THE LONE WOLF (2025 Edition) by Michel Poulin - HTML preview

CHAPTER 19 – WELCOME TO JAPAN

 

06:50 (Tokyo Time)

Monday, July 27, 1942

Officers’ mess of the U-800

Approaching the Japanese home islands

Before taking place at the dining table of the officers’ wardroom, Takeshi Nagaoka bowed to Otto Kretschmer, who was already seated at the table and eating his breakfast.

‘’Good morning, Captain! May I sit?’’

‘’Of course, Commander!’’ replied Otto, who appeared to be in a good mood. The Japanese officer then sat to his left and proceeded to fill a bowl with hot oatmeal from a boat-shaped vessel suspended above the table by a hook. Sprinkling first some granulated Cuban sugar on his oatmeal, Takeshi ate a spoonful before looking at Otto, who was munching on a toast.

‘’May I ask you a question about our return trip, Captain?’’

‘’Go ahead, Commander!’’

‘’Thank you! First, how long do you intend to stay in Japan before starting your return trip?’’

‘’I don’t know yet, frankly. While Admiral Dönitz would certainly want to see me back in the Atlantic as soon as possible, there are political factors at play here and I won’t be the only one involved in deciding our return date. Even my precise return route isn’t fixed yet. Your government may want to celebrate me and my crew for a few days, while your military will certainly want to debrief us in depth about our attacks against the Panama Canal, San Francisco and Pearl Harbor.’’

‘’Which would be quite understandable in view of the huge impact of your attacks, Captain. As for wanting to celebrate you, I believe that you would amply deserve such an honor.’’

Somehow, Otto didn’t show enthusiasm about that and made a sober face as he looked at Takeshi.

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‘’Commander, what I did, I did to help my country win this war, so that we could put an end to it as quickly as possible and cut the losses…on both sides. Getting honored may be nice, but it is not a factor in my actions. My true hope would be to see the United States decide that the cost of this war is becoming too great to continue, then sue for a negotiated peace. With the Panama Canal out of service and with the ports of Boston and San Francisco hit hard, maybe that will be enough to make the American government reconsider its participation in this war.’’

‘’Well, your sinking of the carriers ENTERPRISE and SARATOGA, along with the destruction of the fuel reserves in Pearl Harbor, should at the least paralyze most of the American naval operations in the Pacific, something that can only be called a great strategic achievement, Captain.’’

‘’True again, Commander. However, I will have to wait until I am back in Lorient before I can continue hammering at the Americans: with only six torpedoes left aboard, I won’t be able to do much damage during my return trip to Europe.’’

‘’Maybe, maybe not, Captain.’’ replied Takeshi, attracting a stare from Otto. ‘’I checked the technical data on your torpedoes, your launch tubes and your reloading systems and I believe that my navy could help you in that matter.’’

‘’Are you proposing that I use Japanese torpedoes, Commander? Would they be compatible with my systems, or even fit in my launch tubes?’’

‘’I believe that my navy has at least one torpedo model that would be usable in your submarine, Captain: the Type 92 Mod 1, 533-millimeter torpedo. It was actually developed using your own G7e torpedo as its base design and has approximately the same dimensions and mass as your G7e. It has a top speed of thirty knots and a range of 7,000 meters, with a warhead packing 300 kilos of explosives. I know that your torpedoes initially suffered from grave defects in their contact and magnetic exploders, but our Type 92 torpedo uses a Japanese-designed contact pistol that has proved very reliable in service. We also have the Type 96, 533-millimeter torpedo which could possibly fit in your launch tubes. It is much longer than your G7e or our Type 92, but I noticed that your tubes are quite longer than standard German tubes, thanks to their design by your late Doctor Premingen, who wanted to maximize the U-800’s capacity to carry sea mines.’’

‘’Go on!’’ said Otto, now very interested.

‘’Our Type 96 uses a kerosene-oxygen engine and has a top speed of fifty knots, a range of 4,500 meters and packs a 550-kilo warhead. If it could be made to fit your

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tubes and torpedo carrousels, I believe that you would then possess a very potent weapon against enemy warships. From what I know, the Type 96 has proved to be a reliable weapon as well.’’

‘’A speed of fifty knots and a 550-kilo warhead? Hell, I sure would love to have such a weapon at my disposal. I will certainly inquire about those torpedoes once in Japan. What about their control boxes and setting mechanisms? They must be radically different from my own control boxes, no?’’

