The Rise of the Third Reich

On the Western Pacific Ocean shrouded in darkness, the formation of the U.S. 58th Breakthrough Fleet was advancing east-northeast at a high speed of 25 knots. Rear Admiral Mark Mitchell's current target is the North Pacific. Before dusk on October 9 (Tokyo time), he deduced from the retreat direction of the Japanese First Mobile Fleet that the approximate location of the main force of the Japanese Combined Fleet was in Mali. The waters east of the Yana Islands and southwest of the Hawaiian Islands. Therefore, that night, the 58th Breakthrough Fleet turned northeast and headed for the North Pacific.

The withdrawal of the 58th Interaction Breaking Fleet from the North Pacific is also part of the "Hunter" combat plan. Because it is now past the autumnal equinox, the days are shorter and the nights are longer in the high latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere. The phenomenon of shorter days and longer nights in the North Atlantic near the Arctic Circle is even more obvious, which is not conducive to aviation activities. Therefore, taking the North Pacific route is more advantageous for the 58th Delivery Fleet, which has lost a large aircraft carrier.

Moreover, the earth is a sphere, so the diameter of the earth in high latitudes is much smaller than that near the equator. Therefore, retreating to the North Pacific at high latitudes is also conducive to the entry and exit of fleets from the mainland United States.

However, the "Hunter" plan arranged for the 58th Breakthrough Fleet to retreat through the North Pacific for another purpose.

"Your Excellency, Marshal, the submarine I-166 discovered that at least 50 American ships have left the Strait of Juan de Fuca."

In Tokyo, in the Navy Ministry Building, Marshal Yamamoto Isoroku, who looked gloomy and a bit scary, once again received bad news that frightened him.

The U.S. break-up fleet here is probably still chasing Ozawa Jisaburo's First Mobile Fleet, and there is another U.S. fleet leaving the port of Seattle in the northwest United States - the U.S. Pacific Fleet now has three major bases. The headquarters is located in San Diego, where the 5th Fleet is located. The Southwest Pacific Command is located in Panama, where the 9th Fleet is located. The Northwest Pacific Command is located in Seattle, where the 7th Fleet is located.

The Strait of Juan de Fuca is located between Vancouver Island in Canada and Clallam County in northwest Washington State in the United States. It is the choke point for entering and exiting the Port of Seattle. Therefore, there are Japanese submarines squatting nearby all year round. The one cruising in the Strait of Juan de Fuca these days is the Haida Type 5 submarine I-166.

"At least 50 ships..." Nagumo Chuichi, who was on duty in the war room with Yamamoto Isoroku this evening, took the telegram copy from the staff, read it carefully, and whispered: "The one dispatched should be the United States' No. The purpose of the 7th fleet should be to respond to the US break-up fleet in the Western Pacific. I think the US break-up fleet has given up the operation after losing an aircraft carrier and is preparing to return to the mainland. The pursuit of the first mobile fleet during the day is just that. Feint."

According to information provided by the German intelligence agency, the main force of the U.S. Pacific Fleet is now the 5th Fleet. The 7th Fleet stationed in Seattle is not the main force and is not equipped with large fleet aircraft carriers and battleships. The main ships it owns are heavy cruisers and light fleet aircraft carriers, as well as many escort aircraft carriers, light cruisers and destroyers.

The main mission of this fleet, according to Japanese and German speculation, is to escort the US break-up formation in and out of the North Pacific and threaten Japan's bases in the Aleutian Islands. The purpose of this large-scale dispatch should be to respond to the Jiaotong-breaking formation that was frustrated in the Western Pacific.

"Your Excellency, the U.S. 7th Fleet is now deployed in full force!" Someone immediately raised an objection, "According to intelligence, the U.S. 7th Fleet has at least 3 independent-class light fleet aircraft carriers and 7 escort aircraft carriers. With such a huge strength, It’s enough to start a war with the current main force of the combined fleet. Is it just a response mission?”

The person who spoke was Colonel Genda Minoru, Chief of the First Section of the Naval Command Department. As soon as his words came out, there was a soft sigh in the Navy Ministry War Room. Because he pointed out a reality that no one wants to admit - after successive losses of elite pilots, although the United Fleet still has many aircraft carriers, its combat effectiveness has dropped significantly!

According to the latest loss report, the First Mobile Fleet lost another 128 elite captains in the air attack on the U.S. break-up fleet on the morning of October 9. In addition to the previous losses in the Battle of Christmas Island and the losses during the night transition after the Battle of Christmas Island (after a sea and air battle lasting several hours, a night transition flight of more than 2,000 kilometers was extremely difficult on the pilot's physical strength). A big test, it was also a test of the quality of the aircraft. As a result, 35 aircraft were missing or had serious accidents during the transfer process) and the losses caused by the battle between the air fleet stationed on the Pacific islands and the US break-up fleet, Japan Nearly 800 outstanding pilots (captains) have been lost in this war of attrition, most of whom are elites of naval aviation!

