Against the Tide Imperial: The Struggle for Ceylon (The Usurper's War: An Alternative World War II B by James Young (story reading txt) 📕

"I know, Vice Admiral Halsey would pace every day like a lion trapped inside a cage," Dunlap observed. "But I also know if I send him south, he's going to get up to mischief of some sort."

"Yes sir," Powers replied, his expression thoughtful.

"Sometimes you save your strongest horses for a journey's final leg," Dunlap stated. "We'll see what I can glean from Fletcher's final report on just how worn out he appears to be. I don't want him dropping dead in the traces, so to speak."

"Sir, permission to speak freely?" Powers asked.

If he's feeling the need to ask, it's probably going to be pretty harsh.

"Permission granted, Frederick," Dunlap said with a smile. "Just let me know if I need to grab this railing lest I pass out from shock."

Powers smirked but did not fully smile, something that further conveyed he thought what he was about to say was sensitive.

"Vice Admiral Fletcher has just spent the last couple of weeks rampaging across the Indian Ocean," Powers noted. "He's now sank four enemy carriers, counting those small British ones off of Africa, a whole bunch of smaller shipping, and is the only admiral we have who has faced the Japanese carriers twice."

Powers paused, making sure he had not overstepped his bounds by recounting what his superior probably knew. Dunlap waved him on.

"Sir, whether he thinks he's tired or sounds as such, he's gotta be worn out," Powers said. "In addition, if he dropped dead tomorrow, there's a lot of hard earned knowledge that would go with him."

"You don't think most of that work has been done by his staff?" Dunlap asked with a slight smile. "I mean, no one is indispensable, especially in our line of work."

"That may be true, sir, but I'm betting right now the Japanese admiral running from Vice Admiral Fletcher is probably one of the smartest people in their navy," Powers said.

Unfortunately, you're probably right, and I doubt Isoroku Yamamoto is going to can him. He had met his counterpart when the Japanese admiral had been at Harvard, then again when he'd been part of the embassy detail in Japan.

"I think Vice Admiral Yamaguchi's boss would beg to differ about the smartest man bit," Dunlap replied. "Indeed, given that Yamamoto's plan killed my predecessor, mauled this fleet, and bought him a great deal of time to do what he wanted, I'd say this Indian Ocean excursion hasn't been horrible."

Powers paused for a long second. Dunlap felt another mosquito on the nape of his neck and startled his aide by striking at it. Bringing his hand back, he confirmed that he'd indeed gotten the bloodsucker and wiped its remains on the balcony rail.

"Out with it, Frederick," Dunlap said finally. "You're more reluctant than a former nun on her wedding night."

"Sir!" Powers said, taken aback.

"I'll talk about my mother how I like," Dunlap said with a smile. "Clearly she got over it at least five times. Anyway, continue."

Powers looked completely discombobulated at Dunlap's tangent, but found his rhetorical footing again after a moment.

"In any case, Vice Admiral Fletcher learned some things from the last few months," Powers said. "I think we could all benefit from him returning here to Pearl."

"Put it on the agenda," Dunlap said. "Also make an appointment for me to meet with Towers and Halsey separately."

"Aye aye, sir," Powers said. "Speaking of appointments, General Short would like to have a word with you at your convenience."

Dunlap smiled.

"Well, I suppose I should eventually talk to the Army," Dunlap said. "I'd rather have dental work without sedatives, but we're allegedly all in this war together."

"Quite kind of you to extend that olive branch to a service that hasn't done a whole lot in this war yet, sir," Powers noted angrily.

"Now, now, Frederick, I'm pretty sure there are 10,000 soldiers who drowned and a captured Icelandic garrison that would disagree with you," Dunlap replied. "Plus that's just opening the door for the Army telling us to do our damn job so they can get around to doing theirs."

"I think getting around to doing theirs is why the Atlantic Fleet keeps pointedly asking when we're handing their carriers back," Powers noted. "Or why the pipeline for replacement air groups is only moving at a trickle for the Pacific."

"I think Senators Taft and Lindbergh's budget shenanigans back in January are the reason for that, actually," Dunlap stated. "Oh well, we'll get more ships and planes soon enough."

Trincomalee

Ceylon

0705 Local (2035 Eastern)

12 August (11 August)

The silence is unnerving, Vice Admiral Yamaguchi thought as he stepped out of the Akagi's Tenzan. The torpedo bomber had ferried him to a grass field just outside of the British port, departing from the Akagi's flight deck a mere hour before. Other than the crackle of a couple of nearby raging fires and the distant ripple of small arms, the small runway could have easily passed as a graveyard for the amount of noise upon it. With a start, Yamaguchi realized what the fires were consuming and realized just how apt the comparison was.

Why are we burning the British dead?! The Army is truly a bunch of walking jackals.

With a start, Yamaguchi realized that the smell of burning flesh had become so familiar to him over the previous two days that it hardly registered.

Visiting the Shokaku was completely a result of my desire to assess her seaworthiness, and had nothing to do with feeling like I needed to atone to the carrier's crew. His staff had mightily protested the transfer between Akagi and the damaged carrier, but Yamaguchi had needed to see the vessel's damage for himself.

It will be at least six months, if not longer, before I see her again. At the rate this war is going, she may be the final fleet carrier we have remaining.

"Welcome to Ceylon, Vice Admiral Yamaguchi," a smiling Japanese officer stated as