"It's confirmed. All enemy aircraft carriers have been sunk!" That particular message from the ASDF was connected to the speakers and played on the bridge of all the ships in the squadron. It was like lifting a heavy weight off everyone's shoulders. Some even made physical gestures of triumph at the news. One of the enemy's most potent weapons had been destroyed, lifting a huge weight off their shoulders. Lieutenant Degarmo relayed this to the rest of the fleet, and many World Union sailors on their own ships started cheering too. A few were skeptical that all of the enemy's aircraft carriers had been sunk, but they were sure enough of the superiority of this alliance that they were certain at least some had, which was still worth celebrating. Some of the World Union commanders started discussing a mass air attack again, wanting to strike while the iron was hot.
The Japanese didn't know that though; they were all reading a more detailed breakdown on the ASDF's strike. Though they'd gotten an idea from the radar signals and EI, the damage assessment gave them their first concrete intelligence on the enemy fleet composition. The enemy had taken a lot of losses, but there were still over 100 ships. Most notably, they still had nine battleships.
"I wonder if the enemy's reached a technology level where they're no longer building battleships?" Captain Tamuramaro mused out loud. "Assuming aircraft carriers completely surpassed battleships in their world too." Despite the similarities, he knew it was dangerous to assume the technological progression of a nation that wasn't from Earth. But it was possible the Gra Valkas Empire was in a stage of history where it was only maintaining active battleships instead of building them.
"If there are, sinking one permanently reduces their naval power." Lieutenant-Commander Nakashima followed his train of thought. No one knew yet how long this conflict might drag on. But the more big guns that were removed from the ocean, the better. Even if the Gra Valkas ended up more akin to a modern adversary relying on carrier strike groups, there was a sense of confidence in facing an enemy you were equipped and trained against rather than one you weren't equipped to deal with.
"If we can sink one." That was the sticking point. The ASDF had received upgraded anti-ship missiles. The MSDF might eventually, but Escort Squadron 6 was still armed with Type 90 SSMs they'd had on earth. They had no idea how many anti-ship missiles it would take to sink a battleship. Enough would surely wound one, but the issue of being outnumbered always loomed.
"But our chances are much better now." He went on. "They're heading for the Milishial fleet. If those two really are similar in power, then the Milishials should have the advantage since they don't have to face any carrier attacks." Talking about a battle that would have a high human cost felt a little odd still. "Even if they don't completely destroy the Gra Valkas fleet, they should reduce it significantly." Both them and the ASDF still had dozens of anti-ship missiles; they could wipe out the enemy completely if the Milishials knocked out half of the remaining ships. Over two hundred WWII-esqe ships about to collide…that was going to be a hellish battle.
"Excuse me," Lieutenant Degarmo intruded as politely as he could. "My commander and the others want to know if the enemy's position has changed. We're launching our own air attack to capitalize on yours." Captain Tamuramaro and XO Nakashima turned away, appearing to look at the displays for the answer but both composing themselves in reality. The World Union was so eager to fight, they couldn't hope to keep talking them down. They had orders to cooperate, but this didn't feel like cooperation. It felt like facilitating a massacre. Aircraft carriers or no, the anti-aircraft weapons a WWII era ship would decimate wyverns and biplanes.
But then a way out appeared, allowing the Japanese to avoid that black mark on their souls for another while at least.
"They've changed their course and are heading for the Holy Milishial Empire's fleet. And it looks like the Milishials are launching their own air attack already." On the dataset linked to them by the ASDF, numerous aerial blips were appearing near the Milishial fleet and heading north.
"They are?" Lieutenant Degarmo sounded confused and got back on his manacomm. Though the Japanese could only hear one side of the conversation, it was apparent there was some kind of breakdown in communication among the various fleets. For now, at least, an air attack wasn't happening.
We have them now. Lettal Kauran thought. They'd lost contact with the scout plane, but it had reported over the manacomm sighting enemy ships first. They'd found the enemy before it found them, now they could make the first strike. Japan had helped, but he wasn't recognizing that right now. He was too focused on restoring his country's pride.
"Sir…sir!" The communications officer broke through his concentration, although only after he'd tried for a while.
