Empire Conquest
Chapter 109 - 105: Plans Made in Advance

Chapter 109: Chapter 105: Plans Made in Advance

Flame Sea, the flagship of the Permanent Fleet "Damen."

Takano had waited until late at night, almost reaching the early hours of the 26th when Kuroshima finally arrived with the telegraph officer, bringing the newly received telegram.

As Takano had anticipated, they were to act according to the original plan.

Headquarters also sent the latest intelligence.

The Domestic Fleet had already mobilized, and there had been unusual movements from the Liangxia military forces near Ice Storm Peninsula, indicating a high probability of an imminent surprise attack.

However, as judged by the Military Command Department, the Liangxia Empire might not be in a hurry to open a ground battlefield.

Achieving victory at sea, that is, annihilating the Saiyi Navy, would be the precursor for the Liangxia Empire to cause trouble on land and ensure the capture of Ice Storm Peninsula in one fell swoop. Without securing naval dominance and cutting off the vitally important maritime shipping routes, they might likely find themselves mired in a battle of attrition on Ice Storm Peninsula.

If it turned into a war of attrition, even a victory would come at too great a cost.

After the conclusion of the last major war, Marshal Ma Zhongyi, the Commander-in-chief of the Liangxia Army, had to resign in disgrace due to the unfavorable campaign on Ice Storm Peninsula.

For a peninsula that becomes covered with ice and snow in the winter and has nothing but hard rock beneath the snow, a place so poor that even the Royal Family had no surplus food, would they sacrifice tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of soldiers? If the last major war was fought out of necessity, then this war must not repeat the same mistakes.

Exactly for this reason, the Military Command Department determined that the Liangxia military movements near Ice Storm Peninsula were all designed to force the Saiyi Navy to rapidly withdraw their Permanent Fleet.

Could they just stand by and do nothing?

The answer was clearly no!

The Military Command Department mentioned in the telegram that arrangements had been made for the shipborne air force. The Fifth Air Corps would replenish the Mobile Fleet with ship-borne aircraft, while the Third Air Corps would operate east of the Sado Islands, serving as an aircraft transfer hub to supply the Fifth Air Corps with ship-borne aircraft tomorrow.

If all went well, the ship-borne aircraft of the Fifth Air Corps should reach the Mobile Fleet by tomorrow morning.

By tomorrow afternoon at the latest, the ship-borne aircraft of the Third Air Corps would reach the Fifth Air Corps, and then the Third Air Corps would receive reinforcements by evening.

According to this schedule, the Permanent Fleet could return to East Ocean from Two-car Strait by tomorrow afternoon, under the cover of the Fifth Air Corps.

For this purpose, the Military Command Department specifically mentioned that the aircraft provided to the Fifth Air Corps by the Third Air Corps were mainly Zero Fighters.

However, what the Military Command Department did not mention,

was that after replenishing the Fifth Air Corps, the Saiyi Navy would have no more Zero Fighters; hence, the aircraft supplied to the Third Air Corps in the evening would all be 96 shipboard fighters.

Of course, this didn’t need to be stated outright, as Takano was intimately familiar with the Navy’s shipborne air force.

Moreover, the Third Air Corps would not head south but operate east of the Sado Islands, at most dispatching ship-borne aircraft to monitor Watcher Strait.

According to these plans, by tomorrow afternoon, when the Permanent Fleet transits through Two-car Strait, at least two Air Corps would have regained combat capability. The Mobile Fleet would recover some offensive capability, and the Fifth Air Corps remaining in East Ocean could provide substantial air defense coverage.

All these seemed so perfect.

Yet Takano’s expression remained extremely grim.

After sending the telegraph officer away, Kuroshima stepped back in.

"Commander..."

Takano must have anticipated Kuroshima’s return, as he pointed to the chair placed next to the cabin door. It was only after Kuroshima sat down that he picked up the telegram and walked over.

