Vice-Minister Yamamoto's determination to avoid war was heard by Binta, and he began to reassess his opinion of him. If he were to advocate for preventing an alliance with Germany and avoiding war with the United States, he would undoubtedly face criticism as a coward, and there was also the possibility of being exposed to life-threatening risks. However, he was willing to take that risk.
'Considering such matters, it is necessary to confirm who in the Imperial Navy's higher-ups is pro-German and who is pro-American.'
While pondering such matters, Binta returned to the main topic.
"So, what do you think about building an aircraft carrier within 30 months? If it is completed by the deadline, I will cover the costs personally. If not, it will be the Navy's responsibility, a kind of gamble. However, I don't want to push too hard and incur the displeasure of those involved."
Binta didn't seem very enthusiastic about it, but Vice-Minister Yamamoto, upon hearing the word "gamble," felt a surge of his natural competitive spirit.
"Let's accept it. In case of wartime, there is no doubt that we will need a large number of aircraft carriers and carrier-based aircraft. Besides, researching and building wartime emergency vessels during peacetime is also very meaningful," Vice-Minister Yamamoto responded with a smile, and Binta made an additional proposal.
"I would like you to also conduct research on wartime emergency construction of destroyers and escort vessels. As you know, destroyers are the workhorses of the fleet, used for a wide range of tasks from fleet battles to convoy protection. However, they also face high attrition in wartime. In addition, in a war, we must protect vast sea areas from the Pacific to the Indian Ocean and the maritime traffic routes from enemy submarines and aircraft. Therefore, a large number of escort vessels will also be needed. Let's allocate 100 million yen each for research and actual construction of these."
Minister Yonai thanked Binta's generous support and then asked Vice-Minister Yamamoto a question.
"Leaving aside destroyers and escort vessels, what about the aircraft carriers? Is it really possible to complete one within 30 months?"
"It would be quite difficult for a large aircraft carrier like those in the Circle 3 Plan or the armored aircraft carrier in the Circle 4 Plan. Therefore, the upper limit would be something like the Sōryū or Hiryū, which is expected to be completed this summer. And for the wartime emergency type of aircraft carrier, we will base it on the blueprints of Hiryū. We will reuse engines that are easier to manufacture than those of aircraft carriers or cruisers, such as those used in destroyers, and we will aim for a streamlined design to reduce labor. If we do that, it should be entirely possible to build it within 30 months."
In other words, what Vice-Minister Yamamoto was suggesting was that the wartime emergency-type aircraft carrier would be a simplified improvement of the Hiryū. However, Minister Yonai seemed to have concerns about this idea.
"We have received reports on the operational performance of the Sōryū, but the reputation is not very favorable. In particular, it is said that the ship's small size makes it difficult to adapt to the expected high-speed and heavy aircraft of the future."
As Minister Yonai mentioned, the Sōryū had a narrow hull with a large storage hangar and high-output engines, but other facilities were cramped or inadequate. Its bomb-carrying capacity and torpedo adjustment capabilities were low, the amount of aviation fuel it could carry was dangerously low, and its short cruising range made supply planning difficult. Additionally, its defensive capabilities were not praiseworthy.
"Considering the nature of wartime emergency construction, we should probably abandon the idea of an ideal aircraft carrier. Being too ambitious will only prolong the construction period," Vice-Minister Yamamoto said decisively. Minister Yonai seemed to agree with this and nodded slightly.
With the constraint of 30 months, it was necessary to make choices, and especially what to discard was crucial.
"So, what about destroyers and escort vessels? I don't think there were plans for wartime emergency types for these ship types," Minister Yonai shifted the discussion to destroyers and escort vessels as if he had concluded the topic of aircraft carriers.
"That's correct. As for escort vessels, I envision something based on the Shimushu-class escort ships built under the Circle 3 Plan. We would replace the main guns from flat-firing guns to anti-aircraft guns and further enhance the anti-submarine equipment. However, I've heard that the Shimushu-class escort ships were quite sophisticated, so we will need to streamline the construction process."
After a short pause, Vice-Minister Yamamoto continued, "Destroyers are a bit more challenging. Considering the increasing aerial threat, anti-aircraft guns are the only option for main guns. The problem lies in the hull and engines. Due to the need to have a large number, we cannot make the hull too large, capping it at 1.500 tons at most. The real headache is the engines. The most reasonable choice would be the engines from anti-aircraft destroyers. However, even if we mass-produce them, it's unlikely that our country's machinery sector can handle the demand."
The anti-aircraft destroyers, being constructed with Binta's assistance, had an output of 34.000 horsepower, which was less than two-thirds of that of the Kagerō-class destroyers. However, their boilers were the same as those of the Kagerō, so they were not necessarily the most productive. Separately, the Imperial Navy had engines that produced 19.000 horsepower, used on the Ōtori-class torpedo boats. These were easier to manufacture than the destroyers' engines but were somewhat underpowered for use on destroyers.
"In that case, we'll either have to simplify and downsize the engines for destroyers or produce an enlarged and improved version of the engines used on torpedo boats," Minister Yonai concluded with a somewhat troubled expression.
"It's a situation where you can't have it all," Vice-Minister Yamamoto agreed with a resigned look.
As Binta observed the two of them, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
'In the end, the Imperial Navy did not have a solid wartime construction plan. But is it okay to leave national defense in the hands of these people?'
He refrained from uttering the harsh words he held in his heart but continued to think. There was still some time left. During that time, he had to make the Imperial Navy as strong as possible.
YOU ARE READING
Cash-Loaded Fleet
Historical Fiction「As long as you have money, you can strengthen the fleet as much as you want.」 Born with a natural inclination for gambling, or perhaps a true gambler at heart, Binta Satsutaba is drawn by his instincts to immerse himself in the tumultuous world of...