"What?" His elven superior said in a short matter.
"A message from Captain Lerjen. He's asking if it's true we're launching an air attack against the Gra Valkans."
"Of course." He said impatiently, then paused. "How did they know?" He hadn't communicated anything to their Local Forces attached to the World Union.
"The Japanese." The communication officer explained. "Uh…" The officer showed some hesitancy. "Their ships are equipped with a detection system that can detect magical and non-magical ships and aircraft. That's how they found the Gra Valkan fleet before too."
"That…" Now Lettal Kauran was completely thrown off. "That sounds like the technology from the Ancient Sorcerous Empire. The Japanese have that?" That was one of the things the Holy Milishial Empire had yet to reverse engineer, something that would especially be useful now.
"Apparently. They just used it to strike the Gra Valkans. They say they've sunk all of their aircraft carriers and many other ships. The World Union wanted to follow it up with their own attack, but then Japan informed them we were launching ours."
Lettal Kauran's head was full of questions.
"Apparently, the enemy fleet still has nine battleships." The officer added.
"Nine?" Lettal Kauran parroted. That was the total number of Milishial battleships deployed in Baltica, but only six of them were actually under his command. That information, if true, was concerning.
Japan located their fleet first. It apparently is watching ours too. He realized that it was more likely than not true. He thought about it, then made a decision.
"Tell them we are. And send a request for them to follow up our strike with one of their own. We'll message them at its conclusion." Little Kauran wasn't sure the World Union could inflict any meaningful casualties. His main hope was that they would provoke the Gra Valkas Empire into partitioning its force. Although if Japan joined that strike, maybe it would greatly improve their chances.
Three hours. Three hours until their fleets collided. Until then, it was purely an air battle.
Escort Squadron 6 didn't get a chance to watch the battle play out on the radar screens. A much more pressing matter cropped up after they'd answered the Milishials' many questions. And rather than it being communicated through the AWACS, Defense Executive Mitsugi radioed them directly.
"Our electronic intelligence plane just intercepted a communication from the Gra Valkas flagship to a submarine fleet located somewhere in the Baltica Sea. They've been ordered to move east to engage the World Union and us." The Japanese officers stood up straight. "The Ministry of Defense considers submarines an extreme risk to our national security. Aside from the incursion near Okinawa, several civilian ships belonging to other nations have been disappearing around the Central World. We are almost certain the Gra Valkas Empire practices unrestricted submarine warfare. You need to actively seek out and destroy them, as much as you can safely do."
"Understood." Captain Tamuramaro realized the gravity of that order. He got on the radio with the ASDF next. The intercepted communication did indeed reference a submarine fleet. How many submarines were in a fleet? The number was likely fairly high given the amount of surface ships the enemy managed to deploy. But he wanted to know if there'd been a return transmission; that could help them pinpoint a location.
Fortunately for them, there was, and the transcript including a distance helped them narrow it down even further: The enemy submarines were about 95km to their southwest, or 25km from the tail of their line of sonobuoys.
"We're lucky we weren't traveling further out to sea." Captain Tamuramaro remarked. "Get the helicopters ready. One to search, the other two to destroy." The order was transmitted to the rest of the squadron. How many are there? He wondered.
On the bridge of the Takanami, Captain Shirasaka was talking with his XO. "I guess we'll know for sure now if that submarine we sunk belonged to the Gra Valkas."
"If they're really that loud, then a sonobuoy should be able to pick them up at a good distance." The XO commented. The detection system around the Home Islands was much more powerful than a sonobuoy, but it was still surprising how far away they'd detected the submarine the first time. Back on Earth, things like stealth coating and running silent procedures made anti-submarine warfare an extremely close-range game compared to the rest of naval warfare. Any hint of the enemy you picked up was likely to be faint and could be quickly lost. That submarine had been detected dozens of kilometers away and had been loud enough to be consistently tracked for days until it found the Takanami.
