The Gray Ship

by Russell Moran

  ***

  Lincoln had a well-earned reputation as a raconteur, a man who would introduce a point with a lengthy story and humorous side stories. But this morning he got right to the point.

  "Captain," said Lincoln, "the USS California is our weapon for bringing this war to a swift close. Our objective is simple, but its execution will not be easy. We will convince President Jefferson Davis and the command structure of the Confederacy that a protracted war will mean not only the defeat of the South, but its destruction."

  "We will accomplish this task in three ways," Lincoln continued. "First, the California will assist Navy Secretary Wells and his admiral staff in a naval blockade of the Southern states. Second, the California will actively engage the enemy at the Battle of Bull Run, the first major battle of the War, according to you folks. That will be three months from now. And third, but perhaps most important, we will fool the enemy into thinking that the California is but one of a vast fleet of Gray Ships about to devastate the rebel cause. Navy Secretary Wells and War Secretary Cameron will now tell us about the plan they have devised.

  Gideon Wells began. "The detailed plans for the California's involvement at Bull Run will be worked on by your staff and one of our generals who will be stationed on the California. Now I will speak about the plan to confuse the South into thinking that the California is not alone."

  "It will be called Operation Gray Ships. The plan will have two parts. The first part involves your ship itself. The California is very fast with a top speed over thirty knots, faster than any other vessel on the water. You will steam from location to location, bringing with you fear and confusion. But besides speed, we want the California to actually appear to be more than one ship. Our plan is to paint over the large number 36 on your hull, and also to change the name of the ship on her stern on a regular basis. We also want the appearance of the deck itself to change from time to time. When people report seeing the ship they will see that their reports do not match up to the same ship. As a dramatist may put it, this will be a one act play with multiple costume changes."

  "Your objective," War Secretary Cameron said, "is to be seen, contrary to normal naval operations. Of course, if you're fired upon, you will fire back. Is there any concern about that, Captain?"

  "It will be the Confederate ship's captain who will have cause for concern, Sir."

  "Captain," continued Wells, "do you have enough personnel on board to do this work?"

  "I believe we do, Sir. I know we have two excellent officers in our engineering department to make this plan successful. If we need additional workmen and carpenters, I will ask for your assistance."

  "And you shall get it," said Wells.

  "The second part of Operation Gray Ships will be more literary than military. We have contacts at all major newspapers, and we are going to see to it that articles about the Gray Ships are published regularly. We need not worry about putting them in Southern papers. Confederate spies will bring the papers south as soon as they are published. I understand, Captain, that the fellow I met, Lieutenant John Thurber, is a skilled writer and journalist. Please tell the lieutenant that he will write the articles."

  Secretary of State Seward stood. He looked at Lincoln and said, "Mr. President, I believe it would be accurate to say that never in the history of warfare has one military unit borne such a grave responsibility. The USS California can end this war."

  Lincoln rose from his seat at the end of the table. He leaned forward, supported by his long arms. "Captain Patterson, Secretary Seward is correct. The California is the key to a swift victory. God works in strange ways, and He has seen fit to bring you to us from another time. In His justice we will end this terrible war, and He will also aid me in ending human bondage. As you know, Madam Captain, vast thousands of people of your race are at this very moment enslaved. I thank God that He has brought us Captain Ashley Patterson to show us what freedom can become."

  Everyone in the room stood, faced Ashley, and gave her a loud round of applause. She nodded her head, proud that she managed to fight back tears.

  ***

  Ashley sensed that the meeting was about to end. She had to have a private word with Lincoln, and it wouldn't happen unless she asked.

  Ashley said, after the applause stopped, "I thank you, Mr. President, and I thank all of you gentlemen for the confidence you've placed in the California. May I have a private word with you, Mr. President?"

  Ashley knew that her request may be inappropriate, even insubordinate, but she knew she had to speak to Lincoln. "Of course, Madam Captain," said Lincoln. Everyone filed out of the room except Ashley and Lincoln. He motioned her to a chair and he sat in the one next to it.

