Konpeki no Kantai::Volume1 Chapter3

Konpeki no Kantai Volume 1 Chapter 3

Chapter Three: Operation Z (The Naval Battle for Hawaii)

1

In Hawaii it was 4:30am, December 7th.

In Tokyo, it was midnight of the 8th.

Takasugi Eisaku, vice admiral of the mobile air strike force in charge of the advance strikes against the Hawaiian Islands, was at this time in the ocean about 230 nautical miles (about 430 kilometers) north of Oahu...

"It is finally time."

His eyes fixed on the second hand moving around, about to reach twelve, Commander in Chief Takasugi raised his eyes to the pitch dark sea.

"The war has started."

The Fleet Chief of Staff, Inouemon Tataisa, his expression tense, opened the telegram they'd received.

Climb Mount Niitaka

"All right. Signal the start of the attack."

"Yessir."

The high speed battleship "Hiei" transmitted "Tora, tora, tora."

* In those days, Taiwan being Japanese territory, the highest peak, Mount Niitaka (at 3997 meters, higher than Mount Fuji. Presently Mount Yushan) was associated with the decision to start the war, in the old world the telegram had been sent on December 2nd. "Tora tora tora", in the old world, meant "the surprise attack has succeeded."

In this way commenced the first act of the destined outbreak of war...

However, compared to the great war of the previous world, the attack on Hawaii was quite different.

Already, the first wave of our attack forces had reached the skies over Oahu.

In the attack on Pearl Harbor in the previous world, fighter aircraft launched from the aircraft carrier Akagi at 6am local time. Following them, the Nagumo Task Force's six carriers launched their attack forces one by one, Mitsubishi A6M Zeroes, Nakajima B5N torpedo bombers and Aichi D3A dive bombers. A total of 183 aircraft swooped down on their targets...

This happened at 7:55 in the morning.

However, it was obviously a surprise attack. Because of this, Japan aroused the hostility of the American citizenry, in a single stroke bringing them into a state of war.

If you examined it all critically, the military was not concerned with the result of that great starting battle, and the plans of the military leaders had no consistency. Tactically, it was a success, but strategically, it was a massive failure.

Why? Because Japan, aware of the difference in industrial might between the two sides, had planned for an early ceasefire. This was the Japanese strategy.

Well then, the tactic? The purpose of the surprise attack on Hawaii was to make Japan's operations to the south easier to accomplish through the destruction of the enemy's Pacific Fleet.

The destruction of a great fleet of no less than eight battleships was certainly a success. And at the same time, it was thought that if at the beginning of a war you inflict a heavy blow on the enemy, inflicting a sense of war weariness on the enemy nation, it would help advance ceasefire negotiations. However, the big blunder of the military leaders was to make light of America's sense of national identity.

Already they spoke of banishing those who had studied the Americans and the British from the ranks of military leadership, and taking up those who had studied abroad in Germany. Favoring praise for the Germans, contempt for the people of America and Great Britain was spreading.

With propaganda slogans which spoke of the Americans and the British as savage brutes being used incessantly, the Japanese people thought of them as demons, or animals, thereby satisfying a meaningless pride. This may have been to inspire the Japanese nation to a sense of superiority, but it was only turning their complex inside out.

Our Ootaka Yasaburou, reflecting back on all this, carried out the announcement of the outbreak of war in advance.

Prime Minister Ootaka's thinking went like this... In order to conclude an early armistice, first and foremost, we have to get the support of American public opinion. Then what should we do? War is not decided by the results on the battlefield only. The idea that even your enemy could haven taken your side was the great strategy unique to Ootaka.

Starting a war was easy. What was hard was bringing it to an end...

Ootaka's analysis of the enemy nation was flexible. He saw that they were a people that preferred to play fair. This spirit of fair play was almost like Bushido.

Therefore, Ootaka was firmly resolved to fight this war to the end in a sportsman-like way. He would try to be an enemy worthy of respect.

But nevertheless, from boldly going and declaring war, carrying out the Hawaii surprise tactic, exceedingly dangerous gamble. Because the enemy's powerful Pacific Fleet and their long range ground forces could be ambushed by their surprise attack force and forced to leave.

Naturally, Prime Minister Ootaka was very anxious about this.

"As in the world before, I think an attack on Hawaii is next to useless, but I want your opinions."

He asked the newly established Cabinet, along with Vice-Admiral Takano Isoruku, who from Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet was now inaugurated as the President of the Navy General Staff.

Whereupon,

"No, with regards to that, our Deep Blue Society has done more than enough research into the matter."

"Is there hope of success?"

"There is plenty. I certainly wish to be permitted to do it as planned. Since the Naval Task Force has already sortied from Kasatka Bay..."

Demonstrated in this way, it would certainly be called a revolutionary new tactic.

"You're going to carry out a night-time strike?"

"Yes. At midnight on the eighth. Local time will still be before dawn, but we will attack Hawaii immediately thereafter."

"I see."

Ootaka perceived President of the Navy General Staff Takano's true intentions and groaned.

Continuing he said, "This is a fair way to conduct a surprise attack."

"That is correct. This is absolutely a strategy to make the enemy unable to call it a surprise attack."

Vice-Admiral Takano's eyes laughing, "In that regard, to blind the eyes of the enemy, I would like to request that the Southern Army's operations be a bit flashy."

"Understood. I would like to leave that matter to you."

Ootaka promised.

