.

After the joint fleet recovered its combat effectiveness, the Japanese Navy was indeed looking for a chance to fight.

On the night of July 31, after completing the maintenance work, Dongxiang Zuwang led the joint fleet to leave the anchorage and sailed southwest from Wake Island.

Because it is possible to suddenly encounter the Chinese fleet, Dongxiang Zuwang re-arranged the deployment of the fleet.

The first fleet commanded by Lieutenant General Yasushi Sakurai was in the front, and the second fleet commanded by Lieutenant General Fukuhara Juno followed up about fifty nautical miles behind. According to Togo Somakoto's judgment, if he encounters suddenly, the Chinese fleet will definitely concentrate his forces to attack the first fleet and will not immediately discover the second fleet. In this way, Yasushi Sakurai can organize the fleet to air defense with all his strength, and Juno Fukuhara could launch a counterattack without being disturbed.

In addition, such deployment has another purpose: to avoid ambushing by Chinese submarines.

At that time, what Dongxiang Zuwang was most worried about was not the Chinese fleet, but the attack nuclear submarines cruising deep in the ocean.

After July 14, the Chinese Navy's attack nuclear submarines attacked more than 200 Japanese merchant ships, most of which they sank merchant ships without warning, and the range of activities of these submarines almost covered the entire Pacific Ocean. For example, on July 21, a Chinese submarine ambushed a fleet of eight merchant ships south of the Aleutian Islands, and the next day another Chinese submarine attacked Japanese merchant ships about 500 kilometers north of Midway Island. On July 27, a Chinese submarine ambushed Japanese merchant ships southwest of the Gilbert Islands.

Because Wake Island is far away from the international waterway, it is not within the ambush of Chinese submarines.

The problem is that no one can guarantee that the joint fleet will not encounter Chinese submarines.

If it is at night, the problem is not very serious. After all, the joint fleet has strong anti-submarine power. If it is during the day, because all anti-submarine helicopters cannot be dispatched during the day, even anti-submarine warships cannot operate normally during the day, the anti-submarine power of the fleet is seriously reduced.

That's why when choosing a route, Dongxiang Zuwang avoided the international waterway as much as possible.

In this way, the joint fleet could not run directly to Iwo Huang Island. Even if Dongxiang Zuwang knew that a fleet of the Chinese Navy, and the first fleet with two "Kunlun Mountain" class aircraft carriers as the core, was near Iwo Huang Island, he did not dare to cross the line because Iwo Huang Island is very close to the international channel from the United States to Southeast Asia, and it is one of the main activity areas of Chinese submarines, and the first fleet must have been covered by submarines.

In fact, Dongxiang Zuwang's speculation has long been confirmed.

In the past ten days, all four submarines sent by the Japanese Navy to the vicinity of Iwo Huang Island have fallen into the sea, and none of them have contacted the Navy Command again.

According to Dongxiang Zuwang's judgment, there must be a large number of Chinese submarines near Iwo Huang Island.

The question is, what else can the Joint Fleet do without going to Iwoyu Island?

At least on the night of July 31, Dongxiang Zuwang still believed that the second fleet that had ambushed the Akagi aircraft carrier battle group before was still in the southwest Pacific, and it was very likely to go north directly, meet with the First Fleet, and then look for the joint fleet to fight to the decisive battle.

That's why the United Fleet left Wake Island and sailed directly to the southwest.

According to Dongxiang Zuwang's judgment, if the action is rapid, the joint fleet is likely to encounter the Second Fleet in Micronesia. If the First Fleet did not go south to meet the Second Fleet, but stayed near Iwo Huang Island, there would be a chance to destroy the Second Fleet in one fell swoop.

However, this beautiful wish was soon shattered.

On the night of August 1st, Dongxiang Zuwang received news that the two warships in the Second Fleet had returned to Guangzhou and were immediately sent to the dry dock for maintenance.

A few hours later, the Navy Command sent the latest news that the Second Fleet returned to Zhoushan.

Before Togo Zuwang understood what was going on, the Navy Command sent the latest information in the morning of August 2 and August 3. The Second Fleet had left Zhoushan and entered the Western Pacific from the south of Okinawa Island late at night on August 2, and was sailing eastward at a speed of more than 30 knots.

At this time, the Joint Fleet was still southwest of the Marshall Islands.

Obviously, the Second Fleet did not go north directly, but returned to Zhoushan at full speed, and then set out from Zhoushan to enter the Western Pacific to meet with the First Fleet.

The question is, why did the Second Fleet go around such a big circle?

If it was just to meet with the First Fleet, even if two large warships were damaged, there was no reason to return to the mainland. After all, when the Second Fleet left Zhoushan, the two warships were not repaired, and there was intelligence that the Chinese Navy did not send additional cruisers to the Second Fleet.

In other words, the strength of the Second Fleet has not increased substantially.

In this way, it would be meaningless to return to Zhoushan.

Obviously, the Second Fleet returned to Zhoushan not to replenish the damaged warships, but to have other purposes.

Togo Zuwang first thought that the Chinese navy was about to attack the Okinawa Islands. Only by attacking the Okinawa Islands would there be a reason to let the Second Fleet return to Zhoushan. Then the Second Fleet would not go to Iwoyo Island, but stay near Okinawa to support the Marines to land in the next battle.

