Survive as a World War II Soldier - Chapter 121



Only Noblemtl

##121

In the original history of Pearl Harbor, it took about two years for the U.S. Navy’s Pacific Fleet to regain its former glory.

There was a reason why such time was needed.

The first was that Europe took priority over the Pacific front.

It is no different now.

“Why don’t you give us something like a Mustang?”

“Does it make sense that those who are sent to Britain or the Soviet Union are given priority over us?”

The second was that building warships, the core of the navy, was more complex and took longer than building tanks or aircraft.

Aircraft tanks were about the same size at best. But large ships were a completely different matter in terms of size, and to build large ships, shipyards had to be large as well.

Of course, it was bound to take a long time.

Moreover, in Pearl Harbor, it was possible to salvage sunken ships and recycle them, but now it is impossible.

Of course, in my opinion, it seems better to just pick a new guy from the beginning, but according to my brother…

“A new ship is good. But a new ship means that the operating methods are different.”

“It’s a warship anyway, and it’s big, but isn’t it a little different?”

“no.”

“Oh. Okay.”

Well, that’s true.

I returned to the mainland for a while and had to listen to my brother’s complaints for quite a while, saying he was going crazy.

However, the problems the Navy faced were all minor.

“Damn. Those kids are all fucking retards.”

“Isn’t that how it was originally? Our kids have always been retarded?”

“No. Do you know how elite those guys were in West Virginia?”

“I don’t know.”

“Oh my goodness. Those damn dogs.”

“Why are you being so strict? Did I kill all those elites?”

“Fuck. Fucking Kimmel.”

The Navy was suffering from a manpower shortage more severe than ever before, thanks to the decimation of the elite sailors who had supported the Pacific Fleet in previous years.

And the 20th century was the last time that manpower could outsmart technology, that is, that skilled humans were better than unstable new technologies.

For that reason, the Pacific Fleet had the Iowa-class battleships, which were superior to the South Dakota-class, but they were not able to utilize their capabilities to 100%.

The battleship was a little better though.

To be honest, that big ship wouldn’t be controlled by just one or two people.

But aircraft carriers were a little different.

The key to the current Pacific theater was air supremacy.

And King, the new Chief of Naval Operations, knew that better than anyone.

“We need aircraft carriers more than battleships.”

“I agree. Securing air superiority is important in naval battles as well.”

King, who got rid of all the fools who shouted for battleships while carrying big guns on their chests, ordered the construction of aircraft carriers before battleships.

However, unlike battleships that had already been under construction, aircraft carriers had to be headed to the bare bottom, which naturally took a lot of time.

“It takes a long time to produce an Essex-class?”

“Yes, I guess···.”

“Then let’s convert a light cruiser into a light carrier.”

But what if you take a picture of an aircraft carrier?

The most important thing is the state of the Naval Air Force.

To be honest, the biggest reason Luzon has been able to survive until now is none other than the right to provide.

In this regard, the Navy focused on the excellence of the aircraft and the skills of the pilots in Luzon.

“These guys are really picky about aircraft performance even though they don’t have anything.”

“Oh, aren’t they the ones who say that if the takeoff and landing distance is long, they just need to extend the runway?”

“If we can ride something as powerful as a dog, we can do that too.”

“And among those there, there are so many who have been to Spain.”

“I heard that most Koreans were the ones who fought against the Japanese in China?”

“That’s probably because they already have a lot of experience, unlike us who are experiencing it for the first time.”

I thought that although the Japanese were not good at building ships, they were definitely inferior in complex aircraft, and that was definitely why they were not able to fight properly.

But after the battle in Guam, that judgment was quickly discarded.

“It has better maneuverability and turning ability than I expected.”

“The cruising range in particular is no joke.”

“The Jabs must have developed a 2,000 horsepower engine.”

“Yes, if not, how could you make such an aircraft?”

Japan’s Zero fighter boasted shocking performance.

The Japanese pilots’ skills there were also considerable.

The way the Navy chose to solve this problem was to improve aircraft performance.

Because it was impossible to train excellent pilots in a short period of time.

“We need to create a carrier-based aircraft that can surpass the Zero fighter, or even surpass the pilot’s skills.”

“So, can we also use a Mustang?”

Unfortunately, however, the Navy failed to adopt the Mustang as a carrier-based aircraft.

“It’s not that we don’t want to give it to you.”

The problem was not only the supply shortage, but also a defect in the aircraft itself.

