Anabasis of the Northern Sea

56. Flash off Kamchatka

May 11, 2200 hours. The Imperial Japanese Navy's First Fleet was navigating the waters off Kamchatka, where the sun had finally set. In the western sky, a faint hint of twilight still lingered. With this residual light at their backs, they were approaching their bombardment target, Avacha Bay.

The First Fleet had been divided into three groups: the sweep unit, tasked with eliminating any Soviet torpedo squadrons or torpedo boats that might emerge from the bay to intercept; the bombardment unit, responsible for shelling; and the escort unit, protecting the bombardment unit.

The sweep unit consisted of the flagship of the 3rd Destroyer Squadron, Sendai, along with the 19th Destroyer Division (Isonami, Uranami, Shikinami, Ayanami) and the 20th Destroyer Division (Amagiri, Yūgiri, Asagiri, Sagiri), totaling nine ships. The bombardment unit included the 1st Battleship Division (Yamato, Musashi, Shinano) and the 3rd Carrier Division (Zuihō, Shōhō), making five ships in all. The escort unit comprised the 9th Cruiser Division (Ōi, Kitakami) and the 11th Destroyer Division (Fubuki, Shirayuki, Hatsuyuki, Murakumo) as well as the 18th Destroyer Division (Kasumi, Arare, Kagerō, Shiranui), totaling ten ships.

It was considered to send Zuihō and Shōhō with a destroyer division to the rear to ensure they wouldn't get caught up in a battle with the Soviet fleet, but it was decided they would follow the 1st Battleship Division to avoid weakening the escort force protecting Yamato and the others. It was possible that Soviet submarines or torpedo boats might be lurking in the coastal waters.

"Message from the night reconnaissance plane of the 452nd Air Group. Radar has detected what appears to be an enemy fleet at the mouth of Avacha Bay."

Shortly after 23:00, this report was delivered to the Combat Information Center of the battleship Yamato. Some of the E13A floatplane reconnaissance aircraft equipped by the 452nd Air Group were outfitted with the H6 radar. These aircraft had been conducting night reconnaissance sorties from Paramushir Island, where their base was located.

"Immediately relay this information to the sweep unit."

At Kakuta's command, the communication officer picked up the wireless telephone and reported to the 3rd Destroyer Squadron flagship, Sendai. Although she might have already intercepted the message from the E13A, they needed to be thorough.

Thus, the fleet continued to approach Avacha Bay.

. . .

"Radar contact confirmed. Bearing 330 degrees, distance 26.000, speed 18 knots, estimated dozen to twelve. Presumed to be destroyers."

Meanwhile, the light cruiser Sendai, preceding Yamato, was also detecting the Soviet fleet at the mouth of Avacha Bay using her Type 2 Mark 2 radar.

Also known as the Mark 22 radar, it was developed by the Imperial Navy for surface search and was installed on most major vessels alongside the Type 3 Mark 1 radar for air surveillance as of 1944. The detection range of the radar was up to 40.000 meters for large ships and 29.000 meters for small ships. While earlier radars in the Imperial Navy used A-scopes, the Mark 22 radar displayed detection results using a more practical PPI scope.

Currently, the sweep unit was approaching Avacha Bay almost directly southward. Avacha Bay opens southeastward, with the city of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky located on the north side of the bay and the Soviet naval base on the southwest side within the bay. Furthermore, it was confirmed that there was an airfield northwest of the city, located more than forty kilometers inland from the coastline, making it impossible to bombard even with the range of the Yamato-class's 46 cm guns.