Aviation-Centric Combined Fleet

AVIATION-CENTRIC DOCTRINE | Chapter 1

Sorrowful Passenger

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"I heard that sonofabitch Yumeno broke up again?"

Confirming that there was no one around, the officer on the other side nodded with a wry smile in response to the sympathetic voice of the colleague who turned the conversation towards him.

"You and your sharp ears, man. That's right. Unfortunately, the blind date failed once again. This time, it seems the girl is a damn beauty, and Yumeno was more determined than ever, but..."

"Is the reason the same as usual?"

"Yeah. Initially, the other side seemed enthusiastic when they found out Yumeno was an officer. However, as soon as they heard he was a fighter pilot, they flatly said, 'Please spare me from having a pilot as a son-in-law,' or something like that."

The officer on the receiving end of the inquiry wore a self-deprecating or resigned expression, prompting the questioning colleague to wear a somber look as well.

"It's tough for us too when we hear that. After all, among the Imperial Navy, the rate of widows produced by fighter pilots is by far the highest. Kagami-san and Urashima-san from Yokosuka, then Nishiyama and Kanzaki, all died during experimental flight accidents. Well, Nishiyama and Kanzaki went to Yasukuni single, though."

"Well, not only in flight tests but also in training, planes are crashing left and right, and it's infamous among the public. And not just in the Navy, it seems the Army's fighter pilots are in a similar situation. They say there are just as many widows over there."

"We can't complain too much because we like to fly too, but it's sad to think about, isn't it?"

"Both locals and the Navy mocked us as falling bugs. Still, it is clear that without airplanes, we will not be able to fight on the sea or on land in the future. If bombs and bullets rain down from above, both warships and infantry will be immobilized, that's only natural."

"But our oh-so-great leaders in the Imperial Navy don't seem to understand that at all. Especially the gunners are the worst. They keep saying airplanes can't sink battleships, like fools repeating the same thing, but they don't understand anything. Both battleships and airplanes are nothing more than means of transporting bullets and bombs to the enemy. Can't they even imagine what would happen if airplanes equipped with bombs or torpedoes capable of destroying battleships were deployed? To begin with, they are cowards who can't fight unless they are surrounded by thick armor, and if anything, they look down on people who advocate for torpedoes and airplanes. They are so arrogant that the day when battleships will be defeated in front of airplanes is just around the corner."

The officer called attention to his colleague's words, which could be taken as criticism of the higher-ups in a sense, even if they were justified.

"I get your feelings, but don't speak ill of the gunners too much. It will only cause trouble if you make enemies of the largest faction. In any case, someone has to do this dangerous job. In the near future, naval battles won't be limited to exchanges between surface striking ships; we'll have to fight enemies in the sea and sky. Looking at the extraordinary evolution of submarines and airplanes, it's already clear. That's why we pledged to sacrifice ourselves in the dangerous skies for the development of naval aviation. Certainly, the current airplanes may be bugs, as the gunners say. But that era will end soon. The bugs will become hawks, eagles, and then dragons."

"You're right. The latest Type 13 carrier attack bomber can carry torpedoes capable of blasting a big hole in the side of a battleship. If we can deploy a large number of these, battleships should be easily sunk. In fact, airplanes have probably become as powerful as hawks or eagles already, haven't they?"

"Maybe so. Well, in any case, the era is changing from Taishō to Shōwa. Without a doubt, we airplane pilots will support the Imperial Navy of that Shōwa era. To say more, the rise and fall of the Empire may very well depend on us airplane pilots. However, even if we say such things, we're just junior officers, and we'll be dismissed as presumptuous."

It seemed the break time was over. From the trivial conversation about a failed engagement, the discussion unexpectedly swelled into a conversation about the defense of the Empire. The two officers cut off the conversation and left.

A naval admiral watched their backs as they departed. He had no intention of eavesdropping on the conversation between the two young men, but since it was awkward to call out to them, he unintentionally ended up listening. However, unexpectedly seizing an interesting topic, the naval admiral chuckled to himself.

"It looks like I've found a good way to pass the time."