"There are always unexpected surprises in life, and sometimes there will be twists and turns in wars. I really didn't expect that the navies of the United States and Germany, who fought side by side two months ago, parted ways. It seems that I need to thank Roosevelt on this issue, which greatly reduced our pressure." In the conference room of the flagship Nagato, Shimamura Soo said happily to Betty.

"This is indeed very good news for us. It is an opportunity, but whether we can seize this opportunity depends on us. After all, the current situation on the battlefield is not good, and the Americans may have done the above behavior after they realize that they have a great advantage on the battlefield." Betty said.

"Although the navy and army have suffered consecutive defeats recently, the situation is still within our expectations. In a series of battles in the Sulawesi Sea, we did win tactical victory, but at the same time we also gave up the strategic initiative, the Americans used this period to capture the entire Bismarck Islands and gradually built it into a large forward base. Their target will be Laicheng. If nothing unexpected happens, Laicheng should not be able to defend it." Shimamura Suo sighed and said.

"Can our fleet go to sea in 2 months?" Betty asked.

"Including the previous two months, a total of 4 months is enough for us to restore the remaining warships to a state where we can fight, but the warships ordered from Italy and aircraft carriers ordered from our country are difficult to get in place. The previous work was completed quickly because we had semi-finished products, and the new ships were different afterwards." Shimamura Soo said. "Does it take two months?"

"It's better to move faster. Once the Americans accumulate enough supplies on the Bismarck Islands, our strike effect will be greatly reduced. And I estimate that the main force of the US fleet will soon attack again. And it is said that they may have new and more powerful warships to serve this time. They are more powerful than the Colorado level, and even surpass our Nagas level." Betty said.

"From the current situation, it seems that it is difficult for us to complete combat readiness before the Americans, and the Navy may be missing the battle in Lai City. Even Commander Shigetaro Yoshimatsu believes that not only in Lai City, we cannot beat the Americans, but we should not even fight with the Americans in the entire eastern part of New Guinea. Their fleet is stronger than us and the aviation power is stronger than us. Even if we have tactical advantages, the exchange ratio of gaining advantages is useless." Shimamura Soo said.

"But we still need a solid outpost, a base that can accommodate the entire joint fleet, with a sufficient depth and security. The Philippine base is too far away from us, and using this as a base will greatly reduce the efficiency of the fleet. And if we use a bay in the western part of New Guinea as our base, then our efficiency will be very high." Betty said.

"Does it take a bay in the west of New Guinea as a base? If so, then there are only two options, one is the Bliss Bay in the east of the Bliss Peninsula, to the west of the island. The other is the narrow bay in the west."

"The Birth of Elysia Bay is large enough and has good hydrological conditions. We can deploy a large number of forces and auxiliary facilities in the surrounding areas. This is also one of the commonly used anchorages of the Imperial Navy before. It is also convenient to enter and exit. The latter's advantage is that it is safer. If the US fleet wants to attack, it must first bypass the entire Birthia Peninsula and enter the Sailan Sea. Finally, the main battleship must enter the narrow bay to pose a threat to the fleet deployed inside the bay. In fact, as long as we deploy more mines and submarines, the safety here is no less than the Gulf of Finland. If we rely solely on aircraft bombing, the power will be somewhat insufficient." Shimamura Soo gave his suggestion.

(The author has specially checked the map and is surrounded by the Bliss Peninsula and the Bangbalai Peninsula. I really don’t know what the name is. The article is temporarily named after the place name Mo Dan at the bottom of the bay, so it is called Mo Dan Bay. Sorry. If you know, you can tell me.)

In fact, after the end of the Sulawesi Sea War, the top leaders of the British and Japanese naval forces have been considering the issue of a new forward base. The base must have better basic conditions and can deploy a large number of troops and facilities around it, which should be convenient for entry and exit, easy to defend and difficult to attack. However, there is no perfect place in the world. The Birth of Birth is in line with the first two points, but the third point is a little worse. The Birth of Birth of Birth is very large in the area, and it is a bit troublesome to completely control it. It is said that it is a bay, but it is actually a small inland sea. If the US fleet raids at night, it will still be a little trouble.

The narrow strait is much safer because the entrances and exits are too small, so the Japanese can completely lock them with mines, and submarines and torpedo boats. However, the deployment of troops is a bit troublesome, and entry and exit is not convenient. Although there is only a narrow section of land between the two bays. Building an airport can cover the sea area in both directions at the same time, the port facilities cannot be public. In this case, the Japanese are still hesitating.

"Or else set the forward base in Modan Bay. The Imperial Navy's current military strength and supplies are in short supply. We cannot control the entire Bliss Bay, and Modan Bay is far away from the east. Even if the Americans deployed a large number of bombers on the island of New Guinea, it would be difficult to attack Modan Bay. After all, even if the distance is calculated from Lai City, it is more than 1,700 kilometers. This distance is already very safe." Betty chose a rather conservative base.

"Then choose Modan Bay. In this way, we finally have a relatively safe rear base. Even if the Americans use sea jumping tactics and gradually occupy the coastal areas of New Guinea Island, they probably will take at least one year to reach Modan Bay. This is at least safe in this year." Shimamura Soo said.

"Okay, since the base has been selected, let's consider how to hurt the Americans! There is no need to think about the main forces of the front fleet fighting. We use the troops at hand to continuously mobilize and divide the opponents, and then find the right opportunity to launch a fatal blow to a certain American fleet while attacking the opponent's maritime transportation line. The Germans left, and compared with the Americans, we still have the advantage of a fast battleship!" Betty said. Then, he took out a plan and handed it over to Soo Shimamura.
Chapter completed!