Chapter 588: Southeast Asian Sea Battle (2)

The boundless sea, no one can guarantee that the Japanese will definitely appear near the Liao nei qundao.

What if the Little Devil shows up elsewhere!

Jiang Anguo still harbored some concerns; he feared the Japanese Army might bypass through the Java Sea and flank the Nanko fleet.

After a moment of thought, he ordered again: "Send a telegram to Jiang Qing, instructing him to lead the second Aircraft Carrier fleet, conceal near the Danmeilan Islands, and form a cornered stance with Jiang Zhiyuan's Pacific Fleet; once the Japanese Army is spotted coming from the Java Sea, launch an immediate attack to tie down their forces!"

The fleet's aircraft carriers remain Essex-class carriers, which Nanko calls the Wei Guo-class carriers.

The sister ship is the 'Qi Hang' and the carrier is named 'Qi Ming'; the Qi Ming carrier's commander is Jiang Qing.

This was also thanks to Zhou Haitong's occupation of Manggu, which earned Jiang Anguo the reward for capturing Manggu.

Reward list: 1 Essex-class aircraft carrier, 3 Fletcher destroyers, 6 Type XXI submarines, 1 100,000‑ton drydock‑class, 50 B‑29 bombers, 60 Pan Xing M26 tanks, 80 F4U carrier‑based fighters, 80 TBF torpedo bombers, 80 P‑51 Mustang fighters, a full set of weapons for two 1942 United States infantry divisions, troop organization increased, population 500,000.

Although Manggu is far larger in area than Singapore, the rewards given are considerably fewer.

One can clearly feel the importance of Singapore's geographic position.

Otherwise, Jiang Anguo would not have personally stationed himself in Singapore.

But Jiang Anguo's troop organization was expanded, and he did not hesitate at all, immediately placing the fleet in Singapore's harbor.

The communications soldier swiftly relayed the order, and shortly after, Jiang Qing's reply arrived: "Commander Jiang, rest assured, my unit has set out at once, concealed near the Danmeilan Islands, standing by at all times, and will not give the Japanese any opportunity!"

Jiang Anguo read the telegram, finally exhaled a sigh of relief, and said to his adjutant: "Now, no matter which direction the Japanese come from, we can respond calmly."

At this moment, Jiang Zhiyuan's fleet had already arrived early near Ananbasu Island, and the soldiers each performed their duties, preparing ambushes with tense yet orderly readiness.

Carrier‑borne aircraft on the flight deck were ready to launch, destroyers concealed around the island, and radar continuously monitored the sea's movements.

"Sir, all preparations are complete; radar has not detected any Japanese trace," the staff reported.

Jiang Zhiyuan nodded: "Continue monitoring, keep a close eye on Japanese movements; once a target is spotted, report immediately, and obey my order to launch an attack!"

Near the Danmeilan Islands, Jiang Qing's second aircraft carrier fleet had also taken concealed positions.

Jiang Qing stood in the command cabin, instructing his subordinates: "Our mission is to tie down the Japanese; once they come from the Java Sea, do not rush to attack—first conceal and observe, await Commander Jiang Zhiyuan's signal, then execute a pincer attack to utterly crush the Japanese!"

"Yes, sir!" the subordinate replied.

At this time, Li Tian Jiannan was leading the Quinary fleet at full speed; he still did not believe Nanko possessed aircraft carriers, and continuously ordered carrier aircraft to take off for patrol, staying alert to surrounding movements.

"Lieutenant General, no abnormalities have been detected so far; the fleet is operating normally," the staff reported.

Li Tian Jiannan sneered: "I told you, Nanko has no carriers at all; those reports are merely bluster! Send the order, increase speed, reach the Thai waters soon, and annihilate the Nanko fleet!"

On the sea surface, Nanko's two carrier fleets stood in strict formation, forming a cornered stance like two invisible massive nets, awaiting the Japanese Quinary fleet to walk into the trap.

Jiang Anguo, in the Singapore command center, still stared at the sea chart, silently thinking: Li Tian Jiannan, this time, I will give you no return!

One hundred nautical miles east of the Liao nei qundao, the Japanese Quinary fleet was racing at full speed across the sea.

On the decks of the carriers "Akagi" and "Kaga", the reconnaissance planes that had just completed patrols were being slowly recovered.

Mechanics busily serviced the warplanes and refueled them; the whole fleet appeared orderly, yet a tense undercurrent lingered.

Li Tian Jiannan stood in the Akagi's command cabin, hands clasped behind his back, eyes fixed on the endless sea ahead, his tone tinged with impatience: "Send the order, increase speed, be sure to reach the Thai waters as soon as possible, and don't let Nanko's bluster delay the journey."

"Hey!"

The staff answered, about to turn and relay the order, when a rapid shout from an observer on the deck pierced the command cabin's glass, sounding a bit frantic: "Reconnaissance plane! Chinese reconnaissance plane!"

Li Tian Jiannan snapped his head around, hurried to the porthole, and looked in the direction the observer indicated.

Several observers were holding binoculars, staring intently at the sky; one of them shouted into the communicator: "Southeast! Very high altitude, extremely fast speed, it's a Nanko reconnaissance plane!"

Li Tian Jiannan clenched his fist, his tone icy: "Baka! How could it be spotted so quickly? Anti‑aircraft machine gun, shoot it down!"

The anti‑aircraft machine gunner on deck immediately took position, adjusted his angle, and raked the Nanko reconnaissance plane in the sky with frantic fire.

"Rat‑tat‑tat—rat‑tat—" the rapid gunfire ripped the sea's calm, but the Nanko reconnaissance plane flew at such altitude that the bullets whistled beneath its hull, unable to hit it.

"Sir, it won't work! The target is too high; the anti‑aircraft gun can't reach it!" the gunner sergeant shouted.

Li Tian Jiannan's face grew darker, and he barked into the communicator: "Launch the carrier aircraft immediately! Ascend to intercept and be sure to shoot down that reconnaissance plane; we must not let it transmit our position!"

"Hey!" the subordinate responded and acted.

But at that moment, the previously recovered reconnaissance plane had just landed, and the transport aircraft carrying ammunition was only slowly descending onto the deck; it had not yet taxied to its designated spot, so the carrier aircraft could not take off quickly, and the deck fell into chaos.

"Lieutenant General, the Chinese carrier is right near the Liao nei qundao!" the staff pointed to the battle map and said.

Li Tian Jiannan also hurried to the sea chart, exclaiming, "Yo—! Since the prey has come to the door, I won't be polite!"

Even now, Li Tian Jiannan still does not take the Nanko fleet seriously.

To the Japanese, Nanko and China are the same, because both are Chinese.

The pilot of the Nanko reconnaissance plane in the sky keenly sensed the Japanese fleet's disorder.

He immediately turned the aircraft's nose; if he didn't run now there'd be no chance— the Little Devil's Zero is far faster than his own reconnaissance plane.

While maintaining high‑altitude flight, he quickly activated the radio to transmit the Japanese fleet's precise location

one hundred nautical miles east of the Liao nei qundao, synchronously sending it to all parties.

The radio waves pierced the clouds, clearly reaching the flagship of Jiang Zhiyuan's Nanhua Pacific Fleet, Jiang Qing's second carrier fleet, and Jiang Anguo's temporary command center in Singapore.