When you know that the danger does exist and it may come at any time, waiting is more like torture.

But, not waiting all the time.

All night, I basically received a message sent or forwarded by the Fourth Fleet Command, the Navy Command, the Military Intelligence Bureau, or other relevant agencies every few hours, which made Bai Huawei and Liu Zunling very upset.

Most of them are the battle reports of other troops.

Although most of the news has nothing to do with fleet combat, and it is very messy and feels like it is inconstrued, these news confirms Bai Huawei's speculation in disguise.

On the first day of the battle, until the early morning of the 5th, the Newland Navy did not dispatch carrier-based attack aircraft to bomb the Aliu Islands and the Hovay Islands.

Patrol aircraft sent to the central waters of the Northeast Ocean to perform search missions were shot down during the flight.

In addition, these patrol planes did not find the Newland fleet or suspicious ships before they were shot down, and they might not have time to report the situation to the rear.

The result is that there is a huge reconnaissance gap in the central part of the Northeastern Ocean.

Strictly speaking, this is actually a "black area". The Imperial Navy is not clear about the specific situation in this sea area with an area of ​​more than 20 million square kilometers.

The only thing that is certain is that the Newland fighters that shot down the patrol plane must have received early warning aircraft support.

Is it a carrier-based early warning aircraft? Or is it that the Newland Air Force dispatched large early warning aircraft and, with the support of the tanker, left to the central waters of the Northeastern Ocean to perform missions.

Because the Navy's patrol aircraft is not equipped with electronic reconnaissance equipment and does not have the ability to perform electronic reconnaissance missions, after losing more than 10 patrol aircraft in succession, they still did not understand the situation. Even the F-14 of the Newland Navy or the F-15 of the Newland Air Force were not clear.

Anyway, they were shot down by enemy aircraft using long-range air-to-air missiles from outside the sight range.

To this end, the Air Force dispatched a large electronic reconnaissance aircraft in the early morning of the 5th.

If everything goes well, then you can figure out the situation as early as the morning of the 5th and the afternoon of the 5th, that is, whether there is a Newland fleet in the central waters of the Northeast Ocean.

After having lunch, it was almost dawn.

Bai Huawei did not return to the cabin, so he rested in the officers' restaurant for a while. Liu Zunling did not go to rest either, but after having lunch, he went to the command center for a walk. As long as he was not too busy, he had to go to the main combat command departments such as the Navigation Ship Bridge, Aviation Operations Center and Tactical Intelligence Center.

According to unwritten rules, under the combat deployment state, the second-in-command is on night shifts.

However, Bai Huawei was also very conscious. Shortly after Liu Zunling left, he went to the Commander's Bridge.

Because they had just had a midnight snack and the two of them stayed up all night, when they returned to the Commander Bridge, Liu Zunling brought Bai Huawei a cup of coffee.

Drinking coffee is a traditional naval culture, and almost every naval officer has his own unique taste.

As for the navy generals, let alone.

In Bai Huawei's words, generals from the naval family like him don't have to taste it at all. They can judge the quality of coffee by just the fragrance.

The key is that after winning the Second Global War, the Imperial Navy no longer had to worry about coffee.

At the beginning, after the end of the First Global War, the Imperial Navy had lost the Southeast region, so for more than 20 years since then, the Imperial Navy had been facing the dilemma of no coffee to drink. In order not to be controlled by others, the Imperial Navy even opened coffee plantations in the southern part of the local area. Unfortunately, due to factors such as climate and variety, the quality of the coffee grown in the Imperial Empire obviously could not meet the requirements of the navy, or it could not meet the picky tastes of the navy officers. At most, it could only be provided to the grassroots level to meet the needs of the grassroots officers and soldiers.

In the outside world's words, the Imperial Navy actively sent troops to occupy and control the Southeast during the Second Global War in order to regain the world's largest coffee production area.

Of course, this is actually a joke.

Before Bai Huawei could taste it, the communication officer on duty hurried over.

The news just received was forwarded by the Navy Command.

The large electronic reconnaissance aircraft dispatched by the Air Force was shot down by the Newland Navy fighter jets about 1,000 kilometers south of the Aliu Islands.

Fortunately, the large electronic reconnaissance aircraft issued a crucial report before it was shot down.

According to the electromagnetic signals intercepted by the electronic reconnaissance aircraft, the one performing the interception mission was the F-14 of the Newland Navy or the missiles launched more than 100 kilometers away. The key is that a Newland Navy E-2C commanded the F-14 to intercept the electronic reconnaissance aircraft at about 400 kilometers away.

In fact, it was the E-2C that discovered the electronic reconnaissance aircraft and the F-14 arrived in time.

In addition, before the electronic reconnaissance plane was shot down, no warships of the Newland Navy were found, nor did they intercept radio signals sent by the warships.

Obviously, the Newland Fleet cannot keep radio silent all the time.

If it is close enough, then after the Imperial Air Force's electronic reconnaissance aircraft appears, the Newland Fleet should enter air defense combat state. Even if the aircraft carrier needs to be kept hidden, the air defense warships must be enabled to activate the radar, and at least the warning ships that are out of the front should be prepared for combat.

Any fleet, especially after entering high-threat seas, will arrange radar warning ships.

In the Imperial Navy, general destroyers or ocean frigates generally perform alert tasks. It is not that these two types of warships are more suitable, but that there are too few air defense cruisers, or the fleet's air defense pillars, so they must be left behind to protect the aircraft carrier and cannot take risks easily.

Usually, radar warning ships work together with early warning aircraft 150,000 away from the front of the fleet.

Fleet commanders often deploy radar warning ships in the direction that threatens the greatest threat and move separately, thereby expanding the fleet's air defense range.

