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I'm keeping an eye on it as well.
 
-F-

03/04/1942

Lookout: "Smoke on horizon sir, Starboard 0-6-0."
Lt.(jg) "Will" Robertson: "Signalist, send to Whipple: Unknown visual contact at 280. Take a word to capitain."
Brisk flashes are exchanged between two ships.
Signalman: "Sir, Whipple. J.D.Edwards will independently investigate contact, then rejoin the convoy."
Lt.(jg) "Will" Robertson: "Send acknowledgement. Rudder 15 degrees left to heading 2-8-0. Engines 2/3 ahead."
Helmsman repeated the orders and as rings echoed, the ship changed the course in wide arc. After a while capitain comes to the bridge and slowly search the horizont, smoke on the northern sky and convoy moving off to the west.
Helmsman: "Capitain on the bridge."
Cpt.L.J.Bren: "Orders?"
Lt.(jg) "Will" Robertson: "Investigate the contact, sir."
Cpt.L.J.Bren: "All-right. I'll take the deck. Tell exec, that he will lead examining party if necessary. It will be better if they are prepared. He will report to me at 1430."
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After 20 minutes masts and smoke stack were visible on horiozn.
Cpt.L.J.Bren: "Sound general quarters. Full speed ahead."
Trampling of hundreds boots occupied gangways and decks. Below the decks, in Boiler room 1 engineers mate Harwood, 26 year old Arizonan, heared sound of ships telegraph.
EM Harwood: "Come on ladies, I want more steam!"
On the main deck sailors runs to their guns, opening emergency ammunition boxes. Shells are quickly loaded into guns and breeches are locked. Barrels are aimed at unknown ship. USS John D. Edwards rapidly shortens the distance zig-zagging.

Cpt.L.J.Bren: "Identification? Can you see the name or flag?"
Lt.(jg) "Will" Robertson: "According to Lloyd's it is 1000BRT steam merchant. I can't see any flag or name, sir."
Cpt.L.J.Bren: "Have you seen any action on deck?"
Lookout: "Quiet as on graveyard, sir."
Cpt.L.J.Bren: "Signalize: Identify yourself!"
Signalist quickly flash the message but with no response.
Cpt.L.J.Bren: "Tommy, get us three miles in front of her."
Lt.(jg) "Will" Robertson: "Aye-Aye, sir. Helmsman, 20 degrees right rudder to 80 degrees."
Cpt.L.J.Bren: "Signalist, send it again and add "or I will fire."
Another message flashes over the waves but with the same effect.

Cpt.L.J.Bren: "Mr. Dermot. One shot just in front of her, please."
Bells ringed shortly and well aimed shot raised big splash of water 20 yards in front of the cargo ship. In few moments dozen of drunk sailors appeared on the deck of that ship shouting and wave.
Cpt.L.J.Bren: "Signalize them to stop. Mr. Dermot, prepare the examining party."
Lt.(XO) Dermot: "Yes, sir."
Cpt.L.J.Bren: "And be carefull."
Signalist: "They are trying to signalize sir. Brazilian cargo ship Arará. Heading to Rio de Janeiro."
Eight men armed with pistols, Thompsons and carabines are prepared on port side near the boat. J.D.Edwards quiclky slowed enought to launch a boat, and then begins to circle in full speed around the ship. Boat with examining party heads for the Arará.
-----------------
In less then two hours Lt. Dermot stands back on the bridge of John D. Edwards reporting to capitain:
Lt.(XO) Dermot: "They are all drunk. I was surprised they wereable to signalize. I have find dozen crates of liquer in their stores. I ordered to thrown them overboard as you can see, sir."
He pointed on few crates floating on the sea surface in Arará wake. Two brazilian sailors evinced a design to jump into water to rescue the liquer.

