Chapter 267

< World War II - Attrition Interception Operation (2) >

September 1, 1942

Imperial Japanese Navy, Aircraft Carrier Shokaku

"Do not let your guard down under any circumstances. All you have to do is find the enemy first and pull the trigger the moment they enter your line of fire. If you maintain formation and just repeat these simple tasks, it is unlikely you will be shot down."

Iwamoto Tetsuzo continued speaking in a calm tone after sitting the aviation wing's pilots down inside the Shokaku.

When one of the pilots raised his hand during his speech, Iwamoto gave a soft smile and opened his mouth.

"Ask your question, Hijikata."

"…They say the Allied Forces' aircraft are vastly superior to our Zero Fighters (Zerosen) and their skills are incredible.

Can we, who have only trained for a few months, stand against them and achieve victory?"

Hands trembling with anxiety, and eyes looking at him with faint expectation.

The morale of the Naval Air Service pilots, newly recruited and trained after nearly facing annihilation at Pearl Harbor, was incredibly low.

They also knew they were replacements for the aviation wing that had been wiped out, and while hushed up, the news of The Empire's Navy suffering consecutive defeats to the Allied naval forces was consistently relayed to them during their training.

Even so, Iwamoto Tetsuzo, the only fighter pilot to return from the Attack on Pearl Harbor without taking a single hit, was their idol and hope.

Iwamoto felt a heavy burden in his heart under those gazes filled with overlapping anxiety and expectation.

The resolve of heading to the battlefield shouldering the fate of The Empire, the sense of accomplishment when they launched a surprise attack on the US Navy and inflicted massive damage, and the heavy pressure when heading to the deathtrap once again after overcoming the accumulated fatigue and losses.

The sense of helplessness he felt at Pearl Harbor, the suicidal charges that displayed a festival of madness, and the frustration and despair of barely escaping with his life after losing most of his comrades to a sudden raid by the US Navy aircraft carrier Enterprise on the way back.

The higher-ups of The Empire's Navy elevated Iwamoto as a hero of the Naval Air Service and ordered him to train them into great Samurai who would throw away their lives like straw for The Empire.

If that was the case, he had to instill rosy illusions and the certainty of victory in them instead of reality right here.

He had to reprimand the weak mental fortitude of the pilot who asked such a question.

"…Do not be greedy and do your best as you were taught, but never overextend yourselves out of greed for military merit."

Iwamoto did not want to do either of those.

"Do not try to make a great contribution on your first sortie. We are not heading out to die gloriously for The Empire. We fly these fighter aircraft to sortie again and again, to strike down the enemies of our Fatherland."

In front of the pilots filled with anxiety and tension, Iwamoto Tetsuzo spoke emphatically.

"Survive. If you survive and build up experience, the day will surely come when you will also perform great feats as proud pilots."

However, at that time, the upper echelons of the Japanese Navy were having a serious discussion about the suicidal charges of fighter aircraft, which had delivered the only somewhat effective blows during the Attack on Pearl Harbor.

-

The Attrition Interception Operation.

A plan to sequentially raid the enemy's main fleet day and night using submarines, aircraft, and torpedo squadrons, steadily wearing down the enemy's forces before achieving victory through a Decisive Fleet Battle between the weakened enemy fleet and their own main fleet centered around Japan's powerful battleship Yamato.

Fundamentally acknowledging that the Empire of Japan was inferior in power ratio and reducing the enemy's combat power through continuous attacks before engaging in a Decisive Fleet Battle at the most opportune moment—the plan itself had surprisingly realistic aspects to it.

Of course, that was only according to the plan.

-

"Damn it, is it that damned Gray Ghost again!"

"I apologize, Your Excellency the Commander-in-Chief."

The Gray Ghost, officially named USS CV-6 Enterprise.

The single aircraft carrier that had survived the Attack on Pearl Harbor and was operating perfectly fine was continuously employing hit-and-run tactics, accumulating damage upon the Japanese Navy.

"How many ships has it been already!"

The Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, Yamamoto Isoroku, slammed his fist on the desk in frustration.

Just a single ship.

They had already lost seven destroyers, one light cruiser, the heavy cruiser Chokai, and the light aircraft carrier Hiyo to just a single aircraft carrier.

The US Pacific Fleet, with a significant number of their fuel storage tanks destroyed, had to operate with even less fuel than in original history, but Admiral Chester Nimitz, the newly appointed Commander of the US Pacific Fleet, was not the type of person to sit idly by.

