Sea of Fire

Chapter 28

Yamamoto sat at the head of the conference table, a gathering of several key officers meeting aboard Yamato to determine the next phase of the operational planning for Fiji-Samoa. Admiral Hara was present, to report on the recently concluded Coral Sea action, and General Hitochi Imamura of the 8th Area Army was also joined by Lieutenant General Harukichi Hyakutake of the 17th Army. Admiral Ugaki sat in the fourth chair, a heavy sheaf of reports and papers on the table in front of him.

“Gentlemen,” said Yamamoto. “It appears we have a situation developing on two fronts now, and with limited resources to commit to a possible solution to this problem. We have long expected that the enemy would eventually attempt a counterattack. Now it seems we have that at both ends of the rope, and here we sit in the middle.

“I have just received a report from Tokyo,” said Imamura, who was charged with representing the overall interests of the Army for both fronts, since no one else from Tokyo could arrive at Rabaul on such short notice. “Thus far, the enemy landings on Sakhalin are not substantial. Karafuto Command has ordered two battalions of the 25th Infantry Brigade north to reinforce the garrison troops there, but the Army believes the current conditions at sea will still prohibit any major movement of additional enemy forces. That said, they are again not happy that this additional incursion was permitted to proceed unchallenged by the Navy, and they have asked me to formally request stronger naval support in the event additional enemy landings should be forthcoming.”

That sounded suspiciously like the Army again blaming the Navy for what had just happened on Sakhalin, but Yamamoto did not wish to see this meeting become a finger pointing game. “The Navy is more than willing to begin active operations in the north,” he said. “The carrier Kaga will complete its refit within the week, and it will join Tosa for deployment north. I am not sure how many army planes have been assigned to Karafuto Command, but that carrier division will raise the stakes considerably. Admiral Ugaki?”

By prearranged signal, Ugaki would now convey the details. “Combined Fleet is allocating Battleship Division 1 to accompany this carrier force, which will be composed of our two newest battleships, Satsuma and Hiraga. Nagato is also on station in the north, but it will be retained at Yokohama. Cruiser Division 3, with Atago, Takao and Tone will depart Rabaul immediately and return to home waters, to join the six light cruisers already stationed there, and there are adequate numbers of destroyers available for duty in the north. Vice Admiral Kurita will also bring the cruisers Mikuma and Mogami from his 7th Division, but leave Furutaka at Rabaul.”

“Then no more than two carriers and two battleships will be committed?” Imamura had a checklist he was to run down, and the Army had asked him to lean on things here with his considerable weight. Yet owing his life to the Navy, and having concluded a very cordial meeting with Yamamoto earlier, he was proceeding very diplomatically. “It was suggested that since Karafuto borders one of the home islands, a much stronger naval presence should be allocated to the north.”

“Not possible,” said Ugaki, without any deference to niceties. “The recent and most unfortunate loss of Shokaku in the Coral Sea has left us one carrier light in the south, and now we receive reports of strong enemy carrier action against our landings in the Fiji Island Group. It appears they waited until the Kido Butai was withdrawn, being too cowardly to face us directly after Admiral Hara sunk two of their carriers in the Coral Sea.” Ugaki had seen old King Kong Hara shift uncomfortably when he first mentioned the loss of Shokaku, so now he correctly gave him face.

“Well how many enemy carriers are you facing in the south?”

“We believe there are at least three, as a new ship transited the Panama Canal two weeks ago. They must be challenged and destroyed.”

Now General Hyakutake spoke. “Then you intend to proceed with the movement of the remaining detachments of the 48th Division?”

“Assuming the Army has no objection,” said Ugaki. “That division was assigned in whole to support Operation FS. Thus far only the Abe Detachment has landed in the Fijis. The delay in getting the remaining two regiments from Java compelled us to commit the Sakaguchi Detachment that was previously scheduled to reinforce Noumea. I assume additional forces are now ready to move?”

“The Tanaka Detachment has already been assigned shipping, which took some time to accumulate here in Rabaul.” Hyakutake wanted to make certain no blame would be laid at the Army’s feet with that remark, and Ugaki did not fail to perceive the defensive tone in his voice.

“Regretfully,” said Yamamoto, “all these operations have taxed available shipping, but the outcomes have been more than satisfactory. The capture of Port Moresby was most welcome news, and we are now well established on the main Fiji island. We have learned, however, that there are considerable enemy forces in theater. Admiral Ugaki has the latest report.”

It had come, in fact, directly from an enterprising Executive Officer aboard Takami. Lieutenant Commander Fukada had sought to enrich his relationship with Ugaki by secretly sending him information on the probable buildup of Allied forces in Australia and New Zealand. Now Ugaki could reveal this to the Army for the first time, and present it as if it were the latest intelligence garnered by the Navy.

