Chapter 16 Chapter 12 Carry out a major mission

While Nagumo's First Air Fleet, Nimitz's two task forces, and the Marine Corps on Midway were preparing for the upcoming battle, around 20:40 on May 27, Tanaka's navy The major general led the transport convoy to set off from Saipan.Driving towards the south of Tinian Island, he was cautious and evasive, for fear of encountering enemy submarines that might be lurking around.After passing the island of Tinian, the fleet sailed straight to its destination. [Note: "The Battle of Midway Island", page 112; Analysis of the Battle of Midway Island, page 22. 】 However, the convoy found neither U.S. submarines or aircraft, nor any signs of enemy activity.Sea and Sky seemed to confirm how the Pacific Ocean got its name.During this long cruise, the sea was deadly silent every day.We saw no other ships or planes.Everything is so peaceful and peaceful.The morale of the crew is declining; the simple reason is that there are no enemies.Said the gunner of the Shentong, Qian Zao Dingnan.

Thousands of people know that poverty and boredom are the enemy of sailors' morale.A lot of people are always kept like prisoners in a small boat, and if they have nothing to do, they will soon become dull.Worse, if things go on like this, there will be feuds and quarrels among them, and the spirit of cooperation will be eroded.So he used his brains to try to change this situation. As expected of being a real Japanese, Chicai came up with the idea of ​​singing and doing calisthenics together.Every afternoon, he gathered the crew on the deck and led everyone to sing songs for hours.The songs sung include battle songs, military songs, pop songs and folk songs.He changed his pattern every day, so that they would not find it boring and monotonous to sing every day.This set of practical psychological methods is very good. Everyone sang very vigorously, and sometimes they became emotional and sang the national anthem.After the song, the crew began to do exercises with high spirits and high spirits.Everyone turned left and right, leaned forward and backward, moved their muscles and bones, and exercised their muscles.

However, Qian Zhong knew that this was just a stopgap measure.If an enemy plane could be found at that time, the morale stimulation would be greater than all songs, he said, a calm sea, a peaceful atmosphere, a picturesque sky, and a comfortable and pleasant climate.This situation is not one day, but ten consecutive days, every day.Everything was going so smoothly and so well that there seemed to be no struggle, no work at all.Everything is fine.On the eve of a big battle like Midway, that doesn't sit well with us.However, everyone is full of confidence in winning and believes that they will surely add luster to the Sun Flag.On the Shentong, all the officers on board were looking forward to the good news of Nagumo's air raid on Midway.Thousands of memories said. [Note: Interview with Qian Zhong, December 15, 1964. 】Operating with the transport convoy is Rear Admiral Fujita's Seaplane Carrier Force.This unit is the old team that accompanied Tanaka's troops when they sailed from the mainland. [Note: See Chapter Seven of this book. 】According to Yamamoto's plan, this force must occupy Kure Island and establish a seaplane base there. [Note: "The Battle of Midway Island", one hundred and eighty-five | pages one hundred and eighty-six, two hundred and fifty-six. 】

Covering the advance of Tanaka's convoy was Rear Admiral Kurita's Close Support Force.Almost at the same time that the Tanaka fleet left Saipan, Kurita set off from Guam.He kept pace with the convoy about forty miles southwest of the convoy.The core of Awata's force is the Seventh Cruiser Squadron, which consists of four heavy cruisers Kumano (flagship), Suzuya, Mikuma, and Mogami. The average displacement of these huge ships is 11,200 tons. There are ten eight-inch guns, and a triple torpedo launcher above the water carries a total of twelve torpedoes.They were faster than any other ship in the Imperial Japanese Navy.Mikuma and Mogami are sister ships, and they have been inseparable since the start of this war.They sank two Allied cruisers off Batavia: the American HMS Houston and the Australian HMS Perth.Together they took part in various operations in the Kataman Islands, Burma and the Bay of Bengal.Now, they are racing together again, taking part in the riskiest military operation yet.Along with Awata are the destroyers Asashio and Arashio of the 8th Destroyer Squadron and the oil tanker Nichiei Maru. [Note: "Imperial Japanese Navy", page 154; "Battle of Midway", pages 112, 228, and 255. 】

