I Got a Fleet as a Reincarnation Bonus, But They're All Quirky!!

1 Year Later

This will be this month's post.

It's been a year since they settled in. It seems like things are finally getting fishy...

- Kazuhiro Kasami

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A whole year has quickly passed since the Asahi and the Okura Fleet arrived in the Japanese Empire.

During that time, Asahi was extremely busy, running around in all directions. Inspecting the shipyard that started operation in a mere three months, a feat that would surprise even modern-day people (although only the equipment was installed, power connections were made, and the roof and walls were minimally protected against the elements, and then they resorted to the rough practice of continuing construction while the facility was operational), as well as to observe the training of army soldiers, mainly on the Akitsu Maru and Kumano Maru. He found himself involved in aspects that were not typically within the purview of a fleet commander. Despite having little military training himself, he was forced to experience the hectic schedule of the days of the week: Monday-Monday-Tuesday-Wednesday-Thursday-Friday-Friday.

However, there were also many things that made him happy during this time.

For example, the commissioning of the first modern warship of the Japanese Empire, the Matsu-class destroyer.

By utilizing block construction methods and electric welding, and with the guidance of the local Japanese, they managed to launch one ship in just three and a half months, whereas the former Empire of Japan had taken five months. They followed the tradition of naming it "Matsu," after its predecessor. Although they couldn't make it too complex because they planned to build many ships, the fact that it followed the names of pine, bamboo, and plum was considered auspicious. Since one year has already passed, the second ship, Take (Bamboo), has been commissioned and is diligently training day and night to improve its proficiency.

However, unlike the original timeline, this Matsu-class destroyer was not built under desperate circumstances. By equipping it with high-power engines of a similar level to destroyers of comparable displacement, they ensured that it can reach a speed of 35 knots. Initially, they thought, "Since it's our first modern warship and also for coastal defense, maybe it's fine to maintain a speed of 27 knots..." However, they realized that they wanted a speed that could accompany an aircraft carrier, so they made the significant decision to change the main engines.

Furthermore, in the western port city of Nagoya, one Akizuki-class destroyer had been commissioned. Regarding this, Asahi had anticipated that it would demonstrate the same powerful anti-aircraft capabilities as in historical records. However, he knew that Japan in its final stages had suffered from a shortage of anti-aircraft equipment. To prevent a similar situation, Asahi had the foresight to mass-produce high-angle mounts and fire control radars for anti-aircraft purposes, including future needs. There should be no objections or complaints about that.

Also, the completion of the Alaska-class large cruisers and a fusion of the Scharnhorst-class battleships with a Japanese touch was imminent. One cruiser, named in a Japanese style, was scheduled to be commissioned, but it was taking quite a bit of time. Although it was classified as a cruiser, there were plans to significantly upgrade its main guns, and considering displacement, hull-to-ship ratio, and engine output calculations, the project was proving to be quite challenging. However, Asahi was strongly attracted to the concept of a battleship capable of high-speed navigation, even though he was well aware that it wouldn't be suitable for modern fleet battles. If anything, he believed that such a battleship could be used for potential commerce raiding and convoy escort missions, while also possessing a certain degree of land attack capabilities.