The Rise Of Australasia-Chapter 1269 - 933 Hunter and Prey

Chapter 1269: Chapter 933: Hunter and Prey

Chapter 1269 -933: Hunter and Prey

In an attempt to rapidly gather the Island Royal Navy together, Australasia chose to ignore the possible movements of the Island Royal Navy, focusing instead on combating the proactive Island Nation Air Force.

Although the Island Nation Army Air Squadrons deployed more than 400 airplanes across Kyushu Island, Honshu Island, and Shikoku Island, less than half of these airplanes were newly manufactured, the rest being outdated models.

Since the main goal was to attract attention, one naturally could not expect these planes to inflict substantial casualties on the Australasian Air Force.

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The reality was indeed so. The entire air battle lasted for more than three hours, and in the end, the planes deployed by the Island Nation were almost completely annihilated, with only a few that were originally lingering on the edges of the battlefield managing to escape by chance.

On the Australasian side, with an advantage in both the number and quality of planes, fewer than 30 aircraft were needed to annihilate the Island Nation’s squadron of over 400 planes.

While the Island Nation’s Government also lamented the loss of the airplanes, at least the sacrifice of these 400-plus aircraft was not in vain. The majority of the navy in the Hiroshima waters had successfully escaped from the straits between Honshu Island and Shikoku Island and was currently en route to Tokyo.

This also indicated that the first step of Yamamoto Isoroku’s plan had succeeded, as the main battleships of the Island Nation United Fleet could finally gather together, significantly enhancing the United Fleet’s strength.

Now that the warships had gathered, the next aim of the Island Royal Navy would surely be to find a way to ensure a successful naval battle.

The location of the sea battle was chosen to be Tokyo Bay, also signifying the Island Royal Navy’s resolution to resist staunchly and fight a desperate battle.

More importantly, Tokyo Bay housed the largest number of Shore Defense Artillery of the Island Nation, which could also serve as an aid in the naval battle if utilized effectively.

Furthermore, the geography of Tokyo Bay, with its southernmost side facing the Atlantic Ocean and the northwest and east surrounded by land,

presented a scenario for a grand naval battle where the only outcomes were life or death, with no third option.

To collaborate with the navy in this battle, the Island Nation’s Government had mobilized all the domestic Air Force it could, deploying over 600 fighter aircraft and bombers at military airfields on the outskirts of Tokyo.

When including the planes from the seven aircraft carriers, the number of airplanes the Island Nation could engage in the naval battle could barely exceed a thousand, marking the ultimate extent of the Island Nation’s air capabilities.

Yamamoto Isoroku decided to launch the grand naval battle on August 15. Before then, he needed to entice the Australasian Navy to come to Tokyo Bay, to bring about this grand naval battle.

If the Australasian Navy remained inactive, then Yamamoto Isoroku could only look on helplessly. After all, to gain a higher likelihood of victory, he would need to rely on the Shore Defense Turrets of Tokyo Bay and the numerous planes from the suburbs.

If it were just the Island Royal Navy alone, it would be difficult to defeat the Australasian Navy. Even more dire was the fact that if the stalling continued, the Australasian Navy would become increasingly more formidable.

The current domestic economic and industrial state of the Island Nation could not afford to consistently build main battleships annually while maintaining a military of over four million personnel.

On August 10, Brigadier Kondo Niita led one Battlecruiser, three Light Cruisers, and five submarines out from Tokyo Bay into the Pacific Ocean to seek targets.

The fleet, consisting of the Battlecruiser and Light Cruisers, all fast ships, boasted the highest cruising speeds among all warships.

And with submarines possessing the best stealth capabilities, the purpose of the fleet’s composition was apparent: to serve as bait to lure the Australasian main fleet.

“General Kondo, where should we search for the Australasian main fleet?”, asked Tanaka Yuinu, the assistant and deputy commander of the small fleet, from the leading Battlecruiser with a respectful expression.

“First, let’s check near Kyushu Island.” Kondo Niita pondered for a moment before instructing, “Even if the Australasian’s main forces aren’t near Kyushu Island, there are definitely numerous transport ships there.

If we sink a few troop transports, it will certainly draw the attention of the Australasian Navy.”

Thus, the small fleet grandly headed towards Kyushu Island to locate Australasian military transport ships.

With Tokyo Bay more than 800 kilometers away from Kyushu Island, using the fleet’s normal cruising speed, it would take almost 20 hours to reach Kyushu Island.

Fortunately, they had five days to complete the mission, and the time it took to travel could be considered relatively negligible.

After 20 hours of sailing, the fleet finally neared Kyushu Island. Kondo Niita did not rush to bring the fleet closer to Kyushu Island but instead ordered the submarines to start submerging, with the fleet spreading out in search of suitable attack targets.

It was unrealistic for such a small fleet to attack the main forces of the Australasian Navy directly, even though all of the ships were fast,

therefore, their targets had to be those scattered patrol fleets or troop transports.

Such a small-scale fleet still had the potential for combat, as no matter how dominant Australasia was, it was unlikely to have all its main battleships out on patrol.

This could lead to a strategic disadvantage in a sea battle, as the main battleships might fail to provide timely support, possibly missing the battle altogether.