Empire Conquest
Chapter 445 - 441: Ambitious Aspirations

Chapter 445: Chapter 441: Ambitious Aspirations

January 24, Falkland Islands.

As dawn broke, a booming sound traveling from afar broke the silence, startling a flock of Arctic Terns that had migrated here for the winter.

A giant steel bird flew over the bay and, after circling at a reduced altitude for several rounds, reluctantly flew away, soon disappearing into the dense morning fog.

It was a reconnaissance aircraft from the Royal Bulan Navy.

About half an hour later, the bay was rippled with waves.

A Tiaoman submarine, its entire body painted in deep gray, surfaced, picked up a few frogmen hiding on the shore, and then submerged back into the ocean.

Moments later, the bay returned to calm.

However, the outside world was anything but calm.

Onboard the "Radiant."

More than ten minutes ago, after receiving the final report from a reconnaissance aircraft, Cunningham had admitted that his fears had become reality.

Two days ago, the "Prime Minister" had deliberately revealed its location to lure the Expeditionary Fleet into appearing.

A trap specifically set for the Expeditionary Fleet!

The more than ten ship-borne reconnaissance aircraft dispatched by the Expeditionary Fleet had thoroughly searched the Falkland Islands, all the deep-water bays, and found neither the "Prime Minister" nor any other Tiaoman warships. They didn’t even find signs that Tiaoman warships had been there, such as leaked oil.

Even if the "Prime Minister" was in the South Sunset Ocean, it definitely hadn’t gone to the Falkland Islands.

Fortunately, Cunningham had anticipated this situation and had prepared accordingly.

Now the problem was that the location of the Expeditionary Fleet had been exposed.

The Tiaoman Navy deliberately releasing information that the "Prime Minister" had gone to the South Sunset Ocean was no random shot in the dark but targeted at the Expeditionary Fleet.

Somewhere in a bay of the Falkland Islands, there were Tiaoman Empire intelligence personnel or perhaps a submarine.

Either way, after spotting the reconnaissance aircraft, the Tiaoman Navy could be sure that the Expeditionary Fleet was nearby, at most a few hundred kilometers away.

There was also reason to believe that it was not the Tiaoman Navy but the Liangxia Navy who wanted to find the Expeditionary Fleet.

Since the "Prime Minister" could only turn to the Liangxia Empire, even if it posed a significant risk, the Tiaoman Navy had no choice but to follow the commands of the Liangxia Navy.

So, why did the Liangxia Navy assume that the Expeditionary Fleet was in the South Sunset Ocean?

Considering this question, Cunningham couldn’t help but admire Bai Zhizhan. By his estimation, it must have been Bai Zhizhan who deduced the whereabouts of the Expeditionary Fleet.

As for the primary forces of the Land Heart Sea Fleet, namely the 2 "Radiant" class carriers and 2 "Reputation" class battlecruisers, it wouldn’t have been difficult to deduce that they had attacked Taranto and then entered the Sunset Ocean via the Strait of Nara, heading south from Far View Cape into the Fan Flame Ocean.

These four main ships hadn’t appeared for more than ten days; it would have been strange not to be suspicious.

The key question was, was it worth risking the "Prime Minister"?

If it was merely a guess that the Expeditionary Fleet had gone to the South Sunset Ocean while Bai Zhizhan’s Liangxia Fleet was in Lion Spring City providing support for a landing operation, there was no reason to risk the "Prime Minister," especially as the Liangxia Navy couldn’t dispatch a fleet to rendezvous with the "Prime Minister" anytime soon.

Unless Bai Zhizhan had already brought the Special Mixed Fleet over!

This was precisely what Cunningham feared most.

There had already been related intelligence that Bai Zhizhan’s commanded Liangxia Fleet might have entered the Fan Flame Ocean as early as the night of the 19th. In theory, it would only take 6 days, arriving in the southwestern Fan Flame Ocean on the night of the 25th, potentially engaging the Expeditionary Fleet in combat on the morning of the 26th.

Here lay the problem.

If the Expeditionary Fleet turned toward the Falkland Islands and attacked the concealed Tiaoman Fleet there, entering the Fan Flame Ocean would be delayed by at least one day.

Even if everything went smoothly, it would be a matter for the 26th.

Is this a coincidence?

