Drastically Modified Combined Fleet

Chapter 2 - Russo-Japanese War (2)

"Staff Officer, you've written about the importance of information communication in the report to the point of being repetitive, and you are no exception. There were others who wrote about the same things, but none were as persistent as you."

Admiral Heihachirō Tōgō gave an indescribable smile to Staff Officer Saneyuki Akiyama. There was a hint of mild astonishment in his expression, but Akiyama continued to calmly present his thoughts to Tōgō without changing his expression.

"What we keenly felt in this war is the importance of information and communication. For instance, even if we discover the enemy, if there is no reliable means of conveying that information to our allies, it becomes entirely worthless. The Shinano Maru was able to send information about the enemy discovery because it had a reliable communication method."

"That's right. And the Type 36 wireless telegraph that you were so keen on introducing also proved to be very useful for exchanging information between ships. I never imagined that being provided with the information I couldn't know myself would enhance tactical flexibility to this extent."

Above all, Tōgō himself was aided by the smooth transmission of information. Thanks to that, he was able to fulfill the duties of the Commander-in-Chief, making the right decisions somehow. That's why he understood the effects more than anyone else.

"As you say, knowing the enemy's position, strength, and the situation of friendly forces makes a huge difference in commanding, in terms of its accuracy. Especially in naval battles that span a wide area, such as the Battle of Tsushima, this difference is particularly pronounced."

"If our Imperial Navy is to have the opportunity to fight another country's navy in the future, the difference in communication technology may also determine victory or defeat."

The victory in the Battle of Tsushima often drew attention to factors such as the accuracy of cannons, the performance of gunpowder, and the tactics of fleet movements, but above all, the difference in the information network on the battlefield, namely communication, was decisive. However, very few, including the staff officer in front of him, realized this.

"There is no doubt that information collection, including communication technology, and the ability to analyze it, play a significant role in the outcome. It's no longer the era of heroes. I don't intend to boast just because we won, but from now on, it will be an era where rational and functional militaries prevail."

"We didn't build it ourselves, but by possessing the world's best ships and mastering communication technology and its operational techniques that go beyond the world's leading, we were able to defeat the Baltic Fleet. That's what it comes down to."

"Yes. I don't underestimate the gunnery and navigation skills of our officers and soldiers, but there is no mistake that the power of information warfare and rear support was overwhelmingly significant."

Tōgō cast his eyes again on the report he himself had written in response to Akiyama's words. In addition to what had been discussed so far, the report included the importance of reconnaissance, the enhancement of intelligence, including the collection and analysis of domestic and diplomatic information, the improvement of ship habitability through the expansion of medical facilities, the reinforcement of individual ship workshop facilities, the construction of specialized workshop ships, and the necessity of various support vessels. Among these, what caught Tōgō's attention was the establishment of a new maritime escort unit to protect ally merchant ships from enemy commerce destruction.

"Is this a response to the severe commerce destruction inflicted by the Vladivostok Fleet?"

"Yes, sir. Due to the Vladivostok Fleet's raids, several of our transport and civilian ships were sunk. As a result, the Second Fleet faced criticism, and there were even incidents, such as stones thrown at the commander's house. This is the situation even with just the incident involving the Vladivostok Fleet. If Russia had engaged in commerce destruction on a larger scale, the outcome of this war would have been significantly different."

"Our country can no longer stand without importing resources from other countries. If the enemy completely blocks the sea routes, our country will lose without waiting for a fleet battle. Is that the idea?"

"Unfortunately, as long as our country cannot achieve self-sufficiency in all resources, your statement is correct. Also, one of the reasons for the failure of the Second Fleet to capture the Vladivostok Fleet was the dense fog. With current technology, it's impossible, but in the future, the development of devices that can detect enemies even in thick fog or squalls will be necessary."

"Technological development, expansion of logistics support, and strengthening maritime escort forces, huh. No matter how much money there is, it's not enough. I want this and that, but there are limits to the budget. What would you cut?"

"Mainstream forces like battleships and armored cruisers. Just by stopping the construction of one of these, we can build several factories and escort vessels, and the vast maintenance costs would no longer be necessary."

Even Tōgō, accustomed to surprises, was taken aback by Akiyama's words. This discussion went beyond the significance of the Navy's existence.

"But battleships are not just for fighting; their military presence also influences diplomacy."

"If the lack of battleships leads to the inability to pursue national interests, and negotiations with other countries don't progress, then that's the incompetence of the Foreign Ministry. Even small countries with limited military power can navigate the diplomatic world with skill."

"Oh, is that so? For the sake of learning, I'd like to ask, what weapons do these small countries use to navigate the treacherous world of diplomacy?"

"What these countries have in common is having organizations with excellent information gathering and analytical capabilities, as well as the presence of outstanding diplomats, including ambassadors."

"Information again. Talking to you, I feel like I'm becoming addicted to information."

Tōgō's expression turned genuinely exasperated.

"There's no help for it. For resource-poor Japan to stand alongside the great powers, there's no alternative but to excel in information warfare rather than lag behind."