Chapter 1677: Preparing for Battle II

Chapter 1677 Prepare for war 2

The preparations for warships and aircraft were carried out in an orderly manner, and the collection of intelligence continued. Just after Major General Rodhart arrived in Port Fao, Earl Souchon, who was the commander-in-chief of the operation, held the first combat meeting , and the content of this meeting is to choose a suitable target for the monsoon operation.

"Our main task this time is to test the strike effect of naval aviation. If we just find a few merchant ships, there is no difficulty. However, our future targets are British battleships and well-trained officers and soldiers on them. , Therefore, this time, even if our target is not a dreadnought ship, our target should not be too far behind. A simple light warship or civilian ship cannot detect the combat effectiveness of our air force." After the meeting began, Major General Rodhart first proposed own requirements.

"There hasn't been any dreadnought and above warships in the Indian Ocean for at least five months," Earl Su Xiong said. "The British are shrinking in an all-round way. It is estimated that the super dreadnought fleet in the Mediterranean will return to the mainland in a short time. After the Japanese suffered a heavy blow last time, they are more careful about their limited number of dreadnoughts. Even Malacca No straits have passed through."

"What about the cruiser class?" Rodhart asked.

"There are still some. After all, we can always guarantee that there are more than 2 camouflaged cruisers in the Indian Ocean to perform cross-border missions. These auxiliary cruisers have good firepower and good hull structure. They are not something that auxiliary cruisers can deal with. , In the Indian Ocean, you can see the British protected cruisers in the 1990s, and you can also see their last-generation cruisers." Raedel said with a smile on the side.

"Why don't you choose a British armored cruiser?" Rodhart thought for a while and looked at Lieutenant Colonel Kimmel, the US representative on the opposite side, who is now the captain of the Constellation.

"We have a better choice. According to the information provided by our intelligence network, a Japanese battleship will accompany a Japanese transport fleet to Europe, and we have already figured out the schedule and route of this fleet. .” Lieutenant Colonel Kimmel said with some pride.

The three armed forces of the United States of America are far behind Germany, but there is one thing that Lieutenant Colonel Kimmel is very confident about, and that is the efficiency of the US intelligence agencies. Relying on the intelligence network formed by the Dutch and American businessmen who stayed in the Dutch East Indies, any large-scale fleet transfers by Japan from the Dutch East Indies cannot escape the eyes of the Americans. Of course, Americans also have merits in technology, at least the Japanese radio communication does not have too many secrets for Americans!

"Battleship? Surely it won't be of the Dreadnought class. It should be a former Dreadnought or an armored cruiser we sold to Japan?" Major General Rodhart also became interested.

"It's the Katori, the third of the Satsuma-class battleships sold by the British to the Japanese. Your Excellency the Earl should be very clear about this ship.

The Satsuma and its sister ship, the Aki, have achieved your reputation as the Count of Blood. Lieutenant Colonel Kimmel said with a smile.

"Hehe, yes, the success of that time also required the help of American friends." Earl Su Xiong said with a haha.

"And this time, we will continue to be brilliant!" Lieutenant Colonel Kimmel said with a smile. Then she began to introduce the situation of the fleet.

"This transport fleet transports various raw materials. There are a total of 21 merchant ships of various sizes, with a total tonnage of around 100,000 tons. They are all Japanese ships. Therefore, the Japanese Navy is very concerned about this fleet. In addition to 1 battleship, there is also a light cruiser, which seems to be called Tianlong. It has a displacement of 5,500 tons and is equipped with 7 5.5-inch guns, which enhances the air defense capability. There are some 40MM cannons, which should be British 2-pound guns. An improved version, the armor belt is said to be 3 inches. The maximum speed is 32 knots. In addition, there are 2 destroyers accompanying it."

"The number of destroyers in this fleet of the Japanese is a little less." Major General Raeder said.

"That's thanks to you and your colleagues. Last time, in addition to killing two fast battleships, you also cleaned up a lot of Japanese destroyers. After all, Japan is a third-rate country. It is impossible to guarantee the main force like us. In the case of the fleet, at the same time expand enough auxiliary warships."

"Of course, another problem is that there is not much pressure on submarines in the Indian Ocean. Your country's submarines are mainly operating in the North Atlantic and areas close to the UK. The number of submarines in the Indian Ocean at the same time does not seem to exceed double digits? So Japan People may think that the anti-submarine pressure is not great, right?" Lieutenant Colonel Kimmel said.

"Hehe, last time our submarine force also taught the Japanese an extremely profound lesson. The performance of their destroyer fleet was too bad. They used destroyers as gunboats and torpedo boats. They patronized themselves during the battle. , without considering that my real mission is to ensure the safety of capital ships and transport ships!" Earl Suxiong made no secret of his contempt for the destroyer force of the Japanese Navy.

"However, in short, the escort force of this fleet is like this. No matter what the Japanese think, they only have 2 destroyers. In my opinion, this is a very good sample. As the last pre-dreadnought ship, the Katori is completely It can simulate the anti-strike capabilities of ordinary British dreadnoughts and super dreadnoughts, and the Tianlong can simulate British light cruisers, and if we have enough ammunition, those destroyers can also try to fight." Major General Rodhart said to this group of targets Very satisfied.

"Then how to make the plan? 2 fast battleships, 3 camouflaged assault ships and 1 aircraft carrier? What is the mission of our battleship?" Although Su Xiong is the commander-in-chief this time, it is to test the combat effectiveness of the air force after all. , Therefore, this task is definitely not simply to attack the fleet, but to give the aviation unit time to perform.

"The capital ship and the camouflaged assault ship attacked and dispersed the convoy, and then the aircraft carrier launched an attack alone. The first target was the cruiser and destroyer, but the second attack target was the Katori." Rear Admiral Rodhart said.

"We want to keep this operation as secret as possible. Therefore, all Japanese warships must be killed if they can be killed. Destroyers and light cruisers are the fastest. The first wave will kill them first, and the Katori is an old-fashioned battleship. , when it first entered service, its speed was only 20 knots. After ten years, it must not be able to maintain its original speed, and it can only be around 18 knots at most. It's gone," the major general added.

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