The Gray Ship

by Russell Moran

  On June 27, the California dropped anchor near the mouth of the Potomac. It was 0800 hours, and the motor launch was lowered over the side. It was a hot humid day with a temperature of 82 degrees Fahrenheit, even though it was early morning. When boat captain Donizzio saw Gen. McDowell and Col. Burns waiting on the pier, he couldn't believe that they were wearing blue wool uniforms. They're going to love the air conditioning on the California, he thought. Donizzio saluted his new guests and helped them aboard.

  As McDowell stepped onto the ladder platform of the California, the boatswain's pipe alerted the ship, "Army of Northeastern Virginia, arriving."

  The plan called for McDowell and Burns to stay aboard the California for three days of battle planning. After they were shown to their staterooms, they were escorted into Captain Patterson's office at 0915. Because the subject of the meeting would be ground operations, Ashley invited SEAL Lieutenant Conroy and Marine Colonel Matthew Bingham to the meeting. Bingham would conduct the meeting. Blow-up photocopies of maps of the area around Manassas, Virginia were spread out on the table, as well as history books.

  "Gentlemen," said Colonel Bingham, "I'm sure that you have never been involved in a battle plan that included history books. But the simple fact is that we know what happened at Bull Run, and the books will help us to change the outcome."

  Both McDowell and Burns had been thoroughly briefed on the California's technical abilities, so Col. Bingham got right down to details.

  "The California's role in the battle will have three components," Bingham said. "We'll provide air surveillance and ground combat support by our attack helicopter and drone helicopters. There will also be heavy weapons support from the ship itself. We will also make available small arms, rocket propelled grenades, regular hand grenades, and, perhaps most important of all, two-way radios."

  "Now I will show you our aerial capabilities, and to do that we'll go to our Combat Information Center."

  The meeting moved to the CIC. Bingham introduced Lieutenants Andrew Cinque and Bob Nathan, the drone pilots. To save time, Nathan had already launched his drone and it flew over Bull Run Creek as they spoke. He turned on the screen. McDowell and Burns were amazed to see the real time video of what would soon be a battlefield.

  "You can see, gentlemen," said Bingham, "what this can mean for your troop movements. You will see the enemy's moves as he makes them. The drone videos will remove the element of surprise from the battle, at least from the Union point of view. If the enemy begins a flanking maneuver, for example, we will see it, and the California can send in a missile to prevent it. We also have our Apache Attack Helicopter to provide gun and missile support."

  The meeting went on for another hour. Both Gen. McDowell and Col. Burns peppered Bingham with questions. McDowell especially wanted to know the quantity of weapons that would be taken ashore. Bingham replied, "There will be 50 automatic rifles; 100 rocket propelled grenades, 25 Colt 45 pistols. We also have a total of 2,000 rounds of ammunition for the rifles, and 750 rounds for the 45s."

  "It isn't a lot in terms of quantity," Conroy said, "but these weapons are deadly, especially the rocket propelled grenades."

  "We will move the weapons ashore in five days to give us time to train your troops in their use," Bingham said. Neither Bingham nor Conroy were comfortable with sending such a large cache of weapons and ammunition into enemy territory, but it did make logistical sense.

  "The major impact," said Captain Patterson, "will come from the missiles that we fire from the ship. We have aboard twelve Tomahawk cruise missiles with over 1,000 pounds of explosives in their warheads. Our Harpoon missiles are used primarily against ships, but they can also be fired at land targets. You may recall that we sank the Confederate warship Chattanooga with one Harpoon missile."

  McDowell and Burns exchanged glances, both feeling like medieval warriors suddenly transported to the future.

  Chapter 56

  The worldwide newswires crackled with reports of the missing California. Daytime TV news shows covered little else. A news anchor earns his or her money with a story like this. How many ways are there to say, "They haven't found the California yet."? Most of the reports were background stories about other ships that went missing.

  Defense Secretary Robert Gates was on the phone with President Obama.

  "I recommend that you hold a press conference, Mr. President. TV anchors are running out of things to say, and they're starting to speculate."

  "Bob, can you tell me anything, anything at all beyond what you've already said?"

  "No, Sir." said Gates.

