by M. L. Maki
Spike, “Grunt,” as they pull out of the dive to pursue the F-15s. As the g’s ease up, she sees the falling enemy plane, “May God, that boy can shoot!”
Puck, “Lucky, he didn’t fly into his target. Spike, crossing left, high.”
She rolls left, “Grunt.” As the F-15 rolls wings level and starts to climb, the pickles one off, “Fox 1.” The missile flies right up his left engine and detonates, taking most of the tail surfaces with it and the ’15 pitches forward and goes into a death spiral.
Then LDCR Todd ‘Groovy’ Miller, Felix 1, “Spike, Felix is in. Watch for us.”
Puck, “Roger, Groovy,” and the fight devolves into a classic fur ball.
Speedy, “Spike, you have one on your tail, break right.”
Spike, “Grunt,” and rolls right, pulling 8 g’s, then into a horizontal barrel roll.
Puck, “He overshot. Thud is on him, high and left.”
Spike reverses left, rolling in and out of burners, “Thud is in a sandwich.”
Puck, “Thud, you have one on your tail.”
Thud, in a tight left turn, trying to line up a shot as the second F-15 is trying to line up on Thud. Spike roll into the same turn, trying to line up on the second ’15. Pulling 9 g’s, Speedy, “Almost there.”
Spike, “Tell Thud to yo-yo when they break right.”
Puck, “How do you know…” The lead ’15 rolls right, just as the trailing one does the same, and Puck, “Thud, yo-yo right.” Thud rolls right and up, doing a barrel roll. As he climbs, the rounds meant for him, pass below. Spike fires her last sidewinder at the following ’15 and watches it explode. Puck, “Shit Spike, you’re good.”
LT. JG Truman ‘Johnny’ Walker, “Bug is hit! Bug is hit!”
Spike, “Thanks,” climbing to miss debris, another F-15 passes near her in a dive. She inverts and gives chase, “Grunt.”
Puck, “Thud is back on the lead 15, 5 o’clock high.”
JAPANESE F-15
Lt. Kenzo Koizumi saw his first missile fly straight into an American fighter. He smiles as it explodes, inverts and dives at the Americans below him. He isn’t worried about his wingman, he’s flight lead. It’s Yosho’s job to keep up. Passing close to an F-14, he sees it invert and knows it is giving chase. He rolls 45 degrees and climbs into the yo-yo. The F-14 stays with him, so he repeats it, varying the exact angles, trying to throw it off.
KNIGHT 1
Spike completes the first yo-yo, closing the ’15. Puck, “Thud is up to three thousand. I don’t see a wingman. We’re clear to get this guy.”
Spike quickly inverts, adjusts to the new line the Japanese is taking and nearly has the shot, “Next pass, I’ll have him.”
Puck, “Thud got his!” Then they hear the tone of a targeting radar and twists his head to see behind, “Break right!”
Spike rolls the bird, pulling right at 9 g’s, “Grunt.” She drops chaff and flares, “Where is he?”
Puck, “A ’14 on our 6. What the hell?”
Spike, “Fuck!” Wrenches her fighter in a tight barrel roll, then pops up in a scissors. As she climbs, she sees tracers pass beneath them, “It’s Carleton.”
JAPANESE F-15
Koizumi is amazed. He knew he was in trouble, and then another F-14 engaged the one on his tail. He pulls up into a large yo-yo to let the American pass beneath him. As the lead fighter climbs, he sees a chance to roll in behind the trailing one.
KNIGHT 212
Speedy, “Puck, who’s on your ass? We’re coming.” Thud inverts and dives to aid his wingman.
15 JAPANESE F-15
Colonel Nagasawa is inverted above the F-14 and sees it dive. He sees two F-14s in the yo-yo and another F-15 trying to engage. He knows the path he must take, and dives after his next target.
KNIGHT 212
Thud lines up to join the fray below him and Speedy, “Break right! On our 6, Thud!” He pulls right, goes wing level and starts to climb, applying afterburner to keep up his speed, and Speedy, “He’s still on us, man. Do something, man!”
FELIX 541
Book misses the first shot and follows Spike through the barrel roll, climbing the scissors after her. Her violent maneuvers are keeping him from lining up a shot. Behind Book, Carleton is frantic. His radio isn’t working, so he pull off his mask and screams, “What are you doing, man? What the fuck? What the fuck? Knock it off! What the fuck!”