‘’They are, Captain, but we could always install Japanese control boxes aboard your submarine, so that you could use either German or Japanese torpedoes with a simple flick of a switch. Once in Yokosuka, I will talk with the base commander and ask his assistance in that matter. With the huge blows that you dealt to the Americans, I am sure that all your wishes will be promptly fulfilled in Japan.’’ Otto nodded his head at that: to be able to do his return trip to Europe with full torpedo carrousels would make him quite happy and would also increase significantly his chances of surviving the voyage. There was however one point that bothered him, a point that he decided Takeshi could be told about at this point.

‘’Please do that, Commander. One last thing. I had you send four days ago a message to your navy, using your own naval code, to announce our approximate time of arrival and our approach corridor.’’

‘’Yes, I remember that, Captain. In fact, I was wondering why you wanted me to send that message so early.’’

‘’Because I wanted to check something that has been bothering me since early in our trip.’’ replied Otto, his expression now most serious. ‘’You remember the message we received from Admiral Dönitz and which said in covered words that your diplomatic code had been probably compromised?’’

‘’Yes, I remember that, Captain. It came as quite a shock to me, in fact. What about it?’’

‘’Well, if the British and Americans could break your diplomatic code, what about your naval code? Your navy had a crushing superiority in numbers at the Battle of Midway, yet the Americans were waiting for it and won that battle despite of their numerical inferiority.’’

‘’But, that’s impossible! Our naval code is next to impossible to decipher.’’

‘’We believed the same about our own ENIGMA encoding system, yet Admiral Dönitz’ message implied that it has been compromised and is no longer safe to use. So,

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I decided to run an acid test on your naval code, by making you send well in advance a message to your navy about our impending arrival. I did that so that the Americans would have time to react to it if they really can decipher your naval code. If we encounter American ships or submarines near our announced arrival corridor, then we will know that your naval code has been compromised. Call it a variant of the Canary Trap technique.’’

Takeshi was left speechless for a long moment before he could speak again.

‘’But, if you are right, then you just put your submarine at grave risk, Captain.’’

‘’No! What I did is to run a calculated risk, in order to confirm or deny a vital piece of information for both my navy and yours, Commander. Know that I already gave orders to slow down and switch to silent hunting mode before we enter our announced approach corridor. If my fears turn out to be justified, then we will have another fight on our hands before we can dock in Japan. I hurt the Americans way too badly for them to let pass any chance to sink me. With a bit of luck, we will prevail…again.’’

15:43 (Tokyo Time)

American submarine U.S.S. SILVERSIDES (SS-236) At periscope depth, 24 kilometers off Cape Nojima Southeastern coast of Honshu Island, Japan

‘’Do you think that the U-800 will really show up, Captain?’’ Lieutenant Commander Creed C. Burlingame kept his eyes down at the chart spread on his tactical plot table as he answered his executive officer.

‘’Our intelligence says so, Bill. I do hope that our information was correct: cruising this close to the Japanese coast can be hard on the nerves. On the other hand, I do not relish the idea of having to fight such a dangerous enemy. Kretschmer is the best that the Germans have, while his boat is said to be a revolutionary design capable of incredible underwater performances. Having the DRUM with us is certainly no luxury in this case.’’

‘’But did the U-800 really do all that it is said to have done, Captain? Most of it sounds like pure German propaganda to me.’’

Burlingame raised his nose then to give a sober look to his subaltern.

‘’Even if only half of the tales about the U-800 are true, then it would make it a most dangerous adversary that would deserve our utter vigilance and caution. It should

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have entered its announced approach corridor by now. Are all our tubes loaded and ready?’’

‘’They are loaded, but not flooded yet, Captain.’’

‘’Then, flood them now! I want to be ready to fire at the U-800 the moment it shows up.’’

What Burlingame didn’t say out loud was that he hoped that his damn torpedoes would work properly for a change. The American Mark 14 torpedo had proved utterly unreliable since the start of the war, either failing to explode on contact, detonating prematurely or failing to keep to its programmed depth. Over half of the torpedoes he had fired up to now during his previous patrols had in fact proved to be duds or had missed when a hit should have been a near sure thing. He and other submarine commanders had bitterly protested about the unreliability of the Mark 14 but the Navy’s Bureau of Ordnance had refused to recognize the problem, adding insult to injury by accusing the submarine commanders of being at fault by being inaccurate in their torpedo attacks.

Burlingame was still secretly fuming about that torpedo problem when his sonar operator called on the intercom, his tone urgent.

‘’Captain, this is Brooks, at the sonar. Somebody just launched two torpedoes from somewhere to our aft port side.’’

‘’Are they coming at us?’’ Asked at once Burlingame, tensing up.