With Admiral William Halsey, who led the fleet containing the Enterprise, being incredibly belligerent as well, the Empire of Japan was steadily suffering losses from the US Navy that raided them constantly.

Using the vast Pacific Ocean as a veil to appear out of nowhere in various places, shatter the Japanese Navy, and flee, the elusive US aircraft carrier even earned the terrifying nickname of the Gray Ghost.

Even so, launching an offensive on America's key strongpoints to force an engagement was impossible.

Unlike in original history, the Royal Navy and the Reichsmarine were keeping a vigilant watch from India, eyeing the Japanese Navy, and the Empire of Japan, having already suffered massive damage from the Reichsmarine's surprise attack, convulsed at even the slightest sign of them moving and could not concentrate their forces in the Pacific Ocean.

"With things like this, is the Attrition Interception Operation even possible?"

He didn't know exactly how much damage the US Pacific Fleet's fuel storage tanks had taken, but it was certain they had taken a quite significant blow.

That was why the US Pacific Fleet was running wild with only a single aircraft carrier. If the fuel storage tanks had been intact, the US Atlantic Fleet would have poured into the Pacific Ocean long ago.

The problem was that the Japanese Navy was the one being subjected to attrition interception by the US Navy instead.

The Attrition Interception Operation, a defensive Decisive Fleet Battle concept, could not be used in a situation where the enemy didn't attack head-on and instead darted around the vast Pacific Ocean, hitting the Empire of Japan's strongpoints and slipping away.

But to solidify their defenses and quietly wait for the US Atlantic Fleet to execute the Attrition Interception Operation…

"Since Singapore has fallen, we cannot just wait around like this, Your Excellency the Commander-in-Chief."

Yamamoto Isoroku let out a groan, Nngh-.

"The British and German navies in India will enter the South China Sea."

If they waited leisurely, they would end up dying sandwiched between the British, German, and American fleets.

"…It can't be helped. We are changing the target of the Attrition Interception Operation."

Yamamoto Isoroku pointed his Marshal's baton at the area between the Malay Peninsula, where Singapore was located, and the Dutch East Indies.

"Since the path the British and German fleets will take is set anyway, it's the optimal battlefield for the Attrition Interception Operation."

Even leaving the US Navy aside, they could at least defeat the old lion that had already been beaten once and Germany, which only exerted power on land.

"Convey this to Admiral Ozawa Jisaburo. Tell him to bury them in the waters off the East Indies."

"Yes, sir!"

-

After Singapore fell to the Allied Forces' Army.

From Admiral Wilhelm Marschall's Reichsmarine and the Royal Navy led by Admirals Andrew Cunningham and James Somerville, to the Dutch fleet under Admiral Karel Doorman.

The grand fleet of the Allied Forces set sail toward Singapore to issue a death sentence to Japan's command of the sea over the East Indies and the Philippines.

To hold them off, the Empire of Japan's Naval Attrition Interception Operation commenced, coordinated by Ozawa Jisaburo's Mobile Fleet and Koga Mineichi's Southern Fleet.

Attrition Interception Operation, Phase 1.

To strike the enemy fleet with a surprise attack using submarines and Midget Submarines, inflicting damage equal to 10% of the enemy fleet.

According to the Phase 1 plan, the Imperial Japanese Navy's submarines and Midget Submarines approached, targeting the Anglo-German Allied Fleet sailing through the Indian Ocean.

However, the Reichsmarine was a group possessing the most advanced submarine technology, and the Royal Navy was inwardly heavily stimulated by the submarine warfare they had waged against France and Japan.

The Royal Navy had realized that in the unlikely event the German Navy ever waged submarine warfare against Britain, they would face a major predicament, so Germany had also cooperated in their painstaking research on Sonar (sound navigation and ranging), outfitting the auxiliary ships of both nations with Sonar.

Moreover, the Graf Zeppelin, HMS Victorious, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Furious, HMS Illustrious, and HMS Formidable.

As the carrier-based aircraft launched relentlessly from an astounding six aircraft carriers covered the Indian Ocean, the Japanese submarines, which unlike the new U-boats required surface navigation, were routinely sunk without even being able to approach properly.

Lacking proper radios, the Japanese Navy only stopped deploying them long after the news from every submarine and Midget Submarine they sent cut off completely, but even that was after dozens of submarines and Midget Submarines had been annihilated.

Attrition Interception Operation, Phase 2.

