Chapter 604: Oahu
Yamamoto Isoroku sat in his place aboard the battleship Nagato, watching over his immense naval fleet. The Imperial Japanese Navy’s Combined Fleet had turned out in almost full force this time. There were as many as eight aircraft carriers, an unprecedented eight battleships, and countless cruisers and destroyers, carrying 30,000 elite marines as they sailed majestically towards the Hawaiian Islands.
This was the Japanese Navy’s final, all-or-nothing battle. If the Americans did not surrender after the Battle of Hawaii, then the Japanese would have no choice but to passively await the American counterattack. Yamamoto knew that Japan no longer had the strength to land forces in America. Even if they managed to scrape together a few hundred thousand men, a country with a territory comparable to China could not be brought down by such a cobbled-together force.
Thinking of this, the commander of the Combined Fleet couldn’t help but stand up and let out a long sigh. He still remembered what he had told his superior officer when war was declared on the United States. At that time, when assessing the situation, he had replied: “For a year, or a year and a half, there will be no problem. But any longer than that, and there is nothing I can do.”
Now, from May 2nd to mid-August, his fleet was already showing signs of fatigue. More than three months of war had prevented most of the Combined Fleet from getting its proper rest and refit, while the Japanese forces, victorious everywhere, had been scattered into countless smaller groups, making it impossible to concentrate them.
The Japanese army had over two million troops on the Chinese front, including the 750,000-strong Kwantung Army deployed on the Soviet border. These Japanese units dared not move a single step from the border region, because on the other side, more than 700,000 Soviet Red Army soldiers were watching the Japanese in China like tigers. At the same time, along the long front where China was counterattacking, the Japanese had to maintain a defensive force of over 700,000 men. After all, the Chinese army was no longer what it used to be and still possessed considerable combat strength.
Japan had a total of 177 divisional designators within China, and a standard Japanese Type A division had a strength of nearly 30,000 men. This meant that the forces Japan deployed in China had begun to shrink severely. Many second-line units were unable to maintain their full complement, and even some Type C divisions were sent to the Chinese front to make up the numbers.
The Japanese divisional structure was bizarre to the extreme. A Japanese Type A division was, organizationally, about the size of a corps. This was why, in many cases, a single Chinese division could not defeat a Japanese division, as their structures were different. A Japanese division was similar to an American one; a top-tier Type A division had an establishment of 28,000 men, so it was inevitable that its combat power was stronger than that of a Kuomintang army division.
But then again, a Type C division might only have an establishment of 15,000 men, and it could easily be understrength. The combat effectiveness of such a division can well be imagined. Many Type C divisions were not even fully equipped with artillery. They were reliable enough for dealing with Chinese guerrillas, but using them in a frontal battle was a complete joke.
“Signal General Nagumo Chuichi and tell him to begin preparing the attack on the American airfields on Oahu! After two waves of aerial bombardment, release the landing forces and begin the assault landing on the first island!” Yamamoto pushed aside his melancholy thoughts and began to issue the attack order. It would not be easy for them to win this battle. On Oahu, at least, there were still a large number of U.S. Army aircraft that could take off to engage the Japanese fighters.
Therefore, the Japanese Navy had turned out in full force this time precisely to use its superior carrier-based air power to completely destroy the American combat system in the Hawaiian Islands, thereby gaining a greater advantage for the marines’ landing operations.
All that remained was an anxious wait. Yamamoto needed to confirm the results of the air raid on Oahu’s military airfields before he would issue further combat orders. Everyone waited in silence, watching the hands of their pocket watches tick by. About an hour and a half later, General Nagumo Chuichi sent back the results of the air raid: “Your Excellency, esteemed Marshal, the air raid was a success. 110 American fighter planes were destroyed. Air superiority is still being contested.”
Yamamoto’s heart skipped a beat. This meant that the Americans had scrambled their planes in advance to intercept Nagumo’s aircraft. Otherwise, the results should have been far greater. It seemed the American radar systems could already be used as an early warning system in actual combat, which was definitely not good news for the Japanese Navy.
“Your Excellency? Your Excellency? A message from General Kurita, asking if the operational plan will proceed on schedule?” an officer asked softly, covering the telephone with his hand. His words interrupted Yamamoto’s uneasy thoughts, and the commander of the Japanese Combined Fleet ultimately decided to gamble one more time.
“Commence the operation!” He picked up the phone and simultaneously issued the attack order to his own battleship fleet. This fleet, composed of Japan’s eight battleships, had come with the primary objective of bombarding the landing zones to cover the assault landing on Kauai, thereby securing a forward base for the attack on Oahu.
