After Tan Renhao told what he was worried about, Hao Dongjue quickly understood.

"The problem now is that we are about 900 nautical miles away from Han Shaofeng, and our plane can't fly that far." Hao Dongjue was also very anxious, "In addition, even if it flies over, it will be night, and we only know the approximate route of the landing fleet now, at night, the pilots will not be able to find the landing fleet at all, and they will not be able to return to the fleet at all, and the pilots on the mission will definitely not be able to come back." ”

Tan Renhao touched his forehead, he really didn't think of this question.

"Why don't we just send a telegram, the attack on Midway Island is delayed by a day, and we look for a new opportunity?"

Tan Renhao shook his head. "The position of the fleet cannot be revealed, I have already considered this method, it will not work at all."

"Then how do you say we should contact Han Shaofeng?"

Tan Renhao looked at the cruiser "Li Jing" a few nautical miles away, and the aviation crew on the cruiser was making preparations for the seaplane to take off. His gaze stayed on the seaplane parked on the catapult for a few seconds, then turned to Hao Dongjue and asked, "How far can our seaplane fly?" ”

"Up to 600 nautical miles!"

"How far can you fly if you have one less pilot on board?" Seaplanes generally have three pilots, one of whom is a pilot, a navigator, and a communicator.

"This ......," Hao Dongjue thought quickly, "If you reduce one pilot and install one more oil drum, you can fly about 800 nautical miles." ”

"Enough. It would take at least seven hours to fly, and the landing fleet would be able to sail at least 100 nautical miles in seven hours, when the time comes. Let Han Shaofeng send a ship to scoop up the pilot. ”

"But the question is, how to contact Han Shaofeng?"

"Tell the pilots about the channel of the landing fleet." Tan Renhao has already thought of a solution. "How far is the communication distance of the ground station on the seaplane?"

"It won't be more than 300 nautical miles."

"Well, then, let them call the landing fleet in six hours." Tan Renhao took two steps back and forth, "When the time comes, the seaplane will be at least 750 nautical miles away from us, and we don't need to worry about the fleet being exposed." Go find two of the best crews. Assign them tasks immediately. I'm going to write the correspondence and get them to go as soon as possible. ”

Hao Dongjue did not object any further, and immediately went to have people contact the two flight crews on the "Li Jing" and asked the pilots to immediately transfer to the aircraft carrier. Ten minutes later, Tan Renhao wrote the telegram that needed to be told to Han Shaofeng, and Hao Dongjue immediately arranged a new mission for the pilots who came to the aircraft carrier. At half past two in the afternoon, two seaplanes took off from the cruiser "Li Jing". There were only pilots and navigators on each plane, a 200-liter oil drum was placed in the communicator's place, and the navigator was tasked with liaising with the landing fleet. In order to make sure that at least one aircraft could contact the landing fleet, Tan Renhao arranged for two planes. The two planes, one after the other, took the same route, and the distance was about 50 nautical miles.

At a time when Tan Renhao was still worried about whether Han Shaofeng would listen to his warning. The two seaplanes flew all the way to the west. Because the load capacity has increased a lot (all full takeoffs, the self-defense machine guns on the plane are removed in order to load more fuel), the flight speed is less than 120 knots. After talking to Hao Dongjue. All four pilots knew how important their mission was, so they didn't let up along the way.

At 9:35 p.m., the seaplane in front first sent a telegram, and half an hour later, the seaplane in the back sent a telegram again. And both seaplanes called out to the landing fleet and the convoy at a frequency of every ten minutes, which they had no idea where.

In fact, at this time, the landing fleet commanded by Han Shaofeng was sailing about 60 nautical miles west of the two seaplanes. When the first telegram was received, the communications officers in the fleet did not pay attention, because no one would believe that the seaplanes of the 1st Task Force would appear only a few dozen nautical miles from the landing fleet. It wasn't until ten o'clock, when the second seaplane also sent a telegram, that Han Shaofeng attracted attention.

"You're saying these two seaplanes were sent by Task Force 1?"

