Canteen System Assistance Notes

So, when Admiral Yamamoto held his usual afternoon tea party on the afternoon of September 7, 1942, he also brought his notebook and listened to the general's speech. If there was any key information related to the army, he would write it down and report it to his superiors in a timely manner. If not...

Anyway, I didn't come here just for those pieces of honeydew melon, right?

One by one—one by one—one

At this time, the Yamato was sailing from northwest to southeast with the flagship Jintsu of the 2nd Torpedo Squadron and 7 destroyers of the 8th and 16th Destroyers, preparing to take the team for a circle behind the landing site on Nauru. In this way, according to the "Yamamoto Theorem", she would have made unparalleled contributions in landing on Nauru and expanding the territory, and would be a hero of the navy who will be remembered for thousands of years, and a wise and brave general.

As for letting the Yamato approach the shore to provide support for the landing fleet? What a joke! How could such a boring job be the responsibility of the fleet commander's ship?

Moreover, not only did General Yamamoto not go to the other side to bombard the artillery, he would often capture light cruisers and destroyers that returned to Truk for rest and have them escort him - for example, the Jintsu and the "Ershui Zhan M" this time were typical examples of being 'caught to work overtime'. They had just returned from completing their transport/combat missions in the South Pacific when they were "caught" by the Yamato.

But now, this little problem does not affect General Yamamoto's performance at all.

Back then, Admiral Yamamoto defied all odds and insisted on taking the foggy, rarely used North Pacific route. This allowed our Imperial Aircraft Carriers and Sea Eagles to evade the enemy, concealing their presence and wielding a covert strategy, to destroy the American Pacific Fleet with a single blow.

"In the Battle of Rennell Island, our army, under the command of Admiral Yamamoto, bravely advanced, unleashing unparalleled sea eagle capabilities, sinking the USS Yorktown and Saratoga, and severely damaging the USS Enterprise, repelling the American forces in one fell swoop and ensuring the smooth progress of the South China Sea campaign...

"Even then, that bastard remained unrepentant, still attempting to fight a powerful enemy with his weak navy. Two months later, at the Battle of Louisiade, our forces sank three more enemy aircraft carriers—Hornet, Lexington, and Enterprise—and two heavy cruisers at minimal cost...

"Furthermore, under Admiral Yamamoto's personal guidance, the Imperial Navy overwhelmed the Royal Navy in the Indian Ocean, rendering it difficult to resist. That wicked Admiral James Somerville, intimidated by Admiral Yamamoto's power, abandoned the Royal Navy's unwavering commitment to fighting and fled in panic. He was truly a lost cause!"

Naturally, there were people who came to tell about the commander's great achievements. In the luxuriously decorated officers' restaurant, Yamamoto's adjutant told the reporters attending the tea party about General Yamamoto's achievements one by one, and communicated with General Yamamoto in a timely manner, telling some "unknown secrets", which amazed others.

However, Lieutenant Colonel Imoto, who always attended the tea party, had heard all this countless times. While eating dessert and fruit, he clapped along, saying, "Ahhh, General Yamamoto is amazing! If only this melon were a little sweeter, it would be even more amazing!"

Halfway through the tea party, after several rounds of tea and snacks, the atmosphere finally became lively and the reporters began to ask questions and chat.

"Captain Yamamoto, if our forces encounter the enemy during this Nauru campaign, would you be able to lead the Yamato, the world's most formidable and invincible ship, which the British and Americans cannot even begin to rival, to provide support and achieve even greater success?"

A reporter who was obviously there to add insult to injury asked a question, drawing everyone's attention to Isoroku Yamamoto and Kumao Imoto.

To be honest, this was a question that even Lieutenant Colonel Imoto was deeply concerned about. He once summoned the courage to ask Admiral Yamamoto if he could provide support with his powerful large-caliber naval guns if the army needed them. Admiral Yamamoto's response, "It is our duty to lead the fleet into the sea and destroy the enemy with artillery," had deeply moved him. However, during this time, the Yamato's invincible 450mm main guns had not fired a single shot, let alone provided any support to the army.

I guess it's the same old thing again this time...

"Naval warfare is a matter of infinite change. Even we, on this daunting battlefield, are left to fight tooth and nail, searching for the hem of the goddess of luck."

Yamamoto Isoroku took a bite of his sake steamed bun. He gracefully retreated, then honorably ignored the 7th Fleet and the Sanshui Fleet, both currently underway in support of the Nauru operation, and accepted the "Meritorious Armor" for the operation. However, if we encounter enemy ships, we, as our comrades, will resolutely fight and deliver victory to His Majesty. If we encounter enemy ships in this operation, this ship will lead the charge, charging into the enemy formation and, with its unrivaled cannons, reclaiming victory once again! As soon as these words were spoken, Yamamoto's figure seemed to soar ten thousand feet tall, and all around him, a salute roared, streamers flew, and even the word "glorious" seemed to materialize.

