Canteen System Assistance Notes

They had a hard time attacking Novorossiysk and Temryuk areas on both sides of the Taman Peninsula, and it was difficult to advance. In the Caucasus, several new cavalry divisions would sometimes emerge from places like the Sancharo Pass.

It came out and once threatened the German oil workers who were "fighting to steal oil".

On the Crimean Peninsula not far away, the German 11th Army and the Romanian troops fighting in conjunction with it finally wiped out the Soviet army in the narrow Perekop Isthmus after nearly three months of vicious fighting. In fact, the Soviet army conquered

The Rim Front still had some troops capable of fighting, but the situation began to deteriorate rapidly after the German army pulled engineers from Zaporizhia, reinforced the surrounding railways and brought in the German 833rd Heavy Artillery Battalion.

这个重炮营并非一般的部队， 而是持有600毫米"卡尔”臼炮的超重型火炮部队，苏军能够抵挡105甚至是1 50炮弹的掩蔽堡在这等火力下和报纸壳壳基本没什么区别。在10

At the beginning of the month, these guns moved south along the railway and, under the protection of the attacking forces, slowly but devastatingly crushed the Soviet Isthmus defense line into pieces.

Helplessly, the Soviet army could only retreat to the rear of the "Ishon" defense line, which was not strong at all, and transferred troops to the defense area of ​​​​Sevastopol Fortress and Kerch Peninsula.

General Lik had to retreat to Sevastopol and Kerch, re-establish his command center, and prepare to make a final stand relying on the Sevastopol fortress and sea supplies.

And waiting for the "spring" that may come, but we don't know whether it will come.

However, at this moment, the German commander Erich von Manstein on the opposite side of the front line stared at the dynamically updated sand table and map, and uttered an incomprehensible murmur.

"Oops, very bad...

Although there seems to be a glimmer of hope on all three fronts, the situation is actually not optimistic.

The "reckless general" who once raced wildly in France, now seemed to be "stable" for some reason. When the front-line troops seemed to be about to take the final step and crush the Russian resistance, Manstein was surprised to find that a large number of reserve troops had

Due to the investment of a large number of garrison troops and the transfer of a large number of them, on the entire southern battlefield, although the German army had multiple levels of heavy troops deployed on the front line, the rear of the front was almost empty to a fatal degree.

Some Soviet remnants and guerrillas who usually dared not show up now began to "sneak" out of the area that the "D Force" had solemnly guaranteed was "no man's land" and attacked the German army trains and logistics troops in the rear.

Manstein himself had recently received several reports of his supplies being attacked on the railways in the occupied Ukrainian territory.

The Russians have not launched a major counterattack on the entire front. Is it really because they are too busy dealing with the German offensive in the south and are unable to organize a counterattack? The German soldier began to think.

He received a reply from the German headquarters, rejecting his previous suggestion to "reduce the number of troops from Army Group A to join the Tsaritsyn Offensive."

If at this time, the Russians organized a major offensive on the southern front and successfully broke through or bypassed our front line...

No, I have to lead people to move and move forward.

Manstein thought.

Chapter 722: World "Stage" Events (Part 2)

On the stage called "World War II", the Soviet Union and Germany fought for the initiative in the gradually approaching winter. However, on another part of the earth, one of the "giants" of the Allied camp in World War II - the United States - was waging an inexplicable war.

In other words, there is an "abstract" war going on.

(Author's note: So much so that it warrants a separate chapter)

Given the Roosevelt administration's policy of "Europe first, Asia later," the Pacific was not actually the United States' primary strategic direction in 1942. However, the balance of power in the Pacific theater was clearly not as the US government had expected, at least not in a state of "tactical balance."

First of all, in this time and space, Japan not only occupied almost all the key islands and bases in the Solomon Sea, but also occupied/laid out the airport cluster known as the 'Solomon Chain'. By using cheaper land-based fighters, it reversed the air supremacy in the South Pacific and took control of the sea within the range of the aircraft.

Aside from Australia, the Allies controlled only the area east of Vanuatu, New Caledonia, and New Zealand across the vast South Pacific. Within Japan's planned "absolute defense zone," only Port Moresby remained in Allied hands. The US-Australian coalition forces there were struggling to defend themselves, relying on airdrops and American-style "rat transports."

Secondly, in the Battle of Rennell Island in May 1942 and the Battle of Louisiade in July 1942, the US Navy fought against the Japanese Navy twice, not only losing the Yorktown and Hornet, but also causing the Lexington and Saratoga to be severely damaged and forced to dock for repairs. Now, in the entire Pacific battlefield, the only aircraft carrier in good condition was the Enterprise.

