and Australia relied heavily on the information provided by the Dutch when fighting in the Nanyang region; during the Battle of Tiedi Bay, one of the important reasons why the Mikawa Army fleet retreated as soon as it was good was the chart room of the Chokai. Wrecked, the fleet lost its sailing reference.

Song Zhongkai knew this very well. As the Ming army's offensive was directed toward the distant depths of the Pacific, reliable hydrographic data became less and less available, which made the navigation officers of each ship sleepless.

If the Ming Dynasty Navy has 80% of the nautical charts and hydrographic data of various places in Southeast Asia, then it becomes less and less as you go out to the Hawaiian Islands, perhaps less than 40%.

But for the U.S. military, it's the opposite. The information is becoming more and more detailed and abundant, which is a typical case of waxing and waning.

At this time, the gunnery officer came over and asked with a smile: "Uncle, when you return after the victory, it won't be a problem for the people in the court to discuss and grant you a title, right?"

Song Zhongkai stared straight ahead and said calmly: "I have told you so many times that you must fulfill your military duties outside."

The origin of the title of Xia Jinbo is not very glorious - when Emperor Jingzong conferred the title of empress, he promoted the queen's father to a higher rank and title according to the standards of the Ming Dynasty. This gave birth to the first generation of Xia Jinbo. However, the earl title of the father of the empress of the Ming Dynasty was not hereditary, and the title disappeared after his death.

Queen Song was not as virtuous and virtuous as the previous queens. She relied on pillow wind to get Jingzong to decree that the title of Xia Jinbo be changed to hereditary, and she was also given an iron certificate of alchemy. After that, Emperor Jingzong, who had the same temple name, was too carefree, indulged in sensuality, and died without any children. He became another short-lived emperor in the history of the Ming Dynasty. According to the ancestral motto of brother to brother, his younger brother succeeded to the throne. This was Zhuangzong. emperor.

At that time, many ministers wrote a letter suggesting that the hereditary replacement of the Duke of Xia Jin should be cancelled. The reason was that it was not in line with the ancestral system. However, Zhuang Zong did not adopt it in the end. There are different opinions on the reasons. Unofficial histories and stories said that the hereditary replacement of the title of Xia Jin Bo should be cancelled. Xia Jin Bo was well versed in overseas affairs. The huge profits from smuggling and the huge amount of wealth accumulated went into Zhuang Zong's internal treasury.

This statement is highly accepted by the people. Xia Jinbo of all generations has been indispensable in dealing with the sea. Not only did he engage in overseas trade, but many of his descendants also served in the Navy.

By the time of Song Zhongkai's generation, Xia Jinbo's disgraceful past had gradually faded away, but he was still determined in his heart to completely whitewash and dye it red, adding supreme glory and glory to it.

"It has been seen, there is nothing to hide. Send the order, lift the radio silence, adjust the position, and move forward quickly." He ordered.

Capture Hawaii and achieve unparalleled success!
There are many people in the fleet who share the same beliefs and expectations as him.

According to telegrams sent back by submarines near Pearl Harbor, the Pacific Fleet has not yet left the port, possibly because it is hindered by laid mines.

This is obviously a good opportunity worth fighting for, but the problem is that the fleet and Oahu are still more than 700 kilometers apart, and the round-trip range far exceeds the combat radius of carrier-based aircraft.

Some people have proposed a bold non-return attack method - after taking off from the aircraft carrier, the carrier-based aircraft goes directly to attack, and after the end of the attack, it does not return and flies to Kauai to land for supplies.

Ouyang Zhanghua was reluctant to accept this risky proposal because the two Ziweiyuan-class armored aircraft carriers did not carry many aircraft, and the fleet was not replenished after the Battle of Hawaii and was now not full.

If such a long-range attack is carried out, the two armored carriers will have almost no aircraft available for the next day and night. This is undoubtedly very dangerous. After all, the Saratoga may suddenly appear at any time.

And the other officers are also divided - some think that the several airports on Oahu should be bombed with all their strength, and the enemy's surface ships are not worth mentioning; some think the opposite.

Another hidden danger is the Enterprise, which is also missing.

Previously, the Enterprise was sent to the southwest Pacific in order to attract the attention of the Ming army and put pressure on Guadalcanal. The ship and the Tianshi Youyuan fought in a battle of wits and courage for a month.

