The Captain smiled, then crawled tiredly into his chair on the starboard side of the bridge.
“Mr. Hamilton, keep close contact with radar, I want to know the instant any ship trips our radar.”
“Yes, sir,” a few seconds later, the young officer said, “The area is still clear.”
“It won’t be the second we have to open fire, something I’m hoping to avoid.”
“Yes, sir,” was all he could say.
Bridge, radio,” the IC squawked. “The boats are trying to retrieve the commandoes, but they are all under fire from enemy troops closing in on them.’
“Have Lieutenant York coordinate support fire from there, that’s why he is aboard.”
“Aye, sir.”
“Bridge, radio, standby for gunfire.”
“Bo’ sun, 1MC, fast.” The Captain was on his feet, “All hands stand clear of the main battery.”
No sooner, the warning went out, and the night was shaken by the sharp blast from the four main battery five-inch guns. There was little, if any, flash from the flashless powder. The fifty-four-pound, high explosive shells screamed toward their target at twenty-six-hundred-feet per second. The ground and trees just beyond the water’s edge leaped into the air, accompanied by a dull orange flash and another crack of thunder.
A five-round volley from each gun landed twenty shells, which covered an area of a soccer field. Nobody within that area survived.
Three rounds landed too close to the boarding party, wounding three additional soldiers and two sailors in the boats. Fortunately, none were life-threatening.
The OOD took advantage of the quiet after the volley to call radar. He turned toward the Captain; his eyes were wide as saucers. “Sir, radar reports several contacts, bearing zero-four-two degrees, range forty-two miles and closing at thirty knots or more.”
The Captain grabbed the IC and called Fire Control, “Make preparations for a surface engagement bearing zero-four-two degrees.” Chris reached for the TBS, “Dale, this is Chris, does your radar see the ships to the northeast?”
“We have them,” the calm voice came back, helping Chris.
“The boats will be back in a couple of minutes, get everyone aboard and shove off at maximum speed to our destination. We are doing the same, and abandon the boats, we don’t have time recovering them.”
“Copy.” It is all he got for an answer.
“Captain,” the talker called out. “The boats are coming alongside now.”
“Tell the boat details to get everyone aboard and notify us immediately. They are to abandon the boats and secure the davits.”
“Aye, sir,” the young sailor began passing the word with the Captain's completion of the order.
Five minutes later, “Everyone is aboard, sir.”
Captain Lanner turned to the Helm, “All ahead two thirds, course three-five-one.” Two minutes later, he called out, “All ahead flank, maximum RPMs.” He pulled the IC phone from its rack and flipped the switch to Main Control.
“Ensign Banner, sir.”
“Doug, are those safeties still lashed down?”
“I never said this, but yes, sir.”
“Good, get everything wide open, we’re in a race of our lives.”
“Aye, sir, going to max.”
“I never heard a thing. Good luck.”
The new ensign filled in the Engineering Officer. He asked, “Why didn’t he ask me directly?”
“Sir, it’s not a slap at you. The Captain and I go back a long way. We had worked these waters before and lost a lot of good men and friends. Had it been under normal circumstances, I’m sure he would have called you. He’s under a lot of pressure, and I would suspect he needed to hear a familiar voice.”
“I understand. Having been aboard a short time and coming from a four-hundred-fifty-pound system, it makes sense. Just keep me in the loop.”
“Aye, sir, I will.”
“Now, that being said, what are you not telling me?”
“Sir, it's better you didn’t know, let us take any heat.”
“No Ensign, I’m in, just like you and the Captain, up to my ears. Let’s have it.”
“Sir…”
“Tell me, last time I ask.”
“The safeties have been tied down.”
“WHAT? That’s a safety violation; it keeps the boilers from blowing up.”
“I said you didn’t want to know.”
“How much will that give us?”
The last time we were here, we turned almost thirty-nine-knots.”
“No problems?”
“None.”
“Okay, let’s get this ship up to max speed, thirty-nine-knots.” A smile twisted up the corners of his mouth.
