Fifteen o'clock.

The two waves of Japanese planes were discovered by the "coastal monitors" shortly after they took off, and they immediately sent a telegram informing Kuah ......that the mission of the "coastal monitors" was to provide early warning for the garrisons on Kuah Island, so Kuah Island knew about the movements of the Japanese aircraft group earlier than Fletcher, who was on the aircraft carrier.

Since the "coast watchers" already had considerable experience, the telegrams they sent even included the types of Japanese aircraft in the fleet and the number of each aircraft.

Clifton didn't think much about it, and quickly sent the information of the Japanese aircraft fleet to Fletcher, and then looked at Zhang Chi in a daze.

Zhang Chi knew what Clifton was thinking...... This is a big gamble, and whether the bet can be won depends on whether Fletcher can do a good job of defending the aircraft carrier and whether the "Cactus" air force can achieve satisfactory results.

After thinking about it, Clifton looked at the map and said, "The Japanese have chosen their fighters very well!" ”

"How?" Zhang Chi asked.

"Look at this!" Clifton pointed to the map and said: "The Japanese aircraft carrier is more than 300 nautical miles away from our aircraft carrier, which happens to be the maximum combat radius of our carrier-based aircraft!" ”

Hearing this, Zhang Chi couldn't help but sigh, but he didn't notice this.

"At the same time!" Clifton continued: "The time chosen by the Japanese is 3 p.m., and it will take them more than an hour to fly over our aircraft carriers...... Even if we could fly over the Japanese aircraft carriers, it would already be dark! ”

Zhang Chi nodded, the Japanese did grasp the details well.

When the Japanese aircraft group flew over the US aircraft carriers, Fletcher ordered all the fighters to stay behind and fight the Japanese fighters, while the bombers and torpedo planes all took off to attack the Japanese aircraft carriers. However, none of these planes could find the Japanese aircraft carrier, and finally had to return before dark, and some even had to make a forced landing at the airfield on Kuah Island due to lack of fuel.

In other words, Yamamoto 56 is making a wishful calculation: the Japanese aircraft carriers can attack the US aircraft carriers, but the US aircraft carriers cannot attack the Japanese aircraft carriers.

"That's a good thing for us!" Zhang Chi said.

"Why?" Clifton asked.

"Because our aircraft carriers can't attack the Japanese aircraft carriers!" Zhang Chi replied.

"How can this be a good thing......" Clifton said with some anger on his face.

But he soon understood: "Oh, if our aircraft carriers can't attack the Japanese aircraft carriers, and the Japanese don't know that there are fighters and bombers hidden on Kuah Island." That is to say...... They are unprepared for air defense! ”

"That's what I mean!" Zhang Chi nodded: "So, now it's up to our 'Cactus' Aviation Brigade!" ”

"You're saying ...... Cactus Air Brigade can attack?" Clifton asked.

"Of course!" Zhang Chi raised his head at the cannon sound outside and said, "The first thing to solve is the four cruisers next to us!" ”

Hearing this, Clifton couldn't help but be stunned: "Shouldn't our primary target be the main force of the Japanese aircraft carrier?" Attack cruiser ...... Will it let the main forces of the Japanese aircraft carriers know the situation and are prepared? ”

Zhang Chi didn't answer and asked: "The bomber that took off from the 'Saratoga' should pass through Kuah Island!" ”

"Yes!" Clifton replied, "It's been half an hour!" ”

"Did they find their target?" Zhang Chi asked again.

"Nope!" Clifton shook his head and said, "According to the Coast Watch's intelligence, they've already returned!" ”

"Hmm!" Zhang Chi answered and stopped talking.

This left Clifton confused, and then quickly understood: "What do you mean...... The Japanese would have mistakenly thought that it was the bombers of the USS Saratoga attacking them?! Zhang, you're a genius! ”

Thinking of this, Clifton did not hesitate for a moment, and immediately made a phone call to the 'Cactus' air group, ordering Manrum's bombers to take off immediately to bomb the Japanese cruisers. And Clifton also stressed in the order that no more than eight torpedo planes and no more than twelve fighters should take off.

This is because there are only so many of these aircraft that take off from the "Saratoga", and if you fly a few more, you are afraid that it will be exposed.

As soon as they received the order, Smith, Manrum and other pilots, who were still lifeless just now, cheered as if they were beating chickens......

They had been following the battle all along, and had even heard the news that Fletcher had asked them to attack several times but was suppressed by Zhang Chi, which they were all puzzled by, and were suspicious of Zhang Chi and Clifton's command...... This is what the army fears the most. Once subordinates have doubts about the command of their superiors, it will hit the morale of the troops to a certain extent.

But now, as soon as I heard about letting them go to battle, it was also an attack on the cruiser that directly shelled Kuah Island. That suspicion was immediately thrown out of the clouds.

The pilots, who had been prepared for a long time, rushed to their fighters as fast as they could, and then quickly flew into the sky after gesturing a few gestures with the cooperation of the crew.

There were three emergency runways on Kuah Island, each of which could take off two planes at the same time, so six bombers flew up in just one batch, and then other planes soon followed.

The battle was not stressful for the "Cactus" air squadron, as their target was the cruiser near the waters off the island of Kuah...... The Japanese did not expect the sudden appearance of enemy aircraft over Kuah Island. Therefore, the cruiser could almost be said to be unprepared, and many of them even thought that it was the Japanese planes flying from their aircraft carrier to help, so they still stayed in place and bombarded Kuah Island one after another.

It wasn't until the bombers and torpedo planes of the "Cactus" air force made a dive and dropped bombs and torpedoes on the cruisers like "targets" with a screaming sound that the cruisers came to their senses.

The response of the Japanese Navy was fairly fast. The anti-aircraft machine guns and anti-aircraft guns on the cruiser immediately rang out, but this did not pose a threat to the "Cactus" air force at all, because before the anti-aircraft fire could fire a few bullets and shells, the bombs and torpedoes dropped by the bombers had already hit their warship, and then there were bursts of explosions and bursts of fire, and several cruisers were quickly blown into a ball of fire, and the American pilots cheered loudly in the black smoke coming out of the cruiser.

One of the cruisers was lucky enough to move, and it was wounded and tried to turn and flee, but it couldn't go as fast as the planes, and several bombers followed it and dived down in a graceful arc, quickly blowing the cruiser to the bottom of the sea.

(To be continued.) )