Shinano - The Sinking of Japan's Secret Supership by Joseph F. Enright

Author:Joseph F. Enright [Enright, Joseph F.]
Language: nld
Format: epub, mobi
Published: 2012-02-05T10:36:51+00:00

7. Optimism

At 0215 on Wednesday, November 29, 1944, the Imperial Japanese aircraft carrier Shinano steamed along the course of 275 degrees—almost directly west—eight hours plus into her maiden voyage. Off Shinano's bow, the wayward destroyer Iso-kaze raced about erratically on her screening station. The destroyers Yukikaze and Hamakaze duplicated Isokaze's unpredictable movements off both beams of the carrier. Overhead the moon was beginning to drop in a western sky daubed with wispy clouds. Visibility remained excellent. Optimism was mounting that Shinano would pass safely through the Pacific waters believed to be swarming with Yankee submarines.

Captain Abe stood above, as if transfixed, at the front of Shinano 's bridge. Behind him staff officers and crewmen went about their tasks quietly and efficiently. More than an hour earlier, Captain Mikami, the XO, had gone below to convey the captain's compliments to the ship's officers and men partaking of the celebratory sirouka meal.

Ensign Yasuda, the assistant navigator, advanced his plot of the carrier, recording the position and time on the bridge chart every 15 minutes, his activities observed by Navigator Nakamura, who had yet to find any reason to comment on them. In the navigator's mind the young officer was born to the sea and required little direct supervision. Though mindful of the captain's interest in the young ensign's performance, the navigator would not hesitate to criticize him if he found it necessary.

Periodically, Captain Abe came back to look at the bridge chart. Most of the time he studied the chart, and Shinano's plot, without comment. He was mainly concerned about the enemy submarine that had been detected by the Direction Finding Network 48 hours earlier. He thought about that particular submarine almost obsessively. Nasty business. She had to be the same submarine that had been defiantly operating her radar in the presence of Shinano since the initial radar emissions had been detected at about 1915. Submarines seldom remained stationary, and in those two days it could have moved in any direction, and for a considerable distance. She could be anywhere. At 0230 Shinano would be passing only 25 miles south of the site of the reported detection, well within the range of a patrolling sub. If he could constantly detect the radar signals, it could only mean that the American boat was remaining surfaced. And as long as the submarine rode on the surface, she posed no real threat to Shinano. His lookouts would spot her long before she could come within torpedo range. He would be seriously concerned, however, if the signals could no longer be detected. That would mean she had dived, with the assumed intention of attacking the carrier.

Abe was convinced that just before the submarine submerged, she would send out a radio signal giving Shinano's location to the other submarines with her in the wolf pack. Accordingly, his people had been alerted to listen for any further radio transmissions. He was to be informed immediately. Shinano would then quickly come about to a new course, as she had done earlier.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.