To Hunt and Protect

by M L Maki

  Nimitz, “Klindt, what nationality is the XO?”

  Klindt, “He’s an American, sir. His mother was Japanese, and his father was Irish-American.”

  Nimitz, “I want this communication in the raw.”

  Klindt stands, “In my stateroom, sir.”

  Van Zandt also stands, “I’ll get mine.”

  Nimitz nods. “Ren, I agree with your conclusions regarding female and minority servicemen. Until we receive specific guidance from the President or Congress, they are to remain at their posts. You know I want you and the brain trust to report to the President. It will be an opportunity to convince him we are right on this.”

  Ren, “Yes, sir. Who will replace me?”

  “I’ve already called for the Enterprise to sortie. Admiral Halsey will command.”

  Johnson, “What do you want us to do?”

  Nimitz, “Raid Tokyo. The country needs a lift. American bombs dropping on Tojo will give it to them. No general bombing. Stay focused on military targets.”

  USS SAN FRANCISCO

  1235, 4 January, 1942

  ST1(SS) Thorsen sits his panel in meditative silence. ST3(SS)William Curtis, a twenty-three-year-old, six-foot black man, stands watch with Thorsen. He’s learned to be quiet. But he has to ask, “Do you think we’re going to pull in?”

  Thurman, “What?”

  “Do you think we’re going to pull in? We’re near Hawaii.”

  “I doubt it.”

  They hear a thrum. Curtis, “Hear that?”

  Thorsen, “Yes. I’m sorting it out.” Thorsen pushes the button, “Conn, Sonar. Multiple surface vessels, 310.”

  Miller walks in, “Your best guess?”

  “I’m hearing multiple screws. They’re far enough away to be a point source. The rpms are different, so it’s more than one ship.”

  “A battlegroup then. Thank you.” Miller walks to the chart table. He pushes the button, “Captain, we have a battlegroup coming out of Pearl.”

  “Okay.”

  “Captain in control.” Cumberland studies the table, then walks into Sonar, “Thorsen, can you make any sense out of it?”

  “Working on it, sir. There are at least three four-screw ships. How many carriers did we have in ’41, sir?”

  “I don’t know. It could be battleships or cruisers.”

  “Yes, sir. Right now, they’re just unfamiliar contacts. When we sort them out, we’ll designate each track.”

  Cumberland returns to control, “Miller, get a good sound track on each of these new contacts and keep looking for Jap subs.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  USS SAN FRANCISCO SSN-771

  0725, 5 January, 1942

  Commander Cumberland waits on the bridge in a survival suit as a helo approaches. “Morrison, “I’ll be back later today. You know my standing orders.”

  “Yes, sir.” Morrison reaches out with the grounding rod and catches the dangling rope. First, the helo lowers a litter with a mail bag and boxes of supplies. Outgoing mail goes up with Cumberland’s bag. Next a SAR swimmer is lowered. The SAR hooks up Cumberland and the two of them are lifted into the helo. When the helo lifts them clear, Morrison lets go of the rope.

  Morrison is the last one down, “Chief of the Watch, last man down. Hatches secured. Bridge rigged for dive.”

  The watch repeats back and they go through the exacting routine of diving the boat. As they settle at 300 feet, he tells Backes, “I’m going to check what we got for mail and supplies. Make our course 290. Sprint out at full to clear datum and slow for search in 90 minutes.”

  “Aye, sir.”

  Morrison walks aft and finds the supply office of Lt. Ed Cameron, the only non-nuclear officer on board. “Ed, what did we get in the mail?”

  “It’s all official, except for a couple of letters for you and one for MM3 Gustaf.”

  “He’s on watch. I’ll bring his back to him. Can I see the official mail?”

  “Yes, sir. Is the captain getting relieved?”

  “Not that I know of. He’s attending a meeting with the other skippers and Admiral Halsey. Please don’t spread that rumor.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  USS CARL VINSON, 700 MILES NORTHWEST OF HAWAII

  Cumberland’s helicopter overflies the fleet. He can see the Enterprise with its escort of heavy cruisers and destroyers mixed in with the Carl Vinson group. They land on spot 4 near the island. A petty officer in white flight deck jersey and float coat helps him out as the rotors spin down. Cumberland grabs his bag and is escorted to the island. Captain Van Zandt is waiting for him. Van Zandt opens the hatch and ushers him inside. “Now that we’re inside and you can hear me, welcome aboard.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  Van Zandt, “I’m with Halsey’s staff. I was Ren’s chief of staff. We’ve forty minutes before the meeting, so let’s get a cup of coffee.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Van Zandt escorts Cumberland into the Admiral’s outer office, “Two coffees, please.” They go into Van Zandt’s office and sit down. An aid brings in their coffees and leaves. Van Zandt looks at Cumberland over his cup, “I ought to get to the point, Commander. Why were you in such a hurry to get rid of your XO?”

  “He’s a Japanese American. It’s my understanding Japanese Americans were interned during the war. I was just trying to comply with the law.”

  “So, you’re a racist?”

  “No, sir. Not at all. I was just trying to comply with the law.”