After Nagumo's First Air Fleet sailed at sea for a day, Vice Admiral Xixuan's Northern Force also set off.On May 28, Xixuan's main force (flagship Nachi heavy cruiser, a security force composed of two destroyers, two oil tankers, and three cargo ships) left Osumato Bay in northern Honshu. The Raiders of Scara also set off on the same day.These two raiding forces included several light cruisers, two destroyer squadrons, several troop carriers, several minesweepers, and a submarine team composed of four submarines commanded by Shigeki Yamazaki who participated in the attack on Pearl Harbor.Xixuan's task was to attack Attu Island and Kiska Island, and draw the US Navy's attention from Midway to the northern theater, so that other troops could launch an attack on Midway, the main direction of attack, the next day after the battle in the north. [Note: "Battle of Midway Island", page 112; "Battle of the Coral Sea, Battle of Midway Island, and Submarine Operations", pages 169 and 173]

Rear Admiral Kakuda's Second Aircraft Carrier Assault Force, another force of the Northern Force, left Daqi Bay at noon on May 26. [Note: See the battle sequence in this book. 】It was the first of Yamamoto's attacking force to leave the mainland.It includes: the light aircraft carrier Ryujō carrying sixteen Zero fighters and twenty-one torpedo bombers, the escort aircraft carrier Hayato carrying twenty-four Zero fighters and twenty-one dive bombers, and two light cruisers A support force composed of three destroyers, and an oil tanker accompanying the aircraft carrier. The task of Kakuda's air force was to bomb Attu Island and Kiska Island before Xixuan's landing force attacked, and to attack and destroy the US surface forces who dared to show their heads in the sea.In order to assist in the completion of the mission, several experts who participated in the air raid on Pearl Harbor, such as Lieutenant Yoshio Shiga, captain of the Zero fighter on the Hayabusa, and Lieutenant Yoshiji Abe, captain of the dive bomber, were ready to give guidance to the pilots of Kakuda at any time. [Note: "Battle of Midway Island", pages 111 and 139; "Battle of the Husanne Sea, Battle of Midway Island, and Submarine Operations", page 172. 】

The Japanese naval force for the Northern Campaign also included Vice Admiral Takasu's Aleutian Security Force.This force is astonishingly large, consisting of four battleships Hyuga, Ise, Fuso, and Yamashiro, two light cruisers Oi and Kitakami, and twelve destroyers.Although these Iron Devils are the oldest generation of Japanese battleships, they are still powerful.Takasu's fleet will not leave port until May 29 (Japan time), and then go to sea with Yamamoto's main fleet. [Note: "The Battle of Midway Island", page 113. 】 On the Seto Inland Sea side, Yamamoto's headquarters is busy with preparations for going to sea the next day.Yu Yuan had his hair cut, his teeth filled, and then he packed everything up.When the preparations were complete, he felt that everything was ready and his mind was at peace, and he could only wait for tomorrow's departure.He received intelligence that at least thirteen U.S. submarines were operating near Japan and the Mariana Islands.He felt that he had to be very careful when he set off tomorrow.However, he wrote in his diary: I firmly believe that God will bless the United Fleet.We will carry out our great mission in the East with high morale and inflict heavy losses on the enemy. [Note: Ugaki's diary, May 28, 1942. 】

Sanhe is also full of confidence in victory, but is worried that there will not be enough American ships.May God help us to meet the enemy's grand fleet.It is suspected that the enemy has concentrated in waters off Australia.If this is the case, I fear we will not be able to engage in a large-scale decisive battle. [Note: Sanhe Diary, May 28, 1942. 】 At Midway on the twenty-seventh, the aircraft unloaded from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk were put into service, and their inspection lasted all day.Newcomers were also assigned to the various squadrons.Due to the shortage of officers' accommodation, McCall had to stuff them into places where they shouldn't be living, such as the new command post, the sergeant major's office, the auxiliary clinic, and the soldiers' culture and entertainment room.

