The Rise of the Third Reich

Rabaul.

October 30, late at night.

Snow-white searchlights pierced the night. Countless trucks were rushing around warehouses and docks. Sailors were shouting from time to time. The Korean and Taiwanese coolies were all huffing and puffing from exhaustion, but no one dared to slow down. The cranes on the ship were The crane's boom swings back and forth much more frequently than usual.

Standing inside the bridge of the battleship Yamato, watching the battleships that had completed supplies sail out of the Rabaul military port one after another, the face of Combined Fleet Commander Yamamoto Isoroku showed unconcealable pride.

Although the Americans used aircraft carriers to break diplomatic ties, they caught the combined fleet off guard. In just one day, three convoys were attacked (at noon on the 30th, another convoy transporting ammunition to Rabaul was hit). It was severely damaged, and six ships sailing alone were bombed and sunk. The total tonnage lost exceeded 120,000 tons, which was greater than the losses caused by British and American submarines and camouflaged assault ships in a month.

But this kind of desperate tactics actually shows that the Americans don't have many cards to play. To use a Chinese idiom to describe it, this is called a donkey in Guizhou who is at the end of his rope - he has no tricks left!

What if three aircraft carriers are dispatched at once to break the relationship? It just caught Japan off guard, and it couldn't change the balance of strength in the Pacific at all. The absolute advantage now lies with Japan. The American aircraft carriers simply did not dare to fight the Japanese combined fleet in an upright manner. They only dared to use this sneaky method to disrupt Japan's rear. This is completely a sign of weakness!

Moreover, the Americans' aircraft carrier breaking diplomatic relations has angered the Japanese Combined Fleet!

Now, they are about to taste the wrath of the combined fleet!

There was a sound of hurried footsteps, and then the voice of the captain of the Yamato, Takayanagi Hachijo: "Commander, the Yamato has been replenished!"

"Let's go, Yamato!"

Yamamoto Isoroku gave Captain Takayanagi the order to attack in a very calm tone.

October 31, 0:15.

Under the surveillance of a US Navy submarine "Dolphin" equipped with an SJ sea search radar, the Yamato battleship, escorted by two destroyers, slowly sailed out of the Rabaul base and was waiting at the port in the morning. The main ships of the combined fleet on the outer sea converged.

…

"Commander, the main force of the Japanese combined fleet has left Rabaul Port!"

Spruance happily entered Admiral Nimitz's office, holding the telegram he had just received in his hand.

"Leaved Rabaul?" Nimitz asked quickly, "When and where?"

Spruance replied: "He left late at night on the 30th and early morning on the 31st local time. He left the bay and headed northwest."

Going north!

Australia is in the south, and if you go to the northwest, you have to go to the Western Pacific to find three American aircraft carriers that have broken diplomatic ties... That's probably the case!

Nimitz didn't ask any more questions. The SJ radar on the "Dolphin" submarine could only search for these. As for following the Japanese combined fleet northward, it is impossible. The underwater speed of the "Dolphin" cannot keep up with the Japanese fleet at all, and it cannot stay underwater for long. If it comes up for air, it will be discovered by Japanese cat-eye warriors. .

"Where is the FS06 fleet?" Nimitz asked about the FS06 fleet of transport ships heading towards Australia.

"Near French Polynesia, nearly 3,600 nautical miles from Sydney."

The current speed of the FS06 fleet is about 12 knots, and it takes 300 hours to travel 3,600 nautical miles, which is 12 and a half days. As long as these 12 and a half days pass peacefully, the United States will have sufficient troops in Australia, and it will also have a powerful 4th Armored Division!

Because they were worried that Japan might obtain powerful tanks from Germany, the 4th Armored Division strengthened its anti-tank capabilities as much as possible and equipped a large number of M4 medium tanks and M10 tank destroyers. It can be said that as long as this division arrives safely, it will be difficult for the Japanese to capture Australia.

"Twelve and a half days is too long..." Nimitz shook his head. "The Japanese were just angered, but they are not fools. They know the importance of three aircraft carriers and Australia."

It is difficult to hunt down three US aircraft carrier formations breaking diplomatic ties in the vast Pacific, but it is very simple for the Japanese to maintain the security of the mainland-Saipan-Rabaul route and the mainland-Hawaii route. Just form a large fleet and use light aircraft carriers to escort it.

Although doing this is very troublesome and may reduce the efficiency of maritime transportation, it is much easier than chasing American aircraft carriers across the ocean.

Moreover, according to the report of the FS06 fleet, the fleet has been discovered by Japanese reconnaissance aircraft.

As long as the commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet has a normal mind, it is impossible to let go of such a huge troop transport fleet...if the Japanese really want to attack Australia!

