Chapter 515 Tiger! Tiger! Tiger 19

"Yesterday, December 7, 1941 - a date that will live in infamy - the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by the naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan. The United States is at peace with Japan and is still in talks with its government and the Emperor at Japan's request to maintain peace in the Pacific. In fact, just one hour after the Japanese air squadron had begun bombing the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States submitted to our Secretary of State a formal reply to the United States' recent letter to Japan. Although the reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the current diplomatic negotiations, it did not contain any threats or insinuations of war or armed attack...

... Believing in our armed forces - relying on the firm determination of our people - we will achieve inevitable victory, may God help us! I ask Congress to declare that since the unprovoked and despicable attack launched by Japan on Sunday, December 7, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Empire of Japan."

The solemn, calm, slightly angry, but confident voice of the US President Roosevelt came from the loudspeaker of the battleship "Pennsylvania".

This was Roosevelt's speech requesting the United States to declare war on the Empire of Japan. It was also a war mobilization speech for the entire American people. The Senate and the House of Representatives would certainly respond by voting unanimously to declare war on Japan, and the American people would be inspired by their president and devote themselves to the war with the greatest enthusiasm.

However, this was of no use to the main force of the US Pacific Fleet that was leaving the port. The Japanese destroyed most of the aircraft on Oahu in an air raid the day before. It also made the two most powerful battleships in Pearl Harbor, the Maryland and the West Virginia, lose their ability to move and could only run aground in Pearl Harbor. In addition, the Arizona was sunk in Pearl Harbor. Although the California and the Oklahoma did not sink, they had completely lost their combat effectiveness and became a waste ship.

Therefore, the only three old and outdated battleships, the Tennessee and the Nevada, that followed Kimmel out of Pearl Harbor were the flagship Pennsylvania and the Tennessee and the Nevada, which were not very powerful.

Relying on these three battleships, the Pacific Fleet would be doomed if it encountered the Yamato Hotel, even the four ships Nagato, Mutsu, Kirishima, and Hiei.

But Kimmel still led the ships in Pearl Harbor to go out together. Because the two waves of attacks launched by the Japanese yesterday afternoon and Halsey's previous bombing of Saipan gave Kimmel a very bad premonition... The Japanese air raid on Oahu might continue for a few days until all the American ships and facilities in Pearl Harbor were bombed, and they would not stop, and even occupying Oahu was not ruled out!

So Admiral Kimmel, who was a little desperate, could only find a way to divert the Japanese fleet from Hawaii. Now the US Army has urgently mobilized 300 P51s that were originally to be shipped to Europe to San Francisco and San Diego, and is preparing to transport them to Hawaii by cargo ships. As long as Kimmel's fleet can divert the Japanese fleet from Hawaii for 10 days, these planes can be delivered. With these 300 P51s, Oahu can be saved.

"Admiral, an unidentified radio signal has been intercepted, and it is near us."

Just as the Pennsylvania left Pearl Harbor, the fleet's communications staff reported a disturbing news.

"It's a Japanese submarine!" Kimmel immediately ordered, "Order the destroyers to be on alert, don't let the Japanese submarines get close to the battleships."

His judgment was very accurate. The third submarine unit belonging to the Japanese advance formation was lurking in the waters south of Oahu. The commander was Rear Admiral Shigeyoshi Miwa, commander of the third submarine squadron. It was under the command of 9 submarines, including I-8, I-68, I-69, I-70, I-71, I-72, I-73, I-74 and I-75. Now it was discovered that the main force of the US Pacific Fleet left Pearl Harbor, the I-70 closest to the port.

With the help of the burning oil tanks and the moonlight, I-70 could easily find the huge fleet leaving the port. But when I-70 sent out the information that "the US fleet had left the port", the opportunity to launch a sneak attack with torpedoes was lost.

A destroyer formation that left Pearl Harbor earlier than the Pennsylvania received an order and began to sail in the direction of I-70. I-70 had to fire torpedoes at the battleship Pennsylvania at a distance of more than 30,000 meters and then dived urgently. However, due to the long distance, the Type 93 Long Lance torpedo it fired did not hit any target.

Admiral Kimmel did not know that he had just escaped a disaster. After ordering the destroyers to be on alert, he began to issue orders to Rear Admiral Fletcher's 2nd Task Force.

"Let Rear Admiral Fletcher lead the fleet immediately to join the main force. We need the F4F on the Ranger to provide direct cover... By the way, how many F4Fs are there on the Ranger?"

"There are still 22."

"How many carrier-based F4Fs are there on Oahu?" Kimmel asked.

"There are 12."

