Empire Conquest
Chapter 107 - 103: Misfortunes Never Come Singly

Chapter 107: Chapter 103: Misfortunes Never Come Singly

Indeed, it was bad news, and not just one piece.

The battle report had been confirmed, or to put it accurately, a reliable battle report had been received.

Because they were worried about revealing their location, they couldn’t take risks; therefore, unless attacked by the enemy, the fleets operating in the Flame Sea had to maintain radio silence.

The battle report came from the consulate in Nanzhu Country.

According to the plan, after the battle ended, Takano would arrange for a staff officer, carrying a detailed battle report, to board a seaplane to Marra City in Nanzhu Country and then use the consulate’s radio to send the report. Since Nanzhu Country is an overseas territory of the Newland Federation and the Newland Federation had not yet entered the war, the process of transmitting the battle report was somewhat troublesome and took some time. However, this had already been considered in the planning stage.

As for the specific content, there is no need to elaborate.

Even though only three battleships were sunk and one was severely damaged, the Mobile Fleet had thus lost most of its combat power. If the lost ship-borne aircraft were included, the Mobile Fleet surely would not be able to fight again, or even defend itself, until they received replacements.

Fortunately, the remaining two carriers were still capable of combat.

The damages to the "Jiahe" had been gotten under control, and it was expected that the flight deck would be repaired before dawn. Although it could not use the front repair center of the hangar, which would greatly impact aviation operations, it still had certain combat capabilities with the assistance of the "Feilong".

The key still lay with the combat aircraft.

Takano explicitly mentioned in the telegram that if combat aircraft could not be replenished for the Mobile Fleet promptly, it could not return to the East Ocean as originally planned.

What did that mean?

According to the combat plan devised by the Navy Order Department, the Permanent Fleet, upon successfully completing their raid, was to return the same way it had come, that is, from the Two-car Strait back to the East Ocean.

For this reason, Takano also mentioned transferring the fifth Air Corps’ combat aircraft to the Mobile Fleet, then pulling the third Air Corps to replenish the fifth. If conditions permitted, the third Air Corps would need to be combat-ready and better leave Long Sorrow Port immediately.

Fortunately, the Military Command Department had already foreseen this and had long made arrangements.

The second piece of bad news also came from the Navy Order Department.

In the afternoon, near the Lixi Islands in the Flame Sea, a submarine spotted a fleet rapidly moving southwest, confirming that at least two fleet carriers were among them.

Since they couldn’t establish contact with that submarine, this intelligence had not yet been confirmed.

If the intelligence was accurate, then there was an issue with the earlier battle report from the Mobile Fleet, which had not sunk two carriers during the battle but only one. Because, at noon, the intelligence agency received reliable information that the flagship of the second Aviation Mixed Fleet had been severely damaged and was proceeding to Chengjiang Port for repairs. The Liangxia Navy had already made urgent adjustments, including sending shipyard engineers to Chengjiang Port.

The fleet spotted by the submarine was undoubtedly the first Aviation Mixed Fleet.

The critical matter was why the first Aviation Mixed Fleet was rushing southwest at this time?

Clearly, there was only one reasonable explanation.

The Liangxia Navy concluded that the Permanent Fleet, commanded by Takano, would move southwest, and the Mobile Fleet might not receive replenishments in time, thereby daring to intercept them heading southwest.

Slowed down by two "Damen" class battleships, the Permanent Fleet simply could not increase its speed!

By the dawn of tomorrow, the first Aviation Mixed Fleet might catch up.

If those two carriers had already been replenished, each carrying dozens of ship-borne aircraft, they could definitely annihilate the Permanent Fleet within a day.

At the very least they could severely damage the Permanent Fleet.

Don’t forget, the Liangxia Navy’s third Aviation Mixed Fleet had already left Cizhou, and previously in the northeast of the Flame Sea, might have already begun heading southwest at full speed.

Moreover, there were four fast battleships that were very likely all with the first Aviation Mixed Fleet.

