The Rise of the Third Reich

When the fleet carrying the 17th Army Headquarters, the 6th Division Headquarters and some officers and soldiers of the 6th Division were attacked by air attacks, the news that almost the entire army was wiped out (only 2 ad hoc gunboats survived) reached the "Yamato" in Rabaul. When he arrived at the "Restaurant", Yamamoto Isoroku was holding a banquet to entertain Lieutenant General Kuroda Shigenori, the chief of staff of the Southern Army, who came from Singapore.

The Southern Army is the so-called general army establishment, which is equivalent to the German front headquarters or the Soviet Union's directional headquarters, and is very powerful. It currently has 4 front armies (9 armies), 3 direct-administered armies, and 1 aviation army. In total, There are 38 divisions, 1 tank division, 22 independent mixed brigades, 3 flying divisions, 1 maritime mobile brigade, and approximately 720,000 officers and soldiers.

At present, the Japanese Empire's southward operations are in charge of the Combined Fleet in terms of the navy, and the Southern Army is responsible for the army. The battle south to Australia was the final battle of the Japanese Empire going south. The operations on land were still commanded by the Southern Army.

Shigetoku Kuroda came to Rabaul from Singapore, where the Southern Army Headquarters is located, just to discuss with the Combined Fleet Commander Yamamoto Isoroku the relocation of the Southern Army Headquarters to Rabaul - the focus of the Southern Army's next operations is undoubtedly It is Australia. Therefore, Marshal Juichi Terauchi, commander of the Southern Army, believes that the headquarters should be moved to Rabaul, which is close to the front and is also the anchorage of the Combined Fleet. This not only makes it easier to grasp the situation on the front line, but also makes it easier to argue with the shameless navy.

Although there has always been a relatively large conflict between the Japanese Navy and the Army, the conflict is not superficial, and Yamamoto Isoroku is also a relatively easy person to get along with. Therefore, Army Red Deer Kuroda was given a very high standard of reception. A full set of French meals were served in the commander's hall, including seafood soup, steak, lobster, foie gras, caviar, etc., and there were also many dishes. Lafite, who lived for 82 years (1882), really gave the rustic-looking big red deer Kuroda a deep understanding of how the shameless Navy squandered public funds.

Just when the guests and hosts were changing cups and enjoying the meal, a staff officer hurriedly opened the door and came in. He then leaned over the ear of the fleet's chief staff officer, Kuroshima Kameto, and whispered a few words in a low voice. Then he saw Black Dao's expression suddenly changed, and he opened his mouth wide, looking completely shocked.

It took a while before I heard him ask loudly: "Has this...has this been confirmed?"

Then the staff officer said: "I have confirmed it several times and it is absolutely true..."

Yamamoto Isoroku saw Kuroshima's gaffe, frowned and asked, "Kuroshima-kun, what happened?"

"Commander, the ヒ21 ship transporting the 17th Army was attacked by an air attack! The losses were heavy!"

"What? Mr. Kuroshima, you said...air strike?"

Yamamoto Isoroku rubbed his eyes, and then stared at the livid Kuroshima Kameto, as if he wanted to make sure he was drunk?

If Kuroshima reported that the ヒ21 ship transporting the 17th Army was attacked by a submarine, Yamamoto Isoroku would not think that Kuroshima was drunk. But air strikes...how is this possible? The ヒ21 ship went south from the mainland, taking the "safe route" of the mainland-Saipan-Rabaul. How could it be air raided? Where did the plane come from?

"Commander, it was really an air attack!" Kuroshima Kameto said urgently and quickly, "The Dayo Maru and four other two- to three-thousand-ton cargo ships were all sunk, and only two several hundred-ton special-purpose ships were sunk. The gunboats survived... The sea is now full of officers and soldiers from the 17th Army and the 6th Division. There are thousands of them, and two gunboats can't fit in them!"

"What? Thousands of people from the 17th Army and the 6th Division fell into the water?" Kuroda Shigenori couldn't sit still now. Thousands of people fell into the water... Two gunboats can't fit in. What does this mean? Do you want them all to drown? These are all soldiers of the imperial army! It would be fine if they were the shameless navy, but those people were from the army and the 6th Division. They were the elites of the imperial army!

"Have you figured out what kind of plane it is? Is it a seaplane?" Yamamoto Isoroku asked quickly.

The reason why he asked this question was because the Japanese Navy is currently secretly pursuing an "underwater aircraft carrier plan." Prepare to build a large submarine that can carry 2-3 seaplanes to attack the Panama Canal - use seaplanes to carry bombs to bomb the canal locks, making the US military unable to use the canal for several months.

Since the Japanese Navy can develop such an idea, it is entirely possible for the United States, with its powerful shipbuilding industry, to build an "underwater aircraft carrier", and maybe it has already been built! Those who bombed the ヒ21 ship were mostly seaplanes sent by the underwater aircraft carrier.

"Not seaplanes... just ordinary single-engine aircraft, 9 unknown dive bombers, 9 SBD dive bombers."

"What?" Yamamoto Isoroku stood up suddenly, "Aircraft carrier!? A U.S. aircraft carrier has arrived near Saipan? How is this possible!"