“We already know that two American divisions are now stationed on the Australian mainland. But there are forces composing at least two other divisions in theater, one from their army, and a second from their Marine Corps. Given that our recent successful landing on Fiji will be most alarming, we see the need for an additional commitment by the Army in the South.” There it was, the subtle request, but it was met by the same cold frankness that Ugaki had offered earlier.

“Not possible,” said Imamura, senior to Hyakutake and also representing the Army High Command in Tokyo. “And I regret that I am much to blame for that. The loss of our 2nd Division in Western Java was most unfortunate, though who could have foreseen the eruption of that volcano? I suspect, in fact, that it has much to do with the problems now faced by both the Army and Navy. We lost good troops there, and the Navy suffered considerably when all those transports were destroyed. This was an act of the Gods, and therefore no blame should come to either side, but that does not allow me to miraculously produce yet another division for operations here in the South.”

“Any more than we can miraculously produce another fleet carrier for operations in the north,” said Ugaki.

Before this polite, but firm exchange escalated, Yamamoto spoke again. “Gentlemen. Here we face the situation I warned about earlier—a two front war.”

“Don’t forget Burma,” said Admiral Hara with a grim smile.

“Quite correct.” Everyone else nodded. “So we really have a war on three fronts now, and limitations on the forces available to deal with the situation. The Navy has now lost two fleet carriers; the Army has lost an infantry division. Yet in spite of these setbacks, we have done much harm to the enemy. So let us be realistic now. I understand General Yamashita has been sent to deal with the Siberians?”

“He has been given command of the Amur-Urajio District, with the 8th, 14th and 28th Infantry Divisions pulled from duty in Manchuria and Mongolia. But they cannot move to resolve the situation in the Karafuto Province unless the Navy provides sealift. Otherwise, all they can do is sit on the Amur River Line in a defensive role, which is not what the Army desires. And as long as we are remembering Burma, I must also point out that Karamushiro must be retaken at the earliest opportunity, and again, it will require the Navy in strong support.”

“We have no reservations about providing that support,” said Ugaki. “It is simply a matter of timing. At the moment, we have just been told that the Army does not believe any substantial enemy reinforcement can develop in Karafuto. And we have just informed the Army that the enemy strength in the South is much greater than the planners for Operation FS anticipated. It is therefore our belief that forces already assigned to Karafuto should be sufficient to hold the enemy in check. The Navy will cover any movement of additional troops by sea from Hokkaido or Urajio, and we have allocated forces we deem sufficient for that purpose.”

“What? By sending no more than three additional cruisers? All the other ships you mentioned are already assigned to the north.”

Ugaki reddened a bit, and pressed on. “What about the South? That battle is already underway, and the enemy is obviously intending to fight. The single division assigned is now thought to be inadequate by the Navy, particularly if our latest intelligence is proven to be true. The valor and ability of our troops are not in question here, but I must point out that the forces allocated would be outnumbered four to one.”

“Surprising information,” said Imamura, seeming to diffuse the exchange. “The Army Chiefs were not aware that the enemy buildup had progressed to that level, and I can assure you that I will request a full investigation from Army Intelligence to confirm this.”

That was a double edged statement. On the one side, Imamura seemed to be grateful for the recent Navy intelligence concerning the Allied buildup; on the other, he was calling it into question by suggesting the Army needed to confirm it. Which side of that blade he really intended to cut with was anyone’s to guess, but he said this with a conciliatory tone, further masking the fact that he had clearly looked the gift horse in the mouth where Ugaki’s intelligence was concerned. This was the subtle ebb and flow of Japanese manners, where things were said and expressed in roundabout ways, while everyone present knew what each man there was really suggesting.

“May I interject one thing here,” said 17th Army Commander Hyakutake. “I suppose it is yet another matter for Naval Intelligence, but we have heard some very strange rumors of late at Rabaul. The first concerns a new Siberian ship that the men on the quays have now come to call Mizuchi.”

That fell like a stone into a quiet pool of water, and everyone at the table waited to see where the ripples would go before Yamamoto finally spoke again.

“Mizuchi… Yes, we have not only heard of this ship, but we have also seen the direct evidence of its alarming capabilities. Neither of you may yet know this, but our carrier, the Hiryu, was not sunk because of any damage it sustained during the Pearl Harbor operation. I know this is what the Army may believe, but it is false. That ship was sunk by this Mizuchi you mention, and with a very advanced weapon that the Navy is much concerned about.”

“Then the rumors are true?”

“The rumors are rumors,” said Yamamoto. “What I am telling you is the truth. Mizuchi exists, and it is very dangerous. But the Navy is taking the measure of this ship, and I can assure you that we will deal with it.”

“I see,” said Imamura. “Would such measures have anything to do with the demonstration that took place at Davao recently?”

Again, the silence, and this time Ugaki seemed quite flustered to realize the Army knew what had happened there, but before he said anything more, he looked at Yamamoto.