Whether or not they could've suddenly became irrelevant. A bunch of signatures suddenly popped up on the squadrons' surface radar displays, right where the submarine fleet was expected to be. "They've surfaced to travel faster." Tamuramaro realized right away. Old submarines from that era traveled painfully slow underwater and would travel on the surface when not in combat. They must've been lying in wait there. "That makes it easier for us." He counted the dots. The signature was faint, like the profile of the small wooden biremes common to the Third Civilization, but it was there. "There's 32 of them." He realized, although there was no hint of concern.
"This is going to be tedious." XO Nakashima was similarly unbothered. Their helicopters could only carry two torpedoes, and only two of them would be armed while the other carried sonobuoys. Sinking all those subs was going to take a few hours. The Japanese got to work.
As the Combined Fleet headed southwest, Caesar and his staff had hurried to reorganize the fleet. The loss of so many light cruisers had thrown their destroyer squadrons into chaos most of all. Some of those were left behind to rescue survivors and take them back to Leifor. Others had hastily been reformed around a few of their newer Scorpio-class destroyers that had been upgraded with radar. With no carriers left to guard, everything they had left been reorganized into three surface strike groups.
Leading was Strike Group 1. The undamaged Hercules-class battleship Ras Algethi had Vice Admiral Kaonia aboard, a high-ranking Eastern Fleet officer who was now serving as Strike Group 1's commander. With them were the other four battleships that hadn't taken any damage, five of the remaining heavy cruisers, three of the remaining light cruisers, and a total of 40 destroyers. This was now the main punching force for the Combined Fleet.
20km behind that was Strike Group 2, composed of the Grade Atlaster and the other minorly damaged battleship, the last two heavy cruisers, the last two light cruisers, and 36 destroyers. Caesar wasn't one to command behind the lines; while Strike Group 1 engaged the Milishials head on, he'd use this group to strike a vulnerability in the Milishial formation.
The two moderately damaged battleships were being guarded by 12 destroyers, although the damage they'd sustained meant their speed was reduced and the distance between them and the other groups was steadily growing. They were acting as a reserve.
The last 14 destroyers were closely guarding their supply and auxiliary vessels were west of the reserve group. Without air power, they couldn't afford to leave them unguarded. If the Combined Fleet had any hope of still destroying both the Milishials and the World Union, they needed those support vessels.
"The enemy is now 100km out!" On the bridge of the Ras Algethi, Strike Group 1 was preparing to meet the Milishial air attack heading straight for them. Commander Kaonia was on the radio with Admiral Casar.
"Our luck's returned to us." The Eastern Fleet Commander told him. "The Milishials just sailed past the 3rd Submarine Fleet. They're moving in to attack now. Once we weather this air strike, we can regain the initiative." Aircraft weren't the only thing that could focus on capital ships; their submarines could too. The Gra Valkas Empire was going to make sure the Milishials had to go without air support just like them.
"Leave it to us." Commander Kanoia assured his superior. "They won't even get past us."
"I know." Caesar had faith in a man he'd promoted himself. Back on the Grade Atlaster, the frantic air was finally starting to dissipate. They'd successfully reorganized and they had the Milishial's location. They'd had to get it from their submarines instead of their scout planes; as far as they could reach, only two scout planes were even still airborne. But what mattered was that they had it, and now they could strike. Caesar was sure those submarines would deal a heavy blow.
The waiting was the worst part of combat. The Milishial planes only took 20 minutes to reach them, but that time felt like an hour. But eventually, they were upon them.
"Prepare for anti-air combat!" Commander Kanoia ordered.
"All batteries armed with anti-air shells!"
"All anti-aircraft autocannons and machine guns are ready to fire!" The crew of the Ras Algethi, and all the other ships, were ready.
Since the Milishials had no concept of torpedoes, their attack included no torpedo bombers. It was just their Elpacio 3 fighters, which quickly spread out in the empty sky above the fleet, and their Sigrant 2 and 3 multirole aircraft. The Sigrant aircraft line carried six magic machine guns and could carry two light magic bombs. Its inverted gull wing design allowed it to function as an effective enough ground and sea attack craft. Before the Gra Valkas had attacked the Leadership Conference, they'd attacked a Milishial fleet 500km southwest of the venue. Sigrant 2s from a Naval Air Station had been hastily dispatched to help, and they'd managed to moderately damage one of the Gra Valkas Orion-class battleships; these planes could fight.