Ensign Douglas Banner shook his head, thinking, Am ‘I’m as crazy as the Captain and the Engineering Officer? The worst that could happen is to break down and get blasted to pieces. Or survive and get court marshaled. The best is to tell nobody, survive, and live out our lives.’
Half an hour later, the ship was skipping across the small swells. Behind the ship, the raging rooster tail fell off into a mile-long wake, its broiling waters glowing with the illumination of the bioluminescence of sea life. “Mr. Hamilton, call down and check with the pit log,” said the Captain.
“Sir, the pit log shows were at thirty-six knots and slowly climbing.”
“Thank you. Let’s get a check on the bad guys.”
A few seconds after the inquiry, the IC box called, “Bridge, radar, we’re holding six contacts bearing zero-six-five degrees, at twenty-seven-miles, speed thirty-five knots.”
“Helm, come to three-zero-zero-true with a five-degree left rudder. Watch the clinometer, increase the turn if you can.”
“Aye, sir.” The Helmsman, Quartermaster third-class Joel Kemptford eyed the instrument attached to the centerline of the ship. The HALLIS leaned to starboard as the rudder bit into the sea. The clinometer showed he had more room to work with, and Kemptford increased the rudder angle to eight degrees. The weighted pointer on the instrument indicated a twenty-five degree lean.
The AGAR held her position in echelon to the starboard. The two Gleaves were beginning to slowly open the distance between them and the pursuing Japanese destroyers. The pit log on HALLIS showed thirty-eight point four knots, a galloping forty-one miles an hour.
In Engineering, the men watched the gauges, intense concentration on their faces. The boilers, turbines, and reduction gears showed no signs of undue stress, much to the crew’s delight.
“Bridge, radar, we are picking up a second group of four contacts; bearing three-two-eight degrees, course one-five-zero, range twenty-six miles, speed thirty-five knots.”
“Helm, right five degrees, bring us to five miles off the coastline, and follow it until I say otherwise.”
The OOD looked at the captain with questions in his eyes. The Captain said, “I know it will restrict any turns to port, but hopefully we will meld into the landmass backdrop. The other factor is, it closes one route for them to attack us. And if we have to abandon the ship, we can shorten the distance to land.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Mr. Hamilton, check on our pursuers if you will?”
Aye, sir.”
Seconds later, “Sir, the three destroyers are at nineteen miles, maintaining a slightly higher speed than we are currently running.”
“Can you can you ballpark they’re getting into range, say twelve miles?”
“Standby, please…Bridge, radar, forty to forty-five minutes should do it, sir.”
“Bridge, aye.”
Captain Lanner grabbed the handphone set to the IC box and flipped the intercom to Fire Control. The duty officer answered, “This is the Captain, those Japanese cans that are closing will in all likelihood have our range in about forty-five minutes. When they fire their first round, we’re going to go into some heavy maneuvers to keep them from zeroing in on us. Can you drop some shells on them when they come into our range?”<
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“Sir, we have been training on them ever since they came on our radar. If they don’t dodge and weave too much, we should be able to break a few of their eggs.”
“When you’re ready, you are cleared to fire as you need.”
“Aye, sir, Fire Control out.”
“OOD, did you hear what I said?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Make sure everyone is ready.”
“Aye, sir, but there is nobody to shake out. Every station is manned, and these guys want blood, they’re tired of taking, they want to dish it out.”
“Sounds like we have a bunch of pirates.”
“Arg, we do, sir.”
A thought flashed across Chris’ mind, ‘Now I know what our stack is going to get, a pirate and crossbones. Now all I have to do is find the regs and figure out the best way to present it.’
A glance at the bridge clock showed time was running out. Captain Lanner picked up his binoculars and walked onto the starboard wing. He took a quick look at the new day; then, he set his gaze aft toward the three ships now within visual range. The binoculars brought their picture in much better. They were an unidentified class of destroyers. Not the Japanese first lines cans, but their armament showed they would be effective and fast.
