That Time When I Was Suddenly Reincarnated in a Fleet Battle

Chapter 29 - Interceptor Fighters

The five aircraft carriers of the Third Fleet each had two squadrons, totaling 90 Zero fighters prepared as a combat air patrol to intercept the attacking squadrons launched by the American carrier task force. Each carrier had 18 Zero fighters; the outdated A5Ms that participated in the Coral Sea and Midway battles were no longer present. While the turning performance was high, the A5M had a slow maximum speed and only carried 7,7 mm machine guns, putting them at a disadvantage against the F4F Wildcat. It was also difficult for them to inflict fatal damage on the advanced TBF Avenger torpedo bombers. It was clear that the era where the A5M was effective had passed.

The CAP, consisting only of Zeros, typically operated with two sections of six planes each on aerial patrol, two sections on immediate standby, and the remaining two sections for maintenance and resupply in a three-rotation system. However, with the imminent threat of the American attack squadrons, half of one squadron was assigned to aerial patrol, and the other half was on standby on the flight deck to take off at any moment.

As expected, the enemy appeared at the anticipated time. Almost simultaneously with the flagship Shōkaku of the Third Fleet detecting the enemy formation on radar, I sensed the approaching enemy formation through my perception magic. Compared to the Battle of Midway where we faced the enemy without radar, the significantly improved detection capability now provided the interceptors with sufficient reaction time.

In the midst of this, pushing aside other aircraft, the D4Y I was boarding rushed to the flight deck of the Shōkaku and ascended into the sky. The formations of Zero fighters in the sky were reorganizing from sections to larger formations. By that time, the outline of the enemy forces that had been vaguely sensed became clear. The formation that my perception magic had detected consisted of three groups totaling 40 to 50 aircraft each.

At this time, the Americans did not have the skill to form formations for fighters, bombers, and torpedo planes separately. In other words, they approached as individual carrier units. Therefore, there were three enemy carriers. With the expected strength arriving at the expected time, I felt a bit of ease.

While seated in the ascending D4Y, I, along with the false information that I was a divine servant, used magic to directly convey information such as the enemy's distance and altitude to the minds of the Zero fighter pilots. In the next moment, cheers flowed from the noisy radio, but I ignored them. Well, in the vast sky where no one should be, and suddenly a clear voice came into your head without the use of a radio, it's natural to be surprised.

"The enemy formations are in three groups. The first wave of interception will strike the vanguard of the nearest enemy, and the following enemy formations will respond to the emergency launch of the second interception wave. After striking the enemy vanguard formation, we will immediately attack the enemy's third formation, which is the rear formation. Therefore, regarding the enemy vanguard, we strictly prohibit any pursuit. Please ignore any aircraft that have dropped bombs or torpedoes."

Taking another breath, I conveyed the most important information.

"This war will be won by air superiority, in other words, victory goes to the side that gains air control. And the key to achieving that air control is the fighter planes and the pilots who fly them. Unfortunately, the ranks of the Imperial Navy's fighter squadron pilots are thin. Among them, those considered skilled can be said to be a rare breed. Therefore, if you sustain damage to a critical area or sense any abnormalities in the engine, please return to the carrier immediately. There is no one in the Imperial Navy who can replace you. If you die, it will place a significant burden on your surviving comrades, and above all, it means the loss of Japan's fighting strength. It is equivalent to putting the precious people left on the home front in danger. It is crucial, so I will repeat it once again. Please do not push yourselves too hard. I hope for your survival more than any achievements in battle."

In response to my words, there is again a murmur on the radio. I do not understand what that murmur means. The Japanese military is an organization that, for the sake of achievements, is willing to use up soldiers without hesitation, so perhaps they found my words unexpected.

"Now, we will begin the ascent. Everyone, follow suit."

Having been personally entrusted with the command of the intercept squadron by Vice Admiral Nagumo, I issued orders to about 45 Zeros with words that were unlike those of a typical military officer. I continued to approach the enemy formation in the front, taking the shortest distance. Ideally, it is best to engage the enemy with the sun at our backs, but unfortunately, as an amateur, I can't perform such clever maneuvers. Besides, skilled Zero fighter pilots should be able to fight effectively even without a surprise attack.

Small dots appeared in the sky slightly below and in front. The keen-eyed Zero fighter pilots should have already noticed the presence of enemy aircraft. Our altitude is about 500 meters higher.

"Once again, I will designate the targets. The Kaga fighter squadron, please eliminate the enemy escort fighters. The enemy fighter squadron is composed of highly skilled pilots, so be extremely cautious. The Ryūjō and Zuihō squads, please attack the enemy bombers, and the Shōkaku and Zuikaku squads, target the enemy torpedo planes."

Having said this, I instructed the pilot to slightly turn the nose to the right. The Zero fighter pilots might not be able to see the enemy formations yet, but my perception magic has already captured the second enemy group. And the third enemy group will be arriving slightly later. In an ideal situation, the first interception wave alone would handle all enemy formations. However, with only 45 Zero fighters, that would be impossible.

"I'm counting on you, second interception wave."

In my mind, I called out to the second interception wave pursuing the first. The response to the second enemy group will be handled by the five squadrons of about four to five Zero fighters in the second interception wave. Although it's a bit of a makeshift setup, we have implemented an air control system that synchronizes the radar on the Shōkaku with the Zero fighters' radios. Without handy equipment like PPI scopes and IFF, it's unclear how well we can manage, but we have to believe that it's a better strategy than OTL.

But first, we must deal with the vanguard formation of the enemy. The enemy formation came into view. We have the altitude advantage, thanks to my perception magic, so naturally, we have the upper hand. The enemy on the other side must have also spotted us. About ten escort planes, presumably F4F Wildcats, climbed rapidly, but it was too late. The 45 Zero fighters accelerated and smoothly transitioned into a gentle descent.