Unfortunately, the Milishial's doctrine was lacking, given they'd never had to fight a peer nation before. The Sigrants all made straight for the center of Strike Force 1 where all the heavier warships were. As they descended, the 410mm and 356mm batteries on all five battleships fired numerous anti-air shells into the sky. These shells, equipped with a timer, exploded in mid air creating massive clouds of shrapnel that tore dozens of Sigrants apart. The planes that weren't soon came under fire by hundreds of proximity fuse equipped shells from 40mm anti-aircraft cannons on the battleships and their escorts. They tried to weave through the fire, but the volume was more intense than any of the Milishial pilots could have imagined. More and more started to be shot from the sky. Some panicked and dropped their bombs without properly aiming. Others stayed their course, and very few dropped their bombs at an optimal height.
From the bridge, Commander Kaonia watched the awe inspiring display of anti-aircraft fire block out the sky. In spite of it, some of the enemy still got through. They really are closer to us than any of the others. Wyverns would've never managed that. Explosions started sounding off, both from bombs and the shot down dive-bombers starting to hit the water. Kaonia waited with held breath to see if there were any that hit.
There was.
20 meters to starboard, a bomb exploded on the port side of an Orion-class battleship. The Ras Algethi's crews reported a bomb detonating in the sea barely 30m to their own port side. Radio operators reported another Hercules class behind them had a bomb detonate on the aft half, near the number 4 turret. They were assessing damages now. Other bombs exploded in the water all around them, throwing up columns of water. The wreckage of Milishial planes started landing afterwards as nothing more than twisted wrecks.
Commander Kaonia got to watch as one of those same wrecks landed directly on a heavy cruiser traveling in front of them. It must not have dropped its bombs before being shot down, because the explosion was particularly violent. The heavy cruiser rocked as flames spread all over its topside. The plane had been spiraling out of control; it was pure bad luck it landed where it did. For all the excellence of men and equipment, war could just go like that.
"Damn it!" Staff Officer Bartz swore when he saw it too. "I thought we could get through this without losing any more ships." That cruiser might not be combat worthy, but Kaonia didn't think it would sink. He a casualty report, and Bartz delivered it. "One heavy cruiser was incapacitated and two of our battleships sustained light damage. The enemy attack group had around 50 planes and it looks like they've taken 80% casualties."
"Second wave inbound!" The radar section warned. They weren't done yet.
Behind Strike Force 1, Caesar watched the flashes far in the distance; since this planet was bigger than their last, the horizon was much further away-from a battleship, they could see 50km out. Same tactics as the Japanese but far less effective. He thought internally. The Milishials were regarded as the largest and most powerful superpower. They were indeed both, but no one in the Gra Valkas Empire took the internationally recognized rankings of power seriously, since they outclassed all the so called 'Superpowers'.
Japan might be different. They were a transferred nation too. And just like the natives of this world had dramatically misjudged the Empire's power, they could've underestimated Japan too. The Empire was making the same mistake; Japanese aircraft had absurd performances and it seemed they had a secret method to incredible accuracy at sea and in the air. Would the same be true on land?
Caesar was still focused on the battle at hand. But when they got back to the mainland, he was going to impress his considerable influence on the Intelligence Bureau to find out more about Japan. He had a feeling the Empire's future depended on it.
The second wave of the Milishial attack came and went. Unlike the first group that had suicidally charged in and been victim to the anti-aircraft fire of the entire battlegroup, these ones only attacked the outside of the formation. They had some successes: three destroyers were hit, two badly enough they couldn't fight. In exchange, the Milishials still lost half their attacking force. The Combined Fleet wouldn't have taken any losses if they still had their carriers, but it was moot. They'd only lost 3 ships-a good result considering they had no air presence of their own.
Now it was time to strike back.
