Attack of the Greyhounds

by H. Nelson Freeman

“That’s him.”

  “Very well, you’re the Captain, and it’s well within your authority to train him as you feel fit. However, he will still have to be vetted and approved before he takes on the XO’s duties. The one exception is the loss of your current XO in combat; then, under your authority, he can assume an interim assignment as XO.”

  “Understood, sir.”

  “Tread lightly Norwood, or we could both be in the tank.”

  “Neither of us needs that, sir.”

  The Squadron Commander rose, ending the meeting. They shook hands, and the Commander said, “Have a safe voyage, Captain, and I’ll be looking forward to your after-action reports.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  The next day the Captain and XO traveled to the force command’s light cruiser by boat. Captain Berkley Appleton and his Executive Officer, Commander Barrett Belmont of His Majesties Royal Australian Navy, greeted the Americans as they climbed aboard and rendered salutes to the Australian colors and OOD and the Captain.

  “Please, follow me to the wardroom, the other ships officers will join us shortly.” Then he turned and headed for the wardroom with the Americans marching behind him like new ensigns.

  In the Wardroom, the men were served tea and pastries. “Gentlemen. If you prefer, we do have some coffee aboard.”

  “Not at all, sir, the tea is a welcomed change.” Captain Tyson responded.

  Five minutes later, the ship’s 1MC blared out the arrival of two more sets of officers, one of which was Captain Gilford and his XO. The other two officers were from a four-piper destroyer of late World War I design, the USS Nivins. Lieutenant Commander Oran Lee introduced his XO, David Rehnquist, and himself to the seated officers. Everyone noted the deep southern drawl of his voice.

  Lieutenant McGuire asked, “You aren’t related to General Lee, are you?”

  “I am sir, and although there are those who insist the war isn’t over, we are all fighting on the same side, and I, for one, am honored to be here.”

  The Australian Captain said, “Good, I hoped we wouldn’t be fighting your civil war out here. May I ask, sir, where are you from?”

  “Alabama, sir.”

  “Well, Commander Lee from Alabama. I look forward to sailing and going into harm's way with you.”

  “Go, Bama, sir.” The Southerner said with a smile.

  After a good laugh, the Captain became serious as he began to outline their mission.

  “There is information that a Japanese force of at least one, if not two cruisers, a bevy of destroyers and three cargo and one troopship are believed to be headed for Brunei Bay on the northwest shore of Borneo. The alternative landing site is Singapore on Malaysia eight-hundred-twenty-five miles to the southwest.”

  “Our intel is quite thin, and we have no idea where they may land. We’re going to have to take it one step at a time. Commander Tyson, your three ships have radar, do they not?”

  “Sir, the HALLIS and AGAR do.”

  Lee spoke up, “Sir, at this time, our ship is not equipped with radar, hopefully, before too long that will be rectified.”

  “We have all seen the results of going in blind, can you suggest the best use of your instrument?”

  Tyson turned to Gilmore and Lee, and they talked about their possible coverage. Lee suggested Tyson take the lead, about five to ten miles in front of the main force as a tripwire. Gilmore at the head of the task force, with Lee taking up the rear to ensure they aren’t boxed in. He also suggested a staggered formation instead of the conventional column.

  The Australian Captain looked at Lee and asked, “Why stagger the ships? If we have the opportunity to cross an enemy's T, the staggered formation wouldn’t be able to bring our firepower to bear with force.

  “True, but consider this, the Japanese were our allies in World War I, and are very familiar with our tactics. Think about how they devastated a superior force with torpedoes and gunfire when our ships were in a single file. A staggered formation will throw off their pre-planning. Also, a staggered force can split into two potent forces and put them in a pincher, thus dividing their firepower between two forces.”

  The Captain rolled the suggestion and ramifications around in his head. ‘The Commander’s word has merit,’ he thought to himself. ‘We will have two cruisers and enough destroyers to allow three to each cruiser. They would be a force to be reckoned with, in the pincher scenario.’

