"We now have enough time to smash the Japanese tortoise shells!" Halsey, receiving the news that his close friend Vice Admiral Spruance had intercepted Japanese reinforcements, shouted at the battleship Hawaii, which was approaching the coast of Midway Island and fighting against two 420mm naval guns on the island.

At the very beginning of the American offensive at Midway, the Japanese got the news.

The new Musashi took over from the Yamato, which had returned to the mainland for repairs, and took over the Drucker Islands, the headquarters of the Combined Fleet. After receiving the order for support, the Musashi rushed to Midway Island with the Yunfeng, which was still carrying the smoke of gunpowder.

But not long after Wake Island, the battleship Ohio, which was launched with the Montana, blocked the way of Japanese reinforcements with the aircraft carriers Randolph and Boxer.

Nimitz authorized Spruance, his most trusted man, to command the entire campaign in the Central Pacific.

From the very beginning, in order to completely solve Midway, the prudent Spruance arranged a special reinforcement fleet.

On the Tropic of Cancer, a large-scale naval battle was fought between the two sides.

This time the aircraft carrier interfered less, and the Montana-class and Yamato-class battleships collided again.

The aircraft carriers of both sides dragged far behind, only throwing out fighter planes to shuttle through the clouds, and on the entire battlefield of hundreds of nautical miles, battleships representing the most powerful weapons of the past hundred years once again became the protagonists.

The sound of shells and armor crashing echoed across the open sea, shattering layers of gunsmoke, but an equally thick black column of smoke rose near the opponent's chimney.

At a distance of about 20 kilometers, the precise bombardment of both sides almost hit the ground.

The two steel giants did not fight each other in close proximity, relying on a cannon fist sharp enough and a solid enough armor to resist attack.

The Montana-class's four 12 406 mm MK7 guns could rain 29.4 tons of armor-piercing shells per minute, which was more than the Yamato-class's 19.7 tons, enough to sweep through the many weak armor on the Musashi, but in the face of the 650 mm thick armor on the Yamato-class turret. At 20 kilometers there is still nothing that can be done.

Even the 410 mm main armor, which is inclinated at 20 degrees near the upper waterline, is somewhat reluctant to get any closer.

The new Musashi was newly named by the Japanese to cover up the sinking of the old Musashi by Huaxia, and its manufacturing unit was the No. 12 sub-base under the Red Alert base.

The production of the base must be a high-quality product.

Although Meng Xiang left the back door, the quality of the battleship was very good, no worse than the Yamato, which was carefully built by the Japanese, and it was by no means the kind of ordinary goods that the Americans later used to experiment with the armor of the Shinano made by unskilled workers during the war.

The Japanese destroyed 2 Yamato-class battleships of the Americans. It was all folded in the torpedo hand, and its strong protection could also resist the long-range bombardment of the MK7 naval guns.

Although the Montana class is also superior in defense, it was designed before the Americans were involved in World War II, and the understanding of the Yamato class is not very comprehensive. Although it can completely defeat the Nagato-class, it is now facing the 460-mm naval guns of the Yamato-class.

Without air interference, the new Musashi was single-mindedly engaged with the Ohio on the opposite side, and its 460-millimeter guns were under the accurate fire of the Japanese Navy. Within an hour, the Ohio was hit 4 times in a row.

Each one is a powerful blow. In particular, the fourth shot caused the detonation of boiler No. 4.

Although it did not tear the Ohio, four boilers were destroyed, and with the groaning of the steel skeleton, the Ohio had been destroyed.

The Musashi also received 5 Montana-class armor-piercing rounds.

The turret, although armored, was fine, but under a violent impact. There was a problem with the internals, and the No. A turret would not turn.

And the secondary turret of the 25 mm armor, which has always been criticized, has not only 2 pierced. The people inside died warpedly, and even one of them was directly overturned, and even though there was a 75 mm chrome alloy steel to protect the ammunition channel, it was still penetrated.

If it weren't for the timely rescue of the Japanese, I am afraid that the fire caused would have destroyed the entire ammunition depot and directly tore the Shin-Musashi.

The Americans, who had once purchased a Yamato-class battleship, also knew that the 406-mm naval guns were not sharp enough in the face of the Yamato. So they aimed at this part of the soft underbelly attack that they also knew.

Similarly, the Americans, who had learned the secret of the near-miss, hit a place on the port side of the Musashi where 230 mm of armor was protected underwater. A hole more than 5 meters long was torn.

These casualties did not hurt the Musashi, and it was completely possible to sink the Ohio, which was already half-paralyzed on the sea.

But at this time, the aircraft carrier that was fighting on one side had already decided the winner two hours later.

The battle of the aircraft carrier is determined by the carrier aircraft above.

The number of aircraft carriers of the Americans is 2 to 1, and the number of carrier aircraft is far exceeded.

The carrying capacity of the Essex-class aircraft carrier can easily exceed 100, while the Dafeng-class aircraft carrier sacrifices the carrying capacity because of the closed hangar, even if it carries a few more, it is only about 75.

