Chapter 537: Myanmar Sea Naval Battle (1)

After occupying Yangon, the intelligence department of the st Division had already mobilized.

A large amount of documents was sent over, and the intelligence staff are analyzing the Japanese Army's next plan and whether the Japanese Army in Yangon has actually requested reinforcement support.

Soon, several important folders were delivered into Jiang Anguo's hands.

Moreover, Xiao Si also received a telegram from Lashu.

"Young Master, Deputy Division Commander Lin from Lashu sent a telegram that seems to say some Japanese warship is coming," Xiao Si glanced at it briefly, then immediately ran over and handed it to Jiang Anguo.

Jiang Anguo read it in three glances, "Indeed it's a Japanese fleet, the South‑Qian fleet; whatever kind of fleet it is, it shouldn't have the strength of the Combined Fleet."

In truth Jiang Anguo was uncertain; logically, the Japanese Army had just gone through the Midway naval battle, so they would have concentrated all warships, meaning the main fleet was in the Pacific Ocean, targeting the American Army.

And the combat power of the fleet in Southeast Asia shouldn't be very strong, I guess.

"Xiao Si, you must immediately notify the Engineer Battalion, rush to Yangon Airport, and also send me a telegram to Division Commander Dai Anlan of the 200th Division, asking the 200th Division to assist the Engineer Battalion in repairing Yangon Airport," Jiang Anguo ordered Xiao Si at once.

Xiao Si's expression changed, "Yes, Division Commander!"

Intelligence Section Chief Jiang Lishu hurriedly handed the intelligence to Jiang Anguo, "Commander, Iida Shojiro, before leaving Yangon, sent a request‑for‑aid telegram to Singapore; from Singapore, Koizumi Jiro was ordered to lead the South‑Qian fleet to support Yangon. At the same time, the rd Division was ordered to move south to assist Yangon."

Jiang Anguo nodded, "Understood!"

"Didn't expect we'd have a naval battle with the Little Devil so soon; send a telegram to Song Yunfei of Dongzhi, have him launch all Reconnaissance Planes in a fan formation 200 nautical miles south of Yangon for training, and report immediately if they spot a Japanese fleet," Jiang Anguo said.

"Yes, Commander." The communications officer turned and left.

There were several communications officers around Jiang Anguo; after all, this was a command post.

"Can you find out the strength of the South‑Qian fleet and the number of warships?" Jiang Anguo asked.

Jiang Lishu shook his head, "Commander, that will take time; we can interrogate captured Japanese Army POWs."

At the mention of prisoners, Jiang Anguo thought of someone, "Alright, go ask Takeuchi Kan; he'll certainly know about the South‑Qian fleet."

A hint of grim ruthlessness flashed in Jiang Lishu's eyes; perhaps intelligence officers all have a certain ferocity.

"Yes, Commander!" Jiang Lishu immediately led men to 'friendly' questioning of Takeuchi Kan.

Takeuchi Kan was pampered and indulgent; he couldn't withstand Jiang Lishu's ten tortures—just a single bamboo skewer was already enough to break him.

He immediately and honestly disclosed the information on the South‑Qian fleet.

The South‑Qian fleet's strength was mediocre; from the start of its Southeast Asia offensive it even had an Aircraft Carrier, but later, due to Pacific operational needs, that carrier was also reassigned.

It only had two seaplane carriers; these carriers were not only slow but also carried only a few seaplane reconnaissance aircraft.

It had six heavy cruisers, and now only one remains in the Southeast Asia sector—the Chōkai, commanded by Koizumi Jiro.

"Interesting!" Jiang Anguo said, looking at the intelligence.

"So, the Japanese fleet supporting Yangon this time consists of just one heavy cruiser and several destroyers," Jiang Anguo analyzed.

Jiang Lishu nodded, "Yes, Commander! If that old Japanese prisoner Takeuchi Kan didn't lie, the Japanese fleet's numbers wouldn't change much."

"Koizumi Jiro!" Jiang Anguo muttered to himself.

In fact, he knew a bit about this person—the famous Mariana turkey hunter.

Of course, by 1944, at this point, Nagumo Chuichi had already stepped down as Combined Fleet commander, and the Japanese had few Aircraft Carriers left.

Whether you want to fight or not, the Americans already held the initiative and possessed absolute strength.

