Aviation-Centric Combined Fle...

By KageNishi

3.6K 515 6

「It is no longer the era of battleships. From now on, airplanes are the mainstay of the Navy.」 Which one is i... More

AVIATION-CENTRIC DOCTRINE | Chapter 1
Chapter 2 - Utilizing Privileges
Chapter 3 - Battleship vs Aircraft
Chapter 4 - Change of Policy
Chapter 5 - London Naval Conference
Chapter 6 - Two Faces of Hospitality
Chapter 7 - Retaliatory Appointment
Chapter 8 - Circle 2 Plan
Chapter 9 - Circle 3 Plan
Chapter 10 - Retrofitted Ships
Chapter 11 - Maritime Escort Force
Chapter 12 - Shiden
Chapter 13 - A6M Zero
Chapter 14 - New Aircraft
BATTLE OF WAKE ISLAND | Chapter 15
Chapter 16 - Contemporary
Chapter 17 - Nothing Can Be Done
Chapter 18 - Organization
Chapter 19 - Commander-in-Chief of the Pacific Fleet
Chapter 20 - Admiral Halsey
Chapter 21 - Mobile Force
Chapter 22 - Naval Air Combat
Chapter 23 - Type 1 Onslaught
Chapter 24 - Interception
Chapter 25 - Attack Postponement
Chapter 26 - Carrier Air Group Onslaught
ATTACK ON OAHU | Chapter 27
Chapter 28 - New Battleships
Chapter 29 - True Purpose
Chapter 30 - Chester W. Nimitz
Chapter 31 - Fighter Sweep
Chapter 32 - A Trap Off Oahu
Chapter 33 - Attack on Pearl Harbor
INDIAN OCEAN CAMPAIGN | Chapter 34
Chapter 35 - This Ain't No Country
Chapter 36 - Force Dispersal
Chapter 37 - Disguise
Chapter 38 - Eastern Fleet
Chapter 39 - Information Warfare
Chapter 40 - Armored Aircraft Carrier Sunk
Chapter 41 - Regret
Chapter 42 - Eastern Fleet's Annihilation
EUROPEAN EXPEDITION | Chapter 43
Chapter 44 - Germany's Strategy
Chapter 45 - Atlantic Fleet
Chapter 46 - Backwater Fleet
Chapter 47 - Fighter Sweep
Chapter 48 - Anti-Aircraft Barrage
Chapter 49 - The British Empire
Chapter 50 - Harvest
SECOND ATTACK ON OAHU | Chapter 51
Chapter 52 - Feint
Chapter 53 - Concern
Chapter 54 - Shiden Kai
Chapter 55 - Second Air Battle of Oahu
Chapter 56 - New Fighter vs New Fighter
Chapter 57 - Not Implemented
Chapter 58 - Pincer Attack
BATTLE OF MIDWAY | Chapter 59
Chapter 60 - Both Sides of the Situation
Chapter 61 - Fifth Fleet
Chapter 62 - Surprise Bombardment
Chapter 63 - Admiral Mitscher
Chapter 64 - Densei
Chapter 65 - Actual Situation
Chapter 66 - Aviation-Centric
Chapter 67 - Unprecedented Air Combat
Chapter 68 - Funryū

Chapter 69 - Aviation-Centric Combined Fleet

148 8 0
By KageNishi

Of the 413 Ryūsei from the second wave that returned, 344, excluding 69 that were severely damaged or malfunctioned, were equipped with the Funryū again. These planes, along with 240 Reppū and multiple Densei for attack command and contact maintenance, headed out towards the American mobile task force as the third wave. Despite facing formidable naval vessels with excellent anti-air capabilities, the fact that only 19 Ryūsei did not return can be attributed to the Americans prioritizing the destruction of the incoming projectiles, resulting in less-than-expected anti-aircraft fire directed towards the Ryūsei.

The achievements of the second attack unit, utilizing the Funryū, were tremendous. All nine small carriers were sunk, a quarter of the 16 cruisers had already sunk, and 18 out of 64 destroyers had disappeared beneath the sea. Only eight Essex-class carriers remained undamaged, while the rest of the vessels were heavily damaged or in a state of disarray.

Then, the merciless onslaught of the third wave began.

First, the 240 fighters carried out glide bombing attacks on cruisers and destroyers that had lost their ability to maneuver and counterattack, dropping nearly 500 bombs. Despite a somewhat unsatisfactory hit rate of around 20% against the evading cruisers and destroyers, nearly 100 direct hits and an almost equal number of effective near misses inflicted decisive damage on the enemy. As a result of increasing damage, many hit cruisers and destroyers were rapidly dragged beneath the sea. Still, against those unable to sink, nearly half of the Ryūsei plunged into them like executioners. Upon witnessing the complete elimination of escort vessels, a surrender ultimatum was issued to the eight Essex-class carriers from the Densei.

