Karachi time, at 9 a.m. on the 22nd, the first aircraft carrier task force of the South China Navy appeared in the center of the wide Gulf of Oman between Persia and the Arabian Peninsula.
At this time, in the Port of Muscat in the southern Gulf of Oman, through the thin morning fog drifting from the direction of the Indian Ocean, the ships docked in the port were faintly visible.
During these days of frequent storms, the transport ships of the Japanese Navy's Indian Ocean Fleet used the cover of night to travel between Persia, the port city in southern Iraq, and Muscat, rescuing a large number of troops, and then from Marseille.
Scot moved these troops to Madagascar.
At this time, General Kotaro Nakamura, commander of the Indian Ocean Front of the Japanese Army, was already on his way to the southern Indian Ocean. Staying at the port was Major General Nobuyoshi Ito, commander of the 18th Independent Infantry Brigade of the Japanese Army.
Since the main force of the fleet has been transferred south, the only ones left at the port are two destroyers and more than a dozen patrol gunboats captured from Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Iraq and Persia. It was late, and the two destroyers had already started to light fires, and there was thick smoke.
Rising from the tall chimney.
On the sea a hundred nautical miles north of Muscat Port, the sun shines brightly on the South China Navy flag flying high on the "Huashan" aircraft carrier. Fleet Commander Lieutenant General Zhao Lei sent a telegram to the ships: The fleet is heading toward the aircraft carrier at full speed.
South, target Muscat Port!
The aircraft carriers "Huashan", "Taishan" and "Hengshan", the heavy cruisers "Li Jing", "Li Ji", "Guo Ziyi" and "Qin Qiong", plus six light cruisers and eighteen destroyers, as well as
All naval officers and soldiers on the submarine and transport ship began to take action.
The pilots on the aircraft carrier had already obtained the flight route chart and the map of Muscat Port when the fleet sailed out of the Karachi military port, and knew the bombing targets well. This was the first time that a South China Navy carrier-based aircraft actually performed a combat mission.
, everyone is very excited.
Due to the harsh weather in the Indian Ocean these days, and the fact that most of the Japanese army's retreat operations were carried out under cover of night, so far, Nanhua has not known that the Japanese army has retreated on a large scale. The naval officers and soldiers of the task force are ambitious and ready to take over the Japanese army.
The Japanese naval fleet remaining in the western Indian Ocean was completely annihilated.
The first wave to take off from the deck of the "Huashan" were eight O1-A reconnaissance planes, six of which searched forward and two were responsible for the rear.
Before entering Muscat Port, they sent back a telegram stating that they had not found any ships on the route.
Half an hour after the reconnaissance plane took off, the first wave of eighty aircraft all took off and began to fly to the destination in formation, including twenty F1-A carrier-based fighters, thirty S1-A carrier-based bombers and thirty
T1 torpedo bomber.
At 11:15 in the morning, the fleet flew over Muscat Port, but the pilots were surprised to find that there were not many ships docked in the harbor.
...
"What? The Japanese fleet disappeared out of thin air..."
After hearing the report, Zhao Lei looked depressed. He paced back and forth in the command room of the "Huashan" aircraft carrier, which was renamed from the "Jean Bart" with a full load displacement of 48,950 tons. After a while, he turned his head.
He asked angrily: "Why does the intelligence department have no relevant information? Did we hit the cotton with one punch in this attack?"
"The weather has not been very good these days, with continuous rainfall in southern and southeastern Persia, and winds generally above level 7 or 8. The weather at Bandar Abbas and other southern airports is extremely bad, and land-based fighters cannot take off for reconnaissance at all. From the 15th to
Now, a week has passed, and the Japanese man’s nose is sharper than a dog’s. He probably realized that something was wrong and escaped quietly!” explained Captain Ouyang Mo, the fleet operations staff officer.