“Davao…” said Yamamoto. “Yes, I suppose it would be too much to think such a test could be conducted without the Army knowing about it. Well gentlemen, the Navy has operations, plans, ships, equipment that the Army may not yet measure. I said we will deal with this Mizuchi, and we will. But let me impress upon you both that operational secrecy is most important. As far as both of you should be concerned, nothing whatsoever happened at Davao. Understand?”

He said that with the full weight of his considerable reputation and rank, and both Imamura and Hyakutake understood the warning he was giving them. Yamamoto waited briefly, then continued. “So we will be sending more than three cruisers north to join our naval forces already in theater there—but let us not speak further of this.”

After a sufficient pause, Ugaki continued to press for additional Army support for Operation FS. “Considering that we are now fully committed to resolving matters in the north, can the Army provide us with any further troops in the South?”

Imamura’s eyes narrowed. He had been on a most unusual ship, he now realized, rescued by it at sea. Yet the more he thought about that time, the more suspicious he became. The Captain and crew were dressed strangely, as though they were some secret new branch of the Navy. He realized now that they were making great efforts to keep him confined in the sick bay, and that their maneuver to deliver him to the meeting with Yamamoto was not entirely on the up and up. A few discrete inquiries revealed the truth of that to him. There had been no order by the Army Chiefs that he come to meet Yamamoto at Davao. That had all been quietly arranged by the Navy. And when he saw that most interesting demonstration in the bay off Davao…

Now his quick mind began to realize that something most unusual was afoot here. The Navy had a new ship—a secret ship. His inquiries had also revealed that it was not even on the register of active vessels, and so he assumed it must be a top secret command unit, or weapons development project.

So, the Navy is really worried about this new Siberian ship, he thought quickly. In fact, they are indeed going to send more than three cruisers north to deal with it. How I would love to be on that strange ship that rescued me when it does sail north to battle, for clearly this is what Admiral Yamamoto was suggesting. And he looked directly at me, the senior Army officer here, as he said that. So I think I must oblige him in exchange.

“Considering the gravity of these operations,” he said to Yamamoto directly, “I think we can come to some agreement here. General Nishimura is still sitting on Singapore under all that ashfall with the Army he inherited from General Yamashita. He has both the 18th Division and his Imperial Guards Division on the main island now, and that is more than enough to manage that situation. Therefore…. It would seem that the 5th Division, whatever remains of it, would be available.” He smiled.

Yamamoto returned the smile, and with an ever so subtle nod of his head. “Yes,” he said quietly, reaching for his white dress gloves. “I think we can come to an agreement.”

Chapter 29

That same evening Yamamoto summoned the senior officers from Takami to confer with them on the situation and issue new orders. Harada and Fukada met him in that same stateroom aboard Yamato, and were soon surprised to learn what he had in mind.

“We are now facing two enemy operations,” he began, “one in the north, and a second aimed at reinforcing Fiji in the south. We have spoken with the Army to see about obtaining additional forces for Operation FS, and an agreement was reached. The Tanaka Regiment of the 48th Division is boarding transports as we speak and it is my intention to depart Rabaul and lead the Kido Butai south again immediately.”

“Very well,” said Harada. “Takami is ready to accompany you.”

“That will not be necessary. In fact, I have new orders for you. The situation in the north has changed. Last night the Siberians staged another surprise landing in the far north of Kira Karafuto province. It was not a substantial landing, but we believe they delivered a reinforced regiment there, and have every intention of pushing south to increase their lodgment. The Army has sufficient forces on the island to respond, but it will soon become necessary to send additional forces from Hokkaido. Your mission will be to assure that these troops arrive safely.”

“I see,” said Harada. “Where will they come from?”

“Sapporo—elements of our 7th Division, which now garrisons Hokkaido. We could move them by land to Wakkanai in the North Cape area, but that is a fairly small port. The facilities at Sapporo are better suited to receive the shipping required, and boarding transports there was deemed a safer option by the Army.”

“A safer option?” Fukada heard more in that. “Then you expect that any cross channel operation from Wakkanai in the Soya Strait would be opposed?”

“That possibility was suggested, though it is only a hundred miles or so from that port to Rutaka or Otomari on Karafuto. It is more than twice that distance from Sapporo, but all in waters we have controlled for decades. The threat, however, may be real, and you have already told me of this Siberian ship you believe is from the same time you claim to come from. While I still find all of this too fantastic to contemplate, I have accepted the reality of your presence here, and already seen the damage that can be inflicted by these new rocket weapons you possess. Therefore, I want you to provide fleet area defense for the main reinforcement operation for Karafuto.”

“You believe this Russian ship will attempt to intervene?”

