Fifth, the adoption of the T-shaped tactics.
There is a saying that the victory in the naval battle of the Sea of Japan was due to the adoption of the "T-shaped method of warfare". The "T-shaped tactics" means that our fleet advances in a line column, forms a T-shape against the enemy's fleet, suppresses the enemy's lead ships, concentrates the artillery on the side to bombard the enemy, and fully develops its powerful firepower. In particular, the effect is great when it is close to use.
The proponent of the T-shaped tactics is generally said to be the operational staff officer of the Combined Fleet, Mayuki Akiyama, who believes that it was the result of studying the tactics of the Japanese naval forces such as the Seto Inland Sea and Kumano. However, there is also the opinion that the captain of the wartime protection cruiser "Kasaki" in the Sea of Japan, Yamaya Osa, a former professor at the Defense University, was the sponsor of the proposal (Minoru Nomura, former professor at Defense University). When Yamaya was an instructor at the Naval University, the principal was Heihachiro Togo. According to Nomura, since the beginning of the Russo-Japanese War, Commander Togo has used the "T-shaped tactics" a total of three times in two naval battles with the Arthur fleet and the naval battle in the Yellow Sea, and the fourth naval battle in the Sea of Japan has finally succeeded. Before the Battle of the Sea of Japan, the 2nd Fleet (Commander Hikonojo Uemura) and the Russian Vladivostok Detachment successfully used the "T-shaped tactics" in the Battle of Ulsan.
The "T-shaped tactics" were the "Combined Fleet Tactics" and the tactics of the Japanese Navy that were developed before the Russo-Japanese War began. Commander Togo is credited with adopting this prescribed strategy in the Battle of the Sea of Japan.
6. From coal to oil.
Compared with heavy fuel oil (liquid fuel), coal (solid fuel) as fuel produces only about 6% of the heat generated by the same weight. Therefore, in order to obtain the same amount of heat as heavy oil, the amount of coal needs to be increased by at least 4%.
When replenishing coal at sea, the fleet had to stop ships. In addition, during stormy weather and high waves, it is difficult to supply supplies, which requires considerable labor and time. The commander always had to pay attention to the amount of coal left to ensure the necessary shipping, and the fuel requirements of the battleships were a big problem.
* The fuel is switched from coal to heavy oil, which is a big change. The study of the switch of fuel for the Navy from coal to heavy oil began in the Russo-Japanese War. First of all, the operation method of installing a special tank for heavy oil burning on the torpedo boat "Kitty Hawk" (standing displacement: 203 tons) was studied. Later, in Meiji 39 (1906), a heavy oil tank was installed on the notification ship "Yaeyama" (standing displacement: 1,609 tons) to conduct a combustion test. The first voyage of the heavy oil (grilled mix) was the armored cruiser "Ikoma" (standing displacement: 13,750 tons), which was completed at the Kure Factory in March 41 (1908).
Since the founding of the Navy, its capital ships have been built in Britain, France, Italy and Germany. With the progress of shipbuilding technology in China, it has successively manufactured (domestically produced) light cruisers of 2,000 to 3,000 tons, such as "Suma", "Akashi", and "Xingao", and it is the first time in China to build a large ship of more than 10,000 tons such as "Ikoma". The same type of ship of the "Ikoma", the "Tsukuba" (also more than 10,000 tons**), was also completed at the Kure factory a year earlier. The "Tsukuba" was a coal-fired type, and after the completion of the "Ikoma", it was converted into a mixed firing tank type.
The Ikoma is equipped with a mixed firing tank of coal and heavy oil, with a reciprocating mechanism of 20,500 horsepower and a maximum speed of 205 knots. The fuel carrying capacity is 1,911 tons of coal and 160 tons of heavy oil, mainly coal and heavy oil. As a result of the introduction of mixed tanks, the horsepower of the "Ikoma" is considered to have increased by 10 to 15%.
The Satsuma (standing displacement: 19,372 tons), completed at the Yokosuka Plant in Meiji 43 (1910), was the first battleship designed and built independently by Japan. For the first time, "Satsuma" was equipped with mixed tanks as a battleship. 17,300 horsepower, maximum speed 183 sections out, fuel carrying 2,860 tons of coal, 377 tons of heavy oil.
The Navy's earliest heavy oil type was the first-class destroyer "Pufeng" (standing displacement: 907 tons) built by the British Yarrow Company. The ship is equipped with a heavy oil tank, a turbine type mechanism with 22,000 horsepower and a maximum speed of 30 knots. During this period, the performance of the heavy oil tank was unstable, so the "Pufeng" was also equipped with a mixed firing tank of coal and heavy oil.
The first to install a heavy oil tank, the second-class destroyer "Fir" (standing displacement: 850 tons), which was completed in December of Taisho 8 (1919). Heavy oil special burning tank, 21,500 horsepower, turbine type mechanism 36 knots high speed.
