"But how can I let my battlefleet follow?" Zhang Enming asked.

"Use our high-powered radios." Chu Yangwei said, "They will definitely be able to hear our communication." ”

"But I think it's still too risky......"

At this time, the sea breeze became stronger and stronger, large clouds rolled in, and the sky became dark again. Zhang Enming looked at Chu Yangwei with some concern and said.

"That's it!" Chu Yangwei said categorically, "Quick! Time is running out! Command now! ”

With the radio signal, the ships sounded their whistles, and the huge columns began to regroup.

As if confirming the legend of the "Demon Sea", the waves also surged.

Battleship "Yamato", bridge.

"Sir, the Chinese fleet is passing through the 'Dragon Triangle'." An officer reported to Isoroku Yamamoto, "The Intelligence Office of the Ministry of the Navy has just deciphered a telegram between the Shina Fleet and the Admiralty confirming their intention to cross through the 'Dragon Triangle' and join up with a fleet from Taiwan. ”

Yamamoto fifty-six heard the news, his brows couldn't help frowning, he silently came to the chart table, the black island turtle man seemed to understand the chief's thoughts, he gave a few orders to the mapping officer, and the mapping officer immediately marked the scope of the "Dragon Triangle" on the chart.

"The results of the first stage have been counted just now, and two large aircraft carriers and one light aircraft carrier of the Chinese fleet have been heavily damaged and are likely to have sunk." Rear Admiral Ugaki, Chief of Staff, said, "The number of battleships and aircraft carriers in the Shina Fleet is smaller than that of our army, and now it has been heavily damaged by our army, and its combat strength has been seriously reduced. So we should pursue it as soon as possible. ”

"You mean, we're going to follow them in, right?" Yamamoto Fifty-six turned his head to look at Ugaki and asked quietly.

"The 'Dragon Triangle' and the 'Sea of Demons' are just legends, not enough to rely on." Rear Admiral Ugaki said, "For us, we cannot afford to lose such a good opportunity to annihilate the enemy. ”

"The legend is not credible, of course, but now the weather is getting worse, it is an indisputable fact." Kuroshima Kametoshi suddenly said, "This kind of weather is very unfavorable for the operation of aircraft carriers, even if we catch up with the enemy, we will not be able to launch an attack." ”

"We can use the battleship's main guns! And the torpedoes of the cruisers! Rear Admiral Ugaki said loudly, "We have the most firepower battleship in the world, and we have the most advanced '93' type plain acid torpedo, and we will definitely be victorious!" ”

Listening to Rear Admiral Ugaki's words, Kuroshima Kametoshi Osaku did not speak again, and the bridge became quiet for a while, and everyone's eyes were focused on Yamamoto Fifty-six.

The Combined Fleet's operational plan against the Chinese Navy, officially named "Operation Branch" from the base camp, is the brainchild of many people, but its basic outline comes from the hands of the Chief Staff Officer of the Combined Fleet, Kuroshima Kameto Admiral. Kuroshima was a theorist who was accustomed to spending long hours in his gloomy cabin meditating. He wrote a manual in which he proposed the tactical theory of the combined fleet with battleships as the main force for a decisive battle in the fleet. The other staff officers worked out the details of the plan according to their professional division of labor. Rear Admiral Ugaki, chief of staff of the combined fleet, who was very energetic and resourceful, consistently advocated an offensive against the Chinese navy and gave comprehensive guidance on the drafting of the plan.

However, the "Operation Branch" plan specifically reflected the thinking and surname of Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander of the Combined Fleet. Yamamoto was a fierce admiral whose work was evident to all and earned him widespread respect. Before the start of the Pacific War, there was a vote among the officers of the Navy to decide who would lead them as commander of the Combined Fleet, and the vast majority of them chose Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku. His champions also included every officer of naval aviation.

Yamamoto Isoroku was one of the main advocates of naval aviation, so he enjoyed great prestige among the flight officers of the Yamamoto Navy. Although Yamamoto himself was not an aviation officer, he was the chief of education of the Kasumigaura Naval Air Force when he received the rank of Grand Admiral of the Navy. Since then, he has held a number of important positions in naval aviation. At the time, the Naval Air Corps was still in its infancy and was in dire need of a competent leader and advocate. Yamamoto enthusiastically took on this role, showing his extraordinary sharp eye and passionate attitude in his work.

At this early stage, the line of flying is not particularly appealing due to frequent crashes. Indeed, many senior naval officers at that time did not even dare to set foot in the plane, if they knew that the plane was going to leave the ground. Until the thirties, Yamamoto's classmate, Admiral Yoshida Zengo, commander of the Combined Fleet, resolutely refused to take the special plane prepared for him.

There are also senior naval officers who talk about the importance of naval aviation and encourage young recruits to join the air force, but when their children become flight officers or their daughters marry pilots, their enthusiasm suddenly disappears. Chief Yamamoto is not such a half-hearted person. His belief in aviation was genuine, and he encouraged his young relatives to join the Naval Air Corps.

