At the time of the outbreak of war, the Combined Fleet had three main combat units: the First Fleet, consisting of six battleships as the main force, and the Second Fleet and Third Fleet, each centered around four aircraft carriers.
In addition to these, Pacific Fleet intelligence had obtained information that a fourth fleet, focused on aircraft carriers, had been organized. The intelligence department believed this newly formed mobile unit included the formidable Sōryū and Shōkaku class aircraft carriers that had wreaked havoc in the Pacific since the beginning of the war, along with the smaller Chitose-class carriers. The basis for this assessment was the cancellation of four large vessels that the Imperial Japanese Navy had planned to construct as part of the Circle 4 Plan at the outset of the war. Regardless of whether they were battleships or aircraft carriers, Japan's shipbuilding capacity meant that completion would not be possible until after 1944, with vast budgets and resources required.
Moreover, even if, for example, hastily constructed wartime aircraft carriers with short construction periods were considered, it was deemed difficult to operationalize such vessels within less than one year and ten months since the start of the war, and there was no information indicating the construction of such ships. In such a scenario, it was natural to assume that the Combined Fleet had organized three mobile units, anchored by eight regular aircraft carriers and four small carriers. Furthermore, it was anticipated that each of these three fleets, totaling twelve carriers, would carry at least 700 aircraft, and possibly close to 800. Regrettably, at the current juncture, it was evident that Japan's fleet of aircraft carriers surpassed that of the Pacific Fleet.
Approximately a year and a half after the Battle of the Indian Ocean, in September 1943, the fleet suddenly began advancing eastward. From the fleet's route, it quickly became apparent that the target of the enemy was either Midway or Oahu. Considering the scale of forces, it was virtually certain that Japan's fleet was primarily aiming for Midway.
The basis for this assessment was the comparison of their respective strengths. The Pacific Fleet's carrier force had around 550 aircraft, and Oahu's airfield had close to 700 aircraft. Simply adding these numbers surpassed the strength of the Japanese fleet. While the skilled personnel aboard Japan's fleet could potentially engage both the Pacific Fleet and Oahu's base air force, attempting this under the acknowledged numerical disadvantage, and in a situation not particularly dire for the Japanese fleet, seemed inconceivable.
When Admiral Nimitz, Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet, received an explanation of the situation from his subordinates, he harbored a mix of dissatisfaction and relief. His dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact that if the Japanese invasion had been just over a month later, he could have included the currently in training Essex-class regular carrier Intrepid, along with the Langley and Cabot of the Independence-class light carriers. The combined aircraft from these three ships exceeded 160, making a significant difference. Although the Pacific Fleet currently had four regular carriers and five light carriers, the disadvantage against Japan's carrier force of twelve ships was evident. However, with the addition of the mentioned three ships, the Pacific Fleet could have fought on a nearly equal footing in terms of both the number of carriers and aircraft.
Still, Nimitz did not necessarily consider this battle to be decidedly unfavorable. This was due to the presence of the Midway base air force. Last year, in the Battle of Midway, the Pacific Fleet, under Nimitz's command as Commander-in-Chief, suffered a major failure, with all ships, including four aircraft carriers, either sunk or captured. During that battle, the US Navy suffered a significant blow, losing almost all carrier crew members, excluding the Ranger, which did not participate in the battle.
In the Battle of Wake Island and the Battle of Midway, the US Navy lost thousands of highly skilled soldiers and technicians capable of handling complex combat machinery at sea. The wounds from that time had not completely healed, and most of the current Pacific Fleet personnel were sophomores, with some even being freshmen. However, over the past year and a half, these personnel had been trained with abundant resources in terms of oil, ammunition, and funds, without any budget constraints. Although somewhat lacking in experience, they managed to gather outstanding performers based on their training records.
Moreover, the situation at Midway Atoll was different from the time of the Battle of Midway. Initially plagued by troubles during its deployment, the F4U Corsairs, which had suffered unexpected setbacks against Japanese fighters, had largely overcome their issues. Now, 72 of these elite Marine Corps aircraft were guarding the skies over Midway. From the Army, 72 B-17 heavy bombers participated, demonstrating their power not only in bombing but also in reconnaissance.
Similar to the Marine Corps and the Army, the Navy was also participating. To address the weakness of Army planes in dealing with fast-moving targets at sea, TBF Avenger torpedo bombers, capable of delivering deadly torpedoes, were deployed. 36 of these had already landed at Midway. Furthermore, Catalina flying boats, responsible for anti-submarine patrols and pilot rescues, were on standby, numbering around 30. Including transport and communication aircraft, there were nearly 250 airplanes and flying boats gathered at Midway. When combined with the carrier task force, the total exceeded 800 aircraft, surpassing the Japanese fleet.
Not only in aircraft but also in surface strike forces, they were well-equipped. While the state-of-the-art battleships Iowa and New Jersey were stationed in the Atlantic as a countermeasure against the German battleship Tirpitz, all South Dakota-class and North Carolina-class new battleships were under the command of the Pacific Fleet. Cruisers were all of the new Cleveland or Atlanta classes, and destroyers were mostly the new Fletcher-class.
The carrier air groups had primarily SBD Dauntless dive bombers, but the fighters and torpedo bombers were new models. Especially, the F6F Hellcat fighter, with a 2.000-horsepower engine, was an eagerly awaited aircraft thanks to an expedited deployment. Equipped to easily outclass the much-feared Zero fighters, it was a source of confidence. While there were some concerns about the overall strength, there was no doubt about their capabilities.
"We will repay the debt from last year's Battle of Midway twofold," Admiral Nimitz resolved in his heart.
Looking down from the Pearl Harbor headquarters of the Pacific Fleet, the forces Nimitz anticipated were already in motion.
Fifth Fleet
- First Group
-- Essex (36 × F6Fs, 36 × SBDs, 24 × TBFs)
-- Lexington (36 × F6Fs, 36 × SBDs, 24 × TBFs)
-- Independence (24 × F6Fs, 9 × TBFs)
-- 2 light cruisers, 12 destroyers
- Second Group
-- Yorktown (36 × F6Fs, 36 × SBDs, 24 × TBFs)
-- Princeton (24 × F6Fs, 9 × TBFs)
-- Belleau Wood (24 × F6Fs, 9 × TBFs)
-- 2 light cruisers, 12 destroyers
- Third Group
-- Bunker Hill (36 × F6Fs, 36 × SBDs, 24 × TBFs)
-- Cowpens (24 × F6Fs, 9 × TBFs)
-- Monterey (24 × F6Fs, 9 × TBFs)
-- 2 light cruisers, 12 destroyers
Seventh Fleet
- Battleships South Dakota, Indiana, Massachusetts, Alabama, Washington, North Carolina
- 4 light cruisers, 16 destroyers
YOU ARE READING
Drastically Modified Combined Fleet
Historical Fiction「All of these ships are all weird. It's like a magical fleet.」 An organization built on the knowledge and experience gained from past accidents and incidents, using them as lessons to stack up and ensure that the same mistakes are never repeated aga...