Zhao Lei sighed repeatedly. The fleet chief of staff, the French-born Rear Admiral Chateauroux, stood in front of the large chart, looked at it for a while, and suddenly suggested:
"Commander, since the warships of the Japanese Navy have now left the Persian Gulf, why not take advantage of the enemy's empty strength and sudden bombardment by our army and let our fleet suddenly approach Muscat Port?
, the naval guns suppressed the defensive fortresses of the port, and then the marines accompanying the fleet implemented landings on the beaches on the east and west sides of the port!
"Originally our goal was to raid the Japanese Indian Ocean Fleet, try to destroy its maritime combat capabilities, and then enter Bandar Abbas Port and completely penetrate the Strait of Hormuz, and let the army deal with the Japanese defenders at Muscat Port.
.But now that the main force of the Japanese fleet has fled, and it is estimated that the army has also withdrawn a lot, should we seize this rare opportunity to completely remove the nail that the Japanese have in the northeastern corner of the Arabian Peninsula?
"After all, Muscat Port was developed earlier, the port settings are more complete, and the radiation area is larger. Setting Muscat Port as the home port of our fleet will echo Karachi on the north coast of the Arabian Sea, so that the view will be better
For the sake of openness, if a radar base station is established in Oman, it will also better ensure the security of the territorial sea and airspace in the Gulf of Oman and the Arabian Sea."
Zhao Lei nodded: "Judging from the current situation, the main force of the Japanese army that withdrew from Persia and southern Iraq must have escaped. The remaining combat troops will not be too many, but we can try a landing operation."
Having said this, Zhao Lei walked up to the command podium and issued a new combat order to the communications staff: "The second wave of attack aircraft is taking off now, with the focus on bombing the coastal fortress in Muscat Port! The fleet accelerated again, and the target was still the horse
Scotport, forward!"
...
Over the Muscat Port, the aircraft fleet did not return in vain because of the scarcity of Japanese warships. The neat air formations automatically dispersed, and the carrier-based aircraft began to look for their respective targets, warships, anti-aircraft turrets, and anti-aircraft machine guns.
Positions, coal bunkers and oil depots are all prey for these carrier-based aircraft.
The S1-A carrier-based bomber is a dive bomber. Its main armament is a heavy bomb of no more than 800 kilograms hung below the center line of the fuselage and a 50 kilogram bomb or depth bomb under each wing. Now
Facing the Japanese ships and port settings, these bombs were the best means of attack.
A pilot piloted a fighter plane and flew quickly towards a Japanese destroyer. The current situation was overwhelming, and he was determined to be the first to sink one of the only two Japanese warships.
The plane passed over one of the destroyers, and the bombardier sitting behind gently pressed the bomb drop button with his right thumb. The plane lightened, and the nose was immediately pulled up. The S1-A carrier-based aircraft roared from the destroyer.
The destroyer's mast flew over the sky, and a violent explosion immediately occurred on the deck of the battleship below.
"Eh!?"
The pilot and the bombardier turned back to check the results of the battle, and found that although the superstructure of the poor destroyer was hit by an aerial bomb, and the billowing smoke quickly enveloped the entire battleship, its hull was not seriously damaged.
Still driving at high speed, preparing to escape from the dangerous port, I couldn't help but be very disappointed.
However, at this time, they could no longer attack it, because the destroyer had been targeted by more than a dozen aircraft at the same time. The greatest threat to it was the T1 torpedo bomber. This carrier-based aircraft carried a 1,288 kg
Once an aerial torpedo hits, the thin-skinned destroyer manufactured by Japan cannot resist it at all, and the only outcome is to sink.
I have to admit that the operating skills of the Japanese Navy sailors are very good. The destroyer that was blown up and billowing smoke was swung left and right and managed to escape the attack of four torpedoes. However, the result of being encircled and suppressed was that it was destroyed by the fifth torpedo.
piece, sixth piece
Hits were made one after another, and the sixth torpedo penetrated the forward ammunition depot of the destroyer with a displacement of more than 3,000 tons. After a series of violent explosions, the destroyer faced down its bow and fell into the seabed. There was only one thing on the sea.
