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

"Patricia!" Jo protested, but the other woman was already turning to leave.

I better let her cool off before I go home.

She considered the Cobb family’s current living arrangements and winced.

It's going to be even worse when Sam and David get away from the officer call back at Pearl.

I.J.N.S. Akagi

0945 Local (0015 Eastern)

Northern Indian Ocean

10 August

Vice Admiral Yamaguchi wanted to both vomit and wildly punch the hatch leading back into the Akagi's bridge as Rear Admiral Kaku spoke.

"Sir, our strike reports they struck the Illustrious…and another British carrier," Rear Admiral Kaku continued with his report.

I must get control of my emotions.

His hands still shook in helpless rage as he studied the two massive columns of smoke to the Akagi's west. The one receding into the distance was basically a grave marker for the Taiho, as it was clear the IJN's newest carrier was going to succumb to the massive fires raging in her hangars. Shokaku, on the other hand, was somehow keeping pace with the formation despite her own flames and occasional secondary explosions.

There is still a battle to be run.

Closing his eyes, he forced himself to regain his calm. After a long two minutes of having indulged his rage, The Kido Butai’s commander turned back to Kaku and nodded his understanding.

"How soon until the strike returns?" Yamaguchi asked, stepping back into the island. He squared his shoulders and looking at the clock on the flag bridge's aft bulkhead.

"It will be another forty-five minutes to an hour," Kaku replied. Yamaguchi did some fast math in his head.

"Why so long?"

"The British were further south than we believed, sir," Kaku stated. "Roughly one hundred miles."

This morning gets better and better. We will be lucky to get the fighters back, and will certainly lose most of the damaged aircraft.

The Chief of Staff seemed to have still more news.

"Out with it," Yamaguchi seethed, then stopped to calm himself.

If I lose my head, everyone else will start to lose theirs.

"There were land-based fighters," Kaku said stiffly. "American and British two-engined models and very large single-engined planes."

"Thunderbolts and Lightnings, sir," a staff commander interjected. This drew a glare from Kaku, and the man bowed in apology then moved back to arranging the plot.

"Sir!"

Vice Admiral Yamaguchi turned to where the same messenger from earlier stood in the hatch attempting to get his attention. The man gave both of the admirals a neck bow, clearly waiting permission to speak.

"I assume this message is important?" Kaku asked, his tone clearly promising dire consequences if it was not.

"The Soryu's search aircraft have reported finding and attacking an enemy task force," the young officer stated. "The squadron commander perished, but his wingmen stated he managed to torpedo a Renown-class battlecruiser."

Well, there's only one vessel that could be after Java Sea. Guess we have found Vice Admiral Godfrey.

"What else?"

"They reported at least three American battleships, South Dakota or Idaho-class," the man stated. Bowing apologetically again, he pulled the message flimsy back out of his pocket and read the coordinates, his hands shaking.

"Did they say there were carriers?" Yamaguchi asked archly, striding to the map. A chill ran down his spine.

Those battleships will catch the Soryu before nightfall if we do nothing. If we have any more cripples, they'll catch those too.

"No, Vice Admiral," the ensign replied.

How did we get our intelligence so wrong? Fleet intelligence said that there should only be two American carriers out there, but surely that many planes means three. Now there's additional battleships. Likely modern, fast ones.

Another report interrupted his ruminations.

"Sir, signal from the Soryu."

Yamaguchi considered that the ensign was starting to look drenched in sweat from running up and down the stairs.

"What is it?" he asked.

"Divers have cut away her number two prop," the young man replied. "Her fires are out, and she will be able to make twenty knots shortly. Captain Yanigamoto reports the pumps are staying ahead of the flooding, but just barely."

"How many torpedoes did she take?" Rear Admiral Kaku asked incredulously.

"Three, and three bombs also," the ensign replied.

"That should have sank her!" Kaku said, taking a step back in horror.

"Clearly the American torpedoes leave something to be desired," Yamaguchi said. "Or more likely, she was extremely lucky."

"Probably the latter given the bombs that hit her as well," Kaku stated. "If all three had detonated in her hangar deck, she'd look like Shokaku."

The ensign looked nervously between the two officers, not sure how to react to the senior officer's comment.

"Thank you, Ensign Takara," Yamaguchi said. The ensign beamed at being recognized by his task force commander, then saluted and left.

"Shokaku is basically a beacon pointing directly at the task force," Kaku said grimly.

"Are you advocating we scuttle her along with Taiho?" Yamaguchi asked. "I am not prepared to write off a carrier that can still steam, even if she is having difficulty with her fires."

Kaku nodded, making his face blank.

"Speak freely, Kaku-san," Yamaguchi said. "But we have already paid a dire price today, and I do not think the Americans will have difficulty finding us again regardless given Soryu's reduced speed and the oil she is trailing."

"We need to ask for help from Vice Admiral Ozawa," Kaku said, his tone making the words sound like bitter poison.

"I am sure that Vice Admiral Ozawa is already taking steps to send us aid," Yamaguchi said. "In case the enemy is monitoring our communications, I do not want to remind them that they have several carriers to their northeast."

Kaku pursed his lips, but nodded.

"Ozawa would not be in range until late this afternoon at the earliest," Yamaguchi continued, looking at the map. "We know the Americans are in range, the only question is whether they will continue to close."

Yamaguchi pondered for a few moments, his state akin to a man who suddenly had a knife pressed against his spine.

"The battleships are their plan to close with us," he stated aloud.

"Sir?" Kaku said, his expression confused.

"If it was Halsey, I would worry about him