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) 📗

"But the carriers will have to come back to Pearl to get these aircraft, yes?" Dunlap asked.

"Yes, sir," Towers replied. "Unless we send them south on one of the escort carriers."

"Which would mean the battle line would have no air cover as opposed to very poor air cover, apparently," Dunlap noted. Towers stiffened slightly at that.

"Not your fault, Vice Admiral Towers," Dunlap said, then gestured towards the Royal Navy symbol near the Maldives. "But given our allies' reports, the Enterprise and Yorktown will be the only two serviceable modern carriers remaining in the Pacific when the Bonhomme Richard and Independence head home."

"Yes sir," Towers replied.

"Well, as Vice Admiral Halsey knows, I was already planning on bringing the Enterprise and Yorktown back to Pearl," Dunlap said. "This only reinforces that decision."

"Sir, is there a reason we're not asking the Combined Staff to allow those two carriers to remain out here?" Halsey asked.

"Yes," Dunlap snapped, then caught his temper. "Namely that I was told the answer would be 'absolutely not' and that asking would be frowned upon."

In an instant, Halsey's face went back to forlorn.

Wondered if you were going to remember the Atlantic Fleet's carrier problem.

Once more Dunlap looked at the map, watching Halsey angrily puff on his cigarette while clenching his left fist.

I see part of the reason I was sent out here was Vice Admiral Halsey would lose the entire fleet in a fortnight. Sure he'd take most of the Japanese fleet with him, but that still wouldn't help the Nervous Nellies back in Washington.

"There was a terrible rumor that you'd ordered torpedo tests to begin next week, Vice Admiral Halsey," Dunlap said after a moment.

"Yes sir, I did," Vice Admiral Halsey replied, stiffening.

"Yes, the head of BuOrd had apparently petitioned Admiral King to order you not to waste weapons," Dunlap stated, referring to the Bureau of Ordnance. "Given that the Atlantic Fleet has also reported torpedo problems at the Battle of Iceland, Admiral King had a very blunt response to that."

Dunlap looked back at the map, then shook the dispatch in his hand as he spoke.

"Would you say, Admiral Towers, that based on the losses to the torpedo squadrons that Vice Admiral Fletcher also sent most of them with the first strike?"

"Yes sir, I would," Towers replied.

"Does he have enough remaining to do a second strike?" Dunlap asked.

Towers looked at the notepad he had in his hand. Dunlap watched as the man's brow furrowed, much like a secondary student doing a difficult algebra problem. Halsey crushed out the cigarette in his hand and immediately lit another.

I think Halsey knows what this answer should be and is not happy about it.

"Raw numbers, yes," Towers said. "But I would need to know what the squadrons each had left."

"How much damage can the dive bombers do?" Dunlap asked.

"Quite a bit to carriers, sir," Towers replied. "Especially if they're caught while refueling and rearming."

"But it's typically not fatal without torpedo bomber help?"

"No, sir," Towers replied.

"To go back to my earlier question, Vice Admiral Halsey," Dunlap started, "I want you to start the tests immediately. I want you to figure out a way to put dummy warheads on the British torpedoes, and test them alongside ours."

Halsey looked at Dunlap in surprise.

"I want you to select the torpedoes at random, and I want you to test submarine, surface, and aerial torpedoes. At least twenty of each."

Both men looked at Dunlap in shock.

"Sir, that's going to make some people quite annoyed back in Washington," Halsey said quietly.

"Then those people can get on a plane and come out here," Dunlap snapped. "And I'll put their asses in the back of a damn Avenger or aboard a submarine going out on patrol as an observer."

"Sir, are you going to direct Admiral Hart to make the same tests?" Towers asked. "That might make him a little short on aircraft torpedoes if the Bonhomme Richard and Independence resupply in Sydney before going home."

It's probably about time I get ol' Thomas used to the fact he now works for me.

Technically Admiral Hart, as the commander of the Asiatic Fleet and a four star, had been senior to Halsey. Nominally to avoid overloading Hart during the defense of the Dutch East Indies, the Combined Chiefs of Staff had enacted a dividing line between the Southwest and Pacific spheres. In reality, it had been to keep Hart from meddling with the Pacific Fleet while he was senior. Dunlap's assumption of command orders explicitly directed that Hart was subordinate to him while still maintaining the Southwest Pacific Area's responsibility.

Glad they outlined the command relationship in the orders. Seniority gets kind of sticky when they've brought you out of retirement with a promotion to boot.

"Yes, direct Admiral Hart to carry out the same tests," Dunlap said. "I expect that he can have it completed within two weeks."

Vice Admiral Halsey scribbled down the note with a smile. Seeing Dunlap's curious expression, Towers spoke up.

"Rear Admiral Christie is not going to like your orders, sir," Towers explained. "He was the former head of torpedoes at Newport and has been loudly insisting that nothing is wrong from Brisbane."

"If he or anyone else down there wants to get a free reassignment to the Great Lakes, they can go ahead and raise a fuss," Dunlap replied sharply. "While BuPers is being their usual stupid selves about personnel rules, I've been told by Secretary Knox himself that anything I ask for, I'll get. I don’t think the man who might be the root of our problems wants to test me."

There were several long moments of silence as Halsey continued scribbling.

I can only imagine how amused the Army is that their requests to put a four star down in Australia were denied by the President himself. Might have been a vastly different discussion if MacArthur had lived, but for now this will be a Navy show.

"Next order of business, since we're issuing directives: I want the staff to prepare an estimate for retaking Wake Island," Dunlap continued.

Halsey stopped writing