Chapter 616: The Initiative
Nagumo Chuichi had four aircraft carriers under his command. Two of them were the smaller carriers Hiryū and Sōryū. Both were light fleet carriers capable of carrying over 70 aircraft each. While not the absolute cream of the crop of the Japanese Navy, they were certainly considered large fleet carriers.
The other two were the flagship Akagi and the Kaga, both also large carriers capable of carrying over 70 aircraft. The Akagi could even carry a full load of more than 90 planes, making it one of the more advanced aircraft carriers of the era. Therefore, at that moment, the Japanese fleet near Oahu possessed a total of over 300 carrier-based aircraft.
However, after several days of attacks, Nagumo Chuichi no longer had that many planes. He had suffered a concrete loss of 61 aircraft, which was one-fifth of his total strength. Factoring in planes under repair for mechanical failures and those unable to fly for other reasons, nearly a third of his aircraft were unable to participate in battle.
Furthermore, the Akagi and Kaga each carried 20 Zero fighters, and the Sōryū and Hiryū also each carried exactly 20. This meant the total number of carrier-based fighters the Japanese Navy could sortie was only 80. As of now, half of Nagumo Chuichi’s 80 fighters had been shot down.
It was only because the Japanese Navy possessed a fanatical Bushido spirit, and because every one of these pilots was fearless in the face of death, that they continued to fight. If it were any other navy, 50 percent losses would have been enough to break the soldiers’ morale. But these Japanese naval aviators remained unafraid, unhesitatingly carrying out Nagumo Chuichi’s order to fight to the death.
The power of Japanese militarist indoctrination was evident. The terrifying willpower of the Japanese soldiers was truly something to be feared. They saw death as a way to express their loyalty and carrying out a superior’s orders as their means of serving the country. It had to be admitted that, at least in the aspect of duping soldiers into dying, the Japanese were at the forefront of the world and had reached a level that was almost impossible to surpass.
Throughout history, any unit that dared to fight to the death without retreating after suffering 50 percent casualties has become an immortal name in its nation’s military annals. The Japanese First Air Fleet had actually achieved this near the Hawaiian Islands in the Pacific. On the strength of this terrifying spirit alone, they could be considered among the world’s finest soldiers.
But Nagumo Chuichi knew that this time, they really could not fight anymore. If his force wanted to preserve a shred of its core strength to continue fighting for the Great Japanese Empire in the future, they had to retreat now, no matter what. Yet, looking at the American fleet, so close and so seemingly fragile, a part of Nagumo Chuichi was unwilling to give up.
This was a battle that would decide the fate of Japan. If he didn’t even dare to try, he would regret it for the rest of his life. So, after the world stopped spinning, he steadied himself on the map table beside him and, through clenched teeth, fiercely issued the order to attack: “Launch the next wave of planes! Today, I will lead you, the men of the Great Japanese Navy, in a fight to the death with the damned Yankees! We will not rest until one of us is destroyed!”
“His Majesty the Emperor… Banzai!” a Japanese officer raised his hands and shouted on the bridge. After he finished, more Japanese officers and sailors raised their hands, swinging them from their sides towards the sky: “His Majesty the Emperor! Banzai!”
Even Nagumo Chuichi raised his own hands and shouted along: “Banzai! Banzai!” Soon, the slogan spread to every corner of the carrier Akagi. All the Japanese soldiers were shouting fanatically. Fatigue and despair seemed to be driven away in that moment, and the entire warship was once again filled with vitality.
“Admiral, a telegram from Marshal Yamamoto, ordering us to retreat immediately!” An officer holding a message walked up behind Admiral Nagumo Chuichi. His words were like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the do-or-die spirit that filled the bridge. Everyone stopped shouting and stared at Nagumo Chuichi. A strange, suffocating silence filled the air.
“This must be a fake telegram sent by the enemy to confuse us!” one officer muttered, glaring at the document in shame and anger.
“Bakayaro! Why did you bring a message like this here? Are you even a soldier of the Empire?” another Japanese officer snarled, his hand even resting on the hilt of his sword as he fiercely reprimanded the officer who delivered the message.
Nagumo Chuichi’s face was ashen. He took the telegram from Yamamoto Isoroku and read it carefully. For a moment, the thought of disobeying the order crossed his mind, but at the same time, he felt a slight sense of relief. Now, whether they retreated or fought a decisive battle, the responsibility was no longer on his shoulders. For a frontline commander, this was undoubtedly very fortunate.
