That Time When I Was Suddenly Reincarnated in a Fleet Battle

Chapter 6 - Taking a Defensive Approach

"Giving up the enemy task force for the time being, while using all the fighters and dive bombers to intercept and defend against attacks from Midway and enemy carriers?"

The defensive-centric proposal I presented seemed overly passive to the officers of the Imperial Navy, who valued the spirit of daring combat. However, there was no time to engage in a heated debate.

"In less than two hours, the American aerial assault will commence. Initially, six TBF Avengers and four B-26s launched from Midway Base will strike the 1st Air Fleet. The TBF is the successor to the TBD Devastator, a state-of-the-art torpedo bomber, while the B-26 is a twin-engine bomber capable of carrying torpedoes, both reasonably fast and hard to shoot down due to their high defense capabilities. Less than an hour later, SBDs launched from Midway will attack, and subsequently, the 1st Air Fleet will face intermittent attacks from B-17s and SB2Us. About three hours from now, the fierce onslaught by the carrier planes dispatched by the American mobile unit is expected to begin."

"So, the 1st Air Fleet is currently being subjected to wave-like attacks or being pummeled by the aircraft from Midway and the American mobile unit?"

Commander Minoru Genda, who should have recovered from his illness, asked me with a pale face, surpassing the preliminary expectations of the enemy's airpower.

"As I mentioned earlier, this fleet is already deeply entangled in the trap set by the Americans. To break through the enemy's cunning plan, we have only two options: either commit to an all-out offensive or focus entirely on defense. However, an all-out offensive is not advisable. If we deploy the second wave now, we may achieve some results, but our air squadrons will suffer a devastating blow due to the shortage of fighters for escort. Furthermore, if we launch the second wave, the number of fighters protecting the fleet overhead will decrease, leading to a corresponding decrease in our anti-air capabilities. As a result, a significant number of carriers may be hit or lost. The formidable capabilities of the American planes are evident from the sinking of the Shōhō and the damage sustained by the Shōkaku in the previous Battle of the Coral Sea. Moreover, this time, not only carrier-based planes but also the land-based planes from Midway will join the battle."

As I spoke, the temperature on the bridge of the Akagi dropped even further.

"If only the Zuikaku were here..."

It was unclear who muttered those words, but I could understand the sentiment. The current situation, in essence, boiled down to insufficient military strength. The scarcity of Zero fighters, in particular, was critical, and it could be said that the officers of the 1st Air Fleet Headquarters had underestimated the situation. Before the operation, the 1st Air Fleet believed they could easily scatter the Americans with their overwhelming airpower. However, when the truth was revealed, the enemy had prepared and awaited with aircraft superior to their own. The shock experienced by the officers of the 1st Air Fleet Headquarters must have been great.

"We don't have time to ponder. We've already been detected by the enemy, while the American mobile unit remains undiscovered. Let's adopt Jun-san's plan. Even if the enemy mobile unit doesn't appear, we'll deal with it when the time comes. We can reorganize an attack group to Midway later."

Commander Genda, who quickly regained his composure, appealed to Vice Admiral Nagumo and Chief of Staff Kusaka with enthusiasm. Being an air staff officer, he was well aware of the critical nature of battles between mobile units, where every second counted. Swift decision-making was a good thing, provided it was the right decision. He then turned to me.

"Jun-san, you mentioned earlier that we should use all of the fighters and dive bombers for interception. Do you have a specific plan?"

"The dive bombers will interfere with the low-altitude torpedo attacks by the TBDs. While the dive bombers only have a weak 7,7-millimeter machine gun, unlike the SBD equipped with a 12,7-millimeter machine gun, it should still be sufficient to counter the sluggish TBD carrying torpedoes. With the addition of the 36 planes from the 2nd Carrier Division and the ones from the 1st Carrier Division that participated in the attack on Midway, the operational dive bombers will exceed 60 planes. On the other hand, the TBDs number only around 40, so we should be able to stop them effectively. The fighters should mainly target the SBDs in medium to high altitudes. Unlike the TBD, the SBD is a nimble aircraft, but it is still no match for the Zero. However, considering the large number of SBDs, there is a possibility of some slipping through. In that case, we'll have to rely on each ship's anti-aircraft firepower and evasive maneuvers."

Even with the most generous estimates, the number of planes from the American carriers and Midway combined wouldn't exceed 200. On the other hand, the 1st Air Fleet possessed a total of 144 Zeros and D3A dive bombers. Some might have been lost or damaged in the first wave, but we could still deploy around 120 to 130 for interception. These calculations were something an air staff officer could quickly assess. It seemed that Commander Genda considered my plan to be well-calculated and viable.

"Vice Admiral, and Chief of Staff, I say again, let's go with Jun-san's plan. Engaging in a defense-centric battle is far from ideal, but breaking through the enemy's trap, breaking out of the encirclement, that's our top priority."

Upon Commander Genda's recommendation, Vice Admiral Nagumo looked at his chief of staff. In response to his superior's silent inquiry, Chief of Staff Kusaka nodded with resignation.

"Understood. Disarm and remove torpedoes and bombs from the torpedo bombers and dive bombers of the 1st and 2nd Carrier Divisions. Store the removed bombs and torpedoes quickly in the ammunition storage. Also, remove fuel and ammunition from the torpedo bombers. The dive bombers from the 2nd Carrier Division will join the interception battle, and the fighters and dive bombers that returned from the first wave will do the same."

Vice Admiral Nagumo with a look of approval turned to me. "Is this acceptable?" he seemed to ask with his eyes. I nodded and made a request to him.

"Could we have one of the Type 13 experimental dive bombers from the Sōryū transferred here? I want to ensure complete readiness for the interception battle, and from the rear seat, I'll do my best to shoot down as many enemy aircraft as possible."

"Even if that experimental dive bomber had a rear machine gun, it would have been a 7,7-millimeter peashooter, wouldn't it?" Commander Genda butted in, looking puzzled.

"Well, take a look at this," I said, stepping out of the bridge and raising my right arm towards the sky.

"Kaen-dan!"

As I uttered (shouted) these words, a fireball shot out from my right hand and soared into the sky. Released with power capable of easily taking down intermediate-level monsters, it unleashed an explosive force incomparable to anti-aircraft shells in the air. At the same time, a commotion erupted from the bridge, reaching my ears.

However...

A little later, I was called by Commander Genda. He spoke apologetically in a hushed voice.

"Sorry to say this, but could you refrain from using the power of the gods except in emergencies? Regarding the fireball you released earlier, we received numerous inquiries from other ships to Akagi via radio and light signals. Because of this, the communication department on Akagi is currently in quite a mess."

His words made me reflect on my own carelessness. I reconfirmed the situation I was currently in. This was not another world; it was a battlefield.