Huang Xiaotian didn't pay much attention to the progress of the battle on the Australian side, in his opinion, with the support of the task force aircraft carriers, six small aircraft carriers, nine battleships, thousands of combat aircraft, and hundreds of warships, if they could not successfully land, then all the commanders could go to court-martial. Moreover, what Huang Xiaotian received was basically good news, the resistance of the American and Australian armies was very tenacious, but the war situation had been in the hands of the imperial army, the first phase of the landing campaign had basically been won, the Australian mainland had opened its doors, and the remaining work was only when to capture Sydney, and then the fleet could be withdrawn, and the fourth task force could also be supported.

Beginning in the early morning of the 22nd, Task Force 4 carried out its first replenishment work since leaving Apra Port in the waters near Uja Atoll, about 100 nautical miles from Kwajalein Atoll, and more than 20 transport ships and fast combat support ships sent tens of thousands of tons of fuel and ammunition over, refilled all the warships with heavy fuel, filled the aircraft carrier's aviation gasoline depots, and filled the ammunition depots with bombs. Resupply continued until around noon, after which Task Force 4 left the anchorage and began its eastward voyage.

This is Huang Xiaotian's new plan, the fleet will go to the waters southeast of Wake Island, operate within the cover of shore-based fighters on Kwajalein Atoll, and wait for the Fifth Fleet to appear. And this was Huang Xiaotian's only choice at that time.

If the Fifth Fleet's mission was simply to escort the convoy to Wake Island, then Task Force 4 would have the opportunity to attack the U.S. convoy. The best result was that a task force from the Fifth Fleet accompanied the convoy and was spotted by reconnaissance planes from the Fourth Task Force. Then the Fourth Task Force can seize the opportunity to take out this task force first. Even if another task force sneaks up on the Fourth Task Force, under the cover of shore-based fighters, the Fourth Task Force should be able to withstand the attacks of the US bombers, at least the first round of attacks, and the fleet can take this opportunity to turn around and leave the battlefield.

If the Fifth Fleet were tasked with attacking the Marshall Islands, Spruance would first have to bomb Kwajalein Atoll, and long-range reconnaissance aircraft deployed on Kwajalein Atoll would be able to fly up to 750 nautical miles. This would provide at least 300 nautical miles of reconnaissance space on the periphery of Task Force 4, and with Task Force 4's own reconnaissance aircraft, the possibility of the Fifth Fleet quietly approaching Task Force 4 would be very low, or even basically impossible. Therefore, Task Force 4 has enough time to evade the Fifth Fleet, or to seize one of the task forces in the Fifth Fleet, launch a devastating strike, and then escape from the battlefield to avoid the sharp edge of the American forces.

It can be said that Huang Xiaotian's thoughts were still very thoughtful at that time. And according to his plan, if he wanted to keep the Fifth Fleet in the Central Pacific theater, then he had to let Spruance discover his position and attract the Fifth Fleet to it, but at the same time, he could not be fatally attacked. His arrangement also reflected this point, and while trying to find the Fifth Fleet, he let the Fourth Task Force operate under the cover of shore-based fighters, and arranged several retreat routes at the same time.

By the evening of the 23rd, Task Force 4 had reached about 200 nautical miles northeast of Kwajalein Atoll, and according to the plan, the fleet would operate within 300 to 400 nautical miles northeast of Kwajalein Atoll. That night, Huang Xiaotian arranged the flight route of the reconnaissance plane. Ten squadrons of reconnaissance planes will be dispatched in turn, four of which will be divided into two groups to focus on the eastern part of Wake Island, that is, the waters north of the fleet, while the other six teams will be divided into two groups to focus on the waters to the northeast and east of the fleet.

Huang Xiaotian also contacted the shore-based aviation units on Kwajalein Atoll and assigned tasks to more than 30 long-range reconnaissance planes and more than 40 long-range water patrol planes deployed there. These reconnaissance and patrol aircraft will be primarily responsible for searching the surface waters within 150 degrees from the north to the southeast. The key search areas are to the northeast and east of the Fourth Task Force, which is also the most likely direction for the Fifth Fleet.

