Chapter 271

< World War II - The Final Decisive Fleet Battle (1) >

Singapore and the Indochina Peninsula were occupied by the Allied Forces, opening the way to the East Indies, British Malaya, and the Philippines.

For Japan, which had been barely hanging onto its lifeline through the Southern Resource Area, the path to retreat had now completely vanished.

The Empire of Japan, to defend the Southern Resource Area and, furthermore, to protect their homeland.

The Allied Powers, to retake the island territories occupied by Japan and to prepare for their respective next operations.

Both sides now needed a victory in a Decisive Fleet Battle.

-

September 21, 1942

Waters near the Japanese Archipelago, Imperial Japanese Navy Overall Flagship - Battleship Yamato

High-ranking commanders of the Japanese Navy, including Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, gathered on Japan's powerful battleship, the Yamato.

After finishing a luxurious meal of salt-grilled sea bream, sashimi, and cold beer—something unimaginable on the Japanese mainland—the old men entered a lavishly decorated conference room that could have been mistaken for a building on land, wearing grim expressions.

After a long silence in an atmosphere where no one dared to speak easily, Commander-in-Chief Yamamoto finally opened his mouth.

"There is nowhere left to retreat now."

As the Malay Peninsula, including Singapore, fell to the enemy, relentless bombing began to rain down on the East Indies and the surrounding waters.

The bomber fleets led by Germany's Wolfram von Richthofen and Britain's Arthur Harris were bombing day and night, indiscriminately annihilating the Japanese military's key strongpoints and naval vessels.

The Naval Air Service, which should have normally defended air superiority against them, had fallen into a near-death state after being committed to the previous Attrition Interception operation, and naturally, the Army Air Service, which was already struggling to defend the ground, offered no help to the Navy.

"The time has finally come to fight a decisive battle containing the essence that the Imperial Japanese Navy has gathered so far."

At the Commander-in-Chief's words, Admiral Koga Mineichi spoke up.

"All the surviving warships of the Imperial Navy up to this point will be committed to this Decisive Fleet Battle. The surviving battleships Fuso, Yamashiro, Ise, Hyuga, the battlecruisers Kongo, Kirishima, and the aircraft carriers Akagi, Kaga, Soryu, Hiryu, Shokaku, and Zuikaku."

As all the admirals gulped down dry swallows, Koga added.

"And this time, even the pride of the Japanese Empire, the Nagato and Mutsu, will be committed."

Six battleships, two battlecruisers, and six aircraft carriers.

This was the entirety of Japan's remaining forces.

At that, Chief of the Naval General Staff Nagano Osami, who had been listening quietly, spoke up.

"Is the battlecruiser Haruna, which was damaged a long time ago, still not ready? What about the surviving carriers Ryujo and Junyo? Do we not have more ships?"

"T-That is…"

"What is the reason! Those brute white people have already committed their damaged ships to battle, so why is the proud Imperial Japanese Navy unable to do so!"

At the angry shout of the Navy's highest-ranking official, who had served as Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet even before Isoroku and had also held the positions of Navy Minister and Chief of the Naval General Staff, Koga answered with an ashen face.

"We have no… steel."

Nagano stood there blankly before weakly collapsing back into his seat.

Japan, which originally had to rely almost entirely on imports for steel, had expanded its battlefields on land far too much; their entry into World War II was earlier than in the original history, and the progression of the war was even faster.

Without steel, they naturally couldn't manufacture weapons, and the construction and repair of ships, which required massive amounts of steel, were even further out of reach.

The Imperial Japanese Navy had already dismantled the 3rd Yamato-class Battleship Shinano, shedding tears of blood, just to recover even a little bit of steel.

Yamamoto broke the silence that had lasted for a long while.

"Then what about the enemy's capital ships?"

