Fleet of Books

Chapter 38 - Unexpected Disadvantage

"Even if both the Hornet and the Wasp were deployed in the Atlantic, the combined number of operational aircraft carriers for the United States and Britain usable in fleet battles would not exceed seven. Even with the most generous estimate, their total aircraft complement would not reach 400. If both the carriers and their embarked aircraft are only about half of ours, wouldn't that mean they pose less of a significant threat?"

In response to Hiranuma's assertion that victory would be impossible without the combined strength of the Imperial Japanese Navy, Yamamoto demanded concrete numbers to support his claim.

"Indeed, if the American and British carriers were balanced with a mix of fighter aircraft, dive bombers, and torpedo bombers, it would be difficult for Japan to secure victory. However, what if all seven carriers were predominantly equipped with fighter aircraft? The primary fighter of the United States Navy, the F4F Wildcat, is compact in design, and its latest variants feature folding wings, enabling a substantial number of aircraft to be accommodated on carriers with good load-bearing capacity."

Understanding the implications of Hiranuma's remarks, Yamamoto swiftly reached a conclusion.

"The disadvantaged American and British carriers may not have a favorable outlook in open-sea aerial combat against us. However, if they engage in gun and torpedo battles with surface strike vessels like battleships, the situation changes. They understand they have an advantage over us in terms of surface strike vessels. To capitalize on this advantage, they deliberately prioritize fighters over strike aircraft and torpedo bombers, thus reallocating their resources. That's the crux of the matter."

The Imperial Navy was considerably informed about the movements of the British and American main fleet vessels. Immediately available from Britain were two state-of-the-art battleships, the King George V and the Duke of York. Among the older battleships were the Nelson and Rodney, armed with 40 cm guns, as well as the Malaya with 38 cm guns and the Renown, a battlecruiser. The British also possessed two additional battleships, the Valiant and the Queen Elizabeth, armed with 38 cm guns. However, due to repair work, they were not expected to be operational in the near future. On the other hand, the US has the new battleships North Carolina and Washington, as well as seven older battleships.

Moreover, the South Dakota which surpassed the North Carolina-class was launched last month, and the second ship, Indiana, was commissioned earlier this month. Additionally, the third ship, Massachusetts, was scheduled to commence service next month. In Britain, this month saw the commissioning of the fourth ship of the King George V-class, the Anson. However, due to ongoing training, none of these four state-of-the-art battleships were immediately counted as operational.

"As for battleships, it's unlikely that the seven older American battleships will participate. Many veteran crews likely transferred to the new battleships due to the rush of their completion. Therefore, the older American battleships will likely serve as training vessels on the West Coast for the time being, while simultaneously nurturing new recruits."

Replenishing the lost personnel from Pearl Harbor and the Battle of Brisbane is a daunting task, even for the well-staffed US Navy. Yamamoto concurred with Hiranuma's assessments.

"In that case, if the Combined Fleet were to be deployed to Europe, we would be faced with six British battleships and two American battleships."

With ten battleships in the Combined Fleet's possession, they held the numerical advantage. However, the combined British and American force had four new battleships out of their eight. Among the remaining four older battleships, two were the Nelson and the Rodney, two of the Big Seven. Qualitatively, the British and Americans held the upper hand, and their overall combat capability clearly surpassed that of the Combined Fleet.

Why did Hiranuma say that the Combined Fleet couldn't win without going all out?

Yamamoto finally began to understand the meaning behind it. He realized that he had been deceived by the might of the friendly mobile task force and had unwittingly fallen into arrogance or overconfidence.

"The disparity in strength between the Imperial Navy and the British-American fleet is not so decisive. If they engage us directly, even our powerful carrier air groups will inevitably suffer heavy losses. And if an undamaged surface gun and torpedo battle were to occur, the Imperial Navy would have no chance of winning."

It might anger gunners and torpedo men, but Hiranuma calmly spoke these words. While inwardly smiling at the fact that he couldn't share this with them, Yamamoto nonetheless agreed with Hiranuma's words.

Among the ten battleships in the Imperial Navy's possession, the Ise, Hyūga, Yamashiro, and Fusō were all considered formidable ships, each equipped with twelve 36 cm guns, recognized both domestically and internationally. However, due to the installation of six main gun turrets along the ship's centerline, these four ships were slow and had low defensive capabilities. Even against the Pennsylvania-class battleships, which also carried twelve 36 cm guns, the Imperial Navy faced disadvantages in defense. Against battleships like the New Mexico-class or Tennessee-class, equipped with longer-barreled 36 cm guns, the odds were even slimmer. Furthermore, while the King George V-class battleships, armed with ten 36 cm guns, had fewer guns, their performance far surpassed that of the older battleships and made victory nearly impossible without a stroke of luck.

On the other hand, although the Kongō-class battleships were fast, their offensive and defensive capabilities were below standard, making them clearly inadequate for engaging British and American battleships directly. Conversely, except for the Nagato and Mutsu, there was not a single battleship in the Imperial Navy capable of directly engaging in a slugfest. In that case, they had to rely on their allies. There was no need for Japan to face Britain and America alone.

"In that case, why not seek support from Germany and Italy? Germany possesses new battleships like the Tirpitz, and Italy has ships like the Vittorio Veneto-class. While it may be tough for German cruisers and Italian older battleships to face British and American battleships directly, it should be entirely possible to counter the King George V-class or the North Carolina-class with new battleships."

Yamamoto was enthusiastic, but Hiranuma, showing an unusually contemplative expression for himself, responded.

"For the Tirpitz to join us, it would have to cross the Dover Strait. While the German battlecruisers Scharnhorst and Gneisenau successfully passed through the strait in broad daylight once, the British are not so incompetent as to allow the same mistake twice. Furthermore, the Italian Navy may possess two new battleships, the Vittorio Veneto and the Littorio, but given their track record, we shouldn't harbor excessive expectations. Conversely, there's even a risk of friendly fire in chaotic or nighttime battles. However, in the current situation, it's a fact that there's no reason to hesitate in relying on the Italian Navy. Clearly, when it comes to battleships, the advantage lies squarely with the Imperial Japanese Navy."

Hiranuma, who rarely agreed with his opinions, made an unusual agreement. Yamamoto felt slightly surprised by this agreement, but ignoring his own emotions, he casually inquired if there were any further suggestions. Hiranuma immediately laid out his thoughts to Yamamoto, as if pouring water onto a board.