Fleet of Books

Chapter 2 - Circle 3 Plan

The Circle 3 Plan escaped the shackles of the London Naval Treaty restrictions. Of course, considering the power dynamics within the Imperial Navy, the construction of new battleships in this plan was a natural progression. After all, the dominant faction was comprised of the gunnery faction.

However, without any consideration for such power balances, Vice Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the Chief of the Aeronautics Department, staunchly opposed the construction of new battleships. For Yamamoto, a pioneer of air power doctrine, nothing seemed more wasteful than these new battleships. Building them required immense resources and funds, and the subsequent maintenance costs would be astronomical.

Nevertheless, Yamamoto's uncompromising stance against the construction of new battleships sparked a dispute with Admiral Ryōzō Nakamura, the Chief of the Technical Department, who was pushing for their construction. This confrontation essentially boiled down to a clash between proponents of air power and advocates of massive battleships.

Yamamoto argued for placing aircraft, which had the capability to destroy battleships with ease before reaching gunnery range, at the center of naval preparedness. On the contrary, Nakamura firmly believed that battleships were the naval mainstream and would continue to be the mainstay in the future. Their conflicting opinions led to a deadlock with no sign of either side backing down.

However, considering the post-London Naval Treaty era and the current period where naval powers were pushing for military expansion, the stagnation in the discussion was unacceptable. Ultimately, the matter was resolved temporarily through the intervention of the Imperial Navy's influential figures – Marshal Admiral Prince Fushimi, Chief of the Navy General Staff, and Admiral Osami Nagano, the Navy Minister. They agreed to build two battleships and two aircraft carriers each to find a compromise. Although Yamamoto challenged his superior Nakamura in a debate, when Prince Fushimi and Nagano stepped in for mediation, he had no choice but to yield quietly.

Yamamoto, frustrated by the absurdity of building giant battleships, recalled the Ship's Intelligence Lexicon, the divine pencil, and the Chronicle of Intense Reflection given to him by a man named Ryūkaku Hiranuma a few years ago. Until then, these documents had served as mere drawer fillers.

Without much thought, Yamamoto casually opened the Ship's Intelligence Lexicon. As he read through the pages already detailing the Circle 1 and Circle 2 Plans, he became aware that he was sweating uncomfortably. The contents of the plans in the Ship's Intelligence Lexicon perfectly matched the actual ones. When he turned his attention to the Circle 3 Plan, he found that it included the budget allocation for building two new battleships and two new aircraft carriers each.

"New battleships named Yamato and Musashi, and for the aircraft carriers, Shōkaku and Zuikaku..."

Yamamoto accordingly erased Yamato and Musashi, instead adding the third and fourth ships for the new aircraft carriers in their place. At this point, a note appeared, urging him to reconcile the designated names and balance the budget differences. It seemed to suggest disposing of the surplus funds, likely because aircraft carriers were cheaper than battleships. How the words appeared in this manner was beyond comprehension. It should have been impossible. However, strangely, Yamamoto was not particularly bothered by it. Perhaps a part of his consciousness was paralyzed, or someone had induced that paralysis. Such thoughts briefly crossed his mind. However, he quickly forgot about it and proceeded to name the aircraft carriers. Kamikaku and Amakaku. It was a self-deprecating choice, expressing his reliance on the divine or on fortune.

To avoid the hassle of contemplating the budget differences, Yamamoto simply added the surplus to the aviation budget. Additionally, he canceled the construction of the unnecessary supply ship Kashino, originally planned due to the cancellation of the new battleships, redirecting its budget to the aviation fund.

Yamamoto was aware that what he was doing seemed ridiculous, yet he found himself surprisingly engrossed in the process. The Ship's Intelligence Lexicon seemed to serve as a tool for consolation or a means of diversion. He decided he might as well take a look at the Circle 4 Plan when he had the time. With that in mind, Yamamoto put away the Ship's Intelligence Lexicon and the divine brush.

The next day, something unusual happened.