After taking inventory, the next task is to make a plan according to your own family background, since you want to make a plan, then you must first consider what your purpose is. At the very least, understand what the purpose of the phase is. And on this seemingly simple issue, the team with a total of 4 team members and 2 supernumeraries had a huge disagreement.

Admiral Simpson and Commodore Dewey's opinion was that after the Spanish fleet arrived in the Caribbean, it would concentrate its main forces on a decisive battle with the Spanish fleet and settle the issue of sea supremacy once and for all. Under these circumstances, as long as the American fleet could get the intelligence of the Spanish fleet, under the siege of 6 battleships and 15 cruisers, the main Spanish fleet of less than 10 battleships would definitely be wiped out. Even if the Spaniards were lucky enough to get to the port of San Diego, the U.S. fleet would only need to complete the blockade, and then the U.S. Army could land smoothly and attack the port of Santiago by land and water.

But Magiffen strongly disagreed with Simpson, arguing that if it were only Sevila, the Spanish fleet might indeed choose this seemingly reasonable but in fact dead-end option. The port of Santiago is a dead place, and although the security of the fleet can be guaranteed for the time being, if the landing of the US Army is unhindered, then sooner or later the whole of Cuba will make the United States. Yang Yonglin couldn't be so stupid. "If I were Yang Yonglin, then my first choice would be to go straight to the sea lines and look for opportunities to weaken the U.S. fleet." Magifen said.

"But the fleet could not immediately go into battle after crossing the Atlantic, and they needed supplies. Personnel also need to be corrected. And all your speculation is based on Yang Yonglin commanding this fleet, but in my opinion, the white admiral Cervila will not hand over the command to a yellow man. Dewey did not take Majifen's opinion to heart.

"It is possible that they will learn from Makanov's method and set up temporary supply stations on some small islands to complete the coaling operation. And now the Spaniards and the British are on good terms, and it is quite possible that they will resupply the British colonies, and I guess the navy of the United States of America does not have the guts to attack the British colonies, right? Ryoshi Inoue, who had not spoken, spoke.

"It's just speculation." Admiral Simpson said. In fact, Simpson and others knew that during the First Sino-Japanese War, when the Americans and Russians helped Japan together. Britain had already expressed great displeasure, and in the eyes of the British, the alliance between the Americans and Russia, a potential enemy of Britain, was already a challenge to the British Empire's power in the Far East. And then. The interest expressed by the Americans in Cuba and the Philippines was even more displeasing to the British. In the eyes of the British, there should not be a new force entering the Far East, the Qing and Japan confronting the Russians, and the British would be best able to reap the benefits of the fisherman, and the entry of the new force would mean a redivision of interests in the region. The Germans, who had been ready to move, were suddenly at peace again, and the Americans were the focus of the British.

"It's not a bad thing to set things up badly, it's better than not being prepared." In response to the doubts of Dewey and others, Magifen responded. "In this case, the first priority is to ensure the safety of the sea lines of communication. And in order to prevent the fleet from being broken by each one because of its dispersion. I recommend that all capital ships act together. And the transport ships also need to be unified and form a large fleet to act together with the fleet. ”

"Does this mean that our navy is just a bodyguard for the army? I think the lads are very reluctant. Dewey said dissatisfied.

"Also, I would like to ask, what exactly do you mean by all capital ships acting together? Is the Far Eastern Fleet also included? Are we going to abandon our plans for the Philippines? Brigadier General Shelley said. …,

"The war plan against the Philippines must be abandoned, and we cannot challenge two countries at the same time. Those few cruisers in the Far East were of no meaning at all, and with the slightest hindrance from the British and the Qing people, our plan would fail, and more importantly, this unrealistic plan would weaken the naval strength of the homeland. Magiffen said.

"Qing people? Those guys with a pig's tail in the back of their heads dare to touch us? Dewey said arrogantly.

Actually, that's what the Japanese thought at first. The Russians also expressed their displeasure against the Qing Navy, but everyone saw what the result was. The Japanese combined fleet was wiped out, and Admiral Makanov's fleet was once a meat ticket. "Majifen still has a very clear understanding of the strength of the Beiyang Fleet.

"If those guys dare to touch my fleet, I'll definitely let them know how powerful the U.S. Navy is!" Dewey gritted his teeth.

"I've said it all, and I hope to record everything I said when I put together the materials after the meeting. Everything we do, everything we say will affect the future of America. I hope you will be cautious. "In the face of Dewey, the cowboy, all Majifen can do is persuade, that's all.

