There are many things that Bai Zhizhan cannot and dare not say directly.

Fortunately, Li Yunxiang had already thought of it. Li Mingbo was a little slower, but after reminding him, he immediately understood the powerful relationship.

It was already past nine o'clock in the evening, but I still didn't receive any news about the special mixed group.

In the telegram received in the afternoon, the Navy Command only mentioned that the special mixed group had sunk two aircraft carriers and was searching for other warships of the mobile fleet, striving to organize two more rounds of attacks before dark, striving to sink or severely damage the fast battleship with huge value.

Almost seven hours have passed!

There is still no news, which has already made it clear: the special group did not find the four fast battleships in the afternoon, so there is no way to organize an attack.

What was the special mixed group doing throughout the afternoon?

Obviously, this is the most worrying issue for Bai Zhizhan!

If everything goes according to the plan, everything is easy to say.

On the contrary, the trouble will be great!

According to the initial plan, after killing the mobile fleet, the Special Mix Group will continue to sail eastward, reaching the west of the Double Vehicle Strait before dawn on the 27th, dispatching carrier-based aircraft to block the Double Vehicle Strait, and attacking the main team in the east when needed.

Simply put, in the battle on the 27th, the special group had to undertake part of the strike mission.

This is the prerequisite for Bai Zhizhan to adopt Zhou Yongtao's suggestion and let the Third Air Special Mixed Fleet gallop southeast to the west to ambush the ocean.

With the current speed of the Third Air Special Mixed Fleet, it will leave the cover range of the Zudao shore-based aviation force before dawn.

What can we do with two aircraft carriers and less than 150 carrier-based aircraft?

Even if you use your hard work, it will be difficult to kill two main teams and one aviation team in one day, let alone consider the remnants of the mobile fleet and the Fifth Air Force. You should know that in theory, the "Imperial Capital"-class aircraft carrier can send up to 150 carrier-based aircraft, or 300 two ships. Apart from the air defense patrol, it can be used to perform attack missions at most 240. Even if the pilot's physical fitness and losses suffered, it is enough to organize four attacks.

Relying on four attacks with an attack of about 60 aircraft, destroying the entire permanent fleet?

I really want to beg for God’s blessing!

During dinner, Li Yunxiang repeatedly emphasized the issue of dispatch rate.

At that time, Li Yunxiang proposed to send a newspaper to contact the special group to figure out Liu Xiangzhen's intentions, and fortunately, he planned and adjusted the aviation tactics at night.

Bai Zhizhan did not agree, believing that there is no need to break the radio silence for this.

Li Yunxiang made it clear that if the special group followed and attacked the first main team as planned, tomorrow's battle would be basically sure, and it can be said that the victory was sure. If the special group did not follow, then you would definitely have to make a choice in the target.

The implication is that the Third Air Special Mixed Fleet cannot deal with the three fleets in one day.

Zhou Yongtao is an aviation staff officer and is originally from the Third Ship-Board Air Force, so he thought of these questions at the first time.

Li Mingbo did not expect that because he knew nothing about aviation combat.

After discussion, the final conclusion still needs to be determined by the situation of the special mixed group, but you have to make more preparations for possible accidents.

Here, Zhou Yongtao made a suggestion.

If the third aviation team that can be found first and eliminated the most threatening, sinking the two small fleet aircraft carriers and eliminating the greatest threat, the "Typhoon" fighter can hang up bombs in the next battle to perform bombing missions, and minimize air defense intensity.

In short, all available dispatching squads are used to perform strike tasks.

Can the "Typhoon" fighter perform bombing missions?

Of course!

At the center of the belly of the machine, in addition to being able to hang a secondary fuel tank, a 250 kilogram bomb can also be hung, but there is no way to dive and drop the bomb.

It is not that the "typhoon"'s dive performance is not good enough, but that it is not equipped with the telescopic mounts required for dive bombs.

Use an ordinary hanger for dive-dropping bombs. As long as the dive angle is slightly larger, theoretically exceeding seventy degrees, the bombs dropped may hit the propeller in front. This is also the case. The dive bomber is equipped with a special hanger that can extend outward when dropping bombs.

Fortunately, if you don’t dive, you can even drop bombs when flying horizontally, but your accuracy is a little worse.

Zhou Yongtao also made an opinion.

When searching for the third aviation team, arranging seaplanes carried by the escort warships to perform reconnaissance tasks can further reduce the combat burden of carrier-based aircraft.

These suggestions are very good, but they all treat the symptoms but not the root cause.

Just as the discussion was held, the telecommunications officer on duty rushed over and sent the telegram he had just received.

Still forwarded by Naval Command.

Something that made Bai Zhizhan worry about happened.

About three hours ago, at sunset, after completing two rounds of reconnaissance and search, the special mixed group had already turned to sail westward.

what?

Return!

Liu Xiangzhen gave three reasons. The fuel of most warships in the special mixed group has reached the cordon and must be replenished according to the combat regulations. The carrier-based aviation team suffered heavy losses, with only half of the carrier-based aircraft taking off for combat, and they may not be able to be replenished again on the 27th. The pilots were extremely tired, and many of them were still injured. Even if they could fly the plane to perform combat missions, their condition would not be very good.

In short, just one sentence: the special group can't continue fighting.

Of course, it's not all bad news.

In the first half of the night, the combat aircraft originally affiliated to the First Ship-Board Air Force Fleet had set off from the Special Mixed Group to fly to the Naval Aviation Base on Zudao.

There are not many, only more than 80 aircraft in total, and one-third are fighter jets.

However, the aviation base has no restrictions on the dispatch rate and can allow all of these carrier-based aircraft to be launched at full load during an attack operation.

The key is that the force is still under the command of Bai Zhizhan.

According to the telegram sent by the Navy Command, the unit will complete its deployment at 10 a.m. on the 27th at the latest and will definitely be able to enter combat in the afternoon.

At that time, as long as Bai Zhizhan issued an order, dozens of carrier-based aircraft can be launched immediately.

At the end of the telegram, a point is mentioned.

Whether to continue to pursue the Nayi fleet shall be decided by Bai Zhizhan based on actual conditions, and will not force the entire annihilation, and will mainly preserve the strength of the fleet.

It is not that we are afraid of suffering losses, but that the second phase of the combat operation will be launched as planned.

Although it was not stated clearly, the Navy Command emphasized that the second phase of the combat operation was actually a reminder to Bai Zhizhan. Because the Second Air Special Mixed Fleet had lost its combat capability, the Third Air Special Mixed Fleet, which originally served as a substitute, is now the absolute main force and cannot make any mistakes.

Simply put, if two "Imperial Capital" class are missing, the subsequent battles cannot be fought!

In fact, this is exactly the reason why Bai Zhizhan came to the Third Air Special Mixed Fleet.

Whether it was Zhu Shijian or Liu Changxun, they all felt that Bai Zhizhan had a stronger ability to lead troops, so it was more appropriate to let him go to the Third Air Special Mixed Fleet. What's more, Liu Xiangbin was the leader of the commander before, and arranging Liu Xiangzhen to come would probably be counterproductive.

It is precisely because of these considerations that Bai Zhizhan deliberately "lose" to Liu Xiangzhen when he was rock-scissors.
Chapter completed!