The Rise of the Empire

Chapter 554: Far East Conspiracy One



"I have received instructions from the Cabinet. The Emperor and the Prime Minister agree that our navy can act cheaply and will provide us with cover. The Army and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also provide cooperation. We will give the Russians an illusion of peace and let them relax their vigilance. When their last fleet arrives in the Far East, we will launch a surprise attack and seize the dominance of the Far East in one fell swoop!" In a meeting room owned by a navy in Nagasaki Port, Heihachiro Togo, commander of the Japanese Joint Fleet, formally told his officials. Conveyed the authorization of the high-level, and this also means that the war has entered the countdown. The Japanese Navy's plan for ambushing the Russian fleet has entered the implementation stage.

"The Russian fleet will depart from the Baltic Sea in mid-April and enter the Far East in June. The British have stated that they will refuse the Russian fleet to pass through the Suez Canal, so the Russian fleet must detour through South Africa. The French and Germans will go to Russia. Provide port support. The last time the Russians could supply it was in Cam Ranh Bay, a French colony in Indochina. Here they will get coal and fresh water. But it may be difficult to completely maintain the warship." Ma Akiyama, who has become the first staff officer of the joint fleet It began to introduce the basic situation of the Russian fleet to everyone present.

"The commander of the Russian fleet is Lieutenant Admiral Makanov. He is one of the few active officers of the Russian Navy with outstanding capabilities and practical experience. This person should not be underestimated by us. The size of the entire Russian fleet is also very large. Huge, a total of 8 battleships, 4 light cruisers and 12 destroyers, in addition to various auxiliary ships 6. 4 of these battleships are the latest Borodino-class battleships, firepower and protection Similar to the Rurik 2 battleship, it is slower and has high combat effectiveness. In addition, there are two armored cruisers ordered from the United States, the latter can be regarded as a simplified version of the German Mainz-class armored cruiser, and its combat effectiveness is not Look down, there are two old battleships that are slightly obsolete in the end, and the threat is not great."

"If it is just such a fleet, we are 80% sure to defeat them. In June, our last battleship will be in place. We have 14 battleships, 4 of which are the most powerful of this era. Even the Royal Navy does not have such a huge warship. Not to mention that we have a huge number of auxiliary warships and destroyers. As long as the intelligence is correct, we will not fail if we can catch them.” The First Fleet on the side Commander Misu Sotaro said confidently.

"If this is only the case, our mental arithmetic and unintentional certainty is indeed very big. But we must pay attention to the existence of other forces in the Far East, and their actions are likely to make the Russians strengthen or realize our plan. This is The first battle that determines the nation’s fortune cannot be taken carelessly. The French are indifferent to this. They even hope that Russia will be defeated, and then refocus their attention on Europe to contain Germany. The British are our allies. In the Far East there is Germany. People and Americans, the former is not friendly to us, and the latter is our irreconcilable enemy!" Togo Heihachiro said slightly dissatisfied.

"Are the Germans? Their power is not enough to project to the Far East. The Imperial fleet is invincible in the Far East. As long as we clean up the Russians, the Germans will be next. As for the Americans, will they take action?" Yanzhicheng frowned slightly. Germany is not interested in the Far East. They value commercial interests more. Although they are not friendly with Japan, the possibility of directly participating in the war is almost zero. But the United States is different. The Americans have the motivation and energy to expand. More importantly, the Americans have just recently strengthened their Far East fleet, and now there are 5 battleships stationed in the Far East! This makes the Japanese very worried.

"Will the American fleet participate in this war?" Uemura Hikoyuki asked after a moment of thought.

"They will not directly participate in this war, but they will intervene in this war. According to the information we received, a large number of Russians appeared in the US Far East Fleet. Combining with the information we obtained in Europe, the United States will be in the war. Previously provided Russia with a batch of warships, the specific number is unknown. And these warships are likely to merge with Makanov's fleet and then go to the Far East together. In this case, the size of the enemy we need to face is not necessarily!"

"Now we need to face two main problems, one is the size of the Russian-US fleet after the confluence, and the other is how to deceive the Russian reconnaissance fleet. The former determines our ambush strategy, and the latter determines our ambush strategy. Will the Russians be fooled? Akiyama said.

"I suggest that we still discuss the second issue now. The first issue requires sufficient information to determine, but the second issue depends entirely on our decision. If we don’t go, we must fight it early. Come down, get ready early." Uemura Hikonojo, who has not spoken, said.

"It is naturally better to be in the Taiwan Strait or the Bashi Strait. This is the only way for the Russians to enter the East China Sea, and the sea area here is small, we can definitely block them." Misu Sotaro said.

"In that case, we need to deploy the fleet in the Philippines or Okinawa. Let alone whether these two places can support the supply and maintenance of nearly a hundred warships on and off our combined fleet ~ www.novelhall.com ~ simply concentrate the fleet. This will make the Russians wary. Makanov is not a mediocre person. I am worried that our intentions will be exposed." Akiyama said after thinking about it. Misu Sotaro chose the simplest method. It is naturally very laborious to find the Russian fleet in the South China Sea. It is more than 4 million square kilometers. If there is no aircraft, finding a fleet will not help finding a needle in a haystack.

But the problem is that the Japanese can think of the most favorable environment for them, and the Russians can also think of it. If Makanov finds out in advance, then the situation will develop in an unexpected direction. For example, Makanov will stay in Cam Ranh Bay. What can you do? With the gradual extension of the Trans-Siberian Railway, time is on the side of the Russians. The longer it is delayed, the more prepared the Russians will be. Therefore, Japan cannot afford it.

And a more important question is, what if the Russian fleet passes through the Taiwan Strait or the Bus Strait at night with a pinch? How long are these two straits? If the Russian fleet can travel at 15 knots, it can slip past in one night. What about the Japanese fleet? Go back and chase? Catch up? Where to chase? If the Russians are thorough and throw away the two old ships, then the Japanese will never catch up! If the Russian fleet arrives in Lushun and then clings together, the consequences will be disastrous!

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