The Mustang, used by the Army Air Corps and the Royal Air Force, still had some unresolved problems, one of which was instability in low-speed flight.

This led to frequent accidents due to stalling during takeoff and landing.

“It is not suitable for use as a carrier-based aircraft because of its unstable takeoff and landing.”

“Fuck. Then we can just solve it.”

However, contrary to the Navy’s wishes, the Mustang’s defects showed no signs of being easily resolved.

Compared to Japan, the aircraft are of poor quality and the pilots are also of poor quality.

“I’m making a fuss, thinking I’m going to die.”

“Really? That’s funny.”

Mitchell snorted at my words.

And looking at Mitchell like that, I just shrugged my shoulders. Because I knew full well that Mitchell was like an admiral to the Navy.

But he was equally worried, considering that cooperation with the Navy was necessary to resolve the Pacific front.

“But when you think of Luzon, don’t you think the seals should do something good?”

“That’s why it’s funny. I admit that it’s because the pilots’ skills are lacking. But the excuse about the aircraft is ridiculous. Our kids in Luzon, what, are they driving Mustangs or something?”

“No, that’s not true. But those people there are very experienced.”

“Those guys who have been to Spain? There are some Koreans who have gained experience in China. But do you really think that’s all there is to it?”

“Isn’t it?”

“There are tactics for infantry, armor, and even fleet battles fought by the navy, so why do you think there aren’t any for the air?”

“!”

There’s no way those seals would come running over with their eyebrows raised after receiving a call from me telling them that Mitchell had a solution to their problems.

Although they were not as enemies as Japan, the US Navy and Army were also on good terms. No, to be precise, they were rivals fighting over a limited budget.

Of course, their relationship was not very good, and there were some who hated each other extremely.

Just like Mitchell. In fact, Mitchell and the Navy were practically enemies.

Why wouldn’t it be so?

Since the end of World War I, Mitchell had been constantly attacking the Navy.

And what was even more disturbing was that most of the attacks were successful.

Of course, the Navy ended up winning, but in the process, the Navy suffered countless blows to its pride.

Moreover, Mitchell used to throw the results of his genius to the Navy as if it were a charity···.

“Come to think of it, it was thanks to me that the aircraft carrier was able to operate smoothly?”

That’s why the Navy leadership disliked Mitchell even more.

And, unbeknownst to me, the Navy had already figured out that the Army Air Forces in Mitchell and Luzon and the Philippine Air Force had a plan to deal with the Zero.

“We’re not stupid. If we analyze the situation in Luzon, it will come out right away.”

“Oh, okay.”

“You didn’t know?”

“···”

And the Navy was trying to find out through other routes.

“How about finding out through Lieutenant General Arnold?”

“I don’t know. The Philippines side said that they were never involved, and that the personnel dispatched there before the war have not yet returned home.”

“Hey, isn’t there anyone who participated in Doolittle or the Special Forces?”

“I heard you went to Europe.”

But all failed.

In the end, only Mitchell was left, and Arthur III made his decision.

“I’ll go. That’s why you put me in this seat.”

So the four of us gathered at our house: me, Mitchell, Arthur III, and King.

But where was Mitchell ever a meek person?

“So you think your air force is a cripple? That’s just how it was.”

Mitchell’s response to Arthur III’s request for help was curt.

“I found out that the Army Air Force and the Philippine Air Force in Luzon Island have a huge battle cost with the JAPs. What is their secret?”

King, who was sitting next to Mitchell, jumped up and grumbled as he continued to grumble about why he had to tell those seals about that.

“Okay. I don’t need it so I’ll get up now.”

“Sit down.”

“Senior.”

“I told you to sit down. You said you were going to beat up those Japs? You said you were going to catch those bastards, beat them up, and make the Pacific our sea?”

“but···.”

Arthur III, who had subdued the sullen king with a single glance, turned his head towards Mitchell.

“Please, our Navy needs your help, Admiral Mitchell, to drive those Japs out of the Pacific.”

Even I was surprised by Arthur III’s polite and repetitive request.

In fact, Mitchell’s attitude was as expected.

I was going to tell him the secret, but I knew he would be quite angry, trying to get his feelings of betrayal from the Naval Air Force off his chest long ago.

Still, the fact that he left without saying no to my suggestion to have dinner with his brother and the King meant that he intended to tell the Navy about the tactic he was talking about.

