"Your Excellency, according to the experience of naval warfare in the European theater, the first target of this air attack on Pearl Harbor should be the US aircraft carrier anchored at Pearl Harbor. Considering www.biquge.info weak level of armor of American aircraft carriers, the purpose of destruction can be achieved by throwing 250 kg armor-piercing shells in Type 99. Then deliver the fatal blow in the 'comet' style! ”

On the battleship "Nagato," Kuroshima Kameto, a staff officer of the Japanese Combined Fleet, Kameto Kuroshima, and chief of staff of the 11th Air Force, Takakijiro Onishi, were explaining to Yamamoto Isoroku the plan he had just drawn up.

This plan for the attack on Pearl Harbor is certainly different from the historical version, as there have been many naval and air battles in Europe before. The vulnerability of the battleship in the face of air power has been clearly revealed. As a result, Kuroshima Kameto and Onishi Takijiro's interest in American battleships also dropped considerably.

"The second target," said the Black Island Turtleman, "should be the U.S. military airfield on Oahu." Therefore, the Type 97 torpedo bombers that participated in the bombing operation all carried bombs in the first wave of air strikes, which were used to destroy the American airfield on Oahu. The Zero fighter jets responsible for escorting the aircraft will also bomb the airfield. ”

First hit the aircraft carrier, then hit the airfield!

This is already the standard pattern for several naval and air wars in Europe. As long as the opponent's air power is paralyzed, the battleship on the surface is a dish, and it can be blown up as much as it wants.

Moreover, Yamamoto 56 now has the treasure of the "Comet" carrier-based dive bomber. Although only a few dozen of them were equipped, they were a sharp weapon against battleships.

The Black Island Turtle Man borrowed by saying: "After the destruction of American aircraft carriers and the destruction of American airfields on Oahu, it was the turn of the American battleships." Therefore, the second assault wave will mainly be used against battleships, with 500 kg of armor-piercing bombs dropped by Comet aircraft, and Type 97 torpedo bombers will also carry torpedoes. ”

"What if the American aircraft carrier is not there?" Yamamoto fifty-six interrupted.

Onishi Takijiro replied: "Then the first assault wave will attack the battleship with Type 99 dive bombers, use Type 97 torpedo bombers carrying bombs to destroy airfields, and then let Type 97 torpedo bombers bring torpedoes and cooperate with 'Comet' dive bombers to sink battleships in the second wave of attacks, and the third wave of attacks will destroy oil depots and bomb airfields again, and then the aircraft carriers will withdraw to the open sea to hide, and let the landing fleet attack Kauai Island in order to attract American aircraft carriers." ”

The bombing of the oil depot was the experience of the bombing of Scapa Bay, which was never an important anchorage for the home fleet after the bombing. Moreover, in the subsequent military exchanges between Japan and Germany, the German side repeatedly mentioned the importance of destroying oil depots for the destruction of enemy bases. As a result, oil depots became an important target on a par with battleships.

After the destruction of the target on Oahu, the Japanese attack fleet would send a landing force to occupy the defenseless island of Kauai. Then they set up airfields, built barracks, and expanded docks on the island, posing as if they were going to use Kauai as a base for attacking Hawaii.

Because Hawaii was so far away from the Japanese mainland that the ground troops in charge of the attack could be debilitated for 20-30 days in transport ships in harsh conditions, it was necessary to have a foothold close to Oahu for the soldiers to recuperate.

In addition, whether the air support mission of the Hawaiian operation can also rely entirely on carrier-based aircraft. If Kauai can be seized and then the airfield on the island can be expanded, then shore-based aircraft can be deployed in Kauai.

Therefore, once the Japanese army occupies Kauai, the Americans will definitely think that the Japanese devils are going to attack Oahu. The remaining fleet in Pearl Harbor and the U.S. fleet roaming around Hawaii would definitely fight, and this was when the Japanese Combined Fleet delivered the final blow to the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

Kuroshima Kameto said confidently: "This mobile fleet will have eight aircraft carriers, six of which are large fleet aircraft carriers, and the number of commonly used carrier-based aircraft will exceed 500. If the remnants of the US Pacific Fleet are attracted, the mobile fleet will definitely be able to do it all! ”

"As long as the U.S. Pacific Fleet is destroyed, Oahu will be easy to deal with." Takijiro Onishi turned the conversation to Oahu.

Hersman had given Ozawa a lot of information about Oahu, but what the German intelligence services had found was of little value to the Japanese, because the information was far more comprehensive than that of the Germans - Oahu was full of Japanese immigrants, so it was easy for Japanese agents to hide, and there was already a spy network on the island that closely monitored the US Pacific Fleet. As for the deployment of US troops and the defense of the island, the Japanese Combined Fleet Command has no less control than the White House.

