blood feud

Bai Shujie knew that the information revealed by the Americans was a gesture of preparing for a fight.

The Americans taught Yamamoto 56 a good lesson in the North Pacific not long ago, avenging one arrow, and the Akagi aircraft carrier has been sunk.

Now the combined fleet of Yamamoto 56 is already approaching the South Pacific.Americans sure want to teach themselves a lesson before the kid adjusts his steps.

Because of this, after the Munn team and the experts from the rocket research laboratory came, Bai Shujie hurriedly flew them to Yapeng Island in Papua, which is the current home port of his Third Fleet.

Bai Shujie has already received a detailed report. The last time Zhang Xiang and the fleet deputy commander Jin Bikuan took a risky blow, they completely wiped out the "Pacific Southern Fleet" of the little devil, and captured 1 battleship, 4 cruisers and 3 destroyers.

This battleship is a Nagato-class battleship that has undergone the second modernization. The specific parameters are:

标准排水量32720吨，正常39130吨，满载46200吨；长224.9米，宽34.6米，吃水9.45米；蒸汽轮机4台，主机功率82000马力；最高航速25节；续航10600海里16节；

8门4座双联装410mm45倍主炮，18门140mm口径副炮，8门4座双联装127mm40倍径89式高炮；8门双联装127mm高射炮，20门双联装25mm高射炮；

Side armor belt (maximum) 305mm, turret front 457mm, turret top 250mm, armored deck 75~127mm, conning tower 336mm.The armor weighs 13023 tons.There are 3 carrier-based aircraft and a crew of 1368.

Bai Shujie's request is very clear: there is too little time now, and it is impossible to carry out comprehensive reforms.The only thing that can be done is to make the following adjustments to the deck equipment:

去掉4门410mm的主炮，去掉8门140mm口径副炮，去掉8门4座双联装127mm40倍径89式高炮，去掉20门双联装25mm高射炮，去掉3架水上飞机。

然后利用一个月时间完成改造：换装4组16具导弹发射筒，2座36管火箭炮，24座30mm6管密集阵，换装3架狂龙直升机。

As for the other four cruisers, it has been found out later that they are the four heavy cruisers of Mogami, Mikuma, Suzuya, and Kumano.

The design displacement is 8500 tons, the standard displacement is 12400 tons, and the full-load displacement is 14500 tons; the length is 200.6m, the width is 18.22m, and the draft is 5.5m; the four-shaft steam turbine has 152000 horsepower, the speed is 36.5 knots, and the battery life is 8000 nautical miles at 14 knots;

5座三联装207mm主炮，4座双连装127mm高射炮，4座双连装25mm高射炮，2座13mm并联机枪，4座三联装610mm鱼雷发射管，舰载机3架；舰员850人。

Bai Shujie still attaches great importance to these four cruisers, so he also modified them together:

去掉3座三两装207mm主炮，去掉4座双连装25mm高射炮，2座13mm并联机枪。换装2座36管火箭炮，12座6管30mm密集阵。去掉三架水上侦察机，换成3架狂龙直升机。

As for the two destroyers, Bai Shujie didn't have the mood to continue to change, he just had to deal with them, since they were just scouting anyway.

In Bai Shujie's concept of naval warfare, in peaceful times, destroyers can be used to swear sovereignty and conduct ocean management because of their small tonnage and fast speed.

In real sea battles, destroyers are the cannon fodder of the navy, a one-time weapon specially used to consume the enemy's strategic materials.

Because of the unlimited pursuit of speed, it is impossible for the destroyer to have any armor. It is a thin-skinned coffin specially designed to increase the enemy's combat results, so Bai Shujie never put the destroyer in any high position.

After Bai Shujie finished refitting the five large warships, he officially named them "First Fleet of the Navy of the Papua Jewish Republic", and asked Zhang Xiang to hand them over to the direct command of the Jewish Legion to undertake offshore fire support and air defense tasks.

This generous move won the goodwill of all Jews including Horst and Meng, and laid a good foundation for the next bilateral cooperation.

In fact, Bai Shujie thinks that the speed of the Nagato-class battleship is too low, and it does not match his Shihuang No. 918 Kaiguo-class battleship.Once it comes to combat in the open sea, the Nagato-class battleship will definitely lag behind.Anyway, fire reinforcements are needed in the coastal waters, and it is not an exaggeration to give the Jews a favor.

During this period of time, four Nulong high-altitude, high-speed, long-range strategic reconnaissance aircraft were divided into two groups to monitor Australia and the North Pacific day and night.

On the one hand, we must grasp the movements of the little devils, especially the joint fleet of Yamamoto 56, we must not take it lightly.On the other hand, it is necessary to find out exactly what MacArthur wants to do and what specific actions he will take.

On May 1942, 5, the information finally reached Bai Shujie's hands.

The little devil's strategic base in the South Pacific, the Palau Islands, has greatly increased its military strength. There are more than 500 land-based aircraft, and there may be close to 500 carrier-based aircraft.

From the photos taken back, Bai Shujie quickly identified the aircraft carrier Zuikaku, the aircraft carrier Xianghe, the aircraft carrier Hayato, the aircraft carrier Zuiho, the battleship Hiei, the battleship Kirishima, the heavy cruiser Chokai, the heavy cruiser Kumano, and the heavy cruiser Suzuya. The cruiser, the Tone heavy cruiser, the Chikuma heavy cruiser, the Nobu destroyer, the Yukikaze destroyer, and dozens of other ships couldn't see clearly.

In other words, there are a total of 3 battleships, 4 aircraft carriers, and 5 heavy cruisers gathered together, representing the Third Air Fleet of the little devil.

