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

"Bill, you'll be in charge of putting together the plan," Dunlap ordered. "You'll also likely be the person running the carriers."

"Sir, what about Vice Admiral Fletcher?" Towers asked, shocked.

"Vice Admiral Fletcher will be planning the subsequent operation," Dunlap stated.

There was the sound of running feet down the hallway. An out of breath commander dashed through the door, waving message.

"Sir, update from the Curtiss," the man panted, looking at Vice Admiral Halsey.

"Well, you may want to give it to your new fleet commander, Commander Curts," Halsey said genially. Curts turned, his face apologetic.

"Sorry sir, old habits die hard," Curts said, handing over the message.

"I understand we have you to thank for the ability to even communicate to the Indian Ocean," Dunlap said, taking the message.

"Sir, there are those who pass that scuttlebutt," Commander Curts replied, his tone humble. "I'd like to think I've had good subordinates and bosses who listened."

Dunlap nodded as he took the message. Reading the first two lines, he stopped and looked at Halsey and Towers.

"Well, seems like Vice Admiral Fletcher has made any thoughts on possibly intervening superfluous," he said, handing the message to Halsey. "Indeed, if he kept to this intended schedule, he's already launching as we speak."

9

Drowning Dragon

Even the bravest cannot fight beyond strength.

Homer

U.S.S. Yorktown

1315 Local (0405 Eastern)

10 August

"Gather around, gentlemen, it's time to find out how we're going to go make history!" Lieutenant Commander Brigante shouted over the din of Yorktown's flight deck as he strode out of the carrier's island.

Eric turned away from where he'd been letting the breeze over the carrier's deck blow into his face. The air was strongly tinged with exhaust as Yorktown began launching her contribution to TF 24's Combat Air Patrol. The eight CAP Wildcats had been arranged in the front of the Dauntlesses spotted near the end of her deck, and Eric had been certain they'd have been the dive bombers' escort.

Guess the range was too far even with drop tanks. Hopefully by next battle we’ll actually have Hellcats too.

"Looks like some Kingfishers off the Baltimore and Tuscaloosa found your former lady friend, Lieutenant Cobb," Brigante said as the group gathered around. "Either that, or someone else hit her sister and didn't make it back."

Eric felt a palpable sense of relief as the gathered group looked at Brigante.

Glad he's back on board. Otherwise I'd probably be the poor bastard expected to lead this strike.

Brigante had landed his damaged Dauntless aboard the Enterprise, his gunner dead with shell fragments through his neck and the aircraft a write off. VB-11's squadron commander had then bullied his way aboard an Avenger and flown back to Yorktown, arriving about 20 minutes before TF 25’s cruiser scouts had made their report. This had made Brigante, as the senior ambulatory officer, de facto CAG-Yorktown.

Helluva way to get promoted.

"If the cruiser boys can be believed, she's bleeding oil like a gutshot deer," Brigante said, pointing at the map.

The cruiser pilots will have to carry their balls home in wheelbarrow after this.

Eric had glanced at the map twice, finding it hard to believe the initial reports when they came in. The Vought Kingfishers off of the Baltimore and Tuscaloosa made his own Dauntless seem positively swift.

Sure you can spot a carrier from well outside of the range they can see you, but they had to fly through that front between both sides.

The line of thunderheads Brigante had sketched on the map caused him to shudder. Looking around, he could see his concern was shared.

"Of course, one of them got too close and got himself shot down, but another one's been ducking in and out of clouds updating her position every twenty minutes," Brigante said.

Or you fuck up and the CAP kills you.

The gathered group shared glances and murmured about the dead pilot's bad luck.

"Even if he's a bit off, that trail will lead right to her."

"What about the rest of the Jap carriers?" one of the gathered pilots asked.

"This bitch is just at two hundred miles," Brigante said. "The guy shadowing her wisely decided not to go looking for trouble given what happened to his buddy, but I'm guessing the other carriers are probably trying to rearm after punching the shit out of the surface ships."

Brigante looked at the gathered group.

"Good news is, another one of the other Kingfishers found a huge oil slick, a bunch of debris, and a couple dozen bodies near where we bombed the first group," Brigante said. "So pretty sure we got at least one more of those damn carriers this morning."

The lieutenant commander paused at that and looked up at Eric as if expecting him to confirm the statement. After an awkward pause, Brigante turned back to his map.

"The staff is certain the other Japanese carriers are coming down from Ceylon," Brigante continued. "So they're not going to launch everything just to finish this one off. That's why I selected you men rather than just launching one or the other Dauntless squadrons."

And there aren't enough torpedeckers left to really justify asking them to make another attack.

He'd pointedly not counted noses in the VT-11 ready room when he'd briefly ducked to look for Seward. However, in addition to confirming his ersatz roommate had not landed back aboard Yorktown, Eric had been given a stark reminder of just how deadly torpedo bombing was.

Lots of empty seats in that ready room. Way too many.

Brigante turned to make eye contact with every man as he made his next statement.

"All of you are experienced and have put a bomb into something this cruise," he declared. "If we're only going to launch fourteen Dauntlesses, I want to make sure that we get enough hits to put this damn carrier down."

Eric nodded as he continued looking at the line of thunderheads.

"What has got your attention, Lieutenant Cobb?" Brigante asked. "You've been looking at that map like you're trying to memorize every freckle on your girlfriend's chest."

"Those thunderstorms, sir," Eric said. "Gonna be fun flying back through them if we