‘’Uh, I don’t think so, Captain. The DRUM is now accelerating and turning…OW! At least one torpedo made a hit: I can now hear breakup noises from our port side.’’

‘’Is it the DRUM or is it that damn U-800 that just got hit, Brooks?’’

‘’I really can’t say for sure yet, Captain. Wait one!’’

As he impatiently waited for a confirmation from his sonar operator, Burlingame started shouting orders.

‘’HELM, TURN HARD TO PORT! ACCELERATE TO FOUR KNOTS!

FORWARD TORPEDO ROOM, BE READY TO FIRE TUBES ONE AND THREE!’’ As his men got active around him, Burlingame got another call from his sonar operator. This time, there was shock in the man’s voice.

‘’Captain, I believe that the DRUM was the one that was torpedoed. We have a hostile stalking us somewhere to our aft port side but I can’t hear a damn thing.’’

‘’Well, do your best and give me a shout as soon as you locate that hostile.’’

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‘’Yes Captain!’’

Burlingame started having cold sweat then: the U-800 was apparently here as expected, but not as the prey. Now would definitely be a good time for his torpedoes to work properly. In the meantime, he could only hope that his sonar man would be able to locate the U-800 before the German submarine could attack again. His hopes were dashed four minutes later, when Brooks’ voice came back on the intercom, sounding near panic.

‘’TORPEDOES LAUNCHED FROM OUR TEN O’CLOCK, FROM VERY CLOSE! THE ENEMY MUST BE WITHIN 400 YARDS OF US!’’

‘’HELM, TURN HARD TO STARBOARD! ACCELERATE TO MAXIMUM!

BALLAST CONTROL, OPEN THE VAL…’’

A jarring explosion then made his submarine skid to one side, throwing Burlingame and his crew down on the deck or against metallic bulkheads. Before he could get up again, a wall of sea water rushed in from the aft section of his submarine, sweeping him up along with the other men in the control room of the U.S.S. SILVERSIDES.

On the U-800, Otto Kretschmer waited nervously for further reports from his hydrophone operators, wondering if the Americans would have sent more than two submarines to ambush him. Even though that would be quite improbable, he was not ready to take any unnecessary risks and stayed ready to face more enemies. If he would have come in unaware at medium speed, he could well have been the one now sinking to the bottom. At least, this confirmed his theory about the Japanese naval code being compromised. He thus gave a sober look at Takeshi Nagaoka, standing near him and looking quite shocked.

‘’Well, it seems that my theory was correct, Commander Nagaoka. Your naval code was indeed broken open by at least the Americans.’’

‘’I never thought that this would be possible, but I cannot deny it now, Captain. The Imperial Japanese Navy headquarters will be devastated by that piece of news.’’

‘’Well, now they will know how they lost the Battle of Midway. We will stay at battle stations for another half hour, time to make sure that there are no other American submarines around, then we will surface and continue towards Yokosuka. Leutnant Streib, get our biggest Kriegsmarine flag and stand ready to fly it off our conning tower as soon as we are on the surface. I don’t want us to be sunk by mistake so close to our goal.’’

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‘’Yes, Herr Kapitän!’’

‘’Should I contact my navy and warn them that two American submarines were cruising off our coast, Captain?’’ asked Nagaoka, who got an immediate and categorical reply from Otto.

‘’NO! That would alert the Americans to the fact that we know that they broke your code, Commander. You will be able to pass that information in person to the base commander in Yokosuka.’’

‘’Uh, understood, Captain.’’ Said Nagaoka, his tone a bit contrite.

21: 19 (Tokyo Time)

Imperial Japanese Navy base of Yokosuka

Entrance of Tokyo Bay, Japan

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto was on hand at quayside, along with other Japanese officers and a number of members of the German embassy in Tokyo, as the U-800 approached slowly the quay, using its lateral thrusters to maneuver deftly in the harbor. Yamamoto nodded his head once, impressed by the highly streamlined shapes of the German submarine.

‘’A truly formidable-looking design, Vice Admiral Wenneker, and one manned by men of high valor.’’

‘’Thank you, Admiral Yamamoto.’’ replied the German Naval Attaché in Tokyo, using his fair Japanese. ‘’We are indeed most proud of the U-800 and of its captain and crew.’’

‘’And they will be treated like the guests of honor that they are, Vice Admiral. However, we would like first to have a chance to debrief your captain about his inbound trip: his actions along the way are going to impact heavily on the war in the Pacific, in a way most beneficial to Japan.’’

‘’Do you mind if I watch that debrief, Admiral? The details of Kapitän

Kretschmer’s trip are as potentially significant to us as they are to Japan. After all, this is now a truly universal conflict.’’

