Zhang Gan saw a Japs warship tilting in front of him near the 12 o'clock direction that was about to surround him. He smiled and knew that it was Liu Zhihui and the others underwater who had begun the attack. In the sky, the Japs' new fighter planes and Hellcats They were already facing each other. Judging from the situation, the Japanese did not have any advantage. Zhang Gan also relaxed and concentrated on commanding the battle on the sea. He would not allow himself to be defeated by the Japanese until Chen Jiliang and Lin Jianzhang arrived without their troops. .
"Your Excellency, Commander, the Haruna seems to have been hit by a Chinese torpedo. It seems that it has been..."
Yamamoto Isoroku frowned. The Haruna was a battleship of the old Japanese Navy. It was built as a cruiser (battlecruiser) when construction began. It was the third ship of the Kongo class. After the changes of the times, the Haruna was in the Showa Eight The second major refit began in 1933. It is a Takeon ship of the Japanese Navy. It has always been at the forefront and participated in many major naval battles. It has also been damaged many times. "Where is the power system? Immediately send a message and ask, If you can still sail, retreat to the rear first."
"Hi!" The soldiers left. Yamamoto Isoroku's expression was not very good. There were torpedoes, which meant that the independent division had also prepared a submarine force to escort. To be honest, he was not afraid because he had brought enough with him this time. Battleships, a total of 3 combined fleets. Although he was suspected of bullying the few with more, he was still a little cautious. He also had to be cautious when fighting the independent division. A combined battleship fleet included more than a dozen battleships and nearly 30 destroyers. .
The establishment of the Independent Division Navy is slightly different from that of the Japanese Navy. Each fleet has a Lexington-class aircraft carrier as the core, eight battleships Warspite as the main force, and seventeen or eighteen light and heavy cruisers as containment. , the number is not a small number, only slightly less than the number of the Japanese Navy's combined fleet. In other words, this battle, in terms of numbers, the two sides are somewhat evenly matched.
"Order, the Second Combined Fleet is outflanking from the left, and the Third Combined Fleet is outflanking from the right. Both of them need to allocate part of their strength to surround the Chinese rear." Yamamoto Isoroku spoke again. He wanted to lead Zhang Qian. The fleet surrounded them, and then further encroached and eliminated them.
"Hi!"
…
Zhang Gan narrowed his eyes when he saw the movements of the Japanese fleet. The enemy's strength was now three times his. However, this was only before Chen Jiliang and Lin Jianzhang came over. Once Chen Jiliang and Lin Jianzhang arrived to support them, the Japanese's siege would be over. It's not a threat. If it's surrounded, then it's surrounded. Anyway, it was originally intended to be surrounded by the Japanese.
Originally, the mainstream idea of naval warfare in this era was still that ships were strong and powerful, with battleships as the mainstay. Of course, Zhou Weiguo did not think so, so his equipment for the navy was centered on aircraft carriers, and every aircraft carrier basically had It can accommodate 100 aircraft. In terms of aircraft performance, the Independent Division's is also superior to the Japanese.
Coupled with the performance of the Independent Division Air Force on the battlefield, more and more people began to support the theory of aviation victory, believing that as long as air superiority is achieved, it will be of great help to various battle situations. In fact, Most of the time, this conclusion is correct.
"Order, the first team, the second team, and the third team are to defend the 3 o'clock, 6 o'clock, and 9 o'clock directions of the main ship respectively." Zhang Gan opened his mouth, preparing to let his battleships surround his aircraft carrier. The defense, of course, was only drizzle compared to the Japanese combined fleet.
…
Japan, Tokyo, Imperial Palace.
After three months of repairs, the Imperial Palace of Japan can no longer show signs of being bombed. Moreover, because the independent division bombed Tokyo twice, the Emperor attaches great importance to Tokyo's security.
"The above is the security of Tokyo today." Shun Takeshita reported to the Emperor. "After investigation, I feel that the performance of some locally installed radar detectors is too backward. It is recommended that vigorous research and development be carried out not only for defense, but also for practical use.
Conduct sea battles and air battles.”
Emperor Showa nodded with satisfaction. Takeshita Shun's suggestion was in line with his thoughts, but there was one problem: he had no money. Almost all the money Mitsumasa Yoneuchi borrowed from him in the past few days was used to resettle the people and purchase new fighter aircraft.
.
Among military expenditures, the largest expenditure is still the navy. The navy has always accounted for the majority of military expenditures since its founding in 1872. By the time of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894, Japan's naval strength had made great progress. At that time, Japan
, it can be said that it was a life-and-death gamble, regarding the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of 1894 as a bet. According to relevant records, Japan’s national fiscal revenue in 1894 was only 98.17 million yen, while the actual expenditure for the war was 200.476 million yen (before the war began)
Japan's national treasury deposits were less than 20 million yen), and in order to raise armaments, it borrowed 116.8 million yen through war bonds issued by the United Kingdom. With such an unbalanced balance of payments, the success or failure of the Sino-Japanese War of 1888-1895 was determined.
This can be described as a life-and-death gamble. If Japan lost the Sino-Japanese War, huge military expenditures would not only immediately lead to national financial bankruptcy, but this huge war debt would also become a powerful tool for other powers to carve up Japan; but if Japan wins
, not only can they follow the great powers to carve up China, but they can also obtain huge war compensation from the war. Everyone knows the outcome. In the Sino-Japanese naval battle in 1894, the Qing government’s Beiyang Navy was completely wiped out, and China paid a compensation of more than 360 million.
Tens of thousands of war reparations, in addition to land and other physical goods, and the occupation of North Korea. Using violence to plunder wealthy but weak neighbors is a faster way to get rich than any other way, and Japan won the gamble.
Similarly, it was this naval battle that made the world's powers see China's weakness. The once powerful empire was nothing more than a paper tiger. It also made the world's powers see the possibility of plunder and huge surprises.
After the war, with the rapid development of Japan's industrialization, the navy, which had tasted the benefits of the war, became more prominent in Japan, and the strength and scale of the navy developed faster. Fuji-class, Shikishima-class, Katori-class, etc.
The main battleships were put into service one after another. By 1920, the Japanese Navy already had hundreds of ships of various types including battleships, battlecruisers, heavy cruisers, light cruisers, destroyers, etc., and its world ranking jumped from tenth to third.
three.
Thinking of this, Emperor Showa calmed down. They won the Sino-Japanese War in the Sino-Japanese War. He also knew that if you want to take risks, you have to pay. Everyone has understood the current financial situation. If Japan continues to lose, sooner or later
They will all be dragged down. Some money that should be spent must not be saved.
"I know, and I will allocate funds from my private treasury to develop radar later." Emperor Showa said.
"Hi." Takeshita Jun nodded, but in his heart, he was also concerned about today's naval battle. He hoped that the empire would win, but he did not want the empire to win.