"Regardless, we haven’t been defeated yet, we still have a chance..."

"A chance to survive?"

Kuroshima was just about to stand up when Takano’s hand landed on his shoulder.

"Don’t you feel that all this has been planned?" While saying this, Takano handed the telegram to Kuroshima.

Although filled with doubts, or rather not immediately grasping Takano’s meaning, Kuroshima was clear that whatever Takano was referring to, it definitely was not a plan from the Military Command Department.

"In the early morning yesterday, when the Mobile Fleet launched the attack, all the main battle ships of the Southern Fleet were inside the port, except for the Special Mixed Fleet which didn’t enter the harbor. Do you think that’s a coincidence?" Takano didn’t wait for Kuroshima to speak and continued, "We already know that both Special Mixed Fleets are south of Foot Island. If they had returned with the Southern Fleet earlier, then unless it was arranged in advance, there’s no way they would be so far from Chengjiang Port!"

Kuroshima sighed, not knowing what to say.

Everyone knew that Vice Admiral Lan Yun, the commander of the first Air Corps and now the Fleet Commander of the Mobile Fleet, was known for his meticulousness.

But then, who knows that Takano, always regarded as a bold and reckless person, was in fact equally cautious when it came to his actions.

"Although the telegram didn’t mention this, but based on my estimation, the two carriers that left Cizhou are now active in the northern part of the Flame Sea. According to previous intelligence, after these carriers left Cizhou Port, they had met up with four heavy cruisers that the Domestic Fleet had dispatched a few days earlier. If I remember correctly, all four of these heavy cruisers underwent maintenance during the latter half of the year, two of which even went through a mid-term overhaul. The key point is, prior to this, all four heavy cruisers were specifically fitted with dozens of High-altitude Guns!"

"This... This might be a coincidence..."

"If it is, why would the Liangxia Navy bother with the two new Fast Battleships it’s building? Don’t forget, the Liangxia Navy has always used Fast Battleships to provide air cover for carriers. According to the plan, these two Fast Battleships were supposed to join the fleet next year. If there wasn’t a clear purpose, why would the Liangxia Navy waste resources to enhance four heavy cruisers? And don’t tell me those four heavy cruisers didn’t boost their anti-air firepower."

Kuroshima closed his mouth, knowing he had spoken too much.

"Furthermore, deploying five armored Cavalry Divisions, and preparing to open a front on the land battlefield, would this be a deployment made only after a formal declaration of war? That’s Ice Storm Peninsula we’re talking about. Let’s not even mention wartime logistics support—just getting those five divisions into position would take months, wouldn’t it?" Takano said with a wry smile, shaking his head before continuing, "The same goes for the Domestic Fleet. In a matter of a few short hours, dozens of warships completed all pre-war preparations. Without prior preparation, just restocking fuel and ammunition would take several days. Not to mention, getting officers and soldiers who are on leave back to duty would take at least forty-eight hours. Two days ago, there wasn’t the slightest sign!"

"And even if that’s the case, what can we do?"

"Exactly, what can we do?" Takano’s bitter smile grew more pronounced, a fleeting look of despair in his twinkling eyes.

"Commander..." Kuroshima was equally shocked.

Was this admiral, hesitating and controlled by the pessimism of defeat, really the same Takano known for his boldness and love for gambling?

"Go make arrangements, and proceed with the plan. If there’s nothing else, don’t disturb me."

"Major Tanimoto is due back before dawn, should I have him come over?"

"No need, I’ll go find him."

"Yes!"

Kuroshima didn’t say another word, especially since Takano had put it that way.

In fact, Kuroshima always knew that in Takano’s mind, his first staff officer wasn’t him but that major who was more than a decade his junior.

According to the rumors outside, Takano had always been grooming Tanimoto as his successor.

Kuroshima was very envious, sometimes even a bit jealous, but what could he do?

Youth is an irreplaceable asset, after all!