Anabasis of the Northern Sea

55. First Naval Battle

The summer daylight hours in the vicinity of Kamchatka are long. Though the sun does not remain visible throughout the day like during the polar day, the daylight hours around the Kamchatka Peninsula in August exceed seventeen hours. By a little past four in the morning, the sun already appears beyond the horizon, and it finally sets in the western sky around half past nine in the evening. Moreover, the high-pressure systems coming from the south are cooled by the Oyashio current, leading to frequent fog occurrences, which are characteristic of the summer season.

Nevertheless, those who had long engaged in fishing in these waters, as well as the naval personnel who had protected them from Soviet authorities, were well aware of such unique meteorological conditions in the North Pacific.

The battleship Yamato, which received news of the Soviet-Japanese War off the coast of Etorofu Island, was navigating in these waters. Immediately after the date changed from August 8th to 9th, the First and Fifth Fleets intercepted communications regarding the Japan-Soviet conflict and, after suspending their nighttime exercises, returned to Hitokappu Bay. Upon receiving refueling from oil tankers waiting in the bay, each ship under the command of Vice Admiral Kakuji Kakuta set out for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky on the Kamchatka Peninsula, intending to bombard it.

The time of the First Fleet's departure from Hitokappu Bay was at 13:00 on August 9. Already at 08:30, a telegram had been sent to the Combined Fleet Headquarters stating the intention to depart for Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky for naval bombardment.

"In the end, there was no word from the Combined Fleet Headquarters," said Chief of Staff Tomiji Koyanagi, standing on the Yamato's daytime battle bridge.

Despite the fact that the First Fleet had commenced its departure from Hitokappu Bay, there was no communication from the Combined Fleet headquarters in the Ōyodo.

"Even if they tell us to turn back now, it would be troublesome. If the Combined Fleet Headquarters isn't saying anything, then I suppose that's fine."

Seated in the commander's seat, Kakuta let out a chuckle.

"Proceeding independently is understood, but it wouldn't be acceptable for the mightiest battleship of the Imperial Navy to return to Hashirajima just like that. It could adversely affect the morale of the entire unit."

Certainly, now that war had broken out, there would be a need to return to Kure for maintenance. Moreover, caution would be required not to recklessly expose the mightiest battleship of the Imperial Japanese Navy to unnecessary danger. However, Kakuta disregarded all of that. It was only a day and night away from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, one of the Soviet Union's naval bases, and withdrawing the Yamato-class, a ship armed with the world's largest 46 cm guns, would have a negative impact on morale. Kakuta's creed of seeking decisive victories was also incompatible with the option of returning to Hashirajima.

Public inspection at sea, crackdowns on unjust fishermen in the North Pacific, and fleet exercises circling the Japanese mainland—against the Soviet Navy, which had engaged in such acts of aggression, he was determined to take revenge. Of course, for Kakuta, the decisive battle against the Soviet Pacific Fleet with the Sovetsky Soyuz as its flagship was what he desired as a gunnery expert. However, now was not the time for that.

At present, the forces under Kakuta's command included only the 1st Battleship Division (Yamato, Musashi, Shinano), the 3rd Carrier Division (Zuihō, Shōhō), the 9th Cruiser Division (Ōi, Kitakami), and the 3rd Destroyer Squadron (Sendai and twelve destroyers). If they were to face off against the Soviet fleet, it would be preferable to lead with the full might of the First Fleet rather than being without the 2nd Battleship Division (Kaga, Tosa, Nagato, Mutsu) and the 1st Destroyer Squadron (Abukuma and twelve destroyers). Moreover, there was the issue of the distance from the Chishima Islands to Vladivostok, and there was also a sense of awareness that it might be too much of a deviation. Therefore, Kakuta chose to conduct naval bombardment towards Avacha Bay, where they could deliver a significant blow to the Soviet Navy at the onset of the war and thereby ensure the safety of the Pacific route.