Leap, a stroke of genius that shakes the world Chapter 165 The Third Battle of Mariana (3146750). (Please remember our website) When he learned that the US military would deploy 75 of the first batch of 80 JU-490Bs to Saipan, Logan judged that the third Mariana Battle was too late. Far away, and as long as the Americans don't make stupid mistakes in this battle, they can completely establish their victory in the Pacific War. 0m As expected, the U.S. Army Air Forces organized the ju-490b purchased at a high price together with a large number of b-24s into four aviation wings, using German aviation bases deployed in the Far East to provide radio guidance to the main air bases in the east and south of the Japanese archipelago. Large-scale night bombings of industrial cities were carried out. Based on the flight distance from Saipan to Tokyo, a JU-490B can carry 3 tons of aerial bombs or incendiary bombs each time, and the B-24 can carry 1 ton each time. As long as the weather permits, the US military dispatches an average of 60 sorties a day. Later, Gradually increasing to more than 100 sorties, hundreds or even thousands of tons of bombs can be dropped on the heads of the Japanese every week, causing significant damage to Japan's main industrial areas and important cities, and also having a great impact on the psychology of the Japanese people. blow. Especially Tokyo, as the sacred imperial capital, suffered six air strikes from the US military in the month of May. Bombs and incendiary bombs frequently caused regional fires. The fighter jets and anti-aircraft guns responsible for local air defense operations were unable to conduct high-altitude flights at night against these. The target forms an efficient interception. In early June, the Japanese combined fleet, which had been resting on the mainland for more than a month, finally set sail for the battlefield again. The huge lineup included the heavy aircraft carriers "Kaga" and "Shokaku" that had completed emergency repairs and returned to combat order. During the Battle of the Western Atlantic, Chinese and Israeli carrier-based aircraft jointly sank two US aircraft carriers, the "Ryujo", "Unryu" and "Soryu". The attacking battle fleet consisted of the Yamato-class battleships, which currently rank first in tonnage and main gun caliber in the world. Two, two Nagato-class battleships, two Ise-class battleships, two Fuso-class battleships, and four Kongo-class fast battleships. All 12 battleships built and put into service by Japan in the 29 years from 1913 to 1942 are gathered here. The Pacific War has been fought for nearly two years. Their intactness illustrates Japan's relative advantage in the early stages of the war on the one hand, and on the other hand It also shows that the title of king of naval battles has been transferred from battleships to aircraft carriers. As before, not all 12 battleships were included in the front-line combat force. The slower Ise-class, Nagato-class and Fuso-class were included in the second team. Yamato and Kongo were the first team to take on the main attack mission, while All five aircraft carriers have been integrated into the aviation fleet - although the carrier-based aircraft carried by each ship have reached full strength, more than half of the pilots are newly transferred from the reserve personnel, and they have each undergone dozens of hours of training. Flight training is fairly qualified in terms of basic operational skills, but there is still a big gap compared with veteran pilots who have flown for hundreds of hours and participated in many actual combats. The senior generals of the Combined Fleet knew this very well, but no one raised it as a reason for postponing the expedition in any meeting. After leaving Naha Naval Base, the Japanese combined fleet consisting of 77 ships quietly disappeared into the vast sea. However, only 7 hours later, the German fw202 long-range reconnaissance aircraft equipped with high-precision aerial camera equipment flew from an altitude of 14,000 meters. Skimming this important harbor behind the four traditional naval bases. Except for those ports as far away as the Philippines, this is the southernmost official naval base in Japan. However, despite all the efforts, it still cannot escape the "evil eyes" of the Germans. The Japanese Navy is gnashing its teeth from top to bottom - but the technical gap is obvious. There, what's the point of grabbing the ground with your head or even having a disembowelment in anger? After receiving the news that the Japanese Combined Fleet was sailing, the U.S. Navy and Army officers and soldiers stationed in the Mariana Islands immediately entered a state of high alert, and the task force that returned to Pearl Harbor for rest also quickly rushed to the waters of Saipan. However, the distance from Hawaii to the Mariana Islands is more than twice that from the Japanese Islands. Although the Combined Fleet was wary of U.S. submarines during the voyage, it ultimately launched an attack on Saipan before the arrival of the U.S. task force. attack. According to the plan of the Japanese base camp, due to the limited number of carrier-based aircraft, the combined fleet will provide fire support with naval guns this time. The 12,000 army and marine troops who will attack with the fleet will conduct landing operations, striving to win the battle within two days. Saipan's main airport, a special fleet consisting of nine escort aircraft carriers and seaplane carriers will transport 180 Zero fighter jets to build and consolidate Saipan's air defense circle. When the main force of the U.S. Pacific Fleet arrives from Hawaii, the combined fleet will use carrier-based aircraft and land-based aircraft to cover it and reverse the tide of the war in the Pacific through a fleet battle. If German reconnaissance planes had not discovered traces of the Japanese combined fleet that day, if there had not been an efficient German-American joint staff, and if Nimitz had hesitated a little longer, maybe the Japanese navy and army would have had hope of winning this gamble. After all, 1.2 It is entirely possible for ten thousand fanatical Japanese soldiers, supported by large-caliber naval guns and carrier-based aircraft, to defeat an equal number of American defenders. Of course, suchThe rate is so low that we must seek help from Amaterasu for protection. June 9, 1943, was a decisive day in the Pacific War. When 122 Japanese Navy carrier-based aircraft flew at ultra-low altitudes, thinking they could avoid US military radar warnings, and rushed to Saipan, more than 240 "Pirates", "Thunderbolts", "Lightnings" and FW190 "Mojas" "The interceptor group has been assembled in the west of Saipan, and the JU-490B originally deployed on Saipan has been transferred to