ROCKS AND SHOALS

by M. L. Maki

  “Does he know about him?”

  “Yeah, he knows. Look, this is hard. He and I are good friends and he’s a really good guy.”

  “What does he do?”

  “He’s the XO of a cruiser. He fought in the battle of Savo Island and did very well.”

  “Oh, wow. So, what’s wrong with him?”

  “Rita, it isn’t that simple. Relationships never are. He…I would rather protect his privacy. Anyway, he’s a very good and serious guy.”

  “What about Lieutenant Commander Hammond?”

  “He’s a friend, too. He was in my squadron in England. His ship was lost when we first came back in time. He has two purple hearts and the Order of the British Empire. He’s a serious warrior.”

  “Thank you. I’m sorry to pry.” They join Veronica, Merle, Myrna, and Pat and go down to the reception before dinner. A stout older man, looking uncomfortable in his black tie, approaches her. “Hello, Commander. I’m John Meacham, your business partner.” He offers his hand.

  She takes it, “I’m so glad to finally meet you.”

  “Your investment was pivotal. It allowed us to prepare production facilities and get the loans to expand. We’re now building boats in five locations and licensing a British ship yard.”

  “I had no idea. So, we’re doing well.”

  Meacham, “Yes, we are. We need to brief you in on the status of your investment and finances.”

  “I’ll be in Bremerton tomorrow. I’m looking forward to touring the facility.”

  “Of course. Would ten o’clock be too early?”

  “Not at all. Thank you.”

  Meacham, “Shawn has suggested we diversify after the war.”

  “Absolutely. I’ve been thinking about that. You’re working with aluminum, right?”

  “Yes.”

  “I suggest we make domestic appliances; clothes washers and dryers. Consumer spending on refrigerators, electric ranges, washers and dryers sky rocket. Even toasters are in high demand. There should also be substantial export opportunities.”

  “What happens to the market for hovercraft?”

  “The military will sell three quarters of what they have and flood the market. There is a small market for specialized sizes for cross channel ferries and personal hovercraft. But, that’s about it.”

  Meacham, “Appliances. I’ll think on that.”

  “We’ll need a good brand name. Something solid and reliable like Frigidaire or Maytag.”

  Meacham grins, “How about Moore Appliances. We give the customer Moore.”

  Sam smiles, “Oh yes. I like it. If it isn’t taken, grab it.”

  CHAPTER 28

  HEINKEL FACTORY, BOBLINGEN, GERMANY

  0720, 17 December, 1942

  Ernest Heinkel sits down next to Lt. Moskowitz, “It’s a shame you are a Jew. You are a superb engineer.”

  Moskowitz says, “In three years it won’t matter that I’m a Jew.”

  Heinkel leans forward, “What do you mean, Peter?”

  “I’m a time traveler. The war will end in about two and a half to three years. Germany loses.”

  “You know this?”

  “It’s my history. Yes, this time things are different. Germany invaded England. That didn’t happen last time. Your problem is that the United States completely mobilizes its economy, and its population. With Russia on the one side, and America and Britain on the other, Germany has no chance. It will fall. Sometime in early 1945, this camp will be liberated. You will have a choice, surrender to the Russians or surrender to the Americans.”

  “You are so certain.”

  “I am. For me, it’s already happened.”

  “My bomber will make a difference.”

  “Maybe. I guess we’ll see. It may delay the inevitable for a while, but against the overwhelming might of the American military, the Army’s men and equipment; the Navy with its thousands of ships and planes; the Air Forces with their tens of thousands of planes; you do not have a chance.”

  “You know this?”

  “It’s a guess, but an educated guess. Look, the Army estimated we would lose over a million men in the invasion of Japan. The Army was prepared to lose a million men because we would win so easily. Think about that. Then, add that you face a Russian military led by an expert who knows the history of the war.”

  “It is sobering.”

  “Admiral Yamamoto, after Pearl Harbor, was said to say, ‘I fear all we have done is to awaken a sleeping giant and fill him with a terrible resolve.’ Mr. Heinkel, Germany is doomed. The only question is what will be left to rebuild. You have been fair with us. And that is good. Those who commit crimes against humanity will be tried and executed. Hitler committed suicide with his paramour, Eva Braun. He even killed his dog.”