"The second attack group has finished. They report 3 ships hit and a loss of…29 planes!" Just like when he'd had to relay the first attack group losing 43 out of 56 aircraft, the communications officer needed a second to compose himself
"Even attacking the fringes on their formation, we still took 50% casualties?" Lettal Kauran unintentionally said the thought out loud. Their fighters hadn't encountered any enemy planes whatsoever; apparently the Japanese really had sunk all the enemy carriers. But the anti-aircraft fire the Gra Valkas ships put out was so intense it swatted their proud Floating Ships of the Heavens out of the sky at a rate that made it irrelevant. Each of the Milishial's six Rodeus-class aircraft carriers carried 56 aircraft split evenly between fighters and multipurpose aircraft. He'd sent out 112 Beta 2s and 3s- 2/3rds of their attack power- and only about a quarter returned.
These barbarians are powerful. He realized, feeling a pain in his gut. But…even if they are, we must overcome them! His resolution wasn't shaken.
"Should we order a second wave, sir?" A staff officer asked, although his voice was a bit hestitant.
"No." He answered. "We need to save some for when we reach Leifor." The Gra Valkas had built extensively in Leiforia, the former capital. They'd need multipurpose aircraft to bomb whatever was out of range of their battleships' guns when they got there. "It looks like the Japanese really did take care of their aircraft carriers, so we have control of the air. Keep some of our fighters above their fleet to watch them. We'll make this a decisive battle between our battleships!"
The Holy Milishial's naval doctrine was still based around big guns. The fact that their 0th Magic Fleet, their most elite and powerful and the one the Gra Valkas had sunk before attacking the Leadership Conference, had not had any aircraft carriers and had to rely on land based planes for aid, spoke to the fact. They didn't believe cruisers or battleships could be sunk by planes, only other cruisers and battleships. In another reality that concept would've been forcefully readjusted for them, but here Japan had spared them from the knowledge.
"What about those underwater ships the Japanese warned us about?" A staff officer asked. In the middle of the air attack, Captain Lerjen had sent another message, this one much more urgent. The Japanese, through their own methods, apparently learned the Gra Valkas were sending 'submarines' after the Milishial Combined Fleet. Another group was apparently being engaged right now west of the World Union Fleet. The Japanese had immediately moved to get a warning passed along to them.
"We're taking the precautions the Japanese themselves recommended." They'd been advised to watch for wakes in the water and to try and close in on the Gra Valkas fleet as fast as possible, since those submarines' weapons were unguided and the boats themselves were much slower than a surface warship. "We'll be fine." Although it irked him to be acting based on another's nation's instructions, he had little reason to doubt the Japanese, and all reason to actually be scared, although obviously he didn't show it.
The after action report of Cartalpas had mentioned underwater bombs, although only dropped by planes. The very concept struck a nerve in him and many of the other Milishial officers who'd read it. For fighting other ships, they had their magic cannons. For fighting aircraft, they had their magic anti-aircraft cannons. For ships that traveled underwater? Nothing. He wondered how the Japanese were fighting such a threat. When the battle was over, he'd have to ask them. But for now, his only intention was to outrun the underwater ships and reach the Gra Valkas fleet.
To the east, thirty two Gra Valkan submarines were on the prowl. The submarine Gliese was located roughly in the center of the formation. Its commander, Captain Endre, was the most experienced submarine skipper in the fleet and was acting as the field commander. The actual fleet commander couldn't be asked to leave his desk at Navy HQ in the capital Ragna. The whole fleet had surfaced and was traveling east at a steady 12 knots.
Captain Endre had opened the hatch and climbed on top to get a good view. The antenna had been raised so they could receive communications from the main fleet as needed. They'd update them on the position of the World Union if they could, but right now the 1st Submarine Fleet was trying to acquire them themselves. The horizon was a clear expanse of blue with nothing on it.
Here's to hoping they haven't passed us. Submarines, even surfaced, were unfortunately only slightly faster than the antique sailing ships of the World Union. It might take hours, even the whole day, to catch up with them if they couldn't head them off.
Shame we can't send out recon. Most of the 1st Submarine Fleet were regular attack boats, but they had three surprises in the form of the Empire's newest Cetus-class submarines. The super large submarines weren't just submarines-they each carried three seaplane variants of the Antaras fighter: the Acrux. It was an underwater aircraft carrier, making it easily the most lethal commerce raider in the Empire's history.