  "Mr. President, I'm worried about the morale of my crew. It actually goes deeper than just a morale problem. Our chaplain, Father Sampson, has been dining with the enlisted personnel, trying to gauge how they are standing up under the strange times we find ourselves in. They've all left behind, in another time, families and friends. From day to day, actually from moment to moment, they're without a sense of a certain future. They're emotionally upset, frightened, and sad. We come from the year 2013. Our country has enemies, God knows, but the Civil War is a faint memory, something we read about in history books."

  "I have been wondering about this very thing, Captain, and I'm glad that you raise the matter. Do you have something to request of me? Is there something I can do?"

  "Yes, Sir, there is. We have some strong evidence that the California may be able to return to 2013 by finding the exact location where we slipped through the time portal. What I'm asking you Mr. President is this: After the Battle of Bull Run, I would like your permission to say farewell and to bring my crew home."

  Lincoln stood and walked over to the window. He had just heard a request so reasonable he couldn't see how he could deny it. But in his few months as President he had learned a great deal about military strategy and tactics. He learned that there was one thing predictable about war, that it was unpredictable.

  He returned to his chair next to Ashley. "Captain I appreciate the problem your crew finds themselves in. The morale and enthusiasm of your crew is crucial to the success of our plans. I understand that they need some certainty in their lives. We fully expect that your participation in the blockade, the Gray Ships deception, and the Battle of Bull Run will turn the tide and force the South to capitulate. But war is full of surprises. So I can promise you this. If our plans are successful, you will have my full permission to return home, and I shall move heaven and earth to help you to accomplish it. But as President and Commander in Chief, I must say to you that your taking leave must depend on a successful outcome. Do you find that acceptable, Captain?"

  Ashley knew it was all she could hope for.

  "Thank you, Mr. President. We will make it a success."

  Chapter 37

  Lieutenant Commander Nick Wartella, the ship's Chief Engineering Officer called Lt. Jeff DeLouker and Lt. Jg. Nancy Forsyth to his office for a meeting. Wartella had been briefed by Captain Patterson and Commander Campbell on Operation Gray Ships.

  Wartella, an Annapolis graduate, had recently been promoted to Lt. Commander. His job as Engineering Officer on the California was his first department head post. His subordinates know him as a bright officer with little patience for imperfection. Captain Patterson thought that Wartella was the perfect officer to head up the California's part of Operation Gray Ships.

  Wartella explained Operation Gray Ships, and their role in it, to DeLouker and Forsyth.

  "Navy Secretary Wells, according to Captain Patterson, characterized our job as a one act play with multiple costume changes. The California is the actor, and you two are in charge of changing costumes, as often as once a day."

  Lt. Jeff DeLouker was a mustang, an officer who rose through the ranks as an enlisted man, and his salty language reflected it. He was in charge of the "A" Division of the Engineering Department. The "A" Division is charged with fixing what's broken
, and even manufacturing new equipment with available materials. Because a ship can't pull into a service station at sea, the ability to make at-sea repairs is crucial. Everyone who ever worked with DeLouker knew him as a masterful organizer and leader. If he were a civilian he'd have been a wealthy contractor or real estate developer. But he loved the Navy and he loved making ships work.

  Lt. Jg. Nancy Forsyth graduated from MIT with a degree in industrial design. Before joining the Navy, Forsythe worked for General Motors, designing sets and equipment for automobile shows. She had a reputation for designing spaces that were as imaginative as an opera set. As a consultant, she helped design the opening ceremony of the Winter Olympics at Salt Lake City, Utah. Her designs for that job were praised in Architectural Digest.

  Forsyth and DeLouker were good friends. Before their assignments to the California they had worked together on a large remodeling project at the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island. DeLouker admired her design skills, and Forsyth was impressed with DeLouker's ability to manage complex projects. When Nancy Forsythe married her long-time girl friend, Jane Blake, Jeff and his wife Dianne attended the wedding. DeLouker had a non-stop sense of humor, earning him the nickname Taz, short for Tasmanian Devil. While at the War College project he would often introduce Forsyth as his wife, which usually resulted in a punch to his arm.

