To Hunt and Protect
Page 11
The CO, LCDR Hiro Yaman is on the bridge, reading dispatches and listening to his watch team. North of him the four aircraft carriers, the Akagi, Kaga, Hiryu, and Zuiho, are always changing course to chase the wind. The Isokaze is the southernmost destroyer in the task force, which makes place keeping a little easier. A rating approaches, salutes, and hands him a message, “They are launching the attack. Good.”
USS SAN FRANCISCO
Morrison walks up behind Thorsen, “How many?”
“At least 24. The closest is probably a destroyer about ten miles out at 328. There are at least six four-screw vessels. I’ve been sending bearings.” He sweeps his headphone off and pushes the button, “Transient. Transient. Explosions forward.”
Morrison goes back into control. Cumberland, “God damn it. These are our kills! They passed them by.”
“Conn, Sonar. More explosions in the group near Wake Island at 064.”
Cumberland, “Stay on course.”
Backes, “Yes, sir.”
“Conn, Sonar. More explosions at 355.”
Cumberland, “They won’t sink them all. We’ll get a few. Open doors on tubes 3 and 4.”
Thorsen and Curtis are keeping the tracking party at the table updated with the bearings to the various targets, but there are so many targets, the table is a bit confusing.
Morrison, “Sir, we’re passing ahead of that destroyer.”
Cumberland, “There’s no fucking way they could ever hear us. Tangos 17 and 12 are four shaft ships and they’re entering range. Target tube 4 on 17. Target tube 3 on 12.”
Miller relays the orders.
Cumberland, “Miller, Giblin, come here.” ENC Giblin looks around, then approaches the captain, “Sir?”
“Miller, push the button for tube 3. Giblin, you push the button for tube 4.”
They hear, “Bearings matched and cross-checked.”
Miller pushes the button. They feel and hear the thud whoosh of the fired torpedo. “Conn, Torpedo. Three fired electrically.”
“Conn, Sonar. Torpedo running hot, straight, and normal.”
Cumberland, “Chief, fire 4.”
Giblin, “No, sir. It’s your job. I’m not doing it.”
“GET THE FUCK OUT OF CONTROL!”
Giblin returns to his watch at the dive panel. Cumberland pushes the button. After torpedo and sonar have reported in, he walks to Giblin, “Get the fuck out of control!”
“Sir, I have to be relieved, sir.”
“I got your watch. Go.”
Giblin leaves.
“XO, find another chief.”
“Yes, sir.”
The captain walks away, leaving the dive panel station empty. Morrison sits down at the panel and calls torpedo.
“Conn, Sonar. Tango 7 has started pinging.”
Cumberland, “We’re at 300 feet. Continue on.” The high-pitched ping is audible throughout the boat.
DESTROYER ISOKAZE
“Captain, Sonar. The submarine is ten degrees to starboard and one mile. Depth is 300 feet. It is moving at 12 knots to the north.”
LCDR Hiro Yaman, “Very good. Set depth charges to 300. Stand by to drop on my mark. Left rudder, come to new course 010.”
USS SAN FRANCISCO
TMC Kennedy takes the watch. Miller is counting down the torpedoes they fired. “Conn, Sonar. They have us. Tango 7 is changing course toward us.”
Cumberland walks into Sonar. Miller, “10, 9…”
Morrison, “Shut the doors. 5 degrees down bubble. Left full rudder. Ahead flank cavitate.”
The orders are repeated and Cumberland storms out of sonar. By now the screws of the destroyer are as audible as the explosions from the aircraft attacking the fleet to the north. “Morrison, what are you…?”
“Conn, Sonar. Splashes over us.”
Cumberland, “Splashes?”
Morrison, “They’re depth charging us, sir.”
Cumberland, “Carry on.”
Morrison, “Rudder amidships. Steady as she goes. Make our depth 600 feet. Ahead 1/3rd.”
“Conn, Sonar. Fish 3 is a hit.”
The orders are repeated back. Because of the burst of speed, the sub continues downward quickly. The sub shudders as the depth charges detonate 300 feet above them and to the rear. “Conn, Sonar. Fish 4 is a hit.”
Cumberland, “Another double hitter.” He smiles.
Morrison, “Give me a fix on tango 7. Sir, on their sonar, they just saw what we can do.”
Cumberland, “I got it.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Conn, Sonar. Tango 12 is breaking up. Several other ships are sinking.”
Morrison, “Thank you, sonar.”
Cumberland, “Ahead 2/3rds. Right standard rudder. Two degree up bubble.”
“Conn, Sonar. Something up there just blew up. I think it’s tango 14.”
ISOKAZE, FUBUKI CLASS JAPANESE DESTROYER
A rating rushes onto the bridge, “Sir, the Zuiho and Kaga are sinking. Admiral Kondo is switching his flag to the Akagi.” They hear a rumbling explosion and turn to the sound. They see the battleship Haruna’s center lift up, then collapse, the ship broken in two. Then, close by, the Maya also rises at the middle and collapses down into two sections.
