Drastically Modified Combined Fleet

Chapter 25 - Interception

The Zero fighters of the Shōkaku and Zuikaku of the 5th Carrier Division and the Kamikaku and Amakaku of the 6th Carrier Division, who were ordered to intercept the attackers launched by the American carriers, were instructed to prioritize the destruction of dive bombers and torpedo bombers carrying bombs and torpedoes. On the other hand, they were instructed not to engage enemy fighter planes unless for defensive purposes. Unlike fighter planes that could only carry small bombs at most while maneuvering with machine guns, dive bombers and torpedo bombers carrying their payload were formidable opponents for surface vessels. Therefore, the order was to deal with them first.

The discovered enemy attack group consisted of four groups, each forming formations of around twenty aircraft. According to radar, there were over 100 planes in a large formation, but the Zero fighter pilots considered 80 planes to be within the margin of error. Radar technology deployed at that time was not mechanically reliable, and it was easily influenced by atmospheric conditions such as sea conditions and weather. Additionally, there were only two enemy aircraft carriers identified, so 80 aircraft seemed like a reasonable number.

The enemy pilots must have also recognized the presence of the Japanese forces. Two groups out of the four accelerated and headed toward them. The swift movements confirmed that they were undoubtedly escort fighter planes. As half of the enemy planes unexpectedly turned out to be fighters, the Zero fighter pilots decided to respond to the challenge posed by the enemy fighters. Leaving the same number or slightly fewer enemy fighters unattended to attack dive and torpedo bombers would be highly risky. It was difficult and inefficient to shoot down bombers and torpedo planes while not knowing when enemy fighters might attack from behind.

With these considerations, the Zero fighter pilots chose to engage the enemy fighters. Since the second interception group, equal in number to theirs, would soon arrive in the area, they entrusted the remaining 40 or so dive and torpedo bombers to them. As a result, 24 Zero fighters from Shōkaku and Zuikaku engaged in battle with 21 F4F Wildcats launched from the Enterprise, while the other 24 from Kamikaku and Amakaku confronted 20 F2A Buffaloes from the Lexington air group. The first-ever naval battle between Japan and the United States, however, became a one-sided affair.

The fighters built by Asians were no match for those of the United States, Britain, and even Germany. The American pilots, who had underestimated them as being at best comparable to France or Italy, paid the price for their arrogance and negligence with their own blood and lives. On the other hand, the Zero fighters, superior in performance, numbers, and combat experience, did not miss the opportunity.

Drawing on the lessons of the Sino-Japanese War, where two planes formed the smallest combat unit, the Zero fighter squadrons employed coordinated maneuvers, or weaving tactics, to engage F4Fs and F2As in battle. The Zero fighter, a speed-oriented fighter with a large-displacement Kinsei engine, did not match the turning performance of the previous A5M fighter. However, this was only in comparison to the A5M. Compared to current American fighters such as the F4F and P-40, the Zero fighter was equivalent or even superior.

The Zero fighters quickly engaged in dogfights, easily taking the rear of F4Fs and F2As after bringing them into close-quarters combat. At the same time, leveraging the strong torque of the Kinsei engine, the Zero fighters closed in rapidly, showering F4Fs and F2As with 12,7 mm bullets from point-blank range. In a short period, the American fighter squadron was scattered, and the following actions were just a cleanup of the remaining enemies.

The second wave of 48 Zero fighters, slightly delayed in reaching the combat zone after the first interception group, launched an attack on 37 TBD Devastator torpedo bombers that had been separated from their escort fighters. The Zero fighters showed no mercy to the slow TBDs, burdened with the heavy payload of torpedoes. Descending to sea level, the Zero fighters relentlessly fired machine gun rounds into the TBDs one after another. With a top speed of over 200 kilometers per hour slower than the Zero and extremely sluggish maneuverability due to carrying a torpedo, the TBDs had no means to evade the attacks. Despite the desperate efforts of the TBDs to defend themselves by swinging their only rear-firing machine gun, the Zero fighters easily dodged it and retaliated with intense gunfire. TBDs that directly faced the onslaught of 12,7 mm bullets were torn apart, plummeting one by one into the sea in tatters. Against the outnumbered TBDs, the Zero fighters closed in one after another, seemingly competing to seize their prey, systematically eliminating them. It was no longer a battle but more akin to a massacre.

Although the Zero fighter squad had triumphed over the F4F and F2A fighters and completely wiped out the TBDs in a short time, they had no time to revel in their victory. As the first interception group had rapidly descended in aerial combat, and the second interception group had descended to sea level to shoot down torpedo bombers, dozens of formations were passing far above them in the sky.