Dive Beneath the Sun
Page 10
“I wish for nothing more than to be with the fleet when it faces the enemy,” Nagata said in an unintentionally uncertain tone. This prompted a short chortle from Matsumoto, and so Nagata quickly added, “If that means to die in battle, Colonel, then so be it.”
“And what of Haruko, and your daughter? Would you leave them to face the trials ahead without you?”
Nagata hesitated, not because such a thought had never occurred to him, but because it had all too often haunted his dreams of late. “Haruko knows her duty,” he finally replied. “As I do mine. There is no honor in mere survival, Colonel.”
“Honor?” Matsumoto said. “You speak of honor, Timeshi? When this war is over, that word will carry a different meaning. Those who survive, those who are left, will need honorable men to lead them, to befriend our enemies, to rebuild Japan and preserve our culture and the emperor.”
“I have seen too much death, Colonel, too much disregard for our people, to ever regard the Americans as anything but my enemy,” Nagata said. “They are devils, with the blood of non-combatants on their hands. You said it yourself. How many Germans civilians have they killed?”
“I did say that, yes.” Matsumoto nodded. “But let me tell you something else. As you know, I spent much time in America before the war. I know them better than you. They are an impetuous, fiery people, true. But, after their thirst for revenge is satisfied, they can be very compassionate.”
“Compassionate?” Nagata said, puzzling at how his uncle could have such delusions. “Perhaps you have not heard of the concentration camps in the northern wastelands of the United States, where untold thousands of Japanese citizens have been imprisoned? Entire families, Colonel, their property confiscated. Who knows how many have died in these camps? Who knows what they are suffering at the hands of their captors? The Americans have always regarded our people as something inferior. Where is this compassion you speak of? Should we meekly surrender, as you seem to be suggesting, so that my family can be shipped off to such a camp?”
“They are not devils, Timeshi. Imperialist cowboys, perhaps, capable of great cruelty at times, but that is the nature of war, is it not? I often force myself to remember, nephew, that twenty years ago, when the Great Kanto earthquake of ’23 left Tokyo in ruins, littered with thousands of dead, with thousands more on the brink of starvation, it was ships of the United States Navy that steamed at full speed across the Pacific to bring food and assistance to our people.”
Nagata looked at him apprehensively. “Why do you say these things, uncle?”
“Because a samurai must know when to sheath the sword, nephew!” Matsumoto said firmly. “He must know the line between hopeful resistance and baseless stubbornness. He must put aside personal honor, even allow shame to fall upon him, if by doing so he better serves the emperor. The Americans are coming, Timeshi. They are coming very soon. This grand sea battle Toyoda is planning cannot be stopped, and I fear it will be the last battle of our once mighty fleet.”
“You summoned me here for this?” Nagata asked perplexedly. “You recalled my flotilla, stopped it in the midst of attacking an enemy submarine, simply to tell me we are losing the war? If you had no military reason for your actions, Colonel, then I am afraid I must report this illegal use of your authority to my superiors.”
Matsumoto studied his face for a long moment as if to discern whether he truly intended to carry out his threat. Then, before Nagata’s eyes, Matsumoto’s face transformed from that of his affectionate uncle to that of a hardened army colonel. He put out his cigarette, returned his cup to the table, and stood up straight as if assuming his position of authority once again. “Do you see that ship being loaded at the wharf?” Matsumoto pointed to a large freighter where two cranes worked diligently, swaying one crate after another from the pier to the ship’s deep hold. A stream of trucks delivered the crates to the wharf, and Nagata instantly recognized this as the same convoy he had seen earlier on the streets of Davao.
“It is called the Kenan Maru,” Matsumoto continued. “Tonight, at midnight, the Kenan Maru sails for Japan. It carries a cargo vital to the defense of our homeland. You, Commander Nagata, are assigned as commander of the escort. You will see that the freighter and her cargo reach Kure safely. Once your mission is accomplished, you and your ships will report to the Kure Naval District for further assignment.”