It could be seen that if caught up by the first Aviation Mixed Fleet, the Permanent Fleet would not be able to escape from the Flame Sea.

What would the Saiyi Navy have left if it lost the Permanent Fleet!?

The third piece of bad news came from the Army.

After much investigation, the headquarters had finally confirmed that the Liangxia Empire’s Imperial Guard Army had already moved to the northeast and had established a frontline headquarters.

Crucially, Admiral Situ Jingde had gone to the Ice Storm Peninsula.

According to the latest intelligence, all the forces deployed by the Liangxia Empire in the northern part of the Ice Storm Peninsula were from the elite Imperial Guard, including five armored cavalry divisions.

These five divisions constituted almost half of the Liangxia Empire’s Army armored forces!

The trouble was, because bets had been placed on the Allies, assuming the primary battlefield would be at sea, and because they could not reveal their strategic intentions to go to war prematurely or make a conspicuous mobilization, let alone war preparations, the Saiyi Army deployed on the Ice Storm Peninsula consisted entirely of infantry divisions.

Moreover, the total troop strength was less than one hundred thousand!

The stocked ammunition and other supplies could last only a few days at most.

Furthermore, it was winter now—the coldest time on the Ice Storm Peninsula, and many troops had not even entered defensive positions as required.

Who would want to spend the winter in a trench after twenty years of peace?

With such limited forces and such poor pre-war preparations, they could not hold out!

Even under the most optimistic estimates, lasting half a month would be a miracle.

Therefore, reinforcements would definitely need to be sent to the Ice Storm Peninsula.

Now, a problem arose.

Reinforcing the Ice Storm Peninsula would rely on sea transport, and to the southwest of the Ice Storm Peninsula, in the northeast direction of the Liangxia Empire, was the Xu Sea.

The Liangxia Empire’s Domestic Fleet was stationed there!

Although it had been struggling for over a decade and was no longer the fleet of old, the Domestic Fleet still had four main battle ships left, and even the secondary main battle ships, the heavy cruisers, numbered only four. However, on the side of the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom, all the main battle ships had gone with Takano to the Nanzhu Sea and East Ocean.

This meant that if the Domestic Fleet came over, the sea transport lines to the Ice Storm Peninsula would be doomed.

Thus, to reinforce, they would need to withdraw the fleet back.

For this, the Permanent Fleet had to return at full speed!

In fact, this was part of the combat plan. After retreating from Chengjiang Port following the raid, the Permanent Fleet returned to the homeland to support the Army’s operations on the Ice Storm Peninsula and protect the vital lifelines, restraining the Liangxia Navy’s Domestic Fleet and buying time for the Allies to prepare for war. Strictly speaking, initiating action on the Ice Storm Peninsula was also to restrain the Liangxia Empire, allowing the Allies to mobilize for war unhurriedly.

The situation now was that if they could not reinforce quickly, they would inevitably lose the Ice Storm Peninsula.

Clearly, this was unimaginable!

The last piece of bad news came from the intelligence agencies, but it was still related to the Navy.

Before nightfall, the Liangxia Navy’s Domestic Fleet had left Mast Harbor.

According to the latest news, the two Fast Battleships being tested in the Domestic Fleet had not returned to port after dark as usual.

The intelligence agencies inferred from this that the two new ships had been incorporated into the Combat Fleet.

This gave the Domestic Fleet six main battle ships.

Furthermore, accompanying the Domestic Fleet out of port was likely an entire division’s worth of Marines, also belonging to the Navy.

If this yet unconfirmed piece of intelligence was correct, then next, the Liangxia Navy was likely to launch a surprise attack on the North and South Sado Islands, with a focus on capturing the Watcher Strait to open up a passage from the Xu Sea into the East Ocean, thereby strategically enveloping the Saiyi Imperial Kingdom.

Even if they stepped back, the Domestic Fleet moving out to the East Ocean could still block the Permanent Fleet’s return route!

Now, what should be done?

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