Greetings, this is coolmccool5, and I have once again come up with another bit of storytelling. But this time, I intend to finish it.

Anyway, in this first chapter, I have attempted to portray the Attack on Pearl Harbor as it occurred in history, with some creative liberty for the sake of storytelling and matching up to the games that this story is an adaptation of. Hope you enjoy.

Caution: This story contains graphic scenes and potentially heavy language. Reader discretion is advised.

Disclaimer: I do not own the rights to the Battlestations series games. If I did, a third game or an HD remastering of the first two games would have been made or in the making by now.

The Prelude to War

The events that would lead to America's entry into World War II started as far back as the year 1905, and the unexpected Japanese naval victory over the Russians at the Battle of Tsushima. The triumph there provided the Japanese with the encouragement needed to accelerate the naval expansion that had begun almost fifty years earlier during the Boshin Wars of the mid 1800s.

Japan continued to build her navy until 1922, when the Washington Naval Treaty -signed by the United States, Great Britain, France, Italy and Japan- fixed the tonnage of capital ships and placed restrictions on warship construction by all of the major naval powers. By the end of the 1930s, however, the Japanese Empire was in the grip of fervent nationalism; and the world watched as political turmoil at home turned into outright aggression abroad.

In 1931, Japan seized Manchuria, an act that was carried out in defiance of the Japanese government by the all-powerful military; and which directly threatened the "Open Door" policy of the United States towards China and its huge commercial markets. The American response, though, was rather weak; and emboldened by its success, Japan sought naval parity with the U.S. at the London Naval Conference; with a secondary objective by Admrial Isoroku Yamamoto to abolish the battleship. When the idea of Japan's naval parity was refused, and the abolition of the battleship dismissed out of hand, Japan withdrew; abrogating all existing treaties and within a year, the pace of Japanese ship building had increased to such an extant, that her navy had posed a serious threat to the mighty American Pacific Fleet, then stationed in San Diego, California.

While Japan had eyed the riches of eastern Asia, the United States continued to look inwards. The Neutrality Acts of 1935, 1936 and 1937 were passed by Congress in an attempt to keep America out of any future European war; reflecting the Isolationist mood in the U.S. at the time. The U.S. received a jolt, however, when in 1937, the Japanese further extended their Chinese interests by seizing Inner Mongolia and northern China. Perhaps the American people, who were largely sympathetic to the Chinese, expected more than President Franklin D. Roosevelt's conciliatory quarantine speech in October that year.

Still, Japan was persistent in its Chinese adventure; and by 1938, she controlled vast areas of the north and center of that country. Not only this, but the methods of the Imperial Japanese Army, which included the shelling of civilians, reached levels of savagery and barbarism that were previously unseen. As a consequence, the public mood in the United States turned from sympathy toward the Chinese, to outrage toward the Japanese; but the pleas of the government to American manufacturers to place a "moral embargo" on Japan were unlikely to halt the sheer Japanese aggression. To add to American woes, the crisis in Europe also came to further help Japan's territorial ambitions. In March 1939, while Hitler's armies marched through Prague, Czechoslovakia, the Japanese invaded the Chinese island of Hainan. In 1940, the fall of France to the German blitzkrieg gave the Japanese the opportunity to march into French Indochina, under compliance from Marshal Petain's Vichy Government. Finally, the British were forced to close the Burma Road trade route to China later the same year.

Events in both Japan and the United States were now moving as swiftly as those abroad. In July 1941, the United States placed a full trade embargo on Japan and froze all Japanese assets in the United States itself. In October 1941, Prince Kanoe's largely moderate government fell, to be replaced by a military regime led by the hawkish Army General Hideki Tojo. While in America, as the prospect of war in the Pacific loomed ever closer, Roosevelt wrestled with the twin problems of diplomatic necessity and military expediency. A final, unsuccessful attempt at mediation was made on November 20, 1941. War was now inevitable. The Japanese Foreign Minister even warned his ambassador in Washington D.C. that "Unless an agreement could be made before November 29th, things were going to happen."

In the United States, the reluctant Cabinet was still preoccupied with diplomatic procedure as it searched for a way for Japan to open hostilities without inflicting casualties and/or damage on U.S. armed forces. Meanwhile, the U.S. Military was receiving messages from the South Pacific that, tragically, they deemed to be unimportant. Those messages carried warnings that the Japanese were preparing to strike first somewhere in the Pacific. Potential targets ranged from the American Territory of the Philippines, to the Hawaiian Islands.

The countdown to war had begun...

In late 1941, Japanese forces had amassed in Southeast Asia.