“That will have to remain a strong possibility. The enemy knows what he is about, and also knows the countermeasures we must take if we are to foil him. He knows we must move troops by sea, and it is therefore logical to expect he will take this into consideration. You have told me the man who now leads the Free Siberian State is not a man of our time, and that his ship is the most powerful vessel in the world. Our own sailors now speak of it in hushed whispers. They call it Mizuchi, a sea demon from the old lore. This ship must be opposed, and if your vessel is capable of the task, then that is now your assignment. You will sail tonight with three heavy cruisers led by our most able Admiral Kurita. I have briefed him on this mission, and appointed him overall commander of the Northern Fleet that will now be assembled for this operation. Any questions?”

Harada noted that Yamamoto never asked them whether they wished to take on this assignment, or even if Takami was indeed capable of performing the task he had in mind. Those were questions that were still playing in the Captain’s own mind, but Fukada spoke first.

“Then you will go south to face the Americans alone? Shouldn’t we make certain they are defeated in the south before we turn to the north?”

Yamamoto smiled, dismissing the effrontery of this young officer, for he already was well aware of his mind on this war. Few officers would have dared to question what was such an obvious order, and without so much as a ‘with all due respect, sir.’ This man is headstrong, he thought, but he is also a fighter.

“It will not be possible to throw a stone in two directions at once,” he said quietly. “So I take the Kido Butai in my hand now to face the Americans as I might have in the history books in your ship’s library. Only this time we will not fight over a meaningless speck in the center of the Pacific like Midway. This time we will fight to secure and preserve our landing on Fiji, and to continue with Operation FS as it was envisioned. As soon as we withdrew to replenish, the American fleet moved in and gave our troops down there a good pounding. The small air squadron we posted at Nandi was simply not capable of opposing their naval air power. Only the Kido Butai can do that. Now I will go and see if they still wish to do battle at sea. Zuikaku has completed minor repairs, and it will join Akagi and Soryu, along with the light carriers Zuiho and Shoho. I have asked the Army for additional troops, and they were forthcoming. They have, in turn, asked me for something.”

“Naval support in the north,” said Harada.

“Correct. You cautioned me earlier concerning the capabilities of this Siberian ship. Now you will see to the matter, though you will not sail alone. The carrier Tosa is on permanent station in the north, and it is moving to Yokohama tonight. Kaga has also completed its refit, and those two ships will be designated Carrier Division 2. Admiral Kurita will add a cruiser division to that force, which will also include two of our newest fast battleships, and additional destroyers in support. I want your ship to sail with the covering force, protect it, defend the troop convoy, and ensure a safe landing on Karafuto. After that, further offensive operations will likely be necessary.”

This time it was Harada who heard more in that than there seemed at first blush. “Additional offensive operations?”

“The enemy is operating from Magadan in the far north. The currents there leave an ice free channel leading to that port. It must be neutralized to stem the flow of supplied and troops to the forces they have landed on Kira Karafuto. Beyond that, there is the matter of lower Kanzantochi. An operation will eventually be planned to retake the port that was lost earlier this year. For the moment, the reinforcement of Karafuto will suffice—and the matter of this Siberian ship.”

Now the Admiral was quiet for a moment looking the men over, taking their measure. “Do you have any reservations concerning these orders?”

Harada shook his head. “No sir. The Russians were no friend to Japan, even in 2021. In fact, our Navy routinely drilled to oppose them in the Sea of Japan. We were at war with them when our ship was recalled north to home waters. Unfortunately, we did not make it home, but here we are, and here we also find a Russian ship from our time making war on Japan. So I can say, without reservation, that my ship and crew will do everything possible to neutralize this ship.”

“That is good to hear, but now I have one last question. Can you stop this ship?” That was the real point of this discussion, finally asked directly, and Harada noted there was just the hint of uncertainty in Yamamoto’s voice.

“Mister Fukada?” The Captain was going to let his XO speak to their chances.

“Sir, our missiles are fully capable of intercepting and shooting down the weapons this ship can employ. That said, our ship is configured more for fleet defense than it is for offense. We have only eight missiles that were designed for use as anti-ship weapons. The rest were largely designed to defeat enemy aircraft and incoming missiles. To answer you directly—yes, I believe we can successfully defend the fleet, though our chances of inflicting real harm on the enemy are not as good.”

“Explain,” said Yamamoto, arms folded, and very curious as to how two ships with these new weapons might fight one another.

“Sir, in our day the element of first contact is very important, even as it is now. In this, we may have a slight edge on the enemy radars. They are good, but I believe our equipment is superior. Once detected, missile salvoes are fired in a relatively large group to maximize the chances of obtaining a critical hit. Any hit, in fact, will do great harm to the enemy, or to our own ship should we fail to stop each and every incoming missile.”

“Interesting,” said Yamamoto. “Then you cannot sustain hits and still continue fighting, as this ship might easily do?”

“That will depend on what we were hit with, but these missiles are very deadly. I believe you already know that from the damage inflicted on Hiryu. Our ship would fare no better if struck by a missile.”

