Volume 2: War breaks out Chapter 4: Task Force (Part 2)
The three were taken directly to the large cruiser "Li Jing".
This is the new flagship of the Fifth Task Force, and its official model is a large anti-aircraft cruiser.
The ship's full load displacement reaches 17,500 tons, and a space for the fleet headquarters was reserved during its design, so the command conditions have been greatly improved.
Of course, the easiest way to identify the flagship is to just look at the number of antennas on the mast.
Originally, the "Li Jing" was designed according to the standards of a heavy cruiser.
After the Songjiang Armaments Treaty came into effect, the naval warships of the major powers were no longer restricted by the treaty . However, during the treaty period, the technological development of various countries had made the performance of old warships and "treaty" warships unable to meet the new war needs.
Therefore, two years before the treaty came into effect, several major naval powers began developing new warships.
The position of heavy cruisers in the navy cannot be replaced by other warships. Therefore, the development of heavy cruisers has become a focus.
The empire took out the "Li Jing" class heavy cruiser.
In order to be able to deal with similar warships of other powers, the "Li Jing" was designed to be equipped with 300mm main guns, and the armor defense requirements on the battleship were completely based on the standards of battlecruisers.
At that time, the Imperial Navy had just developed a high-power power system, so when the battleship was designed, its displacement was directly set at around 15,000 tons, which was nearly 60% heavier than previous heavy cruisers.
However, just as the "Li Jing" began to be installed, the Fifth Fleet proved the main direction of future naval battles, and at that time the Imperial Navy was extremely short of warships with air defense as its main mission.
The design of "Li Jing" changed at this time.
Its 300mm main gun was cancelled and replaced with a much less powerful 240mm main gun, and then dozens of anti-aircraft guns were installed.
In addition, the armor on some non-important parts of the battleship was also removed.
As a result, its standard displacement was reduced to 14,000 tons.
While the power of the "Li Jing"'s main guns was greatly reduced, its anti-aircraft firepower almost surpassed any warship of the Imperial Navy.
Perhaps, the "Li Jing", which has been converted into an anti-aircraft warship, cannot defeat the large (heavy) cruisers of the same type of other powers, but in terms of air defense operations, the "Li Jing" is definitely the best in the world.
Of course, the Fifth Fleet was the one in most need of a dedicated anti-aircraft warship, so after the "Li Jing" completed its installation, it was accepted by the Fifth Fleet. After two months of sea trials, the "Li Jing" officially became the flagship of the Fifth (Task Force) Fleet and General Liao Hanxiang's flagship.
When boarding the "Li Jing", Tan Renhao keenly noticed that there was a grid-mounted antenna on the top of the warship's rear mast.
He was a little surprised at first, but soon understood what it was.
General Liao Hanxiang's command cabin is spacious enough to accommodate several people chatting inside.
When they arrived, Liao Hanxiang was shaving in front of the mirror.
"Please sit down. You're welcome. It's not as spacious here as on the shore!"
Liao Hanxiang smiled and asked Ji Xiaobin to ask the three of them to sit down.
Half a year ago, the Fifth Fleet's headquarters building was officially completed, and the construction of the base was also more than half completed, so the Fifth Fleet left the port command base and moved into its new home, and General Liao Hanxiang also had a new office.
Ji Xiaobin made tea for the three people, then found a small stool and sat next to the 1.2-meter-wide single bed.
"Major, and two captains, these are your new shoulder straps."
Liao Hanxiang took out three sets of new shoulder straps from the drawer. "Under normal circumstances, I would hold a medal ceremony for you, but now the situation is special, so please understand. As for Major Tan Renhao's new uniform, I'm afraid we can only prepare it for you when we return to Hong Kong next time. Is that okay?"
Tan Renhao laughed.
"Thank you, General. Of course I have no objection."
Liao Hanxiang smiled and patted Tan Renhao's shoulder, then pinned two sets of epaulettes on the shoulders of Hao Dongjue and Chang Jianxin respectively.
"I have seen your grades, they are all excellent. The teachers at the aviation school will no longer accuse me of randomly recommending officers to study. Well, you all know the changes in the fleet, right?"
Tan Renhao nodded.
"The colonel has already shown us on the way. It has changed so much that we almost don't recognize the Fifth Fleet anymore."
“This is a good thing, but it’s also a hassle.”
General Liao Hanxiang took out a cigarette. He was the only person on the battleship who could smoke in the narrow cabin .
"In the past six months, we have replaced more than half of our warships and recruited nearly 30% of new officers and soldiers. As for training alone, we have not yet reached a satisfactory level.
In addition, the modification of the three aircraft carriers has just been completed, and the officers and soldiers need training.
However, the Japanese will not let us complete the training in peace, so we have to set off tonight."
"Commander, will there be a fight this time?"
Hao Dongjue asked this question again.
"Well, it's hard to say, but the possibility is very high."
Liao Hanxiang hesitated for a moment, then continued, "The Empire's Foreign Minister has already gone to Seoul and is in contact with Japan and North Korea. If the talks go well, it may just be a quarrel. If not, then we will start fighting! Therefore, we must enter the combat readiness patrol state as soon as possible. If a fight really breaks out, then we can't suffer any losses, don't you think?"
Everyone laughed. If a war really broke out, the Empire would definitely not suffer any loss, and would beat Japan to death.
The fleet left Naha Port at around 8 o'clock that evening and entered the East China Sea through the Kerama Channel.
According to the deployment of the Naval General Staff, the Fifth Fleet (will be called this name unless there is a special need) will be on standby in the northeastern waters of the East China Sea, and guard against the Japanese Southwest Fleet entering the East China Sea and the Yellow Sea and threatening the eastern coastal industrial areas of the empire.
At the same time, this is also a threat to Japan's homeland.
As long as the Fifth Fleet operates within 500 kilometers of Kyushu Island, it will pose a huge threat to the industrial areas and ports centered on Nagasaki on Kyushu Island, Japan.
Almost at the same time, the Imperial Navy's First Fleet left Dagu Port.
This is the biggest threat to Japan.
Since the Battle of Hachijojima, the Japanese Navy has always regarded the Imperial First Fleet as the biggest threat, and its focus in developing the home fleet was to use the Imperial First Fleet as its imaginary enemy.
As the Tang Empire's navy also entered a state of combat readiness, the situation in the entire Eastern world became tense. Perhaps this time no one would doubt whether the war would break out.
