Age of Rebirth

Tang Qiuli raised his head and poured the already hot water into the military kettle. He exhaled comfortably, squinted his eyes and looked at the fireball-like sun in the sky, and asked, "Yuhe, according to the current situation of the troops, Marching speed, how many days will it take to approach Sanggu and Fedora?"

Chief of Staff Zhao Yuhe replied: "Master, it will take three to four days for the first to fourth brigades of the vanguard, and more than five days for the main force of the directly subordinate corps."

Later, he added: "This is already the fastest marching speed of the troops. Fortunately, according to the report of the head of the special operations detachment Chutian, so far, our actions have not been noticed by the Japanese army!"

"Huh!" Tang Qiuli's expression showed no fluctuations. He also knew that marching on the edge of the Great Sand Desert had no way to go. It was a great test for the troops. Mechanization, otherwise, can drag down the army!

The hardest thing is the special warfare detachment that has been assembled not long ago. It has to rush to clear the way before the main force, but also to scout the situation of the Japanese army, clear the Japanese army strongholds along the way, and eliminate all difficulties that expose the hidden dangers of the troops' intentions. Thanks to Chu God, the Corps directly under it has been marching westward for three days, and the Japanese army has not noticed it at all.

In addition, Liu Cuigang's land-based aviation unit on the Australian battlefield turned the airspace directly under the regiment into a restricted area. For three days, there was not a single Japanese reconnaissance plane circling overhead, but Tang Qiuli knew that it would not take long to hide it. More than [-] soldiers directly under the corps mechanized a long-distance march, what a formation, and what's more, Feng Jiwu's Niangziguan garrison corps on the middle battlefield.It is also impossible to always maintain the offensive posture of the two main corps, so.He was in a hurry to grab time.

"By the way, Yuhe, it's such a hot day. It's a dry climate and forced marches. How about the soldiers' logistics supplies, especially drinking water, is there enough?" Tang Qiuli took another sip of water, and suddenly remembered this question .

"Teacher, don't worry!" Zhao Yuhe said with a smile: "The joint logistics department has long been prepared. In addition to the drinking water they carry, they are also working hard to find water sources to replenish. Not only can the soldiers drink water, but they can also drink water." To boiling water!"

"Well, Zhou Yushan did a good job, so I'm relieved!" Tang Qiuli nodded in satisfaction, and praised Major General Zhou Yushan, the deputy director of the logistics department of the independent division and the director of the Australian battlefield joint logistics department.

The mountain tiger who was sweating profusely at the side suddenly said, "If Zhou Yushan can bring me a pot of hand-caught mutton, then I am really convinced!"

"You...!" Tang Qiuli was completely speechless.Who are they, in this almost desolate place, if you want to eat mutton with your hands, you can say it out loud.Just about to make some sarcasm about Shanhu, at this time, the teacher pointed to the car of Chen Feng, the director of the communications department.Driving quickly from a distance, a cloud of dust was rolled up.Stopped in front of Tang Qiuli.

Chen Feng jumped out of the car, stood at attention and said, "Report to the division commander. I received an urgent telegram from Le Yiqin, the commander of the Southern Aviation Group of the Air Force!"

"Le Yiqin's telegram?" Tang Qiuli's eyes froze, and his heart skipped a beat. If it was Liu Cuigang's telegram, he would not be surprised, but Le Yiqin's telegram was unusual. The direction he was in , For the entire Australian battlefield, it only plays an auxiliary role, and there should be an abnormal situation.

Tang Qiuli received the telegram, read it carefully, and fell silent. Seeing this, Shanhu waved to the special guards around him, and the special guards immediately dispersed the security circle.

Tang Qiuli's mind was thinking sharply. He agreed with Le Yiqin's judgment in the telegram that the combined Japanese navy fleet joined the Australian battlefield uncharacteristically. It must be an abnormal situation. To be precise, it was the fleet commander Nan Yun Zhongyi's approach has changed.

Tang Qiuli understood Nanyun Zhongyi's character, he was cautious, mature and prudent, in other words he was conservative and rigid. When the Japanese army in the middle road was beaten thousands of miles away, he didn't help, and let Le Yiqin's fleet, Flying over his head, bombing northern Australia.

Now, Nagumo Zhongyi started to use the carrier-based aircraft group to intercept Le Yiqin's aircraft group. The Japanese Navy's joint fleet has been an active participant in the Australian battlefield from a bystander to the present. Is it Nagumo Zhongichi's decision, or is it from the Japanese base camp? Order?

Tang Qiuli believed that it was the latter. With the combat power and huge scale of the combined fleet, it was impossible to provide air support for the Japanese troops on the Australian battlefield. Therefore, Chuichi Nagumo would definitely have other actions, even if If Nanyun Zhongyi is not proactive, the Japanese base camp will make him move, so what will be the other actions?

Although Yamamoto 56 was killed, the main officer of the United Fleet Command is still his old team. At the beginning, Yamamoto 56 fought against the Le Yiqin fleet for three days in the inland sea of ​​the Southwest Pacific Islands. First, severely damage the Le Yiqin fleet, remove the threat, and then go west to the East Indian Ocean. With Yamamoto 56's military command ability and combat vision, he will definitely do this!