“I see… Thus in many ways, Takami might be thought of as an aircraft carrier, but one with a very small squadron of offensive strike planes, and a large number of fighters. Am I correct?”

“The analogy is good,” said Fukada.

“Yet you will have the element of surprise this time.”

“Possibly,” said Fukada, hedging his bet. “The enemy will not expect our presence here, but they still have the capability of detecting our electronics. Their ship has the ability to detect and analyze electronic emissions, and even relate them to existing ship types that might utilize such equipment.”

“So you are saying they might hear your ship, if that analogy is correct, and then determine who and what you are by simply listening?”

“Correct sir, but they will first have to believe what their ears are telling them. In that interval, between their interception of a signal, and their conclusion about it, lies our chance for surprise.”

“And the enemy ship… They have more missiles than Takami?”

“If this is a standard loadout for a Kirov Class battlecruiser, then they will have at least 20 SSMs—a designation we give to ship killing missiles. Some of these have already been used to strike our ships, but let us assume they will have at least 16 remaining.”

“Twice as many as your ship.”

“Correct sir, and it might be fair to say that the Russian missiles are quite good—perhaps better than our own SSM design. Yet we will have at least 70 fighters to stop those 16 strike planes, to continue with your analogy. I believe our chances are very good.”

“And can they stop your missiles?”

Fukada took a deep breath. “Sir, their chances are also very good in that.”

“I understand,” said Yamamoto. “Of course, the God of Chance must always have his say. Things in war seldom go as we might expect.”

“There is one other consideration sir,” said Fukada. “If we do lock horns with this Mizuchi, then it may be necessary to expend a considerable portion of our missile inventory to do battle effectively.”

“Of course.”

“Well sir, please realize that we cannot replenish or replace any weapon we use. Once these planes are launched, these missiles fired, they go to their sure and certain death, much like our Kamikaze pilots.”

“Kamikaze? Ah, yes, I read of this in your ship’s library. I suppose that is a very good analogy.”

“I mention this because the aid we can provide is therefore limited. We could surprise and put serious damage on these last remaining American carriers. Or we might successfully protect this operation planned for the north, but as you have said, we cannot throw a stone in two directions.”

Yamamoto nodded. This man wants to go south, he realized. He would prefer the clear superiority his ship has against forces from this time. He believes the surprise and shock his ship could deliver to the Americans might be decisive… But I prefer to handle that myself. The Americans I can face on equal terms, and then, may the better man win. This Mizuchi… it is a demon from hell, and I would only waste my forces in trying to find and oppose it. That is a task their ship was designed for, and so that is what they will do. He did not waste any further breath explaining this to Fukada, but simply repeated his orders, an air of finality evident in his tone.

“Gentlemen,” he said. “You sail tonight. Join Admiral Kurita’s Cruiser Squadron. Protect the fleet. Stop this Russian ship… And may the Thunder Gods go with you.”

“Very good sir,” said Harada. “We will do our best.”

The only question in the Captain’s mind was whether their best would be good enough. He could see what Yamamoto was doing here, his mind grasping the same logic that the Admiral had run down in his own thinking. Takami was born and bred to do what Yamamoto was now ordering, in this era or in their own time.

He had listened to Fukada’s explanations, and was satisfied with them. The best we might hope for up north is a stalemate, he thought. But even that would be good enough to complete the mission the Admiral is handing us. We signed on to protect and defend Japan? Well, I’ll admit I had reservations before when it came to cutting down the Americans from this era. It just seemed so underhanded, though this Karpov certainly had no qualms about turning his missiles on our ships.

Perhaps I can use that—the other fellow’s hubris could be something I can take advantage of. We will have that single edge in this thing—the element of surprise. Yet they have a lot of muscle on that battlecruiser, and a man at the helm that had no reservations of his own when he faced down the US 7th Fleet… My God, that was just a few weeks ago, but now it won’t happen for eighty years—if it ever happens at all. Everything we do here is shuffling the card deck. Our own future history may not look anything like the time we lived in. Thinking about that is somewhat frightening. Have they considered any of this? If they have, it hasn’t stayed their missile fire orders. I’m going to have to be just as tough in this situation.

The Captain was thinking he had a fairly good chance in the fight up north. Yet neither he, nor his executive officer, had any idea that Kirov had departed Severomorsk with her magazines burgeoning with reloads. The ship had intended to use live ordnance for those exercises in the Norwegian Sea, and then still have a full bar after the party was over. But they had never fired those rounds off, and so Fukada’s math was just a little off that day.