McCall was relieved: Fifteen hangars with wheel tracks were nearing completion.From then until the end of the battle, he had a clear memory of his daily fuel consumption.Pan Am's oil barges are already in use, and people are busy day and night, pumping oil from the ship into the oil storage system to keep it at full capacity to ensure that the daily demand for oil is met. On the twenty-eighth, McCall's life was quite normal, except that three SB2U|3s turned ground as usual and could no longer be used. [Note: McCall's report. 】Major Warner, the liaison officer of the Army Air Corps of Midway Island, who immediately devoted himself to work as soon as he landed on the island, said that there are too many birds in the sky on the island, which may pose a threat to high-speed aircraft around noon.Fighters and dive bombers kept knocking down the birds, but they didn't appear to have done much damage to the aircraft. [Note: Werner's supplementary report on the Battle of Midway.Hereinafter referred to as Werner's report. 】

At 6:45 am on the 28th, Yorktown transferred from berth No. 16 to dry dock No. 1. [Note: Enterprise logbook, May 28, 1942. 】As soon as it stopped, a large number of electricians, assemblers, mechanics, and welders flocked to the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard. Rear Admiral William Rhea Furlong, the director of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, did his best to mobilize various mechanics to board the ship for emergency repairs.In an instant, electric welding sparks were flying everywhere on the ship, and the rattling sound of rivet guns could be heard everywhere.Due to the tight schedule, there was no time to design or scale drawings. The parts that needed to be replaced were first made of wooden templates on the ship, and quickly sent to the repair workshop for processing, and then brought back for replacement. [Note: The Battle of the Coral Sea, the Battle of Midway, and Submarine Operations, a wartime diary of the Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard, page 81. 】

