When the Second Cadet Expeditionary Army was assembling to Mindanao, the U.S. military also began its own withdrawal plan. In addition to the three divisions commanded by Sharp, the U.S.-Philippine coalition still had five divisions in Mindanao. With all five divisions withdrawing, MacArthur can be said to have taken the risk. He ordered Hatton's disabled mixed fleet to detour through the Guimara Strait, then enter the Bohol Sea from the Tañon Strait, and assembled a large number of merchant ships and ferries. , the troop transport ship, on the same morning that Xiao Anbao led his troops into the Nagabei Mountains, prepared to implement the withdrawal plan and withdraw the troops of the five divisions to the Visayas Islands.
After the Battle of Negros Island, the Japanese Western Expedition Fleet had actually obtained an important channel into the Bohol Sea. MacArthur also knew that withdrawing troops from Mindanao under this situation was extremely dangerous, so he attached great importance to confidentiality, but he was not as good as others. By chance, on the night when Hatton's mixed fleet entered the Bohol Sea through the Tañon Strait, a Japanese frigate on a guard mission happened to detect it. The Japanese actually did not know the motive of the mixed fleet entering the Bohol Sea. , but in line with the idea of killing him with a stick and getting rid of it once and for all, Masafumi Soma decided to carry out a sneak attack on the mixed fleet after consulting Koizumi Minichiro. As a result, a scene that directly changed the situation in the Philippines was unexpectedly staged.
At half past seven, at the Hassan Pier in Makahala Bay in northwest Mindanao, under the command of Hatton, a mixed fleet escorted about thirty ships began to cross the Bohol Sea.
It was nine o'clock, because the fleet had already entered the middle of the Bohol Sea, and it would only take more than a few hours to reach the destination of this trip, Li'an. Hatton's originally tense heart could not help but feel a little relieved, but , just when he was about to go back to the captain's room to take a rest, an exclamation of "enemy plane" rang out. He looked around and saw a Japanese plane clearly painted with a red sun flag, and his face couldn't help but become serious. He took a deep breath, exhaled it, and gave a loud order: "Order all ships to move forward at full speed, and tell Sean to prepare for air defense."
"Yes." Someone immediately responded loudly and began to pass orders to each ship.
When the news of the Japanese plane's arrival spread, all the Americans and Filipinos panicked. Although the commanders tried to keep calm, their hearts were filled with gloom because they really didn't know that the fighter plane just happened to fly. Yes, it was purposeful reconnaissance, and if it was the latter, then no one dared to think about it anymore.
After Hatton issued a series of orders, he immediately communicated with MacArthur by telegraph, and then called Gurnutt and Wainwright IV to discuss corresponding countermeasures with them.
The Japanese plane did not hover over the fleet for long and soon left. After the Japanese plane left, Hart's heartstrings tightened even more. The troops withdrawing from Mindanao this time accounted for There are nearly one-third of the Philippine defense force, and if Sharp's three divisions with an uncertain future are also included, then if the Japanese really seize the opportunity and annihilate them, then the next battle will be very difficult. There is no way to fight,
After MacArthur received the telegram from Hatton at the headquarters of the U.S. Army in the Philippines in Cebu, he was shocked and immediately called Brereton at Clark Air Force Base, ordering him to organize aviation forces to reinforce the Bohol Sea no matter what. , then he thought for a moment with a pale face, and called Washington to report the situation.
Twenty minutes later, when a cluster of as many as thirty Japanese planes roared from the western sky, Hatton, Gunat and others immediately turned pale, and the American soldiers screamed, After the Battle of Gros Islet, the air defense strength of the mixed fleet had been reduced to a pitiable level. At this time, let alone more than 30 incoming enemy planes, even if there was only one, they had no way to guarantee that they could contain it.
In naval battles of this era, losing air superiority is fatal. Although the American air defense forces of the mixed fleet are very desperate, the huge imbalance of power makes their efforts even more tragic.
In a single attack by Japanese planes, Hatton's flagship was sunk. At the same time, an armed troop carrier full of American soldiers was sunk. Amidst the huge rumbling explosions, the battle area in the Bohol Sea became miserable. Howls and calls for help sounded, and the sea area suddenly turned into a hell on earth...
The entire battle lasted only half an hour. Half an hour later, as almost all the armed ships in the mixed fleet were sunk or lost their combat effectiveness, tens of thousands of officers and soldiers fell into the water, and Hatton's life or death was unknown. Gunat had no choice but to Without letting his men raise the white flag, this naval battle that directly changed the entire Philippine war situation and even the North Pacific War ended just like that.
It was a battle because the U.S. Army and Navy in the Far East suffered as many as 8,000 casualties, and more than 10,000 were captured. In addition, the Philippine Army under the control of the U.S. Army was also bombed, and more than 10,000 people were drowned, and 20,000 were captured. More than five thousand, so it was later called the "Bohol Sea Tragedy" by the Americans.
When the U.S. fighter planes that took off from Krakow arrived at the battle waters, they only found tens of thousands of drowned people and ships puffing out thick smoke. The U.S. airmen who witnessed this scene were filled with jealousy and chills in their hearts. Then, they returned directly without even daring to search for Japanese ships to the west.
Just after the Battle of the Bohol Sea, the telecommunications room of the "Ryujo" aircraft carrier suddenly boiled. Amidst the strange cries of more than a dozen Japanese soldiers, a major staff officer held a telegram in his hand and went straight to Koizumi's headquarters in great excitement. After entering, he shouted directly: "Your Excellency, great victory, great victory."
"Arakawa, why are you so excited?" Koizumi put down the two-color pencil in his hand, raised his head and asked,
"Lord Soma's sneak attack on the US mixed fleet was successful. The mixed fleet was completely destroyed. More than 20,000 US and Philippine troops they escorted were killed, and all the others were captured."
"What." Koizumi stood up, took the telegram from his hand and glanced at it. Then he laughed sharply and laughed twice. He said with a condensed expression: "Immediately report the victory to Mr. Yamamoto, and the military department." , By the way, send a congratulatory telegram to Mr. Xiangma."
"Hai." Arakawa responded and walked away in a hurry.
Watching Arakawa leave, Koizumi smiled and said to other people in the headquarters: "Put down what you are doing, Hatano, and go get a bottle of red wine. I want to celebrate with you all."
"Hai."
"After this battle, the Philippine campaign should be almost over. I never expected that Americans would make such a stupid mistake at this critical moment, haha." Koizumi looked around and said,
"Sir, what do you mean, will the Americans surrender?" a lieutenant colonel asked,
Koizumi: "Surrender is not necessarily certain, but do they still dare to fight? If not as I expected, the Americans will probably withdraw to Australia next."
"Then shall we block their escape route?"
"There is no need. Let's capture the Philippines first. Next, our attack direction will be Taiwan."
"Taiwan."
"And Hainan Island, hum, it's time for the Xuebingjun to disappear from this world."