Kirov had better than a two-to-one advantage in SSMs. In fact, instead of 16 SSMs as Fukada had explained, the ship was carrying 37 of the dread Moskit IIs, with 20 of those crated in a deep interior magazine. It also had seven more P-900s and another ten MOS-IIIs. Kirov would therefore enjoy a six-to-one advantage in ship killing missiles, but Fukada did not know that. To make matters worse, the ship possessed another 20 torpedoes, twice as many as Takami had. On defense, the Russian ship still had 61 of the superb S-300 long range SAMs, 127 of the Klinok Gauntlet type missiles, and 64 of the short range Kashtan system missiles, a three-to-one advantage in SAMs. Kirov was, without any doubt, the undisputed champion of the world when it came to a surface action ship. Fukada had said nothing of another weapon deep within the maw of Mizuchi, a breath of fire and destruction that had not yet been seen in this half of the world. Kirov had nukes…

Yet as Yamamoto had warned, the Gods of Chance must have their say, and there were also weapons and systems aboard Takami that the Russians were not aware of—and the fact that they would never expect that ship to be present in 1942 would also go a long way towards balancing the odds.

That night, Takami departed Rabaul as ordered, cruising with Admiral Kurita, who was now deemed their nominal superior officer. They had joined the Japanese navy to protect and defend Japan, and that was what they were now setting off to do.

Chapter 30

Eager to get in to the action after joining the Halsey Group, the Wasp went south immediately, joining in on the strikes made against the Japanese lodgment. On the 28th of April it was detached to rendezvous with a tanker and refuel, temporarily reducing TF-16 to only two fleet carriers. After having pounded the facilities lost to the Japanese at Nandi, the powerful US battlegroup also withdrew east to Pago Pago, more to replenish ammunition than fuel. Halsey kept station north of Viti Levu, but coastwatchers and PBY sightings soon confirmed that the Japanese carriers were again heading south.

“Thanks for taking the basket ride over here to see me,” he said to Captain Marc “Pete” Mitscher from the Hornet, conferring with him aboard the Enterprise. Mitscher was a tall, lean man, with a well weathered face and a career dating back to 1910 in the Navy. Halsey wanted to run a few things by him, and share some intelligence.

“Pete, this will be the big one. We either toe the line here or they’ll push us all the way back to Samoa. The only question I have is whether we should cut Reeves and the Wasp loose to operate independently, or keep all our carriers together in one group.”

“Easier to coordinate our strikes from one group,” said Mitscher. “Also more planes available for CAP.”

“True, but they’ll find us out here one way or another, and we can expect to be hit. So it’s a question of how many carriers they find at one time. If I team Shiloh with the Wasp, they would have to split any strike to get at all our flattops.”

“You’re assuming they’ll operate in one group?”

“That’s been their MO in the past. They call it the Kido Butai, and word is that that big battlewagon they have is running with the carriers—the Yamato. All six carriers were together when they hit Pearl, though they broke the four they had into two groups in the Coral Sea when they hit Fletcher.”

“All it took was one group to put Sara and Yorktown down,” said Mitscher.

“I’ll give them that,” said Halsey. “They know what they’re doing when it comes to carrier operations. But our boys are gaining experience and confidence day by day. The Doolittle Raid we pulled off did a world of good for morale, not only here but back home as well. Now I want to deliver a good punch to this Kido Butai if it shows up, and then dance the late rounds if they still have any fight in them. But we may do things a little differently here. This is going to be combat in fairly restricted waters. There are a couple hundred island scattered through this area, and coral reefs everywhere.”

“Alright, you want to split the group, I’ll support that. But Shiloh carries only 24 planes. We might at least think about operating within close supporting distance of each other. That way if one or another group gets targeted, the other might lend a hand.”

“That’ll be the order,” said Halsey. “I’ll detach Shiloh at 12:00 and have her link up with Wasp. A pair of cruisers and five destroyers should be enough to flesh that group out. We’ll designate it TF-17.”

“That was Fletcher’s old handle before he merged it into TF-11,” said Mitscher. “The men get spooky about things like that.”

“Alright then, make it Taffy 18. I like the even numbers anyway.”

“How you figure to hit them?” asked Mitscher. He knew they called Halsey “Bull” for more than one reason, but chief among them was his propensity to be aggressive as a commander, so what he heard next came as a surprise.

“I’ve had a lot of traffic from Nimitz at Pearl,” said Halsey. “He wants me to play a different game down here. Yes, I’d go right at them if we still had Fletcher’s group out there. But the loss of those two carriers is starting to sting. I’m sitting here with the only maneuverable strike element we have in the US Navy now, and we just flat out can’t risk losing it. We’re getting the Essex sooner than we expected, but it still won’t be available until September, so it’s occurred to me that we have another carrier at hand that can serve us equally well in this fight—The USS Suva. Nimitz suggested it, and the more I think it over, the more I tend to agree. So I’m going to transfer in fighters and strike aircraft from the carriers to that base. I’ll want one strike squadron from each of the fleet carriers—your choice when the hat gets passed to the Hornet. Then we’re going to sit up here on the other side of Vanua Levu, so we can have men down there reporting anything they see coming our way. Our mission is to preserve and defend that airfield at Suva, feed in planes, and hammer their own field at Nandi, and any troop or supply convoys they try to bring in.”