"…The Royal Navy possesses the battleships HMS Duke of York, King George V, and HMS Prince of Wales, the battlecruisers HMS Hood, HMS Renown, and HMS Repulse, and the aircraft carriers HMS Victorious, HMS Ark Royal, HMS Furious, HMS Illustrious, and HMS Formidable."

The Royal Navy alone had three battleships, three battlecruisers, and five aircraft carriers.

"The Reichsmarine possesses the battleships Bismarck, Scharnhorst, and Widerstand, and the aircraft carrier Graf Zeppelin."

The Reichsmarine had three battleships and one aircraft carrier.

"The US Navy possesses the battleships West Virginia and Arizona, and the aircraft carrier Enterprise. The 'Gray Ghost'."

The US Navy had two battleships and one aircraft carrier.

Yamamoto subtly raised an eyebrow.

"Are we certain that the American aircraft carrier Lexington, which suffered moderate damage in the last battle, will not be able to participate in this battle?"

"It has only been about a month since it suffered moderate damage, so it is certain. It seems the Atlantic Fleet hasn't arrived in the Pacific Ocean yet either, so it's presumed the US Navy will have no additional forces."

"Even so, we have six battleships, two battlecruisers, and six aircraft carriers, while the other side has eight battleships, three battlecruisers, and seven aircraft carriers."

Looking just at the numbers, the Imperial Japanese Navy was at a disadvantage.

The Imperial Japanese Navy's countermeasure to somehow turn that around was simple.

"…Is the recruitment of volunteers for the Kamikaze going well?"

Kamikaze.

A suicide mission involving charging an aircraft into an enemy ship and self-destructing.

Receiving Yamamoto's question, Air Fleet Commander Ozawa Jisaburo bowed his head as if he was deeply apologetic.

"I-I apologize, but the backlash from the field is quite significant…"

Yamamoto crumpled his face, then spoke resolutely.

"Make sure you secure them."

"Y-Yes, sir!"

A volunteer coerced from above was no longer a volunteer, but the Japanese Navy was no longer in a situation to be picky.

In a meeting gripped by a sense of crisis that they had to risk everything on this decisive battle, Nagano Osami spoke up once again.

"Will this Yamato not be deployed?"

For a moment, silence hung over the conference room.

The proud Overall Flagship of the Imperial Japanese Navy. Its other nickname was 'Hotel' Yamato.

A ridiculous nickname given because it just floated proudly on the sea but never actually went out to the battlefield.

"Isn't now the time for the strongest battleship in the world to be deployed in a battle where the fate of The Empire is on the line?"

However, even at Nagano's words, no one rashly stepped forward.

"Your Excellency, Chief of the Naval General Staff, it hasn't been long since the construction of the Musashi, which will serve as the new Overall Flagship of the Combined Fleet, was completed. Until the Musashi finishes its training and is deployed in actual combat, the Yamato must act as the Overall Flagship."

It was a good pretext, but naturally, such high-ranking officials had to board this greatest of battleships, and there was no high-ranking commander who wanted to send a battleship into the most dangerous front lines when it contained both their own lives and the total national power of the Japanese Empire.

"Besides, if the Yamato suffers even the slightest damage, we have no steel to repair it."

The high-ranking naval officials eagerly gave reasons not to send out the Yamato, but the Japanese Navy's unique self-preservation was shattered in the face of just one reason.

"…However, after we fight this Decisive Fleet Battle, we will be short on fuel too."

"…"

Silence fell once again.

They had secured the Southern Resource Area early on, but they had conducted operations while using fuel just as generously, and right after that, they were plagued by Dönitz's wolf pack and were barely able to replenish their fuel.

In the end, Yamamoto Isoroku, who had been letting out a groan, spoke up.

"Now is truly the time to show the power of Big Ship and Big Gun."

As even the Commander-in-Chief agreed, his subordinate admirals eventually gave up.

"Although they have many capital ships, they are dispersed across three nations! If we annihilate them one by one along with the world's strongest battleship, the Yamato, the victory will belong to The Empire!"