No, to be exact, he must have been thoroughly controlling the mouths of the Air Force guys, just as he had done to me while teaching tactics to the Navy, in order to vent his anger a little.

But I never expected my brother to have such an attitude.

Isn’t he the guy who is called one of the two biggest thugs in the Navy along with King?

I thought that when Mitchell loses his temper, he won’t be able to stand it, and that I should step in and create a good atmosphere when that happens…

“Not fun.”

Arthur III snickered in response to Mitchell’s muttering.

“Really? Because that’s where the seat is. That bastard Doug said, if you sit high up in the sky with the stars, you should act accordingly.”

“Fuck. So what do you want me to know?”

“Marshal said there are tactics used by the Luzon Air Force and the Philippine Air Force. Is that correct?”

Mitchell nodded and opened his mouth.

“That’s right. First of all, the carrier-based aircraft currently used by the Naval Air Force. That’s not bad either.”

King and Arthur III’s eyes widened at Mitchell’s words that even a Wildcat would be enough to catch a Zero.

“It would be nice if it were faster and had better turning ability, but that’s not possible right now.”

“That’s true.”

“The Zero-sen has a long flight time and good turning ability. However, it also has a clear weakness. These guys are just pieces of paper. If you hit them with just one good shot, they’ll crash right away.”

“But isn’t the problem that it’s hard to hit that one shot?”

The current air warfare was a circular maneuver. The basic tactic was to circle the air, catch the enemy aircraft’s tail, and shoot it from behind with a machine gun to bring it down.

“That’s right. If it’s one-on-one, it’s over the moment you get caught. But Wildcat is strong. It’s not like it’ll go down no matter how many times it gets hit. And···”

King and Arthur III’s eyes widened when they heard that, unlike the Wildcat, which was capable of diving, the Zero fighter was unable to dive.

Looking at the two, Mitchell got up, cleared away the things on the desk, picked up a few pieces of paper, and crumpled them into a ball.

“Okay, here, the Zero-sen is behind the Wildcat. What if another Wildcat shows up from this side?”

“But to do that, don’t you need to have a numerical advantage?”

Mitchell shook his head at King’s question.

“The overall numbers aren’t important. All you need to do is gain the upper hand at each moment during the battle.”

“but···.”

Mitchell chuckled at Arthur III’s question about whether or not they would use the Zero fighter since they were cooperating via radio.

“Yeah. I won’t. No, I can’t. I have a walkie-talkie, but its performance is poor and, above all, it can’t dive.”

“yes?”

Mitchell laughed out loud as he watched the two of them wide-eyed at the unexpected information.

The Zero fighter was the first to eliminate bulletproof armor and automatic seals for the pilot in an attempt to reduce weight, and even had holes drilled into its frame.

That’s why you can’t even dream of doing a steep dive, which puts a lot of load on the aircraft.

“Because of its unreasonable speed and range, people mistake it for a formidable aircraft, but no. If you exploit its weaknesses, you can easily deal with it even as a Wildcat.”

“This content is also included in the Air Force…”

When Arthur III asked if he could explain, Mitchell shook his head and said,

“I’ll just go and train you for a few days. It’s better to learn it through experience than to just hear about it.”

“thank you.”

At Arthur III’s polite tone until the end, Mitchell also straightened his clothes and sat up straight.

“No. Shouldn’t we quickly beat up those Japs? Whether they’re seals or us, aren’t we all proud soldiers of the United States? Oh, but can’t we just talk freely? Huh? You sure didn’t speak like that the last time I saw you.”

Mitchell’s last words caused a snicker to escape King’s lips.

That evening, the four of us got very drunk for the first time in a long time.

“Kill jabs, kill jabs. Kill more jabs!”

“Kill jabs, kill jabs. Kill more jabs!”

“Kill jabs, kill jabs. Kill more jabs!”

I also saw a scene where Anna got drunk and started yelling and then got angry after running after her.

And Mitchell Wiebe, who was trained in the Naval Air Corps, became a standard among US Navy pilots and a terror to the Japs.

Intelligence was received by the US Navy, which was preparing to attack the Japs in the Pacific.

“Port Moresby···.”

“Isn’t it better?”

“Yes. If we can break their advance at Port Moresby, it will help us in our efforts to take Guam or Wake Island.”

“How about we try actively utilizing aircraft carriers this time?”

“I said this to check the capabilities of our naval aviation force.”

His faith was rewarded.