  "Okay, I'm going to hit the airwaves in one hour," said the President. "That will give us a little more time to find something out."

  The California has been missing for 38 minutes.

  Chapter 57

  It was July 2, 1861, the date scheduled to move the large cache of weapons and ammunition ashore. Bradley was in charge of the operation. Four SEALs were assigned to the task, led by Petty Officer Giordano, as well as eight sailors who Bradley had personally picked for the job. All were dressed in the civilian clothes that the SEALs had obtained from Morton's Dry Goods Store in Charleston.

  Two Zodiacs and two inflatable life rafts were lowered into the water. The day was clear, the temperature in the low 80s, and, most important, there was no wind and the seas were calm. The objective was to motor up the Potomac River to the Occoquan River, a tributary that linked up with Bull Run Creek near Manassas. Bradley calculated that the trip would take four hours to the point of unloading.

  The time was 2300 hours, 11 p.m. They left in darkness to avoid possible detection by Confederate forces.

  Because they had no GPS availability they navigated by shore landmarks.

  When they arrived at the unloading location at 0400, Giordano went ashore first to see if there was adequate cover. The spot was perfect, surrounded by trees and brush. Giordano looked for openings where they could string wire for perimeter security. They began to unload the weapons.

  Two of the SEALs used their knives to chop down vegetation to use as camouflage cover. By 0500 they were done. Two of the SEALs stood watch while the others grabbed some sleep.

  At 0900, after a few hours of sleep and breakfast consisting of MREs, or Meals Ready to Eat, Bradley announced that he was going to look around. Bradley had done his research in the ship's library. He had discovered that General Beauregard's camp headquarters was three miles from their location, which was exactly why he chose the spot. Before he left the camp, Bradley called Captain Patterson on his two-way radio. He told her that the mission had gone off without incident and that he would report back later. He then turned his radio off.

  Giordano had just finished washing his face over a basin. He reached for his towel and wiped his face dry. When he took the towel from his face he was looking at Seaman John Locklear pointing a 45 at his forehead. It was the last thing Giordano ever saw. Tony (Geo) Giordano, the SEAL hero of his Brooklyn neighborhood, was dead.

  Bradley arrived at General Beauregard's headquarters within 45 minutes. Before approaching the house, he called Petty Officer Spencer, one of his handpicked sailors. Spencer said, "Apple blossom," a prearranged code that meant that the SEALs had been murdered.

  Two guards stopped Bradley 200 feet from the General's house. Bradley simply said, "Please tell the General that my name is Commander Philip Bradley, and I'm a representative of the Gray Ship. One of the men remained to guard Bradley while the other entered the house to inform the General. The man came running out of the house and immediately escorted Bradley inside.

  General Beauregard remained seated at his desk and asked Bradley to more fully identify himself. Bradley told him that he was the Executive Officer of the USS California, better known as one of the Gray Ships. He explained that he wore civilian clothing because he was on a secret mission.

  "Commander," said Beauregard, "how can you be on a secret mission and stand here telling your enemy about it?"

  "Bec
ause, Sir, I am not your enemy."

  Chapter 58

  "If you're not my enemy, Sir, then who are you?" Beauregard asked.

  "I am a loyal son of the South, General, and I am here to help the Confederacy win the Civil War."

  "I'm listening, Commander."

  For the next half hour, Bradley told Beauregard the California's story of time travel that began on April 10. He did not discuss Operation Gray Ships, believing that he should keep that information to himself for the time being. Also, this stratagem portrayed Bradley as a man who stood against a fleet of enemy ships, sword drawn, ready to defend the South against 20 colossal vessels.

  Bradley ended his story by telling Beauregard about the cache of amazing weapons located less than three miles away, weapons that were Bradley's contribution to the Confederate war effort.

  General Beauregard thought this man was quite insane, but, because he offered a new supply of weapons, he felt that he should see what this character was talking about. Beauregard ordered a carriage for Bradley and himself.

  They rode the short distance to the weapons cache. When they arrived Bradley jumped from the carriage and waved his arms expansively toward the weapons. They were piled six feet high, four feet deep and twenty feet in length.

