The construction of the U.S. military in the Tarawa area is progressing step by step.

As previously planned, after the U.S. military took Makin Island, Tarawa Atoll, and Abemama Island, it used the fastest speed to build defenses and airfields on these three islands.

The focus is on airports...... As mentioned earlier, at this time, the US military had a total of more than 20 aircraft carriers, including escort aircraft carriers, and these aircraft carriers were enough to enable the US military to occupy absolute sea and air superiority in the Pacific Ocean, which made the US military in the Tarawa area basically not worry about a counteroffensive from the Japanese army. Of course, if the Japanese Combined Fleet wants to find death, that's another matter.

So the fortifications on Tarawa can be passed so-so, but the airports are different, because these airports are a springboard for the US military to attack Japan's "absolute defense circle", especially Tarawa is only more than 200 kilometers away from the Marshall Islands, where the Japanese army is stationed...... This is even within the attack radius of the US Mustang fighters.

However, building an airfield is not a difficult task for the US military.

On the one hand, this is because there were originally airfields built by Japanese troops on the three islands of Tarawa, Makin Island, and Abemama, and on the other hand, the US military has a large amount of modern equipment, so what bulldozers, cranes, road rollers, etc. can be unloaded on the island by transport ships, and the airfield can be completed in a few clicks.

Among them, the construction of an airfield on the island of Abemama was the fastest, and it took only three days to start receiving the take-off and landing of fighters...... This is due to the fact that the airfield built by Japan on Abemama Island was almost completed, and the intensity of fighting on Abemama Island was the lowest, and the Japanese troops stationed on it had only about 20 people in total, and the problem was solved with rifles and grenades, so the nearly completed airfield on Abemama Island can be said to be basically complete and received by the US military.

The Hawkins airfield in Tarawa Atoll was the largest, but it was largely blown up by the U.S. Navy during the battle, which took more than a week for U.S. engineers to get it into operation. (Note: The airfield on Beato Island is named after Lieutenant Hawkins, who died in the Battle of Beato Island)

The airfields of the three islands were cleared of the remaining small islands in the Tarawa region almost as soon as they were put into operation.

This was planned before the Battle of Tarawa began...... The geographical location of the three islands is triangular, and the distance between them is more than 100 kilometers, so fighters can easily fly between the three islands, and can use the principle of proximity to land at any airport among the three islands.

This made it easy for the fighters to search for and strike the remnants of the Japanese in the Tarawa area.

On this point, the thinking of the US military is a bit like what President Chiang said: "If you want to go outside, you must first settle inside."

There is no doubt about the tactical correctness of this statement, as is what the U.S. military was doing in the Tarawa area at this time...... If the Japanese forces within the Iron Triangle are not eliminated and they are gathered into an internal force, it is very likely that it will cause great trouble to the American army when the US army carries out the next attack, because as we all know, the fighters rely heavily on logistics and supplies, and the airfield is also very fragile, and the remnants of the Japanese army only need to target the burning depot or fighter planes of the US airfield on the three islands, which is enough for the US military to drink a pot.

President Chiang's problem is that he misapplies a policy that should have been applied tactically to strategy...... Strategically, it should not be "to secure the outside world before the interior," but more importantly, to "unite all forces that can be united."

While the U.S. military was building airfields while clearing out the remnants of the enemy in preparation for the attack on the Marshall Islands, the Japanese military also received relevant information from the U.S. military.

"Bastard!" When Koga Fengichi heard the information about the movements of the US military, he couldn't help but grit his teeth and scolded: "The American ghost beast wants to build Tarawa into a base for attacking the Marshall Islands!" ”

The pain of Koga Mineichi is ...... He knew the purpose of the US military, and even knew that the next target of the US military was the Marshall Islands, but he was helpless against the US military.

What about the Japanese army?

At this time, the aircraft carrier had returned to the mainland to replenish carrier-based aircraft, and in the absence of an aircraft carrier, the Japanese Combined Fleet would not be able to attack even if it dared to attack...... Attacking without air supremacy is basically no different from looking for death.

So it seems that the Japanese army can only wait in the "absolute defense circle", waiting for the US army to be fully prepared and then attack, but the Japanese army can do nothing!

Everyone knows that this battle would be too passive if it were fought like this.

Koga Feng walked anxiously around the headquarters with his hands behind his back, and after a long while, he stopped and ordered the staff officer: "Let Yamada-kun come here!" ”

"Yes!" The staff officer answered and passed on the order.

Half an hour later, Michiyuki Yamada came in a hurry, he stood up in front of Koga Mine, and saluted: "Your Excellency, General! ”

"Hmm!" Koga Feng nodded, greeted Yamada Michiyuki to the map, and said: "Yamada-kun has worked hard, and I asked you to come this time to learn about the air defense of the Marshall Islands." Yamada-kun must also know that whether we can hold the Marshall Islands depends to a large extent on Yamada-kun's air team! ”

Michiyuki Yamada was a Japanese rear admiral in the Naval Air Brigade, where he was commander of the 24th Air Force, responsible for the air defense of the Marshall Islands.

"Yes!" Michiyuki Yamada responded, and then replied with some hesitation: "Your Excellency, although I would like to answer that you will definitely keep the sky over the Marshall Islands, the reality is ...... We only have more than a hundred fighters! ”

"Only a little over a hundred fighters?" Hearing this, Koga Feng couldn't help but be taken aback.

"Yes!" Michiyuki Yamada pointed to the map and replied, "35 on Roy Island, 10 on Kwajalein Atoll, 59 on Maloerapu Atoll, 9 on Woje Atoll, and 15 on Eniwetok Atoll...... A total of 128 planes! Plus 53 seaplanes, for a total of 181, that's all we have to do! ”

Koga Fengichi couldn't help but sigh, although he was not from the aviation army, he also knew that the vast majority of seaplanes could only be used for reconnaissance missions, and basically did not play a role in air combat and island defense, so only 128 planes could actually be put into defense...... However, the US military has more than 1,000 fighters, and even these thousands of fighters are still conservatively estimated, because no one knows whether the US ghost animals will transport more fighters after shooting down some of the US fighters.

Therefore, it is basically impossible to use the existing fighters of the Japanese army to defend the Marshall Islands.

"Your Excellency, General!" At this time, Michiyuki Yamada said: "I have a suggestion, maybe we can take the initiative in the battle!" ”

"Yamada-kun means ......" Koga Feng couldn't help but have a glimmer of hope in his eyes.

(To be continued.) )