The Army was against it, but Ootaka directed them in such a way that the enemy would be able to deduce their invasion plans. It was what you might call a 'leak'. In this way the American side was deceived. From the sudden great increase in communications, they had come to the conclusion that the first objective of the Japanese in starting the war would be to acquire the resource rich southern areas.

At this point in time, the Americans had already succeeded in breaking the simple cipher used by the Japanese.

The Americans still believed that the Japanese had not noticed. But, the Japanese knew about it. In other words, they were having a war of counter-plots and strategems...

One the one side, there was Takano Isoroku... He knew all too well the difficulty of night-time carrier operations. Not to mention the need for illumination during aircraft takeoff. Especially in stormy weather.

But pilots hand-picked for their proficiency overcame this problem skillfully, through intense training.

Again, the members of the Deep Blue Society racked their brains to resolve the issue. After a while what they thought of was a technique involving a special luminous paint. They would affix an appropriately luminescent band to the flight deck to facilitate takeoff, and remove it shortly afterwards.

2

Blessed with good weather, the take-off of the Hawaii attack forces was complete at 2:30am. Launching the entire attack force within roughly fifteen minutes from the first aircraft was nothing less than superb.

Indeed, setting aside the start of the original Pacific War, this was the first surprise move by the Japanese side. The enemy surely thought it was a mistake.

When it escaped from the layers of cloud, the moon shone brilliantly.

Guiding the attack force were six Seiden (Star Lightning) reconnaissance planes. They did not exist in the former war, but rather were a new type of airplane.

The Seiden was a high speed, twin engine day or night reconnaissance plane, with four crew members. At 570 kilometers per hour, its maximum speed was exceeded that of the Zero (533 kph). The armament was only two 7.7mm machine guns, but it was well armored against bullets. What's more, the cruising range was comparable with the Type 96 Land-based Attack Aircraft (the Mitsubishi B3M) at 4700 kilometers.

Takano, knowing from his previous existence that a deciding factor in a naval battle was to be better at searching out the enemy, had hastened the development of the Seiden.

Fortunately, this new aircraft was ready in time for the war. The design was under direction of Kubo Seiichiro and the other members of the Deep Blue Society. The manufacture was handled by Higashino Genichirou's Taishan Aircraft Company. Nevertheless, the Seiden was a first generation electronic warfare plane. From here on out, its production would be increased, and it would play an active part in many different theaters of war.

The Seiden, with its excellent astronomical navigation capabilities, guided the attack force without any wasted effort. Amazingly, even though the Seiden was only first generation, it was equipped with high speed electronic computers. And it had the signals intelligence systems necessary for searching out the enemy. It had unprecedented performance for this day and age. The inventor: the Deep Blue Society's own Kubo Seiichiro.

The six Seidens, indicating Oahu Island to the following attack force by waggling their wings, left for the four points of the compass. They had to assume their second duty. Scattering to the airspaces they were responsible for, they took up their posts searching for the enemy. This would have great significance later...

Over the space of fifteen minutes, the first wave of the attack force penetrated the Oahu airspace. Flying under the strict guidance of the Seidens, the first formation arrived over Oahu precisely at midnight, December the 8th, Tokyo time. In Hawaii it was 4:30 in the morning. It was not yet dawn.

The veteran pilots dived, descending from the clouds. Skillfully evading the black ridgelines, they descended to very low altitude.

They had been hand-picked for their outstanding eyesight. The first formation of Zeroes immediately assailed Wheeler Field.

It was so they could blow up the P-40s on the ground. There were more than eighty aircraft parked here.

Three minutes later, the second wave attacked 34 planes at Hickam Airfield.

For the enemy this was totally unexpected. They were amazed by the sudden appearance of flares dropped from overhead. Not even in their dreams did they imagine that Japan had the offensive capability to do such a thing as this at night.

Type 97 fighters and type 99 bombers rushed in after. The enemy was completely astonished. Their power lines were severed and the barracks left in the dark. Milling about in confusion, they had no time to fight back. After the initial shooting, incendiary bombs were scattered and the parked planes went up in flames, one by one. Bombs dropped from the bombers created big holes in the runways, making them impossible to use.

The goal of the first wave was the elimination of the Hawaiian air forces. They were aiming for Ford Field, Pearl Harbor, Bellows Field, as well as the Kaneohe Air Base with its 32 flying boats.

A total of 230 planes on the ground went up in flames. The much vaunted enemy air force was destroyed in the blink of an eye, and we had taken air superiority into our hands completely.

In comparison, of the 180 planes launched, no more than two were lost due to engine trouble and eight due to crashes into hillsides because of their very low altitude attacks.

Having received word that the first wave was successful, Naval Commander in Chief Takasugi ordered the waiting planes of the second wave to start their attack. As for the second attack wave, the level bombing group was 54 carrier borne aircraft, the dive bombing group 78 planes and the air superiority group had 35 Zeroes. They took off a half hour after the first wave.

The objective of the second wave was the defenses of the huge naval base on Oahu.

"No matter what, don't attack the fuel depot," ordered the leader of the attack forces, Shinagawa Yajirou.

All the planes attacked.

Control of the air had already been taken from the enemy, and their anti-aircraft positions were in a shambles. Nevertheless, the enemy showed their fierce Yankee spirit.

As a result, the damages for the second wave were different from the first wave. Three dive bombers, three other bombers and four Zeroes were shot down, but this was within expectations.

And yet, counterbalancing their losses, they held up their great military gains. A major staging area for American naval strategy, the Oahu Island military bases were destroyed.