Nagata stared back at Matsumoto disbelievingly, fully comprehending his uncle’s true intentions. The colonel was sending him to Japan, not to escort the freighter, but to remove him from the theater just before the combined fleet fought the most desperate battle of its history. His uncle was committing an egregious, shameful act, using the authority of his position to ensure his own nephew’s survival. As Nagata saw the truth of it behind his uncle’s eyes, he simmered with anger. This was not what he wished for. He wished to be with the fleet when it faced the enemy. If the fleet should be annihilated, and the Yokaze destroyed, so be it. He would have done his duty and his honor would be preserved. There was no doubt as to what he must now do.
“I humbly refuse the order, uncle,” Nagata said succinctly.
“You refuse?”
“If another ship cannot be found to perform this duty, then I request another captain be appointed to command the Yokaze and I be sent to join the fleet at Brunei.”
“You will withdraw your rash statement, Commander, at once!” The colonel’s face was suddenly twisted in a rage. “Withdraw it, and I will dismiss your lapse in judgement as temporary battle fatigue. Do not, and I will see to it you are not only removed from your command, but that you are dismissed from the service for failing to follow a direct order.”
Nagata looked at his uncle searchingly, wondering if the old colonel actually had the gall to do such a thing. But as Nagata looked into his eyes, he saw a determination that he knew he would never be able to surmount. Matsumoto had made up his mind, and he would not hesitate to pull rank to get his way. After all these years, he still knew how to get to Nagata. Nagata had dedicated his whole life to the navy, a dedication that had often exceeded that to his own family. A dismissal would equate to a failed life, a black spot that would overshadow all of his previous accomplishments, no matter how hard he had fought for them. Could he allow his uncle to ruin his immaculate record with this one act of defiance?
“You must accept these orders, Commander!” Matsumoto reiterated with a bit less vitriol than before. “Accept them, Timeshi. There is no other way.”
Nagata paused, considering that his uncle was indeed a crafty strategist, having turned his own sense of honor against him.
“What does this freighter carry, sir?” Nagata said finally in a tone of conformity.
This prompted a nod and a smile from Matsumoto. “Good, Timeshi. Very good. You are making the right choice. Believe me when I tell you, this mission is of the highest importance. The high command places great strategic value on it.” Matsumoto paused. “It is also of a most sensitive nature.”
“Then I am not to know the cargo?”
Matsumoto seemed to consider for a moment. “I believe it is important for you to know. How else can you understand the importance of your task?” Matsumoto waved for him to follow him back inside the office, and then closed the door behind them. When he continued, he spoke barely above a whisper. “The Kenan Maru carries a classified cargo. I must insist, Timeshi, that you tell no one, not even your officers, not even the captains of the other escorts. Is that understood?”
“Yes, Colonel,” Nagata replied, now somewhat curious.
“Two weeks ago, a shipment of supplies arrived here in the dead of night. You may remember an evening when the dock was cordoned off and restricted to all but a few personnel.”
Nagata nodded. He remembered the night in question. The explanation given to the ships in the harbor was that a fuel oil pipe had ruptured and access to the dock was secured until repairs and cleanup could be completed.
“This may be shocking to learn,” Matsumoto c
ontinued, “but, that was a cover, meant to conceal the arrival of two German U-boats that docked at Davao in the middle of the night.”
“U-boats?” Nagata gasped, and was instantly reminded to keep his voice low by a gesture from Matsumoto.
“Special U-boats,” Matsumoto said. “Designed to carry supplies to other U-boats operating in distant waters. These two came all the way from Europe, carrying the secret cargo that is now being loaded onto the Kenan Maru. My appointment here was not by accident, Timeshi. The communiques between our government and The Reich often passed through my headquarters in Burma, and from there to German agents operating in Nepal. In the interest of secrecy, rather than bring my predecessor or the naval commandant in on the operation, the high command chose to place me in command here, to await the cargo’s arrival and see it properly delivered to Japan.”
