"What?" Everyone, including Emperor Wu Haoxuan, was dumbfounded. Pen~Fun~Pavilion www.biquge.info The Americans have completely disappeared two aircraft carriers and eight advanced battleships, which is undoubtedly an extremely powerful force.

You don't have to think about it to know that the Americans' disappeared fleet must have secretly gone to the Pacific Ocean. And if the Imperial Navy didn't know about it, I am afraid that it would pay a huge price. After all, two aircraft carriers already have strong combat effectiveness. Not to mention the fact that there were eight cutting-edge battleships. It was a powerful battleship with a comprehensive strength comparable to the Imperial Navy's 'Tokai-class' battleships and 'Three Emperor-class' battleships, and even more powerful in some cases. A surprise attack would inevitably have disastrous consequences for the Imperial Navy.

"Can you determine the exact time when those warships of the US Navy disappeared?" Marshal Lin Jianzhang, Minister of the Navy, asked. He was undoubtedly the most nervous of all the people here.

"I don't know yet. However, at the beginning of the month, there was intelligence that the US Navy's aircraft carriers USS Wasp and USS Hornet, as well as five Montana-class, would be commissioned. However, until now, there has been no trace. One of our intelligence agents infiltrated the shipyard only to find that the slipway was empty. Other intelligence officers also discovered that the three 'Iowa-class' battleships that were originally part of the U.S. Navy's Atlantic Fleet had also disappeared. Only then did a telegram come to China. Marshal Chen Xudong said.

"How could such a mistake occur? The war is not over yet, and the intelligence services are so slack? Wu Haoxuan said with some dissatisfaction.

"Your Majesty, your sin deserves death, please forgive your Majesty." Marshal Chen Xudong hurriedly pleaded guilty. On this issue, he could not argue that if the Imperial Navy suffered heavy losses because of the intelligence services, then the intelligence bureau must be held responsible. I'm afraid he, the head of the military intelligence bureau and the field marshal of the Reich, will have to step down.

"Your Majesty, now is not the time to hold accountable, we must do a good job of remediation." Marshal Jiang Baili said.

"Well, from now on, the MIA has to figure out the traces of the vanished American fleet, whether they have reached the Pacific Ocean. In addition, let the fleet of the Imperial Navy in the South Pacific region be ready for battle and prevent a sneak attack by the Americans. Wu Haoxuan said.

In this war, the Imperial Navy used the method of sneak attack to kill the powerful Pacific Fleet of the US Navy in one fell swoop, so that the Imperial Navy achieved absolute superiority in the Pacific region. If, having already achieved absolute superiority, the Americans succeed in a sneak attack, then the Imperial Navy will be disgraced and thrown home. When the time comes, I am afraid that all the top officials of the Navy will lose face.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I'll warn the fleet right away. Marshal Lin Jianzhang said.

"Can our fleet in the South Pacific be able to beat this fleet of the Americans?" Wu Haoxuan asked. After all, the USS Wasp and USS Hornet aircraft carriers will not be stronger in combat effectiveness than the five-tier aircraft carriers A, B, C, E, and F of the Imperial Navy, or even a little weaker. However, the battleship of the Americans was not so easy to deal with. The Iowa class battleships were already famous and powerful in another time and space, and were said to be able to compete with the Japanese Navy's Yamato-class battleships. Although the caliber of the 406 mm main gun was much thinner than that of the 'Yamato-class' battleships. But the electronic equipment it carries, as well as other soft power, is much stronger. If these two levels of battleships were to bombard each other, the Japanese 'Yamato-class' battleships would not be able to take advantage of them at all. As for the 'Montana-class' battleships, they were not built at all on another plane. Because aircraft carriers have become the main force, and there is no point in building too many battleships. However, it is certain that the performance of the 'Montana-class' battleships is definitely stronger than that of the 'Iowa class'. Although the caliber of the main guns is 406 mm. However, the 'Montana-class' battleships were more heavily armored and more defensive, and naturally had a stronger ability to withstand blows.

At this time, because of the misleading of the Chinese Navy, the US Navy strengthened the construction of battleships, not only all six 'Iowa-class' battleships were built, but also five 'Montana-class' battleships. Although the Chinese Navy received four 'Yamato-class' battleships from the Japanese, after modernization, upgrading and refitting, the combat effectiveness has been greatly improved. However, the ship's age is too long, which is undoubtedly one of its weaknesses. In terms of combat effectiveness, the 'Tokai-class' battleships upgraded from the 'Yamato-class' battleships are estimated to be stronger than the 'Iowa-class' battleships of the US Navy. However, if it is compared with the 'Montana-class' battleships, it is estimated to be half a pound and eight taels. Even if it is strong, it is very limited. This is also a matter of surprise in naval warfare, which cannot play a decisive role at all.

