This is the first chapter this month.
Finally, the mission to intercept the Yi Empire is launched.
- Kazuhiro Kasami
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February 25, 1750
Waspaniat Kingdom, Capital Mecomin, Harbor
On this day, Queen Waspanium XIV of the Waspaniat Kingdom was looking forward to the arrival of a Maritime Self-Defense Force escort group, which was sent from Japan.
"I wonder what kind of warships the Japanese have... this is something worth looking forward to."
Chiffon, a young foreign minister and secretary to Waspanium XIV, was standing next to her. She, too, was very concerned about the country of Japan, which was highly praised by countries such as the Grand Lago Kingdom and the Divine Kingdom of Anubisius.
"They sold our country new types of firearms and cannons, airplanes, and warships... although, to be honest, I thought it was quite an expensive purchase, even including second-hand goods."
"Don't say that. Weapons become more expensive as their quality improves. It can't be helped."
In fact, when the Waspaniat Kingdom completed the paddle-wheel steamship and the cannon with a range of 3 kilometers, it alone cost far more money than the conventional ship-of-the-line. What it cost was money for 'improved quality.' The same goes for methods of casting purer metals, and sophisticated shipbuilding methods.
"Yes... but the Treasurer is angry because of the rampant spending..."
That being said, for the Japanese, the mass production effect has made the price of the Pistorix much cheaper, as four more ships have been purchased by the Republic of Francesca and the rebuilding Neutrine Empire, among others, in the future. Anubisius also benefited from the mass production effect, as it sold tanks and self-propelled artillery to Francesca and Neutrine.
"Sorry, sorry... huh?"
Waspanium XIV quickly looked through her binoculars (bought from Japan).
"Are those them?"
Chiffon looked through the binoculars as well, and saw a fleet consisting of huge ships approaching the port. On average, they looked similar to the Pistorix-class cruisers. However, they sported single main guns instead of a triple gun, and it is slimmer than the Pistorix-class, making it seem unreliable at first glance.
"Wow, it's quite large... but compared to the Yi Empire's battleships, they seem a bit unreliable."
"Is that so? The battleships of the Yi Empire are mainly equipped with cannons and machine guns, but there are many other unexplainable devices on those ships. Perhaps they are equipped with radar, which was provided to our country, and sonar, which is used to search for submarines. And, I believe that they are also equipped with that deadly weapon, the guided missile. If the weapons provided to our country are degraded versions intended for export, then the capabilities of the SDF's weapons should be far superior."
"Then... is the seemingly unreliable appearance of these weapons meant to catch the enemy off guard?"
Chiffon's offhanded guess made Waspanium XIV break out in a cold sweat.
"...I don't think that's true."
But it's true.
In the past, warships did not have certain-hit weapons like guided missiles, so they don't think that accurately intercepting an attack was important, and they needed enough armor to repel shells and fire back even if hit by an attack and enough speed to dodge an attack, but today, since the capability of missiles has greatly improved, most flying objects (as expected, supersonic anti-ship missiles are quite tough to intercept...) are now possible. Therefore, Japan's main destroyers are at best between light cruisers and heavy cruisers by the Great War Standards (they are called destroyers in English, but...) The Izumo-class destroyer is also a light aircraft carrier of less than 20.000 tons (which is a full-fledged fleet carrier in World War II standards...).
However, there was one that caught them off guard.
"W-what is that!?"
"Is that... a warship!?"
What appeared was the Musashi, the second Yamato-class artillery destroyer, and the Katsuragi, an Akagi-class aircraft destroyer.
The Musashi was 260 meters long, while the Katsuragi was 332 meters, the same length as the Nimitz-class. In addition, the latter is a supercarrier that takes up a lot of space, so its length and beam can be summed up in one word: "Huge."
Both Waspanium XIV and Chiffon were stunned by the scale of those ships.
"...Japanese cargo ships and tankers have visited our country before... but that one is... comparable, or maybe even bigger."
"To think monsters like that existed in this world..."
For the Japanese, aside from the Musashi, the Akagi-class aircraft destroyer is based on the American Nimitz-class, so of course it cannot be said to be all original. However, for people in this world who will be seeing them for the first time, such things are irrelevant. They felt a strong sense of awe at the fact that Japan built such a huge warship and has the technology and national power to build it.
This escort group had been sailing on the eastern route via the Sindhvan Community. If the Panama Canal had been completed, it would have been quicker to pass through it and go via Australia, but the canal is still only about 70% complete after more than a decade. This is due to the fact that the construction industry, both in Japan and abroad, is busy as hell, but there is no way around this as there is also pioneering work to be done.