"The biggest trouble on Oahu is the Williston Battery, near Pearl Harbor," said Onishi Takijiro, "and this battery has two 16-inch cannons that can fire 360 degrees without blind spots, and the firepower can cover the whole of Oahu, with a maximum range of about 40 kilometers." However, our 'Yamato' main gun has a maximum range of 42 km, which is theoretically enough to destroy the Williston battery. ”

There are many batteries on Oahu, but due to terrain constraints (mainly covered by mountains), most of the batteries on the island have large shooting dead ends, and most of them can only fire south, not the north of Oahu. And there are no dead spots to fire 360 degrees are the Willis Fort and Fort Kamehameha, near Honolulu.

However, Fort Kamehameha was built relatively early, before 1920, with four 12-inch cannons and eight 12-inch mortars, and although it could fire 360 degrees without blind spots, the range of the guns was too close to reach the enemy troops who landed north of Oahu.

Therefore, the biggest threat to the Japanese was the two 16-inch cannons of the Willis battery. It would certainly be very difficult to destroy these two 16-inch cannons and bomb them by aircraft, and the 500-kilogram armor-piercing bombs carried by the "Comet" dive bombers might not be able to penetrate people's armored turrets, and there were also dense anti-aircraft artillery and anti-aircraft machine gun positions around the Willis battery.

"If you want to destroy the Willis Battery, you can only use the 'Yamato'!" Onishi Tajiro came to the same conclusion as Hersman, "However, to ensure the destruction of the Willis battery, it is probably not possible to fire from a distance of 42 kilometers, and it is necessary to penetrate to a distance of about 20,000 meters, at which the main gun of the Yamato has a high degree of accuracy, and is enough to penetrate 566mm of vertical armor plates." However, such a close proximity to the Willis battery would also make it possible for the Yamato itself to be hit by a 16-inch cannon, which might cause the Yamato to suffer heavy damage. ”

The main armor belt, the armor of the main gun turret and the armor of the conning tower of the "Yamato" could theoretically protect against the bombardment of the 16-inch cannon at a distance of 20,000 meters. But theories are theories, and the actual situation is not necessarily the case. Otherwise, the British "Hood" would not have been tragically blown up.

Yamamoto Fifty-six frowned, "If you can exchange 'Yamato' for Oahu, even if the 'Yamato' sinks, it will be worth it, but I'm afraid that if the 'Yamato' gets close, it will be difficult to destroy the Willis Battery, and it will be cross-fired by the 16-inch and 14-inch cannons of the Hatch and Randolph Batteries." ”

"Then you can only destroy it with that kind of flying bomb," said Takijiro Onishi, "an 800-kilogram flying bomb can destroy even a strong battery!" In this way, it only takes a few lives to destroy the Willis Battery. ”

Yamamoto nodded in agreement. This is a good way to save money, but the Japanese people have just begun to study flying bombs, and there are no live bombs that can be used.

"But none of our pilots have ever flown a bomb." The Black Island Turtle Man immediately objected.

Yamamoto Fifty-six thought for a moment, and immediately said: "Prepare two plans at the same time, one is to use the Yamato; The second is to use people to operate flying bombs...... Volunteers were selected to train in Germany, while the Germans managed to smuggle in several launchers and 10 man-operated flying bombs. ”

"Hay."

Onishi and Kuroshima hurriedly recorded Yamamoto's order to kick the ball to Hirschman again. Takijiro Onishi then began to introduce the plan for the second phase of the Hawaiian campaign.

"The second phase of the Hawaiian campaign was a real landing operation, which was initiated on the condition that the main forces of the U.S. Pacific Fleet were completely destroyed, the Oahu airfield was completely suppressed, the Kauai was completely suppressed, the Malaya and Borneo raids were successfully suppressed, and the Philippine airfield was completely suppressed. In this case, the Navy will request the transfer of troops and ships that had been used for the Philippine Raid and the takeover of the Dutch East Indies to the Hawaiian Raid. At the same time, North Korean laborers, shore-based aircraft, and large quantities of supplies will be transported to Kauai in preparation for a long-term war.

After the completion of the first phase of the expansion of the Kauai airport, the main force of the mobile fleet will evacuate the waters of Hawaii and return home to rest and prepare for the second Hawaiian operation. ”

Onishi's plan now is to really attack the Hawaiian Islands, considering that Oahu is no less fortified than Fort Arthur, it is impossible to take Oahu without a few months and tens of thousands of casualties. And the Americans will not die without help, because Oahu is so important.

So the Japanese Combined Fleet had to prepare for the Second Battle of Hawaii -- the expected scenario was that the remnants of the U.S. Pacific Fleet and the Atlantic Fleet would merge and then launch a massive counterattack. Only with victory in the Second Battle of Hawaii could Japan take Oahu.

Otanishi Takijiro concluded: "In order to ensure victory, Germany should be asked to send at least two aircraft carriers through the Indian Ocean to help in the war." (To be continued.) )