We have received the first spear. In a battle that determines the survival of our nation, it is we who will open the warfront. Furthermore, our opponents are considered the greatest threat and the strongest enemy in the Southern Campaign, the United States Navy's air units based in the Philippines.
To be entrusted with their destruction is a great honor for warriors. However, Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, the Commander-in-Chief of the 1st Air Fleet, couldn't help but feel somewhat lacking in enthusiasm.
The reason was clear. The opponent he truly wanted to fight was the Pacific Fleet. The 2nd Air Fleet and the 3rd Air Fleet, apart from them, were stationed on the mainland, prepared to intercept the Pacific Fleet's arrival along with the First Fleet. The reason why the 1st Air Fleet wasn't chosen as the intercepting force for the Pacific Fleet was simply because it was considered to have inferior strength compared to the 2nd and 3rd Air Fleets, as Nagumo thought.
In fact, when the three carrier fleets were initially formed, the 1st Air Fleet was the strongest mobile force. With Akagi and Kaga as the core strength, the 1st Fleet clearly had a combat power that surpassed the 2nd Air Fleet, consisting of Sōryū and Hiryū, and the 3rd Air Fleet, made up of four small carriers.
However, the power balance shifted in the spring.
Three Unryū-class carriers were added to the 2nd Air Fleet, and four Shōkaku-class carriers were deployed to the 3rd Air Fleet. The main forces of the 3rd Air Fleet, Ryūjō, Zuihō, Shōhō, and Ryūhō, were incorporated into the 1st Air Fleet as if they were pushed aside.
The 1st Air Fleet boasts the largest number of carriers. However, in reality, they are a collection of converted carriers and small carriers. Furthermore, their number of carrier-based aircraft is not on par with the 2nd and 3rd Air Fleets.
Nevertheless, the skills of the pilots are excellent. Akagi and Kaga have many members with combat experience on the mainland. Additionally, the pilots assigned to Ryūjō, Zuihō, Shōhō, and Ryūhō are all highly skilled in landing and taking off on the narrow flight decks.
Today, Japan declared war on the United States. The procedure was completed without delay, and now it is known not only to Nagumo but also to all the officers and soldiers of the 1st Air Fleet.
The arrows have already been released. From Akagi and Kaga, there are 18 Zero fighters and 54 Type 0 attack planes each. From the other four small carriers, there are 18 Zero fighters each, totaling 216 aircraft. They are divided into two waves and are currently deploying to attack the American air forces stationed in Iba and Clark Fields.
One of them, a 108-plane attack group heading towards Iba Field, was intercepted by approximately 40 to 50 enemy fighter planes before they could even spot the airfield. They were likely detected by radar.
"Air superiority unit, eliminate the enemy fighters. Cover units, continue heading for Iba with the attackers," ordered Lieutenant Commander Yūma Hashiguchi, who also served as the leader of the Kaga attacker group.
The air superiority unit, consisting of fighters from Akagi, Ryūjō, and Shōhō, accelerated and initiated an attack on the small enemy formations ahead. The cover units, including the fighters from Kaga, Zuihō, and Ryūhō, remained close to the attackers and continued their advance towards the target.
"A combined formation of liquid-cooled and air-cooled fighters, it seems. The liquid-cooled ones are probably P-40s, while the air-cooled ones are P-35s or P-36s. They seem to have about 60 to 70 percent more in number," Lieutenant Commander Shigeru Itaya observed as the silhouette of the enemy fighters became clearer.
As the enemy fighter aircraft got closer, Itaya quickly identified the nature of their opponents. Before they believed they were within a safe distance, the enemy fighters opened fire with their machine guns. Itaya immediately maneuvered his aircraft to evade the incoming bullets. Tracer rounds accurately pierced the space where his aircraft had just been.
With a mixture of fear and admiration for the performance of the low-altitude machine guns and the skill of the enemy pilots, Itaya engaged the enemy fighter aircraft and executed a sharp turn. The enemy fighter from earlier couldn't keep up with the agility of the Zero fighter.
Having gained an advantage behind the enemy fighter, Itaya pushed his Zero fighter's Zuisei engine to its limits. The Zuisei engine was designed with the assumption of using an octane rating of 100 for its fuel and boasted an output of 1,100 horsepower. This was more than ten percent higher than the Sakae engine used by the Army's Type 1 fighter (Nakajima Ki-43). Furthermore, an enhanced output version that was nearing mass production, with an output of 1.250 horsepower, was planned to debut as the new heart of the next-generation Zero fighter as early as the coming spring.
Due to the lightweight nature of the Zero fighter, its acceleration was sharp. Itaya closed the distance with the enemy fighter planes in no time and simultaneously fired the 7,7 mm machine guns on the nose and the 20 mm cannons in the wings. Two thick and slim bullets were launched into the enemy fighter planes. Among them, the high-velocity 20 mm shells from the long-barreled Mark 2 cannon had exceptional destructive power. A single hit could punch a large hole through the aircraft. If a single-seat fighter plane like the enemy's took such hits, even the American fighters known for their resilience would have a hard time.
After confirming the downing of the enemy fighter they faced, Itaya scanned the surroundings. A three-dimensional aerial combat involved not only forward, backward, left, and right but also vigilance against attacks from above or below. Though Zero fighters were equipped with defensive features such as armored steel plates and automatic fire extinguishers, they couldn't afford to let their guard down. If they suffered serious damage over enemy territory, survival would become increasingly unlikely.
Itaya, while contemplating these thoughts, suddenly felt a disconcerting impact on his aircraft. He immediately executed a sharp turn and scanned the surroundings, but he couldn't spot an enemy aircraft in a position to shoot at him.
'Tracer rounds, maybe...'
In an instant, Itaya realized the true nature of the impact. It was not a peashooter like a 7,7 mm, but rather a 12,7 mm or 20 mm round. Whether it belonged to the enemy or their own side, he didn't know. What he could say for certain was that engaging in aerial combat without armor protection was extremely dangerous. No matter how skilled a veteran pilot was, there would be moments when they took hits. In fact, that was his situation right now.
'Bullets flying in the air or on the ground are no different. Maybe fighting with an unarmored fighter is akin to loading a machine gun onto a naked car and facing an armored vehicle. What would happen when the same number of similarly armed cars and armored vehicles collide? Even without thinking, it's clear. Perhaps this tycoon knew that all along.'
He pondered the enigmatic "Mr. S" as it was known within the Imperial Navy for a moment, but then refocused on the present. The battle situation was overwhelmingly in their favor, but in the air, anything could happen. A small lapse in judgment, especially in a battle that could be considered a rookie's first engagement, could lead to sudden death, and he definitely didn't want that.
YOU ARE READING
Cash-Loaded Fleet
Historical Fiction「As long as you have money, you can strengthen the fleet as much as you want.」 Born with a natural inclination for gambling, or perhaps a true gambler at heart, Binta Satsutaba is drawn by his instincts to immerse himself in the tumultuous world of...