Bringing up an incredibly hopeful optimism…

Because they had no steel and no fuel, a Decisive Fleet Battle gathering all the power of the Imperial Japanese Navy came to take place.

-

September 21, 1942

Capital of Britain, London - War Office

To discuss the naval battle that would settle the Asian Front, I arrived in Britain.

The sky in London upon arrival was cloudy, as always.

The dreary weather with drizzling rain, and the fog-shrouded scenery.

I felt it anew, but…

"It's gloomy."

"Uh, the people here would be mad if they heard that."

To Mr.

Berger, my driver and aide who now treated me quite comfortably, I gave a grin.

"Well, British people have a better sense of humor than we do, so won't they let it slide?"

"Hahaha…"

London was one of the places Claudia wanted to go, wasn't it?

My older sister's family lives here too, so I'll have to visit once, but this isn't a place to stay for very long.

It especially wouldn't be good for Lucia.

"We've arrived, Minister."

"Thank you for your hard work."

What year did the London Smog happen again…

Naturally, I couldn't remember.

Life would be so easy if my brain were a computer.

Having such idle thoughts, I got out of the car and opened my umbrella.

And I was met by a man across from me with a protruding belly, smiling genially with a presence more like a mafia boss than a gentleman.

"Welcome, Minister."

I also smiled and replied to him.

"It's been a while, Prime Minister."

-

I got into the elevator heading to the basement with Churchill and opened my mouth.

"How are things with you lately?"

"Hahaha!"

Churchill burst into laughter, then slyly stepped closer to me and asked.

"Are you teasing me, Minister?"

"Surely not. This isn't a joke."

Something I realized after trying to make a few jokes recently…

It seems I'd be better off just keeping my mouth shut and only saying what needs to be said.

Seeing even Claudia put on a straight face, I just keenly realized that I have no talent for jokes.

Churchill looked puzzled for a moment, but soon smiled.

"Thanks to you, Minister, there's never a dull day."

"Ahem."

"In India, the Indian National Government has demanded independence in exchange for helping Britain instead of Chandra Bose, and in Burma, Aung San has demanded the same in exchange for driving out the Japanese Army."

Churchill, having said that much, paused for a moment before looking at me and opening his mouth.

"We made a concession on Indochina, Minister."

"Haha…"

Churchill must have also realized that by the time I let the British and Dutch armies prioritize retaking Singapore, the East Indies, and British Malaya, I was intending to give independence to the countries in Indochina, including Vietnam.

"However, it will be difficult to make concessions on Africa as well."

Aha, as expected.

"Subversives from our colonies are learning how to handle German-made equipment in Ethiopia. An amount of equipment has been released in Ethiopia that looks as if the German Army just picked up what they used on the Eastern Front and moved it there."

Churchill looked at me and opened his mouth.

"Minister, we took colonies that won't even be of any help right now, and handed all of France's reparations over to Germany."

And I tried to stop you.

"I am aware."

"But if Germany acts like this, Britain has no choice but to feel displeased."

"Well, I think there might be a slight misunderstanding."

I said to Churchill with a smile.

"Germany merely sold weapons to our legitimate ally, Ethiopia, because they wanted to buy them. We were just wracking our brains trying to revitalize our post-war economy, so there is no need to unnecessarily stash weapons that someone wants to buy into a warehouse and let them rot, is there?"

Churchill stared at me quietly, then let out a hollow laugh.

I also gave him a smile.

"That is quite fascinating. To think a newly independent, underdeveloped African country has the assets to buy up all the equipment of an army of millions used on the Eastern Front."

"Haha, for a transaction, shouldn't one show appropriate consideration based on the other party's circumstances? Just because the other party doesn't have the money to pay in full right away, blindly cutting off the deal makes it hard to secure a long-term customer."

"To think Germany knew how to do such delicate, tailored business, this is truly surprising."

"Since we allied with a good role model, we learned diligently."

The elevator arrived, and the doors opened.