Nagata was astonished, not so much by the clandestine operation as the fact that his uncle had been entrusted with such a task. The surprise must have been evident on his face, because Matsumoto began to chuckle.
“What is the matter, Timeshi? Don’t you think your old liberal uncle can be trusted? Yes, I have proven my loyalty on many occasions since my exile. The high command may not like my politics, but they trust me. Now that Tojo is no longer in charge, they have been consulting me even more. You and I are perhaps the only two Japanese officers in this entire theater who know the importance of this operation.” The colonel’s smile faded. “But it seems the great pains taken to keep the operation a secret were not enough to prevent the enemy from learning of it.”
“The air raid!” Nagata said suddenly as the recent chain of events began to make sense. “The American bombers were after the cargo. That’s why they bypassed the ships in the harbor.”
“Precisely, Timeshi. You are as keen as ever. The cargo was their target. It had been stored in a warehouse near the waterfront. The enemy knew exactly where it was, and they came dangerously close to destroying it. Fortunately, the fires were extinguished before any of it was damaged.”
“And what is the cargo?” Nagata asked again, hoping his uncle was not having second thoughts about sharing the information.
Matsumoto cast an undecided glance at Nagata and then walked over to a large steel filing cabinet in one corner of the room. He removed a key from his belt and used it to unlock the bolt holding the drawers shut. After removing a single file from the top drawer, he motioned for Nagata to join him at the desk.
“This is the shipping manifest,” Matsumoto said, allowing Nagata to flip through the file. It contained several pages, list upon list of parts and assemblies of various size and weight, each one carefully categorized with quantities, model, and part number, and each printed in Japanese and German. As Nagata perused the file, he marveled more and more at what he saw. It was in effect a catalog of the German war machine. From the intricate Sturmgewehr 44 infantry assault rifle to the relatively simple Volkssturmgewehr 44 people’s assault rifle. From MG42s to Einstossflammenwerfer 46s. There were even listings for five hundred panzerfausts and one hundred panzerschrecks. And small arms were not the only items on the list. A complete disassembled Tiger tank, a Messerschmitt fighter, thousands of plans and design drawings, newly developed medical equipment, and an odd circled entry for a quarter ton of uranium oxide.”
“All of this is being loaded aboard the Kenan Maru?” Nagata asked.
“Yes.”
“What is its purpose?”
“I think that is plain enough, Timeshi. Our high command believes the technological advances the Germans have made might prove useful in defending our home islands.”
“But I thought you said we should surrender, Colonel.”
“I voice my opinion, nephew, for those who will hear it, but I have always been and will always be a loyal officer of the army. The high command believes this shipment to be crucial to the defense of our homeland.” Matsumoto shrugged. “Perhaps they are right. Either way, I obey orders, just as I expect mine to be obeyed. I have ordered the Kenan Maru to be ready for sea by sundown. You must leave tonight. I leave it to you to determine the time of departure.”
“Why tonight, sir?”
“The Americans tried to destroy it once. It follows that they may try again. If their planes strike this port tomorrow, I want the cargo far away from here. I am told the Kenan Maru is a fast ship.”
Nagata nodded. That was true. He knew the capabilities of most of the larger freighters in the harbor. The Kenan Maru was a newer freighter, and could double the speed of most of her sisters.
“If the enemy is aware of the cargo, Colonel,” Nagata said, “we can only assume they have spies here in Davao, in which case we can expect them to learn of the Kenan Maru’s mission. What is to stop them from sending their planes against her as she travels north? Yesterday’s raid proves there is an enemy carrier operating in these waters. The enemy’s scout planes are sure to discover my little convoy. They will send wave after wave of bombers until the Kenan Maru is sunk.”
“The enemy carrier is being dealt with, Timeshi. I have that assurance from the air group commander. Besides, a low pressure front is rapidly approaching from the west. Your route will soon be covered by storms. After tomorrow, you should not have to worry about enemy aircraft.”
“And if the enemy spies alert the American submarines of our convoy’s departure?” Nagata asked. “They will be waiting for us.”
