The Rise of the Third Reich

"What? What? Close to...the Hawaiian Islands?"

Lieutenant General Ozawa Jisaburo, commander of the First Mobile Fleet on the Shokaku aircraft carrier, was also awakened from his sleep in the early morning.

"Yes, the U.S. fleet is indeed approaching the Hawaiian Islands," said Colonel Yu Naito, chief staff officer of the First Mobile Fleet, who reported to him. "According to the latest report from the reconnaissance aircraft, they are less than 900 nautical miles away from the Big Island of Hawaii."

"It's 900 nautical miles away from the Big Island of Hawaii..." Ozawa Jisaburo thought for a while, "It's about 1,100 nautical miles away from Pearl Harbor. If there is an air strike, it will have to wait until the early morning of tomorrow at the earliest, right?"

1,100 nautical miles is approximately equal to 2,035 kilometers. For carrier-based aircraft, this distance is too far and it is impossible to launch an air strike. Ozawa estimated that the U.S. fleet would have to be within 1,000 kilometers of Pearl Harbor before it could launch an air strike. According to a high speed of 25 knots, it would take 21 hours before an air strike could be launched. However, it would be late at night after 21 hours, so it was unlikely to launch an air strike ( However, Japan still deployed dozens of moonlight night fighters that had just left the factory at Pearl Harbor to prepare for possible night attacks), so Ozawa estimated that the Americans would launch an air attack as early as the early morning of the 24th.

"Maybe it took off in the middle of the night and arrived in the early morning." At this time, Keizo Furumura, chief of staff of the First Mobile Fleet, also walked into Ozawa's official cabin. He frowned and said in thought, "Americans are very familiar with the surrounding Hawaiian Islands. , even if it’s a night flight, you should still find the right direction, right?”

"There is a possibility," Ozawa Jisaburo pondered for a moment, "but the greater possibility is still feinting. The Americans want us to focus on the Hawaiian Islands and ignore Christmas Island. This way they can ruin Christmas more easily. Island Airport, and once the Christmas Island Airport is destroyed, we can only rely on the carrier-based aircraft of the mobile fleet to fight the Americans. "

Furumura Keizo and Naito Yue nodded at the same time. What Ozawa proposed was indeed the best possibility. Furumura said: "If this is the case, the U.S. fleet may soon advance to the waters between Christmas Island and the Big Island of Hawaii, and the distance to both places is about 500-600 nautical miles. In this way, it will be difficult for us to judge the Americans' intentions. The attack direction is too far, and the power of the shore-based aviation cannot be used. The only way to expel it is to dispatch a mobile fleet..."

"This is stupid talk!" Ozawa Jisaburo interrupted Furumura who was doing analysis. "Our advantage is shore-based aviation! There are currently more than 1,000 high-performance fighters on Christmas Island. This is the biggest trump card. How can we not use it? ?”

"But we can't determine the enemy's target."

"Just take a gamble, I'll bet on Christmas Island!" Ozawa had already put on his military uniform at this time, and an orderly opened the hatch for him. He strode out, followed by Furumura and Naito, and the three Together they walked towards the bridge of the Shokaku.

…

"Your Excellency, Commander Ozawa believes that the American target is Christmas Island, so it is recommended to deploy the mobile fleet near Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef."

Thousands of kilometers away, Combined Fleet Commander Koga Mineichi also received a report that the U.S. fleet was approaching Hawaii. At the same time, a report from Ozawa Jisaburo was also sent.

Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef are located about 700 kilometers northeast of Christmas Island. The former is an 11.9 square kilometer atoll, where the Japanese army built a small airport and deployed a small number of marines. The Kingman Reef is only 1 square kilometer in size and has no value for deploying troops.

The deployment of mobile fleets to Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef is part of the established plan. Ozawa's fleet should immediately leave Pearl Harbor after discovering the approach of the U.S. Grand Fleet, and go to Palmyra Atoll and Kingman Reef, which are more than 1,700 kilometers away from Pearl Harbor, on standby, waiting for shore-based aviation in Hawaii or Christmas Island to weaken the U.S. fleet. When it reaches a certain level, the mobile fleet will be dispatched to deal a fatal blow to the aircraft carriers in the US fleet!

"Very good," Kogamine nodded, "I trust Ozawa-kun's judgment."

He turned to Lieutenant General Matoi Ugaki, chief of staff of the Combined Fleet, who was reading a report on the modification project of the "Akagi" and "Kaga", and said: "Ugaki-kun, if it is really too late, just don't take the 'Akagi' with you yet. ,'Kaga'."

The modification project of the two aircraft carriers "Akagi" and "Kaga" will not be completed until the end of October as planned. Yamamoto Isoroku ordered the factory to rush the work before and must be completed by October 15, but it is only September 24 now. Both aircraft carriers are still in the factory in Wujun Port and cannot be dispatched.

However, the "Dafeng" aircraft carrier was completed ahead of schedule, but it had not completed sea trials and could only sail reluctantly. The "Yamato" and "Musashi" that had previously undergone enhanced air defense modifications have completed all projects. Each battleship has been equipped with 32 (1) anti-aircraft guns, and the anti-aircraft firepower has been greatly enhanced.

