Upon receiving a report of enemy fleet sighting from the Type 97 carrier reconnaissance planes launched, Vice Admiral Kuwabara, the commander of the Third Fleet, immediately ordered the launch of the attack group.
The aircraft carriers Shōkaku and Zuikaku of the 5th Carrier Division, along with the Kamikaku and Amakaku of the 6th Carrier Division, launched a total of 192 aircraft, including 12 Zero fighters, 18 D3A dive bombers, and 18 B5N carrier attack bombers from each ship, soaring into the vast sky kicking off from the flight deck. The Shōkaku-class, designed and constructed as part of the Circle 3 Plan to escape the constraints of the disarmament treaty, is a large armored aircraft carrier with a length of 248 meters and a beam of 31 meters. The flight deck of this carrier is also the largest among the Imperial Navy's carriers, boasting a length close to 247,5 meters. However, even with its impressive size, the number of planes it could launch at once through takeoff by the plane's own power was barely over 40, despite strenuous efforts. The ability to launch 48 aircraft simultaneously was achieved thanks to the presence of catapults.
The principle of concentrating forces, a common strategy in military tactics, had been emphasized among military personnel, particularly in the context of aircraft. The more aircraft that could be deployed in an attack, the greater the offensive power, and dispersing enemy anti-aircraft fire could also reduce damage. Conversely, launching an attack with a small number of aircraft would naturally result in limited success, and the density of enemy anti-aircraft fire per aircraft would increase, leading to greater potential damage.
Due to these considerations, the Imperial Navy considered catapult-equipped carriers essential early on and invested budget and manpower into their development. Hindered by factors such as the country's low chemical technology or industrial standards, the development took longer than anticipated. Nonetheless, they managed to complete the development in time for the commissioning of the Shōkaku-class. Of course, catapults were already equipped on carriers like the Sōryū and Chitose classes, significantly enhancing the efficient operation and flexibility of the onboard aircraft, especially on the smaller Chitose.
After the launch of the attack squadrons, sometime later, half of the two squadrons of Zero fighters prepared on each aircraft carrier, equivalent to one squadron, took off for combat air patrol. The enemy reconnaissance, likely SBD Dauntless dive bombers, had already exposed their whereabouts. Meanwhile, considering the distance from the Pacific Fleet they had discovered, the enemy carrier-based aircraft's attack was deemed inevitable, and an approximate estimate of the attack time had been anticipated. In accordance, the remaining squadron also began warming up on the flight deck, preparing to take off at any moment as soon as the radar detected the enemy formation.
All 96 fighters in the air cover squadron were all A6M2b Model 21 Kou. This variant, equipped with a Kinsei engine in place of the previously considered Zuisei or Sakae, had its development spurred by the Hankou incident. Although the adoption of the Kinsei engine led to increased aircraft weight and enlarged frontal profile, resulting in decreased fuel efficiency, it also improved acceleration and climb performance due to the high torque. With a top speed of 540 kilometers per hour, it boasted top-notch performance among carrier-based fighters of the time. Furthermore, the production of the Model 22, equipped with the latest Kinsei and strengthened to 1.300 horsepower from 1.100, had begun. This variant had a slightly higher top speed of 560 kilometers per hour, along with incremental improvements in acceleration and climb performance.
As for armament, the 7,7 mm machine guns, which revealed their weakness during the Sino-Japanese War, were replaced with four 12,7 mm machine guns mounted in the wings. While it might sound good to say that the 12,7 mm machine guns were developed in collaboration with the Army, in reality, they were copies of Browning machine guns. Understandably, this act was far from commendable. The technological gap, especially in metallurgy, with the United States was undeniable, and in terms of performance, it was somewhat inferior compared to the original. Nevertheless, due to its significantly increased destructive power compared to the conventional 7,7 mm machine guns and its high hit rate with a low trajectory, the pilots spoke highly of it. Additionally, some units of the base air squadrons were equipped with the Model 21 Otsu, which carried two 20 mm autocannons and two 12,7 mm machine guns, mainly tasked with intercepting bombers.
Kuwabara was optimistic about the fleet's air defense with these fighters. The discovered enemy carriers seemed to be only two, likely of the Lexington-class and Yorktown-class, and no other carriers had been detected. Therefore, even with a generous estimate, the expected number of attacking enemy aircraft should not exceed 100. With 96 Zero fighters, it seemed sufficient for defense. However, Admiral Halsey's aggressive spirit far exceeded Kuwabara's expectations.
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Drastically Modified Combined Fleet
歷史小說「All of these ships are all weird. It's like a magical fleet.」 An organization built on the knowledge and experience gained from past accidents and incidents, using them as lessons to stack up and ensure that the same mistakes are never repeated aga...