It was strategically significant that while the land, sea and air bases had been thoroughly eliminated, the enemy aircraft carriers were as yet unassailed…

When attacking, one must not confuse goals and objectives. Takano Isoroku would correct the errors of his previous life.

The destruction of the Hawaii fleet definitely had meaning, in and of itself. Just as it was before, it was a preemptive strike so that the southern strategy may succeed quickly. But how did it turn out? Many of the enemy ships sunk in the shallow waters of Pearl Harbor were quickly repaired and returned to service in the battlefield.

The second mistake in the previous war was that we were satisfied with this, and withdrew without strike the naval bases.

This had a lot to do with the character of their commanding officer. He lacked the nerve, fearing an enemy counterattack. First and foremost, the commanding officer didn't believe in the strategy as it was given to him.

But Commander-in-Chief Takasugi was not like that. He wasn't pushing for conquest. He was a firm believer in annihilation. He believed that if you do something, you do it thoroughly. His was a strong character. He was a courageous general. He was a person with a strong will to fight.

The Japanese Navy, as has been mentioned already, had fallen to become a meritocracy. However, it wasn't about what you could do in the battlefield, but rather about how you fought there. In a place where life and death are at stake, paper test scores are virtually meaningless. Therefore, in accordance with Takano Isoroku's policies, the Navy underwent a great revolution in its organization. It was changed completely, putting the right people in the right places through a thorough screening of their characters.

* The words of Clausewitz, "The goal is Paris, the target the French Army – You must not lose sight of the goal" are famous, but often misunderstood. The German "der Zweck" (the purpose) and "das Ziel" (the goal) can be hard to tell apart. It is easier to understand in Japanese. 'Purpose' is defined as "the alignment of your actions towards a state you wish to attain." A 'goal' is defined as "a step (a landmark) on the way to one's ultimate goal." Put another way, there being no occupation of Paris without eliminating the French Army, the elimination of the French Army was not the purpose; the purpose was to capture Paris. This was also achieving the political goals of Germany. "Politics decides the purpose, and war achieves it," is a problem that has been the subject of many theses over the years. What's more, Clausewitz's "On War" caught the eye of Mori Ougai (at the time a second class military physician) as he commenced his study abroad in Germany. After his return to Japan, he translated the book in collaboration with the Military Academy, and it was published under the name "The Principles of War."

As it turned out, the first and second air strike waves yielded reasonably satisfying results.

But they were finally going out on stage.

Upon receiving the reports, Commander in Chief Takasugi Eisaku, so that they could accommodate the returning aircraft, directed the fleet south to the rendezvous point east of the Hawaiian Islands. It was a strategy to keep the enemy off guard...

3

The enemy's Pacific Fleet was not present in Pearl Harbor at the time. This was something understood from the beginning.

Takasugi asked, "It looks like they will return around 6:30?"

"Yes, sir," replied flight commander Genda. This wasn't just a hope. The flagship Hiei had been completely rebuilt for information gathering, and its abilities were surpassingly great.

"No doubt."

"Indeed without a doubt sir. Having become the eyes for the Seiden group, we're sending them information moment by moment."

"We should increase the number of Seidens, Commander Genda," said Takasugi.

"No need for concern, sir."

Genda smiled. "We've launched six more, and they are searching for the enemy."

"...And, the position of the enemy's main force?"

"We don't have a fix on them yet, but it will shortly be dawn."

"Yes."

Commander Genda pointed to the east, which was starting to be painted red.

On the other side, the enemy general in this new world was a certain Admiral Kimmel. He was by no means mediocre as Fleet Commander in Chief. No sooner had he received word from the President as to the day the war would start, he quickly prepared to leave, and leading the entire fleet, departed from Pearl Harbor.

But neither he, no, nor with all due respect not any of the American naval admirals, by no means from the outset of war, expected Hawaii to be attacked at the very outset of the war. Consequently, Takano Isoroku's were a complete success.

Admiral Kimmel, in accordance with the previously designed plan "Rainbow 5," was rushing the entire fleet to the Marianas. This was part of the United States Navy Basic War Plan – Rainbow 5 (WPL-46).

The time of their sortie was before 9pm on the 6th, local time. As a result, they and the Takasugi fleet just missed each other.

When he received the first reports of the Hawaii air raid, Kimmel at first thought it had to be a false alarm. However, when he realized the truth, he was horrified. He had thought it impossible for the enemy to come to an island out at sea, so far from Japan.

In any case, they said they were being attacked by a large number of carrier aircraft. If that was true, then there had to be aircraft carriers.

He thought about returning right away, but hesitated. The reason being that they had not yet met up with an aircraft carrier they were scheduled to meet on the way.

"What? If the enemy has sent all their aircraft, shouldn't that leave them defenseless? We ought to retrace their path and bomb them to smithereens!" suggested the chief of staff.

But Kimmel was cautious. And to his misfortune, the great admiral lost the chance for a counterattack.

Kimmel replied, "No, even if we got ahold of Halsey, wouldn't it be too late?"

The one aircraft carrier forming the core of Halsey's task force was currently moving separately from the main fleet. Halsey had departed on the 29th of last month in order to carry Marines to Wake Island.

When he received news of the surprise attack, Halsey's fleet found itself at sea, 120 nautical miles west of Oahu. Halsey flagship, the carrier Enterprise, was accompanied by three heavy cruisers and nine destroyers.

