Age of Rebirth

The ending of the Coral Sea air battle posed a big problem for Lieutenant Admiral Shirakawa Yoshitsuru, commander of the Second Fleet of the Japanese Navy, and Lieutenant Admiral Masao Okamura, commander of the Fourth Fleet, how to report the process and results of the battle.

Reporting or not reporting will not work. As for the method of concealing the truth or tampering with the course of the battle, Lieutenant General Yoshitetsu Shirakawa and Lieutenant General Masao Okamura consider themselves to be the majestic vice admirals of the Japanese Empire, even in the face of the most severe Punishment, and will not do such despicable and shameful things, which will damage the honor of the emperor[***], violate the integrity of the emperor[***], and even more despised by the real warriors of His Majesty the Emperor!

In fact, Lieutenant General Masao Okamura, who flew to the Second Fleet specially to find Lieutenant General Shirakawa Yoshitetsu to study countermeasures, was far less righteous. Without the fighter group of the Army Aviation to participate in the battle, within the fleet, it is still possible to raise the banner that cannot be damaged for the honor of the navy, and make partial modifications to the battle process that are beneficial to oneself.

However, with the participation of Lu Hang and the gang, the battle has been overwhelmed by paper. Once the incident happened, both of them would be more guilty. The failure of the mission and the false report of the military situation had already offended those of the navy. The psychological bottom line of the bosses is that it is certain that they will be shot.

"Wait!" Lieutenant General Masao Okamura raised his stubby eyebrows, his eyeballs circled gloomyly for a few times, and with a deceitful smile on the corner of his mouth, Lieutenant General Yoshizhe Shirakawa asked suspiciously: "Mr. , what problem did you find?" [

Lieutenant General Gangcun said mysteriously: "Mr. Shirakawa, don't you think it's strange that only some fighters from the Kashima Air Force participated in the Coral Sea Air Battle and Army Aviation, so what did the Araki Air Force and Kuroda Air Force do? "

Lieutenant General Shirakawa Yoshizhe shook his head, not belonging to each other. How did he know what Lu Hang's gang were doing? Suddenly, a flash of light flashed in his mind, as if he had grasped the main point of Gangcun's words, eagerly He urged: "Mr. Gangcun, if you have any ideas, please tell me!"

Lieutenant General Gangcun said: "There are four batches of fighter jets in the Duli division. Their route to the airspace of the Coral Sea must pass through Kalimantan and Sumatra. Mr. Shirakawa, that can send troops to the Southwest Pacific. The Araki Air Force and Kuroda Air Force of Army Aviation are in the guarded airspace. Could it be that the more than 500 fighters of the two air teams have not noticed the more than [-] aircraft passing through their own guarded airspace?"

Lieutenant General Bai Chuan shook his head resolutely, and said affirmatively: "Impossible, unless you are blind, otherwise, it is impossible for the four batches of Chinese fighter jets to pass through the warning airspace successively. It took more than five hours before and after!"

Lieutenant General Gangcun smiled triumphantly, and continued: "Mr. Bai Chuan, the problem has arisen. Since the aircraft group of the reader can be found, why don't the Araki Air Force and the Kuroda Air Force intercept it, causing the fighters of the reader Group, put all your energy into the air battle with our fleet's carrier-based aircraft, who ordered not to intercept, what's the mystery, why put the greatest pressure on our navy? Is it deliberate or cowardly? ?”

At this point, Lieutenant General Shirakawa has fully understood the meaning of Lieutenant General Gangcun. Since General Ito Yanzaburo meant to sit on the mountain and watch the tigers fight, then I am sorry that he did not complete the responsibility of destroying the enemy in the Coral Sea. Your army can't escape, or in other words, more than half of the responsibility is caused by your army. If you have to bear the board of His Majesty the Emperor and the base camp, you, Ito Gensaburo, will accompany you. If you want to lose face, everyone will lose it together!

Lieutenant General Bai Chuan was full of worries, and he cast all his admiration on him. This guy in Gangcun is really scary. He dragged the army into the water with a light stroke of four or two thousand catties. The result of the Battle of the Coral Sea has reached such a level that the army cannot escape responsibility. He applauded with high fives To: "Mr. Gangcun is really a talented person? Analyzing the essence of the problem, stripping away the cocoons, interlocking the links, and finally restoring the truth, Bai Chuan admires it! Come, let's write a report to the headquarters, the Ministry of the Navy, and that Yansaburo Ito Bar!"

On the evening of August 25th, Major General Le Yiqin, commander of the Southern Flight Group of the Air Force of the Reading Division, was in the office of division commander Tang Qiuli, reporting the process and results of the Coral Sea and Air Battle, "Master, in this battle, our group shot down a total of The Japanese army had 120 six carrier-based and land-based fighters, five medium-sized warships, our department lost 38 fighters, 14 pilots were killed, two bombers, and 16 crew members were killed." Le Yiqin reported calmly.

Tang Qiuli interjected and asked, "How about the rest of the parachute pilots?"