On December 6th, President Franklin D. Roosevelt sent a personal note to Emperor Hirohito, urging him to cease warmongering.

A mere man has just sent his final message to Japan's Emperor god...

Battlestations: A Life on Alert

An adaptation of the video games Battlestations Midway and Battlestations Pacific

A historical fiction of the Pacific War

Written by Christopher Manson

Chapter I

A Day of Infamy

December 7th

The early morning sun shines upon the Hawaiian island of Oahu as a single jeep drives along the road. In the jeep were two men, one being a young man in his twenties dressed in the garb of an officer in the United States Navy. The other being a young man with a mustache in his mid twenties dressed in the non-combat garb of the United States Marine Corps. The two were having a friendly squabble.

"It's been good to see you again, Donald." The Navy officer says to the Marine. The two officers, Henry Walker and Donald Locklear, respectively, had a night on the town the previous evening; drinking and skirt chasing. The two of them had a bit of a hangover when they got up. Donald replied, "You too, Henry. I still say you owe me ten bucks."

The Navy officer, Henry Walker, interjected, "I still say the race ain't over yet." Donald countered, "Technically, I outrank you already." The Navy officer thus countered with an explanation, "That's because you Marine pilots have a different command structure than the rest of the U.S. Navy. Besides, you're already in the war; I'm not. And that ain't a fair contest." Henry was right. Donald, a Marine Corps aviator had already seen action over China and Burma as a member of Claire Chennault's American Volunteer Group, better known as the "Flying Tigers". It was because of this combat experience that Donald had attained a higher rank than his childhood friend Henry. Donald dismissed this fact, "Always an excuse." The Navy officer then stated, "You know you've been over promoted!"

Meanwhile somewhere over the Pacific, the storm of war was fast approaching Oahu from the north in the form of aircraft with Rising Sun roundels on their wings and fuselage. A call over the radio in a foreign tongue is heard by the planes, "Enemy formation at anchor. Eight battleships, eight cruisers, thirty destroyers and several auxiliary ships." The voice on the radio are one of the spies who were planted onto the island several weeks beforehand. A single pilot of Asiatic descent looks toward a photograph of him and his family, smiling knowing that if he were to die on this day, he would have fulfilled his mission.

An hour later, at a makeshift radar site located at Opana Hill, just inland from Oahu's north shore, two Army non-commissioned officers, Private Joseph Lockard and Private George Elliot, were practicing operation of the radar equipment. It was around 7:00 in the morning; past the end of the site's scheduled operating day; but since the truck to take them to breakfast was late, the pair continued manning the site and practice with the radar equipment. At 7:02, the two Army privates picked up a large blip on the radar screen. "Hey, George. I've got a large haze on here." Private Elliot took a closer look and he couldn't believe his eyes. Private Lockard asked, "That's too big to be planes, right?"

The two Army NCOs reported their findings via telephone to the temporary information center at Fort Shafter, the headquarters for U.S. Army Forces in the Pacific region. Private Joseph McDonald picked up the call, "Fort Shafter, here. Go ahead." Private Elliot replied, "This is Private George Elliot at the Opana Radar Station. We're picking up an unusually large signature on the screen." Private McDonald, replied, "Alright. I'll inform the next guy up." Private McDonald found Lieutenant Kermit Tyler when he entered the plotting room when he timed the message. Tyler told him that it was nothing. McDonald called back the Opana radar site and spoke to Pvt Joseph Lockard. Lockard was ecstatic; he had never seen so many planes on the radar. Infected with Lockard's excitement, McDonald returned to Tyler. McDonald suggested to Tyler to call back the plotters and notify Wheeler Airfield of the sighting. "I'm telling you, it's nothing." Tyler told McDonald. McDonald replied, "I insist that you talk to Privates Lockard and Elliot directly." The information center's staff was out to breakfast, and with a reluctant sigh, Tyler took the phone from his subordinate. "Private Lockard, I need you to calm down. It's a flight of B-17s coming in from the mainland." Tyler was technically not wrong in his judgment. A friend of his in the Bomber group previously advised him that whenever the radio station played Hawaiian music all night, a flight from the U.S. mainland was arriving, and using the music from the radio station for navigation homing. He concluded, "Listen you two: There's a truck en route to pick you guys up right now. So you can shut down the site for the day and get ready for breakfast." And with that, he hung up.

At the radar station, both the Army Privates were confused by what they were hearing from Tyler and what they were looking at. "Like hell. That's a lot of B-17s..." The two Privates, who could've been two Paul Reveres, simply let their warning go unheeded.