But there were Japanese ships traveling with the World Union, something capable of easily shooting down even the Empire's best aircraft. The modifications the Acrux received to be able to fit and launch from a submarine meant its performance was drastically subpar to the regular naval version of the Antaras, and even more so the land based version. It wasn't worth the risk.
But let's see you try and survive this. The Intelligence Bureau had no indication submarines or torpedoes existed in this world. That meant there were zero counter measures. And that meant, for the over 100 submarines in the Gra Valkas Imperial Navy (or at least the ones not stuck on colonial defense duties), the entire world ocean was their bathtub to play in. That made the feeling of successfully sneaking up on an enemy and sinking them even sweeter.
Suddenly, something did appear on the horizon. Captain Endre lifted his binoculars. Whatever it was, it was airborne. Birds? As he kept focus, the objects grew more and more. They were fast, and it was quickly apparent they were inorganic. Not good. Captain Endre quickly ordered the antenna lowered and scrambled back inside so the submarine could dive to periscope depth. Other submarines nearby started diving too. Even the ones that hadn't seen the incoming aircraft mimicked their fleet mates instead of wasting time asking questions. In less than a minute, all of them had hid back beneath the waves.
"Aircraft or wyverns?" His XO asked him inside the cramped and dimly lit metal shell.
"I don't know." The captain answered as he commandeered the periscope to look back outside. They were still heading directly for them. He felt a sense of unease. "They're coming from the northeast and will pass right over us. The Combined Fleet is still far to the north. The 3rd Submarine Fleet and Milishials are farther south. Why are they flying out here?"
Both men were aware that surfaced submarines could be detected by radar, although it was extremely difficult for either their surface radar or the radar of their old rival Kain. But they weren't aware of any nation that used radar. If one did, surely it wouldn't be strong enough to pick their submarines up? But there were a lot of submarines, and all it would take was one echo on the radar… But if they were just scouts, then they should be okay. They didn't have to worry unless an enemy destroyer with depth charges appeared, and it was even more unlikely the enemy possessed those.
The aircraft were even closer now and showed signs of decreasing their speed. "It's three aircraft, but…" Captain Endre trailed off while he tried to fathom what he was seeing. Few people in the Gra Valkas Empire had any concept of rotorcraft, and submariners were by far one of the groups of people least likely to know. One started to rotate, showing its side and something the captain could describe. "Red circle insignia. Japanese aircraft. They're…stationary in the air." He muttered in disbelief. The three aircraft had come to a stop in the sky, less than 100 meters above the water. The sea churned beneath them. Then, the one that had turned sideways suddenly dropped something into the water. Pure survival instinct suddenly kicked in. "Dive, dive, dive!" He ordered. Every submariner knew of only one thing that got dropped in the sea: depth charges.
It must be an aircraft designed for anti-submarine warfare. He realized. Hypothetically, depth charges could be attached to planes. But planes moved so fast and had no method of detecting submarines that the concept might as well be impractical. But if an aircraft could hover in the air, however it pulled that off, then it could drop depth charges with the same precision as a destroyer. They must've picked the submarines up on radar and sent those things to drop depth charges in the area. He doubted they knew what depth to set their charges too; the fleet should be mostly safe. But I'll have to report this immediately. If Japan had depth charges and aircraft designed specifically for anti-submarine warfare, then they would undoubtedly have their own submarines. This would dramatically affect military strategy going forward.
Ping
"Grk!" Every man's blood suddenly ran cold.
"Can't be…" The XO denied reality.
Ping
"Japan has sonar…" Captain Endre wasn't so quick to dismiss reality. Sonar was a recent invention in the Imperial Navy; less than a fifth of their destroyers had been refitted with it. But from an aircraft? He hadn't actually gotten a good look at whatever the Japanese aircraft had dropped. The most rational thing he could come up with is that it was an emitter, and maybe it was attached to a cable that sent the information into the aircraft. Hiding was going to be even harder if the enemy had sonar.
Then, many meters deep below the surface of the ocean, Captain Endre felt an unmistakable ratting in his bones. The sound was faint, if he heard it at all and it simply wasn't his imagination filling in the blanks.
"Explosion in the water!" The hydrophone operator shouted. "Sounds of…decompression." He finished darkly. The man had just heard one of the most horrible sounds ever: of a steel tube being torn apart along with dozens of men.