‘’Indeed! I will make sure that you are invited to that debrief.’’

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‘’Would you mind if I accompanied you to that debrief, Admiral Wenneker?’’

asked a big and rather ugly man wearing the black uniform of a SS-Standartenführer23. That attracted hostile looks from Wenneker as well as from most of the staff of the German embassy who were present on the quay, including Ambassador Eugen Ott. Joseph Meisinger was the resident Gestapo representative in Tokyo and was disliked and mistrusted by most of the other Germans at the embassy. Meisinger was in fact also disliked quite a bit by his own superiors in Berlin, who had shipped him to Japan to avoid embarrassment at home brought by Meisinger’s excesses and venality.

‘’That debrief will be concerned with naval military affairs, not with police matters, Standartenführer Meisinger. I will go alone to that debrief.’’ Paul Wenneker then ignored the murderous look Meisinger threw at him, judging the Gestapo man to be well beneath his contempt. Concentrating back his attention on the approaching U-800, he was pleased to see that the crew of the submarine was lined up on the forward deck, clean-shaven and wearing well-pressed going-out uniforms. Kretschmer himself stood on his open bridge, his captain’s white-covered cap on his head, while a big Kriegsmarine flag floated from the top of the tall conning tower. A military band started playing the German national hymn, ‘Deutschland Uber Alles’, as the U-800 gently bumped against the quay. The Germans and the Japanese officers present saluted as the hymn played, while four Japanese sailors hurried to put in place a gangway between the quay and the submarine’s forward deck. The German hymn was followed by the Japanese hymn, prompting more salutes before the group of V.I.P.s, led by Admiral Yamamoto, started crossing the gangplank to step on the deck of the U-800, where Otto Kretschmer and Takeshi Nagaoka met them at attention. Otto, who had been told by Takeshi that Yamamoto spoke a good English, still spoke in German at first, letting Takeshi translate for him: he didn’t want to offend his Japanese hosts by speaking to them in the language of their enemies.

‘’Welcome aboard the U-800, Admiral! I am Korvettenkapitän Otto Kretschmer, Captain of this submarine, and this is Lieutenant Commander Takeshi Nagaoka, Assistant Naval Attaché at the Japanese embassy in Berlin.’’

‘’It is a true pleasure to greet you and your fine submarine in Japan, Captain Kretschmer. Your voyage was a long and epic one, I must say.’’

‘’Thank you, Admiral! Would you like to inspect my crew?’’

23 SS-Standartenführer: SS rank equivalent to colonel.

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‘’I would like that very much, Captain.’’

The inspection of the U-800’s crew by Yamamoto was over fairly quickly, with the dozen or so dignitaries then invited by Kretschmer to do a quick tour of the submarine, to which they accepted with enthusiasm. As they filed inside the submarine via the forward access hatch of the conning tower, Takeshi Nagaoka took Yamamoto aside for a few seconds to whisper in his ears.

‘’Admiral, I will be able to brief you on this fully later on but know that we have proof that our present naval code has been broken by the Americans. Two American submarines were lying in ambush for us at the entrance of our announced approach corridor. We however sank both of them.’’

Yamamoto stared for a moment at Takeshi, shock on his face, before speaking, also whispering.

‘’By the Kamis24! If this is true, then the ramifications will be most severe, Commander. Thinking of it, I will conduct the debrief of your voyage right here, after we will have toured the U-800: this matter can’t wait an hour more!’’

‘’Hay!’’ replied Takeshi while bowing respectfully to Yamamoto. He then invited the chief of the Japanese Combined Fleet to follow him inside.

Otto’s belief that the guided tour of his submarine would take less than one hour was proven wrong, as Admiral Yamamoto and the other Japanese naval officers quickly became awestruck by what they saw and asked tons of questions while examining everything. Vice-admiral Paul Wenneker was about as awed as his Japanese

counterparts, as he compared what he remembered about previous German submarines he had seen to what he was seeing now. The tour went on for nearly two hours, at the end of which the German ambassador, Eugen Ott, announced to Otto Kretschmer that his embassy staff had reserved rooms at a local hotel for the crew of the submarine during their stay in Japan and had also arranged for a number of translators and guides to help the submariners better enjoy their stay. To that, the commander of the Yokosuka naval base added that the Japanese government would cover all the costs of the stay, making Otto most satisfied. With an aide to Ambassador Ott teaming up with Ulrich von Wittgenstein to arrange the transport of the crew to their assigned hotel, that left Otto

