The vast East China Sea is blue.

A large fleet is sailing slowly, a fleet of seven bulk cargo ships, with the smallest displacement of more than 5,000 tons and the largest one with a displacement of nearly 10,000 tons.

This is a fleet of ships starting from Australia to Ningbo. On each ship, the star and stripes fluttered high. This is a fleet of transporting 10,000 tons of copper ore, 10,000 tons of bauxite and 20,000 tons of iron ore from Australia to Ningbo Port.

"Pangu" company has large areas of mines in Australia, and world-class copper mines in Olympic Dam in South Australia and Mount Isa in Queensland. In addition to copper mines, it also has Australia's largest iron ore and the top three bauxite mines.

Since Ningbo's restoration, a large amount of minerals have been continuously transported to Ningbo Port, becoming the raw material for smelting factories, producing high-quality steel, copper and high-quality aluminum alloys.

On the largest bulk ship, several blonde Americans were standing in the captain's room, looking through the glass at the vast blue East China Sea.

"Captain, there are less than a hundred nautical miles to be Ningbo Port."

"OK, after we stopped at Ningbo Port, we rested in Ningbo Port for a few days. Ningbo City is becoming more and more beautiful and prosperous now." The middle-aged captain said.

"Captain, what time has it been your visit to Ningbo?"

The middle-aged captain thought for a while and said, "This is the fourth time. I remember the first time I came to Ningbo Port was half a year ago."

"Captain, you still run a lot on this route. You have already run four times."

"That's it." The middle-aged captain was extremely proud and touched his chin.

In the past, the middle-aged captain was just a down-and-out first mate. The "Pangu" company established an ocean-going fleet. The captain's opportunity came. With his rich experience, he served as a captain, specializing in transporting ore from Australia to Ningbo.

The salary of "Pangu" company is good. The captain is also very grateful to his boss Max, and he works very hard every time. He is always full of energy.

The Pangu Company has several ocean-going fleets. In addition to its own ocean-going fleets, the Pangu Company also cooperates with several large shipping companies to continuously transport large amounts of materials back to Ningbo Port from Australia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, the Americas, and even Africa.

This is a sea channel, and a large amount of raw materials are continuously transported to Ningbo Port, and Yefeng's large number of factories can continuously produce a large number of industrial products.

However, it seems that the Japanese side has also become aware that American ships are constantly transporting a large amount of industrial raw materials to Ningbo. However, Japan and the United States have not yet started a war, and the Japanese side dare not do anything to these American ships.

This middle-aged captain also encountered warships of the Japanese Navy twice during these long-distance voyages. After each time, after revealing his identity, the Japanese warships did not dare to attack these American ships.

Not far from the ocean-going fleet of this "Pangu" company, about a dozen nautical miles away, a small Japanese fleet is sailing towards it, which is part of the small Japanese Chinese fleet.

The Chinese fleet of Little Japan mainly operates on the coast of China and the Yangtze River. The last time, the main force of the Chinese fleet of Little Japan was bombed by a large number of "air fortresses" bombers of the newly formed 6th Army. Within a few months, the Japanese Navy reorganized a new Chinese fleet.

The Chinese fleet established by the new group was commanded by Japanese Navy General Shiro Kawafu, and was in charge of the First China Fleet (Lieutenant General Matta Ronaldo Tanimoto was commander and responsible for the battle of the central China Sea), the Second China Fleet (Lieutenant General Takasushiro was commander and responsible for the battle of the northern China waters), the Third China Fleet (Lieutenant General Nomura Naoki was commander and responsible for the battle of the southern China waters and coastal areas), as well as the Thirteenth Fleet and the Second Air Force.

The new Chinese fleet is even larger in scale, with three fleets, one warship and one aviation fleet. This fleet sailing on the East China Sea is part of the First China fleet, including a heavy cruiser, a destroyer, a sea defense ship, and three gunboats.

A total of six warships of all sizes are sailing in the East China Sea with the heavy cruiser of the "Australia" as the center. The heavy cruiser of the "Australia" is the main warship of the First Detachment China fleet, and Major General Kimura Masashino was on the warship. Kimura Masashino was the deputy commander of the First Detachment China fleet and the capable general of Lieutenant General Mattado Tanimoto.

The "Ancient Eagle" heavy cruiser is the first of the Ancient Eagle class, and the other is the "Jaku" heavy cruiser.

On February 6, 1922, the world's naval power signed the Treaty on Restricting Naval Arms in Washington, the capital of the United States. According to the standards of the treaty, the standard displacement of newly built cruisers by the signing countries is limited to 10,000 long tons (10,160 metric tons), and the caliber of the main gun must not exceed 8 inches (203 mm).