"They claimed it was the 'Li Jing' seaplane on the ground, and it was less than 30 nautical miles away from us. In addition, they have run out of fuel and are preparing to make a forced landing on the surface of the sea, asking us to send ships to rescue them. ”

Han Shaofeng hesitated, according to the plan, the first task force is now thousands of nautical miles away to the east of them, why did Tan Renhao send two seaplanes back, and let the landing fleet and transport fleet immediately turn south, delaying the landing on Midway Island by one day? Although Tan Renhao was the commander-in-chief of this landing operation, what made Han Shaofeng a little puzzled was that if the situation was urgent, Tan Renhao should have sent him a telegram directly, why he sent a seaplane back, which could be delayed for several hours.

"General, should we send a destroyer to pick up those pilots first, and then determine if this is an order from General Tan? Moreover, General Tan is experienced in a hundred battles and has a lot of experience, and he is still General Liao's ......"

"Send the destroyer over and scoop up the pilots and move as fast as they can." Han Shaofeng made a decision at this time. He has cooperated with Tan Renhao and knows Tan Renhao's ability, and Tan Renhao is also the son-in-law of Liao Hanxiang, the commander of the theater.

"Shall the fleet turn?" The staff officer who had begun to suggest asked another question.

Han Shaofeng hesitated for a while and said, "Don't turn for the time being, bring the pilot first, ask about the situation clearly, and then decide whether to turn or not." ”

Han Shaofeng was only a Marine Corps general, and the landing fleet did not belong to the front-line combat fleet, and there were not too many naval fleet staff officers. At this point, if it were to be decided by another fleet commander, the fleet would have been ordered to turn around, and if it was confirmed that the news was wrong, it would not be too late to return the fleet to its original course. Meantime. This is also to blame Ren Hao, in a hurry, Tan Ren Hao did not fully explain the period. Other than that. For the sake of confidentiality, it is impossible for Tan Renhao to explain the situation clearly. None of the stations used by the seaplanes are encrypted. Signals can be easily intercepted, and if Task Force 51 is already nearby, then the landing fleet is dangerous.

The time was delayed for two hours, and when the four pilots were brought to the landing ship where Han Shaofeng was, Han Shaofeng immediately questioned the two officers (pilots. The navigator is a non-commissioned officer). But the situation was still not clarified, and the two pilots only brought the news of turning the landing fleet around, but did not bring any more information.

"Go and rest first." Han Shaofeng first arranged for the four pilots, "Make room for them to come out of the officer's cabin, and in addition, prepare some sumptuous dinner." ”

After the pilot was taken out, Han Shaofeng still didn't know what to do.

"General, it's time for the fleet to turn immediately." The staff officer reminded Han Shaofeng, "General Tan must have his reasons for arranging the seaplane to come back." He did not send a telegram with the battleship's ground radio, surely fearing that the fleet would be exposed. Moreover, the situation must be very urgent. We have to turn now. ”

Han Shaofeng thought for a few minutes, then nodded. "According to the information provided by Admiral Tan, the fleet immediately turned!"

The order was quickly passed on, and after the completion of the turn. Han Shaofeng also made a decision, that is, to use the fleet's radio to inform the First Task Force that the landing fleet and the transport fleet had turned south and headed for Wake Island, and the landing on Midway Island would be delayed by at least one day. The telegram was sent at about half-past twelve, at a time when the landing fleet was about 750 nautical miles northwest of Wake Island, and was still at 16 knots after turning.

When he received the telegram from Han Shaofeng, Tan Renhao was discussing with Hao Dongjue the arrangements for the bombing of Midway. At this time, the fleet is approaching the attack zone and will reach the attack zone in a few hours.

Perhaps, in all the bad things, the only thing that satisfied Tan Renhao and Hao Dongjue was that during the whole day, and in the first half of the night, no enemy reconnaissance planes were found, and the radio listening stations in the fleet did not find any radio activity around the fleet. In other words, until this time, the position of the 1st Task Force was not revealed.

After reading the telegram sent by Han Shaofeng, Tan Renhao really didn't know what to say about this Marine Corps Major General.

