In February 1932, as the promotion to Marshal Admiral awaited, Prince Fushimi, who had assumed the position of Chief of the Navy General Staff, summoned Vice Admiral Takahashi as the Deputy Chief of the Navy General Staff.
He appointed Takahashi as his right-hand man, recognizing Takahashi's shift from the doctrine of big gun battleships to the doctrine of air power, especially when Takahashi assumed command of the 1st Carrier Division. Furthermore, Prince Fushimi was aware of Takahashi's longstanding intention to strengthen the authority of the Navy General Staff.
Under Prince Fushimi's directive, Vice Admiral Takahashi negotiated with officials from the Navy Ministry, successfully wresting control of the determination of military strength from the ministry. By this time, Prince Fushimi had already been promoted to Marshal Admiral, and his title had changed from Chief of the Navy General Staff to Chief of the General Staff, solidifying his power.
Prince Fushimi's first priority was intervention in the planning of the new shipbuilding project, the Circle 1 Plan. This plan envisioned the construction of four aircraft carriers, but some factions, mainly gunnery and torpedo advocates, proposed reducing the number of carriers and instead developing 8.500-ton light cruisers. However, for Prince Fushimi, a proponent of air power, this proposal was unacceptable. Despite the clear evidence that surface vessels were no match for aircraft, the proposal insisted on building six of them.
Even as the Imperial Japanese Navy was transitioning from big gun battleship doctrine to air power doctrine, gunnery and torpedo advocates still held significant influence. This influence became evident in the Circle 1 Plan. The budget allocated for the aviation units in the Circle 1 Plan was only slightly more than 15% of the total, less than the cost of two cruisers. With such a budget, it was impossible to create a formidable naval aviation force.
Therefore, Prince Fushimi significantly modified the Circle 1 Plan, preserving the construction of four 16.800-ton aircraft carriers while completely rejecting the 8.500-ton light cruisers. A single 8.500-ton light cruiser cost nearly 2,5 million yen, an exorbitant amount that could instead procure a substantial number of aircraft. Moreover, many in the shipbuilding industry, grappling with a shortage of manpower and facilities due to the post-Circle 1 Plan construction rush, welcomed the decision to forgo building 8.500-ton light cruisers.
On the other hand, this turmoil had repercussions on the United States' war preparations. Due to a misunderstanding, the US Navy believed that the Japanese Navy would construct the 8.500-ton light cruisers. In response, the US Navy embarked on the construction of large light cruisers equipped with fifteen 15,2 cm guns as a countermeasure.
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At the point when the Circle 1 Plan was on track, there were tasks that needed to be accomplished by Prince Fushimi. Those obstructing the transition from battleship-centered doctrine to air power should be placed in the reserves and then expelled from the Navy.
The list of such individuals has already been handed over to Navy Minister Mineo Ōsumi with clear instructions. Men like Admiral Katō and Vice Admiral Suetsugu, who opposed the scrapping of the Fusō and Ise class battleships during the London Naval Conference, and the stubborn gunnery and torpedo proponents persisting in the foolish gradual intercept strategy. He had to sweep away these hindrances, and let aviators, including himself and Vice Admiral Takahashi, take control of the Navy. Otherwise, there is no future for the Imperial Navy or Japan.
In the future, he will strengthen that foundation even further and entrust the role of enlightening the younger generation with the burden a few years later. As a successor candidate, Rear Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, who foresaw the Navy transitioning to air power from an early stage, seemed promising.
Thinking about such matters, Prince Fushimi called his aide and instructed him to prepare the car. He intended to urge and push the unfortunate Minister Ōsumi, who was caught in a dilemma due to various influences, to expedite the completion and issuance of retaliatory personnel changes.
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Aviation-Centric Combined Fleet
Historical Fiction「It is no longer the era of battleships. From now on, airplanes are the mainstay of the Navy.」 Which one is it? The doctrine of big ships and big guns or perhaps air power? The power struggle within the Navy, however, takes an unexpected turn. Due t...