  “Fair. Buy why? Is his performance unsatisfactory?”

  Cumberland is silent for a moment, “Morrison is a legacy and no doubt has friends, even now. You said you were with Admiral Ren’s staff?”

  “I did.”

  “Lieutenant Commander Morrison is a legacy. His adopted father retired as a rear admiral. His adopted grandfather retired as a vice-admiral who was 5th Fleet. That grandfather is serving on a destroyer somewhere right now.”

  “I’m aware of Morrison’s family. I served with his father. It begs the question, though. Is his performance unsatisfactory?”

  “No, sir. I feel he is too friendly with the blue jackets and way to fast to offer praise, but he’s a competent officer. I wouldn’t recommend him for command yet.”

  “Why?”

  “As I said, he needs to learn how to be a firmer disciplinarian. It’s the only way to hold a command together.”

  “I see. Can I tell you a story?”

  “Of course, sir.”

  “When the Revolutionary Army was struggling through the cold winter in Valley Forge a soldier rode out of his encampment and noticed a group of soldiers struggling to put a log on the top of the wall they were building. Each time they lifted it, they lost their grip and the log fell. The men were cold and tired and hungry. He could see they were ready to give up. The corporal in charge of the work stood apart, yelling at them, so they picked up the log one more time. The soldier, sitting his horse, asked the corporal why didn’t he help his men. The corporal said, ‘Don’t you see I’m a corporal?’ The mounted soldier quietly dismounted and helped the soldiers raise the log into place. He then told the soldiers, including the corporal, that if they needed further assistance, they should send for him. The mounted soldier was General George Washington. Now, would you say General Washington was unsuited for command?”

  “No, sir.”

  “So, the question in front of me is not at all whether Lieutenant Commander Morrison is suited for command. I have the assurances of Rear Admiral Klindt, who served with him, that he is. He was one of my students when I instructed at Command College, and I was also impressed. The question, then, is whether you are suited for command. Vice Admiral Halsey has been advised of the command climate on the San Francisco. He’s waiting for my advice. What do you suppose I should tell him?”

  Cumberland swallows, “I assure you, Captain Van Zandt, I will adjust my command style to accommodate your expectations.”

  “Please do. Shall we?” Captain Van Zand
t stands.

  CHAPTER 5

  USS SAN FRANCISCO

  0810, 5 January, 1942

  Backes watches his watch standers do their jobs. He’s learned not to hover, but trust his men. The helm asks Chief Giblin, “Chief, is there a sport you like?”

  Giblin, “You’re asking if there is a sport that matters. Yes, one.”

  “Not baseball, right?”

  “No, baseball is ninety-five percent waiting for something to happen and five percent of the happenings. They’ve fallen down the rabbit hole of statistics to the point that we know how a batter does against left-handed Jewish pitchers on damp Tuesdays in August. Then they’re disappointed when their worthless statistic doesn’t pan out. It’s beyond stupid. The only sport that matters is politics.”

  “Chief, politics isn’t a sport.”

  “Sure, it is. It has seasons, teams, and rules. It also has winners and losers.”

  “Conn, Sonar. New contact. Designate Sierra 6, bearing 285. Twin screws and diesels.”

  Backes pushes the button, “Very well.” He pushes another button, “XO, we have a contact.”

  A minute later Morrison walks straight into sonar, “So, Brown, what do we have?”

  “I think it’s a sub on the surface. Two screws. Twin diesels.”

  “How many blades.”

  “Three.”

  “According to Admiral Nimitz, the American subs in theater have four. We still need to confirm. Good job.” Back in control he checks the table, “Greg, let’s rig for silent and call for the tracking team.”

  “Yes, sir.” The word goes out. All unnecessary noise generating equipment is secured and the off-watch crew hits their racks. Backes asks, “How good do you think their sonar is?”

  “I think it’s crap. But I know we do well to overestimate our adversary, rather than underestimate them and court disaster.

  “Yes, sir. Then, I’ll cancel the Van Halen concert in the crew’s mess.”

  Morrison nods, “Good idea.”

  They wait as they close with the contact.

  USS CARL VINSON

  Admiral Halsey walks up to the mike and says loudly, “Carry on,” blasting everyone’s ears. “Sorry about that. Can everyone hear me?” They all chuckle and nod their heads. He continues, “Before we lay out the plan, I would like each command to stand, introduce themselves, their unit, and their XO. I’m sure you all know who I am. Standing to my right is my chief of staff, Commander Miles Browning. Next to him is Captain Chris Van Zandt, who served as Admiral Ren’s chief of staff before I nabbed him.”

  Then, Captain Johnson introduces himself and Captain Patterson. Then Captain Murray introduces himself and his XO, and so on around the room. Captain Cassin Young stands, “I’m Captain Young of the heavy cruiser San Francisco. My XO is Commander Jenkins.”

  When his table is up Cumberland stands, “I’m Commander Cumberland of the submarine San Francisco, and my XO is Lieutenant Commander Morrison, who is still on board.”

