Operation FS: Japan's Final Strike
- Thread starter BiteNibbleChomp
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If it was a Nambu, it can happen with maximal maintenance.
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They care about the war effort. They just think that they can do it better than the guys already there.
"It was that dead guy's fault! That's why we had to off him!"
Perhaps not that extreme - this incident is more the work of a (admittedly large) group of officers than the Army as a whole. They could still run out of grudges before running out of officers to shoot.
The assassins hid the body, so only a few folks actually know that he was shot (Tojo, one of few outside the assassin faction, is still trying to play the diplomatic card for fear of becoming a target himself). Most people would believe that he had a heart attack or something, which certainly can happen without warning.
(As for the scandal, enough top brass within the Army support the assassins that they don't really care what anyone else thinks. They're the ones with guns after all).
I heard he was looking down the barrel, wanted to see what was inside. Might have been quite interesting if it didn't fly out and hit his brain instead.
- BNC
If they kill Yamamoto, it means the IJA have shot the whole of Japan in the collective foot. And knee.
They'd still have Nagumo. Speaking of which, where is he, anyway?
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Those two and Yamaguchi are spending most of their time on the Musashi these days, which is currently sitting in Tokyo Bay
- BNC
Hey, at least it's not going out and wasting fuel. Or getting attacked by submarines. I've yet to see them justify their existence even in an alternate timeline.
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Hopefully the Musashi has shrapnel loads ready for its secondary armament ready to repel assaults by the IJA. As well as a battalion of IJN Marines manning defences dockside
And a fireplan for the18" guns to range on IJA barracks and airfields within range.
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The brewing civil war between the army and the navy is utterly fascinating . But I do hope it doesn't escalate too much, or if it does it is won quite quickly by the IJN. Because I am QUITE curious what the campaigns of 1944 look like with the IJN still a somewhat capable fighting force, instead of being a navy-shaped empty husk like it was OTL after Midway and the Solomon campaign.
By the way, is Yamamoto still sticking to OTL damage control doctrine?
By the way, is Yamamoto still sticking to OTL damage control doctrine?
XLVII: Bloodshed (8/43)
XLVII: Bloodshed, August 1943
The theatre performance had a mere half hour left to run when Grand Admiral Yamamoto was tapped on the shoulder.
“Sir, my deepest apologies for disturbing your show, sir,” a young Navy lieutenant whispered, careful to avoid disturbing the rest of the crowd. “Admiral Yamaguchi has heard rumours of an Army conspiracy against you, and strongly recommends you return to the ship at once, sir.”
The lieutenant produced a folded piece of paper, signed by Yamaguchi, to that effect. Yamamoto read over it quickly and sighed. Two weeks ago the Army had killed Admiral Nagano, and since then a faction of high-ranking generals had been interfering in affairs normally considered a Navy concern. After three decisive victories over the Americans, at Pearl Harbour, Fiji and the South Pacific, Yamamoto had thought that the backlash sure to follow his death would be enough to deter even the most hardened plotter. Since the dispute with the Army flared up however, an attempt on his life didn’t seem so unreasonable after all. That’s why six Navy men were in nearby seats, acting as guards.
“Very well, lieutenant, I’ll come. Use the nearest exit.” Yamamoto said. He signalled the nearest guard to leave with him, but too many people leaving at once could draw unwanted attention.
The rain outside would normally be considered a nuisance, but tonight the grand admiral was glad for it. If assassins roamed the streets, he would be much harder to spot than on a clear night. The Musashi was less than fifteen minutes away by foot, and he had visited this theatre enough times to know the way back to the ship by memory alone. He considered asking the lieutenant how Yamaguchi found out about the scheme, but decided against letting his voice be heard in a public place. Besides, the lieutenant couldn’t have been an officer for very long, he was much too young and clearly inexperienced. Yamaguchi wouldn’t have told him anything more than the absolute minimum.
Four minutes later, he spotted a group of three stern-looking Army officers running down the other side of the street in the direction from which he had just come. All three looked very tough, ready to get into a brawl with the first thing that messed with them. Yamamoto, who preferred to fight with his mind than his knuckles, looked down at the ground and kept walking. By the time those three had gone through the theatre crowd, he would be back on the Musashi, out of the Army’s reach.
