Cash-Loaded Fleet

Chapter 61 - Commence Operation

'This may be the first time we have been outmatched in a fleet decisive battle against the Americans.'

Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa of the 1st Air Fleet, who took overall command of Operation A-Go, the Second Oahu Annihilation Operation, silently contemplated in his heart. Ozawa has four mobile task forces and a surface striking force, a total of five cards in hand. Of course, the trump card is the mobile task force, and the key to that is the carrier-based air fleet. The aircraft on the 20 carriers reached a total of 1.134, even with only standard aircraft.

However, on the other hand, the US military is even more formidable. In the pre-battle estimate, it is expected that the mobile task force has about 800 aircraft, and the Oahu base air fleet also has a similar number. However, the base air fleet includes many support aircraft such as transport and communication planes, and it was estimated that there would be about 600 combat planes, including fighters and bombers, for actual combat missions.

'Moreover, while the enemy has already deployed new fighter planes, we are still using the old Zero fighters. But that doesn't necessarily mean we are at a disadvantage.'

The Zero fighter, which has been the main naval fighter of the Imperial Japanese Navy since the beginning of the war, is now somewhat outdated. The currently deployed Model 53 has achieved a significant increase in output by replacing the Zuisei engine from the Models 21 and 32 equipped with the Kinsei engine. Still, the maximum speed does not reach 600 kilometers per hour. It's inadequate, to say the least, to face the latest American fighters. Of course, the Imperial Navy was making significant strides in developing the successor to the Zero fighter. However, it will take some time before it is deployed for actual combat.

Even so, Ozawa did not seem to have a sense of imminent crisis. This is because he has a secret weapon, the Type I Mk. 1B rocket. In Ozawa's ears, the words of Special Mission Commander Binta Satsutaba came to mind.

"If we compare the Browning machine guns of American fighter planes to long spears, we can say that the Zero fighter's Mark 2 autocannons are like strong swords. So far, the Zero fighter has jumped into their midst, having seen through the spearheads of Browning, and has systematically cut them down. However, ideally, a spear is stronger than a sword. Nevertheless, the reason the Zero fighter has been winning so far is not only due to the performance of the aircraft but also largely due to the skill of the pilots. Unfortunately, the difference in the skill of Japanese and American pilots will not widen, even if it narrows in the future. This is because Japan's education system for pilots is clearly inferior in scale to the United States, which can train a large number of pilots at once with a refined education system."

Binta, who is fond of saying that organization is ultimately about people and money, continued.

"However, we have the Type I Mk. 1B rocket. It is a groundbreaking weapon that changes the aspect of aerial combat, which until now has been fought with machine guns. We, who have had no choice but to fight spears with swords, have finally obtained a weapon that can out-range them."

Binta spoke with confidence, and from Ozawa's perspective, the Type I Mk. 1B was indeed a highly usable weapon, and the pilots praised it as well. Above all, this would be the first time they would use the Type I Mk. 1B. Without prior knowledge, this weapon, which could be described as a first-strike killer, would bring nightmares to the enemy and, hopefully, good fortune to their side.

On the other hand, unlike carrier-based fighters, carrier attack bombers have been replaced with new models. The aircraft called Tenzan is equipped with the same Kasei engine as the Type 0 attackers. However, the Kasei engine on the Tenzan is the latest model capable of producing 1.900 horsepower, and with its refined fuselage and wings, it has improved its maximum speed by nearly 50 kilometers per hour compared to the Type 0.