  “You remember it as history. But this time things are different.”

  “Some things, yes, but only a few things. There is some parity in the air with America, but you do not have parity with Russia on the ground. You still have problems with raw materials. The outcome is inevitable.”

  THE KALAKALA, SEATTLE TO BREMERTON FERRY

  0910, 17 December, 1942

  Commander’s Hunt and Hughes stand in the bow of the ferry as they come up on Blake Island. The chill wind whips against their skin, chilling them, even in their winter khakis and watch coats. Shawn, “I’m glad you talked to Meacham. He’s one smart cookie.”

  “I told him we should diversify into appliances after the war. You know washing machines, dryers, electric ranges, refrigerators, and even toasters.”

  “Smart. Translate our expertise with metal and machines to a market that will grow. I like it.”

  Sam, “Will we be able to see the Long Beach as we pull in?”

  “Yes, it’s on Pier 6.” He takes her hand, “Look, I owe you an answer.” Sam takes a breath and looks down at their entwined hands. He smiles, “I don’t want our friendship to die. I wish you the best with your guy.”

  “Shawn, I recognize how hard that is for you to say.”

  “It is hard. I know you never said anything. I just built up this whole dream. I’m sorry.”

  Sam looks him in the eyes, “I could have been more explicit. Shawn, I value our friendship. I count you as one of my closest friends. I know that’s not enough and I’m sorry.”

  The ferry comes out of Rich Passage and they can see Bremerton and the shipyard. Shawn lets go of her hand, “See the hammer head crane? The ship just below it on the same pier is the Long Beach.”

  “Wow. It’s way different. No box.”

  “All the aluminum is being used for aircraft and hovercraft. We need to get back to the car.”

  GORST, HEAD OF SINCLAIR INLET, WASHINGTON

  When the ferry docks, Shawn fires up the Doble and they drive through Bremerton to Gorst at the head of Sinclair Inlet. They pull up to the gate of their company and are let in. The assembly plant has one huge building, a smaller one next to it, and a separate long free standing roofed shed with LCACs parked under it.

  Shawn points, “The smaller building is the weld fabricating shop. It’s designed with filtered ventilation for the workers. The big building is the assembly plant.” A yard train moves two flat cars with huge aluminum assemblies on them. “We uncouple the trains south of Gorst and deliver one or two cars at a time with the yard train. That way, we don’t block the road for long periods of time.”

  Meacham walks up as they’re getting out of the Doble and hand them each a hard hat. He escorts them on a tour, “The assembly building has nine LCACs in various stages of construction. We put in a smooth, level concrete floor so we can move them on assembly wheels as they are built. Once built, the wheels are removed and the new LCAC is tested under that open roof near the water. If everything tests right, we take it out onto Sinclair Inlet. Then, if everything works properly, it gets washed and parked pending delivery.”

  Sam, “When the Navy buys them, where are they delivered?”

  Meacham, “We ha
ve three leased ships for delivering the LCACs. Most go to Astoria, Oregon where the Kaiser Amphibious ships fit out. If the Navy asks, we deliver them to California, or Hawaii. This plant makes four or five a day. So, they go out pretty regularly.”

  After the tour, the go to Meacham’s office for coffee. Meacham hands her the books, “As a member of our board of directors, you have the right to review everything. With that, there is a bunch of paperwork we need you to sign to make your role official.”

  Sam reads the documents and signs them, then reviews the books. She takes her time. “Most of this is dollars in and dollars out. You document the unit cost well. How are we sitting overall?”

  Meacham, “Right now, our estimated worth is about eighteen million dollars. Your share is six million. Much of that value is in our contracts and patents. Keep in mind, right now we are carrying about six million in capital debt. Profit to debt is that form there.” He hands her another document, “My focus, to begin with, was growth and a lot of that was funded with loans. Now I’m trying to pay down our debt. Still, your net worth is over four million dollars. Your profits thus far are about six hundred thousand dollars. We’ve been setting aside ten percent and rolling ninety percent back into the company to pay down the debt. Does that work for you?”