“What if the Japs swing around the main islands looking for a fight?”

“Then we swing too, but in the other direction. Now you know me, Pete. You’re a fighting fool just like I am, and you know I wouldn’t run from the devil himself. But the idea here is that we keep the island between us and them, which means they have to overfly anything we have at Suva to get at our carriers. They’ve got an Army Pursuit squadron there with Air Cobras. If we can put enough Wildcats in to back them up, those fighters could break up Jap strike formations aimed at us—but the inverse won’t be true when we go after them with our strike planes.”

Mitscher nodded. “Sounds damn interesting. I like it. In fact, what we need now are a couple good battalions of Seabees and more airfields all over this island group.”

“Damn right, and the planes and pilots to put those airfields to good use. Nimitz says he’s looking to scrape up anyone he can find with experience. Some of the flyers are mustering out of China, and he’s asked for them.”

“The Flying Tigers?”

“The very same—only this time they won’t have to paint those big white teeth on an Army P-40. The Navy is getting a new fighter, the F4U Corsair.”

“I’ve heard they wouldn’t be ready for months. Hell, I’ve been asking for them since Pearl.”

“Sorry Pete, you got passed over. We all did. They only had one squadron available, so they sent it out to Pearl last week. We were at sea, so it ended up on the Shiloh—nine planes. More will be coming soon, but the next bunch goes to the Marines.”

“The Marines? What the hell?”

“That’s where these Tiger pilots moved, right into the USMC. So they’ll have a squadron ready with these new fighters inside a week, but it won’t be enough.”

“Well, we can ferry in planes and set up a de-facto task force of unsinkable aircraft carriers out here on these islands. Sure they can hit those airfields, but if we shadow box them like I think you have it figured, then we can hold our own. It’s a hell of a lot easier to bulldoze over runway craters than it is to build one of these aircraft carriers.”

“That’s the way Nimitz put it, and that’s the way we’ll play it.”

“Intel thinks they sortied with some heavy ships again.”

“More than likely,” said Halsey. “But we’ve got that fast battleship squadron down here now, and I’ll damn well put it to good use. This is becoming a bit of a chess game, and that base at Suva is a good solid pawn, right in the middle of the board. We’re the Knights and Bishops, and we protect that pawn, hold the center, and win through in the endgame with those Marines. Patch and Vandegrift have their marching orders. While we play it cagey out here, the Army and Marines won’t be sitting on defense any longer. They’re going to attack.”

Halsey’s first order of business was to get down and hammer the Jap airfield at Nandi. He did exactly what he planned, advancing in two task forces to hover north of Vanua Levu. What he wanted was a real one two punch, with his SBDs going in first to sweep the Japanese controlled fields with a series of good crisp jabs, then the big right hand haymaker, with the Battle Fleet composed of North Carolina, Washington and South Dakota. The Black Shoe Admiral that had seen his carriers shot out from under him in the Coral Sea was back. Fletcher had transferred to the cruiser Portland, and brought that ship back towards Fiji with the Pensacola and Astoria. The five destroyers he had were also in tow.

With most of his experience running surface ships, Fletcher felt he was finally playing in the correct league. He had been shaken by the sudden defeat that killed the Saratoga and Yorktown, but there would be no time to brood over the loss. Halsey gave him the battleship squadron, and ordered him in to get some payback by hitting the Japanese at Nandi.

There were only two squadrons of enemy planes reported there, both flown in from Noumea where they had been transferred off the light carrier Hiyo some months earlier. There were 12 D3A Dive bombers for a small strike element, and 12 more A5M Fighters. When Halsey’s planes hit the new airfield near Tavua in the north, those “Claudes” as the Americans called them all scrambled to defend the main field at Nandi. One of the Vals out on patrol had spotted the approach of Fletcher’s battleships, and radioed back to his squadron mates. They got into the air and on their way just ten minutes before the SBDs off the Halsey Group came thundering in to start their attack.

Battleships had long been the apple in the eye of a Japanese pilot, and when those D3As saw them they were delighted, and even more enthused by the fact that there were no American fighters up over them. A formation of 10 planes came in to attack, but Fletcher had spotted them on radar, and his ships were rough and ready, his gunners soon filling the skies with flak as the enemy began their diving runs.

AA Cruiser San Juan was in escort, an Atlanta Class light cruiser with 16 Dual Purpose 5-inch guns that could elevate 85 degrees with added mounts for rounds with special AA fuses. It would come to be considered the very best dual purpose gun in its class, if not the world, and those big rounds were quick to darken the sky over the task force. In spite of that, it was often necessary to fire off at least 100 rounds to get a kill, but good crews could get off over 20 rounds per minute with those guns, so the next five minutes were going to be hot. San Juan would get two of those Vals with that flurry of AAC Mark 49 flak shells that afternoon. Two more would fall prey to her Bofors 40mm guns, 14 in all, and she also had 13 more 20mm Oerlikon AA guns.