"Your Majesty, in terms of aircraft carriers, we have a total of six aircraft carrier strike groups in the South Pacific, namely the 7th, 8th, 13th, and 14th Carrier Strike Groups of the Pacific Fleet, and the 9th and 10th Carrier Strike Groups of the South Ocean Fleet. In terms of battleships, there were four detachments and nineteen battleships. If it is not attacked by the Americans, there is no suspense that the Imperial Navy will defeat the American fleet in the South Pacific. Our six carrier strike groups, six capital carriers plus twelve escort carriers, carry more than five times as many carrier-based aircraft as the US Navy's USS Wasp and USS Hornet. Of course, in terms of battleships, although our four battleship detachments had a total of nineteen battleships, it would probably be difficult to defeat the eight battleships of the Americans. Although in terms of the number of battleships, we had an absolute advantage. However, these battleships are all old ships that have been in service for twenty or thirty years. Except for the five 'Five Emperor-class' battleships that can pose a certain threat to the eight battleships of the Americans, the remaining fourteen battleships may not be able to threaten the eight cutting-edge battleships they are dealing with at all. Marshal Lin Jianzhang said.

The Imperial Navy's 'Five Emperor-class' battleships had a caliber of 381 mm main guns. The rest of the battleships, all 343 mm. And the US Navy's 'Montana-class' battleships have a thickness of more than 409 mm in their main armor. Even the conning tower armor reached 541 mm, and the frontal armor of the turret reached 572 mm. With such thick armor, even if the old battleships of the Imperial Navy bombarded them with 343 mm naval guns, it was estimated that they would not be able to penetrate it. The main armor of the 'Iowa-class' battleships was also generally around 400 mm, and the conning tower armor and turret frontal armor were as thick as 500 mm. Therefore, the Imperial Navy's four battleship detachments in the South Pacific have absolute superiority in numbers, but if they are bombarded with battleships against the eight cutting-edge battleships of the US Navy, they will definitely be in a passive position. It will even be completely destroyed by the eight battleships of the Americans. After all, the Americans' cutting-edge battleships, in terms of speed, also seem to have an advantage.

Suddenly, the faces of Emperor Wu Haoxuan and his ministers were not very good-looking. This is obviously putting the fleet of the Imperial Navy in the South Pacific in a crisis!

"Your Majesty, if we can detect the traces of the American fleet in time and dispatch carrier-based aircraft to attack, the possibility of defeating them is still very high. After all, the battleships of the Americans, no matter how powerful, will not be an opponent of carrier-based aircraft. No matter how strong the defense is, if there are more bombs and torpedoes, it will still be sunk. Marshal Lin Jianzhang said.

"Aircraft carriers, though, represent the mainstream of future naval warfare. However, the current aircraft carrier still has a lot of flaws. For example, carrier-based aircraft on aircraft carriers are not able to take off at night. What would have been the consequences if the American battleships had touched the fleet of the Imperial Navy at night? Wu Haoxuan said with a cold face.

Suddenly, Marshal Lin Jianzhang was speechless. If that really happened, the fleet deployed by the Imperial Navy in the South Pacific would inevitably be devastated. This was enough to break the bones of the Imperial Navy. When the time comes, the Imperial Navy will certainly continue to maintain superiority over the US Navy, but the superiority is no longer obvious. Even if the Imperial Navy wins the battle against the Americans in the future, the price it must pay will not be small.

"Your Majesty, I immediately telegraphed to the Naha base to have the 11th Carrier Strike Group, the 12th Carrier Strike Group, the 1st Battleship Detachment and the 2nd Battleship Detachment rush to the South Pacific immediately." Marshal Lin Jianzhang said.

"Well, order the fleet to go south at once. In addition, our air and naval aviation in the South Pacific, as well as submarines, are conducting searches to locate the U.S. fleet. Once you find them, it's easy to defeat them. Wu Haoxuan said.

"Yes, Your Majesty." The ministers replied one after another.

At the Naha base, the 11th Carrier Strike Group and the 12th Carrier Strike Group, as well as the 1st Battleship Detachment and the 2nd Battleship Detachment, were ready to set off within half a day after receiving the order. On the night of December 31, the Imperial Navy's 11th Carrier Strike Group, the 12th Carrier Strike Group, the battleships 'East Sea', 'South Sea', 'Yellow Sea' and 'Whale Sea' of the 1st Battleship Detachment, and the battleships Fuxi, Shennong, and Xuanyuan of the 2nd Battleship Detachment left Naha Naval Port at night and galloped toward the South Pacific.

At the same time, the various carrier strike groups and battleship detachments of the Imperial Navy operating in the South Pacific were also alerted. (To be continued.) )