Although this number only accounts for 8.9% of the total number of pilots (captains) in the Japanese Army and Navy, it accounts for at least 50% of the total number of pilots (captains) who can fly carrier-based aircraft.

By the way, Japanese pilots who can fly carrier-based aircraft do not necessarily serve on aircraft carriers. The Japanese Navy has a very bad practice of transferring pilots who can fly carrier-based aircraft between aircraft carriers and shore-based flying teams.

Doing this in peacetime can allow more pilots to have the ability to take off and land on the aircraft carrier, but in wartime there will be a problem of using carrier-based pilots as shore-based pilots.

The total number of Japanese elite pilots who can fly carrier-based aircraft is not too many, and the number has remained in the early 1,000s. And it is very difficult to supplement. Ordinary fighter pilots can make do with dozens of hours of flight training. At least they can fly and fight. At the worst, they can give American imperial pilots their heads to gain experience.

However, aircraft carrier-based aircraft pilots do not have ten times the flight training. They cannot even fly an aircraft to take off and land on the aircraft carrier deck. If they barely get on the aircraft carrier, they will fall on the deck and pose a greater threat to the imperial army than the US military!

In addition, it does not mean that the elites of the Air Force and Army Air Forces can board aircraft carriers through casual training. Taking off and landing on an aircraft carrier or even blind landing (at night), and flying on the vast ocean (including night flights) are very difficult subjects that cannot be mastered casually.

For example, Hessmann's son Rudolf was a fighter pilot who had received professional training before the war. If he wanted to join an aircraft carrier, he would have to spend several more months training at a naval aviation school. And not everyone who participates in training can go to the aircraft carrier. According to statistics from the German Naval Aviation Carrier Aircraft Pilot School, out of 100 trainees, only 35-40 can graduate and go to the aircraft carrier.

Therefore, although this round of continuous attrition war did not cause the Combined Fleet to lose a single warship, it seriously damaged the combat capabilities of the Combined Fleet's aircraft carrier force!

"Genda-kun, please continue talking." Yamamoto Isoroku looked at Genda Minoru and said.

"Hai," Genda Minoru bowed slightly to Yamamoto and continued, "The main purpose of dispatching the main force of the US 7th Fleet may be to attack our base in Dutch Harbor..."

"Genda-kun, it's past the autumnal equinox now, and the climate in the Aleutian Islands is not suitable for landing." Nagumo Chuichi interrupted Genda Minoru. When he was the commander of the First Sea and Air Fleet, he commanded the fleet to attack the Aleutian Islands. It was May when the weather was getting warmer, but there were still a large number of people suffering from frostbite, let alone now?

"The General is right, landing is indeed impossible." Genda Minoru said, "But the US military can cause heavy losses to our base in Dutch Harbor through bombing and artillery, and may even lay mines around Dutch Harbor to conduct blockade operations. "

Because Dutch Harbor is a forward stronghold for attacking the North American continent, and it can also pose a serious threat to the US aircraft carriers entering the Western Pacific through the North Pacific, it has always been an important stronghold for Japan in the North Pacific. Japan's 5th Fleet is stationed there - the 5th Fleet, like the 4th Fleet, is a garrison fleet, including not only surface ships, but also shore-based aviation and marines.

In addition, the 23rd Army of the Japanese Army is stationed on Amakonak Island, where Dutch Harbor is located, and on the adjacent Unalaska Island, with 2 divisions and 1 flying division.

It’s really endless…

After listening to Genda Minoru's analysis, everyone in the war room felt their hearts sink. Because what Genda said is exactly what they fear most - this is an endless war of attrition!

First it was Christmas Island, and then the U.S. break-up fleet broke into the Western Pacific. But before the battle in the Western Pacific was over, the U.S. 7th Fleet came out again... It is very likely that the battle of the Aleutian Islands will begin.

Not to mention the Aleutian Islands' victory, the pilots suffered heavy losses and the combined fleet's fuel depots were rapidly depleted.

Moreover... the Japanese now have no choice but to fight the Battle of the Aleutian Islands, because the tens of thousands of Japanese troops and three to four hundred aircraft stationed there turned in without even saying they were about to turn in. Hundreds of ships must be used to evacuate personnel and equipment, and the Japanese Navy's 5th Fleet simply does not have such transportation capacity.

Besides, once the Aleutian Islands are abandoned, the United States' aircraft carriers and submarines will have to depart from Dutch Harbor in the future. The straight-line distance from there to Taiwan is only 3,500 nautical miles. At the speed of the Independence-class aircraft carrier and Cleveland-class light cruiser, it would take 10-12 days to reach the Taiwan Strait even if we take the anti-submarine route!

If this were true... the Japanese Combined Fleet would not have to consider a decisive battle with the U.S. Pacific Fleet, and would have to do escort work 365 days a year.

What a fart the Pacific War is!

Therefore, the Aleutian Islands cannot be lost to Japan at present, but it seems to be difficult to fight against the Aleutian Islands.

Just when Yamamoto Isoroku felt in a dilemma, even more terrifying news came: a large number of American planes were approaching Dutch Harbor from the east!

The Battle of the Aleutian Islands has begun!