Cpt.L.J.Bren: "Good work exec. Dont you think it is good time to get our gunners some practise?"
Lt.(XO) Dermot: "As you wish, sir."
Machine guns quickly sends few rounds towards crates diverting brazilian sailors of their design.
Cpt.L.J.Bren: "Cease fire. We have spent enough time here, lets join the convoy."
Lt.(jg) "Will" Robertson: "Aye-Aye, sir. Rudder 15 degrees left, 2/3 ahead, new heading 1-1-0."
Soon John D. Edwards was alone in the wasteness of the Pacific ocean only with half-dozen dolphins playing around bow as the sun slowly descents closer to the horizon.

PS: Arará is fictional ship in my AAR. This is the real one:

Name: Arará
Type: Steam merchant
Tonnage: 1.075 tons
Completed: 1907 - R. & W. Hawthorn, Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Owner: Cia Serras de Navegação e Comércio, Rio de Janeiro
Homeport: Rio de Janeiro
At 18.03 hours on 17 Aug, 1942, the Arará was torpedoed and sunk by U-507, while she was picking up survivors from the Itagiba, which had been sunk by the same U-boat four hours earlier. Few days later (on August 22, 1942) Brazilia declared war on the Axis.

06/04/1942

LtCdr."Bulldog" Robertson get out from the army C-47 Dakota at Sydney. Signs of autumn beginning are clearly visible here and there. Rochefort told him before to join GenMjr. Kenney's little staff on their route to Australia.
Robertson's mission is to establish listening stations in Australia and Ceylon to intercept Japanese radio communication. This includes thousands of miles traveled in plane, number of meetings with high ranking generals and admirals, reading hundreds of instructions, analysis, reports and security risk calculations.
He must also initiate some precisively chosen officers into Magic secrets. Unfortunately he had no chance to meet with Tom at Pear Harbor.

When Robertson arrived on newly formed 9th Fleet Headquarters responsible for ships in Australian waters, he was taken by surprise by haste. From words thrown in it is evident that Japanese forces just captured Milne Bay, a strategically important base at south-eastern tip of New Guinea. Joint chief of staff decided that Milne Bay must be recaptured as soon as possible with all forces available to Southwest pacific command and 9th Fleet. On a short meeting with MGen. Joyce this communication occured:

MGen. Joyce: "So we can read Japanese radio messages like our ones?"
LtCdr. Robertson: "Not exactly, sir. We can read some 5-10% of message text in each message. Mainly common texts like call signs of their capital ships, division names. When we have bigger number of messages we are able to reconstruct some texts from things that already happened. For example we know that "MO" means Port Moresby, "MI" is Midway, "TK" is Truk, "SI" means Singapore..."
MGen. Joyce: "So it is more interpretation of what actually happened and intuition of what could happen than everything else?"
LtCdr. Robertson: "Something like that, sir. We educed from some messages that main Japanese Mobile Fleet has repositioned from Midway to Truk. So we send pair of submarines to confirm it. Submarine near Midway reported no capital ships spotted and air activity of land based bombers. On the other hand, submarine sent to Truk reported capital ships and numbers of carrier planes operating in the air."
MGen. Joyce: "This could be useful to us. Have you any informations about Milne Bay?"
LtCdr. Robertson: "From the last reports sent by LtCdr. Rochefort main Japanese Fleet is anchored at Truk. We also think the Japs used small units to capture bases on northern Guinea coast. One of these units is likely to be in Milne Bay."
MGen. Joyce: "So brigade size force should be sufficient to drive them off the Milne Bay. What a good news to me. Just now we have no larger units available. 7th Australian Division is defending Port Moresby area, 6th Australian Division will not be available until mid-april and 32nd US Division is somewhere in the South Pacific. What we have on hand is 31st Australian Infantry Brigade. It is part of the Australia Defence Force, but it is only unit available. I think that general Blamey will not quarrel with releasing that brigade. Thank you Robertson."
LtCdr. Robertson: "I will be in Australia for a week to move things around that listening station. Then I will continue to Ceylon."
MGen. Joyce: "You will have all my support!"
LtCdr. Robertson: "Thank you, sir."

