Battering Ram of the Sea

Chapter 65 - Roar of the Yamato

"1st and 2nd Battleship Divisions, target enemy battleships. 4th and 7th Cruiser Divisions, target enemy cruisers. Torpedo squadron, target enemy destroyers."

Under the command of Vice Admiral Kurita, the commander of the First Fleet, eight battleships comprising the Yamato and Nagato-class ships of the 1st Battleship Division as well as the Ise and Fusō-class ships of the 2nd Battleship Division, altered their course to align their bows with the American battleships.

Kurita had no doubts about the firepower. The American surface strike force had seven battleships, all of which were new and heavily armed. However, two of the larger ones had already taken multiple torpedoes in aerial attacks from the Second Fleet and Third Fleet, so their combat capabilities should have been significantly reduced. Moreover, they had the Yamato and Musashi. These sister ships, armed with the world's largest 46-centimeter guns, had no equals among battleships worldwide.

As for the support vessels, there was no further concern. They had twice as many heavy cruisers, and all the American cruisers had suffered considerable damage from dive-bombing attacks by their Zeros. As for the remaining torpedo strength, they had the Agano and Noshiro, along with sixteen Type A destroyers (Kagerō and Yūgumo classes), while the Americans had an equal number of destroyers. However, the American destroyers had suffered damage from the Zeros' bombings, and all were heavily hit.

"Yamato, target the third ship; Musashi, the fourth ship; Nagato and Mutsu, the fifth ship. 2nd Battleship Division, target the sixth and seventh ships. Commence firing at a range of 30.000 meters. It's a bit far, but we have observation planes. Keep firing and adjust the shots rapidly!"

No staff officers disagreed with Kurita's order to ignore the first and second American battleships. Those had recently been torpedoed. It appeared that emergency counter-flooding had corrected the list, but it would take some time for them to fully regain stability.

What was even more reassuring to Kurita and his staff officers was the technology brought from Germany. The battleships and cruisers of the First Fleet were equipped with German-made fire control radar. Although it was slightly inferior in performance compared to American and British radar, it still greatly surpassed domestic models in both capability and reliability.

Furthermore, to make up for the noticeably inferior quality compared to those of other countries, they introduced excellent German-made optical rangefinders. This became possible because Germany had stopped battleship construction after the Tirpitz. As a result, the idle German technicians and necessary materials were sent to Japan through the Japan-Europe route.

The dual benefits of German technology and the use of observation planes enabled accurate firing at the extreme range of 30.000 meters. Even with excellent fire control radar and optical rangefinders, it was impossible to account for all parameters in the high-altitude combat environment, including factors such as strong winds. The same applied to the American side. Therefore, adjustments were made based on observation plane reports.

"Near, far, far, straddle! Starting simultaneous salvo from the next one!"

It was not until the fifth salvo that the gunnery officer of the Yamato, which had a better angle on the enemy third ship, reported with a voice more of relief than joy that they had finally caught the enemy in the straddle zone. The older Nagato and Hyūga had already shifted from the spotting correction to direct fire, with each scoring direct hits on their chosen targets. So the gunnery officer of the Yamato was probably more relieved than anything else. On the American side, they primarily concentrated their fire on the Yamato, Musashi, Nagato, and Mutsu, but they had not achieved a single straddle, let alone a hit. Even though the American battleships had superior fire control systems compared to the Imperial Navy, hitting a target 30.000 meters away without observation planes was an extremely challenging task.

The splashes were not far enough away to provide comfort, but they were not close enough to cause alarm. Ignoring the American battleships, all the main guns of the Yamato roared to life. To Kurita, it seemed like the triumphant cry of the Yamato's victory.