The Pacific Fleet's carrier Lexington was on an exercise in the vicinity of Midway, also in accordance with the Rainbow 5 plan. Upon receiving Kimmel's orders, the quickly headed south to join forces.

Before long, they would be able to contact Halsey's fleet.

"Affirmative. Without a doubt the enemy fleet is nearby. As soon as we find them, we'll bury them," declared the Admiral known as 'Bull.'

"Leave it to us."

Admiral Kimmel felt relieved. His character quite the opposite of his old friend's, had come to rely on him at such times.

"You should turn back at once. Isn't this your best chance to destroy the Japanese fleet?"

"Understood. We will return as soon as we meet up with the carriers returning from Midway."

"Hurry up."

"Understood."

At that moment,

"Hold on a second," said Halsey.

Presently,

"Just now, our aircraft made contact with an enemy reconnaissance aircraft. The enemy should be close by."

"Was it shot down?"

"No. It seems it was a startling fast guy."

They were not yet aware of the introduction of our latest Seiden aircraft.

"The enemy must be thinking the same thing as we are," Kimmel declared.

"Quite so. We must hurry. This is a win or lose situation. Do we know the enemy's location?"

"Here you go, sir. They appear to be northwest of Hawaii."

This was a guess from looking at what direction the enemy planes were flying. This was a deception on the part of the Japanese.

"Understood. We will pass through the Kaua'i Channel and proceed north, and then start the fight. We'll probably wind up closer to the enemy that way," said Halsey.

"When do we expect to launch planes?"

Kimmel was cautious to the last. "It wouldn't be too late once we join up."

"Well, one way or the other we will discover them. You can bet on it."

This, as it turned out, was a massive failure.

The reason being that this communication was intercepted by the Seiden reconnaissance planes. What's more, by means of triangulation by two planes or more, the Japanese side obtained their location as well.

Commander in Chief Takasugi saw the two spots on the sea charts his chief of staff dropped off and smiled in satisfaction. The locations of the enemy's main fleet, apparently led by Kimmel, and the aircraft carrier strike group that seemed to be led by Halsey would be captured at the same time. On the other hand, they were keeping radio silence. They were only receiving reports from the Seidens.

At 6:30am, the first attack wave returned to Commander Takasugi's strike force, north-east of the Hawaiian Islands and closing in on 170 nautical miles. They had flown north-west from Oahu, but changed course in mid-route.

On the ocean, even the huge aircraft carriers were tiny specks. But the aircraft were not entirely without guidance. The Seidens once more provided combat support. Measuring the location of Venus, they guided the friendly aircraft to the meeting point.

In any case, landing an aircraft on a carrier is naturally more difficult than taking off. But night had ended. They arrived with perfect timing. The planes were reloaded with fuel and ammunition on the flight deck in rapid succession.

It took roughly a half hour. At 7am, the first attack wave took off for a second time.

Their target was the aircraft carrier Enterprise. They would not be able to accomplish their next job without taking her down first.

4

The order of battle on the morning of the seventh of December, Hawaii time, was as shown on the map above. The Japanese side knew their enemy's location precisely, and the enemy thought that the Takasugi fleet was to the northwest of Hawaii. This was exactly the opposite of the situation in the great battle of Midway in the prior world. The enemy had our precise position, while the Japanese side didn't know theirs. The result was an overwhelming defeat. From that point onward, the empire fell towards defeat.

It was clear evidence that wars were becoming wars of information more than anything else.

What's more, another fleet had been secretly added to the Japanese task force.

Namely, what became this book's title, the Deep Blue Fleet. However, now is not the time to speak of the story as a whole...

Let's return to the story. Well then, our elite submarine group had already come close to Hawaii. A fleet of twenty I-ships had surrounded Oahu Island some time ago, and had been gather intelligence.

The ships of the Twelfth Submersible Squadron (three ships together with I-168) received information from the Seidens. They knew the enemy aircraft carrier's location at once from their telecommunications, and hurried with all speed to the west side of the Kaua'i Channel. The intent was to reduce the enemy's war potential by means of a lightning attack.

At length, submarine I-168 caught an enemy fleet in it's periscope's field of view, on course through the Kaua'i Channel, heading for its rendezvous. It was now past 7am.

At the start of the war, the enemy had three aircraft carriers in its Pacific Fleet. The Japanese knew this beforehand. One ship, the Enterprise, was returning from Wake Island under command of Admiral Halsey. Another ship, the Lexington, was en route from Midway Island. Yet another ship was currently in the American west coast port, San Diego.

It was therefore imperative that the two enemy aircraft carriers be consigned to the briny deep as soon as possible.

On the other hand, entirely unaware of the extremely elaborate Japanese military operation, he was simply fit to be tied. That was because of reports that confused anti-aircraft positions on Oahu had shot down some of the friendly aircraft from his carrier.

"I don't care. Whether it is friend or foe, all who attack us will be shot down without mercy" ordered the brave general known as "Bull."

Escorting the Enterprise were three heavy cruisers and nine destroyers. Not surprisingly, the Japanese submarine group was extremely nervous.

"There are more prizes than we could've hoped for," said submarine 168's Maebara Issei, licking his lips.

Defying the enemy's tight anti-submarine defenses, they were going to strike them.

"Ready torpedoes for launch," he announced coldly.

They maneuvered to be broadside to the enemy ship. This was the most reliable position from which to send the enemy aircraft carrier to the bottom of the sea.

Attacking first were I-168, I-70 and I-173.

Each of them launched torpedoes in a westward line.