  "So, Nance, we get to play in a costume drama together," said DeLouker as they sat down for their project planning meeting. Wartella had made DeLouker the project manager.

  "This won't be easy, Taz." said Forsyth. "We've been assigned the job of making the California look like 20 different ships, and to make the changes once a day. I think we should be guided by three major principles. The stuff should be easy to put up, easy to take down, and easy to maintain."

  "My troops will be happy to hear that, Nance."

  "Okay, let's break the project down into parts," DeLouker said. "I'll start to list them and you just jump in with your ideas."

  "First we need to look at the ship's name. We can't paint a new name on the stern every night, so we need to design large boards that can be bolted to the stern. The only problem is, boards are straight and the stern is curved."

  "No problem, Jeff. I'll design a couple of triangular supports that can be easily bolted and unbolted."

  “Perfect, Nance. We're going to need lumber from ashore. As soon as your designs are done I'll contact the Navy Department with a parts list. I figure in 1861 the Navy uses a lot of lumber. I want the signs to be pulled up and lowered with four sailors, two on each end for stability in the wind and two to lower the sign itself. We'll need four steel grommets in the sign. We'll leave the shackles secured to the sign with the lines tied off on the ship to help with stability in rough weather. As I'm thinking about this, I'm sure we can do a name change in less than five minutes. What do you think, Nance?"

  "I think it can be done," said Forsyth. "Good idea about using four people. A stiff wind can be a problem."

  "Next we need the names for the signs," DeLouker said. "We'll make it simple and use the names of states. Northern states only, obviously, including Hawaii."

  "Shithead," said Forsyth, "Hawaii didn't become a state until 1959."

  "Hey, I got half a pay grade on you. Is that any way to talk to a superior officer?"

  "Sorry, Sir, I meant to say Lieutenant Shithead."

  DeLouker laughed.

  "I know Hawaii wasn't a state in 1861, my wise ass MIT graduate friend, but we need it as a name."

  "Why?" asked Nancy.

  "Simple. Our job is to fuck with their heads." Nancy held out the palm of her hand to give DeLouker a high five.

  "Hawaii's in," she said.

  "Next, we need to paint over the numbers on the bow," DeLouker said. "We can paint numbers on four by eight foot signs and bolt them onto the superstructure. Replacing two signs a night is another job that should take less than five minutes." Forsyth made a note.

  "Now we need to come up with some new structures to lash to the deck," DeLouker continued. "Their photography is primitive so they'll report sightings based on the ship's number, name and appearance. They'll probably make sketches, so we need the ship to look different every few days. We don't have to do this every night, because the rebels will just think they're looking at the same type of ship, just with a few structural changes from time to time."

  "I've been thinking about just that, and I did some sketches." Forsyth said. "Look at these drawings, Jeff."

  DeLouker took a few minutes to look at her renditions and jotted some questions. "You are fucking brilliant Nance, but you already know that. I can see where you're going with these. Just explain them to me."

  She smiled at his salty compliment. "I see these as two basic structures each eight feet high that can be changed in a short time into six different shapes. The first one will be on the bow, but it can be moved a few feet aft to change its appearance. I've also included four panels that will be lashed to the basic structures but can be hoisted up to add another eight feet to each configuration. On the stern, we'll just have the walls of the structure lying on the helicopter pad. Assembly will simply mean hoisting the walls in place and securing them with bolts. The frames for the units need to be very firm, so I've designed in four inch square structural members. We have to worry about wind, Jeff. You're going to have to figure out the best way to secure these things to the deck."

  "That shouldn't be a problem. There are tie downs already in place all over the deck."

  "Jeff, we need to think about some interesting shaped objects that we may already have aboard."

  "Holy shit," said DeLouker as he slammed his hands on the desk. "We have about 1,000 linear feet of 12 inch water pipe that we're supposed to deliver to the Gulf. They look just like..."

  "Big guns?" Forsythe interjected.