As Donald and Henry's jeep arrived at the docks, Donald says in farewell, "See you somewhere in the Pacific." As his childhood friend drove off, Henry couldn't help saying to himself, "Here's hoping... If they would let us off this damn island." Boarding an Elco Patrol Boat, designated PT-23, Henry is greeted by the skipper, "Good morning, sir. Where are you headed?" Henry replied, "Battleship Row, the Phoenix." The Elco PT Boat starts up and begins moving out for the main channel. The skipper offers to Henry, "Aye, sir. Want to take the helm?" Henry replied eagerly, "You bet!"

Somewhere on a course, the Admiral of the Pacific Fleet, Husband E. Kimmel, and a close friend of his were enjoying an early morning game of golf when a Jeep pulled up to them; in the passenger seat was a Lieutenant Commander, who promptly saluted the Admiral. A bit annoyed, Kimmel states, "This better be good, Lieutenant Commander!" His subordinate, replied, "Admiral, we got reports that the destroyer USS Ward attacked and hit an unidentified submarine when the latter attempted to enter Pearl Harbor at 06:37 hours." Shocked by this, the Admiral almost shouted, "It's 7:20!" The Lt. Commander replied, "We're currently having decoder delays, Admiral." Kimmel thus made and order, "Relay this to Washington and recall the staff!"

The unidentified planes continued south across and around the island. A message is heard between the pilots, "Wind direction eighty grad, speed fourteen knots, visibility over enemy fleet one thousand seven hundred meters, cloud density seven." Another radio message is exchanged, "The enemy fleet is in Pearl Harbor." The next message would forever change the course of history:

"Tora! Tora! Tora!"

The PT-23 moved out into the main channel and made a turn to starboard. The Skipper, deciding to break the silence, says, "Beautiful morning, sir." Henry replied, "Best time of the day, makes Pearl Harbor look like the biggest boating pond."

Pearl Harbor: A massive Naval base on the island Oahu. If there was to be a war against the United States in the Pacific, Pearl Harbor would be the most important naval base for the U.S. It is America's Gibraltar. Any ships heading for the Far East have to stop and refuel there. As of yet, the U.S. doesn't have any vessel capable of sailing from either San Francisco or San Diego to Manila and back without refueling at Pearl Harbor.

The heart of the U.S. Navy's Pacific Fleet sat at moorings around Ford Island; over a hundred eighty vessels. No other U.S. Military base in the Pacific had such large numbers of war machinery, and it was one big sitting duck. At airfields all across Oahu sat nearly four hundred warplanes; fighters, bombers and patrol craft. But there were not enough air patrols over the island. These planes were searching toward the Japanese bases on the Marshal Islands far to the southwest.

So far, with forty percent of Honolulu's residents being of Japanese descent, the U.S. Military High Command saw sabotage as the main threat. So at Hickam, Bellows, Ewa and Wheeler Fields and at the Naval Air Stations at Kaneohe and Ford Island, planes were grouped tightly together, wingtip to wingtip, to be more easily guarded by sentries. But it would take more than sentries' rifles to stop what was about to happen.

"The fastest way to the Phoenix is through this channel." the skipper said out loud, to which Henry replied, "Don't worry, sailor. I know where I'm going." As the PT Boat headed toward the Brooklyn-class light cruiser USS Phoenix, Henry's thoughts drifted toward his ambitions. All his life, he wanted to follow in his father's footsteps and be a Navy Admiral. And now that he's here, stationed on board the Phoenix as a Lieutenant, it just wasn't what he hoped it would be.

Though there was a saying, "Be careful of what you wish for."

Henry thought through the saying as an aircraft with rising sun roundels carrying a torpedo flew overhead and dropped its payload. The torpedo struck the battleship USS Nevada, leaving the men on the PT Boat shocked and bewildered. At the same time, dive bombers were dropping their payload on Ford Island. Regaining his composure and seeing fighter aircraft fly overhead at low altitude, making strafing runs on the other ships, Henry decided to take action. "Man the guns! Helmsman, we need to get moving! We can't afford to be a sitting target!" As the PT Boat headed down the harbor channel and firing on the enemy planes, one of the sailors asks out of sheer confusion, "What the hell is going on?!" Henry replied, "They look like Japanese planes! And they ain't dropping Christmas presents!" The skipper was shocked, even horrified by this, "I didn't know they were sore at us!" Henry thus ordered, "Just take them down now!"

"I got one... I got one!" one of the sailors stated as this was the first time he had ever shot down an enemy plane. "Good shooting, sailor! Now keep firing!" Henry replied. After a few more minutes, a couple of enemy torpedo bombers and Zero fighters went down. "Great job, men! He's going down!"