From the Japanese point of view, it is difficult to understand why the ancient civilization did not build the Panama Canal. If there had been a civilization in the Americas, the existence of the Panama Canal would have been indispensable. If anything, the Japanese government's reasoning was that either aviation had developed faster than Earth, or they had no idea that they would have to pass through the continent.
However, based on the remains of the ancient civilization that existed in other countries (especially in Eurasia), the government believed that it was highly likely that the ancient civilization had little to do with the Americas despite their advanced technology. In reality, however, there are still many areas that have not been fully investigated, such as Alaska in the north, and the possibility that some facilities may be located there cannot be ruled out.
Still, some have suggested that since satellites have not captured them, they should be considered non-existent, but the government is still in the middle of a debate because it said, "Then we can't think of any reasons why the various demi-human races that are the original inhabitants would exist."
Some scholars have pointed out the possibility that the Americas may have been a testing ground for the growth of demi-human and ancient creatures. This would explain why dinosaurs existed only in the Americas and why the dark elves, Arachnes, ogres, minotaurs, antmen, and bee-people, which did not exist in the Americas, might be the creatures they wanted to create. However, this too is not beyond the realm of speculation, and there are still strong oppositions.
By the way, there were dwarves, winged people, and lizardmen in the Americas. The lack of clarity in this area of discrimination and distinction also added to the confusion of the government and experts.
Back to the topic.
"I have wondered what it means to make our ports so deep and so big, but it makes sense if they are going to... put those huge ships in there."
"T-that big cannon, how many centimeters is it... that was provided to our country, err..."
"For ships, 105 millimeters and 155 millimeters... 15,5-centimeter triple-barreled cannons. We also bought infantry support howitzers from Japan, which were also 155 millimeters. I believe those are the largest guns we have."
The Japanese had produced howitzers for export that could be towed by trucks and self-propelled, based on the FH-70.
Some people thought that a long barrel of 52 caliber, the same as the Type 99 self-propelled 155 mm howitzer and the Type 19 self-propelled howitzer, was too long, so the concept was to make the barrel length short and lightweight for the first time. The FH-70-lookalike, equipped with an engine and suspension made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, was manufactured and adopted as an export Type 31 40 caliber 155 mm self-propelled howitzer and approached various countries, which led to its adoption not only by the Waspaniat Kingdom but also by Anubisius, Francesca, and other countries that did not possess a howitzer.
However, Grand Lago is apparently trying to make a new howitzer on its own. Since Anubisius is said to be involved in this project, Japan predicted that it would produce something with high performance for this world... The result was something that looked so much like something between the Jagdpanzer 38 Hetzer and the Kanonenjagdpanzer, with a combat compartment and armor on the chassis of the tank under development and a 155 mm howitzer in a fixed arrangement, causing the Japanese engineers to be confused with this development.
The Brits, always everywhere no matter the universe.
Anyway.
"With a gun that huge... I can't even imagine the caliber of that warship. I'd say at least 38 centimeters... no, if it looks that big from here, it must be at least 40 centimeters!?"
To be precise, it is a 45 caliber 46 cm gun, the largest naval artillery in the world and the previous world, but there is no way to know that.
"Eeek... I had heard that the Yetisk Empire has battleships with cannons of nearly 40 centimeters caliber... but if it's more than that, then Japan is stronger than them..."
"I don't doubt that. Yetisk still only have missiles for anti-air use, and Japan exports them, albeit in degraded versions. The other thing is that Japan has such a large technological gap that they are willing to export them."
In fact, even if one wanted to analyze or imitate it, only the Grand Lago Kingdom has now reached that level. Even Anubisius has improved considerably in vehicle technology and gun manufacturing technology, but when it comes to precision machinery, there is no denying that they are one step behind.
And within two hours, all the ships had docked at the harbor. From inside, men with crisp appearances disembarked. In the Waspaniat Kingdom, which has a large female population, good-looking men are a source of great gossip.
. . .
"Look at the Japanese soldiers..."
"They are so different from my husband~"
"He looks thin at first glance, but his movement is so different. He's so refined ♡"
"I wish I could be held by a man like that."
"Oh no, those shoulders are so hot."
"Haah... haah... I want to see abs... hahaha..."
"What are you talking about... pecs are better than abs..."
"Idiot... men are men."
Restrain yourself, ladies.
. . .
Some of them were muttering about raunchy stuff, but the JMSDF members do not care about them at all. Or rather, if they were concerned about that kind of thing, they would not be able to make it in the JMSDF, which is a hive (that's a compliment) of non-humans even by earthly standards. There, don't say that many things are wrong. It is too late for that now.