  “Commander Lee, your argument has merit, I will bring this up with the Commanding Officer of our sister cruiser, and I believe he has similar ideas, Draw your ideas and put together a movement plan, and we will see where it goes.”

  “Aye, sir, and thank you for listening to it.”

  “You’re welcome; Now, I must be about preparing my ship, we get underway at zero-two-thirty for Darwin, where we will rendezvous with the other ships. Before we sortie, we will top off fuel and supplies, please have your list of needs when we arrive, and they will be delivered. Oil lighters will be available to refuel the ships. The petty officer at the door will take you to the quarterdeck.”

  All the officers jumped to attention at the departure of the senior officer. Then they fell in behind the petty officer. At the bottom of the ladder, the six men had last words about meeting again before getting underway but decided there was insufficient time.

  While en route to the ship, the Captain said, “XO, have Mr. Lanner by your side for getting underway, if he is ready, give him some experience.”

  “You getting that intuition feeling again?”

  “Something like that, and I don’t like it one bit.”

  CHAPTER ELEVEN

  Three days after leaving Vanuatu, the Australian light cruiser and three American destroyers joined another force at the Diamond Islets. The force, now doubled with two light cruisers, and seven destroyers, headed for Darwin, a short two days away.

  While anchored in Darwin Harbor, the two senior officers from each ship mustered with the force captain, including the officers from the newly acquired warships from the Australian Navy. Captain Appleton set the steaming rules for the mission. They will be in two columns; spacing will be one thousand meters between columns and five hundred meters between ships in each column. The positions are as follows:

  USS AGAR(CE) is the point, five kilometers in front of the force.

  Port column lead is HMRANS KENDAL(RT), followed by HMRANS XANDER(MB), followed by HMRANS NEVILLE (YC).

  Starboard Column lead is HMARANS JASPER(DE), followed by HMRANS AARON(FN), followed by HMRANS JUDICIAL(XD).

  USS HALLIS(OB) is center between AARON AND XANDER with five hundred meters between ships. USS NIVINS(XC) is center five hundred meters behind USS HALLIS.

  You all have a copy of the positions and their diagrams.

  Captain Appleton’s XO briefed the assembly of commanders, “Gentlemen, I am Commander Barrett; I will be your point of contact for this task force. In regard to between ship's communications, only the last two letters of our call signs will be used, stay alert. Here are the lot, please make a note of them; HALLIS OB, AGAR CE, JASPER DE, KANDLE RT, NEVILLE YC, JUDICIAL XD, NIVINS (XC), CRUISER XANDER MB, and the Command Vessel; Cruiser AARON FN.”

  “Commander Tyson, I understand you have had good results in evading submarine torpedoes, please fill us in on your technique.”

  “Sir, we rely on our sound technicians. They can pick up the sound of the high-speed torpedo screws up to two miles away. We do not know why the Japanese torpedoes do not develop awake, but they are quite large, and at times will broach, and our lookouts see them. Upon their report, we immediately turn onto the course the torpedo is inbound from, we use our screws as well as the rudder to turn as sharp as possible, and we have been able to dodge most of the torpedoes. It’s the slower and less maneuverable cargo ships that don’t always make it. Still, we have been able to save more with that maneuver than before.”

  “How do you report the presence of the torpedoes?”

  “We immediately cal
l out on the TBS frequency the course of the torpedoes and to make an emergency turn to port or starboard, and to turn into the course, whichever is appropriate.”

  “A sound plan, gentlemen, we will implement this maneuver in the event we are fired upon by any torpedoes. We have lost too many ships to enemy torpedoes, pray we can complete our mission without a loss.”

  “Our latest information remains vague. The enemy convoy of troops and supply ships with their escorts are still a sea, believed to be somewhere in the South China Sea. We will put to sea at twenty-hundred hours, and transit to the east of Bali and work our way in single file into the bottom of the South China Sea where we will commence our search for the enemy units.”

  Once we enter the South China Sea, we will maintain the two columns, with AGAR ten miles in the forefront as before. Our transit speed will be Twenty knots; when we enter the South China Sea, we will drop to fifteen knots. Have your lookouts sharpen their spotting and reporting techniques. We can expect the probability of enemy submarines at any time. Are there any questions?”