  Sam, “It does. So, I have about sixty thousand dollars.”

  Meacham, “Yes. It’s in the Kitsap County Bank. Here are your bank books and records. As we proceed, we’ll continue depositing your profits there. Is that all right?”

  Sam, “Do you both do the ninety/ten split?”

  The two men nod. Meacham, “We do.”

  “So, do you think we can eliminate our debt in three years?”

  Meacham, “Assuming most of our orders are honored, absolutely. The only issue is what to do after this production run is finished and the war is still going on. I’m sure the production board will have something for us.”

  Shawn, “We could get fabrication contracts for Navy ship building. We could deliver by rail or hovercraft.”

  Sam, “Sounds good. I see in the charter document you have authority to make decisions when we’re not here. That’s practical. We should set up instruments for if one of us should die, including you, Mr. Meacham.”

  “I was wondering how to broach that subject. In my case, the business would go to my wife, who already manages the administration department. After her, my oldest son if he’s out of the service. Then, my oldest daughter, if he’s not. Our production manager will be elevated to CEO if something happens to me, and he’ll run the company with the consent of the board. He knows the business.”

  Sam, “That’s acceptable. For me, the person is my grandfather, Leigh Robert Hunt. Then, it’s my grandmother, Margaret Rose Hunt; then my father, John Leigh Hunt.”

  The three of them fill out the necessary forms and sign them. Meacham, “Good, thank you. Having seen our operation, do you have any more ideas?”

  Sam, “If you design a flat-bed hovercraft to carry heavy ship segments, you would not be constrained by the size of the work deck. In fact, that’s another use for a hovercraft. Basically, it would be a self-propelled land to water barge.”

  Meacham nods his head, smiling, “That’s an excellent idea.”

  Shawn, “That would be useful for arctic construction for the oil industry.”

  Sam, “It will be necessary to design them to handle extreme cold for that mission. But, yes.

  Meacham, “I’m looking at your ideas for after the war. Our assembly plants in Norfolk and Southern California will shift to maintenance of existing LCACs. Our manufacturing plants in Longview, Washington and Suffolk, Virginia will shift to appliances, and this facility will continue with specialized hovercraft production.”

  Sam, “Sounds good.”

  Shawn, “I agree. Sam, the wardroom is expecting us for lunch.”

  Sam, “Roger that.” They stand, “Thank you, Mr. Meacham.” They shake hands.

  Shawn and Sam drive onto Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and park in Shawn’s XO spot.

  As they walk down the pier, Sam says, “She looks nearly complete.”

  Shawn, “Yeah. We’re doing the post shake down repairs and final touches. We’re reinstalling the teak deck and painting. Next week, we get underway for weapons testing. If all that works, we reunite with the battle group.”

  She stops and looks over at Pier 3. She smiles seeing the Carl Vinson. The huge carrier was her home for the first part of the war. She turns and follows Shawn up the formal brow as a female boatswain pipes them aboard, “Blue Angels, arriving.”

  Tenzar steps from a side passageway, and after returning their salutes, offers his hand, “Welcome aboard, Commander.”

  “Thank you for the invitation, sir. Your ship is much changed.”

  “Yes. It’s coming together. This way to our wardroom. It used to be on the 01level, now it’s on the main deck.”

  In the large wardroom, Sam is introduced to the officers off watch, twelve of whom are women. Half of the female officers are nukes. She smiles when she sees a familiar face, “Commander Chatman. Good to see you. What’s your position here?”

  “Hey, Spike. It’s good to see you, too. Main propulsion assistant. I’m back home.”

  “Very good.” When the introductions are finished, she asks Tenzar, “How many women in your crew?”

  “One hundred and fifteen. Most are in engineering. Actually, we’re encouraging the nuclear pipeline for female sailors because it puts them under 1990 officers.”

  “You’re right.”

  During lunch, Tenzar asks, “How do you know Chatman?”

  “He was assigned to my detachment in England and ran a part of my ordinance department.”

  She watches the expressions on Tenzar’s face as he realizes what she is not saying. He smiles, “I should have looked in his jacket. I’ve been a bit busy.”