However, as the battle east of Hawaii ended on May 5, the two British aircraft carriers that came from afar were sunk and the other was damaged. The only available aircraft carrier near Hawaii was the Saratoga.

So the Enterprise received an urgent order to return to Hawaii as soon as possible.

Because of the long journey, the Enterprise from New Caledonia had already set sail on June 6, but it had only now reached the south of the Big Island of Hawaii.

Her voyage arrangement is to first go to the port of Hilo in the north of the big island for a short rest, and then rendezvous with the Saratoga.

Ouyang Zhanghua's caution inadvertently prevented the fleet from being attacked by the Enterprise.

Otherwise, if it is known that the Ming Dynasty fleet is sending a fleet to attack Oahu, the Enterprise, which has not yet entered the port, will most likely immediately turn around and carry out a full-deck attack.

翌日、也就是6月17日7：15，明军舰队抵达瓦胡岛西南410㎞处。

Ziwei Zuoyuan, Ziwei Right, and Tianshi Zuoyuan began to release carrier-based aircraft. The aircraft climbed into the sky one after another, joined the formation, and then flew neatly to the northeast.

At the same time, Kauai's Weiyuan Airport also launched a fighter formation, planning to attack various airports on Oahu together with the aircraft carrier.

Because unified organization and coordination could not be achieved, the formation sent by the Air Force arrived ten minutes earlier than the aircraft carrier attack wave.

The pilots of the carrier-based aircraft were surprised to witness the scene in the distance - there were still black smoke clouds that had not dissipated in the sky, and the aircraft of both sides were entangled in a fierce battle.

The air force pilots who had been frustrated for so many days went on a killing spree, and the cutting-edge Type 36 Type D performed extremely horribly under their control!

The belated aircraft carrier attack wave was not too late, because at this time, US military fighter jets taking off from Bello Airport in the east of the island came to reinforce.

The enemy was extremely jealous when they saw each other. Twenty dozen P-40 fighter jets immediately turned around and pounced on the fleet of more than a hundred aircraft...

The key to victory or defeat lies in aviation. The two armies of China and the United States once again launched a fierce battle for air supremacy over Oahu.

The importance of land airports is self-evident. Currently, only one airport is available on the island of Kauai controlled by the Ming army, while the US military has eight airports available on Oahu, Lanai, and Maui.

In order to make up for this disadvantage, according to the recommendations of the Air Force, half an engineer battalion, an infantry battalion, and all bulldozers were transported to Hanapepe, a small town in the southwest of Kauai, where a site was selected to build a new Field airfield.

On June 6, a total of twenty-one transport planes and six large seaplanes arrived that day and unloaded about twenty tons of supplies.

On June 6, in addition to more than thirty transport aircraft, three destroyers temporarily acting as fast transport ships arrived on Kauai and unloaded more than 19 tons of supplies and six prefabricated bulldozers.

This kind of prefabricated bulldozer blade is strongly requested by Zhou Changfeng. It has no technical content, but it can be installed in front of the tank, allowing the tank to be temporarily used as a bulldozer.

On June 6, a transport fleet including two destroyers, a minesweeper, and four merchant ships arrived without incident, transporting two light anti-aircraft artillery teams and more than 21 tons of important supplies. .

From this moment on, both sides gradually realized that the offensive and defensive battle in Hawaii might not come to an end in a short time. It would be a long-lasting game that would last for several months or even longer, because neither the United States nor the United States could quickly repel the other side.

"In this war of attrition, no matter how far our logistics line is, the loser will definitely be the Americans."

The Kauai command is filled with optimistic views. This argument is mainly based on the fact that there are transit stations such as Guam, Wake Island, and Midway Island along the Western Pacific, while there is no foothold in the Eastern Pacific.

"It's hard to say. It's not necessarily beneficial to delay it for a long time. Look at what our fleet looks like. We haven't had a good rest for so long. The longer we delay, the harder it becomes. However, enemy ships can dock at the Big Island of Hawaii at any time." Zhou Changfeng said. He walked around the table and kept his eyes on the sand table.

After saying that, he picked up the baton and pointed at Oahu Island, and said thoughtfully: "Maybe we really have to take the risk, find a way to land a surprise attack, and gain a foothold."

Yu Daixin, commander of the 3rd Marine Brigade, who was two steps away, put his hands on his hips and sighed: "How can we get up there? We haven't taken over the air superiority, and the shore batteries haven't been blown up yet..."

(End of this chapter)