Chapter 2740 Balance 1
Chapter 2740 Balance 1
Generally speaking, the Japanese fleet has huge advantages in terms of capital ships and aviation power. However, due to errors in intelligence and judgment, the Japanese army gave up the idea of attacking to gain the initiative. The Japanese appeared to be more conservative. They reduced the fleet to In the sea area with the Talao Islands as the core, it is like waiting for the arrival of the other party.
The Japanese seemed to have chosen the safest tactics and the best position, but they gave the Americans what they needed most - time! If the Japanese reconnaissance was more powerful, the Americans would have no time to formulate a plan when the American fleet had just evacuated from Tarakan Island. Then the battle will directly turn into an encounter, and the result of a head-to-head confrontation will most likely be that the more dominant Japanese army will win.
And if the battle breaks out in the central area of the Sulawesi Sea, then the Japanese fleet will have the opportunity to pursue another pursuit after the battle, because the Sulawesi Sea is a semi-enclosed sea area, and the American fleet can only flee eastward, and The seaplane force in the Talao Islands still has the opportunity to capture the American fleet again and provide position information to the Japanese fleet. It is not impossible to even achieve a complete victory similar to that in the Russo-Japanese naval battle. However, it is a pity that the Japanese Navy lost its first-mover advantage due to intelligence errors and judgment problems, and the U.S. Navy, which has been for a certain period of time, is gradually gaining ground. Some inconspicuous directions can save some of the decline!
The so-called war is unpredictable. In any military operation, once the opponent figures out your patterns, it means that you are not far from being passive... The Americans did not know that the Japanese had misjudged when collecting intelligence, nor did they know what actions the Japanese army took. But Americans know that there are only two actions that the Japanese can take, one is to wait and wait, and the other is to kill them directly!
This is not a multiple-choice question for the US fleet, because the avant-garde fleet and submarine fleet configured by the US military can take into account both options at the same time! The avant-garde fleet composed of 2 fast armored cruisers, 2 seaplane carriers and 8 destroyers is definitely not powerful. In the North Sea during the war, it did not even have a quarter of the combat effectiveness of the regular avant-garde fleet! But it is a pity that such a fleet is enough in the Sulawesi Sea! This fleet was deployed 20 nautical miles ahead of the main fleet to guard against active Japanese attacks.
At the same time, a warning fleet composed of more than 30 submarines was deployed in the eastern exit area of the Sulawesi Sea. The Japanese knew that the Talao Islands could be used as a very good support point, and the Americans also knew it! Therefore, near the Talao Islands, more than 15 submarines are swimming in the ocean. And these submarines will be able to encounter the Japanese fleet as expected! The reason is simple. The mobilization and deployment of the Japanese fleet requires telegrams, and the telegrams may not be decipherable, but they can definitely be located!
"At 3 o'clock, it is about 20 nautical miles away from us. I can guarantee that this must be a large fleet! I have compared the telegram's transmission method and electronic characteristics. This should be a telegram sent by a fleet-level command organization. We once captured it during the Battle of New Ireland Island, and it was later confirmed that it should have been sent by the Fuso, the flagship of the Japanese fleet at that time." At this time, northeast of the Talau Islands,
The USS Sturgeon submarine is sailing south under the cover of night. The special receiving antenna equipped on the upper control tower of the submarine is pointed at the 3 o'clock direction. Inside the control tower, the captain and radio personnel are analyzing the intercepted telegrams!
"There are still three hours until dawn. Our surface speed can reach more than 15 knots per hour. Considering the opponent's sailing direction, we should have time to approach this fleet under the cover of night." Captain Mano The captain thought for a moment and said.
After all, this is an area controlled by Japan. That is, only at night can American submarines sail on the sea with swagger. In other words, only at night can American submarines safely chase their opponents. If we consider that the sun rises from the east and the Japanese fleet is located further east than the submarine, then this time can be extended further. The Sturgeon submarine has a high probability of success!
"Then let's go, we must determine the location of the Japanese fleet, even if it costs our lives." the first mate said without hesitation. "In addition, if the suspected fleet signals we discovered before are correct, then if we connect these points into a line, can we find some problems? For example, the Japanese fleet has actually been traveling back and forth in the eastern part of the Talao Islands in the past two days. Patrolling? They didn't choose to take the initiative?"
"This shouldn't be the case. The Japanese combined fleet should have the advantage?" Captain Mano was also a little confused, but these things were obviously not what he needed to understand. As the most basic commander, as long as he could do a good job Just mind your own business! Therefore, after confirming its direction again, the Sturgeon submarine began to sail towards the source of the telegram. However, what the Sturgeon didn't expect was that before it, an American submarine had secretly approached the Japanese Combined Fleet!
If the Sturgeon was able to find the location of the Japanese fleet thanks to technology and experience, then the Tuna submarine was able to find the Japanese fleet entirely due to fate! What is there a saying in later generations? Fate, wonderful!
Unlike the Sturgeon, which was equipped with a new radio receiving antenna and related electronic equipment before departure, the Tuna submarine has not undergone any improvements. Therefore, it is impossible to intercept the flagship radio communications of the Japanese Combined Fleet with old equipment. At night, the Tuna encountered a Japanese fleet that was sailing slowly!
"Captain, there seems to be fleet lights in the distance." The Tuna, which also kept sailing on the surface, got good luck today from a routine sea surface search. About 5,000 meters away from the submarine, there were lights like fireflies. The general light spot is constantly shaking. This situation may seem nothing special to ordinary people, but to an experienced naval personnel, this is a light signal for the fleet to communicate at night!
"It seems that we are in luck tonight! Now, the only thing that can appear here is a Japanese warship." Captain Max, the captain of the submarine, immediately issued the order to dive, and as a large amount of seawater was injected into the water tanks on both sides of the submarine, The submarine Tuna was lost in the rolling waves of the Pacific Ocean.
"The other party is supplying at sea! That's right! The one on the outside should be a large supply ship. The inside cannot be seen, but it is probably a destroyer! There should be some ships in the night behind, but we can't tell clearly!" At about 1,500 meters away distance, the Tuna raised its periscope again. Max once again confirmed the situation of the fleet.
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