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) 📖

island. The purloined electronics were vastly superior to the primitive, native Japanese sets on Shokaku and Kirishima.

Alas, it cuts both ways. The British will undoubtedly see this strike coming in time to scramble fighters off their carriers. Which is why we’re throwing everything possible in two waves.

Unlike their Western counterparts, Japanese carrier strikes revolved around divisions of two vessels, not each carrier’s air group. In the case of the Akagi’s first strike, this meant that her dive bombers and fighters would join the Kaga’s torpedo bombers as one strike package. Roughly thirty minutes from now, once the aircraft were spotted, the Akagi’s torpedo bombers would then join the Kaga’s dive bombers and fighters. Each evolution would be mirrored by Soryu and Hiryu, while the Shokaku and Taiho were only contributing dive bombers and torpedo bombers to the first strike in order to maintain a CAP.

If the CAP is necessary, of course we are doomed. The beauty of the plan was to catch Vice Admiral Cunningham’s carriers almost a full day before they were expecting to make contact with the “Kido Butai,” a.k.a. Ozawa’s feint. This in and of itself was also the culmination of several months of subterfuge. Officially, the Japanese Navy had never acknowledged the well-developed Royal Navy anchorage at Addu Atoll in the Maldives. When the British had been forced to cede Singapore to Japan way back in 1942, their staff had been thorough in destroying all mention of the base’s ability to sustain a large fleet such as Cunningham’s. Unfortunately, that hadn’t done anything about the paperwork back in the Admiralty in London.

Of course, the Germans became privy to many ‘secrets’ after the Treaty of Kent. I am sure we have not been told all of them, even as those smiling racists call us friends.

Unlike his counterparts in the Army, back when those idiots had been in charge, Yamaguchi had never been under any illusions as to how the Germans regarded Japan. Indeed, his preference would have been to figure out some way to make common cause with the United States after several years of residence there as an attaché and student.

Alas, while not as overt as the Germans, it is clear the Americans have their own problems with us, as we do with them. Which is why we must inflict so great a defeat here in the Indian Ocean that both Great Britain and the United States turn to focus on our friends in Berlin.

“Sir, the Hiryu and Soryu report that they are launching,” Rear Admiral Kaku stated. Yamaguchi signaled his understanding.

“Has the Taiho picked up any contacts?” he asked.

“No sir,” Kaku replied.

The first Shiden rolled down the Akagi’s deck. Rear Admiral Yamaguchi was pleasantly surprised at how cooperative the weather had been. Most of the cloud cover being thin and intermittent, and the wind was conveniently blowing out of southwest. This allowed the carriers to continue closing the range as they launched, rather than having to come about.

I have no desire to engage in a surface action with Cunningham.

Yamaguchi cast his eyes towards the Kirishima and Hiei. I need him to go away, not strive for total annihilation. He looked at his watch as the Akagi’s strike continued to launch.

In a little over three hours, I will have either won a great victory or doomed our nation, the Kido Butai's commander thought. Now I wait.

U.S.S. Plunger

2036 Local (0236 Eastern)

Pearl Harbor

8 August (9 August)

It was rare for a submarine to risk entry into Pearl Harbor during the night. However, as if the battered vessel herself had wanted to prove Nick and Chief McLaughlin’s point, the Plunger had suffered a catastrophic failure in her forward engine room roughly two days out of Midway.

I wonder if they can smell burnt oil ashore, Nick wondered idly as the submarine eased up to the pier. Because that stench will be all over us until we get our clothes laundered.

“Well, looks like we’re not going to be totally neglected,” Commander Emerson sneered, gesturing towards the dock.

You, sir, have been damn near insufferable.

It did not help that, upon further evaluation, the folks on Midway had agreed Plunger needed to have a refit, if not a full dry dock period, before going back out against the Japanese. The Fulton’s divers had found further dings in the submarine’s hull forward. These had been invisible unless one swam completely underneath the submarine, evidence of a couple of ash cans exploding lower than the keel.

Given the late hour and it being dark, I can understand if no one had met us at all. Not like there’s a war on or anything.

“I’m going below to grab the log, XO,” Commander Emerson stated. “I will meet you on the dock momentarily.”

Nick nodded, hoping against hope that Commander Emerson would retrieve his log before the Plunger put down her gangway. It was not to be, and Nick greeted Rear Admiral Graham as the senior officer stepped onto Plunger’s deck.

“Welcome aboard, sir,” Nick said as the bosun’s pipe sounded. Graham wrinkled his nose as the wind shifted.

“Smells like you gentlemen had some trouble,” the senior officer said, returning Nick’s salute then extending his hand. Nick shook if just as Commander Emerson returned to the bridge.

“Nothing a little yard time won’t fix, admiral,” Commander Emerson said breathlessly. He handed over the Plunger’s log.

I don’t know why Graham started the custom of the log being turned over. Other than the morbid rumor he wants there to be some permanent record of past events if the ship gets lost on patrol.

The Pearl submarines had been relatively lucky, having lost only three boats since the war had started. Allegedly the Asiatic Fleet, by contrast, had lost seven vessels to all causes.

Just because three of their losses were old ‘Sugar’-boats doesn’t make that any less scary. It had been confirmed that several acquaintances and classmates had been aboard the lost subs.

“Lieutenant Cobb, if you could go to my car and retrieve my briefcase,” Rear Admiral Graham said. Nick looked at the man in surprise,