A total of twelve oxygen torpedoes were fired towards the aircraft carrier, but nine of them missed. One of them sank a destroyer, and two of them hit enemy cruisers, damaging them seriously.

His periscope daringly piercing the sea surface, Maebara witnessed the scene. Crossing his line of sight, the heavy cruiser revealed the aircraft carrier.

He was immediately attacked by an enemy destroyer.

"Dive to 70 meters."

"Negative ballast. Shift water forward, 500. Down five degrees," shouted Admiral Maebara.

Negative ballast or flooding makes the ship heavier, and helps it to submerge.

As it pumps sea water into its forward tanks, submarine 168 lowers its bow and begins to travel underwater.

"Sound source thirty degrees port, level three, approaching."

The announcement was made by the sonar techs through a speaking tube.

Standing next to the captain, Lieutenant Commander Saitou Hajime put his mouth to the speaking tube and shouted "Submariners, let's do this right."

The depth gauge turned rapidly.

30...... 40...... 50

The crewman controlling the dive planes announced the depth every ten meters, and when he reported sixty meters,

"Different sound sources forty degrees right. Sounds like three or four. Approaching. They are destroyers."

(Have we been spotted?)

Commander Maebara felt a sudden chill, but then,

"The left destroyer is heading away" said Oota, "and the right one too."

(We still haven't been seen. The enemy is going towards their own ships which had been attacked.)

Just then, suddenly, depth charges started to explode, making the ship shudder.

It was not a pleasant feeling.

Rear Admiral Maebara, as commander in the dimly lit bridge, looked at the luminous clock.

"Sonar techs, do you know the position of the aircraft carrier?"

"Yes sir."

According to the underwater listening equipment, the enemy aircraft carrier was now east of submarine 168 and proceeding northwards.

"Captain, slip under the enemy formation."

"Yes sir."

As if confused by the sounds of the depth charges, submarine 168 closed in at a speed of three knots.

"Commander, what might have happened to our allies?"

"I have no idea," answered Maebara to Captain Saitou.

Continuing, he said "If they are saved, good. If not, we will avenge them," he said with an evil grin. His had a submariner's spirit: cool to the very end.

"Captain, we are at periscope depth," Lieutenant Tadokoro announced for him.

"Ready torpedoes."

"Let's do this."

"Yes sir," said Captain Saitou.

At that moment, once more,

"Destroyers approaching from the right side. Sounds like three."

"Wait, Captain," Maebara signaled with his hand.

"Periscope, hold!"

Maebara was as cool as ever.

"They're moving away."

It seemed that at present, submarine I-168 was in the middle of the enemy fleet.

You could say that riding in a submarine is an embodiment of the imagination. Whether you like it or not, the situation on the sea is something drawn on the surface of your mind by habit. A professional killer hidden under the sea, you can only rely on your ears. The only information brought to you comes from hydrophones set under the water. Your imagination depends on it. You rely on your intuition. Only the commanders with the sharpest perceptions survive.

"Sonar techs, do you still have a fix on the aircraft carrier?"

"Yes sir."

"Bearing?"

"They appear to be zig-zagging."

"Okay. Report if there are any changes."

"Yes sir."

That was more then enough.

"The aircraft carrier is moving away."

Because they were holding down their speed, the enemy was pulling away quickly.

"Damn! Has it gotten away?"

And,

"Ah! The aircraft carrier is turning towards us."

Suddenly, the Enterprise seemed to have changed course. Maebara imagined.

(This must be so it can launch aircraft.)

And...

When an aircraft carrier launches aircraft, it turns and runs at full speed into the wind. The aircraft are aided in taking off from the short flight deck by the pressure of that wind.

This was the moment Admiral Maebara had been waiting for.

"Okay, Captain. Rise to torpedo firing depth."

"I will announce from the conning tower. Conducting torpedo operations."

"Roger!"

Lieutenant Tadokoro took command from the console immediately below.

"From the console, depth looks good."

"Listen well! We're going to hit them without using the periscope."

"Eh!?"

"Sonar techs, report!"

"Bearing right 25 degrees, distance 1000."

"Quite close."

Maebara held his breath.

"Commence firing!"

"Hit it with all you've got!"

Leaving behind a dull thump, the torpedoes leapt from their firing tubes.

"The sound of enemy destroyer screws approaching from the right. Sounds like four. Closing!"

"Stand by for depth charges! Close the watertight doors!"

"Descend to 70 meters, quick!"

Everyone moved in accordance with their intensive daily training.

After that, they left everything to chance. Such is the fate of a submariner.

They had launched 53cm torpedoes from all four front torpedo tubes.

Submarine I-168 was the first designed and constructed under the terms of the London Naval Treaty of 1930. It was a fleet submarine with a standard displacement of 1400 tons and a submerged displacement of 2449 tons. In other words, it boasted the ability to work in conjunction with the fleet, and could make twenty-three knots when surfaced.

It had four torpedo tubes in the bow, and two more in the stern.

Submarine 168 descended rapidly. Everybody held their breath.

Captain Saitou glared at his stopwatch.

Suddenly,

boom boom boom boooom

The sound of depth charges echoed inside the warship, as if they were being beaten on the head.

Close.

The warship shook, and paint flaked off the ceiling and fell incessantly.

The captain yelled, "Engine section. Report on flooding!"

The propeller shafts were the most vulnerable to depth charge attacks.

"All's well!"

It seemed the bursting depth was shallow.

