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Dec 17th 1941
Location: Vicinity of Rabaul
Course: Loiter
Mission: Repel Invasion of Rabaul
Carrier Planes: 64
System Damage: 5
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
*The morning comes and a small boat can be seen heading towards Lexington.
The crew were busy from the night before loading fuel drums onto the US ships,
with some minor help from troops of the 101st Australian base force. *
*Admiral Brown had spent the previous evening hopping from ship to ship,
inspecting the cargoes, making sure there were no mysterious drums
with unsanctioned fluids inside.*
VADM Brown: Who is this now? Coming towards us at high speed.
CPT Sherman: I believe it is Commander Blackwell, he's in charge of the Rabaul garrison.
VADM Brown (sipping his coffee): I see..
*the officers wait on the bridge*
*commander blackwell enters the room in full camouflage gear, his face painted black
and his green uniform studded with vines and leaves*
CDR Blackwell: Well then lads, how are we faring this morning?
VADM Brown (surprised): We are faring quite well.. we must thank you for the fuel supplies you loaned us.
CDR Blackwell: Yes... perhaps there is a way you can reciprocate. Our coastwatchers have spotted a rather nasty
little hostile gunboat harrassing the shore west of the base. It is too fast for the navy ships to catch.
VADM Brown: We will dispatch a squadron of dive bombers immediately...
CDR Blackwell: That would be unnecessary sir... um... we believe our boys in the old Hudsons can handle them sir..
VADM Brown: Then what are you asking?
CDR Blackwell: It's just that our boys in the wirracoffins *ahem* wirraways don't want to fly escort.. as they think it's a sure thing they'll be shot down
if they engage the enemy.. and if WE the aussies sink that gunboat, it'll really boost troop morale.
VADM Brown: We will loan you some fighters. But no more than two sections... in case the Japs change targets and hit this fleet.
CDR Blackwell (smiling with his right hand at saulte): Agreed!
*the men part company and the planes take off, their rendevouz off Rabaul airbase sends cheers from the Aussie crowd*
*the ship is sunk with three decisive hits from an impressive 15,000 feet*
Lt Gray: Wow... how did you boys manage that? From this height.. wow
*Wing commander Evans is obligated to reply, even if it means giving away his secret*
W CDR Evans: Opium sir. A healthy dose on the orders of commander Blackwell.
*Lieutenant Gray is stunned to silence*
W CDR Evans: Yes sir.. his family once held shares in the East India Company.. after that
they'd been the main supplier for the whole West Pacific. Sure helps keep us alert and accurate.
*suddenly there is a loud burst on the radio*
FLT Garland: Bogies! Bogies! All around us!! Gunners open fire!
*the Wildcats scatter in all directions, desparately weaving about to evade the 303s coming
at them from the Aussie turrets*
*Back on the Lexington*
VADM Brown: Any reports on our strikes?
CPT Murray: We finished off a cargo ship north of Kavieng and Enterprise's bombers struck a cargo vessel and a gunboat heading north, probably survivors of the battle with the australian navy
VADM Brown: Just mopping up then...
*suddely a message burst loud on the radio*
LT CDR Simpson: Radar Detects Bandits! Bandits! Thirty Plus! Inbound!
CPT Sherman: Flank Speed! Battlestations! Move us out, away from the Island!
*The Japanese planes snuk in low, skimming the wavetops*
LT CDR Ramsey: Fighting Two! Dive on the bogies! Now! Now! Now!
*the buffalos dove down at high speed*
ENS Glass: We're coming in too hot sir! AARGH!
*the buffalos struggled to pull out from their dive*
*tracers flew all around them from the Bettys' gunners*
LT CDR Ramsey: What the.. who is that?
*the squadron was stunned in amazement as a single wirraway approched the formation of Bettys from behind*
LT CDR Ramsey: What is he doing... wait..
