Chapter 175 Confidence

Yokosuka is the place where Americans open the door of their country. There is a Perry Park here in memory of Matthew, an American who led the fleet to open the door of his country. Perry.. In 1853, Perry led his fleet to Yokosuka and forced him to open the door of the country with a strong ship and a sharp gun. However, I remembered the aggressor Perry as a benefactor. They believed that if there was no Perry, he might have continued to be closed and become a colony. As a result, Perry also became the pride of Yokosuka.

Thanks to the unique natural environment and geographical location of Yokosuka Bay, it has become one of the most important naval bases since the establishment of the navy of Japan. It is also the location of the navy's Yokosuka town and naval factory. The predecessor of the base was the first shipyard "Yokosuka Iron Works" founded by the Edo shogunate in 1865. Later, it was transferred to the navy by the Meiji government axe in 1872, and renamed "Yokosuka Naval Factory" in 1903. Therefore, it had the prototype of a complete naval base.

With the rise of the naval power of the Japanese Empire at the end of the 19th century, the shipbuilding capacity of the factory was greatly improved when the Russian War broke out. It had the ability to build cruisers, battleships and other main ships at that time. It was also because the Hengxu frame was the most important and complete port in Japan, it became the Japanese version. The joint fleet headquarters is located.

On December 1, 1905, with the final combat readiness trials of the two battleships "Hizen" and "Danhou" into Yokosuka Port, all 7 battleships, 8 armored cruisers and 11 cruisers of the joint fleet gathered at Yokosuka Port.

After "Hizen" and "Dango" sailed into Yokosuka Port, the joint fleet then held a combat meeting on the flagship "Shikishima". The participants included the supervisors of the joint fleet. The goal of this meeting was to conduct comprehensive consultations on the joint fleet operations from all aspects.

This is a very difficult and difficult job. In any case, China should not be informed of the movement of the mobile forces before reaching the destination. Although the Taihai Sea is vast, it is undoubtedly very difficult for this huge fleet with more than 30 ships, including coal carriers, to keep it absolutely secret in its voyage. If you don't care, you will enter the enemy's patrol circle, and you will lose all this battle.

And the most important point is that there is no sudden surname in this naval battle. The two countries have already declared war, and even the two sides are betting on each other's next move. Therefore, every step must be considered the most comprehensive, and at the same time, we should be careful. Now we can't afford any loss at all.

The meeting was held from morning to late at night, and careful research was carried out.

"First of all, it is the problem of troop action, that is, the problem of route selection!"

Makiyama, who stood up and made an introduction, pointed to the chart on the wall. On the chart, the staff had marked a large number of red dots.

"According to intelligence, in the past month and a half, the Chinese have gathered more than 175 small merchant ships, fishing boats, and hired ships. A large number of search checkpoints have been established in the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. Each sea checkpoints are deployed with self-made and imported radio telegraph machines. This is the situation of checkpoints in the north. What we need to consider is the guard situation in the south.

Then Zhenzhi Akiyama pointed to the southern sea on the chart to introduce.

"Here, and here"

The command post is in the Taiwan Strait and the Luzon Strait.

"In addition to the sentry station composed of sentry ships, China has deployed more than 100 aircraft for search and alerting in the two strait areas at the same time, so the sentry here is far stricter than that of the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea. This is the world's first sea and air integrated watchtower!"

"From this, we can conclude that China attaches great importance to the safety of the Second Fleet!"

Suo Shimamura, Chief of Staff, explained that everyone nodded, which was true. In fact, after the naval battle in the South China Sea, whether the Second Fleet arrived safely at the Sandu-Australia naval base was directly related to the victory or defeat of the future naval battle between the two countries.

From top to bottom of the joint fleet, every senior officer understands that for the Zhenyang Fleet, once the Second Fleet successfully arrives at the Sandu-Australia Naval Base, then the Zhenyang Fleet will have two battlecruisers of Zhiyuan and Jingyuan, two Zhenhai-class warships, two Zhenyuan-class warships, and five Dingyuan-class warships, in the main In terms of the number of force ships, the Zhenyang Fleet has an overall advantage, with a ratio of 11 to 8. The only advantage of the joint fleet is 8 armored cruisers. China only has 2 armored cruisers. On the protective cruisers, the Chinese navy will have an advantage of 15 to 11 and 24 to 1 on destroyers. 1. Reclaim the advantage, but in the face of this result, no one can laugh. The result is that the navy is at a disadvantage.

"Therefore, the first battle plan we chose to enter the Luzon Strait through the Pacific Ocean and then into the South China Sea to intercept the Second Fleet in the southwest China Sea of Luzon Island must be revised!"

