At sea, south of Pearl Harbor...
Helena's task force is cruising in Condition III, air and surface watch stations are manned, guns have skeleton crews, and ammo is at near ready. It was a nice break from Battle Stations, and then the rest of yesterday spent at Condition II. The Forewatch was just changing over with the sun high in the sky when there was a terrified cry:
"TORPEDOS! FOUR POINTS OFF STARBORD BOW!"
On the Bridge, the Executive Officer, Commander Richardson, quietly uttered an expletive followed by a series of rapid fire orders: "Helm, come right, four-five degrees, right standard rudder."
"Aye sir, coming right forty five degrees, right standard rudder. New course two fifty five relative."
"Easy on the wheel Stick, damnit."
Then to the JA Talker: "Engine room: all stop on the starboard shaft. Repeat full stop on the number four shaft. Flag bag: hoist Turn Starboard Niner NOW!."
"Aye sir full stop number four shaft," came the reply from the engine room.
"Commander, what are you doing?"
"Mind your helm Stick. And god damnit how many times do I have to tell you, I want each number individually." Stick looked at him, puzzled. "I want to hear 'four five' repeated to me, not 'forty five'.
"Aye sir."
Helena heeled a bit, but responded smartly to her rudder and screws. As she steadied onto her new course, Cdr. Richardson called down to the engine room again, and ordered number four shaft back online. The ship threaded the torpedoes perfectly.
"And that, Stick, is how you turn-to and evade, ya Asiatic sonofabitch."
Commander Richardson turned back to Stick to say something else, when the deck beneath them shook. Honolulu, which was directly astern of Helena, did not see the full spread, and had not turned as quickly as her half-sister. One passed ahead, two passed astern, but one planted itself in Honolulu's forward chain locker, blowing off about 20 feet of bow with it.
Captain English was now on the bridge, and ordered the group to increase speed to 25 knots, which Honolulu could still make, so they could clear the area. He then ordered Condition I be maintained for the next hour. At that point, the crippled cruiser would be detached with a destroyer and head for Pearl.
From Jim's station at the main damage control board, he was uneasy. Torpedo attacks by submarines were something he thought he had gotten away from over here in the Pacific. 24 hours in, and the war is at my front door, he thought. What have I gotten myself into? At least they were at Condition II now, and he could have one of the mess boys bring coffee down. He both loved and hated the stuff. Coffee was often a staple for, and the measure of a fighting man. Jim could do without it.
His thoughts were broken by the PA:
"... and it is my sad duty to inform you that our sister Honolulu did not make it back to Pearl. She was hit again, and in vulnerable condition, she was... finished." He was silent for a moment. "Her survivors have been picked up, and they will fight again."
"We will remain at Condition II until we meet up with the rest of our ships in the next day or so. Stay vigilante. Stay focused. Do your job. That is all."
[font="Courier New"]The Japanese continue raiding Manila and Singapore, and are now being seen as far south as Kendari. This is faster than expected, and not a good sign for units in the Philippines or the Java area...
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USS Antietam (CG-54)
