"I have obtained instructions from the cabinet. The emperor and the head agree that our navy can act cheaply and will provide us with cover. The army and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs will also provide cooperation. We will give the Russians an illusion of peace and let them relax their guard. When their last fleets come to the Far East, we will launch a surprise attack and seize the sea control of the Far East in one fell swoop!" In a conference room at the Navy Port in Nagasaki Port, the commander of the Japanese joint fleet, Hirahachiro Togo, officially conveyed the authorization of the senior officials to his subordinates, which also means that the war has entered the countdown. The plan formulated by the Japanese Navy to ambush the Russian fleet has entered the implementation stage.

"The Russian fleet will set off from the Baltic Sea in mid-April and enter the Far East around June. The British have already stated that they will refuse the Russian fleet to pass through the Suez Canal, so the Russian fleet must detour South Africa. The French and Germans will provide port support to Russia. The last supply of the Russians may be in Camran Bay, a French colony in Indochina. Here they will obtain coal, freshwater. But it may be difficult to completely maintain the warships." Akiyama Matsuno, who has become the first staff officer of the Joint Fleet, began to introduce the basic situation of the Russian fleet to everyone present.

"The commander of the Russian fleet is Lieutenant General Makanov, who is one of the few active Russian Navy officers with outstanding abilities and practical experience. This person cannot be underestimated. The entire Russian fleet is also very large in scale, consisting of 8 main battleships, 4 light cruisers and 12 destroyers, and there are 6 auxiliary ships of various types. Among these main battleships, 4 are the latest Borodino-class battleships, with firepower and protection similar to the Liurik-2 battleship, which is slower and has high combat effectiveness. In addition, there are two armored cruisers ordered from the United States. The latter can be regarded as a simplified version of the German Mainz-class armored cruiser, and the combat effectiveness cannot be underestimated. Finally, there are two slightly old-fashioned battleships, which are not very threatening."

"If it were just such a fleet, we would be 80% sure to defeat them. In June, our last battleship would be in place. We have 14 battleships, of which 4 of which are the most powerful battleships of this era. Even the Royal Navy does not have such a huge battleship. Not to mention that we have a huge number of auxiliary battleships and destroyers. As long as the information is correct, we will definitely not fail if we can catch them." The commander of the first fleet, Sansu Sotaro, said confidently.

"If this is the case, we have a lot of confidence in our minds and no intentions. But we must note that there are other forces in the Far East, and their actions are likely to increase the power of the Russians or realize our plans. This is a battle that determines the destiny of the country, and we cannot be careless at all. The French are indifferent to this. They even hope that Russia can be defeated and then focus on Europe to restrain Germany. The British are our ally. In the Far East, there are Germans and Americans. The former is not friendly to us, while the latter is our irreconcilable enemy!" Hirahachiro Togo said with a little dissatisfaction.

"Are the Germans? Their power is not enough to project to the Far East. The Imperial Fleet is an invincible existence in the Far East. As long as we deal with the Russians, the next one is the Germans. As for the Americans, will they take action?" Hiroshinosuke Uemura frowned slightly. Germany is not interested in the Far East. They value commercial interests more. Although they are not friendly to Japan, the possibility of directly participating in the war is almost zero. But the United States is different. The Americans have motivations for expansion and energy. More importantly, the Americans have recently strengthened their Far East fleet, and now there are 5 warships stationed in the Far East! This makes the Japanese very worried.

"Will the American fleet participate in this war?" Hikaru Komura asked after pondering for a moment.

"They will not participate in this war directly, but will interfere with this war. According to the intelligence we received, a large number of Russians appeared at the station of the US Far East Fleet. Combined with the intelligence we obtained in Europe, the United States will provide Russia with a batch of warships before the war, with the specific number unknown. Moreover, these warships are likely to meet with Makanov's fleet and then head to the Far East together. In this way, the scale of the enemy we need to face is not certain!"

"There are two main problems we need to face now, one is the scale of the Russian-American fleet after the convergence of the Russian fleet, and the other is how to deceive the Russians' reconnaissance fleet. The former determines our ambush strategy, while the latter determines whether the Russians will be fooled! Akiyama Masao said.

"I suggest that we should discuss the second issue now. The first issue requires sufficient information to determine it, but the second issue depends entirely on our decision. If we don't get out, we must fight. Let's decide early and prepare early." said Hikaru Hikaru, who had not spoken.

"Of course it's better to be in the Taiwan Strait or the Bashi Strait. This is the only way for Russians to enter the East China Sea, and the sea area here is small, so we can definitely block them." Sansu Sotaro said.

"If that is the case, we need to deploy the fleet in the Philippines or Okinawa. Not to mention whether these two places can support the supply and maintenance of nearly 100 warships across our joint fleet, simply concentrating the fleet here will make the Russians wary. Makanov is not a mediocre person, and I am worried that our intentions will be exposed." Akiyama Matsuno thought about it and said. Misu Sotaro chose the easiest way. It is naturally very laborious to find the Russian fleet in the South China Sea. It is more than 4 million square kilometers. If you don't have an airplane, it will be useless to find a needle in a haystack.

But the problem is that the Japanese can think of the environment that is most beneficial to them, and the Russians can also think of it. If Makanov discovered it in advance, the situation will develop in an unpredictable direction. For example, Makanov stayed in Cam Ranh Bay and refused to leave. What can you do? As the Siberian Railway extends step by step, time is on the side of the Russians. The longer it drags, the more fully the Russians prepare, so Japan cannot afford it.

And one more important question is, what if the Russian fleet passes through the Taiwan Strait or the Bashi Strait at night at a junction? How long are these two straits? If the Russian fleet can travel at a speed of 15 knots, it can slip over in one night, and what about the Japanese fleet? Go back and chase? Are you chasing? Where to chase? If the Russians completely throw away the two old ships, the Japanese will not be able to catch up at all! If the Russian fleet arrives in Lushun and then joins together, the consequences will be unimaginable!
Chapter completed!