A solitary mast remains.
At this time, crowds were surging on the pier. Many Japanese army and navy officers and soldiers who had stayed in Muscat Port were rushing to their own anti-aircraft gun positions, anti-aircraft machine gun positions or fortress gun positions. There were also some from the Lanyin Islands.
, the indigenous workers in Malaya fled in all directions.
An F1-A carrier-based fighter flew over the pier, and a small team of the Japanese Army garrison, led by the sergeant, marched in neat lines and became victims. Four 12.7-caliber aviation machine guns fired wildly, and soon
Leave a few neat rows of corpses there.
At this time, several S1-A carrier-based bombers discovered the oil depot area near the dock, and accurately dropped the aerial bombs on these buildings. The violent explosion immediately caused a huge fire, and many Japanese troops were near the oil depot.
The soldier was instantly engulfed in flames, and shrill screams came from the fire.
In the port, another destroyer was also hit hard, and thick black smoke rose up. The destroyer accelerated to escape from the port, and five or six torpedo planes attacked it, firing powerful torpedoes one after another.
With waves and bubbles, towards the sun
The Japanese destroyer rushed over, and the roads to the front, rear, left and right were blocked. The Japanese destroyer was hit by four torpedoes in succession on the bow, midship and stern. In the violent explosion, the Japanese sailors had no time to make a choice and fought with them.
The battleship sank into the harbor together.
The coastal defense fortress, anti-aircraft gun positions, and anti-aircraft machine gun positions in Muscat Port also suffered heavy blows.
Due to the sudden incident, there were no people in many positions, so the carrier-based air fleet pulled out these nails one by one without paying any cost.
Half an hour later, the air strike ended. The eighty aircraft that participated in the first wave of strikes re-formed intact over Muscat Port, and then flew towards the north under the command of radio signals. Because these ship-borne aircraft
All aircraft are equipped with autopilot, and many pilots can even have their hands free and drink some bottled drinks to relieve their nervous and exciting mood.
The Muscat Port was in a mess, filled with the dead and injured with mutilated limbs. The transport ships, repair ships, etc. were not directly attacked, but were affected by the violent explosions. Many of them looked haggard.
, or the ship is smoking, or the mast is broken, or it is lying on the berth.
The scene on the dock was also horrific. All eight oil depots were bombed, and four of them suffered heavy losses. Many charred corpses lay on the ground nearby, exuding a disgusting smell, leading to the dock berths and air defenses.
On the road to the position, the corpses of hundreds of Japanese soldiers were lying in confusion.
Rear Admiral Shinji Ito, who is temporarily acting as the naval base, still has not understood what is going on.
You must know that the Japanese army has deployed an air defense observation station in Ras Al Khaimah at the southern end of the Strait of Hormuz. There are also eight similar air defense observation stations on the land leading to Muscat along the Gulf of Oman, all of which have telephones.
The line is connected to the headquarters to prevent air raids by the South China Air Force.
However, so far, he has not received any air defense warning at all. He does not believe that South China's fighter planes crossed the vast Gulf of Oman and flew over from Persia and the Baluchistan region of India.
"Where did those damn Nanhua planes come from?"
Ito Shinji, who felt very uncomfortable, quickly asked his staff to report the situation here to the front army, southern army and base camp. Then he walked back to the window and looked at the messy port. At this time, there were many soldiers and medical soldiers on the port pier.
While they were busy, fire trucks were also actively extinguishing the fire. Many tugboats and fire boats were shuttled in and out of the harbor, and dozens of water jets were sprayed towards the burning ships.
...
***, Tokyo Gyoen Garden.
During this period, everyone from the emperor, cabinet ministers to ordinary people were immersed in the great joy of defeating the world's largest country, the United States.
Every day, the radio broadcasts the news of success, and the headlines of major newspapers come one after another. From the Philippine Islands in the western Pacific to Panama in Central America on the east coast of the Pacific, the Japanese army is invincible and invincible, especially the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.