"Sounds like three, heading away."

"Changing course! Turning around."

Maebara spit out instructions for a bold attack on an enemy that wasn't expecting one.

I-168 began a slow turn seventy meters under the sea surface.

At that moment,

"Torpedo strike!" the sonar tech shouted as if his voice were ready to burst.

The thunderous roar reached Maebara's ears directly. But, one thing...

(We did it!)

The shouts of joy from the entire crew came through to him. The expressions on everyone in the conning tower spontaneously relaxed. The nervous tension loosened up all at once, and applause broke out.

"Quiet down!" shouted Maebara.

"It's taken one hit. It still hasn't sunk."

But, his tough face had become less tense too.

"Commander, without using the periscope we can't..."

As he said that, the captain requested a handshake.

"If you're going to praise anyone, praise Sonar Tech Oota," replied Maebara. "Ha ha, it was simple intuition. As you gain experience, that intuition will get sharper."

But Maebara, as a matter of fact, had a vision of the torpedo launch, as if it had been projected on his forehead. It was just like watching a movie. He had had such experiences many times during training.

Was it a special ability? Or was it simple chance?

"We will attack a second time," he said in a dignified voice.

"Command center"

Nodding, the Captain ordered, "Prepare to launch one spread."

"Command center to torpedo room. Load torpedoes."

"Command center," ordered Maebara, "load both front and rear."

"Roger!"

"Rise to attack depth! Up four!"

"Diving plane steady."

"Air valve operator, hold steady."

The best medicine is a successful attack. The morale aboard the ship was climbing ever higher.

"Sonar tech, are there enemies in the vicinity?"

"What appears to be destroyer screws, one of them. Twenty-five degrees right."

"Attack depth. Shall we use the periscope?"

"Yes, prepare it for use."

"Before that, finish reloading the torpedo tubes."

Each of the four fired tubes diverged from each other 1.5 degrees. That is, the four torpedoes would rush towards their target in a fan, each 1.5 degrees apart.

What's more, the torpedo depth was six meters.

These torpedoes were the Type 95 53cm oxygen torpedo, the Japanese Navy's secret weapon.

The oxygen torpedo's unique feature was their lack of a wake. For that reason, from the perspective of those being attacked, it became a rather troublesome weapon. Up to now, torpedoes ran with a wake behind them, which made them easy to avoid.

"Conning tower to torpedo master," Maebara called directly.

* In the previous world, the assistant to the torpedo officer. Now a veteran officer is used.

"Yes sir. Nakamura here."

Chief Warrant Officer Nakamura Ichihei was a veteran non-com.

"Good. Do this right."

"Commander, please leave it to me."

"The fate of this ship is riding on your skill. It is a heavy responsibility."

"Understood. We will show the enemy the power of our new firing tubes."

The veteran Sergeant Nakamura was as calm as ever.

Maebara envisioned the enemy formation in his mind as he received the sonar tech's report.

"Target enemy aircraft carrier. Left azimuth 30 degrees, range 3500, enemy speed 12."

Right away, the report returned, "We have a firing solution."

Once you can predict the various factors about the attack target beforehand, you can obtain a firing solution and adjust the torpedo accordingly. If afterwards you can perform a final adjustment by sight through the periscope, you can fire immediately.

The periscope was turned to the expected bearing.

"Let's go," said Maebara.

Everyone was bursting with nervous tension.

"Up."

"Stop."

Perfect.

Maebara held his breath. The center of the carrier Enterprise was quietly approaching the cross-hairs of the periscope.

Just now its speed had fallen, probably due to the torpedo attack. By means of flooding, its list had been straightened.

It was long. Even a single second was long.

(Hurry up!) shouted Maebara from his heart.

"Ready! Fire!"

That instant, Maebara felt something hot on the top of his head.

Was it a hunch?

(An enemy plane!) he thought at once (a patrol aircraft.)

"Dive quickly!"

Boom

(a bomb!?)

Receiving a heavy impact, the ship shook violently and tilted to starboard.

It was a point blank shot.

By some miracle, they'd escaped by a hair's breadth. Did Admiral Maebara have a peculiar ability after all?

Submarine 168 headed for the sea floor at a steep angle. Its underwater attitude thrown entirely in disarray, it was sinking headlong.

"Return to normal stance!"

The captain's expression changed and he was shouting.

"We barely made it just now," the frenzied Lieutenant Tadokoro shouted back.

The inclinometer pointing at 50 degrees, everybody was grabbing ahold of whatever they could.

The depth gauge passed seventy. At last, the emergency lighting came on.

"Let me know how we're doing with regards to flooding."

Reports arrived one after another. The inside of the ship had become a shambles. Seawater was spouting from the joints of the pipes as if they were water fountains.

As it was, everyone thought they might wind up crammed into the mud at the bottom of the sea.

No, the depth guage was spinning rapidly, 90, 100... It had already passed into the red zone at 75 meters.

At this rate, they would be crushed by the water pressure before hitting the ocean floor.

Maebara shouted out, "Calm down!"

"Even if we go beyond the safety depth, this ship won't be crushed so easily."

"Do we have power yet?"

"Very soon now."

The depth read 130 meters.

They were nearing crush depth.

"Blow the main tank," shouted Lieutenant Tadokoro.

"Blow!"

Their descent slowed a little.

"Hurry and blow one tank!"

"One tank blown."

The sorrowful voice echoed.

Just as the electricity turned on.