Walking back onto the bridge, he announced, “I don’t know how those ships caught up to us, they aren't dogs; they’re fast, and I’ll bet they can be wicked in a scrap.”
The port lookout called in, “Shots fired, standby for incoming.”
“Helm, left ten degrees, maintain speed.”
Captain Lanner grabbed the IC phone and once again flipped the radar switch. “Give me a picture of all ships on your scope.”
“Sir, we’re tracking the immediate threat, they’re at fifteen miles and closing. There is another group of possible six ships, with one being larger. Indications are five cans and a cruiser at thirty miles astern, bearing three-five-two, course one-five-five, speed thirty-three-knots. They just cleared Karimata Strait.”
“Very well, keep your eyes on them.”
“Helm, five degrees right on your rudder, move toward the coastline as we did earlier to cut off pinching us.”
“The IC from Operations sounded, and the OOD grabbed it. “Sir, the XO.”
“Captain,” Chris said.
“Sir, I would be remised if I didn’t bring your tactic into question. By moving close to the coastline, we lose half our maneuvering room.”
“You’re correct, I was planning on using our camouflaged painting to reduce our visibility.”
“Yes sir, it worked once, but as you have said, the Japanese are expert seaman, and I doubt we would succeed a second time.”
“Thanks, XO, you earned your pay today,” the line was broken. “Helm, belay that last order, take us into deeper water and commence zigzagging at will; change the timing and degree to keep their gunners from getting a solid bead on us.”
“Yes sir,” then Quartermaster Third Class Kemptford began unplanned zigs and zags, per the Captain’s orders, while moving the ship into deeper water.
The first four rounds from the in-line formation of enemy ships fell wide to their port quarter.
“Bridge, Fire Control, the enemy has entered our maximum range; we are opening fire per your orders.”
“Bridge aye,” answered the talker. He informed the OOD and Captain as the ships after main batteries opened fire. The gun blasts were not as harsh with the fifty-three and fifty-four mounts at the stern of the ship.
As usual, the first rounds failed to hit a ship, but they were valuable for ranging, and the computed corrections made adjustments in the angle and elevation of the guns. Again, the stern quaked with the double blast.
At the same time, the stern guns on the AGAR erupted with smoke and a ball of fire sending their fifty-four-pound shells toward the Japanese ships.
One of AGAR’s shells struck the second enemy destroyer in line. A ball of fire and smoke erupted from behind the second stack, blowing the starboard boat into shards and splinters, then starting a fire in the torpedo tubes mounted there. Each of the three torpedoes come with a thousand-twenty-nine pounds of high explosive in its warhead.
The fire spiked the temperature inside a minute, and the starboard torpedo’s warhead exploded in a thunderclap that shook all five of the ships in the battle. The follow-on group of ships took notice of the blast, causing the force commander, Captain Ito Yamasaki, to call for an inquiry.
Seconds later, the leader of the three-ship attack force radioed back, “Our second ship suffered a hit by surface fire, apparently setting fire to one of the after torpedoes, which exploded.”
An eye-blink later, the blast was repeated as it detonated the adjacent two torpedoes, unleashing over a ton and a half of high explosives, which acted like a knife, cleaving the destroyer in two.
Anger and determination for retribution for the spilled blood enraged the officers and crew of the remaining two destroyers. They drew closer, drawing a more defined bead on the two Americans.
Captain Lanner grabbed the TBS handset, AGAR, HALLIS, let’s give them a present of torpedoes.”
“Roger that, I just thought it’s a natural set up.”
“Good, Christmas may be over, but we can send our presents as a belated gift for Pearl.”
“Outstanding” was the only answer.
The bridge crew crowded the port wing, mouths agape at the blazing inferno that engulfed both parts of the enemy destroyer, which now floated apart. The sea extinguished the raging fire that was consuming the after section, which had turned turtle, exposing the slowly turning propellers.