"Does Akiyama's staff mean to modify the route?"

Nakao, the captain of the "Shikishima", asked heavily.

"Yes, after full research and approval by the Naval Staff Headquarters, choose the previously abandoned second route, that is, the southern route!"

Southern Route!

As soon as the chief of staff said, everyone whispered that the southern route was the most difficult route. Before that, almost anyone was willing to choose the southern route.

"Your Excellency, the southern route needs to sail in the tropical near equator for more than six days, and the officers and soldiers of the Imperial Joint Fleet are not suitable for long-term navigation in the tropical region at all. Considering other factors, according to the experience gained by sending the Southern Expeditionary Fleet in the spring of the year, if you sail in the south for more than seven days, the efficiency of the soldiers will be reduced by 2 0%, the gunner's efficiency is reduced by 10%, if you catch up for 10 days..."

Major General Li Yu got up and refuted that his refutation only attracted everyone's approval. In the steam era, tropical navigation was simply a nightmare for the navy.

In the face of Major General Li Yu's rebuttal, Akiyama Zhenzhi just refuted coldly.

"Then Major General Liyu, should we still choose the Luzon Strait and fully expose the joint fleet to the eyes of the Chinese people? If so, may I ask how many opportunities we have to defeat the Second Fleet of the Chinese Zhenyang Fleet and end the naval battle and withdraw safely before its First Fleet rushes to the war zone. Leave."

Akiyama Zhenzhi's refutation made everyone silent. In reality, Akiyama Zhenzhi mentioned a practical problem that they had to consider. The joint fleet must not fight against the Zhenyang Fleet. However, once the Zhenyang Fleet found the joint fleet's attempt, it was bound to order the First Fleet to leave the South China Sea. Converge with the Second Fleet, so that the arm-cutting battle will become the naval decisive battle of the main forces of the two sides, and this is exactly what the joint fleet tries its best to avoid.

It is also based on avoiding the main battle that the joint fleet formulates the plan to intercept the second fleet in the South China Sea, so as to concentrate all the main forces of the joint fleet, quickly and decisively annihete the weakest second fleet in the Zhenyang fleet, and then use its advantages to find the right battle. The aircraft gradually weakened the First Fleet, at least taking advantage of the sea to turn the First Fleet into a "existential fleet" in the port. As soon as the navy holds the right to the sea, the victory or defeat of this war has been decided.

This is the only and most favorable choice for the combined fleet.

"In this way, the three-day voyage is added, which also gives the Zhenyang fleet more time to obtain the information of the main force of the joint fleet leaving the port. If the information is leaked, then we have to consider whether the first fleet of the Zhenyang fleet leaves the port!"

The captain of the Yakumo armored cruiser Nagayamaya raised his doubts after a moment of meditation. This naval battle was completely a time difference. Using full confidentiality, he tried to arrive at the war zone before the Chinese obtained the information of the joint fleet leaving the port, and intercepted and The Second Fleet was anniversed, while the southern route increased its four-day voyage.

"So we have to choose a farther war zone!"

While answering the question, Zhenzhi Akiyama drew a circle on the chart with a baton. The warring sea area changed from the sea west of the Philippines to the sea north of Borneo, which was almost the end of the South China Sea.

"In this way, the distance of 900 nautical miles has been increased. According to the analysis of the battleship Fuji fished by the Chinese navy, the fastest speed of the First Fleet does not exceed 14 knots per hour, and it takes 64 hours to reach the war zone from the first node, which means that we can get two and a half days and basically offset the selection. The time problem caused by choosing the southern route,"

Then Akiyama's words were a little heavy.

"After the completion of the naval battle, the retreat route will still choose the southern route, so that you can withdraw from the war zone!"

With the introduction of Zhenzhi Akiyama, the whole combat room fell into silence. No one raised any questions. Everyone understood that this was the most favorable tactical choice for the combined fleet. In addition, there was no better choice.

As the commander of the fleet, Higashigo Heihachiro was surprisingly silent at this time. He just looked ahead, as if all this had nothing to do with him. As the commander of the joint fleet, Dongxiang understood his mission and also understood what the decision he was about to make meant to the Japanese empire, which meant that he would do it again. Next, put the Japanese empire on the gambling table.

But unlike the naval battle in May, in that naval battle, the combined fleet was at ease, and finally used a series of seven-stage naval attacks to almost completely annihire the Lucia's Second Pacific Fleet.

