Cash-Loaded Fleet

Chapter 11 - Unintelligible Spending

"The budget for naval aviation maintenance is an astounding 33 million yen, but why, in the first place, is over 430 million yen allocated for ship construction? Given the current effectiveness of disarmament treaties, it shouldn't be possible to construct money-devouring monsters like those battleships," Binta, who had calmed down, asked Rear Admiral Yamamoto.

In the current state of strict limitations on ship possession due to the London Naval Treaty, constructing battleships that would devour the budget seemed implausible. Binta's question, referring to battleships, which should be the nation's pride, as "money-devouring monsters," didn't seem to upset Rear Admiral Yamamoto. Instead, he cast a fleeting glance at Vice-Minister Hasegawa. This was likely a confirmation of whether it was okay to discuss the details of the Circle 2 Plan with Binta.

Seeing Vice-Minister Hasegawa's subtle nod, Rear Admiral Yamamoto continued, "The major components are two aircraft carriers and two cruisers, which alone account for one-third of the ship construction budget. Additionally, there are two refueling ships, three seaplane tenders, and one repair ship, totaling nearly 110 million yen. The rest will be allocated for the maintenance of destroyers, submarines, torpedo boats, and anti-submarine vessels."

Binta let out a quiet sigh in response to Rear Admiral Yamamoto's explanation. Refueling ships and repair ships were still reasonable choices since supply and repair were the Achilles' heel of the Imperial Navy. The real issue lay with the three seaplane tenders. Seaplanes were highly dependent on favorable weather conditions, and their utility at sea was significantly limited. In the rapidly advancing world of aviation, seaplanes with floats were a major disadvantage, as they couldn't match land-based or carrier-based aircraft in terms of speed and maneuverability. If they encountered enemy fighters, it would be nearly impossible to escape unscathed. Nevertheless, the Imperial Navy was maintaining such a halfway solution as seaplane tenders. Binta couldn't help but wonder about the Navy's intentions.

"If we didn't build these three seaplane tenders and added that budget to the naval aviation's funding, the Imperial Navy's air power would be significantly improved," he said, his inner doubts slipping out.

In response to Binta's somewhat impudent question, Rear Admiral Yamamoto smiled slightly and got straight to the point. "It appears that those responsible for defense planning mistakenly believe that the Circle 2 Plan prioritizes aircraft. However, both aircraft carriers and seaplane tenders heavily depend on the aircraft they carry. But, the budget for these crucial aircraft is severely lacking. There's nothing more we can do."

An aircraft carrier without aircraft was as useless as a battleship without shells, just for show. Therefore, Binta considered a peculiar possibility that would be unusual elsewhere but might occur within the Imperial Navy.

"Is the Imperial Navy adequately stocked with shells, bombs, and torpedoes? After hearing the overview of the Circle 2 Plan, I've become somewhat concerned," he asked with a touch of impoliteness, causing both Rear Admiral Yamamoto and Vice-Minister Hasegawa to look reluctant.

"We don't have enough, especially when it comes to expensive torpedoes. The stockpile rates are far from satisfactory. The same can be said for fuel oil," Rear Admiral Yamamoto expressed his concern about the current situation. Bitterness was evident in his words.

If one were to believe his words, it would mean that the Imperial Navy was enthusiastic about constructing battleships and aircraft carriers but neglecting the preparation of essential resources like fuel and ammunition, the very elements required to make these vessels operational, according to Binta. However, these critical elements like shells and bombs were severely lacking. In other words, the Imperial Navy seemed to be focused on the hardware aspect, such as battleships and aircraft carriers, while showing indifference to the vital contents like fuel and ammunition. Binta drew a conclusion; the Imperial Navy was an organization of idiots.

So, Binta addressed Rear Admiral Yamamoto directly and asked, "Could you please tell me what you want, Yamamoto-san?"

Understanding the straightforward nature of Binta's question, Rear Admiral Yamamoto nodded slightly and said, "As you probably already understand, just like in the Circle 1 Plan, I would like assistance with the budget for naval aviation in the Circle 2 Plan."

As expected, Binta agreed with this request and gestured with his eyes for Yamamoto to continue. Of course, it wasn't proper for a Special Mission Sub-Lieutenant to behave this way with a Rear Admiral. However, when it came to financial power, Binta had the upper hand. Rear Admiral Yamamoto showed no concern about Binta's attitude.

"What I'd particularly like to request is funding to enhance carrier-based aircraft. The construction of the Kaga will soon begin its conversion from a three-flight-deck carrier to a single-flight-deck carrier, thanks to Satsutaba-san's diligent efforts. We're going to conduct thorough work on the engines and carrier structures. During this process, when we estimated the hangar space, we realized that it could accommodate over 90 aircraft for regular use. Of course, considering the trend towards larger carrier-based aircraft, this number will gradually decrease. However, it's still a substantial figure. On the other hand, due to the limited aviation budget, we won't be able to load the Kaga with the full complement of aircraft. Furthermore, with the recently completed Ryūjō and the two carriers to be constructed in the Circle 2 Plan, there's a shortfall of equipment to be carried on these carriers, and we're not talking about just 10 or 20 planes."

The Circle 2 Plan aimed to construct two carriers and three seaplane tenders. However, there was a shortage of aircraft. Binta thought that if they reduced the three seaplane tenders to two, the budget could be allocated to enhance carrier-based and shipborne aircraft. However, the Imperial Navy had a different logic at play.

'There is an evident shortage of fuel and ammunition. The mindset of the Imperial Navy's top brass, prioritizing the enhancement of vessels while knowing the inadequacies, is utterly incomprehensible.'

In the face of the Imperial Navy's leadership's different views, along with his frustration, a strange curiosity emerged. In essence, it was curiosity about the mindset of the foolish. However, Binta pushed that emotion to the back of his mind and adjusted the direction of his thinking towards how to address this issue.