“There’s no way,” Shelly said.
“I disagree. If neither of us changed course, we’d pass each other at five thousand yards. If we could get the cruiser on our beam, we could fire torpedoes. As the ships get closer, each torpedo salvo will force the cruiser to evade the torpedoes by turning further to the right toward us. By the time the cruiser makes three or four of those evasive turns, we can pinwheel around him and flee to the open sea.”
“Smart,” said Shelly. “With his bow pointing at us he loses half his firepower. But with the Jap on our beam, we’ll be easier to hit.”
O’Toole spun away from Shelly and turned his full attention to the battle. It was time to position the Able for a torpedo attack. “Come right forty-five degrees.”
When the cruiser was on the port bow, O’Toole ordered, “Torpedo action to port, two torpedoes!”
This was the part of the plan O’Toole feared and the part he wouldn’t share with Shelly. To get a torpedo firing solution, he needed to hold the Able on a steady course for three minutes. Three minutes without an evasive turn could be fatal.
After an eternity the phone-talker announced, “Torpedoes away.”
O’Toole needed to close the range and present a smaller target. “Left full rudder.”
§
The American’s shells were falling closer and closer. Kukuta was mad at himself for allowing the American to get the upper hand. An image of the American ship spinning around him like a child’s toy on a string flashed across Kukuta’s mind. With American torpedoes in the water, Kukuta had no choice.
“Torpedoes. Left full rudder!”
An explosion rocked the Kamikawa. Kukuta turned aft to see smoke billowing from the superstructure.
Lucky shot.
§
O’Toole’s world shrank to that of the Able, the enemy cruiser, and the patch of ocean between them; he was unaware of the thunder of the Able’s guns firing fifteen rounds per minute. O’Toole raised his binoculars to watch the cruiser and smiled when the enemy cruiser’s bow swung toward the Able. A figure appeared on the Jap’s bridge wing wearing an eye patch.
Is this the ship from Savo Island? Hello, Pirate. We’re not going down without a fight this time.
A burst of smoke exploded on the aft superstructure of the cruiser and then another. “Good shooting, guys,” he yelled.
The enemy cruiser was in gun range, and he had torpedoes in the water. It was time to start the pinwheel spinning by presenting the Able’s side to the cruiser.
“Come right forty degrees.”
16
A shell exploded on the armored top of the number-two eight-inch gun turret of the Kamikawa. Kukuta ducked, but the shrapnel felled the lookout standing next to him on the bridge wing.
They had closed to seven and a half miles, and all five of the American five-inch guns were firing at them. Shells splashed near the Kamikawa every second, and they were taking four or five hits a minute. His forward eight-inch guns were slower, delivering three salvos per minute. At this range, their shell flight time was down to twenty-five seconds, still ample time for the nimble American destroyer to take evasive action.
“They fired another torpedo,” a lookout yelled.
He needed to turn more toward the American ship. Damn. “Come right thirty degrees.”
How can this be? I face a destroyer and find myself in a life-or-death battle. This should not be.
A shell exploded on the forward armored deck.
Commander Itou approached. Hell was erupting around them to the extent they now ignored the shell hits.
“Tell me, commander, would you trade your big guns for a higher rate of fire now?” Kukuta asked Itou.
“Captain, they must have a new weapon. Their accuracy is beyond reason.”
The comment annoyed Kukuta in the midst of battle. “Commander, why is it you credit our success to the Bushidō spirit of our crew and the enemy’s success to some new secret weapon?”
Kukuta didn’t want to continue this discussion, so he added, “Close the armored doors to the wheelhouse. I will stay here and use the voice tubes to communicate.”
A shell exploded on top of the armored wheelhouse, driving both Itou and Kukuta to the deck.
He knew he no longer controlled the battle, and he needed to end this quickly. The situation was getting worse, and the American was almost past them. “Signal the destroyers to move up and engage the American,” Kukuta yelled to Itou. “Go now!”