In this naval battle, the intelligence changed. Although the Combined Fleet will intercept the Second Fleet of the Zhenyang Fleet with absolute advantage, and the Second Fleet has also experienced a long voyage. The officers and soldiers have long been exhausted, but unlike the Second Pacific Fleet, the Second Pacific Fleet does not have a real The powerful friendly forces can provide support at any time nearby, while the Second Fleet has a first fleet berthed with three capitals as support.

This is a gamble, and it is a slightly worse, that is, a gamble that may be doomed.

What else is possible?

Similarly, after the explanation, Makino Akiyama and Suo Shimamura did not return to their seats, but stood by the chart and stared at the chart. The guard posts of those red dots and the positions of each node could be clearly seen on the chart. The two looked at the chart and were silent for a long time. What were the loopholes in this plan? Place?

The two were silent and thinking.

If the First Fleet gets the news of the joint fleet leaving the port, it is bound to send the First Fleet to Kaohsiung Port, which is the first node, so as to use the Luzon Strait to make full use of the offshore torpedo boats to carry out a night attack on the joint fleet.

Well, this is the most favorable way for the First Fleet. They can use aircraft to locate the combined fleet during the day, launch a one-touch raid in the evening, and then carry out torpedo attacks at night. This is the most compromise choice.

Akiyama Zhenzhi is calculating the playing style of the Zhenyang fleet. He will never have any doubts about his speculation. He believes that the Chinese will do so, because he will do it himself. He can give full play to the advantages of the Chinese navy in the Straits, especially in the offshore, there are not many expeditionary joint fleets. Destroyers, in this way, inevitably create opportunities for torpedo boats to attack.

And according to the combat intelligence of the Southern War, the torpedo boats of the Chinese navy are smaller, faster, and even have no chimneys. When they carry out night attacks, it is almost difficult to find their existence if they are not found by searchlights. Won't the Zhenyang Fleet take advantage of this advantage?

It will!

They will definitely take advantage of this advantage.

What would they choose if their second fleet was attacked?

Sueo Shimamura looked at the chart and thought in his mind that as the chief of staff of the joint fleet, he may not have the genius tactical strategy of Akiyama Zhenzhi, but he is also the most outstanding staff officer in the joint fleet.

Continue to wait at the first node?

Impossible!

The fact that the joint fleet has bypassed the Luzon Strait and chosen other routes. With the news of the attack of the Second Fleet, the Luzon Strait is undoubtedly a chicken rib for the Chinese navy. If you continue to stick to it, you have no choice, and you may lose the second ship, which is very important to the Zhenyang Fleet. The team.

So will they reinforce the Second Fleet?

They need 64 hours, and it takes 60 hours to reach the war zone at the earliest. When they arrived at the war zone, the naval battle was already over, and even the second fleet ceased to exist.

But why did they go to reinforce the Second Fleet?

After a moment of meditation, Sueo Shimamura understood what the First Fleet needed to do unintentional actions. Even he or the commander of Dongxiang must make the same choice in the face of this situation, otherwise it would be difficult for the navy to block the public, especially for a fleet that is about to become a fleet. It is inevitable that they must use a bold action to prove something.

But what if they don't go to the rescue?

Akiyama Shinji, who was thinking about the same problem, thought about another possibility in his mind.

Since the Second Fleet is destined to be irreparable, why waste time to rescue him?

Thinking of this, Zhenzhi Akiyama's vision began to turn from Kaohsiung, crossing the Luzon Strait to the Pacific Ocean to the return of the Combined Fleet. If so, the First Fleet could attack the Combined Fleet at ease, and what would be the situation of the Combined Fleet at that time?

In Akiyama's mind, the joint fleet after the first stage of the sea battle of the Tsushima Strait appeared. Although the warships were not damaged, the most deadly thing was that the shells were almost exhausted. After the naval battle of the South China Sea, the more deadly thing was that in addition to the exhaustion of shells, the fuel of the joint fleet was almost Exhaustion, in order to avoid being found by the Chinese, we can only choose to refuel at sea, which requires more time, at least 30 hours, which means that the problems of the joint fleet itself have won at least 30 hours for the First Fleet of the Zhenyang Fleet.

If they take three or two as the interval, the three hours are based on the speed of 14 knots, and the two hours are based on 17 knots, or even 18 knots, how much will the time period for the First Fleet of the Zhenyang Fleet to reach the war zone be shortened?

Just a slight calculation in the bottom of his heart, Akiyama Zhenzhi's heart got a number that made him timid. That number means that the Zhenyang Fleet is likely to find the First Fleet, which is almost exhausted. If they continue to sail in this mode, maybe they can be 48 hours after the end of the naval battle. It was found that the joint fleet had just completed the replenishment of coal.