The newly completed battleship "Shinano" was outfitted in accordance with the "air defense enhancement" standards from the beginning, and also has 32 powerful Bofors anti-aircraft guns.

In addition, the three battleships "Yamato", "Musashi" and "Shinano" also carry another secret anti-aircraft weapon - Type 3 anti-aircraft cannonballs, which are said to be able to bombard groups of large aircraft. Very powerful!

It was precisely because "Yamato", "Musashi" and "Shinano" had strong air defense capabilities that Koga Mineichi decided not to wait for the completion of "Akagi" and "Kaga" to lead the main force of the combined fleet remaining in Japan. Attack.

As for the several old battleships left in Japan, the modification project has not yet been officially started, so they can be dispatched at any time.

According to Koga's plan, the main force of the combined fleet to attack included all capable battleships, heavy cruisers, and a large number of light cruisers and destroyers serving as escorts. The aircraft carrier only carried one "Taiho".

"Commander, if there is only one Taiho, is the air defense insufficient?" Chief of Staff Ugaki Matoi seemed to be a little worried about the fleet's air defense.

After all, 9 valuable battleships will be dispatched this time, 3 of which are Yamato-class!

"It is necessary to take some risks." Koga Mineichi whispered, "Although we have drawn up the 'Operation Jet-1' plan for the decisive battle on the Hawaiian Islands, we should not let go of the current plan... If we can win on Christmas Island To annihilate the main force of the Pacific Fleet, there may be no need to implement "Operation Jet-1".

Therefore, the battleships and heavy cruisers of the combined fleet must be dispatched. After the carrier-based aircraft and shore-based aircraft annihilate the aircraft carriers of the US fleet, it is time for the battleships and heavy cruisers to dispatch! This time, most of the US military ships must not be allowed to escape safely. "

Although Koga himself also participated in the formulation of the "Operation Jet-1" plan, he did not agree with some of the extreme tactics... believing that it would bring great risks to the Japanese Empire!

Therefore, when Kogamine learned that the U.S. Pacific Fleet had been deployed, he planned to fight a battle of annihilation near Christmas Island!

Not only must the aircraft carriers of the U.S. Pacific Fleet be annihilated, but most of the battleships, cruisers, destroyers and auxiliary ships must be sunk... At this time, he did not know that the Americans had dispatched more than 400 surface ships.

…

"Sir, the main force of the Japanese combined fleet in Pearl Harbor has been dispatched!"

When Koga Mineichi decided to lead the main force of the combined fleet to attack, Spruance, thousands of kilometers away, learned that Japan's First Mobile Fleet had left Pearl Harbor.

While the Japanese sent seaplanes to scout the U.S. fleet, the U.S. Task Force 58 also sent PBY Catalina seaplanes (the 58th Task Force had a seaplane carrier) to search the waters near Pearl Harbor.

At the same time, there are about 100 American submarines scattered in the waters near the Hawaiian Islands and Line Islands responsible for minelaying and reconnaissance.

"Do you know how many aircraft carriers there are?" Spruance asked.

"I don't know," Chief of Staff Major General Browning replied. "Seaplanes don't dare to get too close. They can only use radar to detect them from a distance."

It was already early morning on September 24th, Hawaii time (late night on the 24th, Tokyo time). The sky was misty and bright, and Japanese day fighter jets could take off, so seaplanes did not dare to get too close to Pearl Harbor.

"What about the quantity?"

"More than 80," Rear Admiral Browning said, "an estimated 15-20 aircraft carriers."

In this time and space, the United States, with the full assistance of the Soviet Union, knew a thing or two about the construction of Japanese aircraft carriers. But it was this brief knowledge that made the Americans overestimate Japan's strength.

Because the Americans knew that Japan was building a "Yunlong" class aircraft carrier, they prepared to build it under the "urgent" plan in 2041. At the beginning of 2042, they planned to build 15 ships! It is already September 1943. How many ships should have been built?

At the same time, Americans also know that the Japanese started construction of the technologically advanced "Taiho" aircraft carrier in the summer of 1941, and it is estimated that it has been completed now.

In addition, the Americans did not know that the two ships "Kaga" and "Akagi" were undergoing enhanced air defense modifications at Wujun Port (Soviet intelligence personnel are not omnipotent).

Therefore, the U.S. Naval Intelligence Department estimates that there are currently at least "Akagi", "Kaga", "Shokaku", "Zuikaku", "Taifeng", 3-5 "Unryu" class ships and several ships in Pearl Harbor. Cruise ship or seaplane carrier converted aircraft carrier. The total number is 15-20, and the number of carrier-based aircraft is about 1,000!

"They should be coming for us!" Spruance quickly made the wrong judgment.

"Sir," Major General Browning agreed with Spruance's judgment, "We can no longer approach the Hawaiian Islands. We should avoid shore-based aircraft in the Hawaiian Islands as much as possible."

"Are you going near Christmas Island?" Browning asked.

"Come closer! Avoid Hawaii and go straight to Christmas Island!" Spruance gritted his teeth. "Isn't that why we're here? No matter if it's 1,000 planes or 2,000 planes, let them come towards us. Bar!"