Cash-Loaded Fleet

BATTLE OF THE MARSHALL ISLANDS | Chapter 21

Money to End

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'It was as if he were a prophet.'

Now, as war with the United States became inevitable, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, was contemplating a certain man while gazing at the organizational chart in the Combined Fleet Headquarters in Hiyoshi.

Binta Satsutaba.

His economic contributions to the Circle 4 Plan were recognized, and he was promoted from Special Mission Lieutenant Commander to Special Mission Commander.

Thanks to him, the Imperial Navy's aircraft carrier fleet was flourishing.

The reconstructed battleship and battlecruiser, the Kaga and Akagi.

The medium-sized high-speed carriers, the Sōryū and Hiryū.

Furthermore, in the Circle 3 Plan, the construction of the Shōkaku and Zuikaku was progressing.

Originally, during this period, the Imperial Navy was supposed to have only six medium to large regular aircraft carriers.

However, thanks to Binta's economic support, the Imperial Navy now possessed nearly twice that number, eleven carriers. The third and fourth ships of the Shōkaku-class, the Kamikaku and Amakaku, were built. In the Circle 4 Plan, the Unryū, Hakuryū, and Sekiryū, were built as emergency wartime carriers. These three, known as the Unryū-class, were built based on the design of the Hiryū and could be considered her sister ships. In addition to these, there were the smaller Hōshō and Ryūjō, as well as the carriers converted from special purpose ships Zuihō, Shōhō, and Ryūhō.

Both Kaga and Akagi, along with the three special-purpose ship-converted carriers, underwent thorough construction, from their engines to their onboard structures, with no expenses spared, thanks to Binta's financial support. Kaga and Akagi each had engines with 152.000 horsepower, with Kaga capable of reaching a speed of just under 30 knots and the Akagi at 32 knots. The three special-purpose ship-converted carriers each carried half of the engines used in carriers and cruisers. They reached 76.000 horsepower, enabling Zuihō and Shōhō to reach 30 knots and Ryūhō to achieve 28,5 knots, providing them with sufficient speed.

Furthermore, thorough reconstruction of their onboard structures allowed these five converted carriers to have well-designed hangars. Among them, Kaga and Akagi had a capacity of 81 aircraft each, while the three special-purpose ship-converted carriers could each carry 30 aircraft based on their standard complement.

In Yamamoto's view, aside from aircraft carriers, battleships, which were considered unnecessary but still valuable, were also well-equipped. The ten outdated battleships all had high-output engines reaching 136.000 horsepower, with the Nagato-class reaching 29 knots, the Ise and Fusō classes reaching 27 to 27,5 knots, and the Kongō-class achieving a high speed of 30 knots. Additionally, Ise, Hyūga, Yamashiro, and Fusō were each equipped with six twin 36 cm gun turrets, but through their modernization, all of them were retrofitted with four twin 41 cm gun turrets, achieving the same firepower as the Nagato-class.

For Yamamoto, the presence of sixteen aircraft carriers and ten battleships was reassuring, but even more so was the existence of the oil tankers constructed with financial support from Binta. At the end of a meeting with Binta during the Circle 4 Plan, which he had undertaken with the then Minister Mitsumasa Yonai, there was a proposal to provide oil tankers from him. Thanks to these oil tankers, the supply plan became much easier, and it was now possible to add flexibility to the operations.

"The enhancement of combat vessels from the Circle 1 Plan to the Circle 4 Plan is tremendous. However, on the other hand, the supporting forces for these are somewhat fragile. So, I would like to offer support for those supporting vessels," Binta said as he donated the construction costs for ten oil tankers to the Imperial Navy.

Furthermore, he provided construction costs for other supporting vessels, including two Akashi-class repair ships. It seemed he had particular concern about the vulnerability of the oil tankers, perhaps due to his background in economics.

"Japan has only around 100 oil tankers, including smaller ones, with a total capacity of no more than 500.000 tons. This is not enough for a satisfactory war," he said. "To defeat Japan, it's enough to sink just 100 of these oil tankers. Without oil, aircraft carriers and battleships can't operate, and the economy itself won't function. If it were not for the Philippines, the United States Navy might have focused its entire effort on unrestricted submarine warfare, like Germany."

For the Imperial Navy, which was strengthening its preparedness for a decisive fleet battle, this was a chilling conversation. However, the US Navy had the capability to carry out such a plan if his country took it seriously. They might quickly establish a submarine fleet that could surpass the U-boat force.

'That's what the Maritime Escort Force is for...'

In April 1941, the Maritime Escort Force, equivalent to the Combined Fleet, was established within the Imperial Navy. The core of the force consisted of outdated light cruisers, outdated destroyers, newly built escort ships, and anti-submarine patrol boats. However, in sheer numbers, they far exceeded the Combined Fleet's force. Many of these vessels prioritized anti-aircraft guns, machine guns, and anti-submarine equipment as their main armament. Of course, many of these had received Binta's support.

The first officer to assume command of this force was Admiral Shigetarō Shimada. Originally, he was supposed to become the Minister of the Navy this autumn. However, Binta had a direct appeal to Marshal Admiral Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu, stating that the head of the organization should be someone of the highest caliber within the Imperial Navy. Mistakenly believing that Binta was valuing his favored Admiral Shimada, the Marshal Admiral readily accepted his request, and this appointment came to be.

Recalling this, Yamamoto couldn't help but smirk. Binta had not actually evaluated Shimada. He had, in a playful manner, created a group known as the "Four Heavenly Kings of the Navy," making a wordplay on the "Three Navy Leftists," referring to Admirals Yonai, Yamamoto, and Vice Admiral Shigeyoshi Inoue. The members of this group were Marshal Admiral Prince Fushimi Hiroyasu, Admiral Osami Nagano, Admiral Koshirō Oikawa, and Admiral Shimada. When Inoue heard about this, he burst into laughter, which was unusual for him. In other words, it was all in good fun. Currently, the Minister of the Navy is Admiral Kōichi Shiozawa, who is a contemporary of Admirals Yamamoto and Shimada.

'I wonder what Satsutaba-san is up to now.'

Yamamoto pondered about one of the world's wealthiest men who is providing vast financial assistance to the Imperial Navy. Currently, the Combined Fleet Headquarters has been moved ashore, with its command facilitated by Binta's financial support and shrewd advice.

"In the times to come, the key to success is how quickly and accurately we can obtain information. In such circumstances, it's nonsensical to place the headquarters on a battleship with limited communication capabilities," he said, providing the funds for the construction of a building in Hiyoshi with an underground bunker.

Apart from that, he allocated a substantial sum for construction expenses. Binta, who valued the importance of information more than anyone, had previously allocated significant funds to military attaches and the intelligence department. However, this time was different. And he wanted it to be used by individuals other than himself: Yonai and Inoue, and other individuals under their influence. Even without asking, the purpose was clear. You could tell by looking at the members. It was for ending the war, no doubt. And the central figure in this endeavor was undoubtedly Binta Satsutaba himself.