"Two torpedoes have hit the Utah!" an officer on the light cruiser USS Raleigh stated over the radio. The Utah's captain thus informed, "The fish didn't explode, but they've breached the hull. We're taking on water." A few seconds later, the Utah's captain was informing over the radio, "This is the Utah. We can't close off the bulkheads! We're starting to roll over! I've ordered the crew to abandon ship, though I'm not sure how many are still trapped below decks!"

Suddenly, without warning, a massive ball of fire erupted from the battleship USS Arizona. Its forward magazine exploded, thrusting one thousand one hundred seventy-seven officers, sailors and Marines into eternity; among them, the ship's captain, Franklin Van Valkenburgh and the commander of the Pacific Fleet's Battleship Division, Rear Admiral Isaac Kidd. The concussive blast from the battleship nearly knocked Henry and the others over the side of the PT Boat "The Arizona's gone up in flames!" the skipper cried out. Henry couldn't believe his eyes. "My God..." was all he could say in horror. Over the radio, a fellow U.S. Navy officer shouted, "No! A huge fireball! The battleship California has been hit!" Henry looked over, and once again, he couldn't believe his eyes. The battleship USS California was hit by bombs and torpedoes, and was soon covered in flames and listing, "This is the USS California, we've been hit! The main deck's taken some serious damage!" another officer shouted over the radio.

At the U.S. Marine Corps Airfield at Ewa, Donald was rushing out to try and get into any of the Brewster F2A Buffalo fighters parked on the tarmac. However, since the fighters, like all the other aircraft located at airfields across the island, they were torn to bits by Japanese Zeros making strafing runs on them. "Dammit! We need to get to an airfield they haven't hit yet!" A few of the Marine Corps pilots called out from a civilian car, "Donald! Get in!" Nearly getting hit by bullets from a strafing Zero, Donald managed to get in the car. "Have there been any fields that aren't hit yet?!" One of the other pilots replied, "According to two friends of mine at Wheeler, an Army auxiliary fighter strip at Haleiwa has not been hit yet." Accepting this bit of good news, the Flying Tiger pilot replied, "Better than nothing. Alright, move it! We can't be sitting ducks here!" The driver gunned the engine, speeding off of Ewa Airfield. Heading in the direction of Wheeler Army Airfield to pick up two pilots to help them, Donald could not help but pray that his childhood friend is alright.

Aboard the PT-23 in the middle of the Harbor, the skipper shouted, "Sir, the Oklahoma is capsizing!" Henry looked over and sure enough, the USS Oklahoma was making a chilling tilt at the anchor. Realizing the fate of those on board, Henry could only watch in muted horror. Suddenly, one of the sailors on the PT Boat shouted, "Sir, the Nevada is standing out!" Henry turned and saw that the Nevada was making a run for the sea. He then ordered, "Alright men, protect the Nevada! Fire at any Japanese planes that try getting near her! Make sure she gets out!" However, as they were firing up at the Japanese fighters and torpedo bombers, the skipper noticed something out of place. "Sir, periscope at aft!" Realizing that there were intruders inside the harbor itself, Henry ordered, "Mini sub in the harbor! Run up the ash cans! Sink that son of a bitch!" Steering the PT Boat down the channel near the burning California, Henry and the skipper dropped depth charges into the water, sinking the midget sub. It was then that the Nevada went up in flames; hit by high-level bombers. One of the officers on board the battleship USS Maryland shouted over the radio, "Hell! Huge explosion on the USS Nevada!" This was followed by a radio reply by Ensign Joe Taussig Jr., "Critical hit on the Nevada's port bow; Huge hole! We're trying to beach her!"

Noticing a pair of Zeros coming in on them, Henry informed the skipper, "We've been marked! Japanese fighters at six o'clock!" As a Zero started firing its machine guns and cannons at the vulnerable PT Boat, Henry shouted, ducking out of the way of a cannon round, "Get those guns up, God dammit!" The Zero continued firing, not realizing that a P-40 Warhawk maneuvered onto the Japanese plane's six o'clock and fired its machine guns, sending the Zero down in flames. As the P-40 flew overhead, Henry heard a familiar voice on the radio, "Yee-haw! That's one you owe me now, Henry!" Donald's P-40 formed up with two more, piloted by 2nd Lieutenant Kenneth Taylor and 2nd Lieutenant George Welch.