Koizumi Jiro taking over the Combined Fleet in this situation was undoubtedly becoming a scapegoat.

No one could deny Koizumi Jiro's military talent; his carrier combat theory was unrivaled in the Japanese Navy, and his strategic insight and tactical skill far surpassed many contemporaries.

Yet even so, major operations like the Pearl Harbor raid never fell to him.

The Japanese Navy followed seniority; even after Yamamoto Isoroku died, it wasn't his turn, and after Nagumo Chuichi's suicide, it still wasn't his.

In the Mariana battle, he was merely a fleet commander; the Combined Fleet commander was Toyoda Hiyoshi.

After that, he finally became the true Combined Fleet commander, but at this moment...

Even with Koizumi Jiro's extensive carrier warfare theory, against absolute firepower everything was futile.

Now, in July 1942, Koizumi Jiro was a marginal figure; being unimportant, he naturally couldn't take part in major naval battles, whether Pearl Harbor or Midway, and he earned no combat record.

The tension of the war forced the Japanese Navy to patch one side while tearing down the other.

Under Koizumi Jiro, the South‑Qian fleet originally had six heavy cruisers, a respectable strength.

But now, to support the main Pacific theater, five of them were urgently reassigned, leaving only one heavy cruiser.

Its flagship, Chōkai, stood alone, propping up the South‑Qian fleet's façade.

This time, ordered to rescue Yangon, Koizumi Jiro was willing but powerless.

Besides personally commanding the Chōkai heavy cruiser, he could only muster six destroyers to accompany; it wasn't that he refused more troops, but the Japanese Navy was stretched thin and had no extra ships to allocate.

Jiang Anguo stroked his chin, noting that the reward for taking Yangon this time was unusually generous.

After all, in this battle the Expeditionary Force not only bombed the Japanese 15th Army commander Iida Shojiro to death but also successfully captured the Fifty-five Division commander Takeuchi Kan; the achievement was outstanding, and the commendation was well deserved.

List: 1 Iowa-class battleship, 3 Fletcher destroyers, 6 Type XXI submarines, 1 50,000‑ton dry‑dock class, 50 B‑29 bombers, 60 M26 Pershing tanks, 80 TBF torpedo bomber sorties, 80 P‑51 Mustang fighters, a full set of weapons and equipment for two 1942 United States infantry divisions, an increase of 5,000 troops, and a population of 500,000.

Among them, the most eye‑catching was the Iowa‑class battleship, the United States Navy's flagship battleship, whose overall capability was among the best of its time.

The Iowa‑class battleship was the most powerful first‑rate battleship built by the United States, and its core specifications were stunning.

The ship measured 270.4 m in length and 33 m in beam; its hull width was specially optimized for Panama Canal passage, giving a length‑to‑beam ratio of 8.2, making it the longest battleship of World II.

Standard displacement tons, full load displacement up to tons, the hull employed a flat‑deck design, with well‑connected superstructures, a low center of gravity, and excellent seakeeping stability.

The propulsion system featured eight heavy‑oil boilers and four turbine sets, a four‑shaft twin‑rudder layout, and a total output of horsepower.

Maximum speed reached 33 knots, fuel capacity 8,765 tons, and at 17 knots cruising range was nautical miles, making it ideal for blue‑water operations.

In terms of protection, the ship boasted extremely strong armor: 222 mm horizontal deck armor, 432 mm frontal main‑turret armor, 445 mm frontal conning‑tower armor, 307 mm side belt armor with an additional 22 mm inner plate, the side armor sloped inward 19°, giving overall protection equivalent to 439 mm of vertical steel armor, and a triple‑hull bottom design effective against torpedoes.

The armament comprised three triple‑turret 406 mm guns (50‑caliber), with a maximum range of 42 km, a rate of fire of 2 rounds per minute, and power enough to pierce heavy battleship armor.

The secondary battery consisted of ten twin‑mount 127 mm guns (38‑caliber), suitable for both surface and anti‑aircraft fire.

Additionally it carried fifteen quadruple 40 mm autocannons and sixty 20 mm guns, forming a dense anti‑aircraft defense system.

The ship's complement was about 1,851, expandable to 2,700 in wartime; with its formidable firepower, excellent protection, and high speed, it became one of the most deterrent battleships of World II.