Yamamoto's love for pilots did not make him suffer from the same addiction to alcohol as ordinary pilots. He doesn't drink, but likes to gamble on his luck. He was known to be a bold and shrewd player in both bridge and poker. He is a natural gambler with the spirit of "win it all, or lose it all". As many have said, the attack on Pearl Harbor embodied the strategy of "win or lose," which is in line with Yamamoto's surname. Perhaps, one of the main reasons for the success of the attack on Pearl Harbor was the courage of the gamblers who inspired him to do it.

In addition to his ability to make bold and imaginative decisions, another thing that earned him respect and admiration among the young officers of the Navy was his strong and unambiguous leadership. In this respect, he is unique among admirals. Perhaps because of the influence of the British naval tradition, the navy from the early days paid great attention to instilling gentlemanly manners in officers. Unfortunately, however, this has led to a tendency to equate the attitude of a good gentleman who is not good at presenting himself with a gentlemanly demeanor, with the result that there are many wise and kind generals, but few true leaders and generals.

The lack of real leadership skills among the senior admirals of the present is reflected in many ways. For example, when a fleet or town guard holds an exercise or combat training, the officers often hold a council after the fact, and the commander of the fleet or town guard office presides over such a meeting, but they rarely actively lead the discussion or put forward sharp opinions, so the officers and assistants have no way of knowing whether they are doing the right thing. At the council of the Combined Fleet, Yamamoto always took the lead in the discussions, pointing out if an action was not done properly and explaining what to do after he requested it. He did not treat his staff as think tanks, but as assistants in carrying out his policies and decisions. His clear instructions made his course very clear, so that his subordinates knew exactly what to do in accordance with the commander's intentions when they had to make their own decisions.

It was precisely because of Yamamoto's strengths that the entire navy considered him the most suitable for him to be the supreme commander. For in war, the fate of the nation may depend on the outcome of a battle, and the success or failure of the battle depends to a large extent on the personal character and ability of the Supreme Commander. And rightfully so. Because only by centralizing the power of decision-making can unity of action be ensured, and without unified action, victory is impossible. It is also because the question of combat operations cannot be discussed at the conference table and decided by a majority, but can only be decided quickly by the commander on the basis of his judgment, but at the same time he should be fully aware that every action, once decided, is irreversible. This requires extraordinary courage and self-confidence on the part of the commander. Yamamoto possessed both of these qualities.

But despite the qualities of Admiral Yamamoto that seemed to make him an unrivaled supreme commander, the trials of war proved that Admiral Yamamoto also had weaknesses. The obvious evidence is that he insisted on attacking the Chinese mainland recklessly and unyieldingly, regardless of all reasonable opinions against the "branch operation." It cannot but be thought that because he was bent on preventing Tokyo from being attacked by air, and because his pride had been damaged by the Chinese Air Force's air raids on Tokyo, his judgment on the attack was paranoid. If Yamamoto hadn't been overly swayed by this sentiment, he would have shown greater flexibility when considering his future strategy.

It is also certain that Yamamoto hastily plunged into the adventurous operation of attacking China mainland was because he was convinced that the balance of military power between China and the United States would be maintained for at most two or three years after the start of the war, and that changes would take place in favor of China and the United States in the future. Because of the urgency of time, he felt that the only hope for Ben was to fight a quick victory, so as to induce the enemy to make peace. He hoped that an attack on the Chinese mainland would make this decisive battle happen. He had confided in Rear Admiral Yamaguchi Tabun and his other henchmen that if the main Chinese fleet could be annihilated in the "branch operation", he intended to urge the head of the political axe to begin to test the peace.

Chief Yamamoto believed that it was imperative to find an opportunity to engage in a decisive battle with the enemy fleet as soon as possible. This judgment is undoubtedly correct. Indeed, if there is any criticism on this issue, Yamamoto's mistake is that he did not eliminate the formidable Chinese aircraft carrier force at Truk Harbor after the success of the initial attack on Pearl Harbor in order to achieve this goal. In any case, the annihilation of the U.S. Pacific Fleet was the first task that the Navy had to accomplish in the spring of 1942. However, the serious question arises as to whether the capture of Truk Harbor and the annihilation of the Chinese Navy are the only feasible or best way to achieve this goal.

From a tactical point of view, the "Squadron Operation" plan was an outdated proposition of the faction that advocated a focus on battleships, which was very incommensurate with Yamamoto, who was said to understand the role of the air force. It is strange to say the least that Yamamoto, who had thought of attacking Pearl Harbor with carrier-based aircraft, did not overhaul the formation and tactics of the fleet more quickly, making aviation the core of combat power. Perhaps Yamamoto himself also has the tendency to be obsessed with the "big ships and big guns" of the past, or perhaps he feels that the old traditional ideas are deeply ingrained and that he is powerless to change them completely at once.

It is often said that war is one in which both sides make mistakes, and victory belongs to the side that makes fewer mistakes. Admiral Yamamoto and his men were, of course, at their faults, including some that are difficult to reasonably explain. However, it is not so much about accountability as to the person who is responsible, but about the serious consequences of these mistakes and subsequent failures.

Yamamoto Fifty-six stared at the chart, and gradually fell into deep thought.