Cunningham clearly didn’t believe so.

When he had decided to execute the orders issued by the Royal Navy headquarter, Cunningham had foreseen these developments and had made arrangements accordingly.

The Expeditionary Fleet did not turn towards the Falkland Islands but merely adjusted its course without heading directly towards Far View Cape. The SBDs flying to the Falkland Islands on reconnaissance missions had enough range to fly over 2000 kilometers, so there was no issue with them not being able to return.

As for the possibility of the reconnaissance aircraft locating the Tiaoman Fleet, Cunningham had a plan for that as well.

The Expeditionary Fleet wasn’t the only one heading to the Fan Flame Ocean, there was also a task fleet sent by the Newland Navy.

The Special Mixed Fleet No. 61, led by "Fenjin," encountered bad weather at the Joint angle and was delayed quite a bit, trailing behind the Expeditionary Fleet by about 600 kilometers.

Predictably, "Fenjin" was about 400 kilometers northeast of the Falkland Islands at that time.

Following Cunningham’s arrangement, upon finding the Tiaoman Fleet, they would contact Spur on "Fenjin" to launch ship-borne aircraft for an attack.

The Tiaoman Fleet lacked a carrier and definitely couldn’t withstand the strike launched by "Fenjin."

There was no need to sink them; heavily damaging the "Tiaoman" was enough.

Since the Tiaoman Fleet was not found, Cunningham did not contact Spur.

The Expeditionary Fleet did not divert towards the Falkland Islands, saving a lot of time. It at least allowed the fleet to enter the Fan Flame Ocean from the south of Far View Cape at least 12 hours ahead.

These 12 hours would certainly be significant.

The critical point would be after entering the Fan Flame Ocean.

If Bai Zhizhan led the Special Mixed Fleet over, he would definitely be on the east side of the Far View Cape and would initiate an attack as the Expeditionary Fleet traveled eastward.

Since the Expeditionary Fleet arrived 12 hours early, they would enter the Fan Flame Ocean on the night of the 25th, so Bai Zhizhan wouldn’t have the opportunity until the morning of the 26th.

Capturing this opportunity, the Expeditionary Fleet could travel hundreds of kilometers eastward overnight.

Moreover, the Special Mixed Fleet No. 61, commanded by Spur, would enter the Fan Flame Ocean on the morning of the 26th.

At that time, Bai Zhizhan would face a dilemma.

Attack the Expeditionary Fleet or confront the Special Mixed Fleet No. 61?

If he were smart enough, he would choose to retreat.

Of course, if he wasn’t smart enough, in attacking the Expeditionary Fleet, he might be caught off guard by the approaching Special Mixed Fleet No. 61.

If it were the third scenario, the Expeditionary Fleet slipped through, and by the afternoon of the 26th, per the plan, attacking the Special Mixed Fleet No. 61 upon its entry into the Fan Flame Ocean, would certainly result in being ambushed by the Expeditionary Fleet, or even potentially hit while preparing for the attack.

This was exactly Cunningham’s calculation.

Because Bai Zhizhan might not expect the Expeditionary Fleet to skip the Falkland Islands, he would more likely stick to the original plan and engage in battle in the early morning of the 26th.

At that time, the first to be attacked wouldn’t be the Expeditionary Fleet but the Special Mixed Fleet No. 61.

According to Cunningham’s deduction, he could very well emerge as the top winner of this naval battle!

As long as he could defeat the Liangxia Fleet and continue to control the naval dominance of the Fan Flame Ocean, Cunningham did not care at all what would happen to the Special Mixed Fleet No. 61.

But for now, increasing the speed of travel was necessary.

In any case, the Expeditionary Fleet had already reached the southwest maritime area of Far View Cape, and in about ten hours, it WOULD cross that nonexistent boundary line and enter the Fan Flame Ocean.

As for terminology, Cunningham preferred the traditional names, the Atlantic and the Indian Oceans.

If they hadn’t been defeated by the Liangxia Navy in the past, they wouldn’t have been compelled to adopt the naming system of the Liangxia Empire.

After winning this naval battle, or at least by the end of this great war, the Bulan Kingdom would be able to rightfully abolish the existing international naming system, naming all global seas and islands according to Western traditions and culture, and using names in the Bulan language, no less!

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