  “You’ll find he has the Legion of Merit with V, and glowing reviews. It also says any inquiries as to the nature of his assignment should be forwarded to the National Command Authority.”

  “The President. Roger that.”

  Sam nods, “So, how will a sixties-built ship handle the recoil of triple turrets?”

  He smiles, “I guess we’ll soon know. They ripple fire to minimize the recoil. After lunch, I’ll give you the tour.”

  “Please.”

  Tenzar, “Before you head back to Seattle, Captain Johnson, on the Vinson, would like you to drop by.”

  “Good. I’d like that. I’ll be having dinner with Liz after that.”

  GRUMMAN FLIGHT LINE, LONG ISLAND, NEW YORK

  1555, 17 December, 1942

  Commander Michael ‘Too Tall’ Mohr walks around the prototype EA-14D. Ensign Greg ‘Keg’ Berman and Ensign Sandra ‘Weeds’ McRae inspect the bird with him. The plane is painted as their show bird.

  Keg, “She looks sweet.”

  Mike nods, “Weeds, we need to get you a WSO.”

  She smiles, “I’ll ask Pensacola again. Right now, they’re focused on the RIOs for the Tomcat squadrons.”

  “Yeah. For today, you fly the camera plane. Keg, let’s preflight and do our first test hop. Just a simple up and down to make sure everything works.”

  KITSAP COUNTY BANK, BREMERTON, WASHINGTON

  1310, 17 December, 1942

  Commander Hunt sits at a bank managers desk, “May I set up instructions to have you automatically transfer money to this bank in Tennessee?” She hands him her grandparents bank information.

  “Yes, ma’am. Of course.”

  “Good. I want to keep half of my income in my account here, and have half go to the account in Tennessee. Make the transfer whenever the account grows by ten thousand. Today, I want to transfer forty thousand to the Tennessee bank and withdraw five hundred in cash. Does that work?”

  “Yes, ma’am. May I inquire as to the nature of the Tennessee account.”

  “It belongs to my grandparents. It’s for the farm. We’re busi
ness partners.”

  “Very good. I’ll have the paperwork ready for your signature in a few minutes. Would you care for coffee?”

  “No, thank you.” In twenty minutes, the transactions are complete.

  SPARKY 1, 20,000 FEET, 40 MILES WEST OF GRUMMAN FIELD

  1625, 17 December, 1942

  Commander Mohr, “Okay, Keg. This thing flies. Time to wake up our equipment.”

  “Yes, sir. Warming up.” In a moment, “We’re alive.”

  “Good. Coming about. Let’s catalogue the radars on the coast.” On radio, “Weeds, Too Tall, making the turn.”

  Keg, “Woah. Okay, I like the scope. I got two at 268 and 266. I’ve two more at 321 and 243. The first two are New York.”

  “Can they see us?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “We need to work against someone that’s trying to track us. We need someone to jam. For now, let’s figure out our equipment.”

  USS CARL VINSON, PSNS, BREMERTON, WASHINGTON

  1410, 17 December, 1942

  Commander Hunt is led to Captain Johnson’s conference room on the 03 level. When she walks in, Captain Johnson stands, “Welcome home, Commander.”

  “Thank you, sir. It’s good to be aboard.”

  They wait as the steward serves coffee and cookies.

  Johnson sips his coffee and smiles, “So much has changed for you. When you first trapped aboard, you were struggling with confidence. Now, you’re a seasoned leader.”

  Sam smiles, “Yes, sir.”

  He returns her smile, “May I cut to the chase?”

  “If you like, sir.”

  “It’s bullshit what they did to you. I want you to know you have my unconditional support.”

  Startled, she blinks, “Thank you, sir.”

  “Please, call me Will, or William. That, or my call sign, Hoser.”

  “Thank you. Same for me. Hoser?”

  “My first jet was the F-8 Crusader, the Gunfighter. I was doing a strafing run in training and held down the trigger. I emptied all five hundred rounds. Oops.” He grins.

  She laughs, “Did you hit what you were shooting at?”

  He laughs, “No. Of course not. Some wanted to call me ‘Tex’. I’m glad they didn’t.”