Le Yiqin replied: "All of them have been rescued by British-Australian troop carriers. Among them, seven people were seriously injured. I have arranged several transport planes to pick them up. As far as the current situation in Australia is concerned, it is very unsafe. People were beaten by little devils so that they didn't even have the time to stand, and they still cared about our people. Besides, I don't trust those British guys. It's better to take our people over for safety. It is estimated that we will be able to return in the early morning , Commander, this is the situation of the battle, what instructions do you have?"

Tang Qiuli and Chief of Staff Zhao Yuhe looked at each other with a smile, and Tang Qiuli said, "That's right, Le Yiqin, you fought well, with long-distance raids, a three-to-one record in air combat, plus five Japanese warships, I have also completed the set task, but there is one thing I don't quite understand, and I need you to explain it!"

As he spoke, he took out a thank-you telegram from Admiral Fernandez, the commander-in-chief of the British and Australian forces, and said: "The British telegram said that their task force was fiercely attacked by the Fourth Fleet of the Japanese Navy. More than two-thirds, why, your escort fleet, did not provide air escort for it?"

After finishing speaking, Tang Qiuli looked at Le Yiqin with playful eyes, but how would he answer this question.

Le Yiqin stood up in surprise, and said: "How is it possible, Wu Zhenjiang's first echelon fighter jets fought fiercely with the little devil's carrier jets in the airspace where the British task force is located. One, logically speaking, the British warships would not suffer such serious losses. Their troop carrier formations were unarmed, and the little devil’s carrier-based aircraft had nothing to do with it. Commander, are the British guys lying! Those guys We can do it!"

Tang Qiuli shook his head with a smile, and said: "The British are extremely good-faced. They don't need to exaggerate their losses. Besides, what good will it do them? By the way, is that Wu Zhenjiang from the Ninth Fighter Regiment?" Commander, where is he, call him over and ask, won't everything be clear?"

Le Yiqin slapped his head and suddenly realized: "Yes, he is the echelon commander and knows everything. It just so happens that their regiment is resting at the Singapore Field Airfield. I'll make a call!" After finishing speaking, he was about to leave.

Tang Qiuli called to him with a smile, and said, "I have a phone on my desk, why are you running away? Are you looking for distance!"

Le Yiqin smiled "hehe", and said a little uncomfortably: "Master, I'd better go out and fight, and talk to you, which will affect your handling of official duties!"

Tang Qiuli laughed loudly, eyes narrowed, and said: "It's fresh, when did Commander Le Da become more careful, go, hurry up, maybe those soldiers under your command are waiting for you to drink celebration wine!" [

Le Yiqin rushed out like a dream, and Zhao Yuhe said with a smile: "Master, I guess, let the British suffer from being dumb, and even Commander Le didn't know. It was Wu Zhenjiang who acted on his own, sir. , I am not in favor of dealing with Wu Zhenjiang, our commander must have his own reasons for doing so!"

Tang Qiuli said solemnly: "Yuhe, do you think I want to deal with Wu Zhenjiang? I'm just curious, how can the soldiers under Le Yiqin make the British suffer so much? Why don't you say no?" Come out, there must be a story in it! Don't you want to hear it?"

Le Yiqin came to a room far away from Tang Qiuli's office, and after kicking out a few staff officers inside, she picked up the phone, "Switchboard, pick me up at the Singapore airport!"

Colonel Wu Zhenjiang, the head of the Ninth Fighter Regiment of the Southern Aviation Group, is on the grass in the pilot rest area of ​​the airport, and the heads of several other flight regiments are happily describing how the Japanese Navy's carrier-based aircraft fought in the Coral Sea Air Battle. , although the other regiment leaders also participated in the battle, they were not as intense and enjoyable as Wu Zhenjiang's echelon, so they honestly became the audience.

Just as Wu Zhenjiang was talking about his pride, a lieutenant officer ran over and asked, "Who is Wu Zhenjiang, regiment commander?"

Wu Zhenjiang stood up and replied, "I am, what's the matter?"

The lieutenant staff officer said: "Tuan Zhang, Commander Le is calling for you. He is in the duty room. Please go and answer it!"

Several regiment leaders were so envious, they said one after another: "Old Wu, you're out of shit luck, the commander called you personally, it can't be a meritorious service, tell you, come back and invite our brothers drink!"

Wu Zhenjiang waved his hand triumphantly, and said majesticly: "That's for sure, when has my old Wu been stingy, wait for me to come back!"

When he arrived at the duty room, Wu Zhenjiang picked up the phone and said, "Commander, what are you up to? Lao Liu and Lao Wang discussed going out to celebrate together. I said, can I miss you, right now?" If I want to tell you to go, the call is coming!"

Suddenly, a loud voice came from the phone, "Wu Zhenjiang, what the hell are you doing?"

Le Yiqin originally had a loud voice, but with such a roar, Wu Zhenjiang's head buzzed, and he said inexplicably, "Commander, what's the matter? You have such a big temper!"

Le Yiqin said coldly: "Wu Zhenjiang, tell me the truth, what happened to the British fleet? Don't try to fool me, the commander already knows!"

Wu Zhenjiang grinned in fright, "Commander, what a big deal, how did it get into the ears of the division commander? Besides, didn't you say that the British fleet is not within our escort mission!"

(To be continued)