"Philippine planning really needs to be carefully considered. Mr. Roosevelt also meant to control Cuba first, after all, the Philippines is too far away from us. It's hard for our force to be projected over such a distance. Moreover, Mr. Roosevelt also emphasized the need to ensure the security of the American coast, and that the capitalists loved war, especially one in which they could gain a great deal of advantage, but only if their interests were not to be lost. Admiral Simpson asked new questions.

"The Spaniards don't think they're going to go to the east coast of the United States, right? Their first task was to defend Cuba. Shelly said.

"The main fleet may not go back, but if a detachment is drawn out to fight transport ships or something, it is estimated that they will be happy to do it." Magifen said.

"In that case, it is estimated that the number of ships in the main fleet of the Spaniards could be counted on one hand. Dividing troops is a big taboo. Especially Yang Yonglin, who is an incomparably genius in the mouth of Colonel Ma Jifen, will not make such a mistake. Dewey sneered.

"The premise is that you can catch up, it is difficult for any of our fleets to catch up with the Spanish fleet with a speed of 20 knots, if it is only a cruiser, it is okay for people to turn around and eat you, if you bring those shallow water heavy gunboats, the main fleet with an average speed of only about 10 knots will definitely not be able to catch up, of course, if 6 new battleships are grouped, the speed can reach about 15 knots, but it still has no effect. Speed is a great feature in the vast oceans. Magiffen said with a sigh.

"Then we can't do anything?" Admiral Simpson asked.

"There is a solution, that is, once the war starts, the Army can land in Cuba as soon as possible, the sooner the better, and once the Army opens up the situation, we will have more freedom to move. Whether it is to find a decisive battle for the Spanish navy or to attack the ports off the coast of Cuba, we will not suffer, and of course, the fleet cannot be dispersed is already our first premise. Majifen thought for a moment and said.

"Then the result is likely to be that we keep ourselves, but we can't eliminate the opponent." Admiral Simpson strongly disagreed with Magifin's opinion.

"Our aim is to strategy Cuba, not to destroy the Spanish fleet, which is only to better complete the first mission, and if we can avoid the loss of a large-scale naval battle to occupy Cuba, this is also a solution, of course, I feel that if the army attack is enough of a threat, then the Spanish fleet will take the initiative to find us for a decisive battle or attack our transport lines. And then the decisive battle will be inevitable. "Magifen's solution is simple, static braking. As long as the pressure on the army is high enough, then the navy can rest on its laurels. …,

Despite his dissatisfaction with Majifen's conservative tactics, Admiral Simpson, who was bent on stability, preferred to cover the lines of communication rather than fight the Spanish fleet. After this general policy was set, the opinions of several people were quite consistent with the actual tactical arrangement, and it was needless to say that the three battleships of the Indiana class and the Iowa plus two ironclad ships were formed into the main fleet for the decisive battle. In terms of cruiser formation, the USS New York, the USS Brooklyn and 2 cruisers USS Columbia were grouped together. It's not a big problem either.

But on the issue of the Olibya Lyabia, Magifin and Dewey again disagreed, and Magiffin meant to group the Olympia with the remaining 4,000-ton protective cruiser so that it could be used alone against a Spanish formation of cruisers of the same class. However, Dewey and others believed that it would be a waste to separate this battleship, which was more powerful than the Columbia, from the main fleet, and Dewey and others believed that the six battleships and five cruisers were organized into two fleets to be used directly against the main Spanish fleet, while the remaining 10 protective cruisers were used against the Spanish avant-garde fleet.

"This idea is obviously a bit naïve, and the Spaniards will never ram the main force of the American fleet. In this case, Yang Yonglin will definitely persuade Saivela to evacuate at high speed. Although Majifen meant to concentrate the main forces as much as possible, when this was not possible, he preferred to balance the strength of his fleets so that each fleet would not be quickly wiped out. Although the nominal speed of the Spanish main fleet is 20 knots, it is difficult to say whether it can reach this speed after crossing the entire Atlantic, and the only warships that can guarantee a speed of more than 20 knots may be the three or four 5,000-ton cruisers. But alas, his opinion was not adopted. In her diary, Inoue wrote. Inoue Liangxin was very keenly aware of Majifen's intentions, and a few days later, in the finalization stage of the plan, although Majifen gave his views and plates, he still failed to convince Simpson and others.

With the capital ships all identified, the rest of the work is much easier, and the remaining 4,000-ton cruisers are grouped together, while the last ones, which can only be called third-class cruisers, are used as sentry ships or fire support ships to provide fire support for the army. Although the plan was not yet very thorough, after several days of discussion, the general strategy of the US Navy was finally released.

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