Therefore, Nimitz estimated that the Japanese were likely to use their troops at the right time. They will first search north for a few days. If they cannot find the US aircraft carrier, they will divide their forces and head south. At least a few large fleet aircraft carriers will be sent south to attack the FS06 fleet. If these Japanese aircraft carriers catch the FS06 fleet, they will suffer heavy losses.

But Nimitz already had a way to deal with it!

"Form the FS07 fleet immediately!" Nimitz whispered, "The 4th Armored Division must be sent to Australia within a week!"

The plan to form the FS07 fleet was drawn up as early as when the FS06 fleet set sail. It is not to form a new fleet starting from San Francisco, but to merge part of the FS06 fleet with high-speed cruise ships with the 1st Task Force commanded by Halsey, and have Halsey's fleet escort them quickly. Australia - Large cruise ships in this era are all about high speed (later luxury cruise ships are also high-speed ships, generally able to run about 30 knots. In the 1950s, there was an American cruise ship that ran 40 knots), and they can keep up with aircraft carriers. Special mixed formation. Therefore, when the aircraft carrier task force and the high-speed cruise ship merge, the average speed of the entire formation can be maintained at more than 20 knots.

In addition, 3 of the 6 large cruise ships in the FS06 fleet have been specially modified and can carry a large number of vehicles. The M4 tanks, M10 tank destroyers and M7 self-propelled artillery of the 4th Armored Division, as well as some tank maintenance vehicles, are loaded on these three modified cruise ships. The other three large cruise ships were loaded with personnel and part of the equipment of the 4th Armored Division.

In other words, as long as these six large cruise ships can reach Australia, there will be an armored division on the Australian continent that is difficult to deal with. Even if the subsequent FS06 fleet cannot arrive, Australia can hold on for a long time.

Of course, these six large cruise ships did not carry all the equipment of the 4th Armored Division, and many trucks and towed artillery were not included. However, it is not difficult to gather vehicles and artillery on the Australian continent. After all, there are still 9 American infantry divisions with motorized weapons. It is not a problem to allocate some equipment to the 4th Armored Division.

…

"Are you sure you got rid of the American submarine?" Yamamoto Fifty-Six asked.

"Very sure!" Captain Takayanagi Gihachi of the Yamato replied, "The Yamato is equipped with a radar wave receiver imported from Germany. Now we can be sure that no American submarine is tracking us with radar."

Although the German radar is not as good as that of the United Kingdom and the United States, the radar wave receiver is still very reliable. This device was originally developed for German submarines to deal with British anti-submarine patrol aircraft (anti-submarine reconnaissance aircraft use radar to search for floating submarines. If there are no radar wave receivers on the submarines, then they will not know that they have been discovered. It is impossible to dive in time to avoid the bombing). However, now that German submarines are no longer trying to break up diplomatic relations, a large amount of this equipment has been "supported" to Japan.

With this kind of radar wave receiver, the Japanese combined fleet that is now heading north can find out whether there are any enemy submarines or aircraft and then use radar for reconnaissance.

At the same time, Yamamoto Isoroku also sent several destroyer formations to search around. These destroyers were also equipped with sonar purchased from Germany. In addition, there are sharp-eyed "cat-eye soldiers" on the destroyers. If the US submarine does not dive deep enough, it will still be easily discovered in the clear water of the South Pacific.

"Yaoxi!" Yamamoto Isoroku nodded, and then asked Ugaki Matou, "Has the troop division plan been drawn up?"

"Commander, the plan has been made." Matoi Ugaki replied, "With six aircraft carriers including Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Zuikaku, and Shokaku and two battleships Kongo and Hiei as the core, the First Air Force will be formed. Fleet, head south to the Coral Sea!

With four battleships including Yamato, Musashi, Haruna, and Kirishima and two motherships including Hikan and Hayabusa as the core, the 1st Fleet was formed and headed south to the Coral Sea together with the 1st Air Fleet.

The 1st Air Fleet is responsible for attacking the US aircraft carrier formation, and the 1st Fleet is responsible for attacking the US transport fleet.

In addition, the 5th and 6th fleets were formed with the four aircraft carriers Fengxiang, Xiangfeng, Zuifeng and Longfeng as the core, and went north to search for the US aircraft carriers that broke diplomatic relations. If nothing is discovered, the 5th Fleet will be responsible for escorting the mainland-Saipan-Rabaul route, and the 6th Fleet will be responsible for escorting the mainland-Hawaii route. "

As the saying goes, there is no fool in the name of fame. Nimitz, the famous general of the U.S. Navy, is not a fool, and Yamamoto Isoroku, the military god of the Japanese Navy, cannot be a fool either.

Nimitz tried his best to lure the enemy northward, but how could Yamamoto Isoroku be easily deceived? The Combined Fleet's turbulent march north this morning was just a show for the American submarines ambushing outside the Rabaul port.

"Very good," Yamamoto Isoroku nodded heavily, "Now continue heading north, and implement the troop division plan immediately after dark."

"Hai!"