Book ignores him and continues climbing through the vertical scissors, chasing the bitch, sees an opportunity as they both lose air speed, knowing she’s going to have to roll over the top soon. One more scissor. Instead, she slows both engines, opens her air brake, and rapidly bleeds speed. “Shit!” He shoots past her. He cranks his head around as he rolls over the top, then into a Cuban 8, ignoring the shouts behind him. Rolling upright in a dive, he adjusts to get back behind her, pulling left. Then Packs sees the side of the other F-14, recognizing the aircrafts number and the Japanese flags on the fuselage.
KNIGHT 1
Spike pulls out of the left snap roll, straightening back into level flight, hitting the burners, and diving to gain speed. Puck, “He’s coming back at us 10 o’clock high.”
“I see him,” and pulls toward him in the merge at 400 knots, manually rolls her wings back and reduces her throttles to three quarters military. As Book flashes by, Puck twisting his head around, “He’s climbing into the vertical scissors.” She lays on full afterburners, and with no missiles and much of her fuel burned, accelerates like a rocket. As Book rolls, expecting to see her crossing him, she’s rolling onto his 6.
FELIX 541
Book inverts out of the scissors, looking for Spike. He sees her in his mirror. Packs, frantic, is looking behind at the F-14 behind them, “It’s Spike, you son of a bitch. You’re trying to kill her!”
JAPANESE F-15
Koizumi has been trying to get on the six of either of the F-14s, but as they maneuver, he couldn’t. Still he marvels at their skill. Then, seeing a possible opening, he rolls in.
KNIGHT 1
Spike’s on Book’s six. He tries to invert and dive, then twists to climb again, and Spike follows. Puck, “We have a ’15 coming in at 9 o’clock.” Book snap rolls 270 degrees to the right, then pulls into a tight right turn, and Spike stays right with him. Puck, “The ’15 is behind and outside.” Spike rolls wings level and pulls up into an Immelman. Puck, “Book, there’s ’15 on our six. Break right!”
JAPANESE F-15
Koizumi chooses the plane still in the turn, and fires his last missile.
FELIX 541
Book hears Puck’s call on the radio, ignoring it as a trick. Packs, “Missile! Break right! Break right!” Book looks over his shoulder seeing missile exhaust, starts to break, then feels the missile hit behind him. The aircraft lurches violently and goes into a flat spin. He’s thrown forward into his straps by the centrifugal force, unable to reach the ejection handle. Looking up, he can see the smoke from his aircraft spiraling above as they fall. He somehow manages to get his head around to see Packs. His RIO, closer to the center of gravity is still able to move. He meets the eyes of his RIO. Packs looks at him with loathing, calmly staring at him.
Book grunts out, “Eject! Eject!”
Reaching his hands up against the spin, Packs grabs the ejection handles, pulling them toward him. Charges built into the canopy detonate, lifting it up and away from the aircraft. The canopy is designed to fly up when the airflow normally passing over the fighter would push it clear behind the plane. But the airflow in a flat spin behaves differently. Instead, centrifugal force throws the canopy forward. The RIO’s seat fires first, launching Pack at 20 g’s, and he passes out. He just misses the canopy as he flies 300 feet above the spinning fighter. When Book’s seat fires a moment later, it hits the canopy. The chair gyro compensates for the collision and continues to fly up. It separates at the programmed time, so his parachute can activate a few seconds later at 5000 feet. As the two chutes drift down, F-14 crashes belly first
into the ocean at over 200 knots.
CHAPTER 48
90 MILES NORTH OF TASK FORCE, JAPENESE F-15, 14 JANUARY, 1942
Koizumi can’t believe his luck. The Americans devastated his squadron in the Philippines and now he has downed two. He pulls up to engage the other ’14.
KNIGHT 1
Inverted, 1000 feet above the F-15, Puck, “Book is hit! Book is hit!” On intercom, “He’s coming after us.” Spike snap rolls left, pulling the ’14 into a high g turn, “Grunt.”
Puck, “He’s crossing, 9 o’clock.”
She snap rolls upright, going vertical, “Grunt.”
As she begins the climb, Puck, “He’s coming vertical to meet us. It’s a vertical scissors.”
