Fleet of Books

Chapter 29 - Strengths and Weaknesses

"I don't know how to refer to radio-guided weapons, or whatever you call them, but I understand that it is the trump card of the Imperial Navy. From the perspective of the Allied forces, it is an extremely troublesome weapon that requires top priority attention."

After Hiranuma paused in his speech, Yamamoto nodded slightly in an indication of his agreement before speaking in turn.

"Now that numerous witnesses from the American military have come forward, there is no need to deliberately conceal it. As you mentioned, during the Battle of Brisbane, the attack planes of the 1st Air Fleet used guided bombs. We call it Funryū. It proved to be a tremendous force on the battlefield that became a significant driving force in annihilating the American mobile fleet."

While hearing Hiranuma's muttering of Funryū, Yamamoto continued to elaborate.

"On the other hand, it seems that the Americans quickly identified the Funryū as a wireless-guided bomb. In the first attack, they directed anti-aircraft fire at them. In the second strike, they specifically targeted the launcher planes. As you mentioned, Hiranuma-san, they are likely to come prepared with survey equipment, including frequency analyzers, the next time we engage in battle."

The Americans' response is swift and accurate. Although they emerged victorious, Yamamoto was reminded in this report that the Americans were not an easy opponent.

"It may be presumptuous for an amateur like me to intervene, but to neutralize the Funryū, it would either be necessary to shoot down the launching aircraft or emit jamming signals against the frequency used by the projectiles. Of course, shooting down the Funryū with anti-aircraft fire may also be possible, but with the current fire control systems, it might be somewhat difficult."

During the Battle of Brisbane, there were reports of the Funryū being shot down by anti-aircraft fire, but this likely involved a considerable element of chance. With a flying speed faster than any fighter in the world and a small target, it is extremely difficult to shoot down the Funryū with current targeting devices. In that case, the only options left are as Hiranuma said: either shoot down the Type 1 attack plane that launched it or emit jamming signals against the frequency used by the Funryū.

'Well, being the author of that novel, it's only natural that he should be able to quickly understand this level of information.'

While marveling at Hiranuma's accurate analysis of the current situation, Yamamoto waited for the next words.

"Indeed, the Americans are excellent not only in equipment but, above all, in personnel. That is their strength, but also their greatest weakness. Ultimately, an organization consists of people and money. In terms of money, meaning economic power, Japan has no chance against the United States. However, there is not such a significant difference in talent as there is in money. By closing that gap and even reversing it, there may be hope in the fight against the United States. In that sense, as I mentioned earlier, the Battle of Brisbane was a truly regrettable event."

In a rare, almost excessive repetition for Hiranuma, Yamamoto realized where the essence lies in carrying out the war against the United States.

"Then, what you are trying to say is that no matter how many warships we sink, the United States, with its overwhelmingly superior shipbuilding capacity, can easily compensate for any damage. However, the situation is different when it comes to personnel. Even a commander capable of serving as the captain of a destroyer or submarine takes twenty to twenty-five years to train. A captain who becomes the commanding officer of a large ship requires even more time. Even if it's not to that extreme, it still takes a considerable amount of time to fully train crew members or even ordinary soldiers."

The Imperial Navy's officers and soldiers have been diligently honing their skills every day to defeat combat machinery such as battleships and aircraft carriers. Of course, in the process, they may take the lives of enemy officers and soldiers, but they do not approach the battle with a conscious intent to kill people. However, Hiranuma is explicitly stating that harvesting the lives of enemy officers and soldiers should be prioritized.

"Naval officers in gunnery, navigation, and engineering departments are a majority in any country's navy, and they can be somewhat interchangeable. Especially in the world's largest organization, the United States Navy, this is even more apparent. However, personnel such as flight crews, deck crew members, maintenance personnel, and weapons personnel aboard aircraft carriers are still scarce, even in the United States Navy. Furthermore, for those with combat experience, they are truly valuable assets, even more precious than jewels. If we had completely annihilated these during the Battle of Brisbane, the reconstruction of the American mobile fleet would have been extremely challenging."

The US Navy had planned to build twelve carriers as part of the pre-war Two-Ocean Navy Act. This plan is openly discussed, and it seems that the US Navy actively promotes it, as the story is circulating everywhere, and many in the Imperial Navy are aware of it. As for the breakdown of the planned twelve carriers, one has already started service, the Hornet, and the remaining eleven are entirely new types. It is anticipated that these new carriers will have significantly greater capabilities than traditional American carriers. However, naturally, to operate these carriers, a massive amount of personnel is required. It is indisputable that the officers and soldiers boarding existing carriers become the main source of instructors and faculty to train these personnel. The First Fleet, the 1st Air Fleet, and the 2nd Air Fleet, all participating in the Battle of Brisbane, missed the opportunity to eliminate them due to their lack of thoroughness.

"If only we had killed them when their ships were sunk, drifting at sea. Is that what you're suggesting, Hiranuma-san?"

Even if they are military personnel of an enemy country, isn't killing drowning people crossing a line as a human being? Yamamoto questioned with a reproachful look in his eyes.

"There's no need to kill anyone. The optimal solution at that time was to send destroyers from the First Fleet and two Air Fleets to rescue them. If we took them as prisoners, we could prevent information leakage about the Funryū, and if we interrogated them skillfully, we might have gained valuable information. Moreover, by annihilating the enemy mobile fleet, we had effectively neutralized the majority of their aerial threat at that point, so there should have been enough room to dispatch destroyers for the rescue. However, none of the three fleet commanders who fought in Brisbane, or in other words, the three admirals, attempted to do that. Perhaps all three were satisfied after annihilating the enemy's aircraft carriers and escort vessels."

Hiranuma's observation was a painful conversation for Yamamoto as well. Yamamoto himself, swept away in the excitement of the report of sinking four carriers, had not given a thought to the enemy's crew. A mix of regret and reflection silently stirred within Yamamoto. For some reason, Hiranuma abruptly changed the topic.

"By the way, changing the subject, didn't Hitler of Germany place an order with the Imperial Navy?"