It turned into a shining halo and covered his head.

Ahhh, so amazing, so powerful! Mr. Yamamoto, you are so kind!

Staff Officer Imoto Kumao sat up straight, took out a pen and paper, and pretended to write down the details, while internally offering a spiritless flattery. It looked like another tea party with no nutritional value today, but after eating so much fresh fruit and dessert, it was more than enough.

These things are the most precious things in the sea...

However, just as Jing Ben was thinking of this, the door of the restaurant was suddenly opened.

A short, stocky man appeared at the door of the restaurant. His face was strangely flushed, as if he had drunk a strong drink; his hands were shaking slightly, and he couldn't even hold the telegram steadily, nor could he hold the exquisite naval officer's uniform.

I didn't put them on properly, and the buttons were buttoned incorrectly...

Isn't this Yamamoto's chief of staff, Mr. Ugaki Matome, the successor of the "Teppoya"?

"Sir! Commander Yamamoto!"

Ugaki Chan ignored the atmosphere, the reporters with cameras, and Imoto with his notebook, and rushed in. He walked quickly, his voice loud and clear, announcing,

"Sixth Fleet intelligence! Its submarines have spotted four US heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, and eight destroyers 148 nautical miles southwest of Johnston Island! They are sailing at 14 knots towards our Kwajalein base! At the same time, Kwajalein intercepts

The team reported that a large number of encrypted messages were intercepted at the submarine's reported position.

"Sir! The enemy ships consist of only four heavy cruisers, and they pose no threat to our ship! The enemy's presence is now confirmed. We only need to use the longboats to determine their location, and our fleet will be ready to engage! There are rain clouds to the north of our ship, and the latest batch of enemy submarines has been reported.

Report to the southeast of Truk and Gilbert, with very few to the north—with a little evasion, our ships can avoid detection and strike hard at the rear of the US fleet!"

Having seized the opportunity to engage in a cannon fire, Ugaki Matome shouted in front of everyone:

"No one can take away the glory of Yamato this time!

"Go ahead, sir!

“Go ahead!! Sir!!”

The restaurant fell silent for a moment, leaving only Ugaki Chan's resounding and unbridled roar echoing back and forth.

A drop of cold sweat seemed to flow down Yamamoto Isoroku's face.

He glanced at the reporters, their cameras raised in anticipation; then at Lieutenant Colonel Imoto, who was holding a pen and a notebook, ruthlessly recording with anticipation; finally, he returned his gaze to the blushing Ugaki Matoi – the "one-man admiral" Yamamoto Isoroku. Without hesitation or a sigh, his eyes shifted from slacking off and boasting to the gambler's enthusiasm and excitement unique to the Japanese Navy.

Yamamoto raised his chin, narrowed his eyes, and said calmly, "Okay, it's up to you to plan the route and the battle plan.

"Let those stupid Americans see the pride of the Combined Fleet!"

Chapter 725: Battle of the Sunrise Islands (3) The Xinyiqin Department pecks at the stool and shakes!

As a person who likes to act crazy, one of the "Golden Mask" Ugaki's notorious deeds in the original time and space was that after Japan surrendered, he forced more than ten pilots to launch kamikaze attacks, sending them to their deaths meaninglessly - or in other words, pursuing that crazy and twisted "loyalty".

However, objectively speaking, this heir of the "Iron Cannon House", the chief of staff who claimed to know nothing about aviation operations, could indeed be described as "particularly outstanding" in technical matters related to naval warfare.

After receiving Yamamoto's "imperial sword," he quickly led the Yamato's staff to the chart room and began work. He first consulted the weather station data for Kwajalein, Woje, and Maloelap Atolls, and discovered that there were long stretches of stratus clouds over the target sea area, and that thunderstorm clouds, common in the Central Pacific, could appear at any time, creating an environment very conducive to covert operations by the surface fleet.

At the same time, there have been relatively few submarines in that area, and patrol boats and destroyers have not spotted US submarines for a long time.

Combining the two, he worked out three feasible plans and handed them to Yamamoto for approval.

The first strategy was for the entire fleet to move in a straight line, heading directly for the "determined sea area" where the US fleet would be located 2-3 days from now. The large boats and submarine formations at Truk and Kwajalein were ordered to conduct coordinated reconnaissance. Once an enemy ship was spotted, a single ship would immediately launch an assault, while a mine warfare team would flank it to interfere, and an artillery engagement would be decisive.

