The plan called for 24 P1Y Ginga bombers, five Kawanishi H8K flying boats for weather reconnaissance and guidance, and three submarines in support roles. The account is unclear about how many of the flying boats joined the main formation. Avoiding equatorial storms lengthened the route and consumed fuel before the aircraft reached Ulithi. A kamikaze aircraft's remaining fuel contributed to its impact, so the long route reduced both range margin and destructive effect. An unsuspecting anchorage would be no more alert against 240 or 480 aircraft than against 24. Japan needed to concentrate enough striking power to matter or abandon the raid. Against the fleet at Ulithi, 24 aircraft were neither a viable mass attack nor a force worth sacrificing in isolation.
Chapter · 25:00-30:55
Tan No. 2's strike plan had no fuel margin
The planned 24 Ginga kamikaze strike depended on a long weather-avoidance route that made fuel itself part of the weapon's shortfall.