In contrast, the Japanese Navy only had one light aircraft carrier, the Zuiho, which was sunk by the US military, and two aircraft carriers, the Hiyo and the Shokaku, which were only damaged, not seriously. In this time and space, the Japanese Navy did not carry out the "MI Operation" of sending four aircraft carriers, but instead carried out the "MO Operation" and focused on attacking Moresby.

Furthermore, according to intelligence shared within the Allied camp, the Japanese aircraft carriers Soryu, Hiryu, and Zuikaku, which had wreaked havoc in the Indian Ocean in recent months, carrying out massive air raids on British ports in India and Ceylon, have returned to Malacca. They are likely to have completed refitting on the mainland and will soon be heading south. If this is the case, then in the South Pacific, the Japanese aircraft carriers Soryu, Hiryu, and Zuikaku will likely gather together, creating an absolute advantage over the US military!

How can this be possible!

The current strategic decline in the Pacific is such that even though the crew of the Enterprise, in the spirit of American optimism, has displayed an "Enterprise vs. Slunk" pattern on the deck to boost morale, this strategic decline is hardly tolerable to any naval commander.

On land, bloody fighting around Mogao Port and along the Kokoda Trail began in July, with both the US and Japanese armies deploying their troops via the perilous nighttime sea transport and the rugged Kokoda Trail. The battles, dubbed the "Green Hell," saw both sides' non-combat casualties often exceed their combat losses.

Now, under the precise command of Kuribayashi Tadamichi, and with the Allied air support and incessant harassment, the nearly full-scale Japanese 17th Army finally broke through the Australian defenses in the trail area, bringing Port Moss within its attack range. Furthermore, local Aboriginal scouts reported the sighting of "short yellow men" on the "Lynx Trail"—implying that Japanese forces in the Lae area, after breaking through Wau, had also crossed the Owenstein Mountains.

At this moment, Mogang is in danger! Nantai is in danger!

For this reason, the anxious Generals Chester William Nimitz and Ernest Joseph King had to start running around and make efforts to save the situation.

Because the "Essex" class was still on the slipway, and the "Borg" and "Independence" classes had not been completely modified, the two of them could only search everywhere and look for usable aircraft carriers.

After the ship schedule was adjusted and partially modified, in addition to the "Raider" which had huge limitations and was used to transport aircraft, the US Navy, while constantly urging Hawaii to repair the Saratoga, found the "Wasp" and the slow-moving "Long Island" aircraft carriers previously deployed in the Mediterranean region to supplement the valuable flattop fleet.

As a last resort, the US Navy, through a "reverse lend-lease" agreement with Britain, requisitioned the armored aircraft carrier HMS Victory, which had been repaired and refitted at the Norfolk shipyard. The carrier was dispatched to the South Pacific, teaming with the USS Enterprise, hoping to use its new Sea Spitfire and Wildcat fighters to fight alongside the Japanese carrier-based aircraft.

Although the British readily agreed to this, they asked for exorbitant prices when it came to cost calculation and offsetting lend-lease debts. Moreover, even though the Victory and several auxiliary observation boats temporarily joined the US Navy, the British could not conceal the sinister smiles on their faces.

At the same time, in order to tie down the Japanese Navy's forces and mobilize its aircraft carriers and other battleships, the U.S. Navy, at the suggestion of some rash generals, came up with a very outrageous plan: they combined the intelligence on the Japanese battleships and decided to use battleships to depart from Pearl Harbor, refuel at Johnston Island, and then sail at full speed to the Marshall Islands controlled by the Japanese to bombard the Woje and Maloelap atolls.

This is the forefront of the Japanese overseas defense ring. Both islands are home to Japanese artillery batteries and coastal defense forces, each with its own airstrip. This makes it a crucial outpost – if a large-caliber shell were to fall here, the Japanese would surely rush to the rescue, effectively mobilizing our forces!

According to intelligence, there are no Japanese aircraft carriers in the Marshall Islands now!

Considering that the new "North Carolina-class and 'South Dakota-class" have either just been put into service not long ago, or have to go to North Africa to prepare for combat, or deter the German "Tirpitz" in the Atlantic, or serve as sword-bearing guards for aircraft carriers in the South Pacific, they are really busy.

Perhaps because everyone knew the huge risks of this battle, the burden of this "Operation Crayon" "naturally" fell on the group of old battleships in the second line.

