Fleet of Books

Chapter 82 - Funryū-3

Preparation against attacks from islands other than Oahu was entrusted to the German and Italian carriers, while the 1st Mobile Fleet organized a second wave to annihilate the American task force. At the onset of the battle, the 1st Mobile Fleet boasted 1.500 Reppū fighters, matching six Task Forces. However, in the successive engagements with the American air forces, they lost 37 aircraft, and an additional 184 were deemed immediately unusable due to damage. For the immediately available aircraft, each carrier left one squadron for direct cover and dispatched the rest to engage the American task force.

Out of the 907 Reppū fighters launched from 31 carriers, all of the First Fleet's fighters and half of the Fifth Fleet's targeted A-1, all of the Second Fleet's fighters and the remaining half of the Fifth Fleet targeted A-2, all of the Third Fleet's fighters and half of the Sixth Fleet targeted A-3, and all of the Fourth Fleet's fighters and the remaining half of the Sixth Fleet targeted A-4.

. . .

"Fifth Fleet, strengthen the outer ring of the circular formation with attacks on cruisers and destroyers. Each squadron leader, be mindful to avoid targeting duplication. The First Fleet will commence attack after the Fifth Fleet's assault is completed."

Lieutenant Commander Tomonaga, who was entrusted with the overall command of the attackers from the First and Fifth Fleets, paused for a moment before issuing further orders.

"The carrier on the front left is to be targeted by the Shōkaku group; Zuikaku group, go to the front right. Sōryū group to the rear left, Hiryū group to the rear right. Zuihō group, remain on standby until further notice."

With Tomonaga's command, the Reppū fighters of the Fifth Fleet transitioned into attack formation. It seemed that arrangements had been made within the fleet beforehand. First, the Ise air group consisting of 11 planes and the Hyūga air group of 10 launched assaults on two cruisers that stood out in the circular formation. In response, the American formation dubbed A-1 initiated counterattacks with standard high-angle guns and dual-purpose guns, such as the Mk 12 5-inch gun. The VT-fused 12,7 cm shells exploded successively around the fighters.

Caught within the danger radius, the 7th plane of the Ise and the 5th plane of the Hyūga had their fuselage torn apart and plummeted into the waters off Oahu. However, the remaining planes fired rocket projectiles carried under their bellies before entering the effective range of 40 mm or 20 mm guns, simultaneously transitioning into evasive maneuvers.

The rocket projectiles launched by the Reppū fighters had a higher volume than the Funryū-1, which had slaughtered numerous Allied ships from the beginning of the war until the Battle of the North Atlantic. It was the Funryū-3, which the Imperial Navy, inspired by the Chronicle of Intense Reflection, had devoted years of development effort to. It weighed only 1.500 kilograms so that it could be used with the Reppū. Even so, it still contained 500 kilograms of explosives and was so powerful that a destroyer would be disabled with a single hit, and would not be able to stay afloat if hit by another.

The Funryū-3 was a guided projectile like the Funryū-1, but there was a decisive difference in the guidance system. While the Funryū-1 required radio guidance from the launcher, the Funryū-3 was equipped with a radar in its nose, allowing it to hit targets by tracking their reflected waves, known as a "fire-and-forget" automatic tracking system. As a result, even the single-seater Reppū could achieve a high accuracy. In the United States, a similar system called the BAT guided bomb was nearing the final stages of development. However, unlike the Funryū-3, it lacked propulsion and relied on gliding or free falling. It was lighter and carried less explosive power compared to the Funryū-3.

The fact that Japan could deploy guided missiles, which clearly faced more technical hurdles than the guided bomb, was able to be deployed ahead of the BAT, was due to the earlier start of development, as well as the excellent rocket technology and attitude control technology brought to Japan from Germany, and the cutting-edge electronic technology from Britain, all of which had been introduced to Japan by the year 1942.

Ten projectiles released by the Ise air group surged toward the Memphis, a light cruiser of the Omaha-class. Despite being an old vessel, the Memphis was deployed to escort the carriers, as newer light cruisers like the Atlanta-class and the Cleveland-class had been lost in previous battles. The ship had been transformed into an anti-aircraft light cruiser, with additional high-angle guns and machine guns installed in place of its main guns and torpedo launchers. Thanks to this modification, it managed to shoot down one fighter, but that was the extent of its capability.

Out of the 10 Funryū-3s, three were lost due to issues with the radio transceiver, attitude control, or propulsion mechanism. However, the remaining seven either directly hit or exploded in close proximity to the Memphis, inflicting severe damage upon her. Being hit simultaneously by several 1,5-ton masses of iron containing 500 kilograms of explosives each, the Memphis, with a standard displacement just slightly over 7.000 tons, stood no chance. In no time, the Memphis turned into a maritime bonfire, sinking into the depths amid the explosions and smoke.

Likewise, the fate of the Concord, targeted by the Hyūga air group, was reminiscent of the Memphis. At the outset of the war, the Concord had been undergoing overhaul in San Diego, thus narrowly escaping the tragedy of Pearl Harbor. However, she couldn't evade her fate indefinitely and ended up succumbing to the direct hits or near-misses of six missiles, following the Memphis's fate.

After the attacks by the Ise and Hyūga air groups ceased, it was now the turn of the Akagi, Jun'yō, Ryūhō, and Mizuho air groups, totaling 47 aircraft, to launch Funryū-3s towards American destroyers. Out of the targeted 12 ships, at least 11 suffered hits, with some engulfed in massive explosions, likely due to ignited torpedoes or depth charges.

Observing the breakdown of the circular formation, the Shōkaku, Zuikaku, Sōryū, and Hiryū air groups initiated assaults, launching missiles one after another toward their respective targets. The Franklin, targeted by the larger 42-strong Shōkaku air group, met a particularly gruesome end. Before launching the Funryū-3s, one Reppū was shot down by the anti-aircraft guns, and another attempting to disengage after launch was also destroyed. Despite the loss of 11 projectiles due to mechanical issues, the remaining 30 found their mark, piercing through the Franklin. Despite the robust design and excellent damage control of the Essex-class carriers, being bombarded by numerous Funryū-3s within a short period left no room for survival. Explosions ravaged the ship from bow to stern, and the Franklin erupted in flames within moments. The Ticonderoga, Kearsarge, and Valley Forge, targeted by the 41-plane Zuikaku air group, 34-plane Sōryū air group, and 35-plane Hiryū air group respectively, faced similar fates. Each ship was enveloped in towering flames and smoke, with no chance of survival evident.

"Zuihō air group, target the surviving destroyers."

The Zuihō air group, which had been on standby until then, banked and approached the rearmost Fletcher-class destroyer.

Considering the number of aircraft in the air group, sinking the target was almost a certainty. However, on the other hand, among the destroyers hit by the missiles, some showed no sign of sinking yet.

Although nearly 70% of their forces had been allocated to sinking enemy carriers to ensure certainty, it seemed they had overestimated the required firepower. In fact, even if only half the force had been deployed against the four American carriers, they likely could have been sunk with ease. Conversely, due to the insufficient force allocated, many of the American destroyers, though severely damaged, managed to survive instead of sinking.

However, Lieutenant Commander Tomonaga realized that the lives of these damaged destroyers were hanging by a thread. With few exceptions, the Imperial Navy had maintained relentless attacks until the last ship sank, except in some cases like the Battle of the North Atlantic. This time would be no different from the usual course of action.