10/04/1942
When Tommy entered the house where his father lives, everything look abandoned. No greetings, no signs of rapidly eaten breakfast, no fresh ash in the ashpan from his father's brier. Emptines is evident. Only few words dashed down on a sheet of paper intimates where is the owner of the house.
Tommy headed stright to the bathroom. After 10 hours spent aboard army B-17 flying from US West coast to Pearl Harbor he felt weary. He hardly catched the plane as there were many things to mange aboard Gudgeon and in San Diego Dockyards.

Later that night he accompanies Matusoko through the Honolulu City. It is not the same city used to be. Blackouted windows, sandbags, barbed wire, anti-aircraft shelters and lookouts here and there. Streets normally embedded by a sun throughout the day and by limelights, shop-windows, and lamps, streets filled with sailors and armymen changed into quiet and dark one. Whole Oahu is now a quiet place. Main US fleet is licking its wounds in US West Coast. Even those 5 old damaged battleships were towed to Puget Sound Navy Yard for repairs few weeks ago. Squadron of Patrol Torpedo boats, division of minesweepers and two flotillas of submarines that is all what's left in Pearl Harbor. Thousands of sailors are now enjoying themselves in the street of San Francisco or Los Angeles.
Sillhouetes makes the darkness more nasty. They lounge near bars and taps with beer in their hands. Few of them put venomous looks at Matsuoko that even Tommy felt them. Matsuoko whisper to him:"Let's go somewhere with less killing looks, please."

Tommy:"It was a horrible experience to be in a can with almost 300 feet of water above you. Darkness, cold, fear. I was able to hear my own scream in my head without opening my mouth. I was afraid more than ever. But somewehere was that voice, you know, voice within me, saying: "Hold on and it will pass like a dream. Look at these men around you. They are as scared as you are. Let your fear to show up and you will be lost." And then, whwn we were surfaced again and I was on the bridge, Japanese shore out of sight, with mercifull darkness around us. With fresh air in my lungs... what a feeling!"
Matsuoko with laugh: "My poor sailor! How can I offset all your misseries?"
Tommy:"I think you know exactly what can we do."
Matsuoko:"Yes, of course i know. But you also know my father. When he took something into his head, nothing will persuade him."
Tommy:"Maybe I should talk with him ..."
Matsuoko:"Forget about that, please. At least fot now. He could feel ashamed by your propose now. He is taking this war too serious. He wanted to sail with Pennsilvania into Seattle to continue in repairs."
Tommy: "Lets forget the war for a while, please. We haven't much time before you must be at home."
Matsuoko:"What do you want to do now?"
Tommy:"Nothing special, just to close my eyes, listen to the ocean and to hold you in my arms..."

16/04/1942
"Bulldog" Roberston was again aboard a plane, now heading towards Ceylon. After he succesfully completed his mission with listening station he shortly stopped at Southwest Pacific headquarters. Things are going well from the rumors heard. On night 12th april eight allied cruisers with 6 destroyers catched japanese convoy in Milne Bay. In following battle 2 japanese transports and 2 of their escorts were sink with no losses to our forces. Next day Australian infantry brigade landed there and on 15th august Milne Bay was again in allied hands.

18/04/1942
A message from Rochefort reached "Bulldog" Roberston in his hotel at Colombo.
"Amphibious landing force with at least two jap divisions aboard is heading towards Rangoon."
The Britts were little bit skeptic about it, but when word "Magic" was told everything changed. Robertson of course knows about British Ultra from his short term attachement to England in 1940. Things begins to move quickly now. Do-24K, a Dutch patrol planes were ordered to search Malacca strait. HMS Indomitable and Illoustrious together with 4 old R-class battleships escorted by dozen of destroyers sailed from the Colombo the same day for a secret mission...

