"Ordered us to attack the main carrier group?" Zhang Chi couldn't help but be stunned.

It should be said that this order also has its own merits.

At present, the situation of the US Navy is that most of the carrier-based aircraft cannot be called back, so the aircraft carrier will be in a state of vulnerability for a considerable period of time. If the "Cactus" air force on Kuah Island can take off to attack the main force of the Japanese aircraft carrier group at this time, it means that the Japanese army will most likely not dare or can only send a small number of fighters to attack the US aircraft carrier in order to stop the "Cactus" air force, and this will give the US aircraft carrier a chance to breathe.

But this is not what Zhang Chi wants, and the "Cactus" air force is hiding here with great difficulty, not just to gain a little breathing time for the US aircraft carrier.

Looking at Zhang Chi's expression, Clifton looked at Zhang Chi with some incredulity and said, "You won't want to refuse to execute it again!" ”

"You guessed it!" Zhang Chi replied: "I'm planning to do this!" ”

"Why?" Clifton spread his hands anxiously: "That's the Navy's aircraft carrier, do you know how important the aircraft carrier is?" ”

"I know!" Zhang Chi replied.

As a modern person, and half a military fan, Zhang Chi knows the importance of aircraft carriers even better than Clifton.

"Then why are you still going to disobey?" Clifton asked.

"Colonel, answer me a question first." Zhang Chi said: "If the Japanese sink one of our aircraft carriers, we will also sink one of the Japanese aircraft carriers, who do you think has won?" ”

"Does it make a difference?" Clifton asked, "It's all an aircraft carrier!" ”

"No!" Zhang Chi replied: "This is a big difference! If the Japanese sink one of our aircraft carriers, the carrier-based planes on our aircraft carriers can fly to Kuah Island and make an emergency landing using the emergency runway, which will not only save the planes but also the pilots. But the Japanese ......"

"Oh!" Clifton nodded: "The Japanese planes can only stop at sea!" ”

"Yes!"

"Oh my God!" Then Clifton realized: "You are planning to use the Navy's aircraft carrier as a bait, and wait for the Japanese planes to take off to attack the Navy's aircraft carriers, and then attack the main force of the Japanese aircraft carriers!" ”

"You guessed it again!" Zhang Chi replied calmly.

"You can't do that!" Clifton said.

"Why not?" Zhang Chi asked.

"Because...... This will bring casualties to the US Navy! Clifton said: "And it's an aircraft carrier!" ”

"In the same way, we will return the Japanese aircraft carrier exponentially!" Zhang Chi did not shy away from Clifton's gaze.

Although Clifton said that he disagreed, he had to admit in his heart that Zhang Chi was right. Having participated in the First World War, he knew very well that war was inherently cruel. It's actually a fight between the enemy and the enemy. The so-called victory and defeat are nothing more than the fact that the victor loses less and the defeated loses more.

Now, an opportunity is in front of us, as Zhang Chi said, even if the United States and Japan lose an aircraft carrier. It will also take advantage of the fact that the United States has Kuah Island to receive carrier-based aircraft, which is undoubtedly a good way to win this war, but Clifton has never been able to make up his mind.

"So be it!" Then Zhang Chi said: "Colonel, you don't need to refuse to carry out this order, you just need to delay, understand?" Delay until the Japanese carrier-based aircraft take off, and wait a little longer, when the Japanese carrier-based aircraft cannot return, we can set off! ”

"But how to delay?" Clifton asked.

"We're being bombed!" Zhang Chi raised his head at the rumbling cannon outside: "You can tell General Fletcher." Our emergency runway was blown up by the Japanese with several large craters, and we could only take off if we filled them in time! ”

Clifton looked at Zhang Chi in a daze, and after a long while, he nodded, gritted his teeth and turned to walk towards the radio.

Zhang Chi looked at Clifton's back, and a trace of shame rose in his heart...... Clifton was a respectable soldier and an honest man, but because of the situation, he had to disobey the orders of his superiors and even conceal the military information.

Zhang Chi believes that Clifton would be willing to do this not just because of Nimitz's orders. Of course, it won't be because of the personal relationship with Zhang Chi. He will do it because he knows what to do to be better for the United States and for this war.

In this regard. Clifton is also a realistic man...... But then again, who wouldn't be realistic if they've experienced war?!

Fletcher soon received a call back from Kuah Island, to the effect that the airfield was being bombed, and the runway was blocked by artillery fire, and the warplanes could not take off.

Of course, Fletcher couldn't verify the authenticity of this information, and he didn't have time to do so. I could only scold "Fuck! "Tear the telegram to shreds again.

At this moment, there was a sudden burst of gunfire and cannon fire outside the cabin, and there was a faint whistling of planes in the gunfire, and then a messenger ran in and reported: "General, two Japanese seaplanes have been found, but we have already shot them down!" ”

"Hmm!" Fletcher answered.

"General!" The staff officer said on the side: "These two seaplanes were obviously sent by the Japanese to reconnoitre. They should have sent our exact location to the Japanese aircraft carriers before they were shot down. ”

"Hmm!" Fletcher replied, of course he had already thought of it.

Then he made a decision: "Immediately order the Enterprise to move closer to us and prepare for anti-aircraft combat!" ”

"Yes!"

Of course, Fletcher's order was correct, because at this time, most of the carrier-based planes of the "Saratoga" had flown into the air, leaving only more than 20 fighters, and there were only seven warships escorting the "Sarato", so such a force was obviously not enough to deal with the imminent attack of the Japanese army.

Therefore, at this time, it is all the more necessary to concentrate the forces of the two aircraft carriers to organize air defense.

In fact, the Japanese planes had already taken off when their seaplanes were shot down, and their attack team was divided into two waves, the first wave of 27 bombers and 10 fighters, and the second wave of 27 bombers and 9 fighters.

There were only 19 fighters in all...... At this time, because the Japanese were overconfident in their own Zero War, not to mention that a considerable part of the Americans' carrier-based planes had already been lured by them to other directions, they believed that these numbers of Zero Battles were enough to enable them to gain air superiority, so they should send as many bombers as possible to bomb the US aircraft carriers indiscriminately.

But in fact, Fletcher had already assembled a total of 56 fighters of the "Enterprise" and "Saratoga" at this time, and these fighters were either already flying in the sky to patrol or were on standby on the deck, just waiting for the Japanese planes to approach and take off to intercept them.

(To be continued.) )