The Enemy Child of a Traitor - Chapter 657
Only Ranovel
Judgment of Midway (4)
May 1942
Hawaii, Pearl Harbor
Compared to life now, life in the past – or should I say future – was relatively ordinary.
It would be unfair to say that he lived a quiet and comfortable life, but it can never be compared to the current situation as a commander of the U.S. Army during World War II, and even as commander of the Pacific Fleet.
But even aside from the shallow and superficial knowledge of history, there were many things I learned from that experience that were very helpful in the moment that was right in front of me.
“ah. If this continues, I really feel like I’m going to die. “What is all this, Commander?”
In some ways, it’s only natural that warships around World War II were, well, horribly vulnerable to fire.
It would be a pain to talk about battleships and cruisers separately, but aircraft carriers were by no means an exception.
In particular, in my case, as soon as I boarded a large warship and took a deep breath… I was overcome with reflexive fear, almost like a mixture of occupational disease and PTSD.
“Manual on fire response onboard aircraft carriers.”
“I never thought he would renew that bird again…”
The navies of Britain, Japan, and the United States, which boasted a size and proportion large enough to own aircraft carriers, were aware of the dangers of fire and explosions that could occur on aircraft carriers.
Therefore, to prevent aircraft carriers from burning more brightly than the forests of Yiling, the navies of each country adopted precautionary measures that were broadly similar but each subtly different.
In my case, as part of that measure, I gave a surprise quiz to Lieutenant General Frank Fletcher, who clicked his tongue at the heavy manual in front of me.
“Admiral Fletcher, do you remember why the Lexington was almost sunk in the Coral Sea and barely came back alive?”
“The aviation fuel on the hangar deck was about to ignite.”
“that’s right. And what measures did you decide to introduce after that?”
“…Please wait a moment – ah, if you are not going to use it right away, empty the aviation fuel pipe and fill it with inert carbon dioxide, is that right?”
Fletcher sighed in relief at my nod. I hesitated a bit, but I think I understand it well. I like it.
Since my time as Commander of the Atlantic Fleet, I have trained every member of the fleet’s crew, not to mention the relevant technicians, until they were familiar with basic damage control.
I don’t know about other parts, but I can never, absolutely compromise on this part…
“Perhaps you think I am too cautious?”
“No one would say such a thing about the Commander even if they knew the current status of the Emperor.”
That’s true, but the example you give is very strange. Even worse, hearing that reminded me of a strange rumor I heard a while ago.
To be precise, in Manchuria and Korea – in the former case openly and in the latter secretly – an item called “Emperor Donuts” was quite hot, I guess.
Well, if it’s true, it’s a very bad idea… but why do I suddenly have a craving for donuts?
“Besides, other people may not know, but wouldn’t it be something I would say, as I almost got bitten by the Chief of Staff because of my actions at the time?”
I came to my senses after wondering about such useless things as whether I should ask the Pacific Commerce Development Association to develop a product or when Dunkin Donuts would come out again.
Well, my junior definitely showed a more cautious side compared to Halsey, not only during the Battle of the Coral Sea, but even before that.
“Commander, thank you for your kind words with Admiral King.”
“I don’t think you would have done that even if you were the commander.”
Still, it doesn’t change the fact that Fletcher – at least by today’s standards – is a veteran who has accumulated a lot of experience and has been at sea the longest since the outbreak of the Pacific War.
Just like Major Joseph Rochefort, I can’t just let this guy fall victim to the King’s wrath.
“And you learned an important lesson in the Coral Sea. “I hope you remember what little mistakes you made.”
“···Sinking the Shoho was a great achievement, but in the process, even the fleet was exposed to danger.
“That’s correct. “If possible, I hope to avoid making that mistake again.”
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
He patted Fletcher on the shoulder with a smile. Then she took her hat and left the fleet headquarters building with him.
At the very least, as a commander, shouldn’t you give your final encouragement to the soldiers who are embarking on a grand mission?
*****
central pacific
An indescribably heavy burden weighed on the shoulders of Vice Admiral Chuichi Nagumo, commander of the 1st Air Fleet.
The official name of the fleet he commanded was the 1st Aircraft Fleet, but since he had as many as four aircraft carriers under his command, some actually called this fleet the “task force” of the Combined Fleet.
On the bridge of the flagship Akagi, Nagumo, who was suffering from the grandiose title and the responsibility that came with it, groaned and muttered.
“It’s stuffy…”
“Didn’t you hear me clearly?”
Akagi’s captain, Aoki Daijiro (青木 泰二郎), barely suppressed a sigh at the captain’s answer.
Nagumo looked around once again, moving only his eyes, at the interior of the bridge where several people, including Aoki, who had useless hearing, were present.
There was no denying that the Akagi was an excellent ship – at least in the eyes of Japanese naval officers – but it also had many shortcomings.
“···Nothing.”
Currently, Nagumo feels that among the shortcomings, the narrow space of the bridge, which contains various items such as maritime maps, document storage boxes, and binoculars, is very painful.
In addition to himself and the captain, several other officers, including the chief of staff, staff, and navigator, would stand at such a distance that their shoulders touched and even their breath could be felt on their faces.
“They say the Pacific Fleet’s aircraft carriers are cool inside even in the summer. “It’s truly amazing in many ways.”
