"It's impossible for the Yamato-class to go to the Atlantic!"

In the official residence of the Japanese Minister of the Navy, the Minister of the Navy and Senior Admiral Shiro Kawakoshi shook his head vigorously and said to the visiting Yamamoto Isoroku. Pen "Fun" Pavilion www.biquge.info

"Yes, the Yamato and Musashi are treasures of the Imperial Japanese Navy, how could they be sent to the Atlantic? Moreover, the Pacific Ocean is the main battlefield of the war against the US Navy! If the navy was to be assembled, the Germans should also send the 'Bismarck' class to the Pacific. ”

Admiral Nagano Shusei, the commander-in-chief of the Navy, also shook his head and echoed Admiral Kazukoshiro Kawako.

"But the Germans promised to send four fleets with a core of four aircraft carriers converted from fast cruise ships to the Far East to support us, and ...... The four aircraft carriers will also be equipped with 240 commonly used aircraft. ”

Some of the people who were moved were Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, the commander of the Combined Fleet, but in fact he was also opposed to this proposal at first - the Yamato, which is not yet in service, is the new flagship of the Combined Fleet, so how can it be sent to the Atlantic?

However, Minoru Genda, a staff officer of the Combined Fleet Aviation, agrees very much, saying that he is an extreme "aircraft carrier faction." He thought that Japan would definitely regret building such a giant ship as the Yamato in the future, and now that he heard about Hersmann's plan for a "decisive battle in the polar night," he naturally agreed with it, believing that it could be "wasted" and could be exchanged for four very useful German aircraft carriers and 240 "commonly used carrier-based aircraft" -- this is not the concept of 240 aircraft, but includes all the crews and maintenance personnel of 240 carrier-based aircraft!

There is no shortage of aircraft for Japan, but ace pilots who can fly carrier-based aircraft are definitely not rich for Japan. After all, pilots of this level are all "burned" with gasoline, and it is simply impossible to train them in large quantities with Japan's national strength.

Moreover, these carrier-based aircraft pilots sent by Germany are all trump cards who have fought in actual combat, and they are even more precious than those aces in Japan who have basically not fought in actual combat.

Under the vigorous encouragement of Minoru Genda, Yamamoto Fifty-six was also a little tempted. So at today's meeting of the three commanders of the Navy, Yamamoto felt that Hirschman's suggestion could be considered.

"That's to send at most two 'Nagato' class ships to the Atlantic." And General Shiro Kawakoshi said. "The Nagato and Mutsu are strong enough to stand up to any American battleship."

Yamamoto Fifty-six frowned and said, "But the 'Nagato' class is very old after all, and the power of the 410mm caliber cannon cannot be compared with the 460mm caliber cannon of the 'Yamato' class. ”

If Japan is willing to send the "Yamato" class, even if there is only one ship, it can play a decisive role in the "Polar Night Decisive Battle". After all, those 9 460mm cannons were so powerful that no British and American battleships could withstand them. And although the 410mm cannon of the "Nagato" class is also very powerful, it cannot be compared with the 460mm cannon after all.

"That's it!" General Nagano waved his hand and said, "It's good to let the 'Nagato' and 'Mutsu' go, they can't ask too much...... After all, the aircraft carrier converted from a cruise ship cannot be compared with the 'Zeppelin' class. He paused, then asked, "Is the occupation of Hawaii possible?" ”

Ozawa's telegram also included a proposal to "occupy Hawaii." Hersman believed that although the gap between Japan and the United States in national strength was very large, the strength of the Combined Fleet was also clearly superior. Therefore, it is completely possible to fight a decisive battle that will be won or lost! Just in Hawaii, the main forces of the combined fleet all passed, and then brought with the landing force of 3-4 divisions. If a sneak attack is not a complete naval battle, the US Pacific Fleet will definitely not be able to defeat the Japanese Combined Fleet. After the naval battle, they will land directly, and even the sea of corpses and blood will fill Hawaii flat.

Although the losses may be heavy in this style of play, the results are certainly the greatest. It is quite possible to completely destroy the Pacific Fleet and occupy the Hawaiian Islands!

"The capture of the Hawaiian Islands is possible, as is the elimination of the Pacific Fleet in one fell swoop." Yamamoto fifty-six frowned, as if he was thinking hard.

He said: "Field Marshal Hersman believed that once Japan and the United States went to war, the day of the war would be the day when Japan was strongest, and the day of the war when the United States was the weakest. Therefore, Japan should have won a decisive victory on the day of the war...... Otherwise, over time, the advantage will little by little go to the side of the United States. This official feels that this analysis is correct, and this imperial marshal's strategic vision is indeed extremely clever! ”

It is not necessary to draw such a conclusion with a brilliant strategic vision, but only to understand the comparison of the industrial power of Japan and the United States.

If Japan's industrial rating is 1 point, then the United States is 100 points! Moreover, Japan, unlike Germany, has no industrial countries around it that can be occupied or integrated. Japan's industrial power has very little room to increase in wartime, while U.S. industry, once it is fully exerted, can generate enough military power to crush Japan.