Although the Gale fighter has begun production and service, the pitiful production makes the entire Yunfeng only have a pitiful 8, and even a squadron can't make up it. In the face of the Hellcats pounced by the Americans, they did not care about the aircraft carriers in the rear at all.

The Americans who intercepted it had already learned the coordinates of the Japanese aircraft carriers that had been coming in formation, and nearly 100 dreadnought bombers and Avengers swarmed away, taking turns to squash the Japanese aircraft carriers, which were still weak in air defense.

Even if the Japanese Navy strengthened its air defense, it would not be enough to withstand the encirclement of so many fighters.

At the cost of sacrificing 4 Dreadnoughts and 3 Avengers, the Americans let the Yunfeng aircraft carrier begin to sink to the bottom with 5 bombs and 4 torpedoes.

Before the Yunfeng completely sank into the sea, the American aircraft carrier aimed at the injured Shin-Musashi.

And at this time, another group of the Americans, which was responsible for intercepting at sea, also arrived.

The flotilla, consisting of two Essex-class aircraft carriers, was responsible for bombing and supporting Midway and surrounding islands on the periphery, and at the same time forming an interception network at the outermost part of the Midway battlefield to prevent the U.S. fleet led by the battleship Ohio from failing to intercept it.

After receiving reinforcements from the Japanese fleet, and the distance was not far, Spruance, who had a bit of a siege and reinforcements, directly ordered the two aircraft carriers to support in this direction, and strive to eat the Japanese support force directly.

The New Musashi, who had already defeated the Ohio in a knight duel, had to face the siege of 4 aircraft carriers.

"Retreat!" Captain Toyoji Asakura no longer thought about aiding Midway, and all he had left on his mind was how to preserve the new Musashi.

After the attack of the Huaxia and the Americans, only the Nagato-class battleships were left, and in addition to the two old battleships, the Japanese Yamato-class only had 4 Yamato-class left, especially in the case of heavy losses from the Japanese aircraft carriers.

Every time there is one less ship, the Japanese will have less confidence in peace talks with the Americans.

Throughout, the Japanese, who are still somewhat self-aware, have no intention of completely overthrowing the Americans.

They had always pinned their hopes on bringing the Americans to the negotiating table and recognizing the Japanese as the hegemon of the Western Pacific.

Even in the face of the double attack of the Chinese and the Americans, losing most of Australia and Southeast Asia, the Japanese still had the self-confidence to protect themselves.

The Chinese Navy can rely on Australia, which has a small population of Japanese overseas Chinese and a small number of Japanese troops, and if it is airborne on the Japanese mainland, I am afraid that a large number of Japanese people will be able to drown the incoming Chinese army with cannon fodder.

Although the Chinese navy won one or two times, it was not enough to threaten the Japanese mainland.

The Americans, with their powerful navy, had to face the Japanese in the Pacific, relying on islands one after another.

The Japanese developed three island chains very early on based on the strategic defense system in the Pacific Ocean.

The first island chain from south to north is the Gilbert Islands, the Marshall Islands, Wake Island, Johnston Island, Midway, and the Aleutian Islands;

The second island chain is the New Guinea Islands, the Mariana Islands, the Iwo Jima, and the Ogasawara Islands;

The third island chain is the Philippine Islands, Taiwan Island, and the Ryukyu Islands, and is connected by the Caroline Islands in an east-west direction, forming a spider web-like strategic defense posture.

Later, the island of Taiwan was recovered by China, and it did not affect the integrity of the entire island chain defense system.

The Japanese still tried to use these islands to deplete and exhaust the U.S. fleet, and at the right time to send the Combined Fleet to a decisive battle at sea and force the United States to the negotiating table.

And now that the Yunfeng is finished, if the new Musashi is lost again, the transaction between outsourcing and copycat companies is interrupted, and there is not enough time and warship production capacity in Japan, I am afraid that the last trump card of the joint warship, which has greatly lost its strength, will be difficult to threaten the Americans.

"The Shimomusashi must be saved!" Toyoji Asakura secretly made up his mind not to reap the fruits of victory of the paralyzed Ohio, and instead ordered the entire fleet to escort the Shin-Musashi to the nearest Wake Island.

Battleships could never outrun planes, and Toyoji Asakura overestimated the air defense of the entire fleet.

In addition to the air defense of the 2 Akizuki-class destroyers, the other 3 Yangyan-class destroyers that have not yet sunk and one Torikai-class Kaohsiung-class heavy cruiser are not very good.

The ensuing pursuit lasted from near the Tropic of Cancer to Wake Island, but the New Musashi did not hold out, and after being bombarded with seven more torpedoes, it sank in a coral reef more than 60 nautical miles from Wake Island in a burst of explosions.

The Americans, having again lost 13 bombers, 8 torpedo planes and 11 Hellcats, went away with a smile of victory.