"It's just a small cruiser. It can't make big waves! If you can escape, just escape!" Yamamoto Isoroku was very confident. In his eyes, the Hainan Army could not escape from his grasp.
This time the Japanese Navy dispatched three aircraft carriers and six battleships. Together with various warships of other classes, the total force reached 27 ships. As the saying goes, a large number of soldiers will lead to a wide range of troops.
At the same time, there was a rapid knock on the door of the Hainan Military Government Building, and then Gao Yi hurriedly walked in and said: "General, there is an emergency!"
Hearing this, Li Weidong, who was reading, raised his head and asked in confusion: "Emergency? Could it be that something happened under Nanning City?"
It stands to reason that there are only remnants of the Japanese 116th Division left under Nanning City. With the strength of the 2nd Division and the 1st Division, there is no problem in dealing with Jiro Okamura. He can't think of any changes.
Gao Yi first handed a document to Li Weidong and explained at the same time: "General, this is Navy information! The Navy's No. 107 cruiser discovered the Japanese Navy fleet in the waters of the Batan Islands! According to the calculations of the Navy Department, their purpose
It should be us!”
"What is the strength of the Japanese army? Where are they currently? Who is the commander?" Li Weidong asked several questions in succession, proving that Li Weidong attached great importance to this situation.
Although he has great confidence in the combat effectiveness of the navy, as the saying goes, only by knowing your enemy and yourself can you be victorious in every battle. The importance of military intelligence is self-evident.
"According to the report from cruiser No. 107, the total number of invading Japanese warships should be more than twenty. The specific situation will only be known after the reconnaissance plane comes back!" Gao Yi continued to report.
Li Weidong opened the emergency document in his hand. The content on it was the intelligence summary of the Military Intelligence Section. It was not that the response of the Military Intelligence Section was too slow. It could only be said that the Hainan Army's agents were not able to sneak into the Japanese army at the current position, and Li Weidong saw a familiar figure in it.
His name is Isoroku Yamamoto.
Isoroku Yamamoto, a short Japanese "gambler" with a height of only 1.59 meters, is currently the commander of the Combined Fleet. He advocated the vigorous development of aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft, and played an important role in the development of Japanese naval aviation.
He emphasized preemption in commanding operations, and once planned the famous carrier-based aviation attack on Pearl Harbor. A very famous opponent, but will he still have time to achieve glory? Li Weidong secretly speculated in his heart!
"I was wondering why there was no movement after the Japanese suffered a big loss in Guangxi! It turned out that the navy was dispatched! The guys from the Navy Department were shouting that there was no war, but I didn't expect that this time the Japanese actually came to our door!"
Li Weidong put on his military cap, put on the discipline buckle, and then said: "Notify the staff of the headquarters to convene an emergency military meeting in ten minutes!"
In the military conference room of the Hainan Army Headquarters, Chief of General Staff Ge Changming wore black-framed eyes and looked at the military map of the South China Sea while asking the navy's intelligence officer: "When did I receive the second military intelligence telegram? Japan
Where is the person probably already?"
The reason why Li Weidong did not speak was because he clearly knew that his naval combat skills were unreliable, and a complete combat plan still had to be completed by these professionals. He only needed to make the final decision on the plan.
"Fifteen minutes ago, an Air Force reconnaissance aircraft reported back that the Japanese fleet had reached a position over eighty nautical miles east of the Dongsha Islands." the naval intelligence officer replied.
The news from the Air Force reconnaissance plane was very fast. They had found the Japanese fleet. Perhaps it can be said that Yamamoto Isoroku had no intention of hiding it. He was too confident in his own strength!
"Through the photos taken by the reconnaissance aircraft, we have been able to determine that the size of the invading Japanese fleet is within thirty warships. The main warships are three aircraft carriers and more than six battleships. However, we do not rule out the possibility that they have a hidden fleet to watch!
"At this time, Navy Commander Zhao Yujian said.
"Three aircraft carriers? More than thirty battleships?" Li Weidong was very surprised and said: "Could it be the main force of the Japanese combined fleet?"
This number of warships is almost half of the Japanese combined fleet. It seems that the Japanese still think highly of themselves, otherwise they would not be transferred here.
However, although the combined fleet is very strong, it is still within the range of our own navy. The navy that Li Weidong has spent great efforts to build is not a mess. But how to fight this battle and to what extent! He still has no clue.
Silence is not the solution to the problem. Li Weidong immediately said: "If you have any opinions, please speak up and listen!"
Hearing this, a staff officer stood up and said: "In my personal opinion, considering the actual situation of our navy, I suggest a defensive counterattack, using fortress artillery, air force, and warships to cooperate to consume the strength of the Japanese fleet!"
In fact, this idea was the method used by the Hainan Army to repel Kuwata Jushiro in the early stage, and facts proved that this method was also very effective. With the superior strength of the Hainan Air Force, the Japanese army could not benefit at all.
Soon, another staff officer retorted: "This method is not possible! You must know that our army is still fighting in the mainland! As long as the Japanese army cuts off our supply line with Guangzhou, the army on the mainland will be in a bitter battle, which is very critical.
situation!"
When Li Weidong heard this, he also nodded secretly. The Hainan Army's situation on the mainland has just begun, and the results of several months of hard work cannot be ruined just because of a naval battle.
This naval battle is unavoidable. The Japanese base camp could divert the fleet from Nanjing to Hainan, certainly not to visit relatives, so this battle is inevitable.
"Lao Ge! What do you think? Tell me!" Li Weidong had long noticed Chief of Staff Ge Changming's silence, so he asked.
"The Japanese fleet is so powerful that even if we add all of our navy together, it is not as powerful. But our advantage lies in the advanced warships and the range of the naval guns. My suggestion is to use our strengths and avoid our weaknesses, and conduct a series of operations within the range of the air force.
A naval battle!" Ge Changming thought for a while and then said.
Because the military situation was urgent, the headquarters did not have time to discuss it in detail. Li Weidong finally decided to adopt the chief of staff's advice, and the navy set out to fight and dispatched air force fighter planes as support.
"My order!" Li Weidong stood up and said. As soon as he finished speaking, the officers present stood up with a "swish", waiting for the next order.
"The entire Navy is dispatched, and the Air Force executes the first-level combat readiness order! In addition, inform the Ministry of Trade that the recent transport ships will take the Beibu Gulf route! Send an order to the troops in Guangzhou to guard against the Japanese troops in Fujian!"
"Yes, general!" the officers responded uniformly, and then filed out one after another.