24 Kamis: Name for Japanese gods.

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free to isolate himself in the officers’ wardroom of the U-800 with Takeshi Nagaoka, Admiral Yamamoto, the other Japanese senior officers and Vice-admiral Wenneker. There, Otto laid on the dining table a large map of the Pacific, along with the U-800’s operational log and multiple piles of photographs contained inside marked envelopes. With his guests looking on with avid interest, he reviewed with them the story of his trip from France with the help of his log and of the photos he had taken of the targets he had hit along the way. Like Yamamoto about the breaking of the Japanese Navy’s code, Wenneker was shocked to hear Otto’s assertion that the German ENIGMA coding system had been broken in by the British and the Americans, but he accepted Otto’s evidence readily enough and promised to deal with the consequences at the embassy in Tokyo. Then came the time for Otto to present the photographs of the various targets he had hit, taken through his periscope lens. The Japanese officers grinned widely on seeing the picture showing a giant mushroom cloud of smoke rising above the destroyed Miraflores Locks, but those grins widened even more when they saw the pictures of the sinking aircraft carriers ENTERPRISE and SARATOGA and of the battleship SOUTH DAKOTA and heavy cruiser MINNEAPOLIS, taken just outside Pearl Harbor.

‘’And you say that you also destroyed the American Navy’s fuel tank park in Pearl Harbor with shellfire, Captain Kretschmer?’’ asked Yamamoto at one point, not believing his luck.

‘’I did, Admiral. Our shelling was short but intense and I believe that only a handful at most of the tanks survived intact. The American Pacific Fleet is thus now severely short of fuel, on top of having lost two of their biggest aircraft carriers. This should help your own navy’s operations around the Pacific quite a lot, Admiral.’’

‘’Indeed, Captain! This in fact leaves the Americans with only one fleet carrier in the Pacific, the U.S.S. HORNET. While our losses in Midway were most painful, I still have the SHOKAKU and the ZUIKAKU left as fleet carriers. You thus gave us back superiority in carriers in the Pacific, something that I will make certain to appraise my superiors of.’’

‘’Thank you, Admiral. While we are here together with Admiral Wenneker, could I ask when I will be departing Japan for my return trip to Lorient? My mission orders only specify that I am to load up some precious strategic cargo once in Japan, then return.’’ Wenneker jumped in the exchange at that point with a question to Otto.

‘’How many torpedoes do you have left, Kapitän Kretschmer?’’

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‘’Only two, but Lieutenant Commander Nagaoka told me that I could possibly reload my tubes with certain types of Japanese torpedoes. Commander?’’ Nagaoka then jumped in on the conversation and spoke for a minute, telling Wenneker and Yamamoto what he had told Otto about compatible Japanese torpedoes. At the end of it, Wenneker and Yamamoto exchanged looks, with Yamamoto won over by Takeshi’s presentation.

‘’If those torpedoes prove to be indeed compatible with the launch tubes of your U-800, then I promise the full assistance of my technical experts and armorers to outfit Captain Kretschmer’s boat with Type 92 and Type 96 torpedoes. I also can provide you with the services of a few of our best torpedo technicians for your return trip, so that they can help you maintain and launch your Japanese-made torpedoes during your long voyage.’’

‘’But, how will those technicians then return to Japan later on, Admiral?’’ asked Otto, a bit surprised by that last offer. Yamamoto gave him a calm, sober look.

‘’Those men will simply continue to serve Japan, whether they are on a Japanese ship or on a German one. Duty is the sole important thing for them.’’ A bit put off by such ruthless thinking, Otto didn’t insist on that matter, instead going back on the subject of his return trip.

‘’Very well. If I am truly able to use Japanese torpedoes, then what?’’ This time, it was Wenneker who answered him.

‘’The latest directives I got from Berlin concerning you said that, apart from loading aboard the U-800 a small cargo of strategic metals, you are to discuss with the Japanese Navy your return route, with the idea of inflicting the most damage possible to the British and American navies in the Pacific on your way back. In return, the Japanese will help you by resupplying you with fuel and food as long as you are within Japanese-controlled waters. In view of the huge distances involved in your return trip, I believe that this could help you tremendously.’’

‘’I certainly won’t refuse such help, Admiral. I however know little to nothing about the present operational status and balance of forces in the Pacific. I will need to be briefed on the latest military intelligence information available in order to make the best decisions possible concerning my return route.’’

‘’That is a reasonable request, Captain.’’ said Yamamoto. ‘’I will make sure that one of my staff officers comes to brief you on the situation in the Pacific. However, you just completed a very long voyage and your men and your boat need some rest and

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maintenance. Rear Admiral Inouye, who commands this base, will be most happy to help you and your men enjoy a few days of rest around Yokosuka and the Tokyo region. He will also provide you with any technical and logistical support you may need.’’

