The Fight Before Christmas
December 23rd, 1941
Attu Island, Alaska
It was a lightly snowing day on the frosted white island of Attu, in the Aleutian Island chain of Alaska. There was almost nothing for miles around, save for the native Aleut villages, a US naval base at Chichagof Harbor, and the radar station atop Moore Ridge. It was just a few weeks after that dreadful attack on Pearl, and the War Department in Washington was trying to establish a perimeter defense to guard the west coast from naval assault by the Neuroi. The prominent yet skeletal metal dishes scanned the arctic sky, waiting and watching for any sign of an enemy fleet. Even then, Attu was only a picket station at the time. The remainder of the US Navy was spread far and wide, in a desperate attempt to find the Neuroi carrier force, and avenge Pearl Harbor. For this reason, Attu was low priority on the list, and only had a few destroyers, and a small squadron of bomber witches on standby.
The witch squadron was a stopgap measure, since a proper runway had not yet been constructed on Attu. The squadron consisted of the young Thelma Cartwright, the young Pauline Tibbets, and the native Aleut pilot named Ila Yakone, who had fought alongside Captain Samantha Laddon in the attack on Pearl. Thelma and Pauline were fairly fresh from the naval Air Force academy, and their SBD-3 Dauntless dive bomber units had trouble adapting to the cold, much like their pilots. Ila was used to the cold weather, and flew proudly with her PV-2D Harpoon bomber units. They sat around in the radar station, playing cards and drinking hot cocoa in their parka coats.
"Straight! I win!" Thelma shouted, throwing her hand of cards onto the table.
"Not so fast," Pauline smirked. "Full House." She challenged, laying her cards down.
Ila grinned broadly, and laughed at both. "Amateurs. Royal Flush." She said, laying down her cards.
The other two girls threw up their hands in disgust as Ila's laugh echoed in the radar station. She was promptly shushed by the annoyed radar officers, who were busy leaning over their consoles with those cumbersome headsets.
"What's the big deal? There's nothing out here anyways." Thelma grumbled, picking up the cards. "We should be out hunting those juicy Neuroi carriers, not sitting in this nut house."
"That fleet could be anywhere since the attack on Pearl." Pauline sulked. "The navy is already spread thin trying to cover the Pacific… And unfortunately, the odds of them being picked up from here on Attu is, well… you'd have better luck trying to beat Tech Sgt. Yakone at cards…"
Just then, one of the radar officers called Ila over to his station. "Tech Sgt. Yakone, I think it might just be another iceberg, but I need you to verify for me."
"All this ice is enough to make anyone crazy sometimes." Ila shrugged, walking over. When she looked at the contact, it was apparent that the blip was moving steadily. Soon it was joined by other blips, in what looked like a formation. "Whoa whoa whoa, are those ships?" She asked, wide-eyed.
The radar officer pulled out an identification manual, and flipped rapidly through the pages. His finger stopped on page 97, as his heart sank. "The smaller ones are landing ships. And where there are landing ships…" He turned the book around to reveal the silhouettes of a fearsome Neuroi battleship, and a carrier.
"This is what we've been waiting for, our chance to sink the Neuroi in their tracks!" Ila brimmed with confidence.
"Uh, hello? We've got like, 2 Clemson class destroyers, and us. I don't know if you've been around lately, but the War Dept. never expected to see ships in the Aleutians this soon." Thelma said, attempting to munch on a piece of jerky.
"Girls, men even." Ila stood tall. "We were put here on a reason. If they continue, they'll be right on top of San Francisco by Christmas morning. And the civilians will wake up to see something far worse than Santa's sleigh in their backyard."
"I admire your bravado, Tech Sgt." Pauline said. "But we need to inform Washington and await orders."
"Orders, orders." Ila trailed off. "In my village, I was taught how to be a hunter. If you go out there and you hesitate in the moment of truth, you've already lost."
"Well, Einstein." Thelma snorted. "Tell us how you plan to destroy a Neuroi fleet?"
Ila thought long and hard, pacing the cold concrete floor. Suddenly, her ears perked up. "San Francisco has a harbor defense command, does it not?"
"Well, yes. Those boys have never fired at a real ship before, though." The radar officer said.
"They have 16-inch guns in Battery Townsley and Battery Davis, no?" Ila pressed.
"Yes, but again, those boys have never fired at a live target before." The officer repeated his statement.
"What have we got to lose? Call up San Francisco Harbor Defense Command, and fuel the bomber units. We leave immediately." Ila said, walking out into the snow.
Soon the girls were in the air, and quickly approaching San Francisco. Thelma and Pauline's SBD units struggled to warm up, while Ila had no problem getting her PV-2D nice and toasty. "Those SBD units need a tune up. They'll never survive the war like that." She called over the radio.
"Don't worry, we'll have much bigger bomber units than yours someday." Pauline said flatly.
"I wouldn't count on it." Ila laughed.
"So, what exactly is our plan, anyways?" Thelma shivered.
