That Time When I Was Suddenly Reincarnated in a Fleet Battle

Chapter 78 - Hunt for Fallen Warriors in the Sky

When Lieutenant Commander Saburō Shindō heard that the number of enemy fighters approaching from the contact point was only around a hundred, he became confident of victory. He had already obtained information that the Shiden was superior to the F6F Hellcat from the Mariana base's air squadron, and conversely, the Zero Model 54 would be evenly matched or slightly disadvantaged. Despite the recent occurrence of a battle, the significance of the details and lessons learned being immediately provided to other units was substantial. It seems that a contribution by someone named Jun, a divine servant, played a significant role in this matter. According to hearsay, he was diligently involved in building and maintaining the information and communication system, as well as actively promoting a mindset change among the officers and soldiers involved in these tasks.

"Information can sometimes have a greater impact on aerial combat than the number of fighter planes."

Jun was said to frequently express this sentiment. Now, Shindō was reaping the benefits. The proficiency of the fighter pilots from the base air squadron deployed in the Marianas was by no means low. However, to cope with the successive expansions of the base air squadrons, there were inevitably some who lacked skill or had no combat experience. On the other hand, the carrier-based fighter squadrons required skill to land on the narrow flight deck, so naturally, there were no novices among them. If the base air squadron's Zeros were evenly matched or slightly disadvantaged, the carrier-based Zeros should be able to fight on equal or superior terms against the F6F, in addition to having numerical superiority.

As Shindō tried to project confidence, a scene unfolded like specks appearing on a blue canvas. Five formations of around thirty aircraft each. Spread widely at the same altitude, just as the pre-informed intelligence indicated.

"Shōkaku and Kaga squadrons to the far left, Force A central left, Force B center, Force C central right, and Force D to the far right, attack the formations as instructed."

To avoid an imbalance in forces, Shindō indicated the attack targets. 40 Zeros for each target, under Shindō's command, were unleashed like unleashed beasts. Thanks to the electrical components, lubricating oil, and machine tools coming in from Germany, the reliability of the Kinsei engines had increased significantly.

On the other hand, despite the numerical disadvantage, the F6Fs quite a distance away unleashed the six .50-caliber Browning machine guns housed in their wings. Easily dodging them, Shindō, after smoothly turning behind the F6F in a sharp maneuver following the crossing, surveyed the surroundings. Vigilance against the Thach Weave tactic, said to have appeared since the First Battle of Midway, couldn't be neglected. There were no small number of friendly fighters shot down by losing attention to an F4F that considered them easy prey and getting caught from the side by another F4F. Having confirmed no enemy planes in the vicinity, Shindō accelerated rapidly, latching onto the rear of the F6F. According to the pre-informed intelligence, although the Zero couldn't match the top speed of the F6F, its acceleration to reach climbing ability and combat speed were superior. The horsepower was only around 70% to 80% of the F6F, but the weight was less than 60%, making it a significant factor.

While expressing gratitude to Mariana's base air squadron, the Third Fleet headquarters, and Jun, who contributed to the establishment of a smooth information-sharing system, Shindō mercilessly rained 20 mm and 13 mm shells onto the F6F before him. As four different-sized rockets pierced the F6F's fuselage, the aircraft belched flames and smoke extravagantly, pitching downward upside-down. No matter how well-armored it might be, it was ultimately a single-engine carrier-based aircraft. Even the F6F couldn't withstand a shower of 20 mm and 13 mm shells that could fatally wound even a four-engine heavy bomber, especially at such close range.

By the time Shindō had shot down the F6F, the tide of the battle had already been decided. Originally, there were already 50% to 60% more Zeros than F6Fs, and since the F6Fs had suffered a major blow in the initial attack, the disparity in forces was even greater. The few remaining F6Fs were being pursued by multiple Zeros. It looked like a collective lynching or a hunt for fallen warriors in the sky.