After careful consideration, the US Navy ultimately dispatched three slow-moving battleships of the "New Mexico" class—the "New Mexico," "Mississippi," and "Idaho"—along with the escort carrier "Long Island," equipped with all-around air superiority fighters, to form a task force to the Marshall Islands. The lone "Wasp" was assigned to a series of escort vessels to form a task force, providing support and cover for these old-line battleships in their shore bombardment operations.

In September 1942, this fleet, which carried a bit of the spirit of "the wind whistles and the Yi River is cold, and the warriors leave and never return", left Pearl Harbor under the cover of night and headed for the vast central Pacific Ocean.

The U.S. Navy hoped that these slow-moving second-tier veterans would be able to use their numerous 14-inch cannons, taking advantage of the rare vacuum of capital ships in the Japanese Navy's intelligence, to suddenly attack the two key outpost atolls, destroy their coastal artillery, bunkers and runways, attract Japanese capital ships to return for support and reduce the pressure on friendly forces in the South Pacific, thus regaining some ground for the U.S. Navy.

However, the U.S. Navy, which has no foresight into history, did not know that at this time, in the seemingly calm central Pacific Ocean, a fleet that had been in radio silence was slowly wandering.

Among them is the second ship of Japan's Sendai-class light cruiser, the Jintsu, seven destroyers serving as guards and torpedo strikers, and the aircraft carrier "Taiyo" serving as the direct guard of the First Fleet - she has just been renamed and has only been in service as an aircraft carrier for a short time.

as well as...….

At that time, the flagship of the Japanese Navy Combined Fleet, the flagship of "80-sen" Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, and the pride of the Japanese Navy, the Yamato battleship.

Chapter 723: Battle of the Sunrise Islands (1) The Sun Does Not Rise on the Sunrise Islands

Located east of the Marshall Islands, the area encompassing the Woje and Maloelap atolls is known as the "Sunrise Islands," meaning the islands where the sun rises first. Conversely, to the west are the "Sunset Islands," both of which are expected to become scenic Pacific tourist destinations.

So even though these islands have not yet been developed for tourism, when you are wandering on such an ocean and accompanied by the battleship "Yamato" with excellent accommodation and food conditions, you will definitely feel relaxed and happy, leisurely and contented.

Just like Isoroku Yamamoto at this moment.

Because of the fog of war, waging a naval battle across the vast ocean is no easy feat. Both sides often maneuver around crucial points, repeatedly reconnaissance to detect enemy activity before finally engaging in a ferocious "battle." It can be said that naval battles often begin with lengthy and tedious reconnaissance.

On the other hand, if there was insufficient reconnaissance intelligence, basically no one would be able to find him - let alone the Americans. If even the Japanese Navy itself did not know where Yamamoto was, then wouldn't no one know where he was? However, according to the experience and unspoken rules inherited by the Japanese Navy from the Sino-Japanese War (the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895) and the Russo-Japanese War, the fleet commander could not stay away from the front line and must be "deployed forward" to command the fleet - in other words, if His Excellency Isoroku Yamamoto wanted to obtain further "merit armor", then he had to go to the front line in person to command.

However, as a "human admiral" and a political animal well versed in the rules of officialdom, how could Admiral Yamamoto be unable to deal with this unspoken rule? Moreover, in this time and space, Yamamoto Isoroku still insisted on launching an attack on Midway Island, but was forced by the headquarters to implement the "MO" operation plan. He needed some action to express his "attitude."

So, he first led the Yamato out of Truk and cruised near the Micronesian Islands in the central Pacific, preparing to use the Yamato's abundant radio equipment to carry out radio reconnaissance operations. Then, after leaving the port, Admiral Yamamoto invoked the very reasonable "radio silence" rule in naval operations and cut off all contact except receiving messages: in this way, he could achieve a state where even his own people did not know the exact location, and while gaining credit, he avoided going to the front line and taking risks.

In short, Yamamoto touched.

However, due to some strange coincidences, although Lord Yamamoto would not go to the front line, the front line began to approach him.

——----—-

On September 7, 1942, over the Pacific Ocean east of the Sunrise Islands and west of Johnston Island, dark clouds rolled in, lightning flashed, and thunder roared—a massive storm raged. The IJN 27th Flotilla submarine, I-122, bobbed in the wind and waves.

This type of storm, triggered by a typhoon embryo, was common in the Pacific at this time. While it often brought several days of rain, such intense storms were confined to a small area, coming and going quickly. As a WWII submarine, the I-122 couldn't maintain high speed while submerging to avoid the wind and waves like its Cold War counterparts. Therefore, it could only surface, extending its command hull to navigate.

