The staff officers of the Island Nation Navy's Combined Fleet spent a full day perfecting this operational plan. When Chief of Staff Major General Takahashi Ibo handed it to Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, Yamamoto nodded in satisfaction. He was undoubtedly very pleased with the plan. If everything went smoothly, the chances of success were high.
The Island Nation had never feared staking everything on a gamble. They had done so many times throughout their history, and every time, they had succeeded. This time, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto clearly intended to follow in the footsteps of his predecessors, Itō Yūkō and Tōgō Heihachirō, and make one desperate throw of the dice. He hoped to win as they had.
This decisive battle between the Island Nation Navy's Combined Fleet and the German Navy's Pacific Fleet and Indian Ocean Fleet had already become a battle that would determine the Island Nation's fate.
"Very good. The operational plan is complete. Gentlemen, take a look. If you have any objections, raise them now," Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto said.
The Combined Fleet's senior commanders began reading through the plan. Even Lieutenant General Yoshida Zengo studied it intently. Though he had proposed the plan, he had only put forward the general idea. The operational staff still had to work out the details.
It was already February 2, and the Combined Fleet remained in the Philippine Sea. After the German Navy's base in the Mariana Islands had been cleared out, these waters were still quite safe. More importantly, the Island Nation Navy's Combined Fleet could obtain intelligence from the Americans, which placed them at an even greater advantage.
After the commanders finished reading the operational plan, they offered revisions according to their own ideas. After careful consideration, Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto adopted some of them, further refining the plan and increasing its