LCDR Hiro Yaman, “The submarine’s torpedoes hit their targets. Right full rudder. Sonar, we need to know where it went.”
“I am fairly sure it went to the south.”
Yaman, “We go into the teeth of the lion.”
JAPANESE BATTLESHIP HARUNA
Captain Takama Tamotsu gets up off the deck and walks out onto his bridge wing. Looking aft he can see, through the water raining down from the explosion, the center of his ship settling, the bow and stern rising up. The bow turns to the port, while the stern continues straight, and smoke and steam rise from the center, which is now awash. He nods, “Tell the men to abandon ship.”
A lieutenant, “Can we not save her, Captain?”
“Where once we had a single ship, there is now two. Abandon ship.”
The lieutenant bows and gives the order. Tamotsu, “All of you on the bridge, go to your abandon ship stations.” They bow and depart. Tamotsu stands alone watching his ship die, and waiting.
JAPANESE HEAVY CRUISER MAYA
Captain Nabeshima Shunsaki hold onto a bridge station as the bow of his beloved ship rises into the air. Looking aft he can clearly see one of the bronze screws still turning as the stern section capsizes. The bow spins 180 degrees, throwing him into the water. Around him float the dead and wounded, “What could do this?”
USS SAN FRANCISCO
Cumberland, “Open the door on tube 1.”
“Conn, Sonar. Tango 3 is sinking. Tango 21 is sinking.”
Cumberland, “Match bearings. Porter, come here.”
The conning officer walks to the captain, “Yes, sir.”
“Conn, Torpedo. Door is open on tube 1. Torpedo is ready.”
Wankowski, “Captain, we have a good solution for tango 7.”
Cumberland, “Very well. Porter, push the button.”
Porter, “Sir?”
“Push the fucking button.”
“Yes, sir.” Porter pushes the button.
“Conn, Torpedo. Tube 1 is fired electrically.”
“Conn, Sonar. Fish 1 is hot, straight, and normal.”
Miller, “34 seconds. Porter, return to your watch, please.”
The young man, his eyes wide and mouth ajar, looks at his department head and mouths the word, “Why?”
Miller gives a small shake of his head.
ISOKAZE, JAPANESE DESTROYER
A lieutenant approaches, LCDR Hiro Yaman, “Captain, the carrier’s Akagi and Hiryu are lost. The battleship Haruna broke in half and sank. The heavy cruisers Maya and Ashigara are lost. The Admiral is dead. What are your orders?”
“We sink this submarine…” His legs piston upward as the bow of his ship tilts down. The explosion is so loud, it breaks his ear drums. His back hits the
overhead and he is bounced through the hatch into the water. When he surfaces, his ship is broken in two.
USS SAN FRANCISCO
Cumberland, “Yes!” He goes to the chart table and studies it. Pushing the button, “Sonar, are any of the Japanese ships going to survive?”
Thorsen, “Sir, I have no idea. The fleet is getting hammered from the air and the noise is deafening.”
Cumberland rushes into sonar, “What do you mean, no idea?”
Thorsen, “Sir, I cannot predict the fall of bombs that I cannot see. Just because a ship is not hit now, doesn’t mean it won’t be, sir.”
“Okay.”
Back at the chart table, “Morrison, could you conn us in?”
“I recommend we don’t do that, sir. If we get hit by a sinking ship or a missed bomb, that would be it, sir. And sir, we’ve been away from our position for a while.”
Cumberland freezes for a beat, he sighs, “Conn us back into position. Once back in position, we’ll report in. That is all.” He walks forward out of control.
Morrison, “Right full rudder. Make our course 195. Ahead standard.”
Of the 28-ship Japanese carrier group and the twenty-ship landing group, only four destroyers manage to avoid destruction. Still, the landing force takes Wake Island.
CHAPTER 9
USS SAN FRANCISCO
1526, 29 January, 1942
Morrison announces himself and enters. Giblin sits in a chair drinking coffee. Morrison, “You okay?”
“Am I going to mast?”
“I don’t know yet. That was ballsy thing to do. Do you want to explain your decision?”
“Sir, I do my duty. I serve my country and I don’t shrink away from everything that means. Thing is, it is not my responsibility to initiate weapons release. I don’t have to kill those sailors and I won’t. Furthermore, sir, there are others on board who won’t. If someone has to be the lightning rod, it might just as well be me.”
“I don’t know what he’ll do.”
“That’s the thing, sir. None of us do. It’s crazy.”
“As soon as I can, I’ll let you know.”
“Yes, sir.”
USS CARL VINSON
Admiral Halsey sits reading reports. Captain Van Zandt knocks and walks in, “Our sub reported in, sir.” He hands Halsey the message.