Fortunately, this "mine-laying submarine," whose primary missions were minelaying and reconnaissance, had an underwater displacement of over 2,000 tons. When the ship was not in the center of the storm, the turbulence was not noticeable, allowing it to continue its reconnaissance mission. "What a rough sea! I can hardly see anything."

Yes, what kind of American ship would come out in this kind of weather?!" Inside the command tower, several watchmen in raincoats were complaining, "Since this morning, the hydrophone room has reported hearing regular noises. What the hell! It's just thunder."

"That's right, they let us get wet in the rain and pay close attention to them, while they sit in a submarine and eat rice. What a bunch of idiots!"

Living conditions on a submarine are harsh and the heat is unbearable, with almost everyone working shirtless. However, the watchmen forced to conduct surface observations in the wind and rain have no time to feel the heat. The strong wind and rain, the crackling sound of the heavy rubber raincoats, and the task of searching the hazy sea surface with binoculars is truly unbearable.

"What's for lunch today?"

"Nori fish chirashi sushi, and miso soup."

“I must go back and drink hot soup later…”

The food on the submarine always had a strange taste. Although everyone knew that after being away from the port for so long, the chef on the submarine, even if he was a master sent by the Imperial Hotel, could only make this little bit of food no matter how hard he tried, but when we returned to the submarine in such a cold and unstable environment, being able to get something hot was a great comfort.

"Hydrophone report!" a voice came from the brass tube. "Relative bearing, starboard -095, sensitivity 1, suspected source of sound is a warship, multiple ships, medium speed." "Hey, hey, hey, got it! There's nothing over there except wind and water..."

"There are multiple sound sources, including what appears to be the propeller sound of a large ship approaching—"

"It's so noisy! Seriously, it's only noon and it's already dark. How can Americans...?"

The watchman's voice suddenly stopped, his mouth frozen shut, his hands rusted. Like a catapulted Ghostfire motorcycle, he grabbed his telescope, leaned against the command tower, and shouted into the telegraph tube.

"Bearing starboard -114! Multiple ships detected!"

...Small ship silhouettes...8! Large ship silhouettes...3...No, is it 4?"

"Hydrophone report: High-speed propeller noise, sensitivity 2! Approaching our ship!"

"Full dive!"

A large fleet, and the other side also has destroyers!

Now the enemy destroyer seems to be heading towards us!

This report was like a firecracker thrown into a chicken coop, or a stick hitting a dog. Alarms blared throughout the submarine, and the combat-ready crew members crawled through the watertight doors, climbed the ladders, and rushed to their combat positions. Although it was unknown how the enemy destroyer had discovered them in such a harsh environment, the I-122 quickly closed all hatches and began to dive underwater.

The navigation periscope was quickly retracted, and the command center, already in combat mode, glanced through the combat periscope and indeed spotted a US destroyer with a high tower heading in their direction. One ship, so it must be here to confirm the situation...

"Set depth to 75 meters, silent diving!"

The captain pondered for a moment, then quickly issued an order. While the Japanese Navy hadn't yet developed radar defenses, they did have experience countering hydrophones. The I-122 quickly shut down its motors and submerged, relying on adjustments in its ballast tanks. By this point, aside from the hydrophone room, which was still quietly reporting on its progress, the 2000-ton submarine had lost all means of external observation.

"The sound of high-speed propellers... No, the enemy ship is slowing down... Sense 3... 4... Sense 5! Entering minimum listening range!

"Enemy destroyer, overhead!"

Against a battle fleet with a tight escort and comprehensive anti-submarine capabilities, a submarine is extremely vulnerable. If it were a destroyer, the 2000-ton I-122 could still maneuver with torpedoes and deck guns, coupled with unrivaled ship handling, perhaps even turn the tables and achieve a counterattack. However, the enemy fleet consisted of at least eight destroyers. If half of them were to attack, the I-122 would be forced to cross the Sanzu River, even if it were Amaterasu herself.

The boat's electric motors had stopped, the hum of ballast tank adjustments had ceased. In the I-122, where only the ambient background noise filled, everyone dared not breathe, even hoping their hearts, already hanging in their chests, would beat more slowly. They couldn't help but clench their hands tightly, awaiting the final verdict that could come at any moment—more of the destroyer's propellers, or the deadly sound of a depth charge entering the water.

Huh! This is the detection wave of active sonar. Fortunately, it is not coming towards me, but instead seems to be emitted from above my head.

"The enemy ship appears to be conducting a circular search using active hydrophones."

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The energetic detection sound waves used a fan-shaped surface shaped like petals to detect outwards with a boundary of 5, but accidentally overlooked I-122 which was hovering right below the destroyer - her luck was really good - but each "ping" was like a huge hammer, hitting everyone's brain again and again.