The second strategy was to increase the fleet's speed, sail around the northern side of Woje Atoll, and order Kwajalein's submarines and land reconnaissance aircraft to advance to Woje and Maloelap Atolls for enhanced reconnaissance. Once the enemy's position was confirmed, the Yamato would adjust its course and intrude behind the enemy ships, preventing the "US heavy cruiser" with a greater speed advantage from escaping and effectively catching them in the trap.

The third set is to order the ship's military band to play "The Universe", and all the crew members on the ship sing "Silly, Shame on you", so that the Yamato can break out of its shell.

The captain would then activate the wave motion engine, allowing the Yamato to make a short jump to low Earth orbit and, before the US anti-satellite cannons could warm up, fire the "Hyper Energy Wave Motion Cannon" at the US fleet, completely destroying them with one strike.

(Ahem, in fact, it is a completely unfeasible plan. The specific content includes letting land attack aircraft take off from several bases to launch an air attack on the US fleet.

The Yamato went directly to Johnston Island to bombard the other side, blocking the

The American fleet's retreat was blocked, and the remnants of the fleeing American fleet were eventually annihilated through artillery fire.)

After much inner deliberation, Yamamoto Isoroku ultimately chose Option 2, which would have taken longer. Furthermore, in a rare act of breaking radio silence, he sent a message in the name of the Combined Fleet Commander and the flagship to the 7th Fleet and the 3rd Mine Warfare Squadron, both en route to Nauru, demanding they immediately terminate their mission, form a guerrilla fleet, and sail north to the Kwajalein Sea to escort the Yamato. As for the army's landing on Nauru, having already postponed it once, further delays would not hurt.

After all, the Admiral's precious body must not be put in danger!

Because of Yamamoto's precious life, the Japanese military's forces underwent a change. The 7th Squadron's Suzuya and Kumano, originally escorting the Army landing force, along with the 3rd Torpedo Squadron's 11th Destroyer Squadron and the 19th Destroyer Squadron's "Three Snow Three Waves," totaling six DDs, also joined the northbound advance—unbeknownst to the US military.

The Japanese also did not fully assess the strength of the US military. Due to weather and identification issues, the large fleet, which was originally composed of 3 battleships (BB), 1 aircraft carrier (CV), 1 escort carrier (CVE), 2 heavy cruisers (CA), 1 light cruiser (CL) and 17 destroyers (DD), and was divided into two forces: the battleship task force and the aircraft carrier task force, was assessed by the Japanese as a small fleet with only 4 CAs and 1 CL as the main force.

Both the US fleet and the Japanese fleet began to sail towards the final battlefield.

Due to the speed and distance of the crossing, neither side could reach the battlefield in a single day, but instead had to sail for several days. During these days, the Japanese dispatched 97 large boats for reconnaissance, while the US used submarines to gather intelligence, trying to understand the possible presence of Japanese ships in the waters.

Radio transmissions from both sides raced through the air, captured by their respective radio interception agencies. Naturally, the US military's code was unbreakable by the Japanese. At that time, although the US Navy had already discovered the Japanese Navy's code system, the JN had recently changed its code, making it difficult for the US military to immediately decipher the UN's telegrams and ultimately break through the code system. Therefore, even though US submarines, centered around Johnston Island, discovered the 9th Fleet heading north from Nauru during the daylight hours of September 9th, the Yamato, hidden beneath the clouds behind it, remained undetected.

时间，就这样来到了1942年9月10日的夜间，亦或者是9月11日的凌晨。

After several days of intense navigation, the US battleship task force finally reached its first target area—the outskirts of Woje Atoll. That day, amidst the pitch-black night, a storm raged, accompanied by thunder and lightning. The stratus clouds that had been hovering over the fleet finally gave rise to a violent thundercloud, stirring up raging winds, huge waves, and torrential rain.

The intensity of the storm wasn't enough to cause fatal damage to the fleet, but the rough sea conditions still caused the US warships to be tossed about in the wind and waves. The destroyer's radar was affected, preventing it from conducting normal search and surveillance missions. The distant Japanese atolls were difficult to spot due to the combined effects of a blackout and bad weather, making shore artillery fire nearly impossible.

"Son of a bitch..."

General Waldens-Ainsworth was very nervous. This inexplicable feeling of palpitations had begun a few days ago and had become increasingly pronounced as he gradually moved deeper into the Japanese-controlled waters. Just a few days ago, when he encountered cumulonimbus clouds, because the fleet was in danger of getting separated, he had to order all ships to break radio silence, use TBS (Telecommunications System) and telegrams to coordinate with each other, organize the fleet, and communicate with the "Wasp" following the battleship task force to maintain a suitable distance between the fleets.

