Code Name: Infamy (Aviator Book 4) (25 page)

“Navigator,” Tsukuba said, “set course for Charles Island in the Hudson Straight, pass closely to the Foxe Peninsula to the north, and give the enemy a wide berth.”

08:05 Local, 20 August, 1945 (17:05 GMT, 20 AUG)

Naval Air Station Adak, Alaska

Spike poured through dispatches from every source he could tap. SITREPs continued to come in with the same content: nothing. Only the location of the assets changed. He had watched the Corvettes’ methodical movement on the chart through the night. They now approached the narrowest point of the strait, east of Salisbury Island. Two hours prior, Spike had moved the B-29s over the Hudson Straight. The first wave of aviation assets from the south had arrived—Navy PB4Y-2 Privateers. Converted B-24 Liberators, they were modified to find and sink submarines. Because they were fast and had exceptional range, they had made it to the fight. Already loaded, they joined the B-29s over the Hudson Straight. All of his aviation assets were low on fuel as the PB4Ys had flown directly to the fight and his B-29s had been on station all night. To conserve fuel they had shut down two engines on each aircraft.

“Alright, Irish, what’s the plan?”

“We are going to rain hell on that Jap sub in one hour. We’ve established a grid centered on Big Island at the narrowest point of the Strait. When 403’s plot is centered in the grid we will drop. He cannot escape.”

Spike looked at Stenstrum. He could tell the man was not convinced.

“Lieutenant Avery?”

“Sir, we are slowing the Corvettes to seal the western end of the Hudson Strait. There is only one way out now and the Bullhead is lying in wait. I will sortie the two covering Hudson Bay as a follow-up—”

“I wouldn’t do that, sir.” Avery glared at his chief.

Spike spoke, heading off the confrontation. “Why?”

“Major, we haven’t even drawn blood yet. This guy is a four-hundred-foot ghost. We are reacting to him. In fact, we are reacting to where we think he might be. He is more wily than we are giving him credit for.”

“What makes you say that?” demanded Avery.

“Simple. He is still alive, and we have no idea where he actually is.”

Spike stared at Chief Stenstrum for a long count. He met his stare and held it with conviction.

“Leave the Corvettes to cover the Bay,” Spike said finally. “Irish, get on with it.”

CHAPTER 31

13:07 Local, 20 August, 1945 (18:07 GMT, 20AUG)

I-403, Hudson Strait

I-403 set down gently on a submerged ledge just east of Charles Island in the Hudson Strait. The ship listed to port as it came to rest. Wolf and Atsugi came through the hatch to the bridge together. Tsukuba looked at the two with annoyance.

“Why are we stopping? The Labrador Sea, and safety, is less than half a day’s cruise!” Wolf demanded.

“Two reasons: our batteries are depleted and—”

Before he could finish his sentence a cacophony of violence and sound erupted through the hull. A drum corps was pounding out a rhythm from hundreds of drums at distances both near and far. Forty-two bombers dropped depth bombs into the strait just to the east of Charles Island. Tsukuba had slowed to half speed hours prior but had his navigator continue a plot as if still at full speed. That plot was abeam Big Island, the narrowest part of the strait. The Americans assumed he was there.

For twenty-two minutes Tsukuba leaned against the railing around the tactical plot, arms crossed with an amused look on his face as the drums rolled. Terrified darting eyes looked to the booms and back to him, as if he could make them stop, and then, suddenly, they did. Uncrossing his arms, Tsukuba leaned onto the tactical plot and casually commented: “And that was the other reason.”

08:49 Local, 20 August, 1945 (18:49 GMT, 20AUG)

Naval Air Station Adak, Alaska

The phone to his ear, Irish went rigid as he listened. Slowly he set it down and then took a small towel and wiped the sweat off of his face. He didn’t need to say a word when he looked up to the eager faces that were all trained on him. He just shook his head. Everyone looked down in silence except Spike.

“Gentlemen, we cannot fail! Is that clear?”

Silence filled the room. Then Jonesy’s soft voice could be heard from the doorway. “My family is in New York.”

Spike threw a file to the floor and stalked to the tactical plot. He took it all in and made a decision. “This is not working. Flush our sub. Tell him to go get 403.”

13:52 Local, 20 August, 1945 (18:52 GMT, 20AUG)

SS-332, Hudson Strait

Red light bathed the crew as they ran through the combat checklist one more time. The Chief of the boat reported to the OOD who reported to the Skipper.

“We are at battle stations.”

“Very well, Mister Taggert. I have the con.”

A third class radioman stepped onto the bridge and approached the commanding officer with a message. “Skipper, a message from ASW Command Adak.”

“Read it, Sparks.”

The young man cleared his throat and read aloud. “Go get him. God Speed.”

13:59 20 August, 1945 (18:59 GMT, 20AUG)

I-403, Hudson Strait

Tsukuba checked his watch and then the plot one more time. Wolf and Atsugi had finally left his bridge, he hoped for the duration. Their interference had become quite tedious.

“Officer of the deck, take us to the surface, deploy the snorkel, and charge our batteries.”

Two hours later, I-403 was underway on battery power on a course set for Cape Hopes Advance. Atsugi joined Tsukuba on the bridge and motioned to the tactical plot. Both men proceeded to it.

“Captain-San, I mean no disrespect. I merely ask what the plan for escape is. The Allies are very close, and more assets will be brought to bear. Should we not run for the open sea?”

Tsukuba smiled at the younger man and then tapped on the Corvette’s position at the western entrance to the Hudson Strait. “They had slowed; their sonar was still active and yet very distant. Now they are closing on us again, since we are submerged and running slower. The two that guarded Hudson Bay have not joined them.”

