“The Army knows nothing of this either sir,” the Captain said at last. “No, this was not a development having anything to do with inter-service rivalry. Takami was commissioned into the Japanese Navy, but at a time and place unknown to you. The officers and crew aboard were all specially selected and trained.” Again, this was all true.
Yamamoto thought for a moment. This very ship, the Yamato, had been built under the highest level of secrecy. The shipyards and slipways were well screened from outside eyes; the workforce isolated and forced to live within a carefully watched construction zone. In spite of that, Yamamoto could not believe the ships were unknown to their enemies, even when they were under construction. It was simply impossible to hide a ship of such size and imposing power. And yet this Takami was something else entirely, a wolf in sheep’s clothing. It had but one small deck gun, and a launch deck for that interesting aircraft, also a nice little secret that astounded him when he saw the craft up close. Yet otherwise, that ship looked quite harmless, almost like a fleet tender or auxiliary. Something like that could have been easily built in secrecy, right under the noses of navy brass, who would scarcely give it a second thought.
“Then these weapons are prototypes? Is that why you were sent here to make this demonstration?”
“Sir, the weapons are well beyond prototypes. They are fully functional, and not merely test models.”
Yamamoto raised an eyebrow at that. He had been appointed head of technical development in Naval Aeronautics late in 1935, and the thought that a project such as this should have escaped his notice was most disturbing. He had always been a strong proponent of air power, and even openly voiced opposition to the building of ships like Yamato, even before the efficacy and effectiveness of Naval air power had been proven. He had been behind the development of Japan’s cutting edge Naval Aviation arm, and also planes like the Type 96 land based long range bomber, seeing in that range a powerful means of striking their principle enemy, the American Navy. Now, this very hour, he had witnessed the unveiling of a weapon that could render that air power absolutely useless.
“Why am I being informed now?”
“Because we believed that the existence of Takami would inevitably become known to you, in spite of every effort to maintain secrecy. You were the one man in the fleet we believed in, and one we thought would well consider what we will now propose.”
“When you say ‘we,’ who do you refer to?” asked Ugaki, still suspicious. “Some group within the government?”
Both Yamamoto and Ugaki knew there were many such factions within the government and in both services as well. There were those that favored one strategy or political alignment over another, and they often worked at cross purposes, battling each other for ascendancy.
“It would be wise for me to say that this comes from an authority that would best remain undisclosed.”
“What? More obfuscation?” Ugaki did not look happy with that.
“Respectfully, this course is best for the moment. Yet you have not heard our proposal.”
“Very well,” said Yamamoto. “I remain very uncomfortable with splinter groups operating in secrecy outside the normal channels of government. It was that sort of mentality that led to the unfortunate incident of February 26th. That said, I will at least hear what you have to say, as it is clear that this little incident has been very carefully arranged.”
“Sir,” Harada began, “the weapon we just demonstrated is very powerful. In sufficient numbers, it can be decisive. That ship, Takami, is at this moment capable of standing off and receiving an attack by three enemy carriers, alone, and completely defeating it, shooting down any plane that comes within range of our missiles. Beyond that, we have other weapons that can also be used against those same carriers, striking them at ranges well over the horizon, and either sinking them, or destroying their capacity to function as a viable ship in further combat.”
As he listened to this, Yamamoto recalled the meeting in Tokyo he had with Admiral Nagumo, when he reported on the incident in the North Pacific that had resulted in the loss of Hiryu. He could hear his own voice as he briefed Nagumo… “I trust you have also read the intelligence reports. We believe this is the same ship that has confounded the Germans in the Atlantic—the one that also sank their aircraft carrier. It has a rocket weapon of great range and accuracy.”
“I have seen it with my own eyes,” said Nagumo, “but I would not have believed it possible had that not been the case. Reading reports and listening to rumors is one thing, watching that weapon strike our ships quite another. I can understand why the lower ranks now whisper of Raiju and Mizuchi. The weapon is deadly, and terribly accurate. It must be piloted to strike us with such unfailing accuracy, and its speed was beyond belief. The gunners could not even take aim before it danced away, with maneuvers that would be impossible for any plane we have. Akagi was lucky that none of her planes were armed and fueled when the first attack came in. Hiryu was not so fortunate.”
And now I have also seen such a weapon with my own eyes, thought Yamamoto. We have suspected the Soviets had such weapons, and gave them to the Siberians, yet we never fully appreciated the danger. Hiryu, Mutsu and Chikuma were the result, and so this is an error I cannot make again.
“Go on,” he said, waiting quietly.
“Admiral sir, we have other capabilities that can prove decisive in any engagement, even if we were never to fire a single rocket. Lieutenant Commander Fukada spoke earlier of our new advanced radar. The range and accuracy of those systems are beyond anything you might expect, or even believe, but I can show you how this works at sea. We can stand off and use that aircraft, which we call a helicopter, to easily detect another enemy fleet. Beyond that, the equipment we have to listen for enemy submarines is so sensitive that it could hear that enemy fleet hundreds of miles away. We call this situational awareness. One cannot strike an enemy he does not know is there, but with our ship, no Japanese fleet could be approached or attacked without our knowledge of the enemy’s presence. And sir, what can be seen first at sea, can be attacked and destroyed first. This is a tenet of warfare that you will certainly appreciate.”
“I see… Then what is it you propose?”
“First off, I would like to invite you, and also Admiral Ugaki here, to come aboard Takami, and see the equipment I am speaking of first hand—all of it, the advanced radars, undersea listening systems, and the naval rockets. I would like to go to sea with you, and if necessary, demonstrate that everything I am saying here is true, and nothing has been exaggerated. Then, after you have had time to fully appreciate what this ship is, and what it can do, I would like to discuss how it might be used to bring this war to a speedy conclusion. For I believe that your own assessment of the situation, while it may seem very optimistic now, will soon bow to the reality that Japan is now facing a most dangerous and determined enemy. Without Takami, and the secrets beneath its deck, this war will likely look quite different a year from now. In the interest of our nation—its very survival as you now know it—I beg you to consider this proposal, which I will clarify further after you have both inspected my ship.”
Yamato smiled. He could sense a real determination in this man, and his confederate. A moment ago he was threatening their execution as spies, and now here they sit inviting me to tea on this unexpected addition to our fleet, and making proposals to end the war! My, how they wake from death and return to life.