The Forgotten Fleet: The Story of the British Pacific Fleet, 1944-45 (World War Two at Sea) by John Winton

Author:John Winton [Winton, John]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Sapere Books
Published: 2022-06-11T16:00:00+00:00

‘It was like a net closing in and we were expecting the quarry to begin snapping at any moment. In spite of the very close ranges, not a shot had been fired, and it seemed uncanny to be chasing this silent and so far invisible monster around his own backyard without once being bitten.’[227]

The radar echo had now split and a second, smaller contact, the destroyer Kamikaze, had appeared astern of the first. Venus was still some distance to the west and Captain Power signalled to her: ‘Close the enemy.’ Venus’ engine telegraphs were put to ‘Full Ahead’, although she was already steaming at full power. The whole flotilla were closing on Haguro at top speed, ready for the encounter.

But at this point, the attack began to go temporarily awry. By now thoroughly alarmed, Haguro was manoeuvring freely, first to the west and then back to south-east. The attacking destroyers were approaching her from what should have been a direction of safety and Haguro was puzzled enough to challenge them by light. Finally, Haguro turned through nearly 180 degrees and fled at full speed to the north, ruining Captain Power’s carefully laid ambush; instead of a planned, deliberate bow shot, Saumarez now had to chase from astern at 30 knots. Captain Power signalled that he was ‘unable to attack now’ (which he later described as a ‘stupid signal’, as it caused uncertainty in the minds of the other destroyer captains).

Soon Haguro altered to port, directly in the path of Venus closing at full speed from the west. Venus was in a perfect attacking position. Her moment had come:

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