***
Army conspirators turned out to have more than just Yamamoto in their sights. They wanted the Navy out of the picture for good, and anyone deemed to be an ally for Yamamoto had to go. Admiral Shimada, the short-lived chief of the IJN, was also on the list of targets, succumbing to the assassin’s bullets less than an hour after Yamamoto returned to the Musashi. Hideki Tojo, despite being part of the Imperial Army, was deemed by the radicals to be too friendly to the Navy, and was mortally wounded by a third group of assassins, dying early the next morning.
The worst of the Army coup had yet to come. Around 0400, on the morning of August 14th, a much larger group of Army fanatics stormed into the Imperial Palace, overpowering the Emperor’s guards and taking the Emperor prisoner. As the sun rose over Tokyo, he would be hauled out of the Palace and into an Army truck, bound for a form of house arrest in an unremarkable location outside of the city. To prevent his recapture by a pro-Navy faction, he would be moved every few days by the Army and all records of the movements burned.
The Emperor was then forced to install a new cabinet to run the war, made up of hardline Army fanatics that would see their favoured strategies implemented. Sugiyama was to be made Prime Minister as well as Chief of the IJA. His new Minister of War would be Korechika Anami, who had fast become one of his closest political allies. The plotters had originally hoped to leave the Navy leaderless to reduce their influence, but as long as Yamamoto was alive he would have de facto control of the entire IJN. In a hope to rein him in, the Army forced the Emperor to name Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa as the Chief of the IJN and thus Yamamoto’s superior. Commander of part of Yamamoto’s transport fleet for the early stages of FS, until an illness forced him off duty for several months, he had delivered supplies to Army forces on several occasions and thus was seen more favourably by the Army than most available alternatives. Appointing one of Yamamoto’s lower level commanders to become his superior was also intended as an insult to the grand admiral that had annoyed the Army so much.
Unfortunately for the Army faction, they had underestimated Yamamoto’s control over the Imperial Navy. Despite his theoretically superior post, Admiral Mikawa was willing to defer to Yamamoto on all major judgements relating to the Navy. The Army managed to veto the transfer of a division to Truk, but the independence of Army and Navy command from each others’ orders gave Yamamoto the perfect excuse to keep the garrisons of the Marshall and Gilbert islands under his control. Attempts were made to coerce the Emperor into sacking Yamamoto or otherwise cancelling his orders that gave Yamamoto a free hand to pursue the decisive battle, but as long as the Emperor remained under the Army’s “protection”, most senior admirals refused to acknowledge any such orders as legitimate. Yamamoto had orders to fight the decisive battle handwritten by the Emperor, and no Army forgeries would convince him to give those up.
Yamamoto still had some control left over in the Home Islands as well, taking the form of his close friend Koichi Shiozawa. Admiral Shiozawa was just as determined as his superior to see the second decisive battle be fought out, but had held no official post since the end of 1941. Yamamoto and Mikawa worked to get Shiozawa installed as head of the Kure Naval Arsenal, one of the largest in Japan and home to a British-built steel works. If the Army wanted to weaken the Navy, the next thing they would likely target after admirals would be the Navy’s resources, and three months before several major ships would be ready for trials at sea, Yamamoto did not want to give them the chance to do so.
Sugiyama and Anami had other priorities, chief among them the seizure of several Navy transports so that more troops could be sent to oppose MacArthur in New Guinea and the East Indies, as well as berating junior officers for failing to catch Yamamoto. Several more attempts on the admiral’s life would be plotted, but as long as he remained on board the Musashi, he would be safe from the Army and their assassins. With his top commanders, Yamaguchi and Nagumo, on board with him, Yamamoto prepared to organise his half of Japan’s war effort from the sea.
- BNC
The theatre performance had a mere half hour left to run when Grand Admiral Yamamoto was tapped on the shoulder.
“Sir, my deepest apologies for disturbing your show, sir,” a young Navy lieutenant whispered, careful to avoid disturbing the rest of the crowd. “Admiral Yamaguchi has heard rumours of an Army conspiracy against you, and strongly recommends you return to the ship at once, sir.”
The lieutenant produced a folded piece of paper, signed by Yamaguchi, to that effect. Yamamoto read over it quickly and sighed. Two weeks ago the Army had killed Admiral Nagano, and since then a faction of high-ranking generals had been interfering in affairs normally considered a Navy concern. After three decisive victories over the Americans, at Pearl Harbour, Fiji and the South Pacific, Yamamoto had thought that the backlash sure to follow his death would be enough to deter even the most hardened plotter. Since the dispute with the Army flared up however, an attempt on his life didn’t seem so unreasonable after all. That’s why six Navy men were in nearby seats, acting as guards.