26/04/1942
In these days many messages were travelling over the Indian Ocean. Yesterday Japanese forces landed at Rangoon. British rear-guard ground forces retreated towards Mandalay. Only bad weather prevented British carriers and land bombers to strike against Japanese landings. Today only some 30 Wellingtons or "the Wimpey's" as the Britts called them finds their target and achieved som hits. Japanese torpedo bombers had more luck to find British ships and HMS Resolution was hit by one torpedo. 12 of 17 attacking bombers were shot down.

29/04/1942
Two days back two british task forces retreated to cover damaged HMS Resolution, yesterday they were back on their station.
This time weather was on British side and 31 "Stringbag's" scored hits on 5 troop transports, one corvette and 2 torpedo hits were observed on Yamashiro class battleship. Today 4 another transports were hit by torpedoes. Japanese tried to counter with 11 torpedo carrying bombers escorted by 9 Zero's. 6 enemy fighters and 4 bombers were shot down scoring no hits. With almost empty torpedo stocks on their carriers, British Force F retreated towards Ceylon. In these two days weather was fairly so Wellington's and Blenheim's also assisted with few bomb hits.

Great read! Keep it coming!

05/05/1942
"Bulldog" Roberts witnessed arrival of Force F to Colombo after their Rangoon mission. Flags flying, bands playing "God save the king" and british sailors saluting from all decks in harbour. But there was no time to fully enjoy fruits of this minor victory, which is so important to allied morale. In two days, under cover of darkness, Force F together with scratchy organized Force T (Glasgow, Birmingham, Newcastle, Pakenham, Paladin, Panther) sailed again.

While still in Colombo, Ceylon, "Bulldog" Robertson has busy time with series of meetings, visits, partys, more meetings and more visits. Today he visited British Eastern Fleet Headquarters and went to a short conversation with admiral James Somerville. When the meeting was close to the end, admiral passed few papers to Robertson. They contained new PTO fleet organizations, area of responsibility, charts and regulations.

British Eastern Fleet

Main Bases: Colombo, Tirincomalee, Aden
Area of Responsibility: Indian Ocean, Sumatra
Task Forces:

Force F
CVs: Formidable, Indomitable, Illoustrious (awaited 15/05/1942)
CAs: Exeter, Dorsetshire, Cornvall, Devonshire
CLs: Maurutius
DDs: 7 destroyers (2 awaited 15/05/1942)

Force Z
BBs: Resolution, Ramilies, Royal Sovereign, Revenge
CLs: Emerald, Enterprise
DDs: 5 destroyers

Force X
BBs: Warspite
CLs: Glasgow, Birmingham, Newcastle
DDs: 4 destroyers (1 awaited 15/05/1942)

Force E
CVLs: Hermes
CLAAs: Colombo, Capetown, Caledon
DDs: 4 destroyers

Replenishment group: 1 AO, 1 destroyer
1st Escort group: 4 MSWs
2nd, 3rd, 4th Escort group: 3 PGs, 2 MSWs each (9 PGs, 6 MSWs total)
1st Submarine fleet: 8 Submarines
Fleet reserve: BC Repulse (damaged), CL Dragon, CL Danae, CL Dauntless, 1 PG

9th Fleet
Main Bases: Perth, Sydney, Brisbane
Area of Responsibility: Australian waters, New guinea, Java, Timor
Task Forces:

TF 91
CLs: Java, Sumatra, Tromp, De Ruyter
CLAAs: Van Heemskerck
DDs: 6 destroyers

TF 99
CAs: Australia, Canberra
CLs: Perth, Hobart, Leander, Achilles
DDs: 9 destroyers (1 awaited 15/05/1942

5-13th Escort groups: 6 PGs, 36 MSWs total
Replenishment Group: 1 AO, 1 destroyer
2-4 Submarine Fleets: 36 submarines ( USS Gudgeon among them)
Reserve: CL Adelaide

