Shrill air raid sirens echoed over Florida Island, and war reignited in the South Pacific.
Since the Republican Army began the New Guinea campaign, the U.S.-Australian coalition has strengthened the defense of the Solomon Islands. However, the harsh natural conditions in this area have made it difficult for the U.S.-Australian coalition to build strong defenses in the short term.
The Solomon Islands consists of two island chains south of the equator, 30 to 90 nautical miles apart. However, it does not have tropical beaches covered with dense palm trees and coconut trees like the Republican Navy's Yulin base on Hainan Island. The entire Solomon Islands has high mountains and forests.
The island is densely covered with swamp-like tropical primitive jungles, where a large number of various tropical insects grow, most of which are poisonous.
On Tujila Island, which is next to Florida Island, juliè explosions were heard one after another. This small island, which was not very large, was completely shrouded in fire and smoke. From Bougainville Island and New Britain Island
The Republican bombers that took off have been bombing Florida Island, Guadalcanal Island, Malaita Island and Makira Island in the Southern Solomon Islands for three consecutive days. This time, the bombing seems to have become more intense.
"Damn it, they blew up our supply depot, and the food we have left won't last for more than a few days!" In order to avoid the bombing, the US and Australian troops defending Florida Island and Guadalcanal hid in the dense forests of the mountains.
, but almost all the facilities such as docks, warehouses, barracks and airports built by the US military on the island were destroyed and turned into a dilapidated fire scene.
In Auckland, New Zealand, Vice Admiral Gormley, commander of the U.S. South Pacific Fleet, is under dual pressure from Admiral MacArthur, commander of the South Pacific Theater and the Department of the Navy. MacArthur said that if the Navy does not fully rescue the Solomon Islands, he will choose to resign, and
This matter was reported to the newspaper. The Navy Commander-in-Chief, Admiral King, was furious, but faced with the pressure of public opinion, he had to order Admiral Nimitz to dispatch all the main forces of the Pacific Fleet to reinforce the Solomon Islands.
Of course, the U.S. Navy is also anxious. The 1st Marine Division is stationed in the Southern Solomon Islands. During this period, the Marine Corps was not an independent force and was still under the command of the Department of the Navy. Although the officers and soldiers of the Marine Corps laughed at themselves as "
My grandma doesn’t care. My uncle doesn’t love me. I’m a stepmother!” However, the Navy still attaches great importance to the Marine Corps under its command.
Rear Admiral Vangrift of the 1st Marine Division on Guadalcanal kept sending telegrams to the Navy Department and the Pacific Fleet for rescue. Lieutenant General Gormley ordered Rear Admiral Fletcher to lead a group of four "Essex-class" aviation battleships.
The 61st and 62nd Task Forces set off from Port Vila and headed to the Southern Solomon Islands for reinforcements.
In addition, Rear Admiral Almond Turner commanded a fleet composed of 10 destroyers and 26 transport ships to transport supplies and reinforcements to Guadalcanal and Tulagi Port. In addition, Vice Admiral Gormley also dispatched a fleet belonging to the South Pacific Fleet.
Six heavy cruisers form the main escort fleet to ensure the safety of the transport fleet.
After receiving the news of the dispatch of the 3rd Fleet, General Chen Shiying also began to personally lead the main force of the Nanyang Fleet from Rabaul to the south, preparing to wait for an opportunity to attack the US fleet.
On the morning of June 13, 1942, a "Catalina" seaplane taking off from Gavutu Island in Tugira Bay discovered the 15th Air Force of the Republic Navy sailing south southwest of Bougainville Island.
The mixed fleet, affected by bad weather and the fact that the US military pilots had never seen such a "weird" aviation battleship as the "North Sea Class", mistakenly mistook the two newest main fleet aircraft carriers of the Republic Navy as large merchant ships modified
The aircraft transport ship and escort aircraft reported to their superiors that two aircraft transport ships and six cruisers were discovered in this sea area.
This report gave Major General Fletcher, the supreme commander of the South Solomon Islands, the illusion that it was a fleet of transport ships heading to New George Island to transport aircraft, because the Republican Army had built a military building in Munda, northwest of New George Island.
The airport may be ready for use.
Major General Fletcher and his staff determined that the purpose of this flotilla was not the U.S. fleet, but to transport personnel and supplies to strengthen the Republican Army's defense in the New Georgia Islands.
Rear Admiral Fletcher, who has a relatively cautious temperament, immediately ordered 12 reconnaissance aircraft from the USS Saratoga to reconfirm the target. So far, the location of the 15th Air Fleet of the Republic Navy has actually been exposed.
Chen Shiying has only reached the approximate location of the US fleet in the waterway between Guadalcanal Island and Malaita Island.
The "Saragato" is the sixth "Essex-class" aircraft carrier of the U.S. Navy. The original battlecruiser-modified "Saragato" commanded by Rear Admiral Fletcher was used in the Battle of the Solomons
Sunk by the Republic Navy. Unlike Halsey's luck in the Battle of the Solomons, Rear Admiral Fletcher was an "unlucky guy". So far, the three heavy fleet aircraft carriers lost by the U.S. Navy were all related to him, which also made
He was even more cautious when fighting.
