"They're here."
Admiral Koga, commander of the Combined Fleet and commander-in-chief of the First Fleet, muttered quietly as he gazed at the approaching fleet of battleships appearing on the horizon. The First Fleet measured the distance to the approaching British fleet, striving to avoid engaging them at night. The darkness of the night favored the side with fewer numbers, and the situation was particularly favorable for the technologically superior British, skilled in electronic warfare. There was no need to willingly step into the opponent's advantageous situation.
Against the First Fleet's crossing the T maneuver, the British fleet directed their bows in the same direction. It was an invitation to a parallel course battle.
The enemy's strength was already known: eight battleships and nine destroyers. The leading two battleships were of the Nelson-class, equipped with nine 40 cm guns. The remaining six were either of the Queen Elizabeth or Revenge classes, both equipped with eight 38 cm guns.
On the other hand, the First Fleet had eighteen 46 cm guns and forty-eight 41 cm guns. Although the number of guns was the same, the destructive power per gun was significantly higher in the First Fleet. However, Koga remained cautious. In the Battle of Jutland where the main fleets of Britain and Germany clashed, German battleships, primarily armed with 28 or 30 cm guns, sank British battlecruisers armed with 34 cm guns, and came close to defeating a battleship equipped with an unprecedented 38 cm gun at the time. Gun battles between battleships were not solely determined by the size of the gun caliber.
"Designating targets. Yamato to the first ship, Musashi to the second ship, Nagato to the third ship, Mutsu to the fourth ship. 2nd Battleship Division to the fifth to eighth ships. Open fire at a distance of 25.000 meters."
Having gained air superiority, they could use observation planes as much as they wanted. Therefore, they could keep shooting from a distance and gradually bring the hits closer.
"The 7th Cruiser Division and torpedo squadrons, strive to restrain the enemy destroyers. It's sufficient as long as they can't get close to our battleships."
Regarding auxiliary vessels, the British had nine destroyers, while the Combined Fleet had a total of 21 cruisers and destroyers. More than double in simple numbers. However, the actual combat power would be three or even four times higher. There was no need to worry about losing.
After Koga gave instructions, the distance between the two sides closed to 25.000 meters, and the flagship Yamato began firing. The seven battleships followed suit.
"The enemy ships have opened fire!"
The main guns of the eight battleships of the First Fleet spewed fire, and soon, the eight British battleships also began their counter-fire.
"The first and second enemy ships are targeting us. The third and fourth enemy ships are targeting the Musashi. The fifth and sixth enemy ships are targeting the Nagato. The seventh and eighth enemy ships are targeting the Mutsu."
Despite being targeted by the 40 cm guns of two enemy battleships, Koga felt a sense of relief in his heart upon receiving reports from the lookout. The enemy had focused their firepower on Yamato, Musashi, Nagato, and Mutsu. In group battles, the theory was to eliminate the maximum threat first, so the enemy commander's tactics were not strange or anything.
What was particularly reassuring for Koga was that the enemy battleships' guns were not aimed at Ise, Hyūga, Yamashiro, and Fusō. Originally, Ise and Hyūga, as well as Yamashiro and Fusō, which had difficulties in defense, had undergone construction to strengthen their defense during the conversion to 41 cm guns. However, even with this upgrade, their defense did not surpass the level of 36 cm gun resistance, and there was a considerable risk of their armor being pierced by 38 cm gun shells.
Despite the inability to use observation planes, the accuracy of the British battleships' gunfire was remarkable. Even though they started firing later, the speed at which the hits were landing was equal to or even greater than that of the Japanese's own.
'The skill of the men involved in the gunfire is one thing, but above all, the performance of the firing radar must be excellent.'
Until now, the firing aiming devices for targeting enemy ships relied on optical rangefinders, which were generally good at azimuth accuracy but struggled with distance accuracy. This was even more pronounced at long distances. In contrast, radar aiming devices, while not praised for azimuth accuracy, could measure distance with unmatched precision compared to optical rangefinders. The British battleships must have possessed an excellent gunfire control system, compensating for the disadvantage of not being able to use observation planes.
The first to experience a salvo and hits were the British. As soon as a splash rose on both sides of the Yamato, a shock was felt from the rear.
"Hit in the stern, fourth secondary turret's rotation is jammed!"
There was no hint of impatience in the voice of the executive officer commanding emergency damage control. It was already taken into account that, in a clash with enemy battleships, not only the main guns but also secondary guns and anti-aircraft guns would not remain unscathed. Moreover, considering the overwhelming advantage of auxiliary vessels on their side, the inability to use some secondary guns was not a significant concern. However, being outdone by the enemy was not a pleasant feeling. Nevertheless, the unpleasant time did not last long. The Yamato also managed to score a salvo against the enemy flagship.
Until then, Yamato had been firing three guns at a time in alternating volleys, but now she transitioned to a simultaneous broadside from all guns. Feeling a sensation akin to being struck by a mass of air, Koga, through his binoculars, fixed his gaze on the enemy flagship. A massive water column rose around the enemy flagship. When it disappeared, the enemy flagship was emitting thick smoke from its stern.
Then, a fierce exchange ensued. The Yamato delivered 46-centimeter shells to the enemy flagship. However, she also received 40-centimeter shells, twice as many, from Nelson and Rodney.
The first to collapse was the Nelson. Due to its thick armor, Yamato, which did not allow penetration to the vital parts by 40-centimeter shells, couldn't be countered by Nelson's armor against 46-centimeter shells. Nelson was a sturdy ship with 40-centimeter gun-resistant defenses, but the opponent was too formidable. In the first place, a 30.000-ton obsolete battleship challenging a 60.000-ton new battleship was somewhat absurd.
By the time Yamato had wreaked havoc on Nelson, Musashi had also dealt a fatal blow to Rodney. It was a battle where differences in rank or strength were blatantly evident.
On the other hand, Nagato and Mutsu, targeted by the four battleships Ramillies, Revenge, Resolution, and Royal Sovereign, surprisingly sustained only shallow damage. This was because Ise, Hyūga, Yamashiro, and Fusō had delivered significant blows to these four British battleships early on. When Ise, Hyūga, Yamashiro, and Fusō realized they were not the targets, they urgently closed in on the group of British battleships, improving their hit accuracy by reducing the distance. This strategy succeeded, allowing Nagato and Mutsu to shower Warspite and Malaya with 41 cm shells without suffering significant damage.
By the time the overall outcome of the battleship battle was determined, the clash between auxiliary vessels had also reached its resolution. Five cruisers and sixteen destroyers engaged in an unforgiving battle against nine British destroyers, decisively overwhelming them.
The British fleet had effectively lost its fighting capability.
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...