At this time, the wind and waves on the sea gradually became bigger, and a huge wave hit and slapped on the bulbous bow of the "Yamato", which was smashed to pieces, and everyone felt a slight shock under their feet.

"The aircraft carrier squadron is not able to operate in such bad weather," said Yamamoto, "and the aircraft carrier squadron is ordered to turn southeast and leave the storm zone." ”

"And what about the battlefleet and the cruiser?" Major General Ugaki asked.

"The battlefleet continues to move in the original course, and the cruiser fleet and the aircraft carrier fleet go together!" Yamamoto said in an unquestionable tone.

Hearing that the commander had made up his mind, Major General Ugaki closed his mouth.

Yamamoto's order was quickly conveyed, and the fleet began to reorganize in a hurry, like the Chinese fleet.

"Damn Chu Yangwei, he actually let Lao Tzu accompany you here to drink the wind!"

On the bridge of the battleship "Chiyou," Vice Admiral Chen Dingyuan, commander of the fleet, wore a raincoat, looked at the lightning in the thick dark clouds ahead, and cursed in a low voice.

Chen Dingyuan and Chu Yangwei are brothers with different surnames, they were both influenced by their adoptive father Yang Shuoming in their early years, and joined the Chinese Navy when they grew up, and now they have become the pillars of the Chinese Navy.

Despite the scolding, Chen Dingyuan also knew that this combat operation was of great importance, and he must not miss the slightest mistake. In the face of such harsh sea conditions, of course, he would not risk his precious aircraft carrier - in fact, he was not even willing to take such a risk with a battleship, but after knowing the size of his battlefleet, he chose to lead his battlefleet straight to the "Dragon Triangle" without hesitation.

"The sea conditions are getting worse." Rear Admiral Huang Jiaxuan, chief of staff of the fleet, said with some concern, "It's really the first time I've seen such a big wave." ”

As soon as Huang Jiaxuan's words fell, he saw that a thin white line suddenly rose on the pitch-black sea in the distance, and when he saw this white line, many officers showed a look of horror on their faces.

Chen Dingyuan and Huang Jiaxuan retreated to the command tower in unison, and at this time, all the officers stopped what they were doing, each held the handrail beside him, and stood firm.

Seeing that Chen Dingyuan unconsciously erected a standard horse step, Huang Jiaxuan felt a little funny, but when his eyes looked out of the observation window, the smile unconsciously froze on his face.

The white line I saw just now has turned into a huge wave almost as high as a mountain!

"We don't have such an idea, do we? A tsunami can't have such a big wave?! Seeing the huge waves that seemed to be pushed over by a mountain, Huang Jiaxuan couldn't help grinning.

Chen Dingyuan didn't speak, but strengthened his hands, grabbed the armrests, and his two legs also strengthened. At this time, only the sound of rolling could be heard, and everything around me began to tilt.

Under the impact of the waves, the bow of the "Chiyou" rose up little by little, and as the bow slowly rose, the command tower also tilted.

With everything around them constantly leaning, the officers firmly grasped the handrails, trying to maintain their balance, some of the young officers experienced this for the first time, their faces were a little pale, and several of the old officers did not seem to care too much, but there they bet and discuss the inclination of the bow of the ship, while teasing the young men.

But as the incline increased, they also began to get restless.

"Oh my God, this ...... Is it fifteen degrees? ”

"It seems like there are more than ......"

"It's probably over 20 degrees......"

"Be careful! The waves are coming! Hurry up! ”

Listening to the sound of "boom" like a heavy hammer hitting a giant bell, the bow of the "Chiyou" was like a sharp sword in the hand of the giant spirit god, instantly splitting the monstrous waves, everyone only felt the sound of their heads "buzzing", the whole body shook violently, and then there was a feeling of weightlessness under their feet.

The hull of the "Chiyou" was rapidly retreating, and then the sea water rushed down like a waterfall, and some waves splashed directly through the observation window, wetting the uniforms of the nearest officers.

Experiencing the power of this monstrous wave, the officers couldn't help but look at each other.

As an experienced naval officer who has gone to sea, it is not unheard of to see stormy seas, but such a huge wave is the first time for each of them to feel it.

What kind of power does it have to be able to lift a hundred-thousand-ton giant ship like the "Chiyou" so high!

Chen Dingyuan turned his head to look at the observation window behind him, and saw that under the impact of the huge waves, the "Republic" battleship behind him was also the same as the "Chiyou" just now, but the bow was raised higher, and it looked even more terrifying.

"Sure enough, it's the 'Sea of Demons'! Well deserved the name! Chen Dingyuan gritted his teeth and said, "It's so fucking cool!" ”

"Yes! It's more enjoyable than riding a 'roller coaster'. Huang Jiaxuan said with a wry smile, "It is estimated that Lao Chu and them are now cooler than us." ”

"Don't be happy, just make a big fuss, there will be a battle to fight later!" Chen Dingyuan also said with a wry smile.

"Lao Chu is still more prescient, just this wave, if the aircraft carrier comes, it has to be 'stuffed'." Huang Jiaxuan said.

(To be continued)