My own war game

Chapter 201 Target Enterprise

Japanese Combined Fleet, First Air Fleet, flagship Akagi, command room.

"Mr. Nagumo, we have received news that the surprise attack was successful. The first wave of attack troops have already returned. Please don't worry too much." Chief of Staff Major General Kusaka Ryunosuke looked at the fleet captain Nagumo Chuichi who was a little uneasy and persuaded him.

"Don't worry, Mr. Kusaru. Our action this time is a gamble on the future of the Combined Fleet and even the future of the empire. You and I are people with special responsibilities. We must be more cautious at this time." Nan Yunzhong once again put down the telescope in his hand and shook his head.

Kusaka Ryunosuke knew the pressure on his superior, so he stepped back and asked for the next best thing. "You didn't have breakfast, would you like to take a rest and eat something? I asked the kitchen to leave some eels."

"No need. I can't eat anything if I can't see the returning plane."

“They’re back! They’re back!!!”

"Board! Board!!"

As soon as he finished speaking, cheers were heard from the deck. A number of carrier-based aircraft with rising sun paint appeared in the sky. After adjusting their postures, they began to land in batches on the surrounding aircraft carriers.

Squeak! The arresting cable caught the hook under the plane, and the Type 97 torpedo plane stopped on the deck of Akagi. The ground crew quickly ran up and opened the cockpit cover of the plane.

"Mr. Fuchida! Thank you for your hard work!" Seeing the pilot coming out, the staff on the deck bowed 90 degrees.

"I'm just a lieutenant. It's an abuse of power for you to address me like that." Lieutenant Colonel Mitsuo Fuchida, the flight captain of the first wave of attack team, looked at his colleagues beside him and said without changing his expression.

"Your attack this time was a great success, and you slaughtered the American beasts severely! Your reputation as a tiger has spread throughout the entire fleet. I believe promotion is inevitable. I would like to congratulate you in advance." The guy in front of him was very tactful and his compliments were flawless.

However, the communications officer at the side did not seem to understand the situation. He trotted over and said, "Lieutenant Colonel, the commander-in-chief wants you to come over immediately! He wants to know the current battle situation."

After hearing this, Mitsuo Fuchida quickly took off his flight cap and walked towards Cambridge.

Before leaving, he nodded slightly to the ground staff.

A few minutes later.

"Commander, the first wave of attacks went smoothly. We sank at least five American warships, destroyed hundreds of aircraft, and caused great damage to their land-based airports. However..."

"Just what?" Hearing his subordinate hesitant to speak, Nan Yunzhong felt his temple throb, and the bad feeling that started in the early morning came to his mind again.

"It's just that Major Yamaguchi has already pledged his loyalty to His Majesty the Emperor..." Fuchida Mitsuo reported while standing at attention and lowering his head.

Phew~ It turns out that only the vice-captain was killed. Although pilots are a valuable resource, the casualties of a few people in such a large operation are not a big deal. Nanyun Zhongyi controlled his expression and said, "That's really a pity. Where are the other members of Yamaguchi's team? Has anyone returned?"

"Well..." Fuchida Mitsuo hesitated for a moment before saying, "Yamaguchi-kun's 99-style squad all died."

? ? ! !
Nan Yunzhong was stunned when he heard the news. They launched the attack suddenly. Although losses were inevitable, it was not normal for an entire team to be shot down.

"What happened? Were you ambushed?"

"Sir, I'm not sure." Fuchida Mitsuo considered his words and said in a cautious tone, "When we launched the attack, the US military did not look prepared. The anti-aircraft weapons were unmanned, the warships did not start the boilers, and the entire naval port seemed very relaxed. You could even see sailors fishing on the deck. We achieved great results at the beginning."

“But…” A look of reminiscence appeared on Mitsuo Fuchida’s face.

"But we soon discovered that something was not right. A considerable number of American soldiers were concentrated in the square of the military port. When they were attacked, they immediately entered the air-raid shelters. Therefore, the casualties I caused were not that great."

"We started attacking their warships and hangars, and the enemy was in disarray. The weak resistance was easily suppressed by Major Takagi's Zero Squadron, until that guy appeared..."

"That guy?"

"Yes, sir, that is a very special plane. Both its wings are red. Its agility is no less than our Zero, and its speed is even better." Mitsuo Fuchida mentioned the fighter plane that impressed him.