"Be content, Han Shaofeng is not a fleet commander, he is just a commander of the Marine Corps." Hao Dongjue smiled and shook his head, "At least, he has already turned the fleet according to your arrangement." As for this little mistake, we have no way to hold him accountable. ”

Tan Renhao did not expect Han Shaofeng to send a telegram to report the movements of the landing fleet and the transport fleet, and any fleet commander should know that after receiving the alarm, the first thing to consider was the concealment of the fleet, and it was by no means a report on the situation, and it was not too late to send a telegram after making sure that he had left the dangerous sea area! And now the landing fleet is still more than 700 nautical miles from Wake Island, and it will not be able to enter the cover range of shore-based fighters before dawn. This telegram will completely expose the landing fleet and the convoy, and Spruance will surely attack quickly without hesitation!

"It's useless to worry about it now, let's think about how to blow up the airport on Midway first."

Tan Renhao looked at it on the chart. He first marked the sea area where Han Shaofeng was located, as well as the new route, and indicated on the route the sea area that the landing fleet could reach at dawn. He then determined the sea area where Task Force 51 was to bombard the landing fleet.

At this point, Tan Renhao also calculated that even if he asked the First Task Force to turn to support the landing fleet at noon, the distance between him and the landing fleet would be 300 nautical miles away at dawn tomorrow, that is to say, he would not be able to cover the landing fleet at all, and the hope of attacking the 51st Fleet first was also very slim. Can you just let Task Force 51 go? The very existence of this fleet is a great threat. If Spruance had killed the landing fleet, he would have been able to take on Task Force 1 with all his might. Task Force 51 must not be allowed to slip away!

Thinking of this, Tan Renhao made up his mind, the praying mantis catches the cicada, and the yellow finch is behind. Since Spruance dared to deal with the landing fleet, he went to ambush the 51st Task Force. Do you need to give up the bombing of Midway for now? Thinking, thinking, Tan Renhao laughed.

"What are you laughing at?" Hao Dongjue, who was arranging a bombing mission, looked at Tan Renhao.

"It's an opportunity." Tan Renhao raised his head, "Han Shaofeng, if they can escape the catastrophe, it will naturally be the best." If they can't escape, then we'll be ready to avenge the landing fleet. ”

Hao Dongjue frowned slightly, he put down the pencil in his hand, and waited for Tan Renhao to continue.

"Move the fleet's attack position 50 nautical miles north." Tan Renhao first marked the new sea area of attack on the chart, "Tomorrow the bombardment of Midway Island will be carried out according to the plan, and in addition, the shelling formation will set off in half an hour, and after destroying the airfield on Midway, the shelling formation will carry out the shelling alone." Immediately after releasing the bomber group, the fleet headed northwest at full speed. Arrange for 50 reconnaissance planes to take off after the bomber group and conduct a comprehensive search of the sea area in the north-western direction. ”

After hearing what Ren Hao said, Hao Dongjue hesitated a little.

"Are you going to intercept Task Force 51?"

Tan Renhao nodded. "Whether or not Spruance succeeds, after we bomb Midway, he will surely return east at full speed with Task Force 51. We only did one round of bombing, and then the fleet quickly shifted to stop at the return route of Task Force 51. If all goes well, we may encounter Task Force 51 tomorrow afternoon or the day after tomorrow, so we should deploy our reconnaissance planes first. Use some bombers to carry out reconnaissance missions, intensify the search, and be sure to find the 51st Task Force! ”

"Then we have to count on the first wave of bombing to destroy the airfield on Midway, but the U.S. military will not go unnoticed, and they will definitely strengthen their defenses."

Tan Renhao hesitated, he really ignored this. "Then let's take a gamble that the Spruance is definitely going to deal with the landing fleet, and not ambush somewhere near us."

"You mean, arrange two waves of bombing?" Hao Dongjue immediately understood what Tan Renhao meant.

Tan Renhao nodded slightly. "Two waves of bombardment have completely destroyed the airfield on Midway, and we can only encounter Task Force 51 as soon as tomorrow afternoon, so bet on this!"