The 253 Zero fighters launched from the First and Second Fleets, along with 101 Type 1s, reached the skies above the Eastern Fleet. Commander Sannomiya, the overall commander of the attacking squad, confirmed the formation and issued orders.
"Initiate the attack with fighters first, followed by the attack planes. Fighters of the Amagi and Katsuragi squadrons, and the first squadrons of the Kasagi and Aso squadrons, target the intact destroyers. As for the remaining fighters, the First Fleet is responsible for the damaged cruisers, and the Second Fleet should finish off the damaged cruisers and destroyers of the surface strike force."
After a brief pause, Sannomiya continued his orders.
"For the torpedo bombers, Amagi and Katsuragi squadrons to the first enemy ship, Yamato and Hiei squadrons to the second ship, Kasagi and Aso squadrons to the third ship, and Musashi and Kirishima squadrons to the fourth ship. All planes, commence attack!"
Upon Sannomiya's command, the Zero fighters dispersed in squadrons or section units, descending towards the targeted cruisers and destroyers.
"Continue with the Katsuragi's first squadron!"
Shouting over the radio, Lieutenant Misato, with a chosen undamaged destroyer in sight, began the descent. His ten subordinates followed without delay.
The Katsuragi's first squadron under Misato had been tasked with the destruction of the Eastern Fleet in the morning along with the Type 1s. However, without any intercepting enemy fighters, Misato and his subordinates had to maintain a vigilant flight while only the Type 1s engaged in combat. Upon their return, Misato received a new mission directly from the Katsuragi's captain.
"We want the undamaged British destroyer taken down by the first squadron."
Despite sinking all British carriers in the morning attack, meaning there were no enemy fighters left, it did not mean that the Zeros had no job. Every crew member had been trained in glide bombing, using the Zero as a fighter-bomber. The primary targets were, of course, surface vessels. Furthermore, they had completed anti-submarine and ground attack training, making the crew members adept at bombing. Especially in the Imperial Navy, the oldest carriers like the Amagi, Katsuragi, Kasagi, and Aso had a higher average skill level due to a greater number of experienced personnel. Some could even accurately hit tiny targets like dummy tanks with training bombs, but that was likely an exception. The Katsuragi's first squadron, initially a formation of twelve aircraft, had one plane with engine trouble unable to take off, reducing the attack to eleven planes. However, Misato was not particularly concerned about this.
The undamaged British destroyers, evading at full capacity, directed all their anti-aircraft weapons towards them. However, compared to American destroyers engaged in the Pacific, their firepower was small. While American destroyers had dual-purpose guns aimed at anti-air combat, British destroyers seemed to have outdated flat-trajectory guns. Moreover, the evident lack of machine guns and anti-aircraft weapons made the difference even more noticeable. With great confidence in the Zero fighter's bulletproof capabilities, Misato and his subordinates transitioned to the bombing point above the British destroyer. They successively dropped their bombs. Having dropped the bombs first, Misato looked down, confirming two smoke plumes on the British destroyer, along with nine water spouts just beside the side. An undeniably defenseless destroyer, hit directly by numerous bombs and even nine near misses, would find it impossible to remain afloat.
"As the renowned Katsuragi's first squadron of the Imperial Navy, the hit rate leaves something to be desired, but we've achieved the goal of sinking the British destroyers. Well, let's consider this a success."
Muttering so, Misato felt satisfaction. Despite some aircraft taking hits, none of his subordinates were lost.
. . .
As the Zero squadron's attack concluded, the Type 1 squadron began its assault. Lieutenant Minagawa, leader of the Kirishima attack squadron, targeting the enemy's fourth battleship, smirked as the targeted battleship exposed its broadside to them. The Kirishima and Musashi attack squadrons had been instructed to torpedo the enemy's fourth battleship. The attack plan involved a typical pincer movement for torpedoes, with the Kirishima squadron attacking from the port side and the Musashi squadron from the starboard side.
At the start of the battle, the Kirishima attack squadron had 18 aircraft, while the Musashi squadron boasted a formidable 48 of their Type 1s. Moreover, in the second wave, the Kirishima squadron deployed only eight Type 1s, while the Musashi squadron, in a straightforward ratio, had over 20, potentially nearing 25 aircraft. Presumably making a practical decision, the captain of the enemy's fourth battleship prioritized dealing with the larger number of aircraft from the Musashi squadron. Once the enemy's fourth battleship abandoned evasion maneuvers against the Kirishima attack squadron, hitting it was almost assured. Minagawa, filled with joy and excitement, guided his subordinates' aircraft toward the ideal firing position.
"Fire!"
As Minagawa gave the command, precisely at that moment when he was about to release torpedoes, his Type 1 exploded. Even with robust bulletproof equipment, a Type 1 couldn't withstand a direct hit from machine gun bullets or large-caliber aircraft gun rounds, especially in a counterattack. However, his subordinates, undeterred by the loss of their commander, continued dropping torpedoes one after another. Escaping from the encircling network of nearly 30 torpedoes approaching from both port and starboard sides was a daunting task, even for fast battleships or nimble destroyers. It was even more challenging for the Revenge-class battleship, which had propulsion problems.
The enemy's fourth battleship was subjected to massive water spouts on both sides, quickly disappearing into the waves.