After arranging a reconnaissance mission, Huang Xiaotian also mobilized the bomber troops. At that time, Task Force 4 had only twelve dive bomber squadrons, and he had already assigned ten squadrons for reconnaissance missions. In the best case, only three squads that were originally supposed to carry out reconnaissance missions could be mobilized to carry out bombing missions. As a result, Task Force 4 could only organize a maximum of five squads of dive bombers, and a minimum of two squads. Under these circumstances, Huang Xiaotian only arranged for one batch of bombers, and clearly told the pilots that if there was a sudden encounter with the Fifth Fleet, the Fourth Task Force would only carry out one bombing operation, even if there were more bombers. At that time, the Fourth Task Force will also withdraw from the battlefield at full speed, instead of fighting to the death with the Fifth Fleet. In order to be able to use this unique strike force more effectively. Huang Xiaotian dispatched as many excellent pilots as possible to carry out possible bombing missions.

After arranging all these tasks, the Fourth Task Force entered a state of combat readiness that night, and Huang Xiaotian rushed to sleep for a few hours in the second half of the night, and returned to the command cabin before dawn, ready to replace Yan Yulong. When he came to the command cabin, a new telegram came from the theater command, and this telegram put Huang Xiaotian in a dilemma.

This telegram is actually an intelligence, which is an analysis and judgment made by the intelligence agency after synthesizing the information from all sides, and it was sent to the Fourth Task Force after two rounds of confirmation by the Navy Command and the Theater Command, and the core content of the intelligence is only one point, that is, the Fifth Fleet is very likely to be looking for the Fourth Task Force for a decisive battle, and the task of the Fifth Fleet is to annihilate the Fourth Task Force, and this is the first step for Nimitz to launch a strategic counterattack in the Central Pacific!

"Judging from the information we have received before, this information is quite credible." Yan Yulong read the contents of the telegram when the communications staff officer translated it. "If MacArthur really sent the Fifth Fleet to the southwest Pacific to die, then Nimitz and Spruance would have no other choice, and the Fifth Fleet would have to come to find us for a decisive battle. And Nimitz had good reason to convince the President of the United States to let the Fifth Fleet go south after the Fourth Task Force had been annihilated. This is also the only reason to keep the Fifth Fleet in the Central Pacific. Therefore, Spruance will definitely lead the Fifth Fleet to challenge and try to kill us in the shortest possible time, so as to kick off the prelude to the US strategic counterattack in the Central Pacific, and finally leave the Fifth Fleet in the Central Pacific, instead of going to the Southwest Pacific to challenge our main fleet! ”

Huang Xiaotian carefully read the contents of the telegram. After combining the various good news he had received before, as well as information on the activities of the Fifth Fleet, he made the same judgment.

"Nimitz really doesn't have much choice, and all he can do is get the Fifth Fleet into battle as soon as possible." Huang Xiaotian put down the message, and then climbed on the chart table. MacArthur used the Fifth Fleet as a lifesaver, and both Nimitz and Spruance knew that the Fifth Fleet could not fill the holes in the Southwest Pacific, and that its training was not yet in place, let alone dealing with three carrier task forces at the same time. Plus a theater fleet, even when facing Task Force 1, it will be very difficult. The appearance of the Fifth Fleet in the southwest Pacific only delayed MacArthur's defeat at most, but in the end it was the last bit of strength of the US Navy and the last hope of the US Navy. But the key question is, how did Spruance implement his battle plan? ”

"Unless Spruance knows where we are, he's going to force us out or lure us into the trap he's devouting."

"This has been mentioned by General Liao Hanxiang in the telegram, and the previous actions of the US military are to lure us into the trap they have designed." Huang Xiaotian has been looking at the charts. "Therefore, if Spruance only sets a trap, then we can completely ignore it, now it is not that we are looking for a decisive battle with the Fifth Fleet, but that the Fifth Fleet is anxious to find us for a decisive battle, and the initiative to fight or not is already in our hands, not in the hands of Spruance."

Yan Yulong nodded slightly, which he hadn't taken into account yet. "That is, Spruance can only manage to force us into battle?"