Furthermore, those generals in the Japanese base camp are not fools. It is natural to see that the greatest help for Ito Yanzaburo is to cut off the maritime logistics supply line of the independent division troops on the Australian battlefield. Therefore, the combined fleet changed its previous On the sidelines, the biggest possibility is to accept the battle plan of Yamamoto 56 going west out of the East Indian Ocean. Even if Nagumo Tadaichi didn't want to, the Japanese base camp would issue orders.

And this is precisely the most fatal blow to the more than 100 million troops of the independent division on the Australian battlefield. Tang Qiuli quickly figured out that the logistics supply line in the East Indian Ocean must not be lost. The army is fighting in the Australian battlefield, and consumes a huge amount of materials every day. They all rely on this sea supply line, so Nagumo Tadaichi is firmly tied to the Western Pacific Ocean, making it impossible to look around!

"Yuhe, record the following order!" Tang Qiuli said to the chief of staff Zhao Yuhe: "Order, the two major fleets of the navy will form a joint combat command, and the members will be composed. The commander is Lieutenant General Tang Qiuquan, and the deputy commander is Amo Lieutenant General Siyev, Chief of Staff is Major General Ge Zhenzhuang, Deputy Chief of Staff is Colonel Tang Yunfei!"

"The tasks of the Joint Operations Command are, first, to immediately go out to the western Pacific waters to implement the Solomon Islands combat plan, and to destroy the Fourth Fleet of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet that was transferred from the North American battlefield to the Australian battlefield as the escort of the Japanese Army. , Drag the main force of the combined fleet of the Japanese Navy to the southwestern Pacific Ocean, making it impossible to look west and east to the Indian Ocean, and look for opportunities to inflict heavy damage!"

"During the implementation of the Solomon Islands combat plan, the Joint Operations Command can determine the specific details of the battle on its own. The division command does not interfere with its command, but it needs to report the results of the battle at all times, and can command the troops of the Southern Aviation Group of the Air Force to cooperate with the fleet!"

Zhao Yuhe repeated the recorded order, and Tang Qiuli told Chen Feng: "Send it immediately! Use the highest-secret code, and the communication department must maintain communication with the fleet headquarters at all times!"

Chen Feng received the order, jumped into the car and drove away. After thinking for a while, Zhao Yuhe asked, "Master, is it time to deal with our greatest threat, the combined Japanese naval fleet?"

"No! The time is not completely ripe!" Tang Qiuli shook his head and said, "But we have to do it in advance! The combined fleet of the Japanese Navy is a great disaster, entrenched in the northern waters of Australia, threatening and restricting us too much !"

Two days later, in the Gulf of Thailand shrouded in darkness, the sea breeze was blowing and the waves were lightly rippling, like a baby sleeping between the Malay Peninsula and the Indochina Peninsula. The two fleets quietly sailed away from the military port and sailed into the depths of the dark South China Sea. The fleets implemented strict radio silence and blackout control. The warships, like monsters, plowed through the sea and silently braved the wind and waves. OK.

On the flagship "Longfei", Fleet Commander Lieutenant General Tang Qiuquan, Fleet Deputy Commander Lieutenant General Amosiyev, Chief of Staff Major General Ge Zhenzhuang, Deputy Chief of Staff Colonel Tang Yunfei and others are all in the command cabin. After a few months of dormancy, the division fleet went out for the first time. The opponent it faced was the behemoth that dominated the entire Pacific Ocean and completely defeated the U.S. Navy-the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet. Of course, it was only the Fourth Fleet.

But the strength of this Fourth Fleet cannot be underestimated. It has four aircraft carriers, more than [-] carrier-based aircraft, six heavy cruisers, twelve light cruisers, more than [-] destroyers, more than [-] frigates, and submarines. There is one mother ship, six submarines, and more than [-] large and small warships such as submarine hunters and minesweepers, and their stature is almost equivalent to the entire fleet of the independent division.

The Fourth Fleet of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet is specialized in escorting the Japanese Army transferred to the Australian battlefield. It also has rich experience in naval warfare. The US Navy Pacific Fleet, which once dominated the Pacific Ocean, is the best opponent. It has tempered the strength of the Japanese Navy. The commander, Vice Admiral Inoue Narumi, is also a young general in the Japanese Navy, and he is highly valued by the dead Yamamoto Five Generals.

Facing such an opponent, both Tang Qiuquan and Amosiyev attach great importance to it. Moreover, behind the Fourth Fleet stands the entire Japanese Navy Combined Fleet. distant.

After receiving the order from the division commander, the fleet prepared for two days. Taking advantage of the darkness of tonight, what Tang Qiuquan and the others studied was still the Solomon Islands campaign plan that had been formulated long ago. To the degree of impeccable, taking all kinds of situations into account, but everyone still repeatedly examines and measures, trying to find the loopholes and negligence.

Tang Qiuquan lit a cigarette, took a deep breath, and said, "The Solomon Islands battle plan has already been determined, and now it has finally begun to be implemented. Let's talk about it, what do you think?"

(to be continued) (to be continued...)