Age of Rebirth

Le Yiqin did not doubt Tang Qiuquan's judgment. The situation on the battlefield has become very clear. There is an independent division fleet blocking the narrow waterway between Bulu Island and Sulabesi Island. Running north, the little devil is going to hit the iron plate , Therefore, there is only one way to withdraw from the Banda Sea and run back to northern Australia. The kid is not stupid!

"Don't think it's nighttime, I can't do anything about you kid!" Le Yiqin thought coldly that although there are not many flying regiments of the Southern Flying Group that can take off at night, they can still provide assistance to the remnants of the Japanese Navy's United Fleet. Defeated, enough blows, coupled with the fleet's night flight fleet, Le Yiqin will turn this night into a night of killing!

Le Yiqin decided to go into battle in person, and commanded the night flight fleet to attack. Today's tragic air battle was undoubtedly an extremely difficult day for him who had been wearing the clothes to fight the enemy himself, because he was in the command position and could not fly the fighter plane to the sky. He could only watch the sacrifices of his subordinate brothers, and his heart was already full of fire. √∟,

"Zhijun, don't persuade me!" Seeing Chief of Staff He Zhijun put on a blocking posture, before he could speak, Le Yiqin blocked his words, "Also, after I led the attack, I sent the commander The authority is handed over to Fleet Commander Tang!"

After finishing speaking, Le Yiqin turned around and left the command tower. He Zhijun watched him silently, jumped onto a fighter plane, rushed into the night sky, disappeared into the eastern sky, and hurriedly communicated with the fleet headquarters.

At the same time, Colonel Tang Yunfei, the deputy chief of staff of the Fleet of the Independent Division and the commander of the carrier-based aircraft group, also rushed into the boundless darkness, and Tang Qiuquan stood by the porthole of the command cabin.Watching the night planes taking off one after another, his face was very disturbed.

From the heart.Tang Qiuquan disagreed with Le Yiqin and continued to attack the Japanese fleet at night.Anyway, there is enough time, and without two or three days, the remnants of the Japanese Navy's combined fleet can't get out of the Banda Sea, so why rush?

Including the Southern Flying Group and the fleet's carrier-based aircraft, there are not many troops capable of attacking at night. In case of losses, the gains outweigh the losses.But Tang Qiuquan understood Le Yiqin's mood. Just now, he denied the staff of the fleet headquarters and proposed that the Japanese fleet should attack and advance overnight while the Japanese fleet was in a state of collapse.

Tang Qiuquan believes that this is a risky move. The night is dark and the visibility on the sea is extremely low.It is not easy to identify the targets of the enemy and ourselves, and the attack at night is of little significance. Besides, although the combined fleet of the Japanese Navy has now been defeated.However, there are still warships that exceed the strength of the independent division's fleet. In case the fleet is under siege, a chaotic battle will end.It may not be known whose loss is greater?

so.Tang Qiuquan would not agree with the idea of ​​attacking at night, but it is feasible to dispatch a night plane.After all, the targets within the attack range were all the surviving warships of the combined fleet of the Japanese Navy, and there was no possibility of accidental injury. This was one of the reasons why he disagreed with the fleet's attack. In the dark night, the bombs had no eyes.

On the surface of the Banda Sea, the remaining warships of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet eager to withdraw to the north of Australia are all under blackout, the radio is silent, and the warships without a trace of light are sailing at full speed like monsters lost in the night, because they are turning around and returning. Familiar, there is no possibility of deviating from the direction.

It should be admitted that under the training of Yamamoto's 56 years, the Japanese Navy's combined fleet has a strong combat effectiveness and tactical coordination ability. Perfect formation.

The dark night, in the eyes of several fleet commanders, is a gift from God Amaterasu. Taking advantage of the night, the fleet can sail at high speed without worrying about the bombers of the China Independent Division dropping bombs overhead at any time. The closer it is, the greater the chance of leaving this damned sea.

However, several fleet commanders of the Japanese army were wrong. They did not expect that the night was not the best cover, let alone that the Air Force of the Independent Division known as the "militant" and the commander of the Southern Flying Group Le Yiqin , will not let them go, "fight all night!" It is not just a casual talk, the Japanese have angered a man who can be called a lunatic.

On Le Yiqin's airborne radar screen, small moving black dots appeared one after another, and a cruel smile appeared on the corner of his mouth, "Tang Yunfei, where is the current position of your fleet?" he called.

Tang Yunfei's calm voice was immediately uploaded, "Commander Report Le, my aircraft fleet is now in the airspace west of Bulu Island, and in 10 to [-] minutes, we can join the aircraft fleet commanded by the commander!"

"Okay, I'm now commanding the fleet to follow the little devil's warship, and after your fleet arrives, we will jointly launch an attack!" Le Yiqin said succinctly.