She pulls past vertical in the scissors, and again rolls upright as the ’15 crosses 100 yards ahead. Then, pulling the stick to her belly, “Grunt,” and rolls again to orient with her target as he pulls past vertical again. Spike closes on his six as she follows him up.
JAPANESE F-15
Koizumi straightens his roll into the next scissors, but the American is not crossing him. He looks in his mirror and sees his adversary on his six. Giving up the scissors, he continues around in a loop, rolling out in a dive at full afterburner. The American is still behind him, then he remembers the maneuver he saw. He cuts his left engine, using rudder, elevator, and ailerons, to turn sharply.
KNIGHT 1
Spike says, “Grunt,” continuing in a tight 8 g loop, keeping the ’15 visible. As the F-15 pulls out of the loop into a steep dive, she sees his burners light, so she lights hers. The Japanese ’15 is about three quarters of a mile ahead when she sees his left burner go out. She rolls left and rudders left slightly, firing ahead of the turning plane. The rounds hit behind the cockpit and the fuel cell explodes. The F-15 tumbles and falls. She pulls out of the dive, inverts, and watches the ’15 all the way to the water. “That’s my maneuver, you bastard.” Then she sees Book’s and Pack’s chutes nearing the ocean.
Puck, “I think Thud is way above us. Nice flying, Spike. Are you okay?”
“I’m tired. Where is he?” and starts to climb at full military.
KNIGHT 212
Thud is in a vertical scissors with another ’15. They climb at full afterburner, twisting in the air, neither able to get a line on the other. Five scissor cycles and they’re passing 35,000 feet. Thud is down to 280 knots, the ’15 about the same. As his fighter comes vertical, Thud throttles back, bleeding airspeed rapidly, and takes a quick shot. The Japanese pilot spins in the air and most of Thud’s rounds miss. Nearly out of air speed, Thud goes to full military on the right engine, easing back on his left as his craft begins to fall, the thrust imbalance slews the aircraft around and he starts to dive. As he gains speed and control in the dive, he sees his target 2000 feet lower and several miles away. Speedy, “We have no more fuel, compadre. Let us go back to the rancho. We can drink Dos Equis and chase wee-man.”
“Speaking of women, where’s Spike?”
They hear Puck, “Gold Eagle, Knight 1, we have two chutes in the water 90 miles at 293.”
“Acknowledge, Knight 1. We have a helo 15 minutes out. What is your status?”
“Gold Eagle, Knight 1, bingo fuel and sans missiles, stand by for Knight Flight.” Then, “Knight Flight, SITREP.”
Gandhi, “Angels 5 and 75 miles from home. Bingo fuel with a few new holes. We’re flying ok.”
GQ, “Bingo fuel and escorting Swede.”
NOB, “Bingo fuel and damaged at angels 12, 80 miles from home. We need a tank.”
Cuddles, “Bingo fuel, with NOB.”
Speedy, “Bingo fuel at angels 35, 90 miles out. Where are you, Puck?”
Puck, “About 15 beneath you.” And the rest of the squadron checks in, all bingo fuel. Then, “Gold Eagle, Knight 1 request tanker support. We have nine thirsty birds.”
“Knight 1, continue on course, 125, and climb to angels 30. Arco is in route.”
Puck “Okay, guys, give me your numbers,” and they report their fuel state. Those with the lowest amount, go first.
JAPANESE FIGHTER GROUP
Colonel Nagasawa shepherds the remnants of his fighter wing to the northwest. Twenty aircraft are all that remain of the forty-eight that left Chitose Field. The price had been high, but the prize of destroying the American carrier worth it. If only it could be avoided. The emperor had explained to him that people’s blood war raging on both sides of the Pacific, and nothing but blood could quench the tide. It’s even possible he had killed Americans he had befriended. The last one he fought was good, skilled, quick thinking, and innovative. He reminded himself of the necessity in an attempt to keep the bile from rising in his throat, musing on the rightness of the old saying, ‘War is hell’. “New Wind Flight, this is your leader. Please give me your fuel state.”
IN THE WATER 90 MILES FROM THE TASK FORCE
Packs swims to Book, the waves lifting him, so occasionally he can see his pilot. With his life jacket inflated, he can only do pitifully small strokes. Then he hears the beat of rotors and stops, looking up. Well aware of how small a man is in the water, he digs out his dye marker and tears open the bag. Soon all the water around him is fluorescent green. Soon he feels the sting of water whipped up in the down draft and a SAR swimmer drops near him. The SAR takes one powerful stroke and is beside him, hooking him into a harness. As the SAR works, he shouts in Packs ear, “I’ll have you aboard in a jiffy.” Then he’s hoisted from the cold water into the colder air, and in moments he’s in the chopper and strapped in.