However, this is not the core value of the existence of radar warning ships.

Here, it involves fleet air defense operations.

During the Second Global War, radar warning ships were extremely important air defense forces and played an irreplaceable role in fleet air defense operations. By the late stage of the war, especially in combat operations to strike the local area of ​​Newland, there were often 3 to 5 light cruisers or large destroyers equipped with radars and specialized in warning missions. During combat use, these warships were almost all on the periphery of the fleet, and at most they would cover anti-submarine destroyers, and the combat losses were always high.

During several large-scale naval battles, radar warning ships have become magnets that attract enemy firepower and are the veritable "successful squadrons" in the aircraft carrier battle group.

This situation continued until the advent of carrier-based early warning aircraft.

The reason is also very simple. Carrier-based early warning aircraft is also used to perform air defense alert tasks. It flies high and sees far. It also provides cover for fighters. When encountering threats, it can turn to avoid or retreat. Not only does its combat efficiency far exceed that of radar alert ships, but its survival rate is also much higher.

Since then, the Imperial Navy no longer develops radar warning ships.

To be precise, it is tactical that air defense warships are no longer allowed to perform alert tasks.

With the advancement of radar technology, especially the miniaturization brought about by transistors, radar has become standard equipment, and air alert is no longer a patent for some kind of warship.

However, in specific combat use, radar warning ships still have value.

In the fleet confrontation exercises over the past few decades, the Imperial Navy has been exploring new fleet combat tactics, and radar warning ships have played a very important role in the fleet's decisive battle. However, most of the time, they are no longer performing alert tasks, but performing fraud tasks.

Simply put, it is to let a warship impersonate the entire fleet to guide the enemy away to distract the enemy or deceive the enemy.

It is precisely because the Imperial Navy has equipped all warships with the same model of long-range air search and alert radar on all warships, including ocean frigates. Because the same radar works similarly, theoretically, the enemy cannot judge the warship model by intercepted radar waves.

As for the tactics of using radar warning ships, it is no secret at all.

The Newland Navy also did the same, equipping warships of the destroyer or above level with the same air search and alert radar to enable them to perform alert tasks when necessary.

According to the intelligence provided by the Military Intelligence Bureau, the Newland Navy is still in the exercise, allowing the radar warning ship to pretend to be a super aircraft carrier.

It can be seen that in the use of radar warning ships, the Newland Navy almost completely copied the Imperial Navy's tactics and learned in a good way.

The key is here!

Before this, the Imperial Navy patrol aircraft appeared, and they were discovered by the E-2C in time and then shot down by the F-14 with missiles. Because it was far away from the Aliu Islands and the Imperial Navy did not have long-range strike forces such as strategic bombers, the Newland Fleet did not show panic.

This time, the Imperial Air Force's electronic reconnaissance aircraft appeared, and the Imperial Air Force had enough strategic bombers.

On the night of the 4th, the Imperial Air Force dispatched hundreds of bombers, raided thousands of meters, and launched a counterattack on Newland's homeland with cruise missiles.

After the emergence of the Imperial Air Force's electronic reconnaissance aircraft, can the commander of the Newland Fleet still sit on the Diaoyutai?

Perhaps, dozens of bombers with long-range anti-ship missiles were following behind the electronic reconnaissance aircraft and were about to launch an attack on the Newland fleet.

As for reconnaissance, it is a trivial matter.

Don’t forget that it is not only reconnaissance aircraft that can perform reconnaissance missions, but also submarines hidden deep under the sea.

It can be seen that unless it can be concluded that there is no threat at all, the radar warning ship in the Newland fleet should appear when the electronic reconnaissance aircraft appears.

It is meaningless to keep radio silent in the face of large-scale aerial strikes that may come at any time.

So, why did the commander of the Newland Fleet feel that there is no threat?

Bai Huawei and Liu Zunling are both very imposing.

In fact, after receiving this news, the two of them thought that there was indeed a Newland fleet in the Northeast Ocean, even if it was only one aircraft carrier.

The reason is also very simple, E-2C does not have the ability to refuel in the air.

In addition, to patrol the sea area 400 kilometers away from the aircraft carrier for 4 hours, the E-2C must take off with full fuel, so catapults are required.

The first thing Bai Huawei thought of was actually the classic naval battle participated by his father, Marshal Bai Zhizhan.

The Northeastern Naval Battle of the Second Global War.

In this naval battle, the Newland Navy played a trick to let one aircraft carrier act alone, in an attempt to create a surprise attack opportunity for the other two special mixed fleets.

The result was that the Newland Navy lost a lot in this battle and was unable to recover.

However, Bai Huawei then denied this speculation.

As the saying goes, if you suffer a loss, you will gain wisdom.

Since the Newland Navy has suffered losses in the Second Global War and has paid the heavy price of defeat, what reason is there to repeat the same mistake?

What's more, the 41st special fleet is not a genius.

Based on the actual combat effectiveness of both sides, even if five aircraft carriers are concentrated, the Newland Navy has only a slight chance of winning, and it is impossible to easily defeat the 41st Special Mixed Fleet. After separating one aircraft carrier, the hope of defeating the 41st Special Mixed Fleet with 4 aircraft carriers is even more slim.

Could it be that the five aircraft carriers of the Newland Navy are all in the Northeast?

Really planning to attack the Aliu Islands?

Although he was extremely surprised, Bai Huawei knew that if there were no other more reasonable speculations, he would have to be prepared to go to the Northeast Ocean to fight the Newland Fleet.

Strictly speaking, this is not a bad thing.

When he went to the restaurant for breakfast, Bai Huawei told Liu Zunling that if there was no more accurate news by the afternoon, the fleet would have to turn north.

If possible, fuel supply must be arranged at night.
To be continued...