With Rear Admiral Fletcher's character, if he is commanding a fleet that is stronger than his opponent, because he is quite disciplined in combat, he will generally not make any mistakes and will provide fewer opportunities to his opponent. But the sad thing is that this
However, the rear admiral has been facing the most powerful fleet in the Republic Navy, which has always been superior to him.
This time, Fletcher's caution saved himself.
At around 11:40, a reconnaissance plane taking off from the USS Saragato sent back an urgent message and discovered that two Republican Navy aviation battleships and six cruisers formed an attack formation, about 240 nautical miles northwest of the U.S. fleet, and
At the same time, a reconnaissance plane dispatched by the Republic Fleet also appeared in the sky above the 3rd Fleet.
Fletcher seemed a little hesitant, and after careful consideration, he decided to send aircraft and warships from the two warships "Ticonderoga" and "Lexington (new)" to attack the opponent. This approach was consistent with Hal's approach.
The game will be different. According to Halsey's approach, all ships and planes will definitely be sent to launch a fierce attack on the opponent, regardless of risks.
But Fletcher was more concerned about preserving his strength. He regarded the "Saragato", "Bunk Hill" and "**-class" warships "Princeton" as reserve forces.
At this time, in the eastern part of Vera La Vera Island, Chen Shiying also received news about the 3rd Fleet. His 3rd Air Fleet and 7th Air Fleet were sailing east of the New Georgia Islands, separated from the 15th Task Force.
About 30 nautical miles. After receiving news from the US 3rd Fleet, Chen Shiying ordered four aviation warships to send half of their warships and aircraft to attack Fletcher.
Here Fletcher has just sent warships and aircraft to attack the 15th Air Fleet of the Republic Navy. The Republic Navy is not free. The attack formation of the Republic Navy that took off from the "Qinghai" and "Xinjiang" also arrived at the 62nd Air Fleet.
Above the mixed fleet, these fighter planes passed through the clouds and launched a fierce attack on the "Tikon Deutschland Plus" and the "New Lexington".
The Republican Navy's aviation force, which had relatively rich experience in naval battles, successfully used fighter jets to attract three squadrons of U.S. fighter jets that were patrolling above the fleet. The two sides launched a fierce aerial dogfight. The aircraft fleet lacking escorts became Republican attack aircraft.
As targets for the torpedo planes, three squadrons of attack planes and sixteen torpedo planes carried out unscrupulous attacks in turn towards the 62nd Task Force on the sea. When the 61st Task Force finally managed to get the "Saragato" and other
When the fighter jets on the three aircraft carriers took off, the Republican Navy had already completed its attack and turned around and headed away.
Only the "Ticonderoga" and "New Lexington", which were burning with fire and smoking, were left on the sea, as well as the two battleships "South Dakota" and "Indiana" escorting the 3rd Fleet.
Among them, the "Ticonderoga" was hit by 3 aerial bombs and 3 torpedoes, and was the most severely damaged. The "Indiana" was also hit by a torpedo, and was severely damaged.
Fletcher was a little dumbfounded. He was hit hard as soon as he landed. Although the pilots who went to attack the Republic Fleet reported that they had sunk an opponent's aircraft ship, Fletcher was already accustomed to the pilots lying about their results and did not care at all.
Believe this nonsense.
The fleet aircraft carriers of the Republic Navy have a very strong anti-sinking ability. The shipbuilding technology they inherited from the Germans has a very excellent structure and is not so easy to be sunk. Just like the American "Essex-class"
, this kind of fleet aircraft ship with a displacement of about 30,000 tons can withstand the attack of four to five aviation torpedoes.
One of the opponent's aircraft ships was severely damaged, which was a relatively reasonable result.
What made Fletcher even more alarmed was that the reconnaissance plane discovered that a large number of fighter planes were flying over New Georgia Island and rushing towards him.
Fletcher's first reaction was: run! Get out of this dangerous sea quickly.
Task Force 61 protected the severely damaged Task Force 62 and turned around and ran south. After a while, Fletcher sent a telegram to Rear Admiral Turner who was unloading cargo at Tulagi Port, telling him that he was going to
Go to Menua to "come on" and let him decide whether to stay or not.
The US pilots who were returning were happily discussing the results of the battle on the radio. The fleet's orders could not be accepted at all. Fletcher had no choice but to leave them alone, and it was time for these damn pilots to suffer!
Fletcher ran in time, and the bad weather over the South Pacific also helped him a lot. More than 160 ships and planes sent by Chen Shiying rushed into the air, but failed to find the target. The pilots returned to the fleet empty-handed. Those American pilots also
I couldn't find my fleet, and seeing that there wasn't much fuel in the planes, most of them flew to the airport on Guadalcanal Island, and some of the planes made an emergency landing on the sea.
This came as a surprise to Major General Van Forest, commander of the 1st Marine Division stationed on Guadalcanal. The Marine commander, who was suffering from insufficient defensive power, unceremoniously confiscated all the ships and aircraft that flew to the island and sent them to the island.
Incorporated into the Marine Corps Air Force assigned to the island.
A naval battle that made both commanders feel very dissatisfied ended hastily. A frustrated Chen Shiying ordered You Ziyong to lead the battle fleet to continue into the waters of Florida Island. He was going to conduct a "night attack!" and use the battle fleet to attack the enemy's transportation.
Fleet and convoy.
Of course, if Fletcher's air fleet can be captured at night, it would be the most ideal result. (To be continued.)