I caved...
Chapter 322
It was the fourth day after the encounter between Edgehill and the Japanese Destroyer though the four Allied Carriers moving and their escorts moving north knew nothing about that yet. Under the command of Vice Admiral Somerville in person HMSs Implacable and Formidable, along with HMAS Melbourne and HMS Indomitable were about to begin Allied operations in the Philippine Islands. True, no more than a few air-raids on Mindanao and a few local Japanese outposts but the exercise was not to actually hamper Japanese operations on the ground, not just yet. The real objective of this operation was to both inflict attrition on the local Japanese air assets as well as draw them away from elsewhere.
Somerville wished he could have taken Battlegroup Able-Seven with him, but that would have left Australia only covered by Illustrious and Victorious, and these two ships needed some refitting after the last round of attacks on the mandates. And anyway, Rear Admiral Shepard had grudgingly admitted that Bonaventure needed considerable work-up time and some exercises together with Vimy Ridge before anyone could think of employing her in a Battlegroup against a real enemy.
Still, between them they had more than 360 aircraft (if one counted spares) and he knew that by this time next year he could easily field a force twice this size without having to leave any of the Fleet's other responsibilities uncovered.[1]
If anything, the Ozzies were itching to be included this time as Melbourne had spend the last two raids on the mandates on 'Home Defence' even though their participation on the sinking of the Yamato had partially made up for that.
Right now however everyone who could aboard the four Allied Carriers and their escorts watched as the RNZN Seafire Squadron took off from Melbourne to investigate a rather strange coded message that had been received and that the Admiral had personally decoded.
Shortly afterwards he had ordered Melbourne, the western-most Carrier, to turn into the wind and launch one of her precious fighter Squadrons as soon as possible. The Kiwis had been on five-minute alert so it were their fighters that roared off the deck with orders to search along a certain bearing for any ships attacked by Japanese aircraft and aid that vessel to the best of their strenght.
RNZN Seafire preparing for take-off
“I've been wondering why the Nips didn't send any significant force out to search for us.” Somerville said to his Flag-Captain as they both watched the fighters form up and fly off towards Borneo.
“You mean they may have been looking for someone else?”
When Somerville failed to answer, his Flag-Captain decided to risk something and asked:
“Sir, what was in that message?”
“It was sent in an obsolete code that we only use for tactical messages these days, and that even I could decode on my own. It's probably still sending but the gist of it is this.”
He handed his Flag-Captain the message. Upon reading it the Captain looked at his Admiral and said:
“With all due respect Sir, but what makes you think this is real?”
The Captain was suspecting an elaborate trap.
“Oh it could most certainly be a trap, but what you don't know and I only know because I am technically second in line for ABC's job is that we actually do have a ship of that name on the list.”
~**---**~
At the same time Lieutenant Commander Franklin, Royal New Zealand Navy, Callsign Buster Red Actual, was listening into the wireless frequency the message had been sent on, in code at first but now in plain language. Plainly the operator was either scared or busy enough with other things to tap it out in code.
Now it was a voice, had been for the last quarter of an hour.
“Mayday Mayday Mayday, this is the Royal Navy Auxiliary Vessel Edgehill. We are under attack by Japanese aircraft at...”
He flicked it off and concentrated on keeping formation. The eighteen Seafires were arranged in the standard two-pair formation that their land-based brethren used and it was Blue Four that spotted them first and as the planes banked they saw something that made them all reach for their throttles.
Even as all the planes went to War Emergency Power they could see in the distance how a group of at least ten Bettys was taking turns at making runs towards a single ship. He could see black puffs in the air, so someone was still fighting back, but the rear of the vessel was on fire and she was noticeably down by the stern. Still underway though but nut answering to his hails.
“All Buster aircraft, there's no fighter escort. Help yourselves, Gentlemen but keep alert. They might be getting some friends soon enough.”
The fighters paired off and before he and his wingman joined the soon desperate dogfight he called it in. This was not a trap and they would soon need someone on the surface to help. The course of the Battlegroup would take them past this position soon enough anyway, so it was easy to detach a Destroyer or two.
The first sign the Japanese had that they were no longer masters of this sky was when two of their number burst into flames. On bridge of the steadily sinking Edgehill only Takahashi and Felix were in any shape to notice what was going on. At their feet Goodchild was rapidly bleeding to death in spite of a rough tourniquet on the remnants of his left arm, Ian was passed out near the back with what had to be a concussion along with his broken arm and half a dozen minor but bloody wounds.
“What the bloody...” was all that Felix managed to utter in the total chaos around him as the Japanese bombers began to fall from the sky in flames.
What was going on?
This question was immediately answered as he saw two Seafires who seemed to be sporting New Zealand markings race by at wave-top level at less than forty yards distant from his slanting deck.
What were they doing there? Was the fleet out?
These were questions for later though as the litany of damage reports around him continued even as the New Zealanders shredded the Japanese attack force.
“What's that wireless look like sparks?” he yelled into the corridor.
“No joy on the speakers, Sir!” came the yell back, “we're still transmitting but that's about it.”
Felix let loose a string of curses and oaths.
“Well then sparks, transmit in the clear and let's hope the Kiwis pick it up! Message begins: 'Have been attacked by Japanese bombers, sinking'. Add our position for good measure.”
“Aye, aye, Sir!”
The last of the Betties fell into the sea like a meteorite and one of the Seafires made a slow pass to starboard, wiggling it's wings.
“Someone raise another ensign!” Takahashi ordered no one in particular. The old one had been shot away long ago and between fighting the fire and a loosing battle to keep the old freighter afloat it had yet to be replaced.
His heart almost flew out of his chest when over the sound of everything going on around him he could hear a faint voice with that odd accent.
”...peat, this is Buster Flight, calling Edgehill, do you copy?”
“Tell them the situation, sparks!” Takahashi ordered before Felix could do so and he could almost see the rating picking up the microphone.
Relief flooded through him as he knew that not only would he most likely live, the Fleet was close.
Just how close he wouldn't know when Takahashi shook him awake in his chair an hour later when two Destroyers were along-side.
HMAS Vampire, one of the Destroyers, as part of the Australian Maritime Museum
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Comments, questions, rotten tomatoes?
Now I must say I had an entirely different plan. This update was supposed to be three or four long and describe a long run down the western side of Borneo towards Singapore. I decided to axe that when I realized it ran contrary to what I was trying to achieve. I am not at all happy with how this turned out, but if I hadn't posted it now I would have spend another week rewriting it again and again.
[1] Just as the USN got a large influx of Essex-Class ships IOTL in 43-44, the British will get several Implacables in 1944.