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

“Going to be a long day, sir,” Farmer said, standing beside him.

“Very long indeed,” Jacob replied.

7

The Neutrality of Electrons

The art of war on land is an art of genius, of inspiration. In that of the sea there is nothing of genius or inspiration. The general of the sea has need of only one science, that of navigation. The one on land has need of them all."

Napoleon Bonaparte

Akagi Combat Air Patrol

0710 Local (2140 Eastern)

Northern Indian Ocean

10 August (9 August)

Isoro shook himself violently, fighting the fatigue that had once more caused his head to droop downwards. Taking one hand off the throttle, Isoro smacked his leg several times, attempting to get his blood flowing faster.

This CAP has just begun, he thought angrily.

Looking down, Isoro briefly considered the stimulant pills in his flight suit pocket before deciding against them.

I will need them if enemy aircraft show up. They make me jittery anyway.

Isoro took a deep breath as he brought the stick over into a gentle turn. The Kido Butai was laid out in its usual box formation ten thousand feet below him, both line of carriers slowly curving back to the east after spending a little over an hour steaming south into the wind.

Part of me wishes I was flying with that strike.

He looked down as he crossed over the , crossing over the Hiei and Kirishima. The two veteran battleships’ turrets were swinging back and forth as their gunnery officers conducted final checks.

Then again, there cannot be that many enemy fighters left after yesterday.

Allegedly the staff had changed the duty carrier roster from Hiryu and Soryu because the Second Division had more available strike aircraft after the previous day’s efforts. Isoro could believe it having seen how many of the First Division's dive and torpedo bombers had staggered back from the third strike.

Even more frightening is how many would have been lost without the modifications to the fuel tanks and pilot armor. I wonder how Soryu and Hiryu’s fighter squadrons fared yesterday with the old Zeros.

His radio crackled, jerking him out of his his distraction. Looking around, Isoro sheepishly realized his chutai had flown ten miles further south than he’d planned.

Dammit, maybe I should take some of those pills… he had time to think before his blood ran cold.

“Attention! Attention! Many enemy aircraft inbound, two eight oh true!”

As the Akagi repeated the warning, Isoro brought his Shiden’s nose around and started to climb. Once the fighter was trimmed and rising, he snapped his oxygen mask closed and ensured that he had a good flow. Belatedly, he remembered the pills. Once more, he reconsidered whether he needed them, then laughed at his stupidity. It was quick work unsnapping his mask, gulping down the two pills, then resnapping.

Well I guess we have found the Americans.

Isoro looked left and right for other chutai to join up on. Below, the Kido Butai began turning once more into the wind, black smoke pouring from funnels as the vessels accelerated.

They're coming from the slightly northwest. At least the carriers can both open the distance and launch reinforcements.

Roughly ten thousand feet below and twenty-five miles away from Isoro, Vice Admiral Yamaguchi was looking at the map in front of him as the Kido Butai’s staff reacted with near panic.

“One at a time!” Rear Admiral Kaku roared at the staff. His shout brought a momentary calm to the Akagi’s flag spaces.

“First, what was the response from the Kirishima regarding her search aircraft?” Kaku asked.

“They cannot raise three of their scouts,” a harried commander replied, the man’s skin almost pale. “They simply believed the aircraft were maintaining radio silence.”

If we survive the next hour, we must figure out a way to make sure that never happens again. Or a way for the aircraft to know that it is being detected by radar.

He dimly recalled their German allies mentioning some sort of countermeasure device aboard their submarines, but pushed the thought away as unimportant at the moment.

“How long until the Second and Third divisions can launch?” Yamaguchi asked, still looking out the bridge windows.

“The Second Division reports they will be able to launch as soon as we finish coming back into the wind,” Kaku replied, turning from the staff. “Third Division had not warmed up their aircraft and will need more time.”

That is not a sufficient time!

“Have all carriers launch what aircraft they have available." Yamaguchi ordered. "They will land and recover after the American strike. Fighters will augment the combat air patrol as they launch."

“Sir?” Kaku asked, his eyes wide.

“Fletcher has launched an attack against us from two flight decks,” Yamaguchi said, his face saturnine as he regarded his chief of staff. “Wildcats lack range to escort, so our CAP will have an advantage if they launch now. We cannot get Shokaku or Taiho's strike aircraft warmed up and launched in time, so we must take this first attack."

"Understood," Kaku said, then quickly bowed. "Sorry Vice Admiral." With that, the Chief of Staff turned and began issuing Yamaguchi's orders over the din of Akagi starting to launch her emergency CAP.

I need to know where Fletcher is, right now, Yamaguchi realized.

"Have the Second Division set aside two chutai of Zeroes and one of torpedo bombers to follow the American strike home after they strike," Yamaguchi said.

"Yes sir," Kaku replied.

They will also likely die getting me the information we need. At least coming in behind a returning strike they will be harder to sort out as hostile.

A runner burst into the compartment just as Kaku was beginning to issue Yamaguchi's orders.

"Haruna #3 reported it was under attack before going off the air," the breathless ensign reported.

"Where, you idiot?!" Kaku exploded. Yamaguchi walked the ensign's face fall briefly, then brighten as he remembered the sheet of paper in his hand. Before he could respond, a commander snatched the paper from him and cuffed him on the head, shouting at the man