This was clearly an act of exposing his own presence. Although he was confident that the U.S. Navy's M-209 encryption machine was invincible, the radio signal itself still represented some information - if the Japanese discovered him and sent an aircraft carrier fleet to attack, what should he do?

"No, we can't give up."

After reaffirming the near-total impossibility of a nighttime bombardment, General Ainsworth decided to take a chance. He placed the fleet on a first-level combat readiness, deployed in formation, and made a slow-moving maneuver around the perimeter of Woje Atoll. Daybreak was only a few hours away, and unless there was a typhoon, storms like these in the Central Pacific wouldn't last long. At daybreak, the battleships could launch seaplanes, and the Nagashima, already in the battleship formation, could also launch Wildcats to provide cover. He would then immediately command the battleships to launch a bombardment of the shore, sending the Japanese ashore skyward.

According to intelligence, the largest artillery piece there is only 150mm. "The New Mexico is old, but the high-explosive shells fired by its twelve triple-mounted 14-inch main guns are still too much for these shore-based artillery to bear!"

The sky gradually brightened, the wind and waves died down, and the heavy rain turned into a gentle drizzle. General Walden Ainsworth, aboard the New Mexico, glanced at his watch and gazed toward the dawn in the east. He closed his eyes, silently counted to 100, and then opened them again.

Stratus clouds and light rain stretched to the horizon, obscuring the sun. However, the white of sunlight already illuminated the vast expanse of clouds. He picked up the intercom used for command.

"New Mexico, Mississippi, Idaho, general quarters, ready to fire!" "New Mexico, got it! (Roger!)"

"Mississippi, got it! (Roger!)" "Idaho, got it! (Roger!)"

Under the watchful eye of the cruiser and the protection of the destroyer, the three warships launched their first round of 36 heavy 14-inch high-explosive bombs at the early morning Wojie Atoll.

In an instant, violent fireballs and tall water columns rose inside and outside the atoll, and the sun on the island

I personally welcomed the first round of "wake-up call" on September 11th.

A large number of radios and commands rang out in the fleet, and each ship began to frequently communicate with the lookout and the seaplanes that had just taken off, hoping to report the next round of correction parameters before the gun barrel returned to the loading position and completed the loading.

As the New Mexico uses 14-inch naval guns, it can complete the reload in about 45 seconds and fire another round of devastating salvos.

Soon, another round of muffled thunderous explosions rang out from the north of the American ship. This round of artillery fire was distant and dull, just like the humid and suffocating battlefield environment. Wait... north?

north!

The bridge of the New Mexico was filled with noise.

"Bridge, lookout visual contact, 175 degrees, 18 nautical miles, identified as a large surface target."

"Bridge, radar contact, 173 degrees, 20 nautical miles... Hmm, is that an island moving? We're a little unsure..."

"Richmond reporting, 25°, multiple skunks sighted, 35 nautical miles, approaching at high speed."

The distinctive pagoda-shaped bridge slowly emerged from the rain and fog, from the northern side of the atoll's shelter, like the grim reaper descending from the darkness. However, it seemed as if luck favored the three American battleships. The gunfire had already sent a high eruption of muzzle smoke, but there was no sound of incoming shells. The towering water column did not fall near the battleships, but instead fell in another direction.

Another direction...

What? The other way? Shit! That's the Long Island!

Chapter 726: Sunrise Islands Naval Battle (4) Spore Thunder Halberd, the Beginning!

(Finally caught up with the update)

"Knock on the stool and make it shake!

"Thunder Spore Halberd, start the attack!"

On the bridge of the Yamato, veins on Ugaki Matoi's forehead bulged, his face flushed with excitement, and he screamed loudly without any image, like a strangled screaming chicken.

It was no wonder he was so disregarding his position—just now, Officer Zhang had reported the sighting of an aircraft carrier on the starboard side of the ship. And according to reports from the crew of the A-bearing and the Marine garrison deployed within the atoll, the several ships in the direction of the ship's path weren't the "four heavy cruisers" mentioned in the submarine intelligence, but rather a combination of three "standard battleships" armed with 14-inch heavy guns and one heavy cruiser!

There are battleships fighting!

For Ugaki Matoi, a veteran of the "Teppoya" (a type of artillery), this was like being high on drugs. Being able to engage in a cannon battle with enemy warships was the dream of every battleship commander, and being able to sink the enemy's shameless flying men before the cannon battle was simply exhilarating!

