That Time When I Was Suddenly Reincarnated in a Fleet Battle

Chapter 66 - Midway Turkey Shoot

The largest attack force in history, consisting of 240 F6F Hellcats, 120 SB2C Helldivers, and 132 TBF Avengers, totaling 492 aircraft, was detected by numerous Zeros far from the Japanese fleet in the open sea. Surprisingly, there were 408 of them. During this period, the Imperial Japanese Navy, under Jun's guidance, had already mastered air traffic control. On the other hand, leading the American attack force was a squadron of 144 F6F fighter planes. Originally tasked with fleet air defense, these planes had been reassigned to the role of clearing the way for the attack force due to Admiral Halsey's all-out attack order.

The first to engage the F6Fs were 156 Zeros launched from 13 carriers. The aerial battle that ensued, involving nearly equal numbers of aircraft, surprisingly ended in a one-sided victory for the Zeros. The decisive factor was the information available to the Zero pilots.

While the Zero pilots had been informed in advance about the appearance of the F6F during this period, along with its strengths, weaknesses, general performance, and likely tactics, the F6F pilots went into battle thinking they were facing the conventional Model 21 or Model 32 Zeros. The acceleration and climb rate of the Zero Model 53, equipped with a Kinsei engine instead of the Sakae engine, were significantly different from the Model 21 or Model 32. Although the top speed was not much different, the acceleration to combat speed was superior, thanks to the powerful torque. Unaware of these differences, the F6F squadron found itself challenged by the superior climbing and accelerating Zeros. Despite the overall superior performance of the 2.000-horsepower F6F in terms of firepower, defense, and top speed compared to the 1.300-horsepower Zero Model 53, the shaken F6F pilots couldn't capitalize on their strengths.

On the other hand, the experienced and cunning Zero pilots exploited every vulnerability of the F6F. In the face of relentless attacks from the Zeros, the F6Fs could not regain the upper hand, especially considering the lack of skilled personnel. The fighter crew had lost too many veterans in the two battles of Midway and the Coral Sea. As a result, the F6F pilots, many of whom were made up of the training elite, unfortunately lacked too much actual battle experience to take on the Zeros' skilled crews. What should have been a slight disadvantage in numbers against the Zeros at first quickly became a noticeable difference, and after that it became one-sided.

The tragic fate was not limited to the vanguard F6F squadron. Following them, 96 F6Fs, 120 SB2Cs, and 132 TBFs faced interception by 252 Zeros. The F6Fs, engaged in direct cover, were barely able to attract an equal number of Zeros, leaving the SB2Cs and TBFs without fighter escort. Repeatedly attacked by around 150 Zeros, the 120 SB2Cs and 132 TBFs, despite their resilience, succumbed to the high-penetration 20 mm rounds ejected from the Mark 2 guns, crashing into the Midway sea one after another. Survivors among the American crews later described the scene of SB2Cs and TBFs being shot down as the "Midway Turkey Shoot," injecting a touch of self-mockery.