Outside the window of Yamamoto’s command tower, the two massive twin-gun main turrets were already slowly turning to starboard. Behind Yamamoto, the two twin-gun main turrets at the stern were also gradually moving into position. Eight straight, slender gun barrels had already crossed the ship’s beam and were adjusting their elevation angle bit by bit.
With the firing data provided by the seaplanes that had already taken off, it was estimated that the distant island of Kauai was now within the effective range of their great guns. Fleet Admiral Yamamoto Isoroku, with his hands behind his back, solemnly issued the attack order, speaking a single, crystal-clear word in short, sharp Japanese: “Fire!”
The officer standing before the speaking tube nodded respectfully in acknowledgment: “Hai!” After responding, the officer relayed the fire command to the four massive gun turrets in an equally solemn tone: “Commence firing!”
A few seconds later, on the four huge main turrets at the bow and stern of the warship, eight cannons fired in succession, spewing bright tongues of flame. The roar of the 410mm cannons was deafening, sounding majestic to any who heard it. To avoid damaging the ship’s hull, the salvo was in fact slightly staggered, which made the resulting vibrations relatively minor, but Yamamoto could still feel the warship beneath his feet tremble with the thunder of the guns.
Not far behind the Nagato, the giant battleship Mutsu, sailing on the same course, had also readied its eight massive guns. Less than ten seconds after flashes of light erupted from the Nagato, the Mutsu also opened fire, letting loose its first salvo.
The Japanese battleships following behind them also opened fire one after another, and shells rained down on the island of Kauai like hailstones. This was perhaps the largest-scale naval bombardment of a land target in the history of human warfare. The last time, the German-aided Italo-French fleet had consisted of only six battleships in total; this time, the Japanese fleet’s battleships alone surpassed that scale.
This did not even include the various caliber naval guns on the ten heavy cruisers that were closing in to bombard the shore from a closer range. Although the carrier aircraft from the Japanese carriers were not participating, the trouble these great guns caused for the Americans was already immense.
The United States had deployed approximately 4,000 soldiers on Kauai. These troops were positioned to defend from three directions—the side facing Oahu was almost undefended, as it was unlikely the Japanese would choose the area between two islands to establish their landing beach. Therefore, about 1,000 American soldiers faced the Japanese naval bombardment, and these men were stunned into a stupor by the terrifying sight before them.
A single massive shell was enough to blast up a crater half the size of a football field, unleashing a huge shockwave and a deafening sound that made the entire earth tremble. All the American soldiers clutched their weapons and cried for their mothers in their positions, but no one could save them. A heavy machine gun post was hit directly by a shell, and none of the dozen or so American soldiers inside survived; the bodies of several men could not even be found.
“Damn the Japanese! What’s so great about a sneak attack!” one American soldier cursed loudly, pressing his hands on his steel helmet and squinting to avoid being buried by dust and dirt. Beside him, another American soldier was already crying, screaming for his mother, but his cries were drowned out by the massive explosions. Many American recruits were already breaking down, terrified by such a horrifying bombardment.
In a defensive position near the coast, an American colonel was gripping his walkie-talkie and loudly reporting the current situation: “Yes! The Japanese are shelling us! I believe they will land within the hour, and the fighting will get even harder then. I need support, any support!”
The Americans were not idle either. As the battle progressed, a force of over 1,000 American infantry began to reinforce Kauai using assault boats and barges. At this moment, the U.S. Army Air Corps was fighting with Japanese Zero fighters for control of the air. From time to time, an American plane would be shot down, and from time to time, a Japanese fighter would dive to attack the American soldiers crossing the sea.
The Japanese air interception caused the American reinforcement operation to suffer heavy losses; about 150 American soldiers were sunk with their boats between the two islands. But the remaining 850 soldiers successfully reached Kauai, strengthening the defensive forces there. They also carried a large amount of ammunition, determined to defend American territory to the death and fight the Japanese to the end.
The U.S. Army Air Corps fought bravely, causing considerable trouble for the Japanese. Although the Americans had already lost 200 aircraft, including those on the airfields, the Japanese had also been shot down to the tune of 40 planes. This made the cautious Yamamoto Isoroku almost call off the yet-to-be-launched landing operation. The battle raged on. The U.S. command headquarters on Oahu sent a telegram to the U.S. Navy requesting support. Nimitz’s fleet was gathering on the distant ocean.
Published: 2025-09-10T05:08:50.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2026-01-18T16:57:06.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c604-oahu-138561087
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