On the surface of the Banda Sea, which had been silent for less than two hours just now, because Le Yiqin commanded the night flight fleet of the Southern Flight Group, and Tang Yunfei commanded the attack of the night flight fleet of the fleet, the battlefield became noisy again. When the bombs were dropped and a string of bullets poured down, the originally pitch-black sea surface suddenly burst into bursts of fire.

The anti-aircraft firepower of the Japanese warships once again poured shells and bullets into the night sky, making the night sky as gorgeous as a festive flame. Under the night, the Japanese anti-aircraft firepower fired blindly and without targets, but on the dark sea, a This Japanese warship, which looks like a giant candle, is the best target for night planes.

Dawn once again descended on the Banda Sea, and Le Yiqin jumped off the fighter plane, feeling as if his muscles and bones were about to fall apart. This night, he personally commanded the night flight fleet to attack continuously. After each return flight, the fighter plane Immediately replenish fuel and ammunition, and then take off again, "fight all night!" This is not a joke.

Seeing Chief of Staff He Zhijun running up to meet him with concerned eyes, Le Yiqin cracked his dry and white lips, and said in a hoarse voice: "Zhijun, I had a good night's fight, it's already dawn, Ye Hang The pilots of the aircraft are all resting, and now, it is the turn of the boys who have slept all night to play, follow the command of Commander Tang of the fleet, and fight according to the predetermined plan!"

"I'm going to sleep, it's nothing serious, don't bother me!" Le Yiqin staggered towards the dormitory, and He Zhijun told a staff officer beside him, "Quick! Tell the staff in the cooking class Man, immediately prepare a breakfast and send it to the commander, and make sure he finishes eating before going to sleep!"

This night, for those Japanese fleet commanders, was like a nightmarish night. The fighter group and bomber group of the China Independent Division, like tarsal maggots, chased and fought all night, wave after wave. The ferocious attack almost destroyed the nerves of all imperial officers and sailors in the fleet. The Japanese commanders just couldn't figure it out, "Are the pilots in China made of iron? No need to rest?"

That night, the United Fleet, which was completely under attack, paid a heavy price. It left more than a hundred warships on the surface of the Banda Sea. Among them, they lost the ability to navigate independently and became helpless floating on the sea. There are more than 50 ships in the iron lump, and the others were all sunk.

The first ray of dawn in the eastern sky shone through the porthole into Tang Qiuquan's command cabin, bringing a layer of golden light to his short bearded face, "Order, the fleet immediately deploys in battle formation and advances at full speed!"

More than an hour later, the independent division fleet came to the sea area where the fierce battle was yesterday. Tang Qiuquan, who was standing in the command position, widened his eyes in surprise, and raised his binoculars again in disbelief. Once again, he believed it, it was him An unforgettable scene.

On the distant sea where the dawn is shining, four Japanese aircraft carriers with mottled battle scars are quietly floating on the sea. If the four behemoths are dying, their huge bodies still show the past. prestige.

"Deputy Commander, what do you think?" Tang Qiuquan put down the binoculars and asked because he learned about the four Japanese aircraft carriers floating on the sea, and Lieutenant General Amosiyev, the deputy commander of the fleet, came to the command cabin. .

Amosiyev seemed to be in good spirits. He smiled and replied humorously, "Commander, if you say that this is a gift from God to our fleet, do you believe it?"

"Gift?" Tang Qiuquan was taken aback, then laughed happily, nodded again and again and said: "Yes, it is a gift, and now it is unowned! Those who are lucky can get it, I see, you and I are so lucky My dear!" Both of them laughed.

A dozen or so staff officers in the command cabin watched the two commanders playing charades and laughed heartily. They were all baffled, but Tang Qiuquan and Amosiyev had a good understanding. Last night, the Japanese army sank and lost its combat power and The powered warships, of course including the dozens of half-damaged aircraft carriers, were brought to affect the speed of escape, discarded, and unwilling to fall into the hands of the enemy, they simply sank themselves.

However, it is clear that the Japanese army was improvised, and the arrangement was very hasty, and the work was not done quickly enough. All other aircraft carriers sank to the bottom of the sea, but these four aircraft carriers escaped the catastrophe of sinking to the bottom of the sea. Of course, the aircraft carriers on the The Japanese sailors must have all evacuated. Don’t look at the Japanese yelling about the spirit of Bushido all day long. If there is a chance of survival, who would automatically seek death? Now, these four aircraft carriers must be empty, so Tang Qiuquan said that they have no owners. things.

Regardless of the fact that the four semi-disabled aircraft carriers were damaged by the Japanese army, they are still in general. As long as they are dragged back and repaired, they will be properly remodeled. After that, there will be four more aircraft carriers in the independent division fleet. It is exciting to think about it, so the two top fleet commanders laughed heartily, as if they had picked up four treasures.

"Order, the third squadron will break away from the formation, tow and escort the four aircraft carriers, and return to the Yangon Navy and Air Force Base!" Tang Qiuquan issued an order.

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