"Wait five minutes. Choose between surrendering to rescue drowning comrades or abandoning them and attempting escape."

In response to the plain messages and spoken words transmitted through radio from multiple radio-guided weapons, all eight Essex-class carriers raised white flags, stopped on the open sea, and immediately began rescuing survivors. Even if they attempted to escape, it was evident that they couldn't escape from the over one hundred Japanese attack aircraft and their guided missiles. Above all, abandoning comrades and attempting escape was an unthinkable choice for men living at sea. There was no need to weigh reason and emotion on the scales for the captains of the Essex-class carriers; the choices were never there from the beginning.

. . .

Upon receiving a report from the special task force sent to the American mobile task force that they had captured the Essex-class aircraft carriers, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, the commander of the 1st Mobile Fleet, breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.

Now, the US Navy had been decisively dealt with.

9 light carriers, 16 cruisers, and 64 destroyers had been sunk, and 8 large carriers had been captured. The losses in personnel would amount to tens of thousands, with thousands of crew members alone. Of course, even though the latest Essex-class carriers would continue to be built, they would be of no use without capable personnel to operate them. Of the captured eight Essex-class carriers, one would be transported back to Japan for research purposes. As the latest type of Essex-class carrier, it was expected to provide valuable data on electronic warfare equipment, emergency command devices, and various advanced technologies. The remaining seven would be sent westward to Europe. The German and the Italian navies would incorporate them into the core forces of the newly formed mobile task force. With the Imperial Navy already possessing twenty carriers and anticipating the completion of the wartime emergency-built carrier, the modified Amagi-class, there was no spare capacity to integrate eight American carriers at once.

However, this meant that the United States would now face a powerful pincer attack from both the East and the West. The German and the Italian navies, operating carriers Graf Zeppelin and Aquila, respectively, were accumulating expertise in carrier operations and conducting extensive training for carrier-based aircraft personnel. Additionally, two captured Illustrious-class carriers from the United Kingdom, converted to a modified version, were already undergoing familiarization training, with one nearing completion.

Moreover, with battleships like the Tirpitz and the Scharnhorst-class, as well as battleships like the Vittorio Veneto-class and King George V-class, the surface strike capabilities far exceeded those of the Imperial Navy. The US Navy had to prepare not only for the Pacific but also for the Atlantic, facing both mobile task forces and large surface strike vessels. For the US Navy, facing a shortage of human resources, this was an overwhelming challenge, or rather, a formidable problem.

Admiral Yamamoto aboard the aircraft carrier Yamato received a message from the homeland: "Tora, Tora, Tora."

The meaning of that message was known only to Yamamoto.

"We are about to begin peace negotiations with the United States."

Before setting out for the Battle of Midway, Yamamoto had been informed of confidential information by Navy Hori. According to Hori, the prevalence of anti-war sentiment in the United States was more severe than they could imagine, especially among the West Coast residents fearing the arrival of the Japanese fleet. They ardently wished for a swift end to the war. Moreover, influential members of the opposition Republican Party and powerful lawmakers from the ruling party with strongholds on the West Coast had approached them with a certain scenario.

"This war is not the will of the United States but was provoked by President Roosevelt's grandstanding. The diplomatic document called the Hull Note eloquently proves this."

Of course, negotiations were never guaranteed to succeed. The proposal for peace would undoubtedly trigger various issues domestically in Japan, and coordination with Germany and Italy would be necessary. Nevertheless, Yamamoto was relatively optimistic about this matter.

Hori, the most outstanding among his contemporaries, presided over military governance, and Deputy Navy Minister Shigeyoshi Inoue, also known as the "Razor," was a sharp and capable officer supporting him. They had skillfully arranged support from the authorities and their surroundings, completing the organization of the anti-war faction, and were already taking steps to eliminate the protracted war faction. Moreover, Navy Chief of Staff Shiozawa and Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet Yoshida, also from the same generation, would undoubtedly be of significant assistance.

"Nevertheless, it's quite remarkable that the Imperial Navy, which has only two battleships, managed to fight the United States this far."

While chuckling inwardly, Yamamoto recalled the words of a certain person.

"The Combined Fleet that is focused on air power. There is no other path for the Imperial Navy to follow."

THE END

Thank you for reading until the end.

Continue Reading

You'll Also Like

7.8K 335 30
A shipgirl with a lonely life found herself living among shipgirls from both worlds after gaining human emotions. To her confusion, she didn't believ...
10.3M 770K 88
Marriage had always been my dream but not to a man about whom I know nothing. The moment my father fixed an alliance of me to a Prince without even t...
12.3K 343 40
Behold as our protagonist is transported from their in-game avatar to a foreign realm. However, the individual has now taken on a feminine form and m...
1K 194 63
「Its presence surpasses that of even the largest aircraft carriers.」 The Shōhō was initially built as a submarine support ship before undergoing modi...