"Captain! Prepare the bombardment, target the enemy aircraft carrier!" Ugaki Matome, ignoring the fact that directing the bombardment was already overstepping his authority, shouted loudly. He didn't even enter the armored command tower, but rushed directly to the high-powered telescope on the bridge and pushed Zhang Yuan away, "Sink that aircraft carrier for me!!"

"Left turn 2, maximum speed!" Captain Takayanagi Gihachi remained relatively calm. He glanced at the chart and quickly issued the order, "Target, enemy mobile aircraft carrier, prepare for salvo fire!"

"Ready to fire—91 rounds loaded! Loaded!"

The Yamato steered slightly to port, maintaining its angle of fire on the Nagashima* while simultaneously reaching full combat speed to circle around the three New Mexico-class ships, intent on blocking their path. Immediately, nine of the largest guns in human service, raised their hulls and fired the first salvo.

Boom! A forest of water columns suddenly grew around the Nagashima, which was organizing the launch of fighter jets. The water columns stirred up by the Type 91 armor-piercing shells were more than twice as high as her flight deck! "Cross-fire! Reload and prepare, second round reload begins!"

The first round of cross-fire fired by the Yamato at a distance of 26 kilometers finally woke up the American army whose minds were blank. After a brief daze of "Wow, why is this island still firing?", in the eyes of the Japanese army, the US warships were like ants poured with boiling water, and they exploded in an instant.

Several destroyers escorting the USS Nagashima hurriedly changed formation, trying to get between the carrier and the Yamato and release smoke screens. The US warships that were still shelling the atoll had to stop their shelling and turn left, hoping to form a battle line and fire back—or perhaps turn around and flee.

There was no way around it. With a water column over 100 feet high, even the dumbest US Navy officer could see that the projectiles from this "moving island" were definitely more powerful than their own 16-inch MK6s! The radio frequency in the air suddenly increased, and the density was almost enough to set the water vapor-rich air of the Central Pacific ablaze. In the short time it took the US military to react,

The Yamato had already fired three rounds of straddle fire at the Nagashima, emptying the ammunition in the turret.

Not only did these 27 Type 91 rounds score one "over-penetration" hit on the Yamato (Nagashima's armor was far too thin), but they also convinced the gunnery expert, Captain Takayanagi, that the range finding was complete. In the next round, he ordered the three turrets to switch to using "Normal Zero" rounds to deal with this obviously thin-skinned target.

"Dengshe!"

After a slightly longer reload, the Zero-type conventional round, containing 62 kilograms of TNT and weighing 1.3 tons, was fired with a surging muzzle sear. The next moment, an orange-red ball of fire rose from the white water column surrounding the Nagashima!

This was a valid hit!

The massive explosion ripped away the swollen part of the Nagashima's hull, peeling off the thin flight deck like an orange peel, and even blew away several Wildcats that were about to take off. Even more fatal was that as the survivors on the deck struggled to get up from the blast and began to help the damage control team put out the fire and rescue the wounded, the next round of salvos from the Yamato arrived.

This time, one shell penetrated and exploded within the ship's open hangar, which was supported by trusses, while the other exploded in the water just feet from the ship, resulting in a "near miss" with equally destructive power. Although the open hangar did not pose the risk of a concentrated explosion caused by a leak, the two standard Zero shells ignited the fuel lines, which were now filled with aviation fuel, and created several terrifying leaks below the waterline.

The hastily remodeled Nagashima's lack of carbon dioxide injection equipment and high-density watertight bulkheads were fully exposed at this moment. Raging flames and incoming water jets raged within the hull, creating a deadly "ice and fire" situation for the poor aircraft carrier!

A raging fire erupted on the distant horizon, and tall, black smoke billowed upward, making it striking even against the drizzling rain. "Enemy ship destroyed, changing target!"

Although Ugaki was generally frantic, his combat-related brain was perfectly clear. The aircraft carrier had clearly been severely damaged, and there was no chance of it continuing to launch ship-to-ship explosions to disrupt the battle. Right now, the Taiyo, at the rear of the fleet, had just reported that it was organizing the loading and upgrading of aircraft. Across the waters, Suzuya and Kumano had also reported encountering a US light cruiser formation. He should change his target with the Yamato and attack the three "standard battleships" organizing their battle formations, engaging in a fair and honest battleship duel!

"Left rudder 10, enemy battleship No. 1, prepare to fire!"

Takayanagi Gihachi's emotions were relatively more stable, although he was not as good as Admiral Yamamoto who hid in the armored bridge and said nothing and refused to listen to any reports, but while he clenched his fists in excitement, he was still able to maintain some "imperial soldier's demeanor".