At 5 p.m. on 17 October, a reconnaissance plane dispatched from Los Angeles spotted the Tsunoda's leading force, and then five minutes later discovered the main force of the fleet. Pen ~ fun ~ pavilion www.biquge.info

"4 aircraft carriers, 980 km west-southwest of Los Angeles? And moving forward at 18 knots? After receiving this telegram, Arnold was not only nervous, but also set off a storm in Hawaii and Washington.

"Not only that, our army's radar also found an unidentified reconnaissance plane passing over Los Angeles, and when our patrol fighter pounced, the plane had already left, except for the Japanese reconnaissance plane, there could be no other possibility, but the telegraph signal was not intercepted."

Nimitz and Spruance were about to blow their heads, and MacArthur was worried: Los Angeles was not only the largest city and port on the West Coast, but also the newly formed fleet of ships to transport goods for Hawaii. The two of them coincidentally thought of a possibility, would someone inform Japan of intelligence?

Can't blame the two for their crankiness, because Los Angeles originally had a lot of Japanese Americans, although Pearl Harbor was quarantined and most of the residents were thrown into concentration camps, but it is difficult to guarantee that there are no fish or Japanese sympathizers, not to mention, in addition to Japanese Americans, there are also a large number of European descendants there, looking at the polite, law-abiding and humble American people, who knows what to do behind the scenes?

"What is General Arnold's countermeasure?"

"He has prepared some of the fighters......"

"He doesn't send bombers to bomb?" MacArthur was stunned, "1,000 kilometers is within the strike range of our army, right?" ”

"Yes, but the timing is not right." Nimitz sighed, "The Japanese are very cunning, they chose this time point to rush into the 1,000-kilometer air defense circle, if our army sends bombers to attack, it will be basically dark over the Japanese fleet, and it will not be possible to find the enemy." Even if it's not dark, it will be completely black when you return. Do you think it's better to turn on the lights or not at the airport when you return home? ”

MacArthur immediately understood: if the airport was not lit up, the loss of the returning aircraft was estimated to be no small; And if the lights are on, it is tantamount to reminding the Japanese that I am here and here, and I am here......

He hated it and cursed: "And then we just wait for the enemy to come to the door?" ”

"It's going to be uncomfortable today, because in order to prevent the enemy from attacking at night, Los Angeles and San Diego (only 180 kilometers away from Los Angeles) have been evacuated urgently."

"Can the enemy attack at night?"

"Yes, that's what they did when they attacked New York." Nimitz looked at the map, "They are only 1,000 kilometers away from Los Angeles, it is 5 o'clock in the evening, the Japanese army can travel at 18 knots or even faster, and there are still 9 hours until 2 o'clock tomorrow morning, and they can continue to advance at least 350 kilometers, and then the distance will be only more than 600 kilometers, and then the attack group will be released......"

"Why can't our pilots?"

"There used to be good ones."

"Before?" MacArthur had been staying in the Pacific Ocean, not quite aware of the situation at home, and subconsciously asked, "What now?" ”

Nimitz sighed, "It's basically lost. Now let alone night raids, you can be considered a skilled pilot who can completely land with the airport lights on at night. ”

Ingram was also in a hurry at Pearl Harbor: the Los Angeles fleet was almost ready, full of fuel and aviation parts that Hawaii needed most. Not to mention that there are still 2 battleships in the Japanese fleet (Musashi + King Kong), any one of them is enough to sweep the west coast, but this kind of thing, it's useless to be anxious, now the Pacific Fleet is still 4000 kilometers away from the Tsunoda fleet, even if it can fly, it's too late.

Halsey was relieved: "If the enemy does not dare to approach the naval guns, that is tantamount to suicide!" If they really dare to approach and attack with naval guns, I will fight the fleet and let the army air keep them. Now I hope that the Japanese planes are almost on the spot, and they will not be blown up too much. ”

"How many days will it take for the Wasp to be repaired?"

"3 days!"

"Three days later, you will take the main force of the fleet out to destroy this fleet, it is disgusting to watch him dangling under his eyes and nose, and the west coast cannot always be exposed to the threat of this fleet." Ingram paused, "Just in time to bring back the convoy." ”

"Understood!" Halsey knew that Ingram was really angry: a Japanese fleet had been wandering around the West Coast for three weeks, and the United States had nothing to do, which made tens of millions of people worry and fear for three weeks, and the navy was disgraced!

As the minutes ticked by, the situation became more and more tense, and the unease reached its peak at 18:37 when Los Angeles reported that the Japanese fleet was still advancing and that a B-17 had been shot down while approaching for reconnaissance. In fact, everyone knows that Japan can't cause much damage, even if 4 aircraft carriers are out together, that is, more than 200 aircraft (in fact, there are only 3, 1 is a water engine carrier), but this posture is really too scary.

