Against the Tide Imperial: The Struggle for Ceylon (The Usurper's War: An Alternative World War II B James Young (read out loud books .TXT) 📖

switch was thrown, tracer fire stabbed upwards towards Gratham One and Two. Both Mosquitoes were unscathed, a string of flares opening behind them and descending towards the ocean below.

Gratham Three and Four, coming forward into maelstrom, targeted the light cruiser Noshiro at the left front of the formation. Squeezing one eye shut to protect from the flash of their rockets, both Mosquitoes fired their the 3-inch devices at three hundred yards, then followed up with strafing as they dropped their bombs in a shallow glide attack. The light cruiser’s upper works were whipped with fragments as four of the rockets hit, killing many of the anti-aircraft gunners at their posts. Unfortunately for the two Mosquitoes, a last minute turn caused both bombs to miss without real effect.

Jersey Flight, attacking a few moments behind Gratham, attempted to repeat their attack on the Nachi. The big heavy cruiser’s anti-aircraft guns managed to score a lucky hit, the burst of 25mm fire striking Jersey Two as it was in the midst of putting in flares. With a scarlet flare of flame, the port engine caught ablaze, then exploded in a brilliant pyrotechnic display. Flying Officer Wash had just enough time to scream over Baron’s radio net before he and his observer both disappeared in a plume of spray off the Nachi’s starboard quarter.

Jersey Three and Four, already committed to the attack, opened fire with their rockets. They did better than Gratham Flight, managing to put six projectiles into the heavy cruiser’s superstructure. Unfortunately for both aircraft, the Nachi and her accompanying destroyers were much better at shooting than their counterparts aboard the Noshiro. Jersey Three’s bomb was wide as Flight Lieutenant Desmarais, its pilot, broke off his run early. The Greek expatriate had barely ten seconds to be angry about this drop, as a heavy anti-aircraft shell obliterated the Mosquito’s cockpit. Jersey Four’s weapon was also wide and forward of the Nachi, its pilot having waited just a few moments too long.

Still, both flights had achieved their purpose, so distracting the Japanese gunners that Baron Flight was able to dive on the Chitose.

“Those aren’t fleet carriers!” Russell said as Bellingsley arrowed towards the illuminated flight deck in front of them. “That’s a goddamn escort carrier!”

“Well we’re not bloody well circling around to look for the right vessels,” Bellingsley shouted, a stream of 25mm fire passing just over their fighter. The run in towards the Chitose was tense, the carrier starting to turn away from the approaching fighter bombers into a tight circle.

Come on, come on, come on.

There was a cry over the radio, and a brief flare of fire to their left rear as Baron Two was struck. Russell turned and saw the Mosquito wreathed in flames, but still trying to get push on.

“Sir!” Bellingsley said, jolting Russell back to where his mind needed to be. He bent to the bombsight, the Chitose swelling as he aimed.

“Wait…wait…now!” Russell said.

The pair of 1,000-lb. bombs separated cleanly, the Mosquito leaping into the air. Doing a quick, loud two count, Bellingsley yanked back on the yoke, the Mosquito leveling off before shuddering with the blast of their ordnance impacting. Looking back, Russell saw that both bombs had just missed the carrier close aboard.

Dammit. A sudden wave of helplessness and anger washed over him.

Jersey Two didn’t–

His thoughts were interrupted by first one, then two flashes suddenly erupting from the Chitose’s flight deck. There was a brief glimpse of Baron Three’s outline in the explosions, tracers reaching out toward the Mosquito. Baron Four’s bombs missed long, their blasts barely shaking the now burning carrier.

Well at least we got two hits on her, Russell observed with brusque satisfaction. A pair of secondary explosions increased the size of the sizeable blaze on the Japanese carrier..

“Baron Leader, this is Jersey One, we’re going to have another go at that light cruiser,” Flight Lieutenant Hibbert reported.

“Jersey One, give me a second and I’ll illuminate, then Gratham Three can assist.”

“Right on, we’ll stand by.”

“We need to call Ratmalana and let them know this is not the bloody main force,” Russell said. “Get us up to altitude and let’s start heading back.”

“Roger,” Bellingsley said, pulling back on the yolk. Russell turned just in time to see Jersey and Gratham’s remaining aircraft with ordnance have another go at the Noshiro. The string of flares outlined the Japanese light cruiser once more, and again anti-aircraft fire reached up towards the descending British aircraft.

Come on lads, get a lick in.

“Sir, what hea–”

Suddenly the inside of the Mosquito was alive with flashes and several loud bangs. Pain stabbed sharply in his legs, his abdomen, right arm, and chest. Bellingsley screamed as the Mosquito tumbled to the right, throwing Russell against his straps, then forward into the radar screen with a teeth-jarring crunch! that sent the world into a brilliant white for a moment.

What…wha– He attempted to grab his seat straps as the world continued to go topsy turvy. There was the sound of ripping wood, then debris was flying all around him. Russell threw up his hand to cover his face, then realized what swung up into his field of view seemed to be a bit of meat attached to his arm by strings of sinew rather than a hand

Russell was still in shock and trying to figure out what had happened to his arm when the Mosquito’s front half tumbled into the Pacific. The Chitose Zero that had shot Bellingsley and he down, satisfied with the will, turned to claw back to altitude. To the Japanese pilot’s disappointment, there was no more prey to find in the darkness.

The remainder of Baron Squadron, egressing at high speed, did not realize they had faced the Second Carrier Fleet, not the Kido Butai. As the senior surviving officer, Flight Officer Badcocke was responsible for providing an action report to Wing Leader Hairns. Upon his return to Ratmalana, Badcocke would state that the Mosquitoes had engaged and set ablaze a Hiryu-class carrier. The report would be made in total