  When they’ve all introduced themselves, Halsey continues, “Right, the Carl Vinson Task Force brings a number of new weapons to the fight. We need to update our formations and our battle plans to incorporate these new systems. First, as most of you have noticed, the new ships are rather short on guns. That’s because they use guided missiles instead. It’s a rocket that can be aimed in flight. They are extremely effective against aircraft, but they need clear lanes of fire. We will be putting the Long Beach and Horne outside the inner ring around the two carriers; the Long Beach to port and the Horne to starboard. In an aerial threat, the missile ships will orient toward the threat. The Fife and Jarret will be out front and Commander Lamoure of the Fife will be ASW commander. The Vinson also has a number of ASW assets and Commander Lamoure knows how to use them. The supply ships will stay on the starboard side of the carriers and the rest of our destroyers will ring around the group. Questions?”

  Captain Ellis M. Zacharias of the Salt Lake City asks, “Who is the AAW commander?”

  “Ellis, I know that was your job, but it now falls to Captain Tenzar of the Long Beach. His radar and control systems far outstrip what our older ships can do.”

  Captain Young of the cruiser San Francisco asks, “Yes, sir, but do the contraptions really work.”

  Captain Tenzar says, “My missiles have a range of 85 nautical miles and I can engage eight aircraft a minute with a 90% hit rate. Horne, with half the systems, can engage four more. We will not be able to completely eliminate a persistent swarm attack, but we can attrite them long before they are in your range. Should we encounter Japanese jets, we’re the only platform capable of engaging them.”

  Captain Young, “Our gunners are good.”

  Tenzar, “I have no doubt they are. This isn’t a question of skill. No gunner can hit an aircraft flying 1200 miles per hour at 40,000 feet. Jets operate in an envelope unlike anything you’ve ever seen.”

  Halsey, “Gentlemen, we’re all on the same team.” He motions to Browning, who uncovers a map of the Pacific Ocean. “We’ll approach from here. During the approach, the Enterprise will do all the patrols and the cap, preserving fuel on the Vinson. The Vinson will maintain four fighters on ready 5 and continue ASW patrols. Once we are at our initial point, the Vinson strike group will attack Tokyo, focusing their attacks here and here and here. Upon completion of the strike, we’re authorized additional attacks if it seems advisable. We’ll retreat in this direction. Vinson will maintain enough jet fuel in reserve to fight for two days. I want all ships to keep fuel reserves at 80%. Questions?”

  LCDR Sherman of the USS Dunlap DD-384, “Why eighty percent, Admiral?”

  “If we kick over a hornet’s nest, I want to maintain the option to make a hasty strategic advance to the rear.” The men chuckle. “Let’s break for supper. I want CO’s and XO’s to split up. I want 41’s and 90’s at every table. You need to get a chance to know one another.”

  Cumberland stands and sees Captain Young motioning for him. He walks to the table and offers a hand, “Sir.”

  “Good afternoon, Commander. Have a seat.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Young introduces the table, “This is Commander Grey, XO of the Long Beach, Captain Zacharias of the Salt Lake City, and Captain Hartt of the Quincy.” He turns back to Cumberland, “Now, how is it your ship is named the San Francisco?”

  “It’s the next in line. Your ship gets decommissioned after the war.”

  Young says, “It’s only eight years old.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Do you know why?”

  Cumberland is quiet for a moment, thinking, “I think it was two reasons. The technology had marched on and your ship was not updated, which made your cruiser unnecessary. That and Congress clamored for a war dividend. The war cost a great deal to fight. For America it was war bonds, which is debt.”

  “So, it wasn’t because of battle damage?”

  “No, sir. In the early eighties they authorized my boat to reuse the name. We were even offered some of the silver set that your boat carries right now.”

  “Did you accept?”

  “The commissioning crew did. We’ve only a portion of the set because room is quite limited on a submarine.”

  Captain Zacharias asks, “What are the capabilities of your submarine?”

  Cumberland, “First, like the Long Beach, it’s nuclear powered, meaning she is built with about twenty-five years of fuel. The power plant is air independent, meaning it has no need to surface for air. We scrub carbon dioxide from the air and generate oxygen to breath. The World War II submarines were surface vessels that could submerge to fight. Modern submarines are true submarines. They only surface to enter or leave port for provisioning.”

  Zacharias, “Very good, sir. How well do you fight?”

  Cumberland, “We’ve already sunk two submarines. Our torpedoes have internal guidance. Meaning it has integral sonar that enables it to guide itself on to its target, close, and destroy it. They a
re very advanced.”

  Captain Hartt asks, “When was your submarine commissioned?”

  Cumberland, “1981, sir.”

  Zacharias turns to CDR Grey, “The capabilities of your ship, sir?”

  “The Long Beach primarily has missile systems. We’re optimized for surface to air with two Mark 10 missile launchers. My captain described our capabilities. We do have guided torpedo launchers for anti-submarine, as well as rocket propelled guided torpedoes for engaging submarines further away. We have two missiles launchers for anti-ship and two for land attack. The land attack missiles cannot function right now. A satellite system they require doesn’t exist. We also have two 5-inch guns, but they were put in as an afterthought.”