‘’Thank you, Admiral! This is most generous.’’

Yamamoto smiled at Otto’s last words.

‘’Compared with the benefits brought to us by your exploits, that is the least I could do for you, Captain Kretschmer.’’

14:06 (Tokyo Time)

Friday, July 31, 1942

Control room of the U-800

Imperial Japanese Navy torpedo range

Sagami Bay, adjacent to Tokyo Bay, Japan

‘’Fire Tube One!’’

‘’Tube One fired! Torpedo on the way, Herr Kapitän. Running time to target: three minutes and twenty seconds.’’

‘’Good! Let’s see if that baby fills its promises now.’’

Otto looked at his watch, then looked back into the eyepiece of his attack periscope, pointed at the floating target anchored three kilometers downrange, near the shoreline of the bay. After three minutes and sixteen seconds, a red light lit up on top of the target, marking a direct underwater hit by the Type 92 Mod 1 torpedo fitted with a practice warhead.

‘’DIRECT HIT!’’

Cheers around the control room greeted that announcement, with Takeshi Nagaoka being about the loudest to cheer. While happy with that result, Otto knew however that this day was not done yet.

‘’Helm, hard turn to port! Come to Heading 005!’’

‘’Turning to port, Heading 005, aye Herr Kapitän!’’

Waiting for his submarine to complete a half turn, Otto then lined up again the floating target in the center of his periscope’s lens.

‘’Target heading:185! Set!... Target heading: 188! Set!’’

‘’Fire control solution calculated, Herr Kapitän.’’

‘’Fire Tube Nine!’’

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‘’Tube Nine fired, torpedo on the way! Running time to target: one minute and 28 seconds.’’

The announcement on the running time of the Type 96 torpedo now rushing at the target made Otto smile with anticipation: if this one worked as well as the previous one, then he will have in his arsenal a torpedo capable of speeds of fifty knots, faster than any German, British or American torpedoes and with a warhead nearly twice as heavy as that of the German G7 torpedo, something that would give him a tremendous punch against enemy warships. Then, right on the clock, the red light atop the floating target lit up again, indicating a second direct hit.

‘’DIRECT HIT AGAIN!’’

Waiting first for the cheers to subside, Otto then shook hands with Takeshi.

‘’Commander, your suggestion to adapt Japanese torpedoes to our launch tubes was a stroke of genius. Please congratulate on my behalf your four torpedo technicians for a job very well done.’’

‘’I certainly will, Herr Kapitän. What next, now?’’

‘’Now, we go back to Yokosuka and we fill our torpedo carrousels and racks to the hilt with Type 92 and Type 96 torpedoes.’’

On a quay along the shoreline, Vice Admiral Wenneker smiled and held up one hand towards Rear Admiral Inouye.

‘’Two direct hits, as I predicted, Admiral Inouye. I believe that you lost your bet.’’

‘’I certainly did so, Admiral Wenneker. Your Captain Kretschmer is a true top shooter when it comes to torpedoes.’’

‘’That is part of why he is so successful, Admiral Inouye.’’

08:45 (Southwest Pacific Time)

Saturday, August 1, 1942

Supply tender U.S.S. ARGONNE

Docked in the port of Noumea, French New Caledonia

‘’Gentlemen, let me start by informing you that Admiral King has agreed to a one-week delay to the start of Operation WATCHTOWER.’’

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Major General Alexander Vandegrift, Commander of the First Marine Division, showed little satisfaction on hearing that from the commander of the South Pacific Area, Vice Admiral Robert Ghormley.

‘’Well, that will give my men a few more days to sort out the mess in my division’s embarked supplies, but that is doing little to correct the major deficiency in this operation: the lack of an adequate air cover. Is Admiral Nimitz going to send us more carriers or planes?’’

Another participant at the command conference, Rear Admiral George Murray, looked at Vandegrift with a pinched expression.

‘’General, you should realize that my HORNET is now the sole surviving aircraft carrier in the Navy, either in the Pacific or in the Atlantic. We can’t expect new carriers to show up for at least a few more months, time for them to be built and commissioned.’’ Vandegrift in turn looked at Murray with shock and surprise on his face.

‘’The HORNET, our last carrier? But, how could that be? We should have at least two or three carriers left in the Atlantic, no?’’

Murray shook his head as Rear Admiral Richmond Turner, Rear Admiral John McCain and Vice Admiral Ghormley listened on grimly to what they knew too well already.

