Admiral Yamamoto, the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, initially planned a surprise attack on Hawaii with the aircraft carriers Akagi and Kaga, along with four ships of the Shōkaku-class. At the outset of the war, he intended to launch an air raid on the Pacific Fleet anchored at Pearl Harbor with the aircraft on these six carriers, aiming to annihilate them all at once. However, there were many voices of doubt regarding this operation. The brilliant minds in the Military Affairs Bureau and the Operations Bureau unanimously opposed this risky venture. One of the major concerns was that the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor might be viewed as a treacherous ambush, leading to intense anger from the American public. Among those voices of concern was also Binta.
And he said the following, "The Americans possess superior radar compared to the Japanese military, so there's no way a surprise attack would be possible. If it were to succeed, it would most likely be due to either mechanical failures or human errors. Instead, our aircraft carriers have a clear advantage in terms of firepower, so we should confidently push forward. When the side with superior forces resorts to a surprise strategy, it rarely leads to a favorable outcome."
In fact, during simulation exercises that assumed the presence of American radar, the mobile task force suffered severe losses, including heavy attacks from Oahu's aviation units and pursuit by the Pacific Fleet. Faced with such results, Yamamoto had no choice but to reconsider. With lingering regret for the Pearl Harbor attack, Yamamoto decided to confront the approaching Pacific Fleet, which was en route to the Philippines.
Pacific Fleet Interception Force
First Fleet
- Battleships Nagato, Mutsu, Ise, Hyūga, Yamashiro, Fusō
- Heavy cruisers Kumano, Suzuya, Mogami, Mikuma
- Light cruisers Naka, Kitakami, Ōi
- Destroyers Yukikaze, Hatsukaze, Amatsukaze, Tokitsukaze, Urakaze, Isokaze, Hamakaze, Tanikaze, Nowaki, Arashi, Hagikaze, Maikaze, Kuroshio, Oyashio, Hayashio, Natsushio
2nd Air Fleet
- Hiryū (24 × A6M fighters, 36 × Type 0 attackers)
- Sōryū (24 × A6M, 36 × Type 0s)
- Unryū (24 × A6M, 36 × Type 0s)
- Hakuryū (24 × A6M, 36 × Type 0s)
- Sekiryū (24 × A6M, 36 × Type 0s)
- Heavy cruiser Tone
- Light cruiser Ayase
- Destroyers Akizuki, Teruzuki, Suzutsuki, Hatsuzuki, Niizuki, Wakatsuki, Shimotsuki, Fuyuzuki
3rd Air Fleet
- Shōkaku (36 × A6M, 36 × Type 0s)
- Zuikaku (24 × A6M, 36 × Type 0s)
- Kamikaku (24 × A6M, 36 × Type 0s)
- Amakaku (24 × A6M, 36 × Type 0s)
- Heavy cruiser Chikuma
- Light cruiser Takase
- Destroyers Harutsuki, Yoizuki, Natsuzuki, Hanazuki, Michitzuki, Kiyotsuki, Ōtsuki, Hazuki
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...