"He probably shot down seven or eight of our planes by himself, including the most advanced Zero. Yamaguchi-kun's plane was also destroyed by him."

"What's even stranger is that since he showed up, the U.S. military's operations have become more orderly. Although we still have the upper hand, our losses are increasing..."

"Report! Sir, there is news from the Second Attack Brigade!" At this time, the voice of the messenger at the door interrupted the conversation between the two people.

"Come in." Nan Yunzhong shouted at the door.

"Hi!" The messenger walked over quickly with a translated message. "The Second Attack Squadron has expanded its victory. The U.S. military in Pearl Harbor has suffered heavy losses. The warships that have been confirmed destroyed are the Arizona, California, and Oklahoma..."

"No aircraft carrier?" Nan Yunzhong asked solemnly.

"Yes, sir. There are no aircraft carriers. All three aircraft carriers are not in the port. In addition, the Second Attack Group has received news that the US military's resistance is increasing. The captain, Lieutenant Colonel Shimokawa Manbei, was shot down. Currently, Major Katagiri is taking over his command. Please provide further instructions."

"Shimokawa was also shot down? Who did it?" Mitsuo Fuchida on the side interjected somewhat rudely.

"It's not clear yet, but the pilots on the communication channel have been repeating this word."

"What word?"

"Red Wing!"

"Soga~ So that's how it is~" After hearing the report, Vice Admiral Nanyun began to feel conflicted.

As the commander of the First Fleet, he did not agree with Yamamoto Isoroku. In his opinion, it was impossible for such a large fleet to completely conceal information, and it was highly likely that the US military would find out. (In fact, this was true, but the letter from Washington to remind the Pearl Harbor garrison was not written as "urgent" and was still on the military letter sorting table that morning and had not been sent out.)
The soldiers who hid in the bunkers at the beginning, the aircraft carriers that all disappeared, and the "Red Wing" that seemed to fall from the sky

Is all this a coincidence?

Could this be a huge trap?

Is the third wave of attack going to attack?
These questions kept lingering in Vice Admiral Nanyun's mind.

At this time, another messenger rushed in.

"Sir! One hundred and fifty nautical miles southeast, we have made a major discovery!"

"What happened? Was it an ambush by the U.S. military?" Nanyun Zhongyi, who was full of doubts, came over immediately. "Commander, our first batch of two Type 99 bombers deviated from their course on the way back and accidentally discovered an American aircraft carrier. After identifying its appearance, we determined it to be a Yorktown-class aircraft carrier, the Enterprise."

"What about the other aircraft carriers? What about the Lexington? What about the Saratoga?" Vice Admiral Nagumo asked immediately.

"No other carriers were found, only the Enterprise, sir."

"Soga... Is there only one ship..." Nan Yunzhong rubbed his lips. He didn't have the iconic Rendanhu, but still had this habit when thinking.

The three US aircraft carriers were the first targets of this sneak attack, but none of them were in the naval port. After they launched two attacks, the Enterprise appeared in a very sensitive location of more than 100 nautical miles, while the other two aircraft carriers disappeared.

No matter how you look at it, it seems like a bait for his First Air Force.

It smells too much of conspiracy.

But this bait is tempting enough. He has 6 aircraft carriers and a complete set of naval aviation carrier-based aircraft, as well as two battleships, the Hiei and the Kirishima, two cruisers, and four destroyers to escort them. Even if all three aircraft carriers of the Pacific Fleet are deployed, he can still fight.

Should he destroy the Enterprise in one fell swoop and take the corresponding risks? Or should he withdraw while he is ahead and lead the First Air Force back home?
After weighing the pros and cons, Nan Yunzhong issued an order that he thought could take both into account.
"Let the carrier-based aircraft on the Kaga, which is closest to the target, launch a tentative attack. The Zero fighters on the Zuikaku take off to escort. The other carriers are on standby. Kirishima, Nagara, Hamakaze, and Akigumo are on alert all around!"

"Hi Yi!"
-
One hundred and fifty nautical miles away, a shrill combat alarm sounded on the aircraft carrier Enterprise.

"Everyone return to your posts! Everyone return to your posts!"

"This is not a drill! I repeat, this is not a drill!"

American sailors were constantly running on the deck, and F4F Wildcat fighters were brought from the hangar to the deck by elevators, and ground crews were refueling them and loading weapons.