‘’None are left in the Atlantic Fleet, thanks to the same German submarine which sank the ENTERPRISE and the SARATOGA just outside Pearl Harbor, General Vandegrift. The U-800 sank the RANGER off Halifax last November and the WASP off Boston in March. It also sank three battleships and three heavy cruisers which should have been part of our forces here, plus more destroyers than I could remember. The news of those losses were heavily censored, in order to preserve the morale of our citizens.’’

‘’If we can’t expect more carriers, then how about land-based planes? Can’t General MacArthur provide us with more aircraft from Australia?’’ The graying and nearly ascetic Rear Admiral John McCain, Commander South Pacific Aircraft, took on him to answer that.

‘’General MacArthur says that he can’t spare more than what he already sent us. In all fairness to him, he does have quite a lot on his plate presently in Papua-New Guinea, while he is as starved of supplies and units by Washington as we are, thanks to that damn ‘Germany First’ policy. Right now, I have a total of 249 aircraft dispersed in airfields around the sector, but my biggest problem is the distances involved: most of those planes don’t have enough range to cover adequately our planned landing in

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Guadalcanal. Only carrier-based aircraft can get close enough to provide extended cover and advance warning against any incoming enemy force.’’ While Vandegrift had to recognize that McCain was right, that didn’t assuage his concerns.

‘’So, I am expected to land my division in Guadalcanal with minimal air cover and with the enemy possessing as well naval superiority in the area. What if the Japanese push back in strength after I land? Will the Navy be able to stand its ground and cover the landing sites?’’

The way the admirals around him looked hesitantly at each other after his question made him harden his voice next.

‘’Well, gentlemen? Is it too problematic right now to land on Guadalcanal in your opinion? Should we wait for more reinforcements before proceeding with the

operation?’’

Vice Admiral Ghormley, a man who had been from the start pessimistic about the situation in the South Pacific, nodded his head at Vandegrift’s questions.

‘’I believe so, General. In the meantime, we could use the forces assembled for Operation WATCHTOWER to take and secure Ndeni, in the Santa Cruz Islands. Ndeni is much closer to our base in Espiritu Santo and both Admiral Nimitz and Admiral King have been pushing me lately to take Ndeni, in order to better protect our supply route between the United States and Australia. Our limited air cover will then be less of a factor than around Guadalcanal and our sole remaining carrier will be safer from enemy air attacks.’’

‘’True,’’ replied Rear Admiral Murray, the commander of the HORNET carrier group, ‘’but we still have to count on Japanese submarines, which are quite active in that area.’’

Rear Admiral Richmond Turner, the commander of the amphibious Task Force 62 meant to capture Guadalcanal, listened to all this with growing unease and alarm.

‘’Wait a minute, Admiral! If we delay our landings on Guadalcanal, that will only give more time to the Japanese to finish their airfield there and to fortify the island. If they are allowed to do that, then taking Guadalcanal will become that much more difficult, potentially costing us thousands of extra casualties compared to a landing made in a week. Also, if the Japanese are given the time to finish that airfield and to fly in substantial numbers of aircraft there, then they will be within easy range of both the Australian coast and of our maritime supply lines.’’

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Turner’s objection only increased Ghormley’s indecision. The latter’s aversion to risks then won over after a moment of internal debate.

‘’We don’t know for sure that the Japanese even consider Guadalcanal to be a significant piece of estate, Admiral Turner. The slow rate of Japanese construction work at their airfield there may well indicate that they consider Guadalcanal to be of only secondary strategic importance. Why risk our sole carrier left and one full division of Marines to take it? My strong feeling is that we should delay Operation WATCHTOWER for a few weeks, time to receive more land-based long-range aircraft and, hopefully, a new carrier. In its place, we will prepare to take Ndeni. I will thus send a message stating this to Admiral Nimitz and Admiral King, informing them that the landings in Guadalcanal will have to be delayed.’’

Richmond Turner nearly grumbled at that, dissatisfied and certain that they would come to regret that decision.

‘’This is wrong, Admiral. I strongly believe that this decision will eventually cost us dearly.’’

‘’I’m sorry, Admiral Turner, but I have to play with the cards that I have, not with the cards I wished I had. Due to our insufficient air cover, a landing on Guadalcanal in a week would nearly certainly result in heavy losses, both on the ground and at sea. We will go to Ndeni instead.’’

13:35 (Tokyo Time)

Tuesday, August 4, 1942

Grand headquarters of the Imperial Japanese Navy Tokyo, Japan

Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto rose from behind his work desk to greet his two German visitors, returning their crisp salutes and speaking in Japanese at the more senior visitor.