Both the Washington and North Carolina had 20 of the same 5-inch guns that made up San Juan’s primary battery, and another 16 of the 1.1-inch AA guns. South Dakota, being one step newer, had 16 of the 5-inchers, but was beefed up considerably when it came to air defense, as that ship had been built with the idea of it being a Fleet Flagship. It was given no less than 68 Bofors 40mm guns, and 76 of the 20mm Oerlikon AA guns. Her 5-inch guns also carried a very special new round designed for air defense. That was the ship that put those Vals down for the count, getting four more as they came in, with another taken down by the North Carolina. But that left two that got through, and their aim was true. One of the dying planes had also got its bomb off before being hit, so the Japanese got just a little reprisal for the loss of that squadron. They put two one bomb on the North Carolina, and two more on the San Juan.

Fletcher winced when he saw the explosion hit his lead battleship. He had already darkened his reputation by losing two fleet carriers, and now the thought that he might lose a battleship here rankled in the back of his mind. But that was not to be. North Carolina was a very well protected ship, with armor accounting for 41% of her total displacement, over 45,000 tons full load. Her armored decks were in three layers that totaled just over seven inches of steel. Her conning tower had 14 to 16 inches of armor, and so the “Showboat,” as the ship was called, brushed off the hit to her forward deck easily enough.

San Juan did not fare quite so well. One bomb hit her amidships, just aft of the rear funnel on her starboard side, setting off a torpedo mount. That put the twin 5-inch battery there out of action, and blew a good sized hole in the deck, scoring the funnel with a lot of shrapnel. While not in danger of sinking, the fires looked serious, giving the sole Japanese pilot to get out of that attack alive something to crow about. He reported he had set a battleship on fire, and no one would ever be the wiser. Fletcher decided to detach the ship and send it back to Pago Pago, but he was more than determined to carry on his mission and get after that airfield.

The sun set an hour later, with no further sign of enemy planes, and that night the three battleships would deliver a most unwelcome surprise to the Japanese at Nandi. Fletcher’s five destroyers had swept on ahead to make the introductions. They began dueling with a few Japanese shore batteries, though not many guns could be spared for that role. The Japanese thought they had little to fear when the destroyer’s lighter rounds came in. They caused more noise and distraction than damage, but ten minutes later the gloaming horizon darkened with the silhouettes of those three US battleships, and in came the big 16-inch rounds, and with terrible effect.

Four of the twelve Claudes were blasted on the airstrip, which saw no less than 19 shells coming to plant big craters there. The port dock and warehouse area took five direct hits, and a fuel tank took another, exploding in a blaze of fire and smoke. As Fletcher watched the smoke and fire hit the enemy for a change, he managed just the hint of a smile. Fedorov’s history recorded him as a cautious but competent carrier commander, with more than one victory to notch his belt. Yet he was a surface action commander at heart, and that was where he would take his ride into the pages of this history.

Far to the west, the Close Covering force waiting for the Tanaka Detachment convoy got new orders that night. Captain Mori on the heavy cruiser Haguro was ordered to take his ships in to sweep the harbor area. He had the cruiser Maya with him, and five destroyers, and was thinking to steal in and catch the Americans near Nandi by surprise the following morning. It was a rash order, sent by the local commander at Noumea in response to an urgent radio call from Nandi asking for naval support, and not by Yamamoto’s Combined Fleet HQ. Those three battleships would be more than a match for the Japanese, but Mori’s group would never get there.

Halsey’s planes would find them first.

Out to finish up the Japanese airfields, a mixed formation of 27 SBDs escorted by 18 Wildcats spotted the enemy ships just after sunrise on the 28th of April. They came screaming in to get their vengeance for the attack that had sent the San Juan to the corner. Both Haguro and Maya would take three hits, with serious damage and heavy fires on both cruisers. The destroyer Ushio also took a bomb forward, which was enough to put that ship out of the game. The entire force did a hasty 180 degree turn and withdrew to Noumea, chastened and well warned.

The opening act of the naval battle for the Fiji Group had gone to Bull Halsey. The airfields at Nandi and Tavua were in very bad shape, and the Japanese had lost the services of those two heavy cruisers, and all but seven A5M fighters, and three Vals that still remained at Nandi. When Yamamoto got the news he was not pleased.

“So, the American carriers have spoiled our celebration of Showa Day, the Emperor’s Birthday. Who ordered that covering force to move to the Fijis so soon, and without proper air cover?”

“I assure you, Admiral, the order did not come from this headquarters.”

“Well, find out where it did come from, and tell the man who issued it that I will speak with him directly after this is over. In the meantime, as the landings in the Santa Cruz Islands look to be unopposed, we will now depart to join Admiral Hara. We move south this morning.”