Big-Ship Big-Gun Combined Fleet

Chapter 56 - New Strength

The Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet issued the order to launch Operation A-Gō, aiming to annihilate the incoming US forces in the Mariana Islands. The main force for the decisive battle is the 1st Mobile Fleet, consisting of two surface strike units and two mobile units, including 14 battleships, 12 aircraft carriers, 16 heavy cruisers, and 48 destroyers, making it a formidable force second only to the Pacific Fleet on Earth.

1st Mobile Fleet

- First Fleet

-- Battleships Yamato, Musashi, Shinano, Kii, Hiei, Kirishima, Kongō, Haruna

-- Heavy cruisers Kumano, Suzuya, Mogami, Mikuma

-- Heavy cruiser Aoba

-- Destroyers Yukikaze, Hatsukaze, Amatsukaze, Urakaze, Isokaze, Hamakaze, Tanikaze

-- Heavy cruiser Kinugasa

-- Destroyers Nowaki, Arashi, Hagikaze, Maikaze, Kuroshio, Oyashio, Hayashio, Natsushio

- Second Fleet

-- Battleships Nagato, Mutsu, Ise, Hyūga, Yamashiro, Fusō

-- Heavy cruisers Atago, Takao, Maya, Myōkō, Haguro, Nachi

-- Heavy cruiser Furutaka

-- Destroyers Kiyonami, Tamanami, Suzunami, Fujinami, Hayanami, Hamanami, Okinami, Kishinami

-- Heavy cruiser Kako

-- Destroyers Akigumo, Yūgumo, Makigumo, Kazagumo, Naganami, Makinami, Takanami, Ōnami

- Third Fleet

-- Kaga (48 × A6Ms, 24 × Type 4 recon planes, 3 × B5Ns)

-- Akagi (48 × A6Ms, 12 × Type 4s, 3 × B5Ns)

-- Ryūjō (24 × A6Ms, 9 × B5Ns)

-- Zuihō (24 × A6Ms, 3 × B5Ns)

-- Shōhō (24 × A6Ms, 3 × B5Ns)

-- Ryūhō (24 × A6Ms, 3 × B5Ns)

-- Heavy cruiser Tone

-- Destroyers Asagumo, Yamagumo, Natsugumo, Minegumo, Asashio, Ōshio, Michishio, Arashio

- Fourth Fleet

-- Sōryū (48 × A6Ms, 6 × Type 4s, 3 × B5Ns)

-- Hiryū (48 × A6Ms, 6 × Type 4s, 3 × B5Ns)

-- Chitose (24 × A6Ms, 3 × B5Ns)

-- Chiyoda (24 × A6Ms, 3 × B5Ns)

-- Nisshin (24 × A6Ms, 3 × B5Ns)

-- Mizuho (24 × A6Ms, 3 × B5Ns)

-- Heavy cruiser Chikuma

-- Destroyers Umikaze, Yamakaze, Kawakaze, Suzukaze, Kagerō, Shiranui, Kasumi, Arare

The core battleship of the fleet, the Yamato-class battleships, had its secondary guns removed to cover the weakness in anti-aircraft capabilities revealed in the Battle of Brisbane. All four 15,5 cm triple gun turrets were removed, and instead, twelve 12,7 cm twin high-angle guns were installed. The field had hoped to use the more powerful 10 cm long, rapid-fire guns, but these were produced in small numbers and were allocated only to the Yūgumo-class destroyers and the Yamato-class ships number five, six, and seven. Other battleships also removed some of their secondary guns, added high-angle guns and machine guns, and significantly improved their capabilities by adopting fire control devices provided by Germany.

In terms of the mobile unit, it was previously a fleet of four ships, but with the addition of Chitose, Chiyoda, Nisshin, and Mizuho, it became a fleet of six ships. The Zero fighters carried by these carriers are different from those operated by land-based air groups. While most land-based air groups use the Model 32 variant, the carrier-based aviation units are equipped with the new Model 53. Unlike the Kinsei engines used in the Model 21 and Model 32, the Model 53 is equipped with a new Homare engine that produces 1.900 horsepower. This nearly 50% increase in output compared to the Model 32 brings a completely different level of maneuverability and speed performance to the aircraft. Moreover, thanks to obtaining high-quality lubricating oil and electrical components from Germany, which are common weaknesses in Japanese aircraft, the operational reliability is maintained at the same level as before.

The armament is also enhanced, with the replacement of the Ho-103 with Mark 2 guns. The 20 mm shells carried, with 200 rounds per gun in a belt-fed system, are significantly more powerful than the 7,7 mm shells of the Model 21 or the 12,7 mm shells of the Model 32. Even the well-defended American carrier planes would have a hard time enduring direct hits from 20 mm shells.

The previously main reconnaissance force, the B5Ns, is now mainly used for anti-submarine patrols. The slow speed of the B5N would make it extremely difficult to escape from fast enemy fighters, barring extraordinary luck. For future reconnaissance, the newly added Type 4 carrier-based reconnaissance will handle this task. Frankly speaking, the Type 4 is a modified version of the Zero Model 53. It was converted to a two-seater for navigators, making the windshield longer than the original. Although the maximum speed of the Type 4 dropped from 620 km/h to 560 km/h due to increased weight and air resistance, it is still significantly faster than the B5N and the E13A reconnaissance seaplane, undoubtedly improving the survival rate.

Upon entering the combat zone, Vice Admiral Jisaburō Ozawa, the commander of the Third Fleet, and Vice Admiral Torao Kuwabara of the Fourth Fleet simultaneously launched their Type 4s. These 36 planes were expected to locate the American fleet lurking in the vicinity of the Marianas.