‘’Aah, Vice Admiral Wenneker and Captain Kretschmer! To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?’’

‘’We came to make you review and approve the return route selected by Kapitän Kretschmer for his trip back to Europe, Admiral. Do you mind if we switch to English, so that we could all understand each other?’’

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‘’Not at all!’’ replied at once Yamamoto in English. ‘’You may show me your selected return route now, Captain Kretschmer.’’

‘’Thank you, Admiral.’’ said Otto before stepping forward to unroll a naval chart on top of Yamamoto’s desk and immobilizing its corners with a few objects. He then spent about three minutes to describe his chosen itinerary, explaining as he went his reasons for his choices of waypoints and what he was hoping to achieve during his trip. Yamamoto listen to him religiously and was obviously pleased with what he heard by the time Otto finished his presentation.

‘’This sounds like a most productive itinerary to me, Captain. I accept it without reservations. Be assured that you will find support and help at all of my bases in the Pacific and from all my ships. How is the loading of special cargo and food supplies going aboard your submarine, Captain Kretschmer?’’

‘’It will be completed this afternoon, Admiral. I could sail out as soon as tomorrow morning, with your permission.’’

‘’You have it, Captain.’’ replied Yamamoto, who then took a step forward to shake hands with Otto. ‘’I wish you the best of luck on your return trip.’’

‘’Thank you, Admiral.’’ said Otto, who then rerolled his chart and grabbed it before saluting Yamamoto. He and Wenneker then walked out of the admiral’s office, heading for the entrance of the headquarters building while speaking in German.

‘’Your itinerary, while certainly having a lot of potential to hurt the enemy, is quite a risky one, my dear Kretschmer. One serious battle damage or mechanical breakdown and you will find yourself stranded in enemy waters or in the middle of nowhere, near the Antarctic, with no possibility of getting help.’’

‘’That was always a possibility during my past war patrols, Admiral. The risks are well worth taking but I assure you that I do not intend to actually take any unnecessary risks on this trip: Germany badly needs the strategic metals I will be carrying home. Besides, I want my crew to be able to return to their families and loved ones in Germany.’’

‘’And you, Otto? Do you have a loved one waiting for you?’’

‘’Only my parents at this time, Admiral. I decided at the start of the war that I would not start a romantic liaison until this war is over. That way, I can concentrate better on my duties and responsibilities to Germany.’’

Wenneker nodded in approval at those words: Kretschmer had amply proven by now that these words were not empty ones.

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08:04 (Tokyo Time)

Wednesday, August 5, 1942

Forward deck of the U-800

Leaving Yokosuka Naval Base

Petty Officer First Class Toru Genda, standing at attention on the forward deck of the U-800 as it slowly sailed away from the quay, could not repress his tears as he looked at his young wife Yoko and his small daughter Kimi, who were waving at him from among the crowd of spectators watching the departure of the German submarine. His three Japanese comrades and most of the German crewmembers of the U-800 also stood on the top deck, wearing their best uniforms. At best, Toru would not see his wife and daughter before many more months. At the worst, they would never see each other again. A big lump was stuck in Toru’s throat when a German sailor next to him gently patted his left shoulder and said something in German to him. While Toru didn’t understand the words, he understood their meaning: the German meant to comfort him with words of encouragement. Toru thus gave him a grateful smile and a short bow of the head before looking back at his wife and child. When they were far enough from the quay, Captain Kretschmer gave an order in German from the top of the conning tower, using a loudspeaker. Lieutenant Commander Nagaoka spoke next, translating in Japanese Otto’s order. Toru Genda, along with Chief Petty Officer Hiro Nakamura, Petty Officer Second Class Isamu Hondo and Petty Officer Second Class Minoru Tokugara, then ran inside the submarine, along with the German sailors on the top deck. Nagaoka had already started to teach them some German, starting with key command words, so that they could eventually function by themselves aboard the U-800. As torpedo technicians and specialists, the four Japanese NCOs had been selected among volunteers to help maintain and operate the Type 92 Mod 1 and Type 96 torpedoes which now filled the torpedo carrousels and tubes of the U-800. Captain Kretschmer had already decreed that the familiarization process would be a two-sided one, with German sailors also told to learn key words in Japanese and familiarize themselves with the Japanese torpedoes and corresponding control boxes now installed in the U-800, while Toru and his three Japanese comrades learned about German systems and followed language courses under Lieutenant Commander Nagaoka. Hopefully, they

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would soon be able to put to good use the Japanese torpedoes filling the carrousels of the U-800, in which case Toru would deem his personal sacrifice well worth it.