Interestingly, the Japanese Navy's cruisers, destroyers, and other small and medium-sized ships introduced heavy oil tanks in the early Taisho period. The battleships that participated in the Pacific War after that were completed in the Taisho period, "Kongo" (completed in 1913), "Hiei" (same as 1914), "Haruna" (same as 1915), "Kirishima" (same as 1915), "Kuwana" (same as 1914), "Yamashiro" (same as 1917), "Ise" (same as 1917), "Hinata" (same as 1918), "Nagato" (same as 1920), "Mutsu" (same as in 1921) and other battleships were all mixed firing tanks, and even mixed firing tanks + heavy oil special firing tanks. The reason for this is that Japan produces almost no oil, so it is necessary to take into account the situation in case heavy oil cannot be secured. Therefore, the Navy did not completely switch fuel to heavy oil, that is, there were concerns about the security of oil.
In the Showa period, these battleships were modernized with heavy oil and special burning, and their heavy oil made the performance of the battleships improved. Compared with the mixed firing type, the weight of the turbine and boiler is halved, and the output is doubled. Then, in the part of the reduced weight and volume, new equipment (cannons) can be added.
The pure heavy oil battleships "Yamato" and "Musashi" were also completed one after another. The two battleships were started in Showa 12 (1937), when the Washington Naval Treaty was invalid, and were completed in Showa 16 (1941) and 17 (1942), respectively. This was the first 15-year gap since Mutsu to complete a battleship.
In the original design of the two battleships, in order to reduce fuel consumption, it was planned to use a hybrid of steam turbines (75,000 horsepower) and diesel engines (60,000 horsepower). Of the four propulsion shafts (screws), the outer two axles are driven by diesel engines, each of which is connected to four diesel engines with 7,500 horsepower, for a total of eight diesel engines.
However, when the diesel engines to be used on large surface ships were installed on the submarine carrier "Big Whale" for testing, many problems arose, and reliability problems arose. Based on this, the Japanese Navy judged that it was too early for the main battleship to introduce diesel engines. The diesel engine was changed to a steam turbine with four shafts. The actual test of installing 12 heavy oil tanks and turbines on destroyers was 18,750 horsepower, with an average of two axles per shaft, and a total of 8 reactors were installed. The maximum output is 153553 shaft horsepower, the maximum speed is 27 knots (sea trial), and the heavy fuel oil loading capacity is 6,300 tons. The maximum cruising range is 7,200 nautical miles (about 13,300 km) and 16 knots. From the completion of the "Satsuma" in Meiji 43 (1910) to the commissioning of the "Musashi" in August of Showa 17 (1942), the era of the construction of battleships for the Japanese Navy.
Seventh, the era of competition in construction.
In Meiji 40 (1907), Japan formulated the "Imperial Defense Policy". The hypothetical enemy countries are Russia, an army country, and the United States, a naval country. In accordance with this guideline, the Navy has drawn up a naval armament plan. It is basically the "88th Fleet" plan. The Navy hopes to further strengthen its naval power on the basis of the "66th Fleet" of the Russo-Japanese War. The plan of the "88th Fleet" is centered on eight battleships and eight cruiser battleships that are less than eight years old. Later, the Navy aimed to realize this plan.
After the end of the Russo-Japanese War, the expenditure of the Navy continued to increase. In Meiji 44 (1911), the cost of building ships in addition to the usual expenses amounted to 158 million yen. This amount was 268,000,000 yen in Taisho 6 (1917).Taisho 7 (1918) was 331 million yen;In Taisho 9 (1920), it increased dramatically to 798,000,000 yen.
The Navy captured 6 Russian battleships and 1 armored cruiser in the Russo-Japanese War. After the war, huge sums of money were invested in repairs and renovations, and they were incorporated into the fleet. The Navy took the Russo-Japanese War as an opportunity to enter the ranks of the world's naval states.
The expansion of the combat readiness of the Navy began. After the Russo-Japanese War, the performance of the crossbow-class battleship "Dreadnought", which was completed in Britain, shook the world's navies. The reason why it is called "crossbow class" is because the English word for "dreadnought" is "dreadnought", so in Japanese English it is pronounced "do le do- no to" ( and call it "do" class ship after its first character, if it is pronounced in kanji, you can use the word "crossbow", because it also pronounces "do" sound). The super-crossbow-class battleship that surpassed it later appeared. The ship has a standing displacement of 18,110 tons, a mixed firing tank of coal and heavy oil, a steam turbine of 23,000 horsepower, and a speed of 21 knots. The problem is its firepower, equipped with 30 .5 combined turrets for 5 cm guns, 10 guns.
