Because Halsey was hospitalized for treatment due to illness, Lieutenant General Spruenz, the commander of the battleship of the Air Fleet, is currently acting as the commander of the 5th Fleet. However, the staff of the fleet do not understand the origin of the battleship captain at all.
Flying, the command ability of the taciturn lieutenant general who is usually full of doubts.
The 5th Fleet made a big circle around the Palmyra Atoll and then turned back toward the Midway. The fleet commanded by Spruins included four latest "Essex-class" aviation ships, and experienced
The "Enterprise" aviation warships and two "**-class" light air ships, the "Indiana", "North Carolina" and "Washington" three battleships, are the most powerful in the US Navy.
A strong fleet.
At this time, the atmosphere of the entire fleet seemed a little nervous. The fleet maintained its anti-submarine formation. More than a dozen destroyers formed a search team in front of them, guarding against every suspicious target on the sea.
Spruins was walking alone on the flight deck of the Essex, which was his personal habit, and he would do so whenever a major decision was made. And Colonel Browning, chief of staff of the fleet, was full of fighting spirit.
At dusk, the 5th Fleet is currently in the waters about one hundred and thirty nautical miles southeast of Midway. If Spruins wants, his fleet can arrive in one night.
Midway Island.
In the two telegrams Nimitz sent to Sprounz, the content is very intriguing. Sprounz understood the meaning: Even if Midway Island is thrown away, the Chinese cannot stick to it, but if we
The fleet suffered a great loss, it may suffer serious failure in the South Pacific. Nimitz sent a very strong signal to Spruins, which is to "protect the first ship". As long as the fleet exists,
The Pacific Fleet will ensure the safety of East Australia and New Zealand.
"If it is an attack on Midway, the enemy fleet is most likely to appear here. Thomas' fleet will be in the north of Midway, and we need to go around the west of Midway and approach the attack position 150 nautical miles away from them.
.”
"No, Colonel. Before determining the specific position of the opponent, we need to keep a distance of more than 200 nautical miles from the enemy so that we can escape from the battle at any time!" At this time, Spruins appeared, and his body leaned against the setting sun, slantingly shining on the sunset!
The thick side door underneath interrupted Colonel Browning's deployment.
Colonel Browning felt so angry that he was a soldier full of fighting spirit. He was like the original commander General Halsey. When he arrived at the battlefield, he was like an angry tiger, full of fighting spirit and courage. However, the person in front of him was like a man in front of him.
The commander seemed very cowardly and planned to escape before the war began.
"Yes, we will sail to this position before dawn!" Browning helplessly marked a new point on the chart, which is about 110 nautical miles southwest of Midway Island.
"The Chinese are not that easy to deal with. I still remember that outside Japan, we joined forces with the Japanese to fight against them with six airships that were unprepared for. The time we chose was just right, and it was the time when the enemy's fleet attacking Tokyo Bay was returning.
Even in that case, we only sank one of their airships, but lost three airships under their counterattack. Although our aircraft was slightly worse at that time, the enemy's counterattack was also quite fierce.
!” said Spruins, “We must first plan for the worst!”
After saying that, the Admiral returned to the bridge and continued to look at the unpredictable sunset in the sky thoughtfully. Colonel Browning, who was angry, had to change the orders according to his wishes.
On June 17, the Beiyang Fleet sailed from Tokyo Bay after a five-day voyage. In the darkness before dawn, it arrived at a predetermined location about 230 nautical miles west of Midway. The first wave of attack troops preparing to bomb Midway Airport are
The airship made the final preparations before takeoff. The weather on the sea was very good, and the small southeast wind and the calm sea surface provided good climatic conditions for the takeoff of the carrier-based aircraft.
The sky on the east side was slightly white. A white light could be seen between the water and the sky. At 4 a.m., there was about an hour before the sunrise. General Wang Chongwen had arrived at the combat room of the "Heilongjiang"
Among them.
"I have a bad premonition. The 5th Fleet, which had lost its trace, was peeking at us in a nearby sea area, and would send a fatal blow at any time!" The war room was busy. Wang Chongwen stared at the chart and looked at it.