Once more a miracle... The depth guage slowly came to a stop. But, this time like a rubber ball bouncing, the ship started to float upwards. It started rising, faster and faster.

"Number one auxiliary tank, flood 500."

No.

"Flood one ton."

"Three more tons!"

As it was now, it was so buoyant it would wind up leaping out of the sea.

"Open the vents," requested Lieutenant Tadokoro.

If they opened the vents, the air would go rushing out. And the enemy would know at once.

"As things are, we won't be able to stop!"

"Wait!" replied Maebara. At that moment, as if seen in a flash of lightning, a view of the sea surface was projected on to his frontal lobes. He couldn't believe it. He couldn't explain it. It was a strange phenomenon.

"Rear torpedo room, prepare to fire!"

"Aye!"

"Hurry up," he shouted angrily at the speaking tube.

"Steady as she goes."

"Command center, open vents."

"Yes sir."

Inside the tense ship, the tension mounted yet more.

The ship's ascent halted. It returned to an even keel.

"Turn to the right."

"Turning right," reported the captain to the command center.

"Close by, destroyers, sounds like five. Approaching."

"They are destroyers. Rear torpedo room, attack."

"Aye!"

The captains eyes opened wide.

"Leave it to me! I'll bring them down."

Maebara laughed out loud.

"Water to bow tanks, 50."

I-168 shifted to a diving attitude.

"Reduce speed."

The captain made a face as if he could not believe it.

The ship's stern was pointing upwards.

"They're getting closer," said the sonar tech, nearly screaming.

"Fire!"

At the same moment,

"Full speed, evasive maneuvers!"

I-168 headed for the sea floor.

Just then there was a thunderous roar.

As I-168 absorbed the shock, it skimmed the sea floor.

The enemy destroyer, without a doubt, been hit directly on the bottom. It probably sank at once.

But they had no time to enjoy the fruits of battle.

They sank. They descended.

But, they halted their descent at 80 meters.

"Break away at full speed!"

As for I-168, lacking the time to check the results of the attack on the aircraft carrier, it left the field of battle for now.

5

Of the deadly oxygen torpedoes, two of them scored direct hits on the Enterprise. What’s more, one of them destroyed the ship’s rudder.

Our ship-borne aircraft swooped down on the half-paralyzed Enterprise. It received direct hits over and over again from torpedoes launched by those aircraft. Settling down in the water, its rudder ineffective, the Enterprise was just like a training target for them.

One shot caused their magazine to explode. A column of fire rose like a volcano erupting.

The shape of the Enterprise, a thick column of smoke rising from it, was suddenly obscured.

The strong winds blowing across the ocean surface thinned the black smoke.

The Enterprise was already half-sunk into the sea.

Fuel oil was leaking, spreading out in a sea of flame.

The relentless attack of our aerial attack force was poured upon the enemy cruisers.

Admiral Maebara observed the awful spectacle in his periscope’s field of vision. Once more, a pillar of fire lifted from a heavy cruiser.

(No way was that an aerial torpedo.)

"Hey, it looks like the escort ships still survive."

"Commander, we still have torpedoes."

"All right. Shall we go back in there?"

I-168 once more headed into that hellish area of ocean.

When it’s time to do something, do it thoroughly. That was Admiral Maebara’s motto.

Their aerial forces were again beaten back.

The enemy Admiral Halsey died in battle. Their fighting spirit was waning.

Once all the heavy cruisers were dealt with, next came the destroyers. "Let not one warship escape."

In the middle air there was determined dog-fighting. Weaving through the gaps, Type 97 torpedo bombers and Type 99 dive bombers swooped down.

One by one the ships were sent to the bottom.

A dive bomber struck by anti-aircraft fire and spouting flames crashed into an enemy ship.

The sea foamed.

On the other hand, Kimmel was taken by surprise.

The last ray of hope, his comrade in arms Admiral Halsey, was reported as killed in battle. What's more, having received reports about the total destruction in the Kaua'i Channel, his knees shook.

For a short while he was stunned.

His eyes were vacant. He mind went blank.

But, the news Kimmel received was not limited to that.

One of his staff members told him, "Admiral, just now, on the ocean south of Midway Island, reports have arrived that the Lexington has been blown up and is sinking."

"What!? It must be a lie. Let it be a lie."

"It appears the Lexington received a torpedo attack."

"A submarine?"

"The details are not yet clear. However, from the escort destroyer's report, it seems it received at least five torpedoes to the port side, the hull broke in three pieces and sank at once."

"What!? That's absurd. An attack of five torpedoes at the same time!? Hey, something like that shouldn't even exist..."

"Yes sir. I though so too, and rechecked, but it seems to be true."

"I don't suppose he even saw the enemy?"

"No sir."

"I can't believe it."

Naturally, the Lexington would have had combat air patrol and destroyers deployed around it, and should have been prepared against enemy submarine attack. But, an unknown enemy, in defiance of that web of security, had launched its torpedo attack entirely unnoticed...

"Might the Japanese have new weapons about which we know nothing yet?"

"Stop imagining foolishness."

Despite his anxiety, Admiral Kimmel shouted at his staff officer.

At any rate, for now, with the loss of its carriers, Kimmel's fleet had lost its eyes. Though they could launch float-planes to watch over the nearby ocean, they had limitations.

What's more, at this point in time, not even Kimmel realized the fearsome strike power of the carrier fleet. Originally, the U.S. Navy also had the doctrine of the decisive fleet battle. They too had believed that the only effective means of winning a battle was battleships firing volleys from large caliber guns.

