he’d taken two trips on a sub and that there wouldn’t be a third. After being rescued from the sinking of the Enterprise , he’d spent much of the trip in his bunk enduring the pain from his knee. Along with the claustrophobia of the second trip, there’d been another scare when, approaching San Diego, overeager American fighter pilots decided that any sub was a Jap and strafed them. There were now several holes in Torelli’s sub and he was thoroughly pissed off.
The staff officers were given fresh uniforms and assigned quarters in overcrowded facilities, and told to be in Admiral Nimitz’s conference room by eight the next morning. Admiral Ernest J. King was on the base and he was going to get an overview of what was happening in the Pacific Theater, and Spruance, who had arrived safely a day earlier in the other surviving sub, wanted all of them to hear it.
The conference room was more of an auditorium and at least fifty people were present. Dane, as a newly ordained lieutenant commander, was one of the lowest-ranking officers present. As he took a seat alongside Merchant, Dane had the nagging feeling he still smelled of diesel and shit. He’d showered several times, but he still felt unclean. Torelli, also present for the briefing and unawed by the presence of all the brass, teased him mercilessly.
Admiral William Halsey—nobody who wanted to live ever called him “Bull” to his face—ran the meeting. He’d been hospitalized with a skin infection, shingles, when the Battle of Midway took place, and he still looked awful. Painful-looking blotches and scabs covered his arms and extended under his clothing, and Dane wondered how he could refrain from scratching himself to shreds.
Halsey looked for a moment at Admirals Spruance and King, who was just in from Washington. King had been appointed Chief of Naval Operations in the spring, replacing his good friend, Admiral Harold Stark, who was one of those blamed for the disaster at Pearl Harbor. King was reputed to be a lecher, a heavy drinker, and a hater of all things English. However, and despite all the rumors regarding his personal issues, he was considered a tough and highly qualified leader and, despite reservations, now supported the Europe-first strategy as the best way to win the war and ultimately get back at the Japanese.
Still, he wanted as much pressure as possible brought to bear on the Japanese as long as there were no major actions against Germany either occurring or planned for the near future. It was rumored that he was going to get his way but not for the reasons he’d anticipated. King’s normally sour expression looked even more depressed. Stark had been blamed for Pearl Harbor, but it was King who was currently in charge. He bore the responsibility for Midway and the current dismal situation in the Pacific where the Japanese fleet could strike anywhere, anytime.
Halsey began. “First let me say that those of you who piss and moan that we have no major warships in the Pacific, and that means Hawaii, California, and the rest of the West Coast, are largely correct. The cupboard is pretty Goddamned bare, especially when it comes to carriers.”
There were muted gasps and the sounds of chairs and feet shuffling. Halsey wasn’t going to be handing out dollops of happy bullshit this fine morning.
“The Japs have bombed and shelled what was left of our installations in Hawaii,” he continued, “and the islands are now of little military use. The Japanese can take them anytime they wish. However, they might just decide they aren’t worth the cost since we reinforced them after the attack on Pearl.”
Halsey grimaced and continued. “We are not totally toothless. We still have one fleet carrier in the Pacific, the Saratoga , and for the time being she’s anchored here in San Diego. The Japs, unfortunately, have maybe a dozen carriers with several more under construction. Since the Japs aren’t telling us much, that’s only a guess;
The staff officers were given fresh uniforms and assigned quarters in overcrowded facilities, and told to be in Admiral Nimitz’s conference room by eight the next morning. Admiral Ernest J. King was on the base and he was going to get an overview of what was happening in the Pacific Theater, and Spruance, who had arrived safely a day earlier in the other surviving sub, wanted all of them to hear it.
The conference room was more of an auditorium and at least fifty people were present. Dane, as a newly ordained lieutenant commander, was one of the lowest-ranking officers present. As he took a seat alongside Merchant, Dane had the nagging feeling he still smelled of diesel and shit. He’d showered several times, but he still felt unclean. Torelli, also present for the briefing and unawed by the presence of all the brass, teased him mercilessly.
Admiral William Halsey—nobody who wanted to live ever called him “Bull” to his face—ran the meeting. He’d been hospitalized with a skin infection, shingles, when the Battle of Midway took place, and he still looked awful. Painful-looking blotches and scabs covered his arms and extended under his clothing, and Dane wondered how he could refrain from scratching himself to shreds.
Halsey looked for a moment at Admirals Spruance and King, who was just in from Washington. King had been appointed Chief of Naval Operations in the spring, replacing his good friend, Admiral Harold Stark, who was one of those blamed for the disaster at Pearl Harbor. King was reputed to be a lecher, a heavy drinker, and a hater of all things English. However, and despite all the rumors regarding his personal issues, he was considered a tough and highly qualified leader and, despite reservations, now supported the Europe-first strategy as the best way to win the war and ultimately get back at the Japanese.
Still, he wanted as much pressure as possible brought to bear on the Japanese as long as there were no major actions against Germany either occurring or planned for the near future. It was rumored that he was going to get his way but not for the reasons he’d anticipated. King’s normally sour expression looked even more depressed. Stark had been blamed for Pearl Harbor, but it was King who was currently in charge. He bore the responsibility for Midway and the current dismal situation in the Pacific where the Japanese fleet could strike anywhere, anytime.
Halsey began. “First let me say that those of you who piss and moan that we have no major warships in the Pacific, and that means Hawaii, California, and the rest of the West Coast, are largely correct. The cupboard is pretty Goddamned bare, especially when it comes to carriers.”
There were muted gasps and the sounds of chairs and feet shuffling. Halsey wasn’t going to be handing out dollops of happy bullshit this fine morning.
“The Japs have bombed and shelled what was left of our installations in Hawaii,” he continued, “and the islands are now of little military use. The Japanese can take them anytime they wish. However, they might just decide they aren’t worth the cost since we reinforced them after the attack on Pearl.”
Halsey grimaced and continued. “We are not totally toothless. We still have one fleet carrier in the Pacific, the Saratoga , and for the time being she’s anchored here in San Diego. The Japs, unfortunately, have maybe a dozen carriers with several more under construction. Since the Japs aren’t telling us much, that’s only a guess;
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