*the pilot pulled up casually behind the betty, apparenty quite confused*
*a long burst of twenty millimeter shells streaked into the cockpit*
*someone began singing on the radio with a casual tone*
Wirraway's Radio Man: And! When ya ! take!..Take ya Terminal Breath!!.. ya.. ya.. always lookat...the Bright.. side.. of death!
*just then the Wildcats began streaking in*
ENS Roach: Bastaaards!
*the Wildcats plastered the enemy formation with 50 caliber rounds*
*just then an A6M zero creeped into Lieutenant Quady's sights*
LT Quady: Hello little fellow... i shall be your server today..
*a long deflection shot from the Wildcat's four 50 caliber guns caught the zero which caught fire and spiralled into the sea*
LT CDR Ramsey: Woo! Nice one!
*a second plane creeps into the LT Quady's sights. This time it is a G4M bomber. He unleashes a short burst*
LT Quady: One-on thousand .. two-one-thousand.. three one thousand...
*the Betty continues to fly un-hindered. Lieutenany Quady climbs in for another pass. 7.7mm rounds strike his armor plate*
LT Quady: Common lads..right for his nose...
*Quady struggles to slow his wildcat down, rapidly alternating his rudder pedals. a long twelve second burst strikes the right side of the Betty.*
*a small flame erupts from the right engine*
LT CDR Ramsey: Scratch one bandit! Two! Well done Quady. In case you ever want to fly a Buffalo, come join VF-2.
ENS Newman: ....i see fighters.. fighters above..... lots of fighters above!
*the two squadrons engage in a majestic duel. Two dozen fighter planes twisting and weaving in the air. The sky is filled with the crimson streaks of bullets and flak*
*at the Carrier fleet*
Crewman Bishop: Bandits! Bandits! Enemy torpedo bombers coming in!
CPT Sherman: Set a course, head directly towards those planes! Order Portland and Astoria to cover the rear flanks!
*the Bettys move in for the Assault, splitting into threes and approaching from opposite ends*
VADM Brown: What on earth are they doing!
CPT Sherman: It looks like an anvil atack! I read about this theory at the Naval college! All Flak guns! Attack the Starboard Enemy Section!
VADM Brown: How do we stop it!
CPT Sherman: All ahead full left rudder!
*The Bettys streaked by the lexington, the rear gunners peppering Lexington's flight deck with cannon and machine gun fire*
Crewman Lark: TWO.. no THREE! THREE TORPEDOES IN THE WATER! OFF THE PORT QUARTER!
CPT Sherman: Full ahead to port!
Crewman Wally: Two more sir! At the stern!
VADM Brown: May the president forgive us.
CPT Sherman: Order all gunners! Aim for those torpedoes! Deck guns too!
*The Lexington creeked eerily as it turned hard to the left, then to the right, bashing about the waves, and tilting from side to side*
Crewman Lark: AAH! IMPACT! IMPACT AHEAD!
*Crewman Lark dove for the metal floor*
*BANG*
VADM Brown (breathing): What happened?
CPT Sherman: Unkown... Status Report Crewman
Crewman Wally: I see it sir! At the starboard end! It's stuck sir! It's stuck inside the ship!
CPT Sherman: Damage control parties to the lower decks.
VADM Brown: A dud?
CPT Sherman: Perhaps. It might be a delay fuse.
*the staff wait in silence for a full twenty seconds*
Crewman Lark: The bombers! They're moving away!
CPT Sherman: I'm going down there.
*at the lower decks*
*a long steel tube is sticking out into the Lexington's Food Store*
Crewman Walsh: Why didn't it explode sir?
*Captain Sherman looks at the hole. A suspicious ooze catches his eye*
CPT Sherman: This wall.. it's... it's not properly reinforced..it's not even steel..
*Captain Sherman thinks to himself*
CPT Sherman: Those lazy bastards...Oahu Shipyard saves the day.. bolted aluminum on the side..
*Sherman lets out a short smile*
*Later that afternoon newly demoted Ensign Newman is sent below decks with a pair of plyers, his previous rank, and his life, hanging in the balance.*