  "We can make this cruiser look like a battleship," DeLouker said. Another occasion for a high five.

  "I love that idea, Jeff. I'll design a wooden frame to hold the 'guns.' "

  "I just thought of something else," DeLouker said. "We have a dozen banquet tables aboard. They're used for in-port receptions for the Navy League and stuff like that. Each table is 10 feet in diameter. We can paint them white, lash them to the rails, six on each side of the ship. I haven't the foggiest fucking idea what they're supposed to be, but neither will the rebels. "

  "Great idea."

  "Nancy, I want our costume drama to be ready for a curtain call by May 11. That's two weeks from now. Can we make that happen?"

  "Taz, you got the crew, I got the plans. We can make this work." Another high five.

  Chapter 38

  So we're going to go home, maybe, Ashley thought. She couldn't get her conversation with Lincoln out of her mind. Lincoln tied his permission for the California's return attempt to the success of Operation Gray Ships and the Battle of Bull Run. Ashley knew, as any military leader did, that war had its surprises, setbacks, and disappointments. She remembered German Field Marshal von Moltke's famous quote, "No battle plan ever survives the first contact with the enemy." What if something goes wrong, she thought over and over. She remembered Operation Eagle Claw, Jimmy Carter's daring attempt to free the Iranian hostages by a military insertion in 1980. Eight dead, four wounded, six helicopters and one transport plane destroyed.

  What if something goes wrong? Ashley knew the answer to the question. If the South didn't surrender after the California's blockade involvement and the Battle of Bull Run, Lincoln would want to keep her in the nineteenth century, at least for a while. How long? Thought Ashley. My crew couldn't care less about fighting an enemy from the history books. They want to go home, and so do I.

  ***

  Ashley walked onto deck to look at the ocean. The scared little girl, the girl who doubted her success, the girl who wanted to curl up in a fetal position, the little girl named Splashy – that little girl wanted to come out and play. Ashley remembered the role play exercise that Father Rick had recomme
nded. "Talk to your demons," Father Rick advised, after she had told him about demon Splashy. "Reason with them and take away their power."

  So Ashley stared into the sea and talked to Splashy. "Listen Splashy. I'm the captain of this ship, the commanding officer. Over 600 lives depend on me making the right decisions. Now please leave me alone, and I'll buy you something nice when this is over." She didn't think Splashy got the message.

  Ashley continued talking, this time to herself, not Splashy. Operation Gray Ships and the Battle of Bull Run will be complete successes. I'm going to make it happen, and we'll be on our way home. She could hear little Splashy skipping rope and laughing in the distance.

  Chapter 39

  Ashley called Jack Thurber to her office. Every time she met with this man she felt increasingly comfortable. Often, she would call for a short meeting just to see him and chat. After every meeting, she felt like she had an emotional massage. The tensions of leadership wafted away. Ashley had felt this way before, when she was dating Felix. She knew the feeling well.

  Ashley was falling in love.

  But today she was nervous. She was about to ask Jack to do something that would raise the journalistic hairs on the back of his neck. She was about to ask this Pulitzer Prize winner to become the biggest liar of the Civil War.

  "Coffee, Jack?" asked Ashley.

  "Love some. Please, I'll get it."

  Ashley loved how Jack was always appropriately deferential to her position. But then he could walk in wearing a clown costume, red nose, honking horn and all, and Ashley would have found it charming.

  Ashley explained Operation Gray Ships, as laid out by Navy Secretary Wells. She also told him in detail about Abraham Lincoln, his charisma, charm, and intelligence. Jack thought about how he would love to interview Lincoln for an article.

  "Operation Gray Ships has two parts," said Ashley. "The first part involves our Engineering and Deck Departments. They're going to give the California the appearance of being 20 different ships. In 2013, we would call this PsyOps or Psychological Operations. The idea is to weaken the enemy's resolve through deceit. The Doolittle Raid on Tokyo in the early days of World War II is a perfect example. It didn't do much damage, but it showed the Japanese government that they were dealing with a tough customer."