However, in the Zhenyang Fleet, can the "Fuji" and "Chuse" battleships salvaged and repaired by the Chinese navy from the Lao Tieshan sea area reach a speed of 17 knots or 18 knots?

"Qishan, what are you thinking about?"

Noticing that Akiyama seemed to be thinking about something, Heihachiro Higashigo asked. At the same time, he also realized that Suo Shimamura seemed to be thinking about something, but he preferred to listen to Akiyama's question.

"Captain Matsumoto!"

Masayuki Akiyama did not answer the commander's question, but turned his eyes to Matsumoto.

"I don't know what the staff officer of Akiyama has?"

"What was the fastest speed of the Fuji last year?"

One question only embarrassed Matsumoto. When the Fuji was sunk by a lightning last year, he was the captain of the Fuji. Now Akiyama is asking this question, isn't it revealing his scars?

And other people's expressions also changed slightly, and even others looked sympathetically at the new and old Matsumoto and Nakao, the former captain of the Hatsuse, who was bombed by the mine at the same time. Their expressions would become extremely ugly.

"Captain Matsumoto!"

Makoto Akiyama shouted again at this time. The reason why he asked Fuji is that Fuji is an old ship that has been in service for ten years. His speed is the slowest in the whole joint fleet, and it will also be the slowest warship in the First Fleet. The speed of the fleet has always been determined by the slowest one.

"Section 15.8, if strong pressure is implemented..."

Without waiting for Matsumoto to finish his words, Akiyama was relieved. 15.8 knots, which means that in any case, the joint fleet has enough time to leave the war zone, sail into relatively safe waters, and get rid of the pursuit of the Zhenyang fleet.

"Thank you, Captain Matsumoto!"

He said a thank you. Will Akiyama Zhenzhi relax and return to his seat, sitting there like an old monk sitting there? In his opinion, this naval battle is sure to win!

"Autumn Mountain!"

Akiyama sat down, but it was Dongxiang Heihachiro's turn to raise his questions, and everyone in the war room would be very curious. Why did Akiyama's expression change before, and after asking about the speed of the "Fuji", he suddenly calmed down?

"What are you worried about?"

After Dongxiang raised this question, everyone pricked up their ears. They really didn't expect that the Fuji, which was salvaged by the Chinese, would have any impact on the naval battle.

"Your Excellency Commander, we all know that the battleship Fuji, which was sunk by mines in the Lao Tieshan Sea, has already been salvaged by the Chinese navy and has been restored and renamed Zhenyuan!"

At this point, some people laugh secretly, but some people look extremely unnatural. In the joint fleet, there is also a Zhenyuan, which is the warship of the Beiyang Marine Division captured from Liu Gongdao ten years ago. Now, in the Chinese Zhenyang Fleet, there is also a Zhenyuan, and what is more embarrassing is that the warship is actually The first battleship, Fuji, sank into the deep sea. Although it was not sunk and captured by the Chinese navy, it was also a warship of the Chinese navy.

"The first fleet of the Zhenyang Fleet is a high-speed ship. Whether it is the Zhiyuan class or the Zhenhai class, it is a high-speed battleship of more than 19 knots, while "Fuji" and "Chuse" are their weakness. We estimate the speed of the first fleet of the Zhenyang Fleet to be 14 knots, but if they sail in three or two intervals. If so..."

Then, Akiyama Zhenzhi brought up his previous concerns. His concerns made everyone look tight, and Dongxiang asked almost in a panic.

"So what's your conclusion?"

"It is difficult for the Fuji to reach 16 knots or even 15 knots now,"

A conclusion came out of Akiyama's mouth.

"The boiler is soaked in seawater, and the hull may even be deformed, all of which will affect the speed of Fuji. For the relatively weak Zhenyang fleet, they will never abandon Fuji and Chuse only rely on Zhiyuan, Zhenhai and Dinghai to reinforce the second fleet, so we can not use Consider the possible pursuit of the First Fleet.

"Then won't they change the boiler?"

"Impossible!"

Akiyama Makoto said almost in an arbitrary tone.

"China's shipbuilding power is not necessarily stronger than Japan. They can assemble far with foreign-made parts, but it does not mean that they can quickly complete the replacement of the boiler. Even Britain needs at least 6 months, and they don't have that time at all. Fuji's repair time, but only Two and a half months, which means they just repair the damaged part of the waterline! So..."

With a long cry, Akiyama Zhenzhi continued to say.

"We are sure to win this naval battle!"

(to be continued)