"All of them are transferred to the Ranger." Kimmel said thoughtfully, "Now that the Japanese have discovered that we have left, they will definitely stop bombing Oahu and chase us."

...

"What? The submarine discovered that the main force of the Pacific Fleet had left Pearl Harbor? At least three battleships?" Tadashi Nagumo couldn't help but cursed after receiving the latest information from his staff, "Baga! Didn't you mean to sink 1 6 battleships? How come there are still 3 battleships in Pearl Harbor?”

"There should be 8 ships, but only 7 were found during the bombing yesterday. There may be one Pennsylvania class docked." Aviation staff officer Minoru Genda quickly replied, "There may be 2 American battleships with minor injuries and can still be moved. "

"Three battleships, at least one aircraft carrier..." Nagumo Tadashi was confused at first, "The other side is Oahu. Who should we attack?"

"American battleships and aircraft carriers should be attacked. After all, it is the fleet, not the port, that can dominate the ocean."

Immediately, the staff of the First Mobile Fleet made suggestions. Compared with port facilities, battleships and aircraft carriers are greater achievements, so they are naturally more attractive.

Genda Minoru frowned and shook his head and said: "Commander, I think Oahu is the most valuable target... Now Oahu seems to be an enemy general who is seriously injured and about to die. When taking the first level.”

"Go all out to seize the enemy general's head?" Nagumo Chuichi looked at Genda Minoru, "Occupy Oahu?"

"This is the best policy!" Genda Minoru said, "The next best thing is to use bombing and naval guns to completely destroy Pearl Harbor's oil depots, airports and shipyards, so that they will not be able to function as a home port in the next two or three years. And... as long as... When the army lands on Kauai, American battleships and aircraft carriers will come to rescue them, because the Americans simply cannot afford to lose Hawaii!”

Nagumo Tadashi scratched his bald head, Genda's words were indeed true. As long as Taiwan's mixed brigade lands on Kauai, are you afraid that the Americans won't come? Not only will three battleships and one aircraft carrier come from the Hawaiian waters, but also the main force of the US aircraft carrier formation near Saipan will come. By then, it will be a decisive battle that will determine the future and fate of the Japanese Empire!

"How many commonly used carrier-based aircraft does Nagumo have?"

In the "Yamato Hotel", Commander Yamamoto Isoroku had just gotten up and was having breakfast with his staff in the spacious and comfortable cabin while discussing the war situation.

"Commander, the First Mobile Fleet still has 432 regular aircraft."

Because none of the Japanese pilots carry parachutes, and the Japanese Navy has not seriously studied the rescue and recovery of fallen pilots. Therefore, the pilots who were shot down in the battle on December 7 had become gods, so few backup aircraft were put to use.

"There are 432 aircraft left..." Yamamoto frowned and said, "We still have the power to fight! At least we can destroy Oahu! When can the Hawaii dispatched fleet join the First Mobile Fleet?"

"We can rendezvous between 1 and 2 pm today, about 200 nautical miles away from Hawaii."

Yamamoto Isoroku thought for a while and said: "The assault can be in place in 11-12 hours... The bombardment of the oil depot area can begin at 0:00 on the 9th. Then today during the day, the First Mobile Fleet should focus on bombing the airport on Oahu. Before the US aircraft carrier attacks Saipan, it must destroy all the airports and oil depots on Oahu!"

As soon as Yamamoto's order was issued, he saw a staff officer quickly walk into the commander's cabin and hand a telegram to Ugaki Matoi with both hands. Ugaki glanced at the telegram and suddenly frowned.

"What's going on?" Yamamoto Fifty-Six asked.

"It was an emergency call from Saipan... The reconnaissance plane sent by Saipan discovered that dozens of heavy bombers had flown to Guam."

Most of the aircraft on Saipan have been destroyed by the carrier-based aircraft sent by Halsey, but there are still a few that have slipped through the net. These aircraft were primarily reconnaissance aircraft and were not on Saipan when the airstrike occurred. So today the Japanese army in Saipan was still able to send planes to Guam for reconnaissance, only to find dozens of B-17s roaring towards them.

"Is it a B-17?" Yamamoto Isoroku frowned, "Are the Americans going to use B-17 to bomb Saipan?"

"There is also Truk Atoll." Ugaki Matou reminded, "It is not far from Guam and is within the combat radius of the B-17."

Yamamoto nodded. He never thought that these B-17s were going to bomb the Emperor, so he just gave the order to the Japanese defenders of Truk Atoll to conduct all-out air defense, and then went to discuss how to deal with Oahu and the US Pacific Fleet. The main force.