“I do not understand the significance, Captain-San.”

“They slowed, confident the bombers would destroy us. They have sealed all options behind us, and now they drive us to our fate.”

“A waiting force?”

“What is the best weapon against a submarine, Lieutenant Commander?”

Atsugi didn’t hesitate. He met Tsukuba’s eyes. “Another submarine.”

Tsukuba nodded.

23:32 Local, 20 August, 1945 (04:32 GMT, 21AUG)

I-403, Cape of Hopes Advance

Once darkness returned under the overcast sky, I-403 returned to snorkel depth and ran at full speed to the Cape of Hopes Advance. It was at the tip of a narrow peninsula that jutted out into the Strait, and Tsukuba knew that its position would force the southern Corvette to pass close to it.

“Officer of the deck, put us on the ledge off of the Cape. Make us almost neutrally buoyant. I want to be able to come off the bottom with a very small blow.”

He checked the tactical plot again and spoke with the sonar chief who informed him the Corvettes were closing at flank speed. He gathered the rest of his key crew members at the plot table.

“We will have only one chance so our execution must be exact. As the enemy ships pass overhead, we will rise into the southern Corvette’s wake. It is a dead zone for sonar. The night will be at its darkest. We will rise to snorkel depth, and we will maintain position.” Tsukuba studied the chart of the entire area and made a strategic decision when he heard the pounding of the Corvettes’ sonar approaching. He could see the fear return to the men’s faces.

“Our coating will hide us. Prepare to rise in the wake of the closest ship.”

Building slowly to a peak octave, the sonar’s intensity fell off abruptly, and then they heard the churning of the ship’s propeller.

“Bring us up to five meters, all ahead two thirds. Get us into his wake. All ahead full. Take us up to periscope depth.”

I-403 rose into the wake of RCS Brandon, and in the dark of the short night, deployed the snorkel. With his diesel engines, Tsukuba knew he could keep up with the little ship. He also knew that they were deaf with active sonar. He scanned the night sky with the periscope and then had it brought down.

For the first time, Atsugi noticed the captain’s face betrayed worry. “A problem, Captain-San?”

“The weather is no longer to our advantage; the night has cleared.”

His men looked at him with alarm.

“It does not matter as long as we stay in the wake. Darkness will hide our snorkel.”

23:55 Local, 20 August, 1945 (04:55 GMT, 21AUG)

USS Suwannee, Labrador Sea

All hands knew something big was happening when the tanks were pushed over the side. Suwannee had been at flank speed for almost a week, and now the air wing pilots were going to find out why. The commander, Air Group Forty, briefed the pilots personally, and once the words “nuclear weapons” were spoken aloud, a heavy, ominous feeling swept the room. When it became apparent the Suwannee might be the last line of defense, even the pilot’s poker face melted, betraying open alarm. After all they’d been through … after all they’d seen … after all they’d survived, now this.

Each crew received their individual stations and then walked in silence to the flight deck. It was pitching wildly in the rough seas when Kid launched. He saw a looming fog bank in front of him and was almost upon it before he realized it was an iceberg. Yanking his Hellcat’s nose up at six Gs, he hopped over the obstacle and quickly radioed a warning to the aircraft behind him. Then he prayed he’d survive the night.

00:48 Local, 21 August, 1945 (05:48 GMT, 21AUG)

SS-332, Hudson Strait

USS Bullhead glided silently through the arctic water, now powered only by its electric batteries. A rhythmic pounding was beginning to be audible without listening devices. Skipper Donovan poked his head into the sonar station.

“How many, lads?”

“Three, Skipper. Single screws, pounding away, those are our Canadian friends.”

“Okay. They know our position and plot. Listen up, guys: this Japanese skipper is top notch. We have got to find him.”

Donovan went to the plot on the bridge and was staring at it when his XO walked up next to him.

“Where do you think the bad guy is, Skipper?”

He tapped on the line of Corvettes.

“He is on a tight time line and needs to get out of these restricted waters. The bombers have already dropped enough metal out there to supply Detroit, but with zero results.”

The XO took in the entire chart. “There are still a lot of places to hide.”

“True, Bob, but he has to get to his launch point, and he’s behind on his time line according to Adak. And he damn sure isn’t going to sit on the bottom waiting for the rest of the Navy to get here. So how do you slip by without being noticed? What would you do?” The XO looked up, a dawning recognition on his face.

“Mr. Tojo is in the wake of one of our Canadian friends.”

Donovan smiled. “Let’s see if this guy is as smart as we think he is.” He maneuvered the Bullhead onto the predicted course of RCS Brandon, the southernmost boat and the one closest to the Japanese sub’s launch point, and then went dead in the water. He was going to let the Corvettes pass overhead and see what he could find trailing in their wake.

CHAPTER 32

01:28 Local, 21 August, 1945 (06:28 GMT, 21AUG)

I-403, Hudson Strait

I-403 had maintained position in Brandon’s wake for almost two hours when a sonarman appeared next to Tsukuba and bowed deeply. Tsukuba turned his attention away from the plot and whispered, “Report, petty officer.”

“Captain-San, we are receiving returns from the Corvette’s sonar that shows a contact ahead, a submarine.”

“Are you sure it is alone?”

“In this sector, yes.”

“Very well, track it and run a continuous firing solution.”

By being in the wake of the RCS Brandon, I-403 was receiving the same information the Brandon was. Its close proximity fed 403’s receivers the same returns. Wolf looked up from the plot.

“What do you intend to do, Captain?”

“Kill it, General.”

01:48 Local, 21 August, 1945 (06:48 GMT, 21AUG)