The destruction of the fleet and**
The three major events of the Japanese Army's successful capture of Oahu and the bombing of the Panama Canal greatly boosted the confidence and morale of Japanese citizens and soldiers. Parades and celebrations could be seen everywhere, seeming to coerce the U.S. government to surrender and achieve the final victory of the war.
It's already a done deal.
Because of his excitement, Emperor Hirohito summoned Chief of Staff Kanji Ishihara and Minister of Military Order Nagano Osamu many times to commend him in material terms and honors.
***The navy and army moved hand in hand in the Pacific region, which greatly eased the tension between the two armies. In Hirohito's heart, the army and the navy, which had always been at war with each other for military expenditures, had never been so harmonious as they are now.
The supreme leader deserves a lot of credit.
However, today is an exception.
When the news came that the Philippines suffered an air attack, the Army Air Forces suffered heavy losses, and the Muscat Port in the Gulf of Oman was attacked, Hirohito lost the smile on his face, especially when he heard that South China dispatched so many fighter planes to participate in the attack on Luzon Island.
The attack on the airport, coupled with the air strikes carried out by the Anjiajun Air Force on Japan's mainland, North Korea, Ryukyu and Taiwan three years ago, makes me feel even heavier.
This was the Japanese army's first defeat after launching the Pacific War, so the base camp meeting was held urgently. Hirohito sat on the main seat, with a gloomy face, and asked the cabinet members and staff from the General Staff Headquarters, the Military Command Department, the Army Ministry, and the Navy Ministry who participated in the meeting.
The officer felt a chill in his heart.
Ishihara Wanji saw that the atmosphere in the venue was depressing, and many people looked at him with mocking eyes. His heart moved, and he stood up and bowed to apologize:
"Your Majesty, gentlemen, the responsibility for today's series of failures lies with Ishihara! Prior to this, although the South China Army frequently caused trouble in the Persian Gulf, causing our Indian Ocean Front Army to be forced to withdraw south to Madagascar, Ishihara still believes that we can
Leave
It is a good thing to open up the land of disputes in the Middle East and focus on the development of the empire in Asia and the Pacific. This will help us shrink our troops and at the same time expand the area defended by the South China Army. At the same time, it will create conflicts between its allies due to interests.
Come on dirty!
"According to the predictions of the intelligence agency, the South China side has two to three years to digest the areas they occupy, especially the Middle East, which is full of deserts and complex ethnicities and religions. It is simply impossible to do so. It is impossible to attack Southeast Asia and Myanmar at this time.
Take action in the Indian region! I didn’t expect that they would be so bold today and launch such a sudden air strike against the empire. This is indeed extremely shocking and puzzling!
"However, Ishihara would like to ask His Majesty the Emperor and all the people in the base camp to rest assured. In Ishihara's view, this should be a one-time action by the South China side to show friendship to the U.S. government and try to relieve the threat of the U.S. Far East Army. It does not involve other regions. In the war in the Middle East
Before the situation is calmed down, the South China Army is simply unable to engage in battle with our army. Therefore, this air raid is just an idol phenomenon and will not evolve into a full-scale war!
"Therefore, what we have to do now is to suppress the news of the failure and increase the intensity of ground attacks in the Manila area. As long as we approach the airport for Nanhua fighter jets to take off and land, the threat of its air force will be eliminated, and they will never be able to come and go.
After flying more than a thousand kilometers, there is still so much fuel consumption, right? We don’t have to worry too much at all!”
Ishihara's smile reassured Hirohito a little.
Hirohito thought for a while and asked: "Ishihara Kyouie, can you predict whether Nanhua's air force will launch air strikes on the empire's mainland! As early as three years ago, Nanhua's air force dropped leaflets over Tokyo. It has been so long now
Now, its aviation technology must be more sophisticated, so wouldn’t the empire be more dangerous? What if they drop bombs on the palace?”