Then the SAR comes up with Book. Book’s head is twisted and dangling at an impossible angle. They crew closes the door, and Packs watches them put Book into a body bag. The SAR turns to Packs, “Are you hurt?”
“No, I’m okay.”
“I’m sorry about your friend.” Packs just shakes his head.
USS CARL VINSON
The missile hits just below the forward port CIWS sponson, obliterating the control station and starting fires in the 03 level berthing and the 02 level store rooms and ventilation spaces. Hammond is the only one in the Black Knight berthing spaces when the missile hits. Kicked out of medical, with nowhere else to go, he’d gone to the squadron berthing.
Then he heard “Brace! Brace!” on the 1MC. “Shit! Not again.” He assumes the brace position against an upright, holding as tight as he can with his burned hands. The missile hits about sixty feet from him, throwing him onto a chair, then onto the deck. Raising himself up to his hands and knees, dazed and half-blinded, he sees flames outboard.
“Here we go,” pushes himself to his feet, and stumbles too the fire hose storage rack. He grabs it, and holding the nozzle in the crook of his arm, throws out the hose, trying to fake it. “It never works right,” so, he walks along the hose, kicking it straight, until it’s safe to charge. Then he opens the plug valve, holding tight to the nozzle.
Blood is running out of his bandages as he gets water to the nozzle. He pulls back the bale and starts spraying down the fire, shouting, “I’m not losing another ship, damn you!”
KNIGHT 212 OVER THE TASK FORCE, 1635, 4 JANUARY, 1942
Thud and Speedy get a good look of the fleet as they approach, Columns of black smoke rise into the afternoon sky. Getting closer, they see a heavy cruiser missing its bow, being tended by a destroyer and another cruiser. The Long Beach is engulfed in flame. A destroyer’s bow rises straight up as it sinks. Another has nothing but a bit of stern sticking up as it slips beneath the waves. Helicopters are out, picking up survivors. The Spruance class destroyer, Fife, is also burning. Two destroyers alongside spraying water on the flames. The Carl Vinson, a bit to the east to keep wind over her deck, has smoke rising from her port side. Thud, “My God, we got hammered!”
Speedy, “The Vinson, too. Damn, brother, damn.”
Thud, “You think the deck is has FOD?”
“It’s been awhile. Probably not. Just land easy.”
Thud chuckles, “Yeah, ri
ght.”
KNIGHT 1
Puck, “You okay, Sam?”
“What?”
“Are you okay?”
“I’ll need your help to get home.”
“Sure, Sam,” then, “Gold Eagle, Knight 1, two to marshal.”
“Roger, Knight 1. Enter downwind at 1000. Be aware that the smoke is making the ball tricky. You’re behind two foxtrot on eights.”
“Understood, Gold Eagle, turning down wind. Speedy, we’ll make the first break.”
Spike, “No, get him down.”
Puck, “Okay,” then, “Speedy, why don’t you go first?”
“Understood, Puck.”
“Did we do well today, Eric?”
“I think so, Samantha. Watch your speed.”
KNIGHT 212
Thud, “Speedy, are we good compadre?”
“Si, Senior Thud. We kill the bad guys, and now we will drink the Tequila under the stars.”
“If only we had some, making the break.”
“Knight 212, Gold Eagle, call the ball.”
“Roger ball, 49.”
Speedy calls out the altitude until they hit the deck, catching a 2 wire.
KNIGHT 1
Puck, “A little fast.”
“Knight 1, Gold Eagle, call the ball.”
Spike, “Got it.”
Puck, “Roger ball, 48.”
Puck calls the altitude, “500, 400, faster Sam, 300, 200, on 100,” and the ’14 slams into the deck, catching a shaky 1 wire. After she idles the engines, a yellow shirt starts giving directions, but she doesn’t respond. “We need to move, Sam. Stay with me a little longer.” She bumps the throttles, following directions. Puck sees her head bobbing, “We’re out of the way, set the brake.” He opens the canopy and unfastens his harness. The yellow shirt runs up, shouting, “You need to park it.”