The forward section continued to float with no power, making it almost nonlethal. The crew aboard the shattered section were hurriedly abandoning the remains of the ship to avoid being taken down by her suction when she sunk.
Captain Lanner looked at the two remaining enemy ships. It was clear they were setting up a torpedo attack of their own, ruining his plans. Chris called his friend on the AGAR, “Dale, Forget the torpedo launch, they have beaten us to the punch, prepare to dodge their fish, but keep firing.”
A double click signaled the receipt of his message.
“What about a sudden slow-down as they launch, that would put their fish out in front of us.” Joiner’s voice came from the phone.
“We have used that before; do you think the tactic will work again?”
“We used it with subs and planes; these guys probably have no idea it worked.”
“It’s worth a chance, as soon as they launch we’ll do an emergency back down long enough for the fish to pass ahead of us.”
“Any idea on how we deal with the two cans left?” Captain Lanner asked.
“Sir, you’re the SOPA,” Joiner said.
“They have four of their five-inch main batteries facing aft; they can hurt us once they get the range.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“Maybe, it will require coordination. After a ten-second backdown, we head directly head-on like a Samurai, which will throw them off, giving us a small window of advantage. We charge them, firing everything we have, then as we close, we turn to port and starboard as we fire torpedoes.”
“Ballsy, but I think it’s the best plan I’ve heard. Give the order, and I’ll race you to the launch point.”
“You’re on.”
Captain Lanner called out, “OOD, inform Main Control we will be doing an emergency backdown, for ten seconds, then all ahead emergency flank, don’t wait for the bells, we’re going to Samurai those two cans.”
“Sir, Main Control reports ready, sir.”
The Captain went to the port wing to watch the enemy destroyer creep even with the HALLIS as both ships began trading shots. Captain Lanner closely watched the midship of the enemy destroyer and saw what appeared to be white puffs of compressed air condensing on the discharge of their nine torpedoes, aimed ahead of the HALLIS’s position.
“Emergency backdown,” he ye
lled, then watched the second hand of his watch. When it hit the ten-second mark, the rumbling of the backdown stopped as the tortured engineering plant began pushing ahead. The ship rapidly began surging forward.
The two Japanese ships moved quickly ahead of the Americans when they pushed the astern button. They turned to port and starboard, respectively.
Chris grabbed the TBS handset, “Dale, All ahead emergency flank and open fire.”
Both ships fired everything they had. The two forward five-inch main battery was the first to fire, followed by the forties and twenties. The din of all the gunfire threatened to deafen everyone on deck.
The HALLIS shuddered from the impact of enemy shells tearing into her. At the same time, the American five-inch shells were scoring serious hits on her target. Then, muffled by the shooting, the faint chugging of ripple fired torpedoes could barely be heard.
“Helm five degrees left rudder. As the ship passed astern of the IJN destroyer, all four main guns concentrated a three-round barrage at the two five-inch mounts astern the Japanese ship. Their mounts remained turned to their starboard for an unknown reason. The OOD offered, “Maybe they suffered electrical failure.”
“Or possibly the loss of hydraulic pressure.” The Captain said.
A minute later, it was clear none of the American torpedoes made contact with the enemy ship. The Captain ordered the helm to turn south, and as they went past the Japanese destroyer, the Captain saw who he guessed was the Japanese destroyer’s Captain at the hatch to the bridge. He rendered a salute, who returned it in kind.
Captain Lanner turned and called to the OOD, “Sink that ship.” The order was given, and all four guns concentrated their fire at the enemy ship's waterline. As the HALLIS pulled away, the crew on the port side watched as the once-proud destroyer, her paint blistering, and burning began to take on a list. The stricken destroyer was still in sight when she turned over and slipped beneath the waves. The Captain looked for the other enemy ship. He found her off the after starboard quarter half a mile away, on fire, but still afloat.
“OOD, make one-six-seven, slow to thirty knots.”
Behind the bridge, the forced draft blowers' scream dropped to a loud howl as they slowed to the ordered speed.
Attack of the Greyhounds Page 23