"Your Majesty, I can't guarantee it!"
Ishihara Wanji ignored Hirohito's ugly face, bowed again, and replied respectfully: "However, this is the important reason why the army and navy colleagues under my command launched the Pacific War. Whether it is the mainland of the empire, Manchuria, or the Philippines, Lanyin
The archipelago is too close to China and South China. Once they risk their lives to carry out bombing, His Majesty and the royal family will be in danger.
"Therefore, the only solution is to capture Australia... It is a brand-new continent of nearly eight million square kilometers. It is rich in minerals, has developed industry and commerce, and has stable geological conditions. It is not comparable to the mainland of the empire, which has frequent earthquakes.
What's particularly critical is that it is far away from all continents and has broad strategic depth. As long as the empire can take root on it, it can be built into an insurmountable and indestructible barrier in less than ten years!
"After the Empire captured New Guinea, Australia, and New Zealand, the Pacific Islands were connected by the Imperial Navy into a perfect whole. As long as we slowly work on it, the Empire will be invincible. Please enlighten me!"
Hirohito nodded thoughtfully.
Prime Minister Konoe Fumimaro asked: "Ishihara-kun, are you sure that the South China side is just trying to rescue the U.S. troops surrounded in the Manila area and does not have other intentions?"
"That's for sure!"
Ishihara Wanji answered confidently: "The ground forces cannot cross the South China Sea, which is more than a thousand kilometers away, by relying only on the air force. After all, those heavy artillery, tanks, armored vehicles and trucks are not aircraft with limited load capacity that can carry out transportation. They must rely on the navy."
Ships. The ground troops of the Anjia Army, which are not equipped with heavy weapons, are no match for the imperial army. And is Nanhua's navy worthy of the imperial navy's attention?
"Therefore, there is no need to panic at all. We only need to continue to implement the previous strategy, first take over the Philippine Islands, New Guinea Island, New Ireland Island and Solomon Islands, and then attack the Australian mainland. When Australia and New Zealand are included in the bag, the emperor will die
*The team can advance and attack, retreat and defend, and everything is alive."
Major General Minoru Maeda, the intelligence chief of the Military Command Department, stood up, bowed and asked: "Senior Ishihara, where did the air force that suddenly appeared in Muscat Port come from? In addition, traces of the US fleet were also found in the South China Sea.
They intercepted the empire's merchant ships and attacked lone warships. What's going on with this fleet?"
“It’s easy!”
Ishihara Wanji's eyes were deep and he said with a serious face: "The South China Air Force's air attack on Muscat Port naturally started from the southern and southeastern areas of Persia. Looking at the northern Gulf of Oman, whether it is from Baluchistan in the east
Stan to Bandar Abbas in the west, even the farthest place is
It is less than a thousand kilometers away from the Port of Muscat, far less than the distance from Nanhua mainland to the Philippine Islands. Now that Nanhua can attack Luzon with such a large-scale air force, it will attack from the airport near the northern coast of the Gulf of Oman.
What's so surprising about Scotham?
"As for the American fleet in the South China Sea, I estimate that it set off from the southern seaport of Australia and sneaked into the South China Sea from the Sulawesi Sea. Its role is to harass the empire's sea transportation channels. At the same time, with the cooperation of the South China Air Force, it can attack the empire at any time for the purpose of attacking.
The naval fleet in Manila Bay. At present, Nanhua's air force raid has been successful. Their fleet no longer needs to take risks, but if the situation is critical, they will definitely attack with all their strength to save the safety of MacArthur and other Far East Army generals!
"Therefore, after we capture the Philippine Islands in the future, we must deploy powerful army aviation and submarine forces in the east of the South China Sea to deal with this part of the U.S. fleet and trap it firmly in the South China Sea. For the empire, Taiwan
, Hainan Island, the Philippine Islands, and the Lanyin Islands are a perfect island chain. As long as we don't make mistakes, this fleet will not play any role."