Conduct an aerial attack using the aviation wings of the naval air bases in the Japanese-occupied Mandate and the aircraft carriers' carrier-based aircraft, similarly inflicting damage equal to 10% of the enemy fleet.

Countless aircraft of the Empire of Japan flew toward the Allied Forces' fleet approaching the Malay Peninsula across the Indian Ocean.

However-

-I am the star of Asia!

Hans-Joachim Marseille, who had begun making a name for himself as the Graf Zeppelin's top Ace.

-Just follow me and you won't get hit! Follow closely!

Erich Hartmann, who competed with him, aiming for the spot of the Graf Zeppelin's top Ace.

-Do not bring shame to the name of the Royal Navy's Naval Air Service!

As if the carrier-based aircraft from the Royal Navy's five carriers weren't enough, the Allied Powers' Air Force also took off in unison from occupied Singapore.

-Take a beating in place of those filthy Disney bastards!

Adolf Galland and the Luftwaffe, running wild with madness and rage after being hit with a copyright fee bomb by their allies and forced to erase the insignia of Mickey Mouse smoking a cigarette.

-Haha, we can't be outdone by the German guys! Make the name of the RAF known!

The RAF, led by Douglas Bader, who flew a fighter aircraft as a super Ace despite his disability.

-Attack, attack! Wiwat Polska!

The Polish Air Force, hunting down Japanese fighter aircraft like crazy alongside Witold Urbanowicz leading the charge.

-Hey, Wind. Take good care of Katayainen.

If he falls in the ocean because of aircraft issues, we won't even be able to fish him out!

-Ah, seriously! I'm an Ace too, you know!

Down to the Finnish Air Force, veterans among veterans led by Eino Ilmari Juutilainen, Nils Edvard Katajainen, and Hans Wind.

To the Japanese aviation wing that had lost all their veterans at Pearl Harbor and only had the Zerosen left—whose weaknesses had already been completely exposed—the Ace pilots flocking in from all over Europe were simply natural disasters in and of themselves.

"H-Hiiiek! Mom, Moooom!"

"This war is lost, we've already lost!"

Not long after the engagement commenced, the morale of the Japanese Naval Air Service plummeted to rock bottom.

However, the Zerosens trying to flee in shock and terror could not escape the Jet Fighter Me262s streaking through the sky with a deafening roar.

The majority of the Japanese Naval Air Service, which had vigorously attempted the attrition interception, were hunted down by the Allied Forces' fighter aircraft without even being able to return.

"…60% of the sortied aviation wings were annihilated?"

The first reaction of the Imperial General Headquarters upon initially hearing that disastrous Report was denial of reality.

"T-That can't be. Wasn't there some kind of mistake? What about our military gains?"

Silence flowed.

Attrition Interception Operation, Phase 3.

Commit a Torpedo Squadron consisting of Kongo-class Battlecruisers, Heavy Cruisers, Light cruisers, and Destroyers to strike the enemy through a Night Torpedo Action.

However, all four ships of the Takao-class, which were supposed to serve as the core of their Heavy Cruisers, were either buried under the sea or destroyed and undergoing repairs in the home country.

As for the Kongo-class Battlecruisers, only the Kongo and Kirishima were intact.

Seeing how only the Japanese forces melted away like ice cream in Phases 1 and 2, let alone achieving 10% military gains, there was no one who stepped forward to hastily execute Phase 3 when there was a severe vacuum even in its core combat power.

Decisively…

"We have a Report that the US Navy fleet, including the Gray Ghost, has entered port at Mindanao Island in the southern Philippines."

At the Report that the US Navy had arrived in the Philippines for Coordination with them, Commander-in-Chief Yamamoto Isoroku swallowed a groan and spat out.

"…The Attrition Interception Operation is a failure."

According to the plan, the forces deployed in Phases 1 and 2 were supposed to inflict 10% Losses respectively on the enemy fleet.

However, Reality only presented the disastrous Result of committing forces piecemeal against the Allied naval forces and wearing themselves down.

No matter how much it was the Japanese Navy, they weren't stupid enough to try and continue this foolish act that was neither attrition, nor interception, nor even an Operation.

If they were pushed back any further from here, the East Indies or the Philippines wouldn't be the issue.

After a long silence flowed, Yamamoto Isoroku opened his mouth.

"Now truly, only a Decisive Fleet Battle is left."

The Japanese Navy had nowhere left to retreat to.