A rather good-looking middle-aged man stood in from of Waspanium XIV and fabulously saluted the queen, causing her to fall in love with him.
"It is my pleasure to meet you for the first time. My name is Shogo Ayusawa, Commander of the 4th Escort Group of the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force."
"I am Waspanium XIV, Queen of the Waspanite Kingdom. Thank you for coming all the way from afar. This whole country welcomes you all."
"You have my gratitude."
The 4th Escort Group will spend the day today at this port to rest, and is scheduled to depart tomorrow to intercept the Yi Empire's fleet. The information from the reconnaissance satellite revealed that the Yi Empire's fleet would be leaving 'around tomorrow,' so tomorrow would be just in time.
. . .
That night, the Waspanite Royal Palace was filled with revelry. To entertain the JSDF officers who had come as reinforcements, the kingdom had gathered together a variety of gourmet foods and drinks to entertain them. For example, not only honey wine, but also local fish, meat, and insect dishes, which are considered gastronomic delicacies by the locals.
By the way, the honey wine is quite low in alcohol... and, to be frank, is almost like juice.
This is because the Waspanites were more considerate of the SDF officers who will be leaving port for the battle tomorrow. They knew that it would be a bad idea for them to be hungover before the mission, and they knew that they would not drink if they recommended booze to them.
At first, the members were appalled by the insects, but then they remembered that a Ranger in the Ground Self-Defense Force had told them that insects, snakes, and frogs were a treat, so they decided to give it a try, thinking that 'everything is an experience.'
Crunch, nom, nom, nom...
'Huh, it's surprisingly good.'
That's not surprising.
Insect dishes are said to taste surprisingly similar to shrimp and crab, although it depends on what you eat. Well, crabs, shrimps, scorpions, spiders, and insects are all arthropods, so it's not all that shocking, in a sense.
"Woah, the light flavor blends well with the mead."
"Since there's almost no alcohol in this... it's good!"
The SDF officers also have tomorrow to deal with, so they are tasting mainly the food while moderating the drink. Some of the dishes were similar to paella using rice, so it was surprisingly easy to get used to them.
"Come, come, everyone, there are more dishes to come."
Young women in their early teens to early twenties were bringing in dishes one after another, sharing more and moving closer to the SDF. Perhaps they want to keep the men in a good mood as much as possible. It is not surprising that even the married SDF officers are easily made to feel delectable by the friendly women with their almost Asian appearance.
However, the Waspanites also maintained a very moderate distance, as the queen had given strict orders not to push them too far. Some of the SDF officers who understood this were, on the other hand, amazed at the skill of these women.
'I see... it may not be an exaggeration to say that being a good negotiator has made Waspanite useful so far... I'll report it to my superiors and the Foreign Ministry later.'
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs later considered Waspaniat's negotiation skills as a threat and strictly ordered its staff and, through the Ministry of Defense, the SDF to take proper measures to deal with the situation. However, the other members did not realize this and became like company employees who were too preoccupied with entertaining beautiful women.
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The next day, the JMSDF 4th Escort Group departed from the port of the Waspaniat Kingdom and headed for Hong Kong, the port city of the Yi Empire, on a single course. Led by the second Yamato-class artillery destroyer, the Musashi, the other destroyers sailed 40 kilometers behind. If anything goes wrong, they will have the F-3B and F-3C rush in immediately to provide air defense. However, if this operation goes well, there may be no need for the carrier or other destroyers to provide support.
. . .
Meanwhile, the Southern Dispatch Fleet of the Yi Empire navy was slowly departing Hong Kong at a speed of 10 knots. The distance from Hong Kong to Philip Island in the Philippines was less than 1.000 kilometers, so the military believed that even at a speed of 10 knots, they would arrive in a little over two days. The number of ships in this fleet was also imposing.
- 8 × Dingyuan-class battleship (very similar to the British St. Vincent-class battleships)
- 12 × Liaoyuan-class battleship (very similar to the British Lord Nelson-class first-class battleships)
- 8 × Liaoning-class aircraft carrier (very similar to the British HMS Eagle), carrying 25 Jianyu (very similar to the British Fairey Swordfish) per ship
- 16 × Yangwei-class armored cruiser (very similar to the British Minotaur-class first-class armored cruiser)
- 16 × Chaoyong-class light cruisers (very similar to the British Town-class second-class cruisers)
- 24 × Guangjia-class destroyer (very similar to the British Medea-class destroyer)
- 32 × Chongqing-class destroyer (very similar to the British Acasta-class destroyer)
- 8 × Hong Kong-class landing ships (very similar to Japan's Shinshu Maru)
Totaling 124 vessels, it was a tremendous number in modern history. Moreover, there is still a fleet in the north to defend against the Yetisk Empire, which was terrifying.
