Age of Rebirth

Lieutenant Admiral Matsuda Osamu, the chief of staff of the Joint Fleet of the Japanese Navy, came in and did not report the situation, but apologized first, "Your Excellency, I am very sorry to bother you for a long exam. Lieutenant General Liangmu's telegram, the staff department has considered it again and again, and decided to disturb you!"

His chief of staff said so, General Yamamoto was unhappy and embarrassed to get angry, but Yamamoto was also very strange, wasn't it just a telegram from Lieutenant General Hirano who didn't know the heights of heaven and earth, it was worth Matsuda's nervousness?

Yamamoto looked at his chief of staff and asked with a smile: "Matsuda-kun, what did General Hirano's telegram say? Did you still ask us to unite the fleet to follow his combat intention? Those guys in the army , is self-righteous!"

Chief of Staff Matsuda hesitated, and replied: "General, Lieutenant General Hirano didn't ask us for anything, but his telegram contained a deep sense of reproach, blaming us for not intercepting the US Pacific Fleet in time, so that we could not intercept the U.S. Pacific Fleet in time. On the battlefield of Hawaii Island, the battle against the U.S. Second Army’s landing force failed to achieve more victories, and caused unnecessary casualties of more than [-] soldiers of the Seventh Army!”

Yamamoto sneered dismissively, and said: "Army generals have always been like this. They are used to shifting the responsibility for failure to other people, leaving him alone, and replying to him with a telegram. You know, it’s fine! It’s ridiculous, the United Fleet has its own combat plan, when did it become necessary to act according to the combat intention of the Seventh Army?”[

However, Chief of Staff Matsuda obviously didn't finish his sentence. Looking at Commander Yamamoto's nonchalant expression, he reminded anxiously: "General, these are not the main issues. The key to the problem lies with General Hirano. He said in the telegram that he had already Report what happened today on the battlefield of Hawaii Island truthfully to the General Staff Headquarters of the base camp and the Ministry of the Navy. Do you suspect that General Hirano will sue? If so, it will be very detrimental to you, General!"

General Yamamoto frowned, and asked with interest: "Oh Matsuda-kun, what are you worried about?"

Chief of Staff Matsuda replied with some worry: "Commander, General Hirano's failure to block the landing force of the US Second Army's landing force did not achieve the expected goal, and caused the accidental death of more than [-] Imperial Army soldiers from the Seventh Army. On your body, no matter whether he is making excuses for himself or not, the Ministry believes that, Your Excellency Commander, you should send a telegram to the General Staff and the Ministry of the Navy to explain!"

The five Yamamotos stared at each other, and said nonchalantly, "What's the explanation? What is clear is clear, and what is turbid is turbid. There is no need for this. We have not received any orders. It is not Hirano's turn to cooperate with the Seventh Army's combat plan." This guy Liangmu, he is dictating and picking on the United Fleet, and he will say such things when he sits on the throne of the commander-in-chief of the Imperial Pacific Theater!"

Seeing that his chief of staff was still very entangled in this matter, General Yamamoto went on to say: "Matsuda-kun is overthinking, a Yoshiki Hirano can't make any waves in the Ministry of the Navy, and neither can the General Staff. Because of a one-sided telegram from the Commander of the Seventh Army, there was a disagreement with the Admiralty, rest assured that our attention will now be concentrated on the US Pacific Fleet, and I hope Matsuda-kun will not be distracted by such trivial matters!"

Lieutenant General Matsuda thought for a while, "That's right, how can Commander Yamamoto's position in the Imperial Navy be shaken by a single Yoshiki Hirano? The key is that there is no order from the headquarters to cooperate with the Seventh Army in combat. Just this one, Lieutenant General Hirano doesn't make sense, it seems that I am a little unreasonable to worry about!"

After unraveling the knot in his heart, Chief of Staff Matsuda became happier and asked for instructions: "Your Excellency, Commander, what do we need to do now? Should we continue to wait?"

Admiral Yamamoto smiled reservedly, and said: "Continue to wait for the opportunity, Matsuda-kun, hunting requires patience, and one cannot become a good hunter without patience, convey my order, the submarine team belonging to the fleet, immediately go deep into the Hawaiian island of the United States Along the route, monitor the movement of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in all directions, and tell them that no matter what happens, they are not allowed to attack the U.S. ships without my order!"

Chief of Staff Matsuda was a little puzzled, and asked, "Your Excellency, why didn't you send a reconnaissance plane? In this way, the scope and accuracy of reconnaissance will be better!"

Yamamoto shook his head and said: "Mr. Matsuda, concealment, preventing the Americans from discovering us is the first condition for waiting for a fighter. Hunters must first hide themselves so as not to be discovered by their prey. I have a hunch that the fighters that are beneficial to us will come soon. Appeared, that guy Hirano finally did something meaningful, the landing force of the Second Army of the U.S. Army was hit hard, and has already launched a frontal attack on the Seventh Army, what will the U.S. do next?"