§
Pools of water swirled dead ahead, remnants of the cruiser’s last salvo. The Able was close enough to the cruiser it could fire a salvo, observe the impact, and adjust aim between salvos without waiting. “Come right ten degrees,” O’Toole yelled. “Torpedo action to port, fire two torpedoes!”
O’Toole heard Shelly’s say, “One more torpedo salvo and we’ll be past them.”
“CIC reports destroyers to the south moving north at high speed.”
The Japanese destroyers opened fire at extreme range. Spires of water shot up around the Able. O’Toole had little time left and needed to get around the cruiser. He had changed speed so many times he couldn’t remember his current speed. “All ahead flank,” he ordered.
“Sir, we are at flank speed.”
O’Toole turned to the phone-talker. “Tell Barnes in main control to empty his pockets.”
§
On the motor whaleboat, Harding yelled, “We got ships coming up behind us.”
Nagel stared at the masts of three destroyers on the horizon. “We gotta find a place to hide,” Nagel said.
“We passed a cove about a hundred feet back,” Harding said.
Nagel threw the wheel on the whaleboat over hard. The boat heeled hard into the turn. Nagel spotted the inlet and gunned the engine.
§
In main control, the roar of the engines made communication difficult. Chief Barnes yelled into the ears of his throttle-men, “Open the throttles all the way! Don’t back off unless I tell you!” He took the headset away from the phone-talker next to him and screamed into the mouthpiece, “Courtney, lock down the safeties!” To Ross, who was operating the boiler fuel valve, he yelled into the mouthpiece, “Ross, jam ‘em open, son!”
§
After the Able bolted, Pip wasted no time pulling his equipment up the beach and into the tree line where the Japs couldn’t see it. Satisfied his position was safe, he ran back to the shoreline. The Able and the Japanese cruiser continued to exchange fire.
After a few minutes, two of the natives joined him. The first one turned Pip by his shoulder and pointed to three masts on the horizon.
“Go,” Pip said, pushing the men toward the tree line.
§
The cove was deceptive. Nagel thought it wouldn’t be big enough for the whaleboat, but when he entered the inlet, it opened into a large lagoon hidden from the shore. Harding and Michaels jumped overboard and helped beach the whaleboat inside the cove.
“Come on, tie her up, and let’s get to the beach so we can see what’s happening.”
They crawled to the edge of the brush line on their stomachs in time to see it.
“Oh my God,” Nagel said.
§
In the Able’s boiler room, Ross shoved the fuel valves all the way open and pushed some more, trying to get the valve past the stops. Barnes voice echoed in his head: “Jam ‘em open, son!” Ross pushed harder on the valve.
The Able convulsed from three explosions forward, wrenching her hard to port and throwing Ross off the catwalk against the hull.
§
On the bridge, O’Toole scrambled to his feet.
One more chance. It’s all or nothing.
“Torpedo action to port. All torpedoes!”
He had to evade. “Left full rudder, come left twenty degrees.”
An explosion aft threw O’Toole into the wheelhouse bulkhead. His ears were ringing, but he could hear the scream of escaping steam. He ran to the bridge wing.
A pillar of steam, smoke, and fire billowed above the forward boiler room.
The Able was dying, losing speed, and her turn was taking forever. “Torpedoes away,” the phone-talker announced.
That’s it. No more torpedoes. Just five-inch peashooters.
The entire forward part of the Able vanished in a ball of fire and smoke. The explosion ripped O’Toole from the deck and threw him into the wheelhouse’s bulkhead. He dropped to the deck in a heap.
Stunned but still aware of pain trying to claim his body, he struggled to his feet, waving his hands to clear the smoke from his vision. Someone was groaning. Another explosion aft threw him to the debris-littered deck. O’Toole crawled to his feet. Both forward gun mounts were a tangle of burning and twisted metal. All he could see aft was smoke and fire billowing from every inch of the ship.
The last explosion had blown out the wheelhouse windows, and half of the bridge crew was down. The phone-talker wobbled over to O’Toole, blood seeping from his mouth. “Damage Control reports uncontrollable flooding from three shell hits aft. Many fires. All guns down except for number five.” The phone-talker stopped to listen to a report, then resumed. “Fire out of control in the forward ammunition handling rooms. They recommend flooding the forward magazine.”