TO: CARGRU3
FRM: SIERRA NOVEMBER
REG: FLEET ENGAGEMENT
San Francisco identified and engaged Japanese carrier group west of Wake Island. Two four-shaft vessels and one destroyer sunk by torpedo. Back on station 70 miles ahead of fleet.
V/R
Cumberland
Halsey grunts and hands the message back. Van Zandt, “He left station without reporting in and engaged without reporting, sir.”
“Captain, I like my captains aggressive. This explains the reports, so credit him with the destroyer, battleship, and heavy cruiser. Thank you.”
USS SAN FRANCSICO
Morrison knocks on Cumberland’s door and enters, “You wanted to see me, sir?”
“I want a captain’s mast for Chief Giblin. He disobeyed a direct order. He will be charged with disrespect, disobeying a direct order, and cowardice before the enemy.”
“Sir, why are you having people push the fire button?”
“It’s a measure of their loyalty to our nation. Any crew member unwilling to kill the enemy is a pinko communist and needs to be punished and removed.”
“I think I understand, sir. You recognize that busting a chief requires a message off the ship, sir.”
“I do. He was out of line.”
“I understand your point, sir. The write up, by necessity must contain the circumstances of the discipline. Are you comfortable with sharing your practice with higher?”
“So, what you’re saying is, you will report me to your friends and get me relieved?”
“No, sir. I’m saying the details, by law, must be included in the report. Discipline of this nature on a nuclear vessel must be forwarded to NAVSEA-08. That’s the law. That may put you in a difficult position, sir.”
Cumberland sighs, “What do you recommend?”
“A suspended bust for failure to obey the order and we keep it on the boat. His record stays clean and so does yours.”
“I want him off the COW watch.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Morrison, I’m growing tired of you thwarting me when it comes to discipline.”
“Yes, sir. Are you going to continue doing your communist tests, sir?”
“When it suits me. I noticed you pushed the button.”
“Yes, sir. I’m a submarine officer and understand the need. Most enlisted crewmembers have not grappled with pulling the trigger themselves.”
“It’s time they started. Let me know when you have it set up.”
“Yes, sir.”
Morrison goes directly to the chief’s mess. Kennedy and Giblin are drinking coffee and talking. Morrison, “Kennedy could you relieve the COB and have him meet us in my office?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Giblin, with me. In a few minutes, he, Giblin, and the COB are in his office. “Giblin, I understand your position. Let me explain what is going to happen.”
“Yes, sir.”
“You’re going to be placed on report for failure to follow a direct order.”
Godoy, “XO, this is fucked up. It’s bullshit. Absolute bullshit.”
Giblin looks Morrison in the eyes, “What did he want?”
Morrison, “It isn’t relevant.”
Giblin, holding eye contact, “Sir, it’s the only thing that’s relevant. I understand the necessity of maintaining unity of command, but under this captain, that is almost impossible.”
Morrison, “I agree. Unity of command is critical under any commander. The core of this issue is simple. The captain issued you a direct order and you refused to follow it. This was not due to cowardice or disrespect, but because the order, as you saw it, was inappropriate in its intent. The problem is, as a subordinate, you do not have the liberty of determining the intent behind an order.”
Giblin, “Yes, sir.”
Godoy, “So, this whole thing is going to leave the boat? You know I have the right to pass my comments with it.”
“I see no reason why this needs to leave the boat. That is all, gentlemen.”
Godoy silently leads Giblin back to the goat locker. Once they’re sitting with a cup of lifer juice, Godoy asks, “Did you read the subtext?”
“All I heard was mast. I’m fucked.”
“The captain was going to charge you with cowardice and disrespect, as well. Morrison talked him down to the one obvious charge and made it a suspended bust.”
“I didn’t hear that.”
“A bust must leave the boat with all the details. A suspended bust doesn’t. Morrison protected you as much as he could. You did refuse a direct order in combat.”
“I did, but it was fucked up.”
“I know. It’s probably going to get more fucked up. Given the circumstances, I think you are lucky.”
“Aye, COB.”
“I need to get back on watch.”
USS SAN FRANCISCO
1802, 29 January, 1942
The Captain’s Mast is being held on the mess decks, and being run over site TV. Cumberland, “I find you guilty of one count of Article 92: failure to obey and order. I order you demoted to EN1, suspended for six months, with no loss of pay or restriction. Chief, I’m going light on you, as this is your first offense. I expect my orders to be followed. Dismissed.”
Cumberland leaves the mess deck and the crowd disperses. Mallory and Gustaf walk aft. Gustaf, “Shit, man. That was fucked up. Did you hear what the chief did?”
Mallory, “I was there.”
“Did the captain really yell at him?”
“I would say it was more of a scream from the pits of hell itself.”
“Were you scared?”