By the time the six American battleships were screaming their final cries, even the battle between the light warships had reached its conclusion.
In an attempt to strike down the approaching American destroyers, the Mogami-class heavy cruisers of the 7th Cruiser Division opened fire with their 20 cm guns, as if believing it was the key to victory. Knowing that long-distance combat was not in their favor, the American destroyer fleet accelerated at full speed to dive into their opponent's midst. With overwhelming inferiority in gunfighting capabilities, the only way for destroyers to find a way out was through torpedo attacks.
However, it was a trap set by the Japanese. Not only American destroyers had found a way through torpedoes. While the Mogami-class heavy cruisers fired their twenty-centimeter guns, each ship launched six torpedoes. The torpedo squadron led by the light cruiser Naka followed suit. Naka fired four, and the sixteen Kagerō-class destroyers launched a generous number of eight oxygen torpedoes each, one after another. The most impressive were the ships of the 9th Cruiser Division, Kitakami and Ōi. Equipped with ten quadruple torpedo launchers each, they fired twenty torpedoes each. Altogether, they released a total of 196 oxygen torpedoes, creating a deadly trap on the predicted course of the American destroyers.
All of them were torpedoes launched from a distance of over 15.000 meters. At that time, it was not within the common sense that torpedoes could reach such distances. Because of this misconception, American destroyers completely overlooked the torpedoes carried by the ships right in front of them. That's why the American destroyers inexplicably rushed into the torpedo trap. It was a result of their complacency and arrogance, as they believed that Japan's scientific capabilities couldn't possibly create long-range torpedoes.
Before long, columns of water rose on the sides of the five American destroyers. All the struck American destroyers were heavily damaged and completely lost their maneuverability.
On the other hand, the Japanese side, who had cleverly ensnared the American destroyers, was not entirely satisfied with this outcome. Even though it was a long-range torpedo attack with a low hit rate, the hit rate of less than three percent was disappointing. However, in this situation, the significance of taking out five American destroyers was substantial.
The American destroyers, mistakenly believing that the long-range attacks with oxygen torpedoes were the work of submarines or mines, quickly disrupted their formation. Then, four heavy cruisers, three light cruisers, and sixteen destroyers launched a coordinated attack. In terms of sheer numbers, they outnumbered the American destroyers by more than two times. However, the actual difference in firepower was even more significant. Additionally, the American destroyers had lost their coordination, making their disadvantage decisive. The four Mogami-class heavy cruisers engaged the American destroyers head-on, pounding them with their 20-centimeter guns. The three light cruisers, Naka, Kitakami, and Ōi, along with the sixteen Kagerō-class destroyers, worked together to surround and eliminate the American destroyers one by one. The American destroyers were systematically reduced in number, one by one, as if being exterminated.
Once they disposed of the last remaining vessel of the nuisance called the American surface strike force, the First Fleet shifted its focus to pursuing the remaining American fleet. The First Fleet, with the slowest vessels like Yamashiro and Fusō, could easily catch up since they could reach a speed of 27 knots.
The officers and crew on board battleships in the First Fleet, including those on Yamashiro and Fusō, held indescribable emotions that were a mix of frustration and impatience. The personnel manning the battleships in the First Fleet had dreamed of a decisive battle with American battleships, and they had undergone rigorous training for this very moment. And here, in the Marshall Islands, the fuse was finally lit for the battle of their lifetime. They aimed to demonstrate the combat skills they had honed against their arch-enemy. All the personnel had thought the same way. However, the outcome was beyond anyone's expectations. While they struggled to score hits, the carrier-based aircraft swiftly sank the American battleships.
For the battleship personnel in the First Fleet, it felt like they had been outwitted. But what shook their emotions even more was witnessing the reality of American battleships sinking one after another while struggling helplessly against friendly carrier-based aircraft.
Of course, there had been precedents of aircraft sinking battleships at sea. Moreover, the Japanese had accomplished that feat themselves.
On the second day of the war, aircraft from the land-based attack squadron deployed in Saigon had simultaneously sunk the pride of the British Royal Navy, the state-of-the-art battleship HMS Prince of Wales, and the battlecruiser HMS Repulse, through aerial torpedo and bombing attacks. However, it had been akin to a regular force of the Imperial Navy annihilating a colonial security fleet with sheer numerical superiority.
However, this time was different. In terms of both quantity and quality, the Pacific Fleet's battleships, which were believed to be the strongest in the world, were easily destroyed by friendly mobile forces.
"Battleships are defenseless against airplanes."
Everyone in the gunnery department realized this. As a result, the Imperial Navy was expected to make significant changes in its military preparations. Most likely, the battleship to be constructed under the Circle 4 Plan would be the last. Depending on the progress of construction, they might even be canceled. Naturally, major personnel changes were also expected. Without a doubt, aviation experts would be highly valued. The era where gunnery experts held significant influence came to an end today.
The remnants of the Pacific Fleet were forced to directly confront the frustrations of the gunnery experts. The six battleships, including Nagato, eagerly unleashed their 41-centimeter shells on the battered American cruisers and destroyers as if to vent their frustration. Particularly, the disappointment of the officers and crew on Ise and Hyūga, who had been delighted to have their 41-centimeter guns upgraded, and those on Yamashiro and Fusō, was significant. This disappointment only fueled the enmity of the enemy.
On the other hand, American cruisers and destroyers, whose mobility had been greatly reduced by the bombings from the Type 0 attackers, couldn't perform effective evasive maneuvers. Once they were caught in the firing range, they could only be pounded mercilessly. The 41-centimeter shells easily penetrated the armor, causing extensive damage inside the enemy ships, which erupted in flames and were immobilized by the relentless barrage of the six battleships. Then, as if delivering the final blow, the sixteen Kagerō-class destroyers launched their reserve torpedoes one by one. Unlike the long-range torpedoes used earlier, these were fired from closer range, resulting in a significantly higher hit rate. Before long, columns of water rose one after another on the sides of the American cruisers and destroyers, turning them into blazing torches on the open sea.
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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...