  The briefing ended on that note, and every one rose as the Captain, and Commander Belmont departed.

  “XO, make all preparations to get the ship underway at twenty-hundred.”

  “Aye, sir,” the XO left the wardroom with Mr. Lanner. “Mr. Lanner, you heard the Captain, carry out his orders.”

  “Aye, sir,” Lanner checked his watch, then headed for the bridge, upon arrival, he called the OOD on the quarterdeck, “OOD, we will be getting underway at twenty-hundred, inform the First Lieutenant and the Chief Engineer.”

  With the plant still in full operation and split fore and aft, the spaces were busy setting up new underway watch bills. The first Lieutenant brought his junior officers together and gave them their marching orders. All over the ship, senior petty officers supervised the preparations required to get underway. By nineteen-fifteen, the crew was standing by their stations while the quarter-deck was secured and the OOD shifted his watch to the bridge. At nineteen-thirty, the Bo’ sun sounded attention on the 1MC, “Now set the Special Sea and Anchor Detail.”

  At twenty-hundred, the ship got underway, following the AGAR at five hundred yards. Once past the mouth of Port Darwin, the ships formed up according to the pre-sailing plans. The AGAR took up the lead, with HALLIS a thousand yards behind. Those ships with cruising turbines engaged them for added efficiency. The task force set a course of two-seven-five on an irregular zig-zag movement.

  Two hours later, the force commander ordered an unexpected change in course to three-five-seven. “I wonder what this is all about?” the OOD asked.

  “Hard telling,” answered the Captain, “could be a move to thwart any reports of spies or even an intelligence-gathering sub. If that took place, whatever they send out looking for us will only find empty ocean. Remind the lookouts to keep a sharp eye out.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  The task force entered the Banda Sea another three-hundred miles later, passing by Timor and Pulau Romang islands. An hour later, the force was in the Flores Sea and turned to two-nine-three degrees for two days. That put them at the bottom of the South China Sea, Two-hundred-fifty miles from one of the Pearls of the far-flung Northern Hemisphere, Singapore.

  A short message wired to all the task force vessels:

  From: Task Force Commander

  We are now in enemy-controlled waters, expect contact with patrols and the convoy, for which we are searching.

  Set your watches accordingly. Lead ships report all contacts. Reduce speed to fifteen.

  BA sends.

  “Talker, to radar and sound, keep a sharp eye out for any contacts and report same immediately.”

  Both sensor centers responded.

  The crews of the nine ships hunkered down for a long, tedious search.

  Two hours later, “Bridge, sound, can we slow a couple of knots? I’m picking up man-made sounds of light hammering, at one-one-zero degrees, unknown distance.”

  “Keep on it.”

  The TBS radio lit up, “RT has sound contact at one-one-zero degrees. Possible unknown vessel within two miles.”

  “FN copies, you are free to interrogate,” the command ship answered.

  “Talker, check with radar, they should have something.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  “Lookouts, possible contact to starboard, one of our escorts is checking it out, report anything seen.”

  “Sir,” the talker called out, “radar now reports a surface contact at zero-eight-five degrees, distance under two miles, and about half a mile in front of a ship closing on the unknown.”

  The Captain went to the TBS radio, “RT, OB, he’s half a mile in front of you.”

  “RT copies.”

  ****

  On the KENDAL, Lieutenant Commander Thomas Michaels acknowledged the radar report on the TBS. “OOD, five degrees port and engage the target with the searchlight. Have main battery train five degrees to starboard for possible submarine action.”

  “Aye, sir,” the OOD had the talker passing the orders as the ship heeled slightly to port. The whine of hydraulics signaled the turning of the forward four-point-seven-inch, twin-gun mounts coming to bear, their breeches locked and loaded with fifty pound high explosive shells.

  The bright finger of the searchlight stabbed through the black night. A quick sweep across the water revealed the low silhouette of a black-painted submarine half a mile off the starboard bow.

