Perhaps because of his long-term experience as the commander of the submarine force, in Xu Kai's view, compared to the behemoth Japanese aircraft carrier fleet Takejiu (the fact that the aircraft carrier fleet inherited the title of joint fleet has not yet been widely spread), the South China Sea Fleet is not all-encompassing. No chance, to quote what he said when motivating his subordinates: "Because we have the most advanced submarines, sonar and torpedo technology in the world."
The predecessor of the South China Sea Fleet was the Haikou Fleet, and the most outstanding thing about the Haikou Fleet when it was established was the submarine force. You know, submarines alone can sink and damage enemy aircraft carriers without being harmed. This is unique in the history of human naval warfare. ,,During the great evacuation of Singapore, the submarine force commanded by Xu Kai stole the show.
At the beginning of the Battle of Malan, Xu Kai sent medium-sized submarines to perform support missions at the boundary between the Gulf of Thailand and the South China Sea. However, at that time, the Japanese aircraft carrier fleet still retained two aircraft carrier fleets operating in the coastal waters of the Malay Peninsula. , so the South China Sea Fleet has no chance to take action.
After the Third Expeditionary Army captured Gan Bang, because Gan Bang was relatively close to the sea, it was easier for the Japanese army to obtain fire support from its naval guns. At one point, Gu Zhutong asked the South China Sea Fleet for help through the Supreme Command, hoping that the South China Sea Fleet could To curb the performance of the Japanese navy so that they cannot provide unscrupulous artillery support to ground forces.
Gu Zhutong is actually a very strong person. Under normal circumstances, he would never be able to say this. However, because of the special terrain of the Malay Peninsula, neither side can invest heavy artillery. As a result, the Japanese Navy's large-caliber ships Artillery has become the only heavy firepower on the battlefield. In a decisive battle like Gan Bang, where both sides often invest tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of troops, one side has heavy firepower support, but the other side can only be passively beaten. The passively beaten side will definitely bear the consequences. The huge pressure may even lead to losing the war. And when our own air force is entangled by the Japanese aviation force and cannot contain the Japanese naval ships, asking for help from the South China Sea Fleet has actually become the only option for the expeditionary Third Army. .
Because of the glory of the Haikou Fleet, the predecessor of the South China Sea Fleet, after sending a telegram to the Supreme Command asking for help, Gu Zhu and others had high hopes for Xu Kai and the others, hoping that their appearance could contain the Japanese ships and make the Japanese unable to do so. No matter how unscrupulously they use heavy artillery to bombard the positions of the Third Expeditionary Army, the greater the hope, the greater the disappointment. At least so far, because the South China Sea Fleet has barely made a sound. Gradually, the fleet, which was once unbeatable in the South China Sea, has , Gu Zhutong and the others were completely disappointed.
At a military meeting, presumably to stabilize military morale, Gu Zhutong understood the South China Sea Fleet's "inaction" in this way: "Maybe we are too demanding. After all, the Japanese have aircraft carriers, but they don't. It's okay. We can do it without a navy." At the beginning of the War of Resistance, the Japanese planes were flying all over the sky and tanks were crawling all over the ground. We had nothing. We haven't persisted. Now that we have such advanced weapons and such comprehensive logistics supplies, there is no reason why we cannot defeat the little Japanese. .”
Gu Zhutong and the others had given up hope on the South China Sea Fleet, but Xu Kai and the others never gave up.
In fact, although the South China Sea Fleet did not make a sound in the Battle of Kambang and the Battle of Malang, they have always clearly demonstrated their presence in the Gulf of Thailand. It is precisely because the submarine force of the South China Sea Fleet has been lurking in the Gulf of Thailand. That's why the Japanese aircraft carriers and ships did not dare to go deep into the Gulf of Thailand. This also meant that the Japanese navy could not go around behind the Third Expeditionary Army and attack the military camps, arsenals, and supply depots of the Third Expeditionary Army from the sea.
The war in the Pacific was tense. Under pressure from the United States, Koizumi Minichiro had to transfer an aircraft carrier fleet to the southern waters of the Philippines. When there was only one Japanese aircraft carrier fleet left off the coast of Singapore, the information was obtained by Xu Kai. Xu Kai's brothers Yun: "It's time for us to take action."
In order to play a role in the Malan Battle and demonstrate the South China Sea Fleet's control over the South China Sea, Xu Kai and the others had already made sufficient preparations. Therefore, when Xu Kai felt that the time was ripe to dispatch, the Spring and Autumn aircraft carrier fleet under the South China Sea Fleet and The two mixed fleets and a submarine fleet immediately rushed towards their respective destinations like a swarm of sharks smelling the smell of blood.
In addition to one support aircraft carrier, the South China Sea Fleet also has two heavy cruisers that can barely be considered large ships. The rest are all small and medium-sized ships. Therefore, Xu Kai knows very well that even if they can defeat the enemy and take the lead, the South China Sea Fleet does not have the ability to stay and watch with the Japanese. China's Changwu aircraft carrier fleet is capable of fighting a tough battle face to face.
"The success or failure of this battle depends on your performance." Before departure, Xu Kai told the commander of the ship's force Liu Xiaoshen on the deck of the Spring and Autumn aircraft carrier.
Liu Xiaoshen is a silent young man and the first apprentice brought out by Xu Kai. Because Xu Kai once said that this was a graduation exam for Liu Xiaoshen and the others, Liu Xiaoshen replied generously: "Master, don't worry, we will leave it to you." A satisfactory answer."
"If you can fight, fight. If you can't fight, run away. If you don't, fight. If you fight, you must aim at the vital points. Okay, I wish you immediate success."
Xu Kai led his troops on the expedition with great fanfare for the purpose of attracting the attention of the Japanese navy through the noise created by the surface ships, thus providing cover for Liu Xiaoshen and the others.
Xu Kai knew very well that if the South China Sea Fleet wanted to play a role in the Battle of Malan, the key was whether it could preemptively sink the only aircraft carrier left in Singapore by the Japanese through a sneak attack.
The Spring and Autumn aircraft carrier can only carry fifteen aircraft, three of which are water fighters. Therefore, it does not have the ability to compete head-on with the Changwu aircraft carrier. Then, if the Changwu aircraft carrier cannot be sunk first, the Changwu aircraft carrier will Release carrier-based aircraft, even if the surface fleet of the South China Sea Fleet has a certain air defense capability after being equipped with a large number of ship-to-air missiles, but it has been passively beaten, its final outcome can only be a dejected retreat. This is Xu Kai This was absolutely unacceptable, because he knew that it would be even more difficult for the South China Sea Fleet to make any achievements if the Japanese army was prepared.
Liu Xiaoshen led his eleven Song-class submarines to set off first. They would go around the South Island and drill into the Gulf of Thailand. They would join the five Song-class submarines there and then launch the mission of poaching the Changwu aircraft carrier. After Liu Xiaoshen and the others set out for three An hour later, Xu Kai led other floating ships as well as three Song-class and twenty-four Ming-class submarines and drove toward Zengmu Shoal.