After a long time, he looked up and said to Chief of Staff Sapphoqiang.
"With this possibility, the Admiralty Department has ordered the East China Sea Fleet to provide reinforcements to our position. They are now at about 410 nautical miles northeast of Wake Island. In the telegram received at 2 o'clock, General Cheng said they will rush around 3 p.m.
Arrive.” Safeqiang said, “According to the intelligence sent back by the submarine force, a reinforcement fleet from Pearl Harbor passed through the waters north of Maro Reef at about 1 a.m., and the current specific location is unknown!”
"All battleships and cruisers are ordered to send seaplanes to reconnaise the sea area in this area with a radius of about 200 nautical miles on Midway Island. In addition, two fighter squadrons were sent from the aviation ships to search this sea area, and be sure to find the location of the enemy fleet!
"Wang Chongwen pondered for a moment, then made a decision, "According to the scheduled plan, continue to carry out the bombing mission to Midway Airport. The shore-based bombers on the island are also a great threat to us!"
"Implement according to the No. 1 combat plan!" Saffor clan took the combat order he signed from Wang Chongwen, and then said to the combat director.
At this time, about forty minutes before sunrise, the signal light on the "Heilongjiang" began to flash, "Pilot is in place!" The flight commander's order came from the loudspeakers in the standby room of pilots on each aviation ship.
After hearing the order, the pilots ran to their own planes on the deck and entered the cockpit with the help of ground crew members.
Aviation was sitting in the flight command post with a wide view on the bridge and began to issue a series of flight commands through the microphone.
"The pilot is in place!"
"Start the engine!" The aircraft's engine began to start, and the ground crew on the deck grabbed the propeller at the nose to help rotate. The engine began to roar, and the propeller began to rotate slowly, and then it became faster and faster. The first wave of attacks was participated on the flight deck.
The dozens of fighter jets made a deafening noise, and all the red and blue lights of the fighter jets preparing to take off were turned on, shining in the dark night.
"All the planes are ready!"
All the searchlights on each aviation ship were turned on, illuminating the entire flight deck like daytime. The entire fleet was sailing at full speed on the sea facing the southeast wind.
"All aircraft are ready to take off!" With the order from the flight commander, the flight commander on the deck shook the green signal light in his hand, drew a semicircle aperture in the air, and the "Seagull-style" lined up in the front
The fighter jets began to accelerate, whistling away from the deck as the cheers of the deck personnel and rushed into the air.
After the 24 escorted "Haiyan" fighters, 24 are carrying an improved "Sea Harrier" attack aircraft specially designed to attack concrete buildings and flight runways, with a 450-kilogram delay fuse bomb.
Followed by 18 "Saidfish" torpedo aircraft carrying an 800-kilogram bomb. Twenty minutes later, under the escort of 72 fighters of three squadrons, 96 attack aircraft and 54 torpedo aircraft in the fleet.
After completing the formation over the sky, fly towards Midway Island in the eastern sky.
On the flight deck, there was a huge roar just now, and now it seems much quieter. Wang Chongwen ordered the fleet to reduce its speed to 20 knots, but the course turned south. He was a little worried that the team was located in the northwest of Midway Island, and he did not know the specific location yet.
The American fleet wants to keep the distance from its opponents as far as possible.
"The Second Attack Force is ready!" The commander of the aviation commander came from the loudspeaker on each aviation ship. The deck personnel on duty lifted the racks from the hangar to the deck, and then pushed them to the predetermined takeoff position.
The ordnance personnel installed the torpedo and bombs lifted from the lower ammunition depot with fuses, then used a cart to send them under the fighter plane, and then hung them under the fuselage one by one. All the personnel were busy nervously, and at this time, the East was
The sky is already white and it is about to dawn.
At 4:50, a red sun rose from the sea level, and the entire sea surface was shrouded in a misty red mist. The side of the fleet faced the rising sun, and the decks of each aviation ship were filled with fighter planes waiting to take off.