After interrogating Masaharu Honma, Bai Shujie already knew that after he killed Nagumo Chuichi, the commander of the Third Air Fleet is now Lieutenant General Ozawa Jisaburo.The heavy cruiser Chokai is the flagship of Vice Admiral Jisaburo Ozawa.

At the same time, the combined fleet of Yamamoto 56 is already operating the Marshall Islands aggressively.

In this way, together with Vice Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo's Third Fleet in the Palau Islands, they formed a situation of attacking Papua Guinea and Australia from the east to the north, and at the same time restricted Bai Shujie's space for movement.

For Bai Shujie, because the west and north are dominated by little devils, Java Island, Sumatra, and Thailand are all staring at him.

MacArthur was even worse. If the little devil came to attack on both sides, if he couldn't resist it, the remnants of the US-Australian and US-Philippine coalition forces would have to retreat to the Antarctic!

Now, the combined fleet of Yamamoto 56 is still 1800 nautical miles away from Brisbane, the MacArthur-colored coalition headquarters.Plus the Yamamoto 56 isn't quite ready yet, which is a modest gap.

Pacific Fleet Commander Nimitz commanded 17 warships, unanchored and set sail to move north. Bai Shujie received a report from the Air Force that afternoon.

"Order: The First Fleet of the Jewish Republic under Zhang Xiang will set off immediately, circle from the northern tip of Papua Island to the Arafura Sea on the west side, and stand by in the northern bay of Sudasol Island. If the US fleet enters Sudasol Island from the south of Daru , as long as he doesn’t attack you, just pretend he didn’t notice and ignore him.”

"Your rocket artillery regiment and missile regiment immediately entered the Moresby Peninsula to prevent the little devils from launching a sneak attack from the Marshall Islands in the east. The Nulong bomber and the J-[-] fighter jet are on standby at any time, and there must be no mistakes."

"Order: The Second Fleet dispatched 1 battleship, 1 cruiser, and 1 destroyer, and the cover transport ship sent the tank regiment of Liu Zhiliang's [-]rd Division to Timor Island, occupied it as quickly as possible, and then set up an airport to stand by."

"Order: The 2nd Airborne Regiment of the Marine Corps immediately transfers to Sulawesi Airport, and then prepares for the attack."

"Order: Sabah Air Force Headquarters Long-range Transport Brigade, 48 Nulong transport planes are ready immediately to transport the missile regiment directly under the headquarters. The J-[-] attack aircraft brigade immediately enters the combat state and immediately attacks when it hears the order. The strategic reconnaissance plane stepped up Carry out tactical reconnaissance in the south and east sea areas, and keep track of the enemy's movement at any time."

On May 1942, 5, Air Force Commander Zhang Nianzu sent a reconnaissance report: "Commander-in-Chief, the 28 warships of the Australian US fleet have arrived at Darwin Port today. Another fleet of about 17 ships has arrived at Port Douglas. , only 30 kilometers from the Moresby Peninsula.”

"You continue to monitor the waters of Yandena Island north of Darwin, and as long as they don't cross this island, ignore him for the time being." Bai Shujie sneered: "MacArthur treats me like a little devil? Is the island-hopping tactic used on me? It’s here, it’s simply blind, life-or-death!”

"How about it? Is there any movement from the Little Devil's Pacific Third Fleet in Palau? It's only 1300 kilometers away from Liu Zhiliang's Davao, so you must keep an eye on it. Little devils like to steal chickens and dogs the most, and you must not be on them. fall."

Zhang Nianzu said with a smile on the phone: "Commander-in-chief, seeing that you are as stable as Mount Tai, are you going to engage in some kind of conspiracy?"

"What the hell are you talking about? I don't engage in conspiracy. If I want to do it, I will engage in conspiracy!" Bai Shujie chuckled: "As long as Nimitz dares to come in, I will dare to close the door and beat dogs. Order your air force bomber brigade, The Nine Attack Brigade is ready to see what tricks Nimitz and MacArthur can play."

For the actions taken by Nimitz and MacArthur, Bai Shujie had already been mentally prepared.

Because the emergence of the "South China United Front" not only curbed the little devil's Pacific strategy, but also posed a huge challenge to MacArthur.

First of all, since the Philippine Islands are not in the hands of the little devils, MacArthur cannot put himself on the moral high ground of the "savior of the Southwest Pacific" at any time, and then do whatever he wants here.

Secondly, the combined fleet of Yamamoto 56 retreated to the west and formed a corner with Ozawa Jisaburo's third fleet. Australia was already facing attacks from east, north, and west.To the south is Oceania and Antarctica, where the ice and snow are so heavy that it is impossible to survive.

Now, even if MacArthur and Nimitz work together, they will not be able to defeat Yamamoto 56's joint fleet, plus the third fleet of Jisaburo Ozawa in the north. Can't keep it.

In order to compete for a larger living space and delay time, so that the huge fleet and army of the United States can rush over, the only way out is to develop northward and take back the Philippine Islands.

Empathy, empathy, so Bai Shujie is very sympathetic to MacArthur's current embarrassing situation.Because the combined forces in MacArthur's hands are less than 2.They are:

There is a remnant of Parker's "Second US-Philippines Allied Forces" in his hand, and there are probably less than 8000 people left; "First US-Australian Allied Forces" has about 3000 people; There are more than 5000 people.

Bai Shujie believed that even if MacArthur urgently recruited troops in Australia, although the number increased, the weapons and equipment had not yet been transported from the mainland of the United States.As for the combat quality of the soldiers, it is simply vulnerable.

MacArthur's biggest reliance now is the new strategy determined by the US Joint Chiefs of Staff: the urgently formed Nimitz Pacific Fleet.

After all, what happens next, let's see the breakdown in the next chapter.