Chapter 638: Operation Tsunami
Chapter 638: Operation Tsunami
Secret Test Side of the Balloon/ Air Carrier Brigade:
“General Shojiro Imuchi, Colonel Takuyosa Nishiguch, Major Kikyu Hitashi?” questioned a young looking Imperial Korean Colonel, hoping he had been send to the right location in Japan. The three man standing in a circle around their latest test idea, for a new prototype, a Airship Carrier for the Pacific War all turned around at once.
“I'm General Imuchi, might I ask who you are and what business you have at this top secret base?” questioned the Japanese General a little surprised that the man had not only found their way here, but also had manged to pass the guards as well.
“My name is Colonel Tan Tae-Hyun, or Colonel Isozaki Hikosaburo in my Japanized name, I was send here on orders of Japanese General Seishirō Itagaki, Japanese Admiral Yamamoto as well as Chosen Admiral Kyong Sunghyon, or in his Japanized name Amachi Yoshihisa.” explained the Chosen soldier confident, as he handed out the personal letter of Isoroku Yamamoto. “I was send here for my idea of how to fight the American Colonialists.” explained the Chosen from Korea, hoping truly that he was at the right place.
“You are at the right place according to this letter, but what ingenious idea could you possible have?” questioned the General Imuchi now quit interested in what the young man had to say.
“I was informed that our Co-Prosperity Sphere mine-layers had immense immense problems operating in enemy waters without major support by our own ship or airplanes.” explained the Korean. This was true outside of the Japanese controlled seas in the Indian Ocean and the Eastern Pacific the Japanese mine-layers had massive losses and weren't quit as effective as the Japanese had planned or hoped. “So my idea was to use the Pacific Ocean Current itself to our advantage and send anti-ship mines trough it directly to intercept the Americans in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska and the United States West Coast to hit allied civil and military shipment in these regions in masses.§ explained the Korean. The plan was not without it's risk as such floating mines could possible once return to Japan and also interfere with the Imperial Japanese Navy own supply convoys to the Aleutian garrisons, even if they were far and few in between.
(a Japanese mine strandet on a beach in Washington State)
“We already had thought about such a idea, but it was denied as to dangerous because of our own shipping lines there.” explained the Japanese General much to the amusement of his fellow soldiers in this secret base, after all Yamamoto himself had received their report on this topic before, so why was this man from Korea still here?
“Yes Admiral Yamamoto had explained the problems to me, so the basic idea I had in response was to either send the mines out in calculated waves with the current and plan our own supply routes accordingly or and I believe this is what Admiral Yamamoto was most likely approving of, use our most northern air and naval bases in the Chishima Island to drop them away from our own supply lines either by being dropped bigger Japanese Naval Bombers or even dropped from special Balloons or Airships outside our own naval supply and travel routes.” explained the Korean Soldier his idea and much to his own surprise General Imuchi, who commanded the secret base was actually quit interested in doing so.
“I believe you are just right here.” assured the Japanese General the young Chosen, as he welcomed him with a gesture willing to ship him around a bit. “Just one question remains, what should we call such a ambitious and interesting project my fellow Asian brother?” questioned Imuchi interested if the Chosen himself had already thought about a name for the planned project, prototype or operation?
“A name? Hmm how about Tsunami?” asked the Korean soldier not quit sure if that would fit, but the Japanese standing around him started to warm up to him and his idea. It would be the beginning of a quit interesting and promising operation during the Second Great War in the Pacific. For their project they would use modified version of the Japanese Type 93 Naval Mines that were of Hertz Horn construction, weighed 1,543 pounds (700 kilograms) with 220 pounds of Type 88 high explosive, that in itself consisted of 66 percent ammonium perchlorate, 16 percent ferro-silicon, 12 percent wood pulp, and 6 percent oil. A normal Japanese mine-layer could carry up to 500 of those and while the idea to drop them from balloons, airships or planes would make for quit smaller numbers, the Japanese later build fortified bunker fortifications, whose sole intent was to bring out those mine into the Pacific current and send them on their way eastwards to America.