  Captain Michaels immediately called out, “Commence, commence, commence.” The two forward twin-barreled four-point-seven guns blasted the stillness of the night sea with sharp reports. The fifty-pound shells shot out of the barrels at two-thousand-six-hundred feet per second. A second later, four splashes leaped into the air around the submarine.

  Sprays of water and air began screaming from both the bow and stern areas where the diving vents slammed open. Before the submarine could begin to settle into the black water, a second volley slammed into the hapless submarine. Shells penetrated the bow, beneath the conning tower, after of the conning tower and into the engine room. The steel hull of the submarine peeled open at the four spots where the shells exploded in the hull.

  Seconds later, she rolled over and plunged beneath the inky waters. A follow-up search of the debris field turned up several pieces of flotsam and three body parts. The writing on the flotsam was Japanese, but no identification of the unit could be established.

  The American ship, the ABRAMSON was dispatched to assist the KENDAL, and arrived in time to confirm the sinking. The two destroyers returned to the task force and reported the sinking.

  AGAR continued to lead the task force northeastward deeper into the South China Sea, with Borneo off to the east. The ship’s radar was able to pick up a sliver of return from the distant mountain tops.

  Several hours later, radar called the bridge, “Bridge, radar; we’re picking up returns from two, possibly three ships thirty miles northeast. Bearing zero-six-one degrees, course one-three-eight, speed fifteen knots.” The talker relayed the report to the OOD.

  The Captain nodded his acknowledgment, then said, “Have radio send it to the HMAS AARON. Bring the ship back to full condition one.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  The hustle and bustle of men complying with the call to arms could be heard throughout the vessel. Three minutes later, the ship reported manned and ready.

  “OOD, have sound keep a sharp ear out for high-speed torpedo screws, their bearing is the most important piece of information.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  “Bridge, radar, those three ships are bearing zero-eight-seven degrees, now at twenty-two-miles.”

  “OOD, sound standby for surface action dead ahead, three destroyers, and get radio in here, now. Secure the cruising turbines and light off superheaters, all ahead flank; we need to close AGAR as soon as possible.”

  The radio messenger arrived in under a minute. “What can I do for you, sir?”

  “Tak
e this message, marked urgent. Three ships, suspected IJN destroyers at two degrees thirty-nine feet, one-nine-point-one-five inches North by one-zero-nine degrees forty-seven feet, zero-seven-point-three-four East. Distance twenty-two miles, course two-six-one degrees, contact is considered unavoidable, am preparing to engage. Get it off immediately.”

  “Aye, sir,” and he was gone.

  In Main Control, Ensign Banner asked the new Chief Engineer, “Have you heard what’s going on? The phones to the bridge are red-hot.”

  Banner called all the spaces on the IC box, “All spaces, prepare for extreme maneuvers, looks like after we turned north into the South China Sea, and we’ve run into a trio of Japanese cans.”

  The throttleman jumped. “Secure the cruising turbine, light off superheaters, going to flank.” The engine room crew sprang into action, each knowing what they had to do.

  The Forced Draft blowers spooled up, and the turbines began to sing to the growl of the reduction gears. Behind the ship, a rooster tail started to grow, and in a minute, it was several feet above the fantail deck.

  On the bridge, the TBS lit off, “OB, CE, need immediate assistance. We are facing a Mutsuki and two Momi DD’s. We are about to engage.”

  The Captain responded, “Already at flank, can you double back to close distance?”

  “Doubling back now; see your smoke.”

  When you get close, turn to your port, and we will force them into taking us on from two directions.”

  “Roger that.”

  “OOD, have Gunnery prepare to go up against three IJN DD’s.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  The talker called out, “Sir, Main Control says steam and superheat ready for battle and all bells.”

  “Acknowledged.” He turned toward the Captain, who nodded approval.

  “Talker,” called out the Captain, “call secondary control and have Mr. Lanner report to the bridge immediately.”

  The youngster acknowledged and called secondary control. Two minutes later, Lanner requested permission to enter the crowded bridge. “Mr. Lanner reporting as ordered, sir.”