Winston Churchill seemed a bit exhausted from that brief conversation.

Though he was the British Bulldog who would have remained a hero by calling for resistance against Hitler with an indomitable spirit, he had faced the conclusion of the European Front far too quickly compared to the original history.

He was facing the waves of history—which in the original history would have only slowly progressed after the Yalta Conference—much faster and much more harshly.

Churchill gave a bitter smile.

"Having such a delicate and considerate ally is the British Empire's joy."

Churchill said so and tried to walk out the elevator doors, and I called out to him softly.

"Winston."

"…Dietrich."

"…The British Empire only met the glory of the Victorian Era after recognizing the Thirteen Colonies as America."

Churchill said nothing.

"It is now time for the era of imperialism, which has lasted for so long, to come to an end. Sometimes, throwing off old, heavy clothes is what brings about prosperity fitting for a new era."

Churchill looked back at me and chuckled.

"Dietrich, you found a new Germany that was neither the Kaiser's Germany nor Hitler's Germany, and paved the way."

Churchill paused for a moment, looking down at the floor, before speaking with a sigh.

"But I cannot imagine a Britain that is not the British Empire."

-Looking at you, Vice Minister, reminds me of my youth.

Winston Churchill was making the same face he had shown when we first met.

However, I shook my head.

"Winston, that is not a path I found."

"…Then?"

"Even if it was suppressed and hidden, it was clearly the path the German people wanted. All I did was help bring it to light, with the help of my comrades."

Churchill chuckled and spoke as if joking.

"You can tell how terrible a political system democracy is by grabbing any voter off the street and talking to them for just three minutes."

"What if you spoke not from the perspective of a ruler, but as a citizen of Britain?"

Churchill did not answer.

"Winston. You are not the standard-bearer of the British Empire, but the Prime Minister of the British people. Think about what the people want."

Churchill looked at me as if deep in thought, then let out a hollow laugh.

"Our people will all want to maintain the British Empire, too."

"Well, wouldn't you only know that if you listened to them yourself?"

Winston Churchill immediately furrowed his glabella.

"Such a thing cannot be!"

"Well, when Hitler first entered the Reichstag, people in Germany said it was impossible for him to take power, and when we were preparing for the coup d'état, people in Britain said it was hard to expect us to drive out Hitler."

Churchill still had an infuriated face, and after a long silence, he blurted out as if throwing his words.

"Is that not evidence that the people need a politician to lead them on the right path?"

"On the contrary, those people also drive out wrong politicians. Winston, you recognized early on that Hitler was a dictator who would send Germany running wild.

A dictator is, without going too far, someone who is convinced that only they are right and forces that path onto others. Is that not so?"

Winston kept his mouth shut tight, and after a long time had passed, he sighed as if exhausted and spoke.

"It seems I have grown old."

"But you are not exhausted and powerless. At the very least, you are better than when I first met you. I feel a bit of respect for you, being able to actually gain vitality in a position bearing such heavy responsibility."

Winston Churchill looked a bit surprised.

"You? Me?"

Well, not just anyone has the guts to declare a war of resistance against Hitler, who had swallowed all of Europe.

"I think I could respect you even more if you just let go of your stubbornness a bit."

If he only gave up imperialism, he would be remembered as a great Prime Minister who defended London to the end during the British Empire's worst crisis and led the war to victory.

Whether he remained a belligerent imperialist unsuited for a democracy and left behind by the era, or let go of his stubbornness even at the end, was entirely up to his choice.

"In a Germany in crisis, you were concerned whether I would become another dictator. Then shouldn't we pursue what the people want, rather than what we want ourselves? Since we are not dictators."

"What the people want, you say…"

Churchill seemed to ponder with a slightly softened attitude, but soon let out a bitter smile and spoke.

"Democracy truly is the worst political system."

I replied.

"Except for the others that have been tried in the past."

Only then did we burst into genuine laughter.