Secret Test Side of the Balloon/ Air Carrier Brigade:
“General Shojiro Imuchi, Colonel Takuyosa Nishiguch, Major Kikyu Hitashi?” questioned a young looking Imperial Korean Colonel, hoping he had been send to the right location in Japan. The three man standing in a circle around their latest test idea, for a new prototype, a Airship Carrier for the Pacific War all turned around at once.
“I'm General Imuchi, might I ask who you are and what business you have at this top secret base?” questioned the Japanese General a little surprised that the man had not only found their way here, but also had manged to pass the guards as well.
“My name is Colonel Tan Tae-Hyun, or Colonel Isozaki Hikosaburo in my Japanized name, I was send here on orders of Japanese General Seishirō Itagaki, Japanese Admiral Yamamoto as well as Chosen Admiral Kyong Sunghyon, or in his Japanized name Amachi Yoshihisa.” explained the Chosen soldier confident, as he handed out the personal letter of Isoroku Yamamoto. “I was send here for my idea of how to fight the American Colonialists.” explained the Chosen from Korea, hoping truly that he was at the right place.
“You are at the right place according to this letter, but what ingenious idea could you possible have?” questioned the General Imuchi now quit interested in what the young man had to say.
“I was informed that our Co-Prosperity Sphere mine-layers had immense immense problems operating in enemy waters without major support by our own ship or airplanes.” explained the Korean. This was true outside of the Japanese controlled seas in the Indian Ocean and the Eastern Pacific the Japanese mine-layers had massive losses and weren't quit as effective as the Japanese had planned or hoped. “So my idea was to use the Pacific Ocean Current itself to our advantage and send anti-ship mines trough it directly to intercept the Americans in the Aleutian Islands, Alaska and the United States West Coast to hit allied civil and military shipment in these regions in masses.§ explained the Korean. The plan was not without it's risk as such floating mines could possible once return to Japan and also interfere with the Imperial Japanese Navy own supply convoys to the Aleutian garrisons, even if they were far and few in between.
(a Japanese mine strandet on a beach in Washington State)
“We already had thought about such a idea, but it was denied as to dangerous because of our own shipping lines there.” explained the Japanese General much to the amusement of his fellow soldiers in this secret base, after all Yamamoto himself had received their report on this topic before, so why was this man from Korea still here?
“Yes Admiral Yamamoto had explained the problems to me, so the basic idea I had in response was to either send the mines out in calculated waves with the current and plan our own supply routes accordingly or and I believe this is what Admiral Yamamoto was most likely approving of, use our most northern air and naval bases in the Chishima Island to drop them away from our own supply lines either by being dropped bigger Japanese Naval Bombers or even dropped from special Balloons or Airships outside our own naval supply and travel routes.” explained the Korean Soldier his idea and much to his own surprise General Imuchi, who commanded the secret base was actually quit interested in doing so.
“I believe you are just right here.” assured the Japanese General the young Chosen, as he welcomed him with a gesture willing to ship him around a bit. “Just one question remains, what should we call such a ambitious and interesting project my fellow Asian brother?” questioned Imuchi interested if the Chosen himself had already thought about a name for the planned project, prototype or operation?
“A name? Hmm how about Tsunami?” asked the Korean soldier not quit sure if that would fit, but the Japanese standing around him started to warm up to him and his idea. It would be the beginning of a quit interesting and promising operation during the Second Great War in the Pacific. For their project they would use modified version of the Japanese Type 93 Naval Mines that were of Hertz Horn construction, weighed 1,543 pounds (700 kilograms) with 220 pounds of Type 88 high explosive, that in itself consisted of 66 percent ammonium perchlorate, 16 percent ferro-silicon, 12 percent wood pulp, and 6 percent oil. A normal Japanese mine-layer could carry up to 500 of those and while the idea to drop them from balloons, airships or planes would make for quit smaller numbers, the Japanese later build fortified bunker fortifications, whose sole intent was to bring out those mine into the Pacific current and send them on their way eastwards to America.