3rd Fleet
Main Bases: Noumea, Suva, Pago Pago
Area of Responsibility: South Pacific, Salomons
Task Forces:

Replenishment group: 1 AO, 1 DD (French)

7th Fleet
Main Bases: Seattle, Anchorage, Dutch Harbor
Area of Responsibility: North Pacific
Task Forces:

8th Submarine Fleet: 10 Submarines
Escort Forces: 2 PCs, 6 PGs

5th Fleet
Main Bases: Pearl Harbor, San Francisco, Los Angeles
Area of Responsibility: Central Pacific
Task Forces:

TF 59
CVs: Lexington
CAs: Pensacola, Salt Lake City, Louisville
CLs: St. Louis
DDs: 8 destroyers

TF 58
CVs: Yorktown
CAs: Northampton, Houston, Chester
CLAAs: Atlanta
DDs: 9 destroyers

TF 57
CVs: Hornet
CAs: Portland, Indianapolis, Vincennes
CLs: Helena
DDs: 9 destroyers

TF 56
CVs: Enterprise
CAs: Astoria, Mineapolis, New Orleans
CLs: Phoenix
DDs: 9 destroyers

TF 51 - divided into 4 TGs
BBs: New Mexico, Mississippi, Idaho, Colorado, Maryland, Tennessee
Cls: Raleigh, Detroit, Trenton, Concord
DDs: 18 restroyers

14-23th Escort groups: 20 old destroyers (John D. Edwards among them), 18 minesweepers
6th, 7th Submarine Fleets: 24 Submarines
Replenishment groups: 9 AOs, 1 DD, 6 MSWs
Reserve:
BBs: West Virginia, Carolina, Pennsylvania, Arizona, Oklahoma, Nevada (all damaged at Pearl Harbor)
CAs: San Francisco, Chicago (damaged)
CLs: Boise, Honolulu, Nashville, Marblehead (damaged)
DDs: 5 destroyers

12/05/1942
When "Bulldog" Roberts was providing last things before departing back to Australia, Admiral Somerville invited him to his office.

"Bulldog" Roberts:"Sir?"
J.F. Somerville: "This message was just delivered, read it please."

DATE: 11 MAY 1942
FROM: FORCE F, T
TO: BRITISH EASTERN FLEET
INFO: KUALA EVACUATION-RAID

DAY: ENEMY SHIPPING SPOTTED NEAR KUALA X 31 SWORDFISH ATTACKED X 3 AP, 1 MSW TORPEDOED
NIGHT: FORCE T ENGAGED ENEMY SHIPPING NEAR KUALA X 2 DD, 2 MSW CONFIRMED SUNK X EVACUATION NOT POSSIBLE X NO LOSSES

"Bulldog" Roberts:"Not bad."
J.F. Somerville: "Not good. Main mission was to evacuate Dutch units from Kuala. This is last message from Dutch there."

DATE: 11 MAY 1942
FROM: KUALA DEFENCE FORCE
TO: SOUTHEAST ASIA HQ
INFO: SITUATION

LOW ON AMMO, LOW ON RATIONS, MANY WOUNDED X ENEMY GENERAL ATTACK EXPECTED EACH DAY X SITUATION CRITICAL

"Bulldog" Roberts: "What can we do for them?"
J.F. Somerville: "I have sent every submarine I had with provisions and ammunition. On their way back they will pick up wounded and secret material."
"Bulldog" Roberts: "God, help them."

14/05/1942
Back in Perth, Australia, "Bulldog" Robertson visited Freemantle Harbor for news. On first sight the harbour is empty. Where are those Dutch cruisers? And two fleets of subs arent there also.
Everything has been clarified after he met Cmdr. Van Kujk. Last night TF 91 intercepted enemy convoy near Lombok. Result: 3 cargo ships and 2 minesweepers confirmed sunk. Meantime two groups of submarines picked up hard pressed Dutch forces delaying enemy advance on Lombok Island.