Wake Island or the German-controlled Marshall Islands in advance. Most of the B-17 and B-24 It was transferred to Guam, and the part that remained in Saipan was also transferred to the airport in the east of the island and covered with camouflage nets. The air defense forces around each airport were also on standby. Although the first wave of Japanese carrier-based aircraft that attacked were dominated by the famous Zero fighters, the era of dominating the skies over the Pacific in 1941 is long gone. Whether it is the newly commissioned "Pirate", the classic "Lightning", or the "Moxa" that has traveled across the ocean, they can all defeat Zero Fighter in a peer-to-peer situation. As the heaviest fighter of this era, The heavy armor of the "Thunder" made Japanese pilots helpless. On this day, known as "Mariana Turkey Hunting Day" by US military pilots, the Japanese naval aviation, which intended to gain relative air superiority, shot down more than 160 carrier-based aircraft of various types, losing its last breath of vitality. Of course, there are still a considerable number of German volunteers among the hunters. Together with various weapons made in Germany, they have made great contributions to the United States' Pacific War cause. The spirit of internationalism has been vividly reflected in them, so that The two countries have gradually formed a delicate relationship that is neither enemy nor friend, with competition and cooperation coexisting. Although the aviation operation suffered a complete failure, the combined fleet commanded by Koga Mineichi not only did not retreat, but continued to sail towards Saipan, intending to bombard the shore with naval guns after dark, while covering the destroyers and high-speed The army and navy combat troops from the transport ship landed on the beach. Starting at 2 o'clock in the afternoon, the US bombers staying on Saipan and the fighter jets carrying bombs began to attack the Japanese fleet in turn. The fierce sea and air battle was unprecedented and unprecedented. Although the B-17's horizontal bombing accuracy against sea targets is very limited, and the fighter jets can only carry aerial bombs within 500 kilograms, and the Japanese Combined Fleet's first team, which maintains a tight formation, has strong anti-aircraft firepower, but in In this crucial battle, the U.S. military pilots and the German volunteers who flew in the battle fully demonstrated their fighting will. The combat aircraft groups took turns bombing Japanese ships at all costs, and the U.S. aviation forces as far away as Guam also heard the news. Come. Until dark, the US military land-based combat aircraft dispatched more than 800 sorties and dropped more than 2,000 bombs, causing seven sinkings and nine damage to the Japanese fleet consisting of six battleships, four cruisers and ten destroyers. The "Musashi" hull was filled with thick smoke. The "Kongo", which was considered to have outstanding merits in the old Imperial Japanese Navy, was buried in the belly of the fish. The "Hiei" was seriously injured and returned to the sea. On the way, it was attacked by US bombers and capsized. After nightfall, the "indiscriminate air supremacy" planned by the Japanese did not arrive as expected. With the guidance of flares, US military fighter planes taking off from various airports in Saipan and Guam still attacked the intruders like swarms. Although the bombs were The hit rate was much lower, but it still hit the four remaining battleships of the first battle group one after another. The front and rear decks of the flagship "Yamato" were all engulfed in a sea of ??flames, which were later brought under control after the sailors fought hard to save them. Forty percent of the anti-aircraft artillery on the "Musashi" ship was damaged, and some could not be used normally. This also paved the way for its destruction on the way back. Facing the bombing by US fighter planes, the Japanese fleet began shelling targets in the west of Saipan at 10 o'clock that night. At 1 o'clock in the morning, the second battle group and the first landing fleet arrived in the waters of Saipan. Six ships were included in the alert force. Three battleships participated in the bombardment, and the landing ships transported more than 8,000 Japanese soldiers to land within 4 hours. This is quite impressive data for the Japanese navy. You must know that in the Philippine Campaign, the number of Japanese soldiers transported ashore in the same time was The Japanese soldiers had only half the number. Unfortunately, Amaterasu did not tell its people that the US military stationed a battalion of tanks on Saipan. Even if Germany did not sell the Panzer V tanks to the United States, and even if the Americans did not transport the Panzer V tanks thousands of miles to Saipan, the US armored forces with Stuart, Sherman and Grant alone would be enough to survive in the subsequent battles. Ruthlessly hunt down the Japanese landing troops. The follow-up activity of the "Mariana Turkey Hunting Festival" was to hunt "hares" to their heart's content. The farce-like landing operation only lasted one day. Most of the 12,000 Japanese soldiers were "crushed" in glory, and the remaining soldiers were killed. With no hope of backup, they had no choice but to hide in the mountains. In the next few days, sporadic gunshots could be heard almost everywhere on the entire island. Because even if the crew is sent ashore, the training they receive on weekdays is not enough to complete the land battle that the army soldiers have failed to complete. Koga Mineichi finally ordered a retreat, but at this timeIt was already dawn, and his fleet would be within the effective combat radius of US military aircraft for a long time. The five aircraft carriers waiting for reinforcements in the rear had less than forty aircraft left, of which only nine survived zero battles. In this battle, the Japanese Navy's decades of accumulation were wiped out, and the remaining ships were no longer able to launch offensives on the Pacific battlefield. The subsequent war returned to the route that Logan was familiar with, and the Japanese base camp also launched their warships in a timely manner. Outline of the decisive battle on the mainland: Make full use of the favorable terrain conditions of Japan's mainland to mobilize 100 million citizens who are loyal to the Empire and have the spirit of Yamato to cooperate with the army; use the remaining navy and air force to conduct special offensive operations and strive to eliminate the landing enemy forces at sea; ground forces Concentrate on important areas of the homeland, conduct deep deployments, and launch continuous counterattacks against landing enemy troops to determine the outcome of the war in one fell swoop.