During this period, the battleship "Satsuma" under construction at the Yokosuka plant was equipped with 302 combined turrets for 5 cm guns and 4 guns. The number of cannons is 10 to 4, a difference of 25 times. The Satsuma was an old-fashioned ship in terms of firepower, speed, and defense before it was completed.
While the Navy was desperately trying to realize the "88th Fleet" plan, World War I (1914-1918) broke out. From May 31 to June 1, 1916, the British Navy and the German Navy clashed over the Jutland Sea of Denmark for sea supremacy in the North Sea. The Battle of Jutland was the largest naval battle in the world since the establishment of the modern navy. A total of 151 ships of the British Navy and 99 ships of the German Navy participated in the war.
As a result of the naval battle, the British Navy lost 14 ships ** and the German Navy lost 11 ships **. The German Navy, whose goal was to ensure sea supremacy in the North Sea, did not achieve its purpose. The naval battle was a strategic victory for the British Navy.
In this naval battle, the British cruiser battleships "Queen Mary" and "Invincible" were hit by shells from the German side, causing an instant ** in the ammunition depot and sank. This is the reason for the fragility of its armor. The Japanese Navy, which received this information, immediately reassessed the armament of the ships it possessed and tried to strengthen the armor. Ships have been strengthened in armor, and with it, they have become more large and heavier. In order to strengthen and downsize the system and reduce the weight, we further promoted the specialized burning of heavy oil and the development of turbines.
After World War I, Britain, the United States, and Japan all announced plans for naval expansion and expansion, and the arms race began. As a result, the financial burden on countries has increased. Therefore, at the initiative of Britain, which had exhausted its national strength in World War I, the Washington Arms Control Conference was held in Taisho 10 (1921). At this meeting, tonnage limits were laid down on the capital ships of the great powers (battleships, aircraft carriers).
In the summary of the disarmament treaties concluded, the ratio of ownership of battleships and aircraft carriers is 10 for the United States and Great Britain, 6 for Japan, and 3 for France and Italy5。The limitation of auxiliary ships was decided at the London Disarmament Conference in Showa 5 (1930). Japan advocated that the ratio of auxiliary ships to the United States and Britain was 7 percent, and the result was 6975 into.
8. Deciphered codes.
The Washington arms control treaty restricts the construction of capital ships, but there are no provisions for modifications. Therefore, in order to make up for the disadvantage of its capital ships to the United States and Britain in ratio of 6 percent and auxiliary ships to 7 percent, the Japanese Navy concentrated on increasing the firepower of individual ships. The weight of the ship was increased by modification, and it was necessary to strengthen the mechanism.
The cruiser "Kongo", which was completed in Taisho 2 (1913), was strengthened by the first refit (Showa 6). It was converted into a high-speed warship with a maximum speed of 30 knots through the second refit (Showa 12) and was replaced by a heavy oil tanker. In the early Showa period, almost all the ships of the Japanese Navy were replaced with heavy oil and special firing type, and the equipment was also strengthened through modification.
At the time of the Washington Arms Control Treaty, the code-breaking class "Black Room" of the United States deciphered the coded telegrams between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Tokyo and the Japanese delegation. Japan maintains that the ratio of capital ships to the United States and Britain is 7 percent. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan issued a response policy for the meeting, which was to "accept 65 into the proposal. In addition, it is absolutely unacceptable to exchange the Pacific region's preparedness restrictions as a last resort, but the rate drops to 60%." The United States deciphered the coded messages, grasped Japan's bottom line of compromise, and continued to adhere to a tough attitude of negotiations. Seeing that it could not take the initiative to decide the outcome of the negotiations, Japan had no choice but to accept a 60% ratio to the United States and Britain.
Later, Herbert Osborne Yardley, the person responsible for the "Black Room", published a book entitled "The American Black Room", which shook the Japanese Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of the Navy. The book was translated and published in countries around the world, and the bestseller was in Japan, selling more than 30,000 copies, and it was a bestseller at the time.
Speaking of which, in the Showa era, the negotiations between Japan and the United States before the Pacific War, it was also Japan's coded messages that were deciphered. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, when Japan's Ambassadors Kichizaburo Nomura and Saburo Kurisu presented the memorandum to Secretary of State Hull, the United States side (** below) had already read the deciphered version of the memorandum on the United States. And, after the start of the war, the top-secret naval D2 (wave) code was deciphered, and the plane of the commander of the 56th Combined Fleet Commander of Yamamoto was shot down. The supreme commander of the war was assassinated for the decipherment of the code.
Japan's ability to manage intelligence has been problematic since the Taisho era. At that time, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not notice that the diplomatic code had been deciphered. In addition, the Navy has been pointed out in the past as a sign that the code has been deciphered, but it confidently scoffs at this on the grounds that "the Navy's code is absolutely indecipherable" and that it is unfounded.
To be continued.