2100 September 14th 1945.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Yamashiro, Saipan.
BB Division 1 Flagship. IJN Yamashiro, Saipan.
Yamamoto had hoped that Spruance would still be in the North Mariana Trench at dawn. He would not be but some American ships had not managed to move away fast enough.
Reports from the bombers told him that the four remaining Transport Divisions were still in the area and were moving away slowly. BB Division 1 was finally ordered to put to sea.
Carrier Group C was having a very hard time keeping up with the American Submarines operating west of the Philippines. These Submarines had already been responsible for sinking over twenty convoy transports and needed to be stopped. Two Tactical bomber wings were moved to the Philippines to hunt them and they found them fairly quickly. They would not be able to sink any of the Divisions but would force them to head east away from the bombs. Carrier Group C would try and cut them off by moving through the center of the islands.
At 0200 hours on September 15th BB Division 1 had caught up with the fleeing Transport ships with devasting consequences. Aided by the large bomber presence Yamamoto's ships quickly sank the entire fleet and the troops that they had been transporting. The Battlecruiser IJN Kongo would claim one Division and IJN Yamashiro the other two.
The attempted invasion of Saipan and the supposed attempt on Palau that never even began had cost America dearly. The Grand Plan of the Japanese Staff had already succeeded and it had not even begun. Both major players in the Pacific had decided to go on the offensive at the same time and there would be no need to bait the United States Navy.
The attempted invasion of Saipan and the supposed attempt on Palau that never even began had cost America dearly. The Grand Plan of the Japanese Staff had already succeeded and it had not even begun. Both major players in the Pacific had decided to go on the offensive at the same time and there would be no need to bait the United States Navy.
Carrier Group C had not caught the Submarines but found some consolation when it managed to sink a Canadian Transport Flotilla in the South Spratly Sea. Aircraft from IJN Hiyo would be responsible for the sinking.
At 2200 hours on September 15th nine bomber squadrons managed to re-acquire Spruance's fleet in the South Magellan Seamounts. They would not be able to sink the USS Washington but would cause it fairly heavy damage before it escaped to the relative safety of the Marshall islands.
The bombers also updated the intelligence for the island of Eniwetok. It was clear that all or most of the forces that had been sent to invade Saipan had come from this island and this made it vunerable.
The bombers also updated the intelligence for the island of Eniwetok. It was clear that all or most of the forces that had been sent to invade Saipan had come from this island and this made it vunerable.
One Submarine fleet had been sent to monitor Truk and intercept any convoys heading towards the island. The island was under the control of New Zealand and it would lose some convoy ships as a result. The island was not very heavily defended and was already in range of Japanese bombers.
Carrier Group C caught another Candian Transport Flotilla on September 19th at 0100 hours. IJN Hiyo would claim this flotilla as well.
BB Division 3 had sailed from Palau in response to the sighting of an enemy fleet in the Palau Trench. The small fleet would not escape as the massive guns of IJN Yamato sank both the Destroyer and Transport Division.
BB Division 3 had sailed from Palau in response to the sighting of an enemy fleet in the Palau Trench. The small fleet would not escape as the massive guns of IJN Yamato sank both the Destroyer and Transport Division.
The withdrawing American Submarine fleet was caught by both BB Division 2 and 3 in the Palau Trench but would escape with only minor damage.
Yamamoto could not quite believe the next report he received at his temporary headquarters on Saipan.
Yamamoto could not quite believe the next report he received at his temporary headquarters on Saipan.
The Americans were not finished with their invasions. They had successfully landed on Palu in the Celebes island chain. Clearly the Americans had major plans which Yamamoto was doing his best to unravel as quickly as possible. A response was needed to this latest invasion as the Celebes possessed an airbase that Japan wished to keep.