“Flood the forward magazines. Safe all depth charges,” O’Toole yelled.
Burning and listing hard to port, the Able had become a funeral pyre. They were sinking, but sinking slowly. O’Toole turned to the phone-talker. “Pass the word, abandon ship. Get help up here for the wounded and the captain.”
§
Nagel couldn’t tear his eyes away as the shells blasted and tore away at the Able. “There goes our ride home,” he said.
“Now what?” Michaels asked.
Nagel thought for a second. He didn’t want to be brash because he felt the lives of two men depending on him. “Let’s go help the survivors.”
The three men ran back to the whaleboat and headed toward the Able’s flaming hulk. When they got closer, Michaels said, “Hey, that’s the Doctor. He’s about a third of the way back from the bow.”
Nagel found Lieutenant Strong on the confused smoke-covered deck. He was waving at them. When they reached the side of the ship, Strong yelled, “Get the captain aboard,” pointing to three men tending the captain, who was stretched out on deck.
The three men lifted Shelly, and Strong yelled, “Be careful! You can’t lift him by his left arm, his shoulder socket is gone. And don’t put any strain on his right leg; his femoral artery is severed.”
One of the men on deck looked at Strong as if he was crazy; he apparently thought being gentle in this situation was a bit strange. “We’ll do our best, sir,” he said.
They scooted Shelly to the side and let his legs dangle while holding him by his right arm. Shelly screamed in agony but clipped his scream short. Nagel and the boat crew took Shelly’s legs and upper back while trying to balance in the unstable boat. When the men on deck let go of his arm, Shelly’s body dropped several inches, and he screamed again.
With Shelly stretched out aboard the boat, Strong said, “Stay alongside, I want to get medical supplies in your boat. We’re going to need them.” Strong and the three men ran down the deck and disappeared through a smoke-filled door.
Soon Strong, two pharmacist mates and the original three men returned with armloads of boxes stuffed with bandages, medicine, and hypodermic needles.
Strong yelled to Nagel, “That’s the first load. I want to get another.”
“Hurry,” Nagel said.
Nagel and his crew loaded the supplies while Strong and his group returned for another load.
“Hey, let us on board!”
Five men wanted to get in the whaleboat. “Swim it, I’ve got wounded and medical supplies. There won’t be room for more,” Nagel said, hoping he was right.
“Hey, I outrank you, Nagel,” one of the men said.
“Not as long as I’m in charge of this boat.”
Shelly lifted his head and, summoning his strength, yelled, “You heard the man, swim!”
Strong returned with more medical supplies, and when they got those loaded, Nagel surveyed his cargo. “We’re full. Got enough room for you,” he yelled to Strong.
Michaels motioned to Harding, “We’ll swim. Get the doc and maybe two more wounded.” Harding and Michaels jumped overboard and began swimming.
“There are wounded on the fantail,” Strong said.
“Meet you there, sir,” Nagel said and backed the whaleboat away from the ship’s side.
Nagel steered the whaleboat to the fantail. At Strong’s urging and direction, the men loaded three of the wounded aboard. Nagel asked Strong, “That’s it?”
“Yes. Get us to shore and we’ll make another trip,” Strong said.
§
The American destroyer was burning dead in the water. When he judged the American ship out of action, Kukuta turned to Itou and said, “Cease firing. There is no sense in wasting ammunition on a dead ship.”
His mind was on his swinging bow as it turned toward the oncoming torpedoes. As they were settling on the proper evasion course, the Kamikawa’s bow heaved upward, pushed by a rising wall of water. Water and smoke swept across the bow toward the bridge. Two torpedo wakes streamed down the side of the Kamikawa, running two feet apart. The closest torpedo brushed the hull and rode down the side of the ship while the second torpedo continued to run true. The stern was swinging away from the torpedo but not fast enough. It exploded on the stern and detonated the first torpedo.
“Captain, we have lost rudder control.”
Kukuta felt the blood surging through his neck. “Switch control cables.”