Dewey only felt as if his neck was being strangled and breathless: only this immersive moment could truly understand what Turner said, "Our people must adapt to the bomb, we are fighting a world war."

"Sir, it's getting dark!"

Hearing the report of his subordinates, Kakuji Tsunoda nodded with satisfaction, and breathed a long sigh of relief, to tell the truth, this kind of armed demonstration action is actually beating the drum in his heart: the most fearful thing is that the Americans will send bombers out to launch a decisive attack regardless of it, as long as the Americans are not afraid of sacrifice, it is impossible for any damaged warship to escape back alive, and now it seems that the Americans have not impulsively rushed to this point.

He did not know that the command center of the United States had changed now, and that Turner, who advocated the exchange of crew for tankers, had gone out, and if Turner was still there, he would definitely not hesitate to send the plane. Losses are losses, depending on how many ships you have or how many pilots I have? It doesn't matter if you can't find the airport on your return flight, as long as you are sure that it is land, the crew will parachute, as for the plane, which week will Boeing not build 1,000 planes? The United States lacks everything, that is, it does not lack money!

Field Marshal Dill, the chief representative of the British Joint Chiefs of Staff (now I have to note Canada), commented to those around him without emotion after Turner's resignation: Turner was born in the wrong place, and a person like him should not be a general in the United States, but should go to the Soviet Union to be Stalin's chief of staff. Ruthless, decisive and determined, the rest of the Coalition is not an opponent combined, and it is a perfect match for Stalin.

Is there any reason? Of course, if Arnold could send 500-600 bombers and 200 P-51s to launch a one-way death attack today, the Tsunoda fleet would be wiped out on the west coast, but if the battle turned out like this, in Nimitz's words, "America would lose everything but victory!" ”

This bet in my heart ended up with Tsunoda winning by luck. At about 8 o'clock, at a position nearly 900 kilometers from Los Angeles, he issued an order: "Turn the course of the fleet to due north, and then turn due west in three hours!" ”

In the early morning of the 18th, Los Angeles had no sleep, Arnold personally sat at the command headquarters, waiting for the radar room to report to him the news of the "discovery of the enemy aircraft group", all the fire brigades, ambulance teams, night fighters, and anti-aircraft guns were all ready, and they waited for the Japanese aircraft group to pounce, but they waited until the east showed the white of the fish's belly, and there was no movement.

The Washington Joint Chiefs of Staff were also on duty all night, and Nimitz and MacArthur were old after all, and they couldn't hold up until more than 2 o'clock at night to go to the lounge to nap first, saying that they would wake them up as soon as there was a situation.

As a result, when Nimitz opened his eyes and saw that the sky was beginning to light up (Washington was earlier than Los Angeles), the adjutant had not yet come to call him, he was very angry about this, and just wanted to open his mouth to criticize a few words, but the young staff officers on duty said in a crying and laughing tone: "Sir, everything is normal in Los Angeles, and the Japanese are not coming!" ”

"Didn't come?" Nimitz was stunned for a moment, and then immediately ordered, "Let General Arnold send a reconnaissance plane to see where the Japanese fleet is?" ”

At 5:15 a.m., the first reconnaissance plane set off, followed by a reconnaissance plane taking off every one minute. Fortunately, at about 9 a.m., a telegram finally arrived saying that the Japanese fleet was 1,500 kilometers south-west of Los Angeles (or 2,800 kilometers northeast of Hawaii).

Everyone was maddened by the Japanese teasing, but Spruance saw something unusual in it, and asked suspiciously, "Why did the Japanese do this?" What benefits do they get other than empty fuel? ”

"Or let Arnold send planes to blow it up? Let the other party toss on the West Coast, but I am afraid that the morale will plummet......"

Nimitz agreed to this suggestion, and Arnold, who was too teased, then sent nearly 200 B-29s to the air attack (this is out of reach of the B-25, and the B-17\24 is too slow to reach and can only use the B-29), but the results poured cold water on everyone: one 1,000-pound bomb each on the Musashi and the Kongo, which was minimally invasive; The destroyer Yutachi was hit by a 2,000-pound bomb and sank; One 1,000-pound and 1,000-pound bomb each on the Nisshin hydro-engine carrier sank, and the rest were the same.

However, only 96 of the 207 unescorted US bombers successfully returned home, a loss rate of nearly 54 percent -- the army aviation had been prepared to consume a week's personnel in one day, and although Japan also lost an additional 17 fighters, most of the pilots were rescued.

Although the Army Airlines reported sinking an aircraft carrier of the opposing side, it was judged that it was only an escort aircraft carrier.

At 4 o'clock in the afternoon, before the depressed mood had passed, another piece of news came: The Panamanian Army Air reconnaissance plane had spotted the Japanese fleet more than 1,100 kilometers from Panama, and it was judged that it was the main Japanese fleet that had disappeared after leaving Lima.

The Japanese are coming to fight Panama?