This prison-like space was not suitable for making important decisions in a short period of time. No one could say that out loud.
Nagumo even heard that, unlike the Japanese Navy, the bridges of American aircraft carriers were much more spacious and even had air conditioners, so they seemed to care about the convenience of their officers.
Unlike him, who was secretly overcome with envy, Aoki, who was full of motivation, interpreted the rumor in a different way.
“Without such conveniences, how could Yankees who are weak and lack willpower fight?”
“I hope the Americans dealing with Zerosen are the type you are talking about.”
The Zero Sen, a model specialized for low-altitude maneuvers, was a fantastic and perfect fighter for a pilot with samurai temperament.
When a skilled pilot sits in the cockpit, it has an overwhelming superiority that can shoot down any Allied fighter plane, including the U.S. military.
···Zerocen pilots and Mitsubishi Corporation, the manufacturer of the aircraft, often praised or advertised it. Nagumo, who is not from the aviation school, could not confirm that assessment.
“Of course I believe so.”
Although he was not as overflowing with confidence as Aoki, Nagumo did not tell him not to let down his guard.
···It was definitely not because I didn’t want to create an uncomfortable situation by arguing and blushing on this narrow and stuffy bridge.
‘If you go a little further, you will see the fateful battlefield…’
Even before the war, the Navy believed that the battlefield somewhere in the Pacific would be a place where it would demonstrate its overwhelmingly superior firepower and combat power over the enemy.
The most ideal development would have been for cruisers and destroyers to jointly attack the enemy fleet with torpedoes at night, drive them into the main battlefield, and then have the main force win with the power of battleships armed with big guns.
Of course, Nagumo was not so naive and optimistic as to believe without any doubt that everything would go as planned.
‘This seems like something sinister.’
During the several months of setting up the MI operation, keen-eyed observers began to notice some unexpected variables, including the outcome of the Battle of the Coral Sea.
Despite this, Nagumo felt uneasy that this grand plan had not changed much even at the detailed level.
“Commander. “The time has finally come…!”
However, upon hearing the report that the ticket was within range, Nagumo silenced the voice of doubt creeping up from his subconscious.
Isn’t there nothing that the Commander-in-Chief of the Combined Fleet, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, didn’t say much when planning this operation, and can’t do anything about it now?
“I guess I’ll have to get ready for the raid soon.”
From here on, all that’s left will be left to fate.
*****
The world was full of dictators.
The most famous of them all, Nazi Germany’s Adolf Hitler, recently asked Congress to pass a law granting him absolute authority with virtually unlimited scope.
Parliament was happy to pass the bill, and Germans were now required to unconditionally obey any of his orders or risk severe punishment, including the death penalty.
“Ha, yeah. “I kind of thought it would end up like this.”
In the opinion of Captain Leon Lee, a pilot of the 16th Task Force heading towards the Midway Islands with the 17th Task Force, there was one such dictator in the United States as well.
His father, Admiral Dae-il Lee, who wields the United States Pacific Fleet with an iron fist, would also fall into that category, although the scale of authority is much narrower.
···No matter what, it is said that subordinates are given free speech, choice, and various welfare benefits!
“That’s right, I’ve been waiting for a day like this!”
chin
(It wasn’t surprising at all) Someone placed a hand on his shoulder as he lamented having to participate in this battle.
Unlike the resigned Leon, his Annapolis predecessor, Capt. Richard Best, seemed burdened.
“I don’t know how many aircraft carriers the Jabs have, but tell them to bring them all. “One ship for you, one ship for me. All we have to do is destroy them like this.”
“Oh, there’s no way that could be realistic.”
“I don’t think that’s what you would say.”
Leon’s face turned bright red as he often talked about science fiction, movies, and superhero comics in his past.
“Ugh…”
At the same time, Leon was truly curious as to whether being assigned to the aircraft carrier Enterprise with Best was fate or a trick of his vicious father.
If nothing else, his will was clear when he entrusted Lieutenant General William Halsey’s 16th Task Force to Major General Raymond Spruance.
“What are you so worried about, Lee?”
“Because it’s Admiral Spruance.”
“Now that I think about it, you don’t seem to know that much about naval aviation.”
According to his father, Admiral Spruance also received pilot training (by force) and participated in the design of aircraft carriers on several occasions, so he was not completely ignorant of this field.
However, on the other hand, I also knew that I had never held an aviation-related position since I was a base commander at an aircraft base or captain of an aircraft carrier.
“But since Admiral Lee is the one who chose me, I have to trust him.”
“Umm…”
I wanted to retort something, but I had nothing to say. Admiral Spruance was one of his father’s most trusted admirals, as was the current Commander of the Atlantic Fleet, Captain Royal Ingersoll.
···First of all, his ability is proven just by being treated like a slave from time to time under the most famous and vicious boss in the Navy.
“···”
As his doubts subsided, Leon looked from the deck of the Enterprise toward Pearl Harbor, where they had left.
I remembered the last time I made eye contact with my father, who had sent off encouraging the 16th Mobile Unit with a solemn declaration.
“senior.”
“hmm?”
And the fact that, like Admirals Spruance, Ingersoll, and Chester Nimitz, he was one of those who was often exploited by him.
“…I will definitely win.”