While Yorktown was undergoing repairs, Spruance's Task Force XVI began to sail.8:50: The tugs began to withdraw the lightning protection net on the starboard side of the Enterprise.At about nine o'clock, the seaplane supply ship Curtis weighed anchor and sailed out of the port.Forty minutes later, the garbage barge YG17 approached the Hornet, and at 10:15 it left the ship carrying the stinking garbage.When each ship was inspecting the steering gear, measuring the draft, testing the main engine, and applying voltage to the degausser, the destroyers left the port one after another.At about 10:40, the Northampton was in front, and the cruisers left the port one after another. [Note: Hornet and Enterprise logbook, May 28, 1942. 】 At 11:10, the Enterprise started the No. 2 boiler of the main engine.All tugboats have departed and the Enterprise is underway.It constantly adjusts its course and speed according to the requirements of each section of the channel.The whole ship has entered the second-level combat readiness state.At 11:59, the black channel entrance buoy No. 1 was lit on the starboard side, and the red channel entrance No. 2 buoy was lit on the port side. One hundred and fifty-four degrees sailed [Note: Enterprise's logbook, May 28, 1942. 】 At 11:34, the Hornet lifted anchor.A navigator in port steers the ship, with the captain and pilot on the bridge.At 12:21, the port navigator handed over the ship to Captain Mark A. Mitchell.The Hornet sailed out of the port forty yards to the left of buoy number one, and immediately traveled at a speed of twenty knots along a true azimuth of one hundred and fifty degrees.During this time, the aircraft carrier took anti-torpedo measures when passing through dangerous waters. [Note: Logbook of the Hornet, May 28, 1942. 】 The two aircraft carriers, Captain Murray's Enterprise and Mitchell's Hornet, are the backbone of Spruenst's mixed fleet.The wrinkled Mitchell is short in stature but has the heart of a giant.Traveling with them was Cruiser Division II under the command of Rear Admiral Thomas C. Kincaid.The detachment consisted of USS New Orleans.Composed of the cruisers USS Minneapolis, USS Vincennes, USS Northampton, USS Pensacola, and USS Atlanta. Spruance's Destroyer Security Force (Fourth Destroyer Squadron) was commanded by Captain Alexander R. Early, with 1st Destroyer Squadron (Phelps, Warden, Monaghan, AI Irwin) and Destroyer Squadron VI (Balch, Coningham, Benham, Elliott, Maury).Among them, the Irvine and the Monaghan were attacked by the Japanese at Pearl Harbor.At that time, the former sailed out of the port under the command of a naval ensign under the rain of bullets, and the latter sank an enemy pocket submarine.For now, the Monaghan is still captained by the invulnerable Lieutenant Commander William P. Burford.Burford didn't have as much intelligence as the senior commander, but enough to give him a fairly clear idea of ​​what was going on.In addition, Spruance had a convoy of tankers consisting of the tankers Cimarron and Pratt, escorted by the destroyers Dewey and Monson. [Note: Analysis of the Battle of Midway, p. 69; interview with Burford. 】 Spruance stood on board like a sword of Toledo, straight and sharp and springy,As early as before the Middle Ages, the city was known for its superb sword making skills. 】Looking at Pearl Harbor passing behind.He had already made up his mind that no matter how attractive Wake Island was, he would never enter the seven hundred nautical miles around the island.He knew that the Japanese army had strengthened the island, so he did not intend to confront the Japanese shore-based air force. The Japanese army tried to lure it westward so that it could be surrounded and wiped out with the superior surface fleet. He would not be fooled by this. Spruance hoped to sink as many Japanese ships as possible, but he had to face up to the fact that the United States was extremely short of aircraft carriers and destroyers, and he had the responsibility to do everything possible to preserve his ships.Since the only use of an aircraft carrier is as a waterfield, it is of little use in fighting if it is too damaged to take off and land planes.In any event, Spruance was not tasked with pursuing the Japanese ship.His task was to try to keep the enemy from attacking Midway.Judging from the situation at the time, this task was enough for him to worry about.If it can be done, it will be a miracle.If you can make more achievements, it will be an extra charity of fate.Spruance wanted to change course and try his luck, but Nimitz's order echoed in his ears: You must follow the principle of not taking risks easily [Note: Interview with Spruance, 19 September 5, 1964. 】 On the same day (Hawaii time, May 28th, Japan time, 29th) at 5:00 a.m., the main force of the Midway Island attack force under the unified command of Vice Admiral Kondo began to set off from Bashirashima.The fourth destroyer squadron, consisting of the light cruiser Yuliang and seven destroyers, sailed out of the Seto Inland Sea to the Bungo Channel.Close behind came the handsome ships of the 4th and 5th Cruiser Squadrons, their tonnage and horsepower evident only by their broad wakes.Atago and Chokai are both over eleven thousand tons, and Myoko and Haguro are both over thirteen thousand tons, both of which look like small battleships.Not only did they boast high firepower (ten eight-inch guns each) and high speed (about 34 knots), but they were also specially designed to defend against submarine attacks.At the end of the fleet were the battle-tested battleships Hiei and Kirishima, the small aircraft carrier Zuiho carrying two Zero fighters and twelve torpedo bombers, and the destroyer Mikazuki. [Note: "The Battle of Midway", pages 113 and 254; "Imperial Japanese Navy", pages 148 | 151. 】 Kondo's handsome flag was flying on the Atago.Like Nagumo, Kondo knew nothing about the plan to attack Midway.After the plan is confirmed, it is given to him to see if he accepts it or not.Although he expressed concerns, mainly because he felt that the Japanese army lacked land-based aviation support, he had to accept the fait accompli. [Note: "The Battle of Midway", page 93 | page 94. 】 Just look at Kondo's photo, and one immediately recalls Hara's apt remark: Kondo is like an English gentleman.Kondo's demeanor is serene, slightly withdrawn, and well-bred. He is very calm and confident, as if the earth belongs to him, but he has a gentle temper and is easy to talk.Hara's evaluation of people has always been extraordinary. He said that Kondo is amiable and worthy of everyone's respect.However, at the same time, he believes that one of Yamamoto's shortcomings is that he often overestimates Kondo's combat capabilities.In Hara's opinion, if Kondo served as the president of the Naval Academy, maybe he could do a very good job.But as the commander of a combat force in the Navy, he was clearly incompetent. [Note: "Destroyer Captain", page 15. ] However, this time it was a coincidence that Kondo did not need to join the battle.