The three P-40s pursued the retreating second wave, shooting down Japanese dive bombers and torpedo bombers. "I got one!" Taylor shouted ecstatically. Donald replied cooly, "Don't get cocky, Taylor. I don't want to be writing your mother a letter." Donald looked down and saw his fuel was running low, "Fuel's running low. How are you guys doing?" Welch replied, "We both got six. I've ran out of ammo, though." Donald then ordered, "I got four. Alright. Let's head back to base, we wounded them as much as we could."

As the three P-40s headed back to Haleiwa Fighter Strip, the voice of Hawaii's territorial governor, Joseph Poindexter, began making a speech over the radio.

"...under virtue of all powers in me vested by law, I, J.B. Poindexter, governor of the territory of Hawaii, hereby find that a state of affairs exists arising out of an attack upon the territory of Hawaii and that all circumstances make it advised to protect the territory and its inhabitants..."

While the speech was going on, Henry and the crew members of PT-23 were moving across the harbor, looking for anyone in need of help. The harbor was in shambles. The Oklahoma, despite efforts to save the crew trapped inside, eventually becomes the tomb of four hundred twenty-nine men. The Utah, which had been rolling over during the attack, had lost far less lives, thanks to one man: Chief Watertender Peter Tomich who remained below decks to ensure as many men as possible could escape, and to keep vital machinery running as long as possible until he died there. In total, sixty-four officers and men were killed, though four hundred sixty-one survived. Tomich's selfless sacrifice earned him a posthumous Medal of Honor. The minelayer Oglala capsized beside 1010 Dock during the attack. The destroyer Shaw was hit by three bombs, creating a raging inferno that caused the ship's magazine to detonate. The battleship West Virginia was sunk by two bombs and seven torpedoes; one hundred six officers, sailors and Marines ultimately perished inside.

As Henry and the others were searching for survivors, something caught his eye. "Skipper, bring us ten degrees to port." At the wreckage of a Zero, the one that Donald shot down, was a bag floating in the water. Inside was a photograph of the Japanese pilot and his family. This left Henry confused and disturbed, "This man had his own god; his own family. Why would he attack us?"

"...I do declare and proclaim a defense period to exist throughout the territory of Hawaii."

The attack had cost the U.S. numerous land installations, destroyed or crippled eight battleships, three cruisers, three destroyers, one training battleship, one minelayer, one hundred eighty-eight aircraft and two thousand four hundred two soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen and civilians.

December 8th

The fires at Pearl Harbor burned throughout the previous day and through the night. Efforts were made by the Navy to rescue trapped survivors throughout the harbor. During the night, a group of U.S. Navy F4F Wildcat fighters and SBD Dauntless dive bombers from the carrier USS Enterprise attempted to land at Ford Island; but due to the confusion and paranoia of the aftermath, most of these planes were shot down; believed to be a third wave in the attack.

Over the twenty four hours after the attack, there were hundreds of reports throughout the Pacific region that trickled into the United States Department of War, though ultimately, the majority of these reports were unfounded as a result of the chaos.

In Washington D.C., President Roosevelt stands before the United States Congress, the whole of America and the world watching, beginning a speech that would forever decide the course of the war, and the course of history itself:

"Mr. Vice President, Mr. Speaker, members of the Senate and the House of Representatives: Yesterday, December 7th, 1941 -a date which will live in infamy- the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation, and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in the American island of Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to our Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. And while this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or of armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. I regret to tell you that very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong.

Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam.

Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands.

Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island.

And this morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday and today speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

But always will our whole nation remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe that I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make it very certain that this form of treachery shall never again endanger us.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces -with the unbounding determination of our people- we will gain the inevitable triumph; so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December 7th, 1941, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire."

Hearing the speech on the radio, Henry and Donald, both still shocked by the scale and ferocity of the attack, were not surprised that it had come to war. Henry stood up, saying to Donald, who was sitting next to him, "America's going to war. I'm going with it." Donald replied, "I'm with you on that. I'm transferring out of the Flying Tigers and into the Navy." Out of curiosity, Henry asked, "So which ship are you going to be stationed?" Donald replied with a smirk on his face, "The 'Lady Lex'. Her captain said that I'm a rare commodity and that the carrier needs someone like me." Henry chuckled at how the captain of the aircraft carrier USS Lexington worded the need of his pilots for an experienced leader. Henry then contemplated what the future might bring, whether he and/or Donald might be killed or not.

What was certain though, was that the fires that began at Pearl Harbor would incite the rage of those at home. A rage that would last all the way through to the war's conclusion, whoever the victor might be. America, with all its military and industrial might, had become determined to make sure that Japan would pay dearly for its day of glory.

The world has not forgotten that day in December 1941; when the war came to America, and America came into the war.

Read and Review, everyone.