That Time When I Was Suddenly Reincarnated in a Fleet Battle

THIRD BATTLE OF MIDWAY | Chapter 57

First Half of 1943

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The Second Battle of the Indian Ocean that occurred in February 1943 ended in a complete victory for the Imperial Navy. They literally annihilated the British Eastern Fleet, sinking three aircraft carriers, seven battleships, and nearly thirty cruisers and destroyers. All three aircraft carriers were of the Illustrious-class, prized possessions of the Royal Navy, and two of the battleships were the 40 cm gun-equipped Nelson and Rodney, once part of the former Big Seven. The confusion of the Royal Navy after losing these assets must have been considerable.

After eliminating these nuisances, the Imperial Navy deployed a naval blockade in the same area. While it took some time to dominate the vast Indian Ocean, the blockade was successful in cutting off the British-Indian route, thanks in part to the fact that the Combined Fleet had committed almost its entire strength. The destruction of the Eastern Fleet also seemed to turn Hitler's attention to the Mediterranean and the Middle East. He chastised the reclusive Italian Navy, and with the availability of the Luftwaffe due to the suspension of Fall Blau, he swiftly deployed them to the Mediterranean, easily capturing Malta and gaining control of the eastern half of the Mediterranean. As a result, the British forces in Egypt were completely cut off from supplies, forcing them to withdraw from the theater of war.

Buoyed by their success, the German forces advanced to the Suez Canal and successfully opened it, making the Japan-Europe route a reality. While this series of battles placed the Allied forces, including the UK, in an extremely difficult situation, it also gave the United States the time it needed. As the Imperial Navy concentrated its forces to the west, the US efficiently utilized its industrial power, commissioning multiple Essex-class aircraft carriers, Independence-class light carriers, and a large number of cruisers and destroyers.

A miscalculation for Japan was the unexpectedly strong resistance from Australia. Despite the destruction of the Pacific Fleet and the Eastern Fleet, Australia initially outright rejected Japan's peace proposal. In response, the Combined Fleet set sail. In mid-June 1943, a massive fleet consisting of eleven aircraft carriers and eight battleships attacked Brisbane. The Japanese military announced its intention to destroy the infrastructure of Brisbane, which housed an American submarine base, effectively turning the city into a burning field. This declaration was proven not to be a mere threat through a fierce air raid by the carrier-based aircraft and a thorough naval bombardment by the battleship fleet. Brisbane was destroyed, and the resulting refugee crisis pushed the Australian government into a state of panic.

Seizing this opportunity, Japan declared an attack on the major city of Sydney. At this point, although the Australian government had a decent number of aircraft carriers in the Pacific Fleet which it depended on, none were adequately trained for combat, and the Eastern Fleet had vanished without a trace. On the other hand, while the Australian fleet was mostly intact, its major force was practically nonexistent, especially in terms of heavy cruisers. Ultimately, prioritizing the safety of its citizens over international commitments, the Australian government opted for a unilateral peace treaty with Japan.

With this, the Imperial Navy, having finally severed the threats from the west and south, turned its gaze eastward for its next target. The goal was the destruction of the resurging American fleet. Especially with the first wave of the newly commissioned Essex-class aircraft carriers and half of the Independence-class carriers entering service earlier this year, it was imperative to eliminate them. Leaving them unchecked would easily hand over control of the Pacific to the US.

And in October 1943, the vanguard of the Combined Fleet set sail again to strike Midway. This timing was chosen because the American carriers were sufficiently deployed, and the deployment of the new F6F Hellcat fighter had begun. The state-of-the-art fighter, clearly surpassing the Zero in performance, in the hands of the American fleet equipped with the F6F, was not expected to shy away from the challenge posed by the Combined Fleet.