The Black Island turtle man shook his head, also looking confused. The American aircraft carrier unknowingly sneaked into the Japanese back garden in the Western Pacific to cause trouble.

"Commander, if the intelligence is true, the Americans must have used an aircraft carrier to break up the engagement." Golden Armored Ugaki Matoi reacted quickly and immediately thought of an aircraft carrier breaking up the engagement - such a thing has not happened before, the Germans in 39 I tried it a few years ago, but it wasn't very successful.

"Damn it, an American aircraft carrier has arrived in the Western Pacific!" Yamamoto Isoroku gritted his teeth and sneered, "But the Navy will definitely make sure it never comes back!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a burst of footsteps, and then he saw another staff officer running in.

"Your Excellency, Commander, Convoy ヒ22 bound for Hawaii reported that it was attacked by US military aircraft!"

"What!?" Yamamoto Isoroku's eyes suddenly widened. ヒ22 Ship Group is a ship group transporting fuel and ammunition to Hawaii! Nowadays, all transport convoys sailing from Japan to overseas are called "ship convoys". The convoys transporting troops are numbered with odd numbers, and the convoys transporting supplies are numbered with even numbers. The ヒ22 ship group is a group of ships that transport supplies to Hawaii. One of them is a 19,000-ton whaling mother ship, the Second Tunan Maru, which is the treasure of the Japanese navy. The Japanese like to eat whale meat, so the whaling industry has always been very important. Developed, Japan's largest oil tanker during World War II was this kind of whaling mother ship, because the whaling mother ship had oil tanks for storing whale oil, and it could be transformed into an oil tanker after being slightly modified.

Because this second Tunan Maru sailed out of Japan, it was filled with fuel for ships and aircraft! If it is sunk by a US military plane, the losses will be heavy.

"There...how many enemy planes are there? What models are they?" Black Island Turtle Man immediately asked.

"12 SBD dive bombers, 12 unknown torpedo bombers, and 6 F4F escorts."

The staff officer's answer was very specific, because the navy destroyer that replaced the ヒ22 shipyard had a "cat-eye warrior" on it, so of course it would not be mistaken for the aircraft.

"Two aircraft carriers!" Yamamoto Isoroku's teeth were almost broken because he knew that the Second Tunan Maru would not be able to escape! If 12 dive bombers and 12 torpedo bombers could not sink a whaling ship, all American pilots could commit seppuku.

"We must not let them escape!" Yamamoto roared.

"Teng Teng Teng..."

The sound of rapid footsteps sounded again!

"Your Excellency, Commander, the Izumo coastal defense ship of the Yokosuka garrison was bombed by a US carrier-based aircraft while patrolling 150 nautical miles south of the Boso Peninsula. It was hit by a torpedo and two bombs, and it completely lost its combat effectiveness..."

The third aircraft carrier! ?

"Baga!" Yamamoto Isoroku almost jumped up. Americans are really bullying. You guys have money and steel and you can't play like this. You smashed three aircraft carriers at once to break up the relationship...

"Unforgivable!" Yamamoto Isoroku roared, "We must sink them no matter what!"

Teng Teng Teng...

Footsteps sounded again, and now all eyes were looking at Yamamoto, vaguely complaining - couldn't you just say a few words less? All the American aircraft carriers have been recruited!

"Your Excellency, Commander!" The person who came in this time was the communication staff officer of the fleet, with a beaming face. He first gave a military salute to the shocked Commander Yamamoto, and then said slowly: "Your Excellency, Commander, the telegram from the 4th Division, Port Moresby has just been captured by our invincible Imperial Japanese Army."

The 4th Division and the 6th Division both belonged to the invincible 17th Army of the Imperial Japanese Army, which was the army of which Hisao Tani Damaka was the commander. Although the commander is probably drowning, the victory in Port Moresby still belongs to him... The history of future battles can probably be written like this: The general still commanded the invincible Fourth Division when he became a god. Fighting a bloody battle with the enemy, they captured Port Moresby.

"So fast?" Yamamoto Isoroku breathed a sigh of relief, but immediately felt something was wrong. The ground attack on Port Moresby only started in the early hours of yesterday morning. How come it was defeated at noon today?

"Well, it is indeed the Fourth Division of the Invincible Imperial Army! Well done!" Kuroda Shigenori shouted as if he was demonstrating.

Then he said to Yamamoto Isoroku: "Admiral Yamamoto, now that Port Moresby has been obtained, can the Australian offensive begin immediately? It is also the intention of the Earl Marshal to start attacking Australia as soon as possible."

The earl marshal is Juichi Terauchi, a second-generation official, and his father is the son of the "Monster Prime Minister" Masaki Terauchi (who was said to be a monster because of his ugly appearance) who served as prime minister. The commander of the Southern Army is a famous general who rubs shoulders with Yamamoto Isoroku in Japan today (Yamamoto is about to be appointed commander), but his credit is always a bit vain - after all, the Nanyang Raiders were a great victory in the navy. based on. So he set his sights on Australia and wanted to personally direct this unprecedented victory.