General Yamamoto asked a rhetorical question, obviously to test his chief of staff's battlefield wisdom. Chief of Staff Matsuda thought for a while and replied: "Continue to increase the number of troops on the battlefield of Hawaii Island. In this case, we will need the Pacific Fleet escort. Commander, we The fighter plane appeared in the US Pacific Fleet, on the way back to the mainland, ambushed!"

General Yamamoto was very happy that his chief of staff was able to keep up with his thinking, and said admiringly: "Yaoxi, Matsuda-kun, I have been examining the plan for a few days, and it was right by your word, but I want to What is more important is the greater battle results, not only the Pacific Fleet, but also the American Army, after this battle, that Yoshiki Hirano should stop talking nonsense!"

Matsuda's eyes lit up, and he said excitedly: "Commander, I understand your intentions. The United Fleet is escorting the army in the Pacific Fleet of the U.S. Army. , Those troop carriers that have lost their protection are lambs waiting to be slaughtered, general, among all the generals in the navy, you are the only one who has such courage and dares to make such a campaign plan, the department admires you very much!"

Chief of Staff Matsuda's sincere compliments, General Yamamoto is not in high spirits, the prestige of a commander can not be established by relying on the compliments of his subordinates, but by virtue of victory after battle Achieve your own reputation and prove your ability!

General Yamamoto waved his hand, stopped Lieutenant General Matsuda, and said with words of admiration, "Mr. Matsuda, follow my orders!" After Matsuda gave a military salute, he left with a look of reverence.

The cabin became quiet, and General Yamamoto put on a smile, "I'm looking forward to it. The hunting process may be boring while waiting, but once the prey enters the trap and harvests, the excitement is normal. Got it!" he thought to himself.

The commander of the Pacific Fleet of the US Navy, Lieutenant General Fulwood, did not realize that he had become the prey of General Yamamoto, the commander of the Joint Fleet of the Japanese Navy. He had just received an order from the Joint Chiefs of Staff to return immediately On the mainland, it escorted the four divisions of the Second Army's second batch of reinforcements to the Hawaii Island battlefield.

In all fairness, Lieutenant General Fulwood was very dissatisfied with the order of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The situation of the Second Army on the Hawaii Island battlefield was not optimistic. Seventy to eighty thousand troops were crammed into a small area of ​​less than a hundred square kilometers. Within, if there is no fleet of naval guns and carrier-based aircraft to set up a fire protection net for the Second Army, the Japanese guns can flatten the landing site

Out of a sense of military responsibility, Lieutenant General Fulwood was deeply worried about the situation of the Second Army that lost the fleet's fire support after the fleet returned to the mainland to perform escort missions. , Sincerely exchanged opinions, I hope that Lieutenant General Harrison can join hands with himself to persuade the Joint Chiefs of Staff to send other escort warships. [

In fact, Lieutenant General Harrison is not as clear about his current situation as Lieutenant General Fulwood. He also knows that once the Pacific Fleet leaves and loses air supremacy and fleet fire support, the Second Army will be defeated when the second batch of reinforcements arrives. In the days before, it would be very sad, but he had to ask for more troops.

From yesterday to now, the sneak attack by a small group of Japanese troops, the nuisance of sporadic cold guns, and the ghostly air raids of Japanese aircraft have caused thousands of casualties to the troops. , can kill more than a dozen or twenty soldiers. If they are squeezed into such a place as big as a pigsty, the Second Army will be tortured to death by the Japanese. Only by fighting out is the only way to survive!

To go out, you need troops. Therefore, Lieutenant General Harrison faced Lieutenant General Fulwood's worries and comforted him: "Commander Fulwood, you can safely command the fleet to complete the escort mission. There should be no big problem if some troops are on the front line of the landing field and support for a week."

"The Japanese don't have the appetite to eat my Second Army in one bite! You know, I need reinforcements urgently! However, General Fulwood, I still want to remind you to prevent the attack of the Japanese Navy fleet, the former Pacific Ocean The fleet aircraft carrier formation, the lessons learned in the waters of Midway Island, can be said to be profound!"

Having said all this, what can Lieutenant General Fulwood say? It is Lieutenant General Harrison who is sitting across from him who urgently asks for reinforcements. The loss is not small, and the medicine and fuel are urgently needed to be replenished. Lieutenant General Fulwood is more aware that apart from his own fleet, the country may no longer have a decent escort fleet!

However, for Lieutenant General Harrison, Lieutenant General Fulwood was very unhappy with what he said at the end, which was almost a warning, and he continued to refute it. bid farewell.

In the early morning of June 28, the Pacific Fleet of the US Navy lifted anchor from Hawaii Island and embarked on a voyage back to the mainland.

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