Huang Xiaotian smiled and glanced at his partner. "He simply didn't have a choice and wanted to get us out. The Spruance still had to come up with some useful tricks, and the tactics that threatened to attack the Marshall Islands like the one before didn't work. Nimitz is not stupid, even if we don't support the Marshall Islands, by the time the U.S. military takes the Marshall Islands, I'm afraid the dust on the Australian battlefield has already settled. The 1st and 2nd Task Forces have arrived in the Central Pacific, and it is time for us to act as hunters and encircle the Fifth Fleet. ”

"You mean, the U.S. military is going to storm Midway?"

"Maybe Gardner, maybe Lysan, but most likely Midway." Huang Xiaotian vigorously clicked on the location of Midway Island on the chart, "Midway Island is our key island in the western part of the Hawaiian Islands, and Lysan Island and Gardner Island are within the strike range of the US heavy bombers. If my judgment is correct, then the US military will first use heavy bombers to destroy the airfields on Lysan and Gardner islands. Open a passage to Midway for the landing fleet, followed by the concentration of several divisions of Marines to land at Midway. And. The Fifth Fleet will certainly appear in the waters near Midway and seize air supremacy over Midway. If we don't support Nakajima, under the fierce blows of the American fleet, and Nimitz is willing to invest blood, Han Shaofeng can hold out for half a month, which is already quite good. ”

"Then the U.S. military can rely on Midway Island and Wake Island as bases and drive straight into the Mariana Islands to attack the Mariana Islands!" Yan Yulong was secretly shocked in his heart, this is the strategic importance of Midway.

"It is quite unlikely that the U.S. military will attack the Mariana Islands in the short term, but the problem is that we must not let Midway fall into the hands of the U.S. military." Huang Xiaotian took a long breath, "By taking Midway, the U.S. military's defense line in the Central Pacific will be restored, and it can attack the Marshall Islands in the south, or directly attack the many islands north of the Mariana Islands, and the defense circle of the empire itself will be threatened." Even if the U.S. forces do not continue to advance, if we want to attack the Hawaiian Islands in the future, we will have to spend a lot of time to capture Midway, which will be seriously detrimental to the development of the entire war situation. General Liao Hanxiang would never allow Midway to fall. Therefore, we must hold Midway. ”

"So Task Force 4 is going to the waters of Midway, and that's what Spruance is all about?"

Huang Xiaotian nodded slightly, and then stood up straight. "It's only a matter of time before the U.S. forces attack Midway, and as I expected, Liao Hanxiang will let us go north at that time. And if we go north after receiving the order, I am afraid it will be too late. ”

"It's better to prepare in advance, choose the sea area that is beneficial to us, and avoid being ambushed by the Fifth Fleet when rushing to the battlefield."

"The fleet is ready to turn." Huang Xiaotian didn't hesitate any longer, "Now that the Fifth Fleet has not yet been deployed in place, if we act in time, we may be able to catch the Fifth Fleet by surprise!" ”

An hour later, Yan Yulong redesigned the fleet's route according to Huang Xiaotian's instructions, and increased the fleet's sailing speed to 24 knots, which is the fastest cruising speed. This time, Huang Xiaotian sent the Fourth Task Force north directly from the waters east of Wake Island, about 100 nautical miles from Wake Island, and about 200 nautical miles from the submarine cordon to the east. According to Huang Xiaotian's calculations, if the Fifth Fleet rushes to Midway, then he will arrive at the waters near Midway Island about half a day in advance and ambush him.

At noon that day, Huang Xiaotian received another telegram from the theater command. The heavy bombers deployed by the US military on the island of Kauai focused on bombing the airfields on Gardner Island and Lysan Island that morning, and the number of bombers dispatched exceeded 350. Prior to this, U.S. heavy bombers were also bombing the two islands, but they had never made more than 200 sorties in a single day, and it was clear that the U.S. military was already preparing for an attack on Midway.

This strengthened Huang Xiaotian's judgment, Spruance had already chosen the waters of Midway Island as the decisive battlefield, and the task of the Fourth Task Force was to reach the waters near Midway Island and try to avoid being attacked by the Fifth Fleet, so that the US military would not dare to attack Midway Island easily!