“Very well, lieutenant, I’ll come. Use the nearest exit.” Yamamoto said. He signalled the nearest guard to leave with him, but too many people leaving at once could draw unwanted attention.
The rain outside would normally be considered a nuisance, but tonight the grand admiral was glad for it. If assassins roamed the streets, he would be much harder to spot than on a clear night. The Musashi was less than fifteen minutes away by foot, and he had visited this theatre enough times to know the way back to the ship by memory alone. He considered asking the lieutenant how Yamaguchi found out about the scheme, but decided against letting his voice be heard in a public place. Besides, the lieutenant couldn’t have been an officer for very long, he was much too young and clearly inexperienced. Yamaguchi wouldn’t have told him anything more than the absolute minimum.
Four minutes later, he spotted a group of three stern-looking Army officers running down the other side of the street in the direction from which he had just come. All three looked very tough, ready to get into a brawl with the first thing that messed with them. Yamamoto, who preferred to fight with his mind than his knuckles, looked down at the ground and kept walking. By the time those three had gone through the theatre crowd, he would be back on the Musashi, out of the Army’s reach.
***
Army conspirators turned out to have more than just Yamamoto in their sights. They wanted the Navy out of the picture for good, and anyone deemed to be an ally for Yamamoto had to go. Admiral Shimada, the short-lived chief of the IJN, was also on the list of targets, succumbing to the assassin’s bullets less than an hour after Yamamoto returned to the Musashi. Hideki Tojo, despite being part of the Imperial Army, was deemed by the radicals to be too friendly to the Navy, and was mortally wounded by a third group of assassins, dying early the next morning.
The worst of the Army coup had yet to come. Around 0400, on the morning of August 14th, a much larger group of Army fanatics stormed into the Imperial Palace, overpowering the Emperor’s guards and taking the Emperor prisoner. As the sun rose over Tokyo, he would be hauled out of the Palace and into an Army truck, bound for a form of house arrest in an unremarkable location outside of the city. To prevent his recapture by a pro-Navy faction, he would be moved every few days by the Army and all records of the movements burned.
The Emperor was then forced to install a new cabinet to run the war, made up of hardline Army fanatics that would see their favoured strategies implemented. Sugiyama was to be made Prime Minister as well as Chief of the IJA. His new Minister of War would be Korechika Anami, who had fast become one of his closest political allies. The plotters had originally hoped to leave the Navy leaderless to reduce their influence, but as long as Yamamoto was alive he would have de facto control of the entire IJN. In a hope to rein him in, the Army forced the Emperor to name Vice Admiral Gunichi Mikawa as the Chief of the IJN and thus Yamamoto’s superior. Commander of part of Yamamoto’s transport fleet for the early stages of FS, until an illness forced him off duty for several months, he had delivered supplies to Army forces on several occasions and thus was seen more favourably by the Army than most available alternatives. Appointing one of Yamamoto’s lower level commanders to become his superior was also intended as an insult to the grand admiral that had annoyed the Army so much.
Unfortunately for the Army faction, they had underestimated Yamamoto’s control over the Imperial Navy. Despite his theoretically superior post, Admiral Mikawa was willing to defer to Yamamoto on all major judgements relating to the Navy. The Army managed to veto the transfer of a division to Truk, but the independence of Army and Navy command from each others’ orders gave Yamamoto the perfect excuse to keep the garrisons of the Marshall and Gilbert islands under his control. Attempts were made to coerce the Emperor into sacking Yamamoto or otherwise cancelling his orders that gave Yamamoto a free hand to pursue the decisive battle, but as long as the Emperor remained under the Army’s “protection”, most senior admirals refused to acknowledge any such orders as legitimate. Yamamoto had orders to fight the decisive battle handwritten by the Emperor, and no Army forgeries would convince him to give those up.