"Yoshi!"
All the participants nodded.
"also--"
Ishihara Wanji's words are not surprising: "Since the Suez Canal and the Red Sea are still in the hands of the British, their Mediterranean fleet can enter the Arabian Sea at any time and attack the empire's navy and army bases in the Arabian Peninsula. Therefore, I speculate that this wave of South China Air Force
After the attack, I am afraid that British warships will appear in Muscat."
"Ishihara-kun, are you saying that Nanhua has coordinated with the Americans and British to advance and retreat together?"
After receiving a positive reply from Ishihara Wanji, Marine Minister Oikawa Koshiro asked nervously: "Ishihara-kun, what should our navy do in the Indian Ocean region?"
"Do nothing for now!"
Ishihara smiled and glanced at the faces of many ministers and navy and army generals who were holding their breath to listen to his answer, and suggested to Oikawa Koshiro with a smile:
"The Imperial Navy can only fully cooperate with the Army in the Pacific War at present. This is related to the life and death of the Empire and the safety of His Majesty the Emperor and the Imperial Family. We must go all out!
Speaking of this, Ishihara Wanji raised his voice intentionally: "Gentlemen, since the war with the United States, we have no retreat. We can only move forward and continue to forge ahead. Only by winning Australia and New Zealand can we take into account the problems in other places.
fighting......"
Ishihara Wanji talked eloquently, and everyone listened attentively. This base camp meeting once again became a stage for Ishihara Wanji to perform alone. However, everyone has adapted to this scene. After all, for the talented Ishihara God of War, the solution cannot be solved without him.
something happened.
Hideki Tojo, Teiichi Suzuki, Hyōtaro Kimura, Soichiro Sanada and others who were present at the meeting frowned. They obviously had different opinions on Ishihara Kanji's strategy, but they saw that most people were sincerely convinced by Kanji Ishihara.
, you can only hide your dissatisfaction deeply in your heart.
As an ally of Ishihara Kanji, General Nagano Shushen, the Minister of Military Affairs, cheered and asked: "Ishihara-kun, the Indian Ocean fleet is equipped with old warships captured from the navies of the Netherlands and the Far East Republic. Is it necessary for us to send some new warships there?
"
Ishihara smiled appreciatively and nodded at Nagano, and then said: "The current deployment of the navy is very good. It uses a small fleet to cooperate with a large number of transport ships to conduct mobile operations and turn each island into an unsinkable aircraft carrier. This will greatly delay the British
It’s time for people to fight back!
"As for our army, Mr. Itagaki and I discussed it and agreed that the situation in the Middle East has been completely corrupted. We must unswervingly choose to give up and focus on operating the defense of the island chain of Madagascar and Ceylon. As for being blocked
As for the troops in southern Syria, I will order them to actively cooperate with the actions of the German-Italian coalition forces in North Africa, fight westward with all their strength, and open up the passage to Egypt, saying that miracles may not happen."
The smile finally returned to Hirohito's face, and he was obviously very satisfied with Ishihara Wanji's answer.
At present, the Japanese army does not lack the makers and executors of war plans, but it lacks generals with far-sighted political and military visions. Ishihara Kanji does not blindly use troops in the Middle East and the Indian Ocean, but actively leads the war to the South Pacific, occupying Australia.
Meeting the needs of the development of the empire and ensuring the safety of the royal family greatly catered to Hirohito's taste.
According to Ishihara Kanji's plan, as long as Japan's navy maintains its current strength, Australia's defense will be impregnable.
***The mainland has less than 400,000 square kilometers, while Australia has nearly 8 million square kilometers, plus China's North China, Northeast China, Far East, Shandong, Ryukyu, Taiwan, Hainan Island, North Korea, Philippine Islands, Lanyin
Surrounded by the Islands, Malaya, Burma and East Indies, a huge maritime empire had begun to take shape. Hirohito was immersed in the great joy of surpassing the achievements of his ancestors and predecessors.