Strategically speaking, the Chinese Navy has established a strategic barrier after capturing Iwo Huang Island.

In other words, the next step is to attack the Okinawa Islands and prepare for landing in Japan.

The question is, will the First Fleet also participate in combat operations against the Okinawa Islands?

Dongxiang Zuwang obviously didn't think so, because he already knew that the engineering ship returning to the local area was intercepted, and the Chinese Navy was likely to have grasped the whereabouts of the joint fleet. At least he knew that the joint fleet had completed the maintenance work on Wake Island, and he knew that the joint fleet was still on the east side of Iwo Huang Island.

In this way, the Chinese Navy has reason to leave the First Fleet near Iwo Huang Island.

After making this judgment, Dongxiang Zuwang decided to kill the first fleet first and then look for the second fleet.

On the morning of August 3, the Joint Fleet turned south on the island of Cosray, headed north from the east to Micronesia, and headed directly to Iwoo Island.

Soon, Dongxiang Zuwang's judgment was proven.

On the night of August 3, the Japanese Navy Command sent a crucial telegram: all four divisions of the Chinese Marine Corps had arrived in Zhoushan, the second landing fleet had also been assembled, and the first landing fleet entered the East China Sea in the afternoon of the same day and was returning to Zhoushan at full speed.

In other words, the Chinese navy is about to attack the Okinawa Islands.

Two landing fleets can send one Marine Division at a time. With the mobilized maritime power, the Chinese Marine Corps has the ability to invest more than two Marine Divisions in the Okinawa Islands. This is more than enough for attacking the Okinawa Islands, because there are less than 30,000 Japanese troops on Okinawa Island, and there are even fewer troops on other islands. After seizing air and sea control, the two Marine Divisions can conquer Okinawa Island.

Before landing in for combat, the Chinese Navy will definitely strive to maintain the sea control of the Okinawa Islands.

That is to say, the Second Fleet must be near the Okinawa Islands.

Because the Okinawa Islands are very close to China and are within the range of strikes of the onshore-based aviation forces, the main task of the Second Fleet is to ensure sea control.

In order to cooperate with the joint fleet operations, the Japanese Navy has adjusted its deployment.

On August 3, the Japanese Navy began to assemble two land combat brigades and began to requisition and mobilize transport ships, posing as a counterattack on Iwoo Island. That night, the Japanese Navy also used two submarines to launch more than a dozen long-range cruise missiles at Iwoo Island. Although the attack effect was not ideal, all cruise missiles were shot down and none hit the target, the Japanese Navy's intentions were expressed very clearly.

This is definitely good news for Dongxiang Zuwang, because it means that the more powerful First Fleet is likely to remain near Iwo Huang Island.

But troubles follow one after another.

Should we deal with the first fleet first or the second fleet first?

If the First Fleet stays near Iwo Huang Island, it will definitely be on the highest alert state, and after August 2, it will strengthen the search for surrounding waters. More importantly, the Chinese Navy deployed dozens of anti-submarine patrol aircraft to Iwo Huang Island, greatly improving the search range. If the First Fleet ambush north, it is very likely that it will be discovered by the Chinese Navy's anti-submarine patrol aircraft before reaching the attack sea. Considering that the performance of the Chinese Navy's carrier-based fighter jets is more advanced, the joint fleet is likely to be attacked first.

The problem is that it will not be much difficult to ambush the Second Fleet.

If the Second Fleet is active near the Okinawa Islands, it will definitely be covered by the shore-based aviation force. Anti-submarine patrol aircraft deployed in China can also help the Second Fleet expand its search range. More importantly, when attacking the Second Fleet, the Joint Fleet will also bear a very large risk. The reason is very simple. If you enter from the east of the Second Fleet, the Joint Fleet will enter the strike range of the First Fleet. If you enter from the west and south, you will enter the strike range of the shore-based aviation force and become the target of hunting for the Chinese Air Force.

After thinking about it, Dongxiang Zuwang still decided to deal with the First Fleet first.

In any case, as long as you approach the First Fleet from the east or south, you will not be hit by the Second Fleet and you can also avoid the Chinese Air Force bombers.

More importantly, the action against Iwo Yu Island will definitely attract the attention of the First Fleet.

In Dongxiang Zuwang's view, as long as you seize the opportunity, that is, after the counterattack against Iwoyu Island begins, the joint fleet will be very sure to approach the First Fleet quietly and launch a sneak attack under ideal circumstances. The reason is very simple, the First Fleet will definitely deal with the Japanese Navy's troop transport ships.

The question is, how to ensure that actions are foolproof?

You should know that the Japanese Navy has no strength to counterattack Iwoyoshima at all, and the plan formulated by the headquarters was to dispatch the troop ship after seizing the sea control power. If the joint fleet failed to seize the sea control power, the Navy Command would definitely not allow the Marines to go out to sea to die.

If the Marines want to be dispatched in advance, Dongxiang Zuwang has to report the situation to the Navy Command.

Because the communication satellite has been paralyzed, the directional communication system that is not easy to be discovered is no longer available, and can only use long-wave radio stations.
Chapter completed!