Against the Tide Imperial: The Struggle for Ceylon (The Usurper's War: An Alternative World War II B by James Young (classic book list .txt) 📗

As he listened to the butcher's bill, Admiral Dunlap winced inwardly.

One hundred seventy-five aircraft shot down or written off. Severe damage to one battleship, a likely yard trip for the other, similar damage for three cruisers. That's not even counting what happened to the poor Royal Navy.

"Vice Admiral Fletcher, speaking frankly, believes he's out of commission for at least four months unless we have another air group on stand by."

Powers looked up and, seeing he had guessed right at Dunlap's forthcoming question, continued on.

"Vice Admirals Towers and Halsey state they could cobble together two carrier air groups out of what we have available here in Hawaii," Powers stated. "However, they believe a better use for the airpower here is to reinforce the garrisons at Espiritu Santu and Noumea."

"Why?" Dunlap asked, eyes narrowing.

"There are indications the Japanese may try to expand south from their current base at Rabaul," Powers replied. "Both the British and our own submarines have spotted a large amount of shipping in the area. With their carrier losses and ours, it's unlikely that anything would happen immediately, but it can't be ruled out."

What I would not give to be able to read their code like we almost could a couple years. Stupidest thing we ever did, letting the British know about that. Of course they’d have that information at Singapore when it switched hands after Kent.

"How many squadrons does he want to send south?" Dunlap asked. "As I assume we're going to have to put something aboard the Yorktown and Enterprise, especially now that the Royal Navy is out of the carrier business for awhile."

Powers looked down at his folder, then back up at Dunlap.

"Sir, Vice Admiral Halsey had a very profane directive in here that I was to let him talk to you about that," Powers replied.

I'm not going to put my aide in the middle of two admirals.

Dunlap looked down at motion out of the corner of his eye, then slapped the mosquito on his sleeve. Swiping the dead insect off his khakis, he gestured for Powers to continue.

"As Vice Admiral Halsey predicted, your directive to Rear Admiral Christie was not well received," Powers said. "Admiral Hart–"

Dunlap motioned for Powers to stop talking.

I see that ol' Thomas wants to do things the hard way.

After a few moments of thought and swigging coffee as he counted to ten, Dunlap set the mug down with a thunk so audible it caused an orderly to look up from the walkway below.

"Immediate message, Admiral Hart's eyes only," Dunlap stated so only Commander Powers could hear. "Rear Admiral Christie is to report to this headquarters as soon as possible, but no later than one week from receipt of this message."

Powers was writing furiously in the margins of the paper in front of him. He paused and did some mental calculations.

"Sir, that's not a lot of slack time," Powers observed. "He'll have to catch one of the Pan Am clippers, and the next one leaves in about four hours Australia time, doesn't it?"

Dunlap smiled.

There are many reasons you're my aide. One, your father was an impeccable comrade and the Navy lost a great man when he was lost at sea. But two, your slide rule brain means you immediately know just how thoroughly I'm fucking someone over at the same time I do.

"I think Rear Admiral Christie should have a chance to fix his fuck up personally," Dunlap said. "Or the bastard should be consigned to some distant backwater up in the Aleutians and get to freeze his ass off until this war is over. The choice will be mine, not Admiral Hart's."

I was probably a little heavy handed there.

He watched as Powers made additional notes.

"Mind the padding on that message, Frederick," Dunlap stated. "It's going to be insightful enough, I don't want some stupid phrasing causing Admiral Hart to misconstrue it as a deeper admonishment than intended."

Powers started to smile at that, but caught himself before losing his bearing.

"Yes sir," he replied.

Everyone jokes about that until it goes awry. Hart has a better temper than most, but best to get the staff in the habit of checking these things now.

"The Intrepid delivered two squadrons of the new Helldivers to Midway last night," Powers noted.

Maybe we should have sent those birds south instead of Wildcats and Dauntlesses. I'll have to ask Halsey what intelligence told him that made him think the Japanese might come to Midway. Especially with what appears to be most of their fleet in the Indian Ocean.

"Be a great time to try and retake Wake if we had the tankers for it," Dunlap noted bitterly. "Especially if Fletcher is correct in thinking he bagged three carriers."

Powers flipped back through the G-2's notes.

"Sir, the Japanese still have five large battleships that no one has accounted for," he noted.

"Make a note for me to take that up with the staff today," Dunlap stated, finishing the last of his coffee.

I'm going to have to figure out if we'll need to send Rodney and Nelson south to replace the Commonwealth losses. It's not a lot of fun trying to guess what your enemy is going to do when he apparently has a plan.

"Remind me again—when did Halsey tell me the floating dry docks will get to Sydney and Canberra?"

"The 14th, sir," Powers said.

At least that will ease some of the repair problems.

The two floating drydocks, ABSD-1 and ABSD-2, had both been completed months ahead of their planned schedule in late June. When their sections were joined in Sydney, they would theoretically allow for the repair of two more capital ships in Australia.

Still going to be a problem getting resources there, but that's another discussion for a different day. Armor steel doesn’t grow on trees, unfortunately.

"Another item on the agenda will be whether Vice Admiral Towers or Vice Admiral Halsey assumes chief of staff duties full time," Dunlap said. This time Powers could not help himself as a short chortle escaped.

"Sorry