However, when he opened the message, he discovered there were two telegrams. The first was actually from the commanders on Oahu, Lieutenant General Oshima of the 4th Division and Lieutenant General Fukuda of the 131st Division. It stated clearly that the American resistance on Oahu was extremely stubborn, and the Japanese infantry could not take control of the island in a short amount of time, let alone launch an attack on the main island of Hawaii.
The second telegram was the retreat order from Yamamoto Isoroku. The Japanese Fleet Admiral had correctly assessed the losses suffered by the Japanese Navy. In his view, sacrificing the elite pilots of the entire First Air Fleet to destroy the American fleet was an act of sheer idiocy.
“Admiral Nagumo Chuichi, if we fight with all our might here, then when the future American counter-attack comes, your fleet will only be able to return to the Japanese home islands and await orders. For an Imperial soldier, this is in itself an irresponsible act towards the fate of the Empire! I order you to retreat with me immediately, to preserve our strength to meet America’s impending first counter-offensive!” This was the core part of Yamamoto’s telegram, which very clearly pointed out that Nagumo Chuichi was wasting his forces and not acting wisely.
If America lost a fleet, it could replace it in three to six months. But if Japan lost 200 pilots, it could at best replenish only 150 within six months. This was the reason Yamamoto Isoroku was unwilling to fight a war of attrition with the United States. He did not dare to trade blows, because Japan could not afford it.
Yamamoto’s plan was very simple. His naval fleet needed to rest and refit. After replenishment and rest, his fleet could regain its combat capability. At that time, without the shackle of the fixed point of Oahu, he could choose a favorable location in the vast ocean to seek a decisive battle, making it easier to crush the American fleet.
Of course, he also knew that once they withdrew, America would have completely caught its breath, and the plan to force America into a short-term surrender would become even more difficult. But the Japanese Navy had to rest now. This was something he felt must be done, with no shortcuts.
As for the strategic initiative changing hands, it wasn’t that he hadn’t considered it. In Yamamoto Isoroku’s view, Japan’s offensive was already showing signs of exhaustion. Whether putting on a brave face for the Americans would have any effect was difficult to predict. It was not worth sacrificing the entire First Air Fleet for a deception that might not even work.
Thus, after receiving the telegrams from the army generals Oshima and Fukuda, he immediately issued the order to retreat. Yamamoto Isoroku hoped that the 40,000 army soldiers could hold out on Oahu and Kauai for four months. At that time, he would lead the elite Japanese Combined Fleet back for a decisive blow to annihilate the nearby U.S. Navy.
Yamamoto’s calculation was very simple: trade a few months of passivity to gain the first move, to re-enact a naval annihilation battle similar to the Battle of Wake Island and destroy the American fleet once more. Only then would they discuss the question of war or peace.
“Reply to Marshal Yamamoto! Tell him that Nagumo Chuichi is determined to fight to the death!” Nagumo thought for a moment, then, under the expectant gazes of everyone, gritted his teeth and announced his decision. “The soldiers of the Great Japanese Empire have no tradition of running away! I, Nagumo, am no coward! And neither are my men!”
“Admiral!” an officer from the radio room came in and handed a telegram to Nagumo Chuichi. “A message from Marshal Yamamoto. He says…”
“Says what?” Nagumo snatched the telegram, tearing a small corner in his haste. He carefully read the words on it, which were in Yamamoto’s own tone: “If you do not obey my order, I will sail the battleship Nagato to your fleet and personally take over your command!”
Nagumo read the telegram with a blank expression. Finally, he spoke: “Order the fleet to turn south and disengage from the battle area!”
“Admiral!” an officer from the pro-war faction took a step forward, wanting to persuade Nagumo to change his mind.
Nagumo raised his hand to cut him off. “Enough! Say no more! Marshal Yamamoto’s order is correct! If we continue to fight so bitterly, we will ruin the Marshal’s grand plan! He has his own plans, and we just need to obey!”
At 11:12 AM, the warships of the Japanese First Air Fleet began to turn. At the same time, a group of American aircraft arrived and, taking advantage of the chaos, damaged the Japanese carrier Hiryū, resulting in 2 deaths and 32 injuries among the Japanese ground crew and sailors. However, before noon, the Japanese Navy had broken contact with the U.S. Navy and regrouped on the waters west of Kauai.
The Battle of Hawaii thus ended in an anticlimax. The U.S. Navy had retaken the naval initiative in the Central Pacific. After nearly four months of Japanese dominance, the Pacific theater entered a phase of strategic stalemate.
Published: 2025-09-11T01:54:09.000+00:00
Last Edited: 2026-01-24T16:36:24.000+00:00
URL: https://www.patreon.com/caleredhair/posts/mtr-c616-138630464
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