The Resurrected Fleet: Isekai World War 1942

Chapter 422 - 426

CHAPTER 422

The Otherworldly Empire's Movements, a Hasty Sortie

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The Saiun scout bomber flew through the azure sky. Below it was the clear blue waters of the southeastern Pacific Ocean. Although the Otherworldly Empire is invading Earth, nature remains unchanged on the surface.

The patrol carriers of the 15th Carrier Division, part of the Southeast Area Fleet, formed a long-range reconnaissance network using reconnaissance and attack aircraft. Japanese naval aircraft were keeping a vigilant eye on enemy bases concentrated along the Australian coast and the transport routes to the islands of the southeastern Pacific.

Following Operation Mu-Gō, the Japanese Navy was preparing for Operation Bu-Gō, but there was a high possibility that the Otherworldly Empire would move to retake the captured New Guinea.

There were signs of this.

The volume of ships entering Brisbane, the largest city in Queensland on the eastern coast of Australia, was increasing.

Now that northern New Guinea was within the Japanese sphere of influence, transport ships leaving Brisbane were heading to New Caledonia and from there to the islands of the southeastern Pacific. The transport route that once extended to Hawaii was no longer as busy since Hawaii had fallen and was now a base for the US Navy. However, the Otherworldly Empire's forces were increasing the number of warships and transport ships sent to Brisbane and New Caledonia.

This clearly indicated that they were mobilizing for their next operation. The Combined Fleet command was convinced that the likelihood of encountering a significant enemy fleet had increased, as pointed out during the briefing of Operation Bu-Gō to the 1st Mobile Fleet.

On the flagship Shikishima, Combined Fleet Commander-in-Chief Isoroku Yamamoto received a report from Chief of Staff Kusaka and Intelligence Officer Nakajima.

"—Based on the increase in moored ships at Brisbane and New Caledonia, we dispatched recon planes further south to Sydney, where we confirmed this."

"!"

The aerial photographs presented depicted a fleet filling the sea. Yamamoto remained silent. The scale surpassed that of the Pacific Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet encountered before.

"Although there are a considerable number of transport ships, even the combat ships alone match the scale of the Central Pacific and Arabian Sea battles."

When Nakajima stated this matter-of-factly, the other staff members were at a loss for words. A silence as if time had stopped. Unable to endure the pause, Kusaka looked at Yamamoto.

"Sir...?"

"How will this enemy move?"

Yamamoto looked around at everyone. Nakajima spoke up.

"Nine times out of ten, it's an invasion. With this many transport ships, they must be transporting landing troops and materials for base construction."

"Where?"

When Yamamoto asked again, Nakajima realized he had misunderstood. He thought Yamamoto was asking whether the enemy was gathering this much strength to prepare for a Japanese invasion or for a counterattack, but Yamamoto was asking where the enemy would land in their counteroffensive.

"Given the increase in transport ships heading towards New Caledonia, it's possible they plan to invade the Solomon Islands and use that as a base to threaten Rabaul and New Guinea."