MacArthur's War: A Novel of the Invasion of Japan by Niles Douglas & Dobson Michael

Author:Niles, Douglas & Dobson, Michael [Niles, Douglas]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tom Doherty Associates
Published: 2013-06-28T16:00:00+00:00

ABOVE ROADSTER BEACH ZONE, OFF THE WEST COAST

OF KYUSHU, JAPAN, 0525 HOURS (X-DAY, N-HOUR -0035)

Lefty Wayner was comfortable in his role, flying high above the fleet, scanning the skies for enemy aircraft. This air war was a far cry from the desperate battles of 1942, at Midway and in the Solomon Sea, where the enemy planes came against the American carriers in waves, nimble Zeros flying circles around the clumsy Wildcats. Then it had been a fight for survival, a frantic effort to stay alive and to inflict damage upon an enemy with superior equipment, training, and experience.

Things were different now. The Grumman F6F Hellcat—Lefty’s had nineteen little red meatballs painted just below the canopy—had replaced the Wildcat and rendered the air war into a whole new ball game. Whereas the F4F had been slower and clumsier than the Zero, the Hellcat was faster, more powerful, and capable of absorbing punishment that would knock three or four Zeros out of the sky.

Now commander of VMF 48, the fighter squadron aboard the new aircraft carrier Missionary Ridge, Lefty had been piloting an F6F since the end of 1943. In early 1944 he had been flying air protection for the invasion of the Philippines. When Admiral Spruance brought his newly replenished carrier fleet, now protected by the doughty Hellcats, within range of the enemy fighter bases, the Japs had unleashed every land-based plane they had. Flying from fields throughout the archipelago, and from as far away as Formosa, the Nipponese aircraft had swarmed toward the American carriers that were supporting Mac’s landings on the island of Leyte. Lefty had personally shot down three fighters and six bombers in the air battle that had since come to be known as the Luzon Turkey Shoot. He and his fellow pilots, flying from more than a dozen carriers and light carriers, had virtually obliterated the enemy air forces in a bloody day and a half of battle.

From that time forward, the United States Naval Air Forces had ruled the skies over the Pacific Ocean. As Lefty looked at the hundreds of ships below—including four flattops that he could personally see right now, in addition to the two dozen more lying over the horizon—he had no reason to believe that today would be any different.

The sun was already up, and for once the clouds were few, almost nonexistent. Lefty’s eyes scanned the horizon, especially toward the east, toward Kyushu. He could see the land over there, a brown swath of rugged terrain, still in the shadow of the newly risen sun. Any Jap planes coming from there would have to be picked up by radar—there was no way any pilot could see much against that brilliant backdrop.

Sure enough, his radio crackled. “Sheepdog One, we have numerous bogies overland, approaching Roadster from multiple bearings. Go to work.”

“Sheepdog One, acknowledging. Tallyho,” he replied.

“Good hunting,” came the final sendoff from the flight director aboard the carrier below.

Lefty dipped his wings and headed toward Kyushu. The fifteen other fighters of his squadron formed up on him, in pairs, and they all leaned into a shallow dive.

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