Chapter 978
On the Java Sea, a huge fleet is sailing. The rising sun flag hoisted on the battleship is fluttering in the wind.
Countless officers and soldiers of the Eastern Empire Navy Combined Fleet are busy.
Since setting off from the Lion City, the fleet has maintained a cruising speed of 18 knots. Of course, due to the drag of the Fuso-class battleship, the fleet's maximum speed can only reach 22 knots. Compared with the Third Reich Navy, this speed is undoubtedly much slower.
So that on the afternoon of March 1, the huge combined fleet was still hundreds of kilometers away from the Sunda Strait. However, in this case, we can cross the Sunda Strait and enter the Tianzhu Ocean on the night of March 1st. It can effectively use the cover of night to avoid being tracked by the Third Reich Navy and avoid being attacked.
On the Taiho aircraft carrier, Lieutenant General Shigeru Fukurun walked to Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku
"Your Excellency, Marshal, the fleet is about to turn around. It is expected that we will enter the Sunda Strait around 7:30 this evening. After 9:30 pm, we entered Tianzhu Ocean."Lieutenant General Fukuriya Shige said.
"Order the fleet not to turn eastward!"Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku said
"Turn east?"Lieutenant General Fukudome Shige was stunned.
He almost blurted out and asked Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku if his brain was caught in the door.
The Sunda Strait is to the southwest of the Combined Fleet, not the east! If you turn to the east, wouldn't that? Isn’t it getting further and further away from the Sunda Strait? This is obviously different from the order issued by Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku just yesterday!
"Your Excellency Marshal, this……"Lieutenant General Fukuriya Shige was very confused.
"Execute the order! We will not enter the Tianzhu Ocean through the Sunda Strait. Instead, it enters the Tianzhu Ocean from the Lombok Strait!"Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku said
"Yes, Your Majesty Marshal!"At this time, Lieutenant General Fukurun Shigeru heard clearly the order of Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku, and then immediately replied.
Although he did not know why Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku would change the order temporarily. However, he only needed to obey Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku. Just give the order.
As expected, after the order to turn was issued, there was a lot of controversy within the combined fleet. But in the end, no one raised any objections.
The army is inherently hierarchical. This is especially true among the troops of the Eastern Empire.
In In the army of the Eastern Empire, it was considered treasonous for subordinates to question their superiors. Therefore, subordinate officers only need to carry out orders. Even if they are asked to die, they can only follow orders. However,
General Nagumo Tadashi I still found Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku.
"Marshal, do you have any new plans? General Nagumo Chudai asked.
Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku nodded:"You don't need to think about it to know that the Third Reich Navy is probably coming to the Sunda Strait." Maybe, after we pass through the Sunda Strait, we will be ambushed by the Third Reich Navy. In this case, it would be too dangerous to travel through the Sunda Strait. Therefore, I temporarily decided to take the Lombok Strait. General Nagumo
Chudai nodded, agreeing with Marshal Yamamoto’s analysis.
"After crossing the Lombok Strait, the fleet sailed directly south. One hundred kilometers away from the Australian coastline, it turned to sail southwest and entered the central Tianzhu Ocean. Then, turn north and head straight into the Great Sea of Food!"Marshal Yamamoto Fifty-Six continued.
"Your Excellency, Marshal, your target is the army transport fleet of the Third Reich? General Nanyun Zhongyi exclaimed.
"certainly! It would be very difficult for the Combined Fleet to defeat the Third Reich Navy. Therefore, we can only make dangerous moves. Mobilize the Third Reich Navy through attacks on Third Reich Army transport convoys. If things go well, we might be able to fight with them in a battle that would hurt both sides, and the fish would die and the net would be broken. Even if the war does not go well for us, if part of the Third Reich Army can be sent into the sea to feed the fish, it will be a heavy blow to the morale of the Third Reich and will help improve the morale of the Imperial Army. In this case, even if our entire army is eventually annihilated, we have done our best for the empire."Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku said
"Your Majesty the Marshal is indeed far-sighted. This time, the Third Reich will definitely not be able to guess our intentions. Our odds will be very good. General Nanyun Zhongyi said excitedly.
"Confidentiality must be maintained and radio silence must be maintained throughout. In addition, the air search radar is turned on. Once a reconnaissance aircraft of the Third Reich Navy is discovered, it will be sunk immediately. Our whereabouts must not be exposed. Otherwise, we will have to face the encirclement and suppression of the Third Reich Navy. We were not as fast as the Third Reich Navy. Therefore, once we are encircled and suppressed by them, it will be difficult for us to escape. You will be in a very disadvantageous situation!"Marshal Yamamoto Fifty-Six said with a serious expression.
"Hi, Mr. Marshal!"General Nagumo Chudai replied.
Under the order of Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku, the combined fleet did not enter the Tianzhu Ocean through the Sunda Strait, but chose to turn and sail eastward.
Even, in order to ensure that their whereabouts were not exposed , the combined fleet also specially dispatched a large number of destroyers and cruisers to be distributed in front and around the fleet. Once a ship is found, no matter which country's merchant ship or fishing boat it is, all of them will be sunk. Such a method is undoubtedly very cruel. But It also successfully ensured the secrecy of the whereabouts of the Toyo Imperial Navy.
On the evening of March 2, the Toyo Imperial Navy passed through the Lombok Strait between Bali and Lombok and entered the Indian Ocean.
Then, the fleet sailed south, It arrived in the northwest coast of Australia in the early morning of March 3.
Immediately afterwards, the Combined Fleet once again turned and sailed southwestward to the hinterland of the Tianzhu Ocean.
During the entire process, the Combined Fleet maintained radio silence throughout the entire process, making their The whereabouts have been kept secret.
This made the Third Reich Navy, which had been waiting for the Combined Fleet in the Tianzhu Ocean, unable to help but be confused.
They did not wait for the Combined Fleet in the Sunda Strait at all, which made the Third Reich Navy have to wonder whether the Combined Fleet was in Therefore, the suspicion array actually did not leave the Lion City at all. It was just to mobilize the Third Reich Navy to move south from the Bay of Menggala.
Or in other words, the joint fleet's southward move to the Sunda Strait was simply a smoke bomb. In fact, it was sent from the Malacca Strait. Entering the Tianzhu Ocean.
This forced the Third Reich Navy to once again strengthen its reconnaissance of the Malacca Strait and the Lion City. However, there was still no trace of the Eastern Imperial Navy Combined Fleet. The Eastern Imperial Navy Combined Fleet seemed to have disappeared..