The fleet commander Chao Kongdun, nodded as he looked at the large fleet spread out before him.
"What a wonderful fleet."
Even though the fleet was a mixture of old and new, the sight of more than a hundred steel warships sailing by was nothing short of breathtaking.
"What about the Waspanites' movements?"
"Well, according to our information, their military is not moving at all."
"Hmm... did they mistake it for a full-scale invasion of our country? Maybe they're more concerned with defending the homeland."
"Well, I'd appreciate that."
"Oh, come on. With a fleet this large, isn't it sad that we haven't had a single naval battle?"
The bridge crew laughed at Chao's joke. They will arrive at Philip Island in the Waspaniat Kingdom in about a day.
However, that was not going to be the case.
Wooooooooooooooooom......
"Huh? What's that sound?"
"Uhh..."
"Commander! Something has been seen flying overhead at 12 o'clock!!"
"Something!? What is that!?"
"W-well, it's still too far... w-wait, I see it!! That's..."
Then, the sentry watching the sky reported.
"It's a flying machine!! A flying machine without a crew is coming toward us!!"
"A f-flying machine without a crew!?"
Chao also looked through his binoculars and saw a flying machine, the pilot nowhere in sight, about to fly over the fleet at a considerable speed.
"Notify the overhead cover and send them to intercept it!! That's an enemy recon plane!!"
The carriers, which have received the order, sent a message to the combat air patrol overhead, and 12 of them headed toward the object, which appeared to be a reconnaissance plane, at a speed of 190 kilometers per hour. However, the unmanned aircraft that appeared to be a reconnaissance plane was much faster than the Jianyus. The plane dodged the machine gun directed into it as the Jianyus passed by, and in no time at all, it was close to the fleet.
"Bastard... ready for anti-air combat!! Shoot it down with anti-air guns!!"
Each ship was not equipped with torpedoes, but instead had twelve 7,7 mm single-barrel machine guns and six 12,7 mm single-barrel machine guns on deck.
"Ready for anti-air combat!"
Then a voice echoed from above.
"...peat. This is the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force. Attention, Yi Empire's forces. The waters beyond this point are the territorial waters of the Waspaniat Kingdom. Turn back immediately. Repeat. This is the Japanese Maritime Self-Defense Force..."
Chao, who had a good ear, heard clearly.
"T-that recon plane is from Japan!?"
"No wonder it's so fast... the Jianyus are being treated like a child."
"Grr, I don't give a damn if it's a Japanese plane or not!! Commence anti-air combat!!"
RATATATATATATATA!!
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM-BOOM!!
Japan introduced the RQ-3 Saiun, a reconnaissance and warning aircraft with a turboprop engine combined with a low wing like a propeller-driven plane. It looked like a smaller version of the JASDF's T-7 trainer, with a flat fuselage and no space for a crew. Its light weight allowed it to launch from an aircraft carrier, and it was equipped with a high-power engine that can reach speeds of up to 600 km/h. compared to the American Global Hawk, it has the advantage of easy acceleration and maneuverability, making it easy to survive even if discovered by the enemy. However, since it also serves as a warning aircraft, it is equipped with a self-destruct mechanism in case it is shot down.
The barrage from the fleet was intense, almost like a shower of light. However, the visual-directed fire did not even hit the slowed-down recon plane, unable to hit the RQ-3 flying at 350 kilometers per hour. Soon, the RQ-3 turned and increased its speed to 500 kilometers per hour to move away from the fleet.
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This is a serious announcement.
About what I said about starting a new novel after the 100th chapter, I will post it on the 26th or 27th of this month. The name is... "I Got a Fleet as a Reincarnation Bonus, but They're All Quirky!!"
The story starts when the main character, who died by a divine mistake, wished for a fleet that he can command as a reincarnation privilege. I can't give you the link because of my lack of knowledge, so please search for it yourself.
I will also be posting a new monthly post on Japan Space-Time Strange Chronicles.
I've been struggling a bit with the final touches, and I think that if I do it once a month, I will be able to deliver it to you without being too lazy. I will also be posting a new chapter once a month. I have about 50 chapters in stock, so I think it will be okay for a while... I will try to complete Japan Space-Time Strange Chronicles as soon as possible.
I will post the next chapter of this story on April 9 or 10.
- Kazuhiro Kasami