That Time When I Was Suddenly Reincarnated in a Fleet Battle

Chapter 17 - Pointing Fingers

The meeting at the Combined Fleet headquarters and the 1st Air Fleet headquarters in the Yamato seemed more like a discord than a discussion, displaying a semblance of an online flame war, so to speak. Naturally, there seemed to be a considerable amount of slanderous words, angry shouts, and, along with them, a significant amount of spitting. It feels like I might get splashed.

Surprisingly, the spearhead of the condemnation against the Combined Fleet headquarters was Chief of Staff Kusaka, who had maintained a calm attitude until now. He criticized the mishap of the Combined Fleet headquarters for not conveying signs of enemy aircraft carrier movement, and furthermore, Commander Genda, known for his keen sense, seized the opportunity to point out the deficiencies in the operation that the Combined Fleet had formulated. Members of the Combined Fleet headquarters, who had intended to hang the 1st Air Fleet headquarters for not sinking a single enemy ship, found themselves in a defensive position due to my hindsight tactics.

Despite intercepting critical information about the movement of American aircraft carriers near the Midway area, the complete misjudgment of the Combined Fleet headquarters, assuming that the 1st Air Fleet would also be aware of it, was a serious mistake. Upon learning this fact, other staff members of the 1st Air Fleet headquarters and the 2nd Carrier Division commander were furious, and while the commanders of the 8th Cruiser Division and 10th Destroyer Squadron weren't as enraged, their expressions still showed considerable displeasure.

Originally, there was already significant distrust and dissatisfaction among the various fleet headquarters towards the Combined Fleet headquarters in this operation. Despite pleas from the military headquarters and various fleet headquarters for the postponement of the capture of Midway due to lack of preparation, the Combined Fleet headquarters ignored them. Furthermore, in the case of the 1st Air Fleet, just before the major operation, there were successive transfers of experienced pilots, causing a significant decline in the air squadrons' capabilities.

In addition to these issues, there were too many questionable decisions in this operation, such as diverting carriers with substantial strength like Jun'yō and Ryūjō to the Aleutians instead of Midway as a diversion, or placing the battleships far behind the mobile fleet. Therefore, the accumulated resentment of the 1st Air Fleet headquarters and the squadron commanders was unleashed like a barrage of arrows against the members of the Combined Fleet headquarters.

The members of the 1st Air Fleet headquarters were pressing, and the members of the Combined Fleet headquarters were on the defensive. Although part of me wanted to continue watching it as someone else's problem, excessive conflict and friction would undoubtedly cause problems later on. Both the Combined Fleet headquarters and the 1st Air Fleet headquarters are part of the same naval organization and fundamentally need to work together. So, to change the subject, I decided to bring up another topic.

"Excuse me for a moment."

Without blatantly covering for subordinates who had clearly made an inexcusable mistake, I raised my hand toward Admiral Yamamoto, who looked troubled. After a brief expression of relief, Yamamoto quickly composed himself and prompted my statement. With that, I dropped the second bomb.

"The struggle of the 1st Air Fleet at Midway is indeed one of the results of the Combined Fleet headquarters not conveying the signs of enemy aircraft carrier activity intercepted beforehand. However, there is another significant factor. It may be unbelievable, but the Imperial Navy's D codebook has already been deciphered by American intelligence. Therefore, it can only function for a brief period immediately after changing the random number table. The fact that three enemy aircraft carriers could lie in wait for Midway in the vast expanse of the Pacific is due to this."

The exchange of accusations and defenses between the members of the Combined Fleet headquarters and the 1st Air Fleet headquarters falls silent at my words.

"Are you saying that the Imperial Navy's code has already been broken by the United States?" Admiral Yamamoto questioned with an expression approaching disbelief.

While an extremely incredible story, the decisive event of the American carriers' ambush substantiates everything. The attitudes of the members of the Combined Fleet headquarters and the 1st Air Fleet headquarters upon hearing my story were contrasting. The members of the 1st Air Fleet headquarters, who actually fell into an ambush at Midway and were familiar with my capabilities, have faces that suggested they find such a possibility plausible. On the other hand, the members of the Combined Fleet headquarters have expressions of disbelief or perhaps reliance on the D codebook.

"Whether it's the Battle of the Coral Sea or the Battle of Midway, the United States has consistently deployed its forces precisely and at the right timing. The unexpected reinforcement of the Midway base's air squadron and the appearance of three American carriers tell the whole story. Regarding this operation, the Imperial Navy intended to lure the Pacific Fleet to Midway as bait and set a trap but ended up falling into the opponent's trap. The minimal casualties were made possible by the efforts of the personnel of the 1st Air Fleet, including Vice Admiral Nagumo. In other words, the 1st Air Fleet has wiped away the debts of the Combined Fleet headquarters' failure. It's quite absurd for the Combined Fleet headquarters, which received help in cleaning up their mess, to criticize the 1st Air Fleet headquarters. And if anyone doubts what I've said, please show the timeline of the Battle of Midway and the routes of both Japanese and American forces to Vice Admiral Ozawa of the Southern Expeditionary Fleet. He is well-versed not only in naval aviation warfare but also in codes. Just by looking at that chart, he'll discern that Japan's codes have been deciphered by the Americans. Also, as an aside, I don't know if the Army's codes are stronger than the Navy's or if their use is more strictly enforced, but in any case, the Americans have yet to decipher them."

The naval codes are transparent to the US. The members of the Combined Fleet headquarters seemed to be struggling to digest or fully accept this unpleasant reality, but they seemed to have realized that this was not the time to argue with the members of the 1st Air Fleet headquarters. With my pointed remarks, the discussion shifted toward a constructive direction, focusing on the lessons and experiences gained by both the Combined Fleet headquarters and the 1st Air Fleet headquarters in this naval battle. Observing this with a relieved expression, Admiral Yamamoto addressed me.

"Jun-san, I apologize for bothering you while you're tired, but would you accompany me to the Commander's quarters? There are a few things I'd like to discuss privately."