There were bursts of whistle sounds coming from the sea. The heavy cruisers USS Northampton and USS Salt Lake City, which were responsible for the guard, were adjusting their combat postures.

Two hours ago they received the news that Pearl Harbor had been attacked, and an hour ago the newly installed radar system had performed a great service by detecting two Japanese planes in advance, allowing their own carrier-based aircraft to take off and intercept them in advance.

Unfortunately, the Wildcat fighter that took off only shot down one, while the other turned around and fled.

Captain George Maury knew that the position of his fleet had been exposed and was urgently deploying the fleet's air defense mission.

"Sir! News from the Pacific Fleet Headquarters says that the land-based airport near Pearl Harbor was severely damaged and a large number of aircraft were destroyed. They said that they can only send a small number of aircraft to cover us within 48 hours." His first mate brought bad news.

"It's better than nothing. How many can they come? A squadron?"

"Um, sir, they said the only P40 fighters they have are low on fuel and can't land on our deck, so there's only one so far..."

"FUCK! Bullshit! These damn bureaucrats!" Upon learning that there was no hope for land-based aircraft reinforcements, the commander simply put the matter behind him.

Aang!!! Aang!!! Aang!!! Aang!!!

The shrill air defense alarm sounded again, and a dense fleet of planes appeared in the sky.

Japanese planes are coming!

18 Type 15 torpedo attack aircraft quickly approached the Enterprise's aircraft carrier formation under the cover of Zero fighters.

Ta-da! Ta-da! Bang-bang-bang! Bang-bang-bang! Bang-bang-bang!
The two heavy cruisers' five-inch anti-aircraft guns and 40mm anti-aircraft rapid-fire guns began to fire continuously, and together with the other four destroyers, they formed an anti-aircraft fire network in front of the Enterprise. The 20 Wildcat fighters on the Enterprise had already taken off in advance and rushed towards the opponent's torpedo planes.

Fifteen Japanese Zero planes came up to meet them.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!!! ...

A Type 97 torpedo plane that lowered its altitude in the face of a hail of bullets tried to force its way into the attack range, but was disintegrated in mid-air by the fierce anti-aircraft fire.

But this did not scare off the Japanese torpedo planes behind. These guys kept their altitude below 30 meters and reduced the speed of the aircraft to a relatively low speed of 200 kilometers per hour for the stability of the torpedo. In this posture, they approached the American warships within 2 kilometers. There were even crazy guys who tried to launch torpedoes at the US military within 1 kilometer to ensure a hit.

Some of them succeeded!
boom! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

The stern of the heavy cruiser USS Salt Lake City was hit by a Type 42 torpedo traveling at a speed of knots, greatly reducing its maneuverability and creating a gap in the air defense network of the entire fleet. Three Type s seized this opportunity and attacked the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.

Bang bang bang! ! ! !

Bang bang bang! ! ! !

There was only one destroyer, the USS Russell, on this side. Although it intercepted an enemy plane, its sparse firepower was not enough to stop the remaining two Japanese planes.

Two kilometers! We've reached bombing range! The Enterprise is right in front of us!

The two Type 97s had already begun to adjust their angles, with the flashing torpedoes aimed at the vulnerable side of the Enterprise, and the leading captain had already begun to shout "Board!!!"

Puff p ...
There were flames coming down vertically from the thick clouds, and dense bullets covered the two torpedo planes like a rainstorm, and two huge splashes of water appeared on the sea!
Boom boom! ! ! !
The water mist splashed by the explosion formed a brief rainbow in the sunlight, and a red figure dropped from the sky. It pulled up its fuselage and took off again almost when it was close to the sea surface!

So fast! This is what everyone on the scene was thinking at this moment.

"Who is this guy?" George Mori asked in surprise, putting down the telescope.

"Sir, we think he could be our reinforcement," said the first mate.

The red Corsair fighter flew into the clouds, and soon another Zero fell from the sky.

The Japanese aircraft formation began to become chaotic, and someone on the communication channel shouted "Red Wing! It's Red Wing!!"

The last hastily dropped torpedo from a Type 97 aircraft narrowly missed the bow of the Northampton, announcing the end of the Japanese attack, and the remaining Japanese planes turned around and returned.

At this time, a strange voice came from the Enterprise's communication channel, "Can I land first? My plane is running out of fuel."

(End of this chapter)