Named after the Ancient Etashima Mountain in Etashima, Hiroshima City, Japan. The designer was Naval Shipbuilding Lieutenant General Heiga. It was the first heavy cruiser to use a corrugated deck and the world's first modern heavy cruiser. Construction started at the Mitsubishi Shipyard in Nagasaki on November 17, 1922 and completed on March 31, 1926. Modern modifications were carried out on January 30, 1939.

Standard displacement (original design): 7950 tons, modified: 10507 tons; speed (original design): 34.5 knots, modified: 33 knots; endurance: 14 knots/hour; length: 185.17 meters; width (original design): 15.77 meters, modified: 16.93 meters; speed (original design): 34.5 knots, modified: 33 knots.

Weapons: Main gun: 3 seats for 200mm caliber dual-mounted guns, modified: 3 seats for 203mm caliber dual-mounted guns; 4 seats for 120mm caliber anti-aircraft guns, modified: 4 seats for 127mm caliber anti-aircraft guns; 4 seats for 25mm caliber dual-mounted guns; 4 seats for 13mm caliber quad-mounted anti-aircraft machine guns after modification; 8 seats for 30 tubes for 120mm caliber anti-aircraft rockets after modification.

After modification, the warships of the Japanese generally greatly strengthened their air defense firepower. Like the heavy cruiser of the "Aunt Eagle", a large number of new dual-mounted anti-aircraft machine guns and quad-mounted anti-aircraft machines were added.

Neither side knew that the two fleets were gradually approaching.

A little Japanese Navy master came over, stood at attention next to Masato Kimura, and reported loudly: "Major General, we are too close to Ningbo. According to the information, the newly formed 6th Army is at Ningbo Airport. Once our whereabouts are discovered by the reconnaissance plane of the newly formed 6th Army, we will be in trouble."

Upon hearing this, Masato Kimura's face was not good-looking. As a proud Japanese Rear Admiral, he had to be wary of the newly-organized 6th Army aircraft.

"Master, don't you know that our warships have greatly strengthened their air defense firepower?"

Obviously, Masato Kimura means that he has such strong air defense firepower, even if he encounters the newly formed 6th Army aircraft group, what else can he be afraid of?

The little Japanese didn't know that there was a secret large military port in Zhoushan. The newly formed 6th Army already had a navy. The soldiers' warships often sailed out of the military port and trained on the East China Sea.

A high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft flew over the East China Sea to detect the situation in this area. A large transport fleet was loaded with various ores and was sailing towards Ningbo Port. This reconnaissance aircraft was a sign of the activity of small Japanese naval warships in this area, and guided the US fleet toward Ningbo.

In the past few months, especially after the reorganization of the Chinese fleet on the Japanese side and its strength has been greatly strengthened, Japanese fleets have appeared in the East China Sea area, and sometimes even moved near the Hangzhou Bay area.

After the reconnaissance plane investigated the East China Sea, it was not long before it discovered that a small Japanese fleet was sailing on the blue sea. You could vaguely see the plaster flag flying on the warship.

On the sea.

The Japanese on the heavy cruiser of the "Aunt Eagle" noticed the reconnaissance aircraft in the high altitude. When they saw that it was a reconnaissance aircraft from China, they immediately reported to Kimura Masato.

"Major General, there is a Chinese reconnaissance plane hovering above our heads. What should we do?" A little Japanese navy Nakasa came to report in person.

There are really Chinese reconnaissance aircraft, which may be the newly formed 6th Army's reconnaissance aircraft. The whereabouts of his own fleet may have been discovered. Thinking of this, Masato Kimura's face changed.

Masashiki Kimura was worried about the bomber group of the newly formed 6th Army. Last time, under the bombing of the newly formed 6th Army bomber group, even the aircraft carrier and battleship were sunk. Although his cruiser has been modified, it is afraid it will be difficult to withstand it.

"Use anti-aircraft guns to bombard and disperse them. In addition, order to speed up and leave this area." Kimura Masato said in a deep voice.

Several anti-aircraft guns on the "Ancient Eagle" began to aim at the sky and prepare to fire shells. The reconnaissance plane in the sky hovered for a few circles and flew towards the distance. These anti-aircraft guns from the little Japanese were basically not too late to fire.

The reconnaissance plane found that there was a fleet of ships not far away, so it flew towards that area to conduct reconnaissance and guidance.

Seeing the plane gone, the Japanese on the warship quietly breathed a sigh of relief and accelerated the speed. About half an hour later, the Japanese on the "Ancient Eagle" found traces of a fleet of ships appeared on the sea level in the distance.

"Is it the Chinese army's fleet chasing us?"

Several Japanese soldiers in charge of looking at the side of the ship, and when they saw the fleet a few nautical miles away, they muttered to their hearts. Then a Japanese officer hurriedly ran to the command room of the "Ancient Eagle" and reported to Kimura Masato.

The Japanese did not notice that they were not very far from them. A periscope quietly stretched out of the sea. After surveillance on the sea, they hid under the sea, and seemed to have nothing.

*******
Chapter completed!