  Bradley first took an M4A1 carbine from a box and handed it to Seaman Dwight Harborrow, an expert marksman. Harborrow pointed the rifle at a tree 100 yards away and squeezed the trigger once. They could see the wood splinter from where they stood. He then squeezed the trigger three times in quick succession, resulting in more splintered wood. He then squeezed the trigger and held it. Beauregard and of his men had never seen an automatic weapon fire. Seaman Harborrow then explained that the magazine could hold 30 rounds of bullets. Beauregard's military tactician brain was on alert. A squad of ten men with such weapons would be devastating to an oncoming force. Ten men could replace a hundred he thought.

  Harborrow then demonstrated a rocket propelled grenade or RPG. Because the rocket has no guidance of any sort, he aimed at a tree that was closer. He fired the grenade at a tree 75 yards away. The tree exploded and toppled. "This weapon," said Bradley, "is especially useful against a vehicle of any type, such as a munitions cart or a caisson."

  Bradley then ordered another sailor to stand up a two by four foot metal plank supported by logs to keep it upright. Seaman Harborrow fired a 45 caliber pistol at the plank from a distance of 25 yards. Because a 45 has a soft bullet, it is known for its stopping power, as the lead expands when it goes through a target. The bullet tore a five inch hole in the plank. "This pistol," said Bradley, "will stop a charging horse in its tracks."

  Bradley then withdrew a two-way radio from a bag. He sent a sailor with another radio a distance of 100 yards. "Johnson, can you hear me?" said Bradley. Beauregard heard the loud clear voice come out of the instrument saying, "Yes, sir."

  Although he doubted Bradley's sanity, Beauregard could not doubt what he had seen with his own eyes.

  The time was now 1130 hours. Beauregard decided that it would be best to take lunch with this man to learn more details of his plan.

  "Captain, or is it Commander Bradley?" said Beauregard.

  "I'm scheduled to be promoted to Captain shortly, General," Bradley lied. He knew that Beauregard wouldn't to be able to access his personnel file.

  "We shall return to my headquarters and have lunch. We have a lot to talk about."

  Beauregard ordered the all the soldiers he had brought along to stay with the weapons to provide additional security.

  Beauregard and Bradley got into the General's carriage and rode back to his headquarters. As they rode in the carriage Beauregard stared at Bradley, trying to determine if he could trust this man.

  Chapter 59

  She hadn't heard from Bradley in three hours. Ashley called him on the two-way radio. "Tango Tango, this is Lima Juliette, come in." There was no response after repeated attempts to get Bradley on the radio. Her alternate contact was Petty Officer Giordano, and she switched channels on the radio. "Zulu Xray, Zulu Xray, this is Lima Juliette, come in."

  After three calls a voice answered, "This is Zulu Xray, go ahead Lima Juliette."

  "This is Captain Patterson. Is that you Giordano?"

  "Yes, Ma'am, Giordano here," came the response in a distinctive Southern drawl. Ashley knew Giordano was from Brooklyn, and he had the accent to prove it. Ashley's nerves went into high alert.

  "I'm just checking to make sure everything is okay."

  "Everything is AOK here, Captain," drawled the voice.

  "I expect reports hourly," said Ashley. "Lima Juliette, over and out."

  "Get Lieutenant Conroy here NOW," Ashley screamed to the Junior Officer of the Deck. Within a minute Conroy was on the bridge.

  "I have a concern Frank, a big one. Here, call Giordano to say hello," She said, handing Conroy the radio.

  "Zulu Xray, Zulu Xray, this is Lima Juliette, come in," said Conroy.

  "Yes, sir," came the drawled response.

  “Geo, this is Lt. Conroy, I'm just following up on the Captain's call to see if you need anything from the ship."

  "We're good, Lieutenant. If we need anything from y'all we'll give a holler," came the response. Ashley motioned a finger across her throat to break off the conversation.

  "This is Lima Juliette, over and out."

  Ashley stared at Conroy. There was no need to ask a question.

  "If that's Giordano," said Conroy, "I'm Lady GaGa."

  "Are you sure you had a good idea to send those weapons ashore, Lieutenant?" Ashley asked.