Therefore, the sooner the decisive battle is more advantageous for Japan, and the later the decisive battle is more advantageous for the United States.

And if the United States and Japan had a decisive battle on the first day, in Hersman's view, the bigger the bet on both sides, the better it would be for Japan.

Historically, the bet was only on the battleships of the Pacific Fleet, which was a big loss for Japan. Most of those battleships were very old, and except for the two "Colorado" class with huge guns, the other battleships sunk at Pearl Harbor were not of much value.

If the Hawaiian Islands themselves, plus the entire Pacific Fleet, were to be turned into a stake, then Japan would be able to win the Pacific War on its own.

Because although the industrial strength of the United States is strong, it is the 40s after all, and the range of ships and aircraft is limited. Without Hawaii as a transit point, it would be difficult for the US Navy to reach the western Pacific, and the route from the United States to Australia would have lost its barrier due to the fall of the Hawaiian Islands, and it would have been easily cut off by the Japanese fleet based in Hawaii. It is also possible that the route of the counteroffensive from the South Pacific will be completely cut off as a result.

Moreover, when Japan captures Hawaii, the US Pacific Fleet will definitely have to fight hard, and the result is very likely that the main force of the Pacific Fleet will be completely destroyed. The United States lost not only surface ships and aircraft in this campaign, but also tens of thousands of experienced officers, sailors and pilots. And these people are not something that the United States' great industrial capacity can produce quickly.

"But......" Yamamoto shook his head again and again, "but in order to carry out the operation to capture Hawaii, the combined fleet must devote all its main forces, and the southward operation may have to be postponed......"

To occupy Hawaii, it is not possible to rely on six aircraft carriers, it is necessary to dispatch a force of battleships and a landing force. Moreover, in order to ensure victory, the number of battleships dispatched must not be less, and the landing force must also be brought with as many as possible.

According to the estimates of the Combined Fleet, to transport a fully manned division to Hawaii, it is at least 300,000 tons of merchant ships! If you want to dispatch 4 divisions and regiments, that is 1.2 million tons, and 5 divisions and regiments will be 1.5 million tons.

However, the total tonnage of Japan's current seaborne ships is only 5.9 million tons, and these 5.9 million tons cannot be used by the military, and at least half of them must be set aside to maintain domestic production. In other words, the maximum number of merchant ships that can be used for military purposes is 3 million tons. Now it will cost 1.2 million to 1.5 million tons to transport troops to Hawaii alone, and many oil tankers and merchant ships will need to be requisitioned to provide logistical support for the main force of the combined fleet. The scale of the entire mobilization of merchant ships is likely to be as high as 1.8 million to 2 million tons!

If you really want to go all out to fight Hawaii, then the Philippines, Malaya, and the Dutch East Indies will not have enough troops to occupy them.

"The Dutch East Indies don't have to be occupied, it's just a matter of taking over," the head of the Naval Command, Nagano Shusei said, snapping his fingers, "maybe we can postpone it for a few months, as long as we can get oil from the Dutch."

In addition, the Philippines and Guam can also postpone the war...... The Philippines has 1,000 shore-based planes (in fact, there are only 400), and they will not be able to shoot down in the short term, so it is enough to let the ships sail 500 kilometers outside the Philippines, and the big deal is that Taiwan will be bombed. ”

Kagawa Koshiro frowned deeply and said, "Then if you go south, you will fight the Malay Peninsula and Singapore?" ”

Malaya and Singapore are a must-fight, and after they are opened, they will be able to meet with Germany in the Indian Ocean, and Japan will be able to obtain aid from Germany through the Indian Ocean route. As for the Dutch East Indies, Germany had promised to persuade the Netherlands to concede on the condition that Japan help Germany seize South Africa (South Africa compensated the Netherlands).

As for the U.S.-controlled Philippines, it seems that it has a large military force and needs to be brought in to occupy it. However, the area where American planes deployed in the Philippines can be dangerous is not very large. That is, it is a hundred kilometers around, and it seems that it is not a big problem not to fight for the time being.

"If you don't fight the Philippines, if you don't occupy the Dutch East Indies, if you only fight Malaya and Singapore, ships will be enough."

Yamamoto's brows were still tightly furrowed, and he said, "But with the goal of occupying Hawaii, the navy is making a big gamble on the national fortunes of the Japanese Empire." It's easy to say if you win, but if you don't win, you will lose your country......"

Kazukawa Koshiro looked at Nagano Xiu, the chief of the naval command, "Nagano-kun, what do you think?" ”

Nagano Xiu crossed his arms and thought for a while, and said: "Is it just a matter of strength, the Combined Fleet is definitely stronger than the US Pacific Fleet, but it does not have an overwhelming advantage. To ensure victory, then we need to further strengthen our strength. If the Germans are willing to provide us with really useful assistance, then we might as well take a big gamble with the Americans! (To be continued.) )