Ugaki looked at Yamamoto, somewhat stunned by what this man had said. He was privy to details of the operation that were closely guarded secrets. Inoue had only just been selected the previous night by Yamamoto to lead the invasion force and assume overall command. How could this man know that? Somewhat frustrated, he decided to let him speak further, inwardly hoping he would ramble off in error, and subject himself to a stern rebuke.
Yamamoto knew what his surly Chief of Staff was up to here, attempting to discredit these men by prodding them to speak of these otherwise secret plans. Yet it seemed his ploy was back firing on him, and he said nothing, waiting calmly as Fukada continued.
“The other plan to take Tulagi succeeded at first, a survey was also made of the north coast of Guadalcanal to look for suitable sites for an airstrip. One was started near the mouth of the Lunga River, and it became the focal point of a battle for that island that lasted nearly a year, and eventually ended with our shameful defeat and subsequent withdrawal. From that moment on, the enemy was on the offensive. We never recovered, and this was largely because of the disaster at Midway that I spoke of earlier.”
Chapter 9
There was a heavy silence for a moment, and Harada shifted uncomfortably. “We have no way of knowing whether these events will repeat themselves,” he said, giving Fukada a quick admonishing glance. It was clear to him that his first officer had an agenda here. He now saw Yamamoto nod his head, a sober expression on his face.
“Your information is very accurate,” he said. “I do not even think the Kempetai could have uncovered some of the details you just related, at least not for another week or two. Those were the officers selected by Admiral Ugaki and I only last night, and we have not disclosed this information to anyone else. Now you sit here and recite all this chapter and verse, as if it has already occurred.”
“For us,” said Harada, “it has occurred. It is part of the history I showed you in our library. While things we have seen here are remarkably divergent, such as all this concern over Siberia, it seems some bells ring true, no matter when they are sounded.”
“Then you are telling us all these plans will fail?”
“Possibly,” said Fukada. “Knowing the outcomes, and why they failed, should allow us to prevent that. First off, no orders should be transmitted using the existing naval code until it has been updated. Secondly, if adequate carrier forces are assigned, I see no reason why the Port Moresby operation should fail, and more force at the outset sent to Guadalcanal could prevent the counterblow planned by the enemy. That island was the objective of the first American offensive of the war.”
“Not the New Hebrides?” said Ugaki. “Not New Caledonia? How could they leave those territories on their flank? Are you saying they bypassed those islands in favor of this attack into the Solomons?”
“Not exactly sir,” said Fukada. “No. The Americans already controlled the New Hebrides in the history we know. We never had any troops on New Caledonia, and in fact, they made Noumea their major support base for the Solomons operation at Guadalcanal. But things are quite different this time around. If we have strong forces on New Caledonia, that may be their first objective.”
“Then this is something you do not yet know?”
“It never happened in our history.”
“Yet you say the Americans are reading our JN-25 Naval code. Can you read theirs?”
“That may be possible.” Fukada looked at Harada now, a question in his eyes. “Perhaps our Ensign Shiota might manage that sir.”
“Perhaps,” said Harada, wishing his XO would lighten up here. “Assuming her Captain orders that.”
Ugaki smiled, pointing a finger back and forth at the two men. “These two do not quite see eye to eye on all of this, Admiral Yamamoto. Like two rats in the same maze, this one wants to gnaw his way through the walls to get at the cheese, while the Captain here prefers to sniff out every possibility before he commits himself.”
“A wise precaution,” said Yamamoto. “Isn’t that the point of the Lieutenant Commander’s warning here? Things must be well considered, and not pursued rashly or without adequate force or preparation. And yet, that said, we must act, and soon. There is one other plan we have not yet discussed. Perhaps you will know of it as well. We call it Operation FS.” Yamamoto looked at Fukada again.
“Ah,” said Fukada. “The Fiji Samoa operation. Yes, under the present circumstances, with our forces already on New Caledonia, a bold move now could fatally compromise American plans. I cannot give you details of this operation as I could with the Moresby plan, because it was cancelled in the history I know.”
“Cancelled?”
“Yes sir, the losses we sustained at Midway made that almost impossible. It never occurred.”
“I see… Well it may interest you both to know that I am issuing operational order 626 this very day, though not before we introduce a new coding system. In it, I will formally cancel the planned operation against Midway, and instead make those forces available to support Operation FS.” He said nothing more, waiting to see how these men would react.
“That is very wise sir,” said Fukada. “While Midway was a battle that we also should have easily won, the Americans again had the benefit of knowing our plans in advance. They have broken the naval code, and your order to reverse this setback is most welcome.”
“What are your thoughts concerning such a plan?” asked Yamamoto.
“Well sir, we know the Army’s view was that after the conclusion of Phase I operations, positions should be secured for a defensive front, and troops repatriated for operations in the north. The Navy, however, was not content to stand on defense, but sought some decisive engagement ground with the enemy, preferably within our sphere of influence. That Midway was selected was regrettable, as it was not in our sphere of influence at that time, and saw our fleet dispersed in a very complex operation far from any supporting bases or land based airfields. Your Operation FS is something altogether different. Beyond merely seeking decisive engagement with the enemy, it also has a broader strategic aim, that being the isolation of Australia as a base from which the enemy can mount offensives of their own. These are the crucial early months to accomplish that task, before the buildup of strong enemy forces in Australia. We already have the New Hebrides, which is a major strategic advantage that cannot be underestimated. Now is the time to link our position in the Northern Solomons to forces in the New Hebrides, and to strengthen those forces as far as possible.”