Iron Cross

Chapter 625: Tachi and Wakizashi (continued)

The luck of the Pacific Fleet was not bad. Just after 9 o'clock, almost at the end of the reconnaissance aircraft's range, observers discovered the mobile fleet. Although the Japanese anti-aircraft fighter quickly shot down the bold SBD, the exact location of the Japanese fleet was not revealed. Go back: ...2 regular aircraft carriers, 1 medium aircraft carrier, 4 light aircraft carriers, 4 heavy cruisers, and more than 16 light cruisers or destroyers.

Everyone on the bridge of the Essex was refreshed. God bless, we were finally the first to discover the enemy fleet!

"Notify the specific location."

"It is about 245 kilometers southeast of Tarawa and 570 kilometers away from the center of our fleet. If the movement situation of the enemy and ourselves remains unchanged, the distance between the two sides will be shortened by about 65 kilometers per hour..." The staff officer quickly calculated the results by working on the map.

"Carrier-based aircraft are ready to depart, all attack..." After Halsey gave the order, he looked at Nimitz, who nodded slightly.

At 9:17, the first SBD took off from the Essex, and soon the first TBF also took off from Saratoga - the technical movements of the carrier-based aircraft pilots of Fleet B were much more proficient than those of Fleet A.

At 9:39, the first attack wave of the US military was assembled, with 36 SBD dive bombers, 32 TBF torpedo attack aircraft, and 32 F6F fighters, which was exactly 100 aircraft in formation. They roared towards the south - according to the operation on the map, the distance between the two fleets should have been reduced to about 540 kilometers.

After the first attack wave took off, the remaining aircraft of the three aircraft carriers of the US fleet took off one after another. However, Halsey and Nimitz had considerable differences of opinion as to where the second attack wave should be used.

Halsey listened to the battle report of Fleet A's attack fleet and believed that it had sunk/severely damaged at least 2 enemy battleships, 4 cruisers and some small warships. It is estimated that even if the battle report is exaggerated, it is not too far from the truth. After all, A The fleet used more than 100 aircraft - to say the least, at least one battleship should have been killed!

This judgment is slightly different from the facts. Fleet A only severely damaged the Haruna in this wave, and the other results were insignificant. According to this logic, Halsey believes that the second attack wave should attack the enemy's artillery fleet and kill 1-2 battleships. Then our artillery fleet will have the advantage and can attack suddenly. Even if it cannot defeat the Japanese fleet, it can still Force the enemy to withdraw from Tarawa - thus lifting the siege of Tarawa.

Nimitz did not deny the results of Fleet A, and was even more optimistic than Halsey's estimate. He hoped that the two attack waves would attack simultaneously and completely kill the Japanese aircraft carrier formation. As for the artillery formation, if there was a chance, he would attack it today, but if there was no chance, he would leave it until tomorrow. Or maybe in the future - after the two domestically supported battleships are in place, the Pacific Fleet will not be afraid of its opponents even in traditional naval gun battles. However, the threat of the Japanese aircraft carrier formation is too great and the number is large. He is not optimistic about the ability of the first attack wave. Full effect - Good luck like Midway cannot be replicated again and again.

The two sides argued for five minutes. Some of the staff officers supported Nimitz, while others supported Halsey, and the number was about the same. Major General Giffen is the third most influential figure. He has not expressed his position because he is afraid that his statement will bring irreparable consequences.

Time passed by minute by second, and it was approaching 10 o'clock. The second attack wave was about to be prepared. He was finally ready to echo Nimitz's opinion. Suddenly someone shouted: "Japanese reconnaissance plane..."

Halsey and Nimitz immediately rushed over to check the situation: an Ar-372 water reconnaissance aircraft was hovering in the distance to observe the situation of the fleet. Even when the F6F fighter jet pounced on it, it did not flee for its life in a hurry, but still carried on leisurely. The circle sent a telegram - the arrogance was extremely arrogant!

"The fleet is exposed!"

As soon as this variable came out, all arguments disappeared immediately, and Halsey immediately expressed his position: "The target of the second wave of air strikes is still the enemy aircraft carrier!"

At 10:07, more than 80 aircraft of the second US attack wave were dispatched, leaving Halsey with only 32 covering fighters for the fleet. Tsukahara on the Shokaku had just received a report on the location of the US aircraft carrier: the enemy fleet was 200 nautical miles northeast of Tarawa, consisting of 2 regular aircraft carriers, 1 light aircraft carrier, 3 battleships, and more than 20 warships of cruisers and below. , about 520 kilometers away from our fleet.

The atmosphere inside the bridge of the Shokaku was very tense: first, the position of the mobile fleet was exposed earlier than the enemy's position; second, the first attack wave of Fleet A had just returned after the air strike and was preparing to land. In the back hand.

Unlike the U.S. military, Uchizukahara of the mobile fleet is authoritative, and orders must be fulfilled. After pondering for a moment, he asked: "How far is the guerrilla fleet from the enemy fleet? How far is it from our fleet?"

"620 kilometers away from the enemy and 500 kilometers away from our fleet."

Tsukahara nodded: "Let Tsunoda attack with all his troops, leaving no anti-aircraft fighters behind! Our fleet will send 20 attack aircraft to assist him! The fleets of both sides gathered 100 kilometers east of Tarawa!"

Ryunosuke Kusaka immediately took the order and called.

"The remaining attack fleet of our fleet took off. 18 of the artillery fleet's air defense aircraft went to the guerrilla fleet to replenish fuel bombs and cover them on the spot. The remaining aircraft gave priority to the Bolzano to make an alternate landing and replenish fuel bombs; the first attack wave aircraft provided airborne warning. , wait, our direct guard aircraft will turn to provide air defense umbrella for the artillery fleet..."

"Hai!" Genda Minoru executed immediately.

"Notify everyone to speed up and exert 120% efficiency. The US military may attack at any time!"

At 10:14, more than 20 Comet Kai/Tenzan Kai took off, and the first attack wave that was circling and waiting in the air immediately landed one after another.

At the critical moment, Tsukahara implemented an extremely complex fleet dispatch, which was dazzling: 67 aircraft of the guerrilla fleet + more than 20 attack aircraft of the mobile fleet gathered into the first attack wave to attack the US military; 43 anti-aircraft fighters of the bombardment fleet led by Akamatsu Sadaki (originally a total of 54, 11 were lost in the repulsion of Fleet A), 18 were sent to the guerrilla fleet for replenishment and on-site cover missions, and the remaining 25 landed in the mobile fleet for supply and turned into direct cover aircraft; 32 anti-aircraft fighters of the mobile fleet led by Iwamoto Tetsuzo went to the bombardment formation to provide cover because of sufficient fuel and ammunition (no battle in the first round, only the auxiliary fuel tank fuel was used); Fuchida Mitsuo led the first attack wave to wait temporarily, and landed for supply after all the attack aircraft took off.

"Quick! Quick!" Genda Minoru shouted at the top of his throat.

The situation was unprecedentedly tense. Even the confidential staff officers who always looked down on others ran out of the bridge and rushed to the deck to help the ground crew load ammunition and refuel. The pilots stuffed the rice balls handed to them in one gulp and swallowed them without chewing. Mitsuo Fuchida running all over the field made people feel as if they were in the "Fateful 5 Minutes" in the Battle of Midway again...

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