Yamamoto still had some control left over in the Home Islands as well, taking the form of his close friend Koichi Shiozawa. Admiral Shiozawa was just as determined as his superior to see the second decisive battle be fought out, but had held no official post since the end of 1941. Yamamoto and Mikawa worked to get Shiozawa installed as head of the Kure Naval Arsenal, one of the largest in Japan and home to a British-built steel works. If the Army wanted to weaken the Navy, the next thing they would likely target after admirals would be the Navy’s resources, and three months before several major ships would be ready for trials at sea, Yamamoto did not want to give them the chance to do so.
Sugiyama and Anami had other priorities, chief among them the seizure of several Navy transports so that more troops could be sent to oppose MacArthur in New Guinea and the East Indies, as well as berating junior officers for failing to catch Yamamoto. Several more attempts on the admiral’s life would be plotted, but as long as he remained on board the Musashi, he would be safe from the Army and their assassins. With his top commanders, Yamaguchi and Nagumo, on board with him, Yamamoto prepared to organise his half of Japan’s war effort from the sea.
- BNC
Phew. The Army's pervasive incompetence saved Yamamoto in the end, so luckily we will see that 2nd Decisive Battle. What would be more interesting would be if Japan actually wins, and how badly that throws off the American timetables for the Pacific war. I assume that would either vindicate/destroy Macarthur, depending on if he battle is in the Philippine Sea or the East China Sea.
Well this is going to give the IJN fans plenty of fodder in TTL. "If only Yamamoto hadn't had one hand tied back by the Army he could've whipped the Americans!" or something.
Just how do the Army brass hope to stop the Americans anyway, if not by the decisive battle? Have they cut back naval production?
So long as Yamamoto controls the navy and its supply lines he can still try to force a decisive battle by using the IJN to oppose an American landing of his choice, though until then his garrisons will have poor staying power without Army supplies. How close is the Combined Fleet to being ready to sortie?
EDIT: Have the allies captured a Zero in flyable condition yet?
Just how do the Army brass hope to stop the Americans anyway, if not by the decisive battle? Have they cut back naval production?
So long as Yamamoto controls the navy and its supply lines he can still try to force a decisive battle by using the IJN to oppose an American landing of his choice, though until then his garrisons will have poor staying power without Army supplies. How close is the Combined Fleet to being ready to sortie?
EDIT: Have the allies captured a Zero in flyable condition yet?
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Top Secret IJA plan to win the war:
Step 1. Find a big island.
Step 2. Wait for the Americans to attack it.
Step 3. Kill lots of them.
Step 4. ????
Step 5. Accept American requests for peace.
They've tried to cut back naval production, which is why Yamamoto made sure to get one of his allies in charge of Kure arsenal (at least then the Navy can get the steel and fuel and stuff to the 90%-built ships if the Army won't). Realistically the Army can't do much more than it already has as long as Yamamoto is still around - he has enough folks supporting him to block anything that isn't a bullet.
Potentially he could use it immediately (Taiho and Shinano aren't going to add that much strength to his force), about another three months (so 11-12/43) for the ships to be completed and sea trials to be rushed through. Six months (3/44) to have the Navy in the best possible shape.
They captured a whole bunch of parts and stuff during the New Caledonia campaign, and put one together from that in early 43. Haven't managed to capture a whole one though.
- BNC
You know, given the Army has gone so far as to kidnap the emperor, throwing Japan into political turmoil, I actually hope this TL carries on past the decisive battle because the politics leading up to the surrender I imagine will be quite different in TTL.
I wonder if Yammy will survive the 2nd Decisive Battle.
I wonder if Yammy will survive the 2nd Decisive Battle.
The Empire isn't going to last as long in TTL as ours. I don't see how they can last more than a year, 18 months tops. The US just has to keep enough pressure on to win enough battles for them to blame and kill each other over. Just watch them kill each other and do an occasional raid or invasion while sending everything to Europe.
I won't be covering all of 1944-45 to the same detail as I've done 1942-43 - eventually the IJN will get beaten in some form and once it does the rest of the war isn't going to be too different from OTL (Iwo Jima, Okinawa, B-29 raids on Japan all still happen), so there's not much point to another twenty updates about them. Most likely I'll just cut straight to mid-45 with a couple of epilogue-type chapters.
But yeah there can't really be a plot to kidnap the Emperor on 15 August 1945 if he's already been held by the Army for more than a year and a half.
Considering the fanatics that are in charge now, America's still going to have to do something. Eventually the Army's going to run out of admirals to shoot, and after that we're back to "never surrender".
- BNC
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