“Captain, still no rudder control.”
“Commander Itou, take the conn and steer with our engines.”
Kukuta judged the battle was over. There was now time to turn his attention to his damaged ship. There were multiple fires from numerous direct hits. The engines still worked, and if they could get the fires out, they might survive.
§
O’Toole climbed down to the main deck and made his way through the smoke and confusion. He found Chief Barnes on his knees, clutching the nozzle of a fire hose. He was shouting into the forward boiler room escape hatch. “Son? Son? Ross, is that you?”
After a second, Barnes yelled at two men standing aft the hatch, helping others off the ship, “Hey, he’s still alive!”
One of the men joined Barnes and looked into the hatch. “Forget it, Chief,” he began, “We need more help. I can’t handle this fire hose alone.”
“I’m going in after him. He’s one of mine,” Barnes said.
“You can’t do that, Chief.”
“Got to. That’s the deal. They never let me down, I never let them down. I ain’t quittin’ now. That’s the deal.”
O’Toole grabbed the hose from Barnes’ hand. “We got the hose, Chief. We’ll cover you with fog. Let’s go.”
Barnes took the lead with O’Toole next. The descent was precarious, handling the hose while clinging to the ladder. With Ross over Chief Barnes’ shoulder, they reversed the process. The climb up the ladder was more troublesome. The fire was growing bigger by the minute, and O’Toole swung the nozzle to the side to fight off the fire.
Once on deck, O’Toole and the other man lifted Ross off Barnes’ shoulder through the hatch. Barnes slammed the hatch shut, picked Ross up, and said, “I’ve got him. Thanks, Lieutenant.”
O’Toole continued aft until he reached the aft gun mount. It didn’t seem damaged. Someone yelled, “There’s a Jap destroyer coming at us.”
§
Kukuta monitored the damage reports coming to him. They had taken over twenty shell hits. None pierced the Kamikawa’s armored hull or main deck, but the shelling had damaged the superstructure, and three of his six five-inch guns were out of action.
The stern torpedo hit flooded the aft steering room, freezing the rudder. The American ship had maul
ed the Kamikawa, but Kukuta was relieved it hadn’t been worse. If he had waited five more seconds to take evasive action, the torpedoes would have hit amidships and sank them. He cursed himself for his complacence and for allowing the American to steal the initiative from him.
The American ship was ablaze and sinking. Her men filled the water around her. Turning to Commander Itou, he said, “Turn us north at five knots. Recall our destroyers and resume a column formation.
Itou complied and returned to Kukuta’s side. “The damage is extensive, Captain. What shall we tell the admiral?”
Kukuta bowed his head and said, “We defeated a worthy opponent and have the scars to prove it.”
§
From the south, a destroyer, bow wave flaring, chased the cruiser. O’Toole guessed it would pass about a thousand yards away. A strange sense of calm descended on him.
“Let’s even the score. Is the mount still operational?”
“Yes, sir, on manual.”
“Got any ammo?”
“One round’s loaded, got a shell and powder casing at the ready.”
“Are the aft magazines flooded?”
“Not yet.”
“Get men below to pass up shells and casings. We’re not out of this fight yet.”
After saving five rounds, the magazines flooded. The Japanese destroyer was almost abreast the Able. “Let’s go,” O’Toole yelled. He climbed in the mount behind four other men. O’Toole took the gun trainer position. He cranked the hand wheel until the Japanese destroyer filled his optical sight. It was point-blank range; there was no way he could miss. He felt the adrenaline in his body and his hands trembled. This was too easy of a shot, and because it was impossible to miss, it increased the stakes and made it more difficult. He took a deep breath and concentrated on calming his nerves.
He lined the cross hair at the water line below the Jap’s forward mount where her magazine would be. “Mark,” he shouted.
The gun discharged. A second explosion shook the ship. The explosion was so violent O’Toole thought the gun had malfunctioned. Looking through his optics, he could make out the destroyer’s flaming stern disappearing below the water amid smoke and debris.
Vows to the Fallen: O'Toole (The Marathon Series) Page 14