Matsumoto paused, glancing out the window at the hills beyond the bay. “Do not concern yourself with the spies. Leave them to me. Your primary objective is to travel swiftly and avoid contact with the enemy. I am not a naval expert but I believe the storms should also assist you in evading enemy submarines.”
Nagata nodded in affirmation, but then raised another concern. “Traveling at such speeds in high seas will burn much fuel, Colonel. My ships are not ready for such a voyage.”
“They are being resupplied as we speak,” Matsumoto replied quickly. “Your ships will have enough depth charges, food and fuel to get you to Japan. I have ordered fuel to be taken from other ships in the harbor if necessary, but your ships will have all they need.”
Nagata now understood the ire and chastising comments unleashed by the naval commandant. Matsumoto certainly would have kept him in the dark as to the reason for appropriating the fuel, but as the subordinate officer, the commandant would have no choice but to comply. Nagata was impressed, but not really surprised. His uncle had thought of everything. But still, there was one more thing that bothered him, one more uncertainty he hesitated to voice, but for which he needed an answer. “And what about you, Colonel? Will you be coming with us? It seems appropriate since you have knowledge of the operation.”
Matsumoto looked surprised, but then smiled sadly. “It is most kind of you, nephew, but my duty station is here. I intend to remain here until the end.”
There was a finality in Matsumoto’s voice, and Nagata suddenly realized that he had misjudged his uncle completely. Honor was indeed sacred to Matsumoto – so sacred, that the blight of his public disgrace years gone by still hung over him and lingered at the forefront of his thoughts. He would finally have the chance to remove that stain. Nagata fully understood now how much alike he and his uncle were. His respect for him had never been greater than at this moment, and he silently wished that his uncle would put aside the honor they both cherished, just this once, and return with him to Japan.
“My time has passed, nephew,” Matsumoto said, as if reading his thoughts. “It is the nature of things. The old must be shed to make way for the new. The old guard, the officers of my generation, must be wiped away lest the outdated ideas of the past taint Japan’s future.”
At that moment, there was a knock on the door, and the same army captain that had led Nagata to the colonel’s office entered the room and bowed. Nagata thought it odd that the young officer now wore a cross-belt with pistol and sword.
“Forgive the intrusion, Colonel,” he said respectfully. “But B, D
, and E companies are assembled. They are ready for your inspection before taking to the field.”
“Very well,” Matsumoto said, then turned to Nagata. “I am afraid I must go, Commander Nagata. This cannot wait.” He then averted his eyes and bowed his head. “Take care, nephew. Give your mother my best wishes, and tell her… tell her I regret not seeing her all these years. Goodbye, Timeshi.”
CHAPTER XIII
“It’s a matter of perspective, Oroyo,” Jones said, as a jungle beetle crawled across his arm. The insect was grotesque, unworldly, like some alien life form, especially to one who had grown up on a farm in New Zealand, but Jones did not flinch. “When the Almighty looks down on His creation, He sees you and me and this disgusting creature and He calls it all good.”
“It is not all good, Major,” his companion said from the brush behind him, in heavily accented English. “The world is filled with evil, and infidels that Allah desires us to eradicate.”
“Like me?” Jones said chidingly.
“Yes, Major. Like you.”
Major Bernard Jones of the United States Forces in the Philippines, or USFIP, watched the ambling beetle as it continued on its way, stepping from his arm back to the rich earth. He had spent enough time in the jungles of Mindanao not to be phased by such things, and he far preferred the indifferent beetle to the thousands of biting ants which seemed to seek him out no matter what position he chose on the mulchy jungle floor. In spite of those pests, who even now crawled inside the legs of his trousers, he made every effort not to move. The hill on which he now lay provided excellent natural concealment, but he had to keep reminding himself that any rustle of the thick foliage might catch the notice of an attentive Japanese eye down in the harbor below him. The sky was overcast, but, even so, a chance reflection from the lens of his binoculars might be seen from miles away.