Kimmel was no exception.

The fact of the matter is that what taught the American side the power of naval air assault was Commander in Chief of the Combined Fleet Yamamoto Isoroku's idea of attacking Pearl Harbor... The American side jumped on the idea in an instant, and from that point onwards their industrial power spoke, leading to the production of more and more aircraft carriers...

On the other hand, Takano Isoroku, having reflected on the strategic failures of his prior life, decided to play his cards close to the chest and keep the idea of a decisive carrier fleet battle as a trump card to the very end.

But victory in a decisive battle between Japan and America could not be hoped for without coming up with some alternative. Because of that a mysterious underwater fleet, for which the plans were three times more secret than top secret, was built. In other words, the Deep Blue Fleet.

Naturally, Kimmel could not have known. As a supporting strategy, "Battles are won through unconventional tactics" was something of the model.

The Japanese side confronted the start of war by layering careful plans on top of careful plans.

Holding his impatience inside him, Kimmel gathered his staff officers.

"Only one carrier remains in our Pacific Fleet. And it's on the west coast. Gentlemen, can we win without the support of aircraft carriers?"

"The enemy's carrier aircraft should have used up their ammunition in their second sortie. We probably have no need to fear."

There were many such opinions.

"If we do so, their aircraft carriers will be lightly defended, and we will be able to sink them with a single shot. On the other hand, we are in the command of eight battleships. Let us track down the hated enemy and annihilate them."

"I see."

Kimmel nodded.

Their aircraft carriers had been done in, to be sure, but Kimmel's main fleet was unscathed. They had not yet fired a single shot.

Kimmel's heart was moved. But, he still had concerns.

"Gentlemen. What do you think of the enemy fleet that did in the Lexington?"

"Admiral. Our battle formations are perfect. I don't think they can break these iron walls."

"That, also, is so."

The American Navy was particularly focused on antisubmarine defense.

"Okay then, let's regroup and return to Hawaii," Kimmel decided.

The fleet that Kimmel had set sail from Pearl Harbor was certainly splendid, and the strongest fleet. At least that is what the staff from Kimmel down was convinced of this.

First, there was the flagship upon which Kimmel was embarked: the West Virginia, a 32,600 ton Colorado class battleship. With her armament, eight 40cm guns, a dozen 12.7cm secondary guns, eight 7.6cm anti-aircraft guns, two torpedo tubes, she was powerful. What's more, she was a heavily armored battleship, with the heaviest deck armor 508mm thick.

The rest of the battle group:

The Nevada, at 27,500 tons.

The Oklahoma, at 27,500 tons.

The Arizona, at 31,400 tons.

The Pennsylvania, at 31,400 tons.

The Tennessee, at 32,300 tons.

The California, at 32,300 tons.

The Maryland, at 32,600 tons.

It was an impressive force.

In addition, the Kimmel fleet had eight cruisers including the heavy cruiser New Orleans, the light cruisers Raleigh, Honolulu, Helena, and so on. Twenty-nine destroyers, including the Downes, the Cassin, and the Shaw. There were another forty small vessels with them.

Indeed, they were the rulers of the Pacific Ocean.

In order to carry out the Rainbow Five plan, Admiral Kimmel had virtually emptied out Hawaii, sailing for the Marianas region by way of the Marshall Islands.

If this great fleet had gained control of the Marianas according to plan, the war would have been decided in one stroke. The American Navy would probably haved advanced from the Marianas to the Philippines. Furthermore, they would without a doubt draw close to the Japanese mainland and threaten it with naval gunfire.

However, it was as if something were saying over and over again, "we have something up our sleeve."

Now that two enemy aircraft carriers were resting on the sea floor, the well polished 12/8 plan was finally entering its second phase.

...It was 10am local time at the scene of the battle.

Vice Admiral Takasugi Eisaku held the reports from the reconnaissance aircraft, his eyes half closed.

"Commander in Chief, we've received messages from the Seiden."

"Yes."

Takasugi didn't move a muscle.

"The enemy fleet has gathered into a ring formation and continues to head towards the Hawaiian Islands."

"Their location?"

"Approximately 70 nautical miles southwest of Oahu."

"Okay. We can still use the Zeroes, can't we?"

"Yes sir. Because of the relationship between fuel and ammunition, using carrier aircraft to bomb isn't possible, but fighters will suffice."

"The enemy should be flying reconnaissance with their float planes. Send out some Zeroes to shoot down anything still out there."

"Yes sir."

Chief of Staff Colonel Inoue nodded.

"Send the five carriers, as well as the oil tankers and the troop ships, to the north with destroyers to guard them. The decisive fleet battle is about to begin at last."

"Roger!"

Inoue passed down the orders at once.

The five carriers: Zuikaku, Shoukaku, Kaga, Souryuu and Hiryou, the tankers and the troop transports, protected by some destroyers, immediately headed north.

Of the carriers on the Akagi remained, preparing for the return of the Zeroes.

"I'm itching to get to work," said Inoue the warrior.

"Because it is the decisive fleet battle of this era. I'm getting feverish too."

His expression carefree, Takasugi laughed.

"Set a course for Pearl Harbor."

"It's about time."

The fleet rounded the north of Oahu Island at 30 knots, heading for Pearl Harbor quickly.

Zeroes flew around the fleet, defending against enemy submarines.

Once again, reports came in from the Seiden.

The meeting with the enemy drew nearer with every passing moment.

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