Topside, the JMSDF helicopters watched the surface of the water for debris to rise up. The mushroom cloud of water was dissipating, leaving only the foamy surface of the sea visible.
"Metallic debris confirmed. That's a kill!" One of the Seahawk pilots radioed the squadron.
"Enemy fleet is scattering." They had to wait for the water to settle again before they could get accurate reading from the sonobuoy they'd dropped. Aside from rapidly diving, the pack was scattering north and south, trying to create as much distance as they could. They focused in on the closest one, barely 50m below the surface.
"Dropping." The torpedo dropped from the pylon into the sea and started accelerating towards its target. Moments later, the sea erupted in another spray. Even more seconds ticked by. "Debris confirmed." The Japanese repeated this process twice more, eventually confirming 4 sunk submarines. The rest of the pack was scattering in all directions. It would make them a bit harder to get, but it would delay them reaching the World Union's fleet. That was fine; the MSDF intended to sink them all before that anyway. The helicopters flew back to Escort Squadron 6 to rearm and refuel.
It was a while before any of the Gra Valkas submarines surfaced again. Every captain was behind the hydrophone operator's shoulder, anxious for any impending attack. After 20 minutes, some risked surfacing to periscope depth. The skies were clear. Captain Endre ordered them to surface and to immediately raise the antenna so he could report to the Combined Fleet. While that happened, he relayed a thought he'd had during those tense minutes to his XO.
"Those anti-submarine craft were a lot slower than planes. Our Acrux could probably defend against them. Once we re-establish contact with one of our Cetus-class submarines, we'll launch the seaplanes to provide overwatch for the rest of the fleet."
"Sir, the antenna is up." A sailor reported. The captain steeled himself to deliver the bad news.
"So it was a Gra Valkas submarine near Okinawa." The realization wasn't surprising, but at least they had proof now. The acoustic signatures were virtually identical. "So then what are these?" Captain Tamuramaro wondered out loud. Most of the submarines were identical to the one sunk near Okinawa, but three of them had a drastically different acoustic signature. Between that and the radar blips, it was apparent they were far larger than the others. "Cruiser submarines?"
"Cruiser submarine, supply submarine. Maybe an aircraft carrier submarine." XO Nakashima listed all the possibilities. "The first two make the most sense; we are far from their territory. Seaplane carriers don't since they have regular fleet aircraft doing scouting."
The XO was proven wrong though. Several minutes after the MSDF's helicopters landed and were being rearmed and refueled, they noticed aerial blips suddenly originating above the now surfaced submarine fleet. Three in total within a five-minute window, each originating from one of the large radar contacts. "Hm." It was dangerous to assume, after all. "Should we engage with the SM-2s?" They were close enough for the Kirishima's long-range missiles.
"We'll use that as a fallback option." Captain Tamuramaro decided. "First, I'm going to ask the Milishials if they can send fighters on overwatch." His XO looked at him quizzingly, so he explained. "If we use anti-air missiles, it'll likely get reported back to the main fleet and maybe even their homeland before they can all be wiped out. Right now, they don't know about those. Best to keep it a secret for as long as possible. It saves the taxpayers money too." That may have been a joke. "Besides, having air cover is better than just shooting down every aerial contact that appears. And I think they'll do it, just out of curiosity. They sounded very concerned about the submarines when we warned them."
"Those are good reasons. As long as they don't accidentally shoot our helicopters down, it could work." Nakashima conceded.
"Yes…as long as." Tamuramaro acknowledged, showing that even he considered that a risk. But evidently, he decided that was low enough risk to try. "Lieutenant Degarmo, get us into contact with Captain Lerjen again, please."
Contacting the Milishial Local Fleet and contacting the Milishial Main Fleet through them was a game of telephone, especially when the Japanese stressed things several times to make any potential accidents less likely. It took a while, long enough that the helicopters were rearmed, refueled, and waiting for the order to take off again.
And while all that was going on, alarm spread onboard the Teruzuki at the rear of the formation when the radar detected something new to the south. It was very shortly that all four MSDF ships picked up the same thing: An enormous unidentified flying object.