  Conroy's jaw dropped. "Captain, it was Commander Bradley's idea." Ashley felt faint.

  She called CIC and spoke to Lt. Bea Toliver, the Combat Systems Officer. "Lieutenant, launch a drone immediately and send it to the coordinates of the weapons camp ashore. How long to the site?"

  "It'll be overhead in 15 minutes, Captain."

  Ashley and Conroy went below to CIC.

  Chapter 60

  The drone helicopters on the California are equipped with sound dampening technology, making it difficult to hear them when overhead. The drone sent to investigate the weapons camp arrived overhead at 1215 hours, flying at an altitude of a half mile. As the drone flew over the weapons site it transmitted real-time video to CIC on the California.

  The Captain and Conroy watched as the video showed the camp. They could see the piles of weapons, surrounded by, "Holy shit, 12 Southern mounted cavalrymen," shouted Ashley. The soldiers appeared to be chatting with the eight sailors. They were inspecting the weapons. "Move the cursor up and to the right and zoom in," Ashley said to the drone pilot. She looked at Conroy and said, "What do those mounds look like to you, Frank?"

  Conroy moved closer to the monitor and stared at the four mounds.

  "Those are freshly dug graves, Captain. Someone was even thoughtful enough to plant a rifle with a SEAL cap on top." He looked at Ashley. "My guys have been killed, Captain."

  "Increase altitude, Lieutenant." Ashley said to the drone pilot. "I want surveillance of the immediate area."

  A farmhouse surrounded by hundreds of Southern infantry and cavalry soldiers came into view. That must be a headquarters of some sort, Ashley thought, probably Beauregard's.

  General Beauregard and Commander Bradley were having lunch at a table on the lawn in front of headquarters to escape the heat of the cabin.

  "Drop down for a better look," Ashley said. "Now zoom in on those two men at the table in front of the farm house."

  "You scumbag!" shouted Conroy, with an immediate apology for his profanity.

  There was Commander Philip Bradley, Executive Officer of the USS California, dining with a Confederate General. From photos that Father Rick had shown her, Ashley knew she was looking at General Beauregard. "Photo this," she said to drone pilot Nathan, who snapped a still photo of the scene for further identification.

  Ashley yelled to a nearby officer, "Get me Personnel Officer Sobel and the Warrant Offi
cer Ciano, the Master at Arms and get them here immediately. NOW!"

  Within minutes, Sobel and Ciano were in CIC.

  "We have evidence that XO Bradley has committed treason and is defecting to the Confederacy." I want you to break into his office, confiscate all paperwork, and impound it in the lockup."

  As Sobel and Ciano were about to leave the room, Conroy said, "Excuse me Captain, a word with you please." Ashley was miffed that Conroy slowed down the action.

  "Captain, are we sure that this conspiracy is only ashore?"

  My God, thought Ashley. She gave Conroy an attaboy slap on the shoulder and said to Sobel and Ciano, "What you are about to do is absolutely Top Secret. No word to anyone but me." She wondered if there was anybody in CIC to worry about.

  "Aye Aye, Captain," they both said as they left the room to go to the XO's office.

  Chief Warrant Officer Dennis Ciano, as Master at Arms, was the ship's law enforcement boss, the Top Cop of the California. He easily broke the lock on the door and they entered. Sobel went to the first pile of papers, Bradley's out box. There, on the top of the pile, was a letter on Bradley's stationery that began: "Dear Captain Patterson." It was dated today. Sobel said to Ciano, "Dennis, collect all documents and bring them to impound as the captain ordered. I'm bringing this to her now."

  ***

  Sobel raced back to CIC. Not expecting her back so soon, Ashley said, "Karen, did you have a question?"

  "Captain, I think you may want to read this immediately. It's addressed to you. I haven't read it."

  Ashley looked at the letter.

  Dear Captain Patterson:

  I resign my commission in the United States Navy, effective immediately. As you read this I shall have already made contact with the Confederacy, and I am now a servant of the Confederate States of America.

  Captain, you chose to intervene in history and to fight a war that was long ago over. My Southern heritage and my conscience force me to take up arms against the United States, along with eight of my fellow crewmen, whose names are attached.