But in the end, this time that felt like torture finally came to an end.

"Enemy destroyer, high-speed propeller... Sense 5..." After a long moment, the news finally came from the hydrophone room. Their suppressed voices couldn't hide their joy at having survived. "Sense 4... Sense 3, the enemy ship is retreating." "Beware of the enemy ship returning, don't act yet!"

Nearly two hours after the US ship left, the I-122, which had been submerged for a long time, finally surfaced after searching with a periscope for a long time and repeatedly confirming its safety.

The sky around was still gloomy, but the heavy rain and thunderstorm had dispersed. After looking around and finding no enemy ships, I-122 prepared to fulfill another of its obligations: sending intelligence on enemy ships to the fleet headquarters in the rear.

However, she encountered a challenge: the report needed to include the size, course, speed, and types and models of the enemy fleet. The "cat-eyes" aboard I-122 were highly skilled and were able to obtain the basic information, but they were unable to fully confirm the types of the enemy ships. At that time, facing such a large enemy fleet, the submarine could not get close. Even if visual observation was possible, it would still be at least 8-10 nautical miles away. The course angle and weather conditions made it difficult for the crew to observe and identify the enemy ships.

"What were the results of the distance measurement? The lead ship was a four-turret battleship, and the measured length was... around 180 meters?" "What four turrets? That's a seaplane! That's the hangar! Those two are three-turret battleships!"

"Aside from the distinctly medium-sized ship silhouette, which is likely an Omaha-class vessel, the remaining large ships are similar in size and likely the same class.

While the combat periscope had a camera function, there was no room for a darkroom on the cramped submarine. The watchmen and observers on I-122 fetched sketchpads and pencils, repeatedly comparing the ship's silhouettes they'd drawn from memory with the US Navy Ship Shadow Identification Manual to ultimately determine the enemy ship's type.

"This ship has detected three New Orleans-class ships, one Pensacola-class ship, one Omaha-class ship, and eight destroyers of various types at...position. They are sailing at 14 knots, heading 265 degrees, toward QE (Kwajalein). "Command to give prompt attention."

Chapter 724: Sunrise Islands Naval Battle (2) A pair of hairy hands is hard to defend against

French lemon tart, melon mango mousse, and the delicate and petite French round cake "√力口少" (macaron) filled the three-tiered dessert plate.

Rice paper-wrapped malt sugar cakes, translucent "Shokei Yokan," and the Admiral's favorite, "Sake Manju," were meticulously presented in small wooden boxes on the other side. Papaya, pineapple, strawberries... and other fresh fruits rarely seen on naval vessels were also cut into bite-sized pieces and placed on plates for everyone to enjoy.

In addition, there are English black tea and Japanese matcha served in cups... Even in the Yamato's officer's restaurant at this time, there are champagne, red wine and pure rice Daiginjo - basically, as long as you can think of a meal, the powerful Yamato's "cooking office" and "shipboard hotel" can provide it.

That's right, when the I-122 submarine was still in shock after surviving the disaster and risked sending a telegram to the headquarters in the rear to inform them of the enemy situation, the "human admiral"

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the "deadly gambler," was having his afternoon drink aboard the Yamato.

茶!

As the admiral of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Yamamoto was the undisputed "king" on the ship.

Because of his command authority and temperament, when he was present, even Chief of Staff Matome Ugaki and Captain of the Yamato, Takayanagi Gihachi, had to retreat and avoid the spotlight temporarily. Instead, the reporters on board the ship and even the Army's representative in the Combined Fleet, Staff Officer Imoto Kumao, would often surround him.

After all, the reporters had the task of publicizing the bravery of the Empire, the navy's victory over the enemy, and the admirals' decisive victories thousands of miles away; and Lieutenant Colonel Imoto Kumao was sent by General Imamura Hitoshi to coordinate the operations, negotiate with the navy on behalf of the Eighth Area Army, and seek support for land operations: after all, in operations in the South Pacific, no matter how much the army disliked the navy, it had to grit its teeth and endure it - after all, Showa Superman could work miracles, but he couldn't use mines to bombard the American fleet, nor could he swim across the Pacific to occupy various islands.

However, Lieutenant Commander Imoto himself didn't feel that way. Since arriving on this iron palace at sea, he, a former dispatch officer, had received unconditional hospitality from the navy. "Here, I actually get to eat kunyu rice and drink soda every day!"

Who says the navy looks down on the army? Look at how broad-minded they are! Then I have to work harder!