Yaji Komatsu was an adventurous man, but he was also a bold and careful man, and the reason why he dared to do this was that he believed that the US fleet would also have submarines to escort them, so that the Japanese submarines would be able to "confuse the real with the fake" in the evening.

In fact, just as Komatsu thought, some American sailors in the fleet saw this submarine, but they mistakenly thought that this submarine was a submarine of the US Navy, because if it was a Japanese submarine, it would not have been possible to be so bold to float next to more than ten destroyers, and some of the American sailors thought that it was a submarine of another aircraft carrier battle group...... The patrol fleet at this time had two aircraft carrier battle groups, the USS Wasp and the USS Hornet.

As a result, the American sailors were not even interested in radio-confirming because it might lead to another carrier battle group, which they did not think was necessary.

Under these circumstances, the "I-19" successfully narrowed the distance between it and the US fleet.

If the U.S. fleet continues to sail like this, then the "I-19" may still not find a chance to attack.

This is mainly because the patrol speed of the US ships is about 13 knots, and this speed is very embarrassing for the "Yi 19" that follows closely, because it can only reach a speed of 20 knots when it sails at full speed on the water, and only 7 knots when it is underwater, so it will be left far behind by the US fleet.

This made it almost impossible for the "I-19" to occupy a favorable torpedo firing position, and if it had barely launched an attack, the result would not have been to destroy the target, but the "I-19" would have been destroyed by the destroyer's artillery fire in an instant.

Komatsu stood on the bridge in the night, taking turns observing the U.S. fleet ahead with binoculars and the fixed 12-centimeter telescope on the bridge, but he couldn't think of a proper way.

Just when Yaji Komatsu was in a dilemma, the situation suddenly changed.

Perhaps because it was already dark, the U.S. fleet did not want the aircraft carrier to continue northward in the dark...... It is obviously not necessary for an aircraft carrier battle group to patrol in the dark, because the aircraft carrier has almost no combat capability in the dark night, and on the contrary, it will become an attack target for enemy ships, and the US Navy knows that the Japanese Navy is very good at fighting at night.

So the U.S. fleet signaled by the lights and began to turn back.

This made Yaji Komatsu feel that the opportunity had come. So he immediately picked up the microphone beside him and ordered: "Dive urgently and prepare for battle!" ”

The personnel of the bridge immediately removed the lookout posts, and noisy footsteps sounded in the submarine, which were Japanese sailors rushing to their combat posts. In a few moments, the sea flooded the bridge. The "I-19" disappeared from the sea like a ghost.

"Watanabe Shaosa!" Before the two Komatsu who had slipped down the gangway arrived, they shouted at the navigator: "The target is back, the speed is 10 knots, seize the attack position!" ”

"Yes!" The navigator Watanabe Shaosa answered, and soon issued a series of orders to turn the "I-19" while diving.

The ideal torpedo firing position is to be able to see the target in the field of view, and this opportunity is fleeting for the "I-19". So Watanabe Shaosa must hurry.

"Torpedo tubes ready!" From the command tower, Yaji Komatsu gave a battle order to each unit: "Use the No. 1 and No. 2 launch tubes in the bow! 4 torpedoes, fired in 2 fan-shapes, 2 at a time!" ”

After pinching the time and waiting for a while, Yaji Komatsu ordered: "Float to the periscope level!" ”

"Yes!"

"I-19" again returned to periscope depth (18 meters).

When the periscope was raised, Yaji Komatsu couldn't help but be taken aback...... The huge hull of the "Wasp" appeared in the field of view of the periscope, too close! The actual distance is only about seven or eight hundred meters.

"It's just the distance from the nose to the mouth," Yaji Komatsu couldn't help but think.

The Navigator's calculations were accurate, but the "I-19" seemed to move faster, and although the "I-19" was now able to launch the torpedo from the most advantageous position in the near future, it is very likely that the depth determination and safety detonation device will not be disengaged after reaching the target, and the final result may be that the torpedo passes through the bottom of the ship or hits but does not explode.

"We've got to put our distance!" Yaji Komatsu said as he continued to observe the "Wasp".

Although I didn't see the situation, and Komatsu Yaji didn't say much. But the experienced Watanabe Shaozo still understood what was happening, so he said with some embarrassment: "But Your Excellency, it's too late to turn on the spot now, wait for us to adjust our position." The target may have crossed the optimal attack position! ”

The deputy captain did not say anything, because he knew that Watanabe was right, and if the submarine was to open the distance, the submarine would have to make two U-turns: one to make a U-turn to open the distance, and the other to turn the bow at the target. And "Yi-19" simply did not have so much time.

The co-captain couldn't think of any effective and safe way to distance himself, and now it seemed that he could only wait for this perfect opportunity to disappear from his eyes.

After a pause, Yaji Komatsu ordered in a deep voice, "Dive." Let's go underneath the target and turn! ”

"Steering through the underside of the target?"

Hearing this, the deputy captain and Watanabe Shaosa couldn't help but exclaim at the same time.

This is indeed a solution, passing through the port side of the target and floating up on the starboard side, so that only one U-turn is required, and if the action is fast, it is indeed possible to capture the attack position in time. But...... No one is sure of the depth of the aircraft carrier's hull underwater, and if the submarine does not dive deep enough, then the submarine may not pass through the aircraft carrier, but will be stopped by the aircraft carrier and smashed in two.

"Execute the order!" Yaji Komatsu's voice was not high, but his tone was very firm.

This is the habit of submariners, who rarely speak loudly for fear that too loud noises will be heard by the enemy.

"Yes!" The co-captain answered, and quickly passed the order on.

In the cabin of the submarine, the sound of the propeller thrusters of the aircraft carrier could be heard clearly, and it was getting louder and louder, almost deafening the ears of the Japanese sailors.

But this is not what the Japanese sailors are worried about, they are worried about whether the unstable current at the bottom of the aircraft carrier will push the submarine to the propeller and then twist the "I-19" into a pile of scrap iron...... Yaji Komatsu thought to himself: If this is the way to die, maybe it will be worth it, because at least it can cause damage to the enemy's aircraft carrier, and may even make it incapacitated, so that the other submarines that are rushing in this direction can continue to complete the unfinished mission of the "I-19".

But Yaji Komatsu was lucky, and the "I-19" successfully passed through the bottom of the US aircraft carrier.

(To be continued.) )