"Admiral Ijuin, I wish you a victorious start!" On the dock of Yokosuka Naval Base, General Yatsushiro Rokurō spoke to Admiral Ijuin Gorō, Commander of the Combined Fleet.
"Admiral Ijuin, Amaterasu Ōmikami will protect you, and we will certainly defeat the Germans!" General Shimamura Sokuō, the Minister of Navy Orders, added.
Admiral Ijuin Gorō nodded. "I will do my utmost to defeat the Germans! If not, we will fight to the last man," he said.
Both General Yatsushiro and General Shimamura understood the gravity of the situation. Unless Admiral Ijuin could defeat the Germans, his death was inevitable. Either he would fall in battle, or, in the event of failure, he would commit seppuku. However, defeating the formidable German fleet seemed nearly impossible for the Imperial Navy.
"While I lead the fleet into battle against the Germans, do not forget to continue searching for their transport convoys. If we can destroy their transport ships, even if we fail, the Germans will have to retreat. There may still be a slim chance for victory. This would give the Empire a long period of respite," Admiral Ijuin said, his words carrying the weight of a final request.
"Understood. We will do our best!" General Yatsushiro replied.
Admiral Ijuin smiled gratefully, bowed deeply to the two men, and then turned to board the flagship, the *Kongō* battlecruiser, of the Combined Fleet.
The Combined Fleet of the Imperial Navy was undoubtedly the pinnacle of Japan's naval strength, a gathering of the finest ships. All of the battleships were assembled here. In addition to the four latest *Kongō*-class battlecruisers, there were two *Kawachi*-class battleships, two *Satsuma*-class battleships, two *Katori*-class battleships, the *Iwami* and *Hizen* battleships, two *Sagami*-class battleships, the *Tango* battleship, three *Fukushima*-class battleships, and the *Fuji* battleship.
These totalled nineteen battleships. However, the two *Sagami*-class battleships were equipped with dual 254mm turrets, which, in other navies, would only classify them as armored cruisers. Yet, due to a lack of capital ships, the Imperial Navy treated them as first-class battleships, using them as main battle units.
Of the remaining battleships, only the four *Kongō*-class ships and the two *Kawachi*-class ships could be considered near-dreadnoughts, while the others were all pre-dreadnoughts.
This meant that while the Imperial Navy's Combined Fleet possessed many battleships, most of them were pre-dreadnoughts with limited combat effectiveness. When faced with the powerful German battlecruisers, the result was, unfortunately, predictable.
In addition to these battleships, the Combined Fleet also assembled a large number of cruisers. The armored cruisers included the *Asama*-class, the *Yakumo*, the *Azuma*, two *Izumo*-class armored cruisers, and two *Kasuga*-class armored cruisers. The protected cruisers included two *Sumo*-class cruisers, two *Kasagi*-class cruisers, two *Shinshū*-class cruisers, the *Otowa*, the *Tama*, and three *Chikuma*-class cruisers. Additionally, there were two captured Russian cruisers from the Russo-Japanese War, the *Tsugaru* and *Sōya*, totalling eight armored cruisers and thirteen protected cruisers.
For destroyers, the Combined Fleet gathered the most advanced ships, including thirty-two *Kamikaze*-class destroyers and seven *Harusame*-class destroyers, for a total of thirty-nine.
In terms of ship numbers, the Imperial Navy's Combined Fleet greatly outnumbered the German Expeditionary Fleet. Whether battleships, cruisers, or destroyers, the Combined Fleet had a clear numerical advantage. However, in terms of combat power, the Imperial Navy had little to stand against. Especially when facing the Germans' superior main battleships, the German fleet could easily defeat the Imperial Navy's nineteen battleships. With their technical superiority, the Germans could even sink all of Japan's main battleships without much difficulty.
"We have so many ships. While the German Expeditionary Fleet is indeed formidable, it is not without hope for us to defeat them. I pray Amaterasu Ōmikami will grant us victory!" Admiral Ijuin Gorō thought to himself as he stood on the bridge of the *Kongō*, watching the massive fleet depart from Yokosuka Naval Base.
"Is the battle plan ready?" Admiral Ijuin inquired.
"Admiral, the battle staff has submitted two operational reports," his secretary replied, handing him two documents.
Admiral Ijuin immediately retreated to his office to review them.
The first plan was unremarkable, focused on confronting the German Expeditionary Fleet and overwhelming them with superior numbers. However, the chances of success with this strategy were no more than thirty percent.
The second plan, however, caught Admiral Ijuin's attention. It emphasized leveraging the Combined Fleet's numerical superiority in cruisers and destroyers to first eliminate the German fleet's smaller warships, then launch torpedo attacks against their capital ships.
This strategy instantly struck Admiral Ijuin as promising. A direct confrontation would have little chance of success, as the German fleet would gradually sink the Japanese ships with their superior performance. The only chance to turn the tide lay in launching torpedo attacks. While the main guns of Japan's battleships might struggle to pierce the armor of the German ships, torpedoes could potentially destroy them. This gave the Combined Fleet a viable opportunity to counter the German Expeditionary Fleet. With good fortune, victory was not entirely out of reach.
"How can we eliminate those lighter German warships? If we manage to deal with their destroyers and cruisers, launching a mass torpedo attack with our destroyers could yield excellent results," Admiral Ijuin mused. He had begun to think critically, seeking a way to defeat the German Expeditionary Fleet.
After leaving Yokosuka Naval Base, the Combined Fleet entered Sagami Bay through the Uraga Channel, setting sail southward to confront the German Expeditionary Fleet.