Chapter 1,287 The Japanese’s Back-Up Plan
Chapter 1287 Japanese back-up plan
"So what if it's repaired? Our Fuso-class battleships are enough to suppress them anyway! If they move slower, we might be able to kill one." Captain Matsumura Tatsuo, the captain of the Yamashiro, said nonchalantly.
"But the Kurama cannot defeat the Germans. In fact, the 12-inch side armor and turret do not guarantee immunity to the opponent's 350MM armor-piercing bullets. In fact, in the last battle, the Fuso could severely damage the Austro-Hungarian fast battleship, too. There is an element of luck." Major General Kanji Kato said with a sigh.
"Luck is sometimes elusive. Last time, we took advantage, so this time, who will it be? Who knows?" At this point, Rear Admiral Kanji Kato remembered that before departure, the Ministry of Navy a confidential telegram. and the above.
"If it doesn't work, it seems like this is the only way to go!" Kato Kanji made up his mind.
"Are you sure that the Germans will attack this time?" Outside Machen Port, the captain of the battlecruiser Kong, Colonel Keisaburo Moriyama, asked the commander, Lieutenant General Yamaya Tato.
"Our transportation operation is not a secret to them, and if the repairs of the German battleships have been completed, then they will probably take action." Others in Shanwu said without hesitation.
"Even if we have to face the Fuso-class battleship?" Colonel Keisaburo Moriyama asked.
"Don't be too superstitious about the performance of battleships. In the last battle, we only had a slight advantage." Lieutenant General Yamawu said. : "If the Germans don't come out this time, forget it and treat it as a tactical cruise. If they come out, then it would be a good choice for us to solve this problem once and for all, isn't it?"
After finishing speaking, Vice Admiral Yamaya looked at the fleet outside the window, the two Kongo-class battleships Kongo and Kirishima, and the two light cruisers Chikuma and Hirado. This is the hunting fleet in his hands! Of course, it is impossible to kill the Germans with these two battlecruisers. They need the Fuso and Kurama to hold back and damage the opponent, and then the two Kongang-class battlecruisers can act as a surprise force to defeat the enemy in one fell swoop. ! that is it!
The two German fast battleships in the back garden of the Allies not only annoyed the British, but also annoyed the Japanese! Just staying in the port is enough to give Britain and Japan nightmares. If the nearest Indian Ocean-Red Sea route cannot be taken, more than 90% of the ships must detour from the southern Indian Ocean to the Horn of Africa and then enter the Atlantic Ocean and finally reach Europe. When the Allies chose this route, they had already lost half of the battle. This is still not achieved. If the news of the attack of two fast battleships is confirmed and the attack of Su Xiong's fleet is confirmed, more than 80% of the fleet may choose to hide in the harbor before another serious damage to Su Xiong's fleet, right? Therefore, the Japanese decided to completely kill the Su Xiong fleet if possible!
to this end,
The Japanese Navy formulated such a plan to lure the enemy deeper. The battleship Yamashiro and the Kurama were indeed covering the JP-15 transport fleet heading to Europe. This is true, but their mission was not only that, they also attracted the German fleet to attack. So as to bite the opponent's intention. According to the Japanese plan, two days after the departure of the JP-15 transport fleet, the two Kongo-class fast battleships of Vice Admiral Yamaya Tato will also follow up. They will ensure that they will be about 100 nautical miles behind the JP-15 transport fleet. On location!
The Japanese did not dare to get too close because they knew that the Germans had seaplanes and the visibility in the Indian Ocean was very good. If the Japanese dared to compress the distance to less than 60 nautical miles, they would be easily discovered. In fact, the escort fleet combination of 1 Fuso and 1 Kurama proposed by Yamamoto Gonbei is also very good. If it is two Fuso, then Su Xiong has no idea of fighting! If it were two Kongo-class battleships, they would be given away, let alone the two Kongo-class battlecruisers. According to Japanese estimates, the two Kurama-class battleships might not be able to support the arrival of reinforcements!
"Therefore, the fleet we escort this time must make the Germans think about fighting. At the same time, we must also maintain a balance of power and let the Germans knock their teeth out when they attack." Goro Ijuin mentioned in a memo to JP -15 Convoy escort issues.
When formulating this plan, the Japanese navy, which can be said to be tactically sophisticated, also considered the issue of confidentiality. They were unable to decipher the German code known as "devil writing". At the same time, they also discovered that their naval code was very important to Germany. It is not a secret that is too difficult for the fleet to crack. Therefore, in this operation, the entire JP-15 transport fleet had a set of backup passwords, and this password was only mastered by Kanji Kato! When he uses this new code, it means that he has fought against the German fleet. The fleet of Vice Admiral Yamawu and others who are following behind will rush to the battlefield quickly. During the whole process, the fleet of Vice Admiral Yamawu and others will only receive intelligence and not send it out! In this way, the confidentiality of the operation is guaranteed to the greatest extent.
Of course, there are some risks in doing so. For example, what if the German fleet does not fight? In other words, just touch it and leave? Then we can only treat it as a wasted trip as others in Shanwu said.
In addition to hunting the Su Xiong fleet, the Japanese Navy also has another intention. "In terms of military strength, we and the German fleet are almost equal. I want to know, when our military strength is equal, when we face the German fleet, Can we win the battle?" Lieutenant General Yamaya still remembers this sentence written by Goro Ijuin in his telegram to himself. This idea, which may seem naive to outsiders, actually reflects what the Japanese Navy has been paying attention to. Question, how does the quality of the Japanese navy compare with the world's first-class navy? The Japanese want an answer!
Thus, in the vast Indian Ocean, a game of calculation and counter-calculation, hunting and counter-hunting, a game of cicada, mantis and oriole gradually kicked off!
"If Pearl is not mistaken, we will encounter the JP-15 transport fleet in this area today." Colonel Schultz stood on the deck of the U229 submarine, raising the telescope in his hand to search the sea level. Pearl is the abbreviation of another intelligence system. This intelligence system is composed of American merchant ships that have been cruising in the Indian Ocean for a long time. Their mission is very simple. They only need a transmitter and an intelligence officer. They only need to send what they see. Just send the situation via telegram. However, for such a simple thing and the fact that the United States is a neutral country, the Allies have no way to completely destroy this intelligence network! Because it was so difficult to capture, the intelligence officer only had to throw the telegraph machine and code book overboard before the British auxiliary cruiser rushed up.
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