In addition to combat ships, the Yamato fleet also operated five or six supply ships carrying materials together, with the purpose of providing supplies to the Japanese troops fighting in the Philippines.
After days of fierce battle, the situation of the troops trapped in the Philippines was almost the same as that of the Japanese troops in the Irrawaddy Delta. They had long cut off supplies, and many troops were almost hungry and ate.
In fact, after all, sending the Yamato fleet to the Philippines was also gambled for luck. The US fleet did not react so quickly, and the Philippine troops could still grit their teeth and persevere in the battle.
Sending the Yamato fleet to the Philippines to weaken the combat power of the US military. As long as it can curb the decline, it is best to open the sea supply route. In that way, the Japanese army in the Philippines can continue to persist for a few months. As for what will happen in the future, it is not a good thing to say at the moment.
Fleet Commander Kazuichi Ito knew the risks and costs of this trip, but at this time there was no choice. The only force behind the navy was this super battleship.
As the fleet commander, even though he knew it was a fire pit, he had to lead his troops to jump in.
Once successful, the powerful firepower and overwhelming power on the Yamato are enough to temporarily change the regional war situation, and blocking the coastline by firepower will cause huge losses to the Marines.
Afterwards, the Yamato crew landed, sent supplies to the island, and formed the last line of defense with the ground forces to continue to fight against the surge in the US military.
It's indeed a bold plan, but the only problem is that they have to get to the Philippine coastline quickly and safely.
However, Ito Kazuki is not stupid. He asked Malaysia to concentrate all available air forces and prepare to escort the fleet at any time. If necessary, he could also follow the example of the Kamikaze Special Forces. In short, it is necessary to ensure the safety of the fleet to avoid being attacked by the enemy.
But the Japanese did not expect that their intelligence network had long become blind. The radio password that they were proud of at the beginning was eaten by the US military like a stripped naked girl, without any secrets.
The US military intelligence department deciphered the password of the Japanese Navy fleet a long time ago, intercepted a large amount of Japanese communication information, and monitored their actions by decoding radio signals.
Intelligence is the first opportunity. Almost the day before the fleet was preparing to leave the port, the United States received information about the Yamato's upcoming battle, and its target is highly likely to be the Visayas Islands of the Philippines.
The US military immediately responded, and the entire Fifth Fleet entered a state of combat and began to move closer to Malaysia. It also sent a large number of reconnaissance aircraft and submarines to patrol several important waterways, preparing to find out the exact location of the Yamato Fleet.
Japan has a characteristic of war in war, which is that it likes to bet. To summarize it in the Japanese mind, it means that it has a kind of cruelty of becoming a person without success. This bad habit has not been changed for hundreds of years.
In fact, this issue is easy to understand. Since Japan, as an island country, has limited resources and narrow-minded people's thinking, there is a kind of cruel force of despair and desperate to take all the things in thinking and handling.
For the goal that seems to be very small for outsiders, they can bet on everything and do their best to bet on the national destiny.
The Japanese love to bet is a common problem. From the earliest Sino-Japanese War, the Russo-Japanese War, and until the sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, the outbreak of the Pacific War, they did this.
But it happened unexpectedly, and it won unexpectedly, and achieved a series of victories with different opponents in different early gambling games. Japan also started with gambling and became a world power by winning wars, which made their self-confidence unprecedentedly high.
But war, the closer it is to modernity, the more elements it adds.
Such things as intelligence, economy, diplomacy, resources, etc., can affect the direction of war. It is no longer like the age of cold weapons, if you throw your arms and work hard, you can defeat the enemy.
When you meet on a narrow road, the brave will win. This sentence can be applied to some battles or small battles. Once it rises to a strategic layout, a comprehensive war between countries and systems, it will not be possible to win by just one-sided courage.
Just like Japan's sneak attack on Pearl Harbor, this is still a big bet that will weigh on the country's destiny. If it succeeds, the whole country will be jubilant, and if it fails, there is no possibility of turning around.
This is true in reality. Although Japan achieved some victories in the early stage, it was also trapped in an endless quagmire of war and went on a downhill overall.
How could modern wars be fought like this? Although Japan's naval and air force were world-class in World War II, their ideas were still before World War I.
Especially after the successful attack on Pearl Harbor and the victory of the Coral Sea Battle, the Japanese tasted the sweetness and became extremely confident. The Navy believed that they would definitely eat up all the American Pacific Fleet.
But they never thought about what to do if they fail? Even if the US military is temporarily defeated, their warships and aircraft can still be built in a very large way. The United States' industrial capacity is N times that of Japan.
At that time, Americans' national income was seven times that of Japan, steel production was five times that of Japan, coal production was seven times that of Japan, and the output of automobiles and aircraft was even more than ten times.
If someone is sunk an aircraft carrier, three will be built next month. The Japanese fleet is just a little bit of property, and the losses are hard to accept. It would be strange if one goes up and down in the long run, and it would be difficult to rub it on the ground.
You said that it’s just this industrial gap, and you go and take a gamble with others. Isn’t this your head being squeezed by the door?
So the ideas of the entire Japanese senior executives were too naive at that time. Except for a few sober and rational people such as Iris Yamamoto, all the others were a bit unrealistic.
They felt that in the early stages of the war, the US Pacific Fleet had all reached the North Atlantic, and it would be impossible to counterattack the Japanese army in the short term.
That's why the Japanese army wanted to deal with the Americans in the Pacific as soon as possible, and then force the Americans to the negotiating table, quickly end the war with the United States, and then obtain the benefits they want.
Because they can no longer afford to consume it, this war can no longer be fought. The fierce battles of several years have made the country and the people unable to afford this massive amount of consumption. And it is also because of this mentality that they continue to take risks and ultimately laid the groundwork for their failures.
It’s a pity that the United States is not China, which has been weak for a long time and has not been unified, nor is it the Soviet Union, which has insufficient troops in Siberia. It is a war machine with several war money and extremely terrifying industrial strength.
As a result, no accidental slap in the face, especially after several decisive battles such as the Battle of Midway and the Battle of Wright Bay, the Japanese Navy suffered almost devastating blows, and the army stationed at various important islands also suffered heavy casualties, and the overall situation was in a passive situation.
This time, the Japanese chose to take a gamble again. The Yamato fleet's advance did not consider the way out, and even the reconnaissance operations that should be held were just hastily.
Chapter completed!