"Battery Townsley and Battery Davis guard the northern and southern approaches to the harbor mouth, each one having two 16-inch rifles, which were originally intended for our battleships until the Washington Naval Treaty was signed. They can hit anything approaching from long range, and can even pierce most battleship armor. Even if they get close, the Neuroi still must navigate a minefield around the harbor mouth. If they get into the channel, Battery Rathbone-McIndoe and Battery Chamberlain are equipped with 6-inch rifles on M1903 disappearing carriages. They can load, aim, fire, and disappear within 30 seconds. There a few batteries scattered around the Golden Gate Bridge too. The only real issue is anti-air defense. If they have a carrier with an air group, the coastal defenses only have a couple of 76mm and 90mm anti-aircraft guns scattered around."
"Where do we come in?" Pauline prodded.
"We will attack them from the rear, and chase them right into the gun range of Townsley and Davis. The carrier USS Saratoga is docked in the harbor as well, if you need to re-arm. After that, provide air cover while the coastal artillery cleans house." Ila commanded.
December 24th, 1941
It wasn't even sunrise when the girls made landfall, and Ila contacted the harbor defense command. "San Francisco HDC, do you copy?"
"This is Captain McAllister, Harbor Defenses, we read you loud and clear." The captain said. "We see the enemy ships, they will be in range of Battery Townsley in 5 minutes, and Battery Davis in 7 minutes. No changes in course." He paused. "I never thought the war would come this far, but maybe we can prove our worth today. McAllister out."
The Neuroi fleet was in perfect formation, when the Witches dove out of the clouds. Ila had her bombsight trained on the aft flight deck of the carrier, as Thelma aimed for midship and Pauline the forward flight deck. Their bombs struck true, resulting in a spectacular explosion as the carrier was illuminated by fireballs.
"Direct hit! Aircraft contained!" Thelma cheered. "Enemy steering gears damaged as well!"
"For now." Pauline noted, as the carrier began to regenerate armor.
"Looks like we've got their attention, watch that flak, girls!" Ila shouted, as lasers and flak flew past them.
The girls raced to San Francisco, just as the lead cruiser entered Battery Townsley's range. The mighty 16-inch guns trained skyward, but did not fire. The gunners looked intently at Captain McAllister.
"What the hell are we waiting for? This is our chance to be heroes!" One of the gunners complained.
"Wait for Battery Davis. If the Neuroi continue their approach, we'll catch them in a crossfire. If you fire now, they'll mark our positions, turn to the north, and pick us off one by one. This requires teamwork, since we don't get the luxury of maneuvering…" He growled, as the gunner held fire.
No sooner had the lead cruiser entered Battery Davis' range, when the radio sprang to life. "Battery Davis, target acquired."
"Fire." McAllister's cold voice rumbled.
The behemoth guns recoiled almost a foot into the bunker, throwing dust everywhere as a violent roar split the peaceful air of San Francisco bay. The muzzle flash from Townsley and Davis was enough to illuminate the whole coastline for a moment, as the 406mm armor piercing shells screamed through the air. Davis' rounds straddled the enemy battleship, throwing columns of water twenty feet into the air. Townsley's projectiles pierced right through the armored belt, penetrating the battleship's citadel as a tremendous fire bloomed from the smokestacks.
The bomber witches flew over Battery Townsley, noting the exhaust that billowed from the gun barrels. As they approached USS Saratoga to rearm and refuel, they were contacted by the carrier.
"This is Captain Harry Yarnell of USS Saratoga. What's going on out there?" The captain demanded.
"This is Tech Sgt. Ila Yakone, callsign 'Attu Warrior,' San Francisco HDC is currently engaging a Neuroi landing force." Ila replied. "We are running low on fuel and need to rearm our munitions, requesting permission to land."
"Roger that Attu Warrior. Had we known, we would've intercepted them before they could get in range. Our ship was damaged in the disaster at Wake Island by a torpedo attack, so we've just been sitting idly here." He paused for a moment. "But maybe this is a chance to redeem our reputation. You're cleared to land, I'll scramble our Baker and Able squadron to cover the harbor airspace."
"Copy that Captain Yarnell. Attu Warrior out." Ila said.
The girls had just begun to land on Saratoga, as Batteries Townsley and Davis fired another salvo. Several civilians came running down to the harbor, still in their pajamas and slippers. When they saw the mighty 16-inch guns raining fire on the Neuroi landing force, they cheered with glee. Captain Yarnell saw the civilians crowding around the dock, and deployed the onboard marine force to secure the perimeter.
"The last thing we need is civilians getting hurt." He told the marines, as they formed a barricade around the pedestrian entrances.
Even as Townsley and Davis had set the enemy battleship ablaze, the smaller destroyers and landing ships attempted to maneuver the minefield at the harbor mouth. The lead destroyer plowed right into a line of naval mines, in a self-sacrifice to let the five landing ships pass through. Each one was laden with four crab-type Neuroi tanks, and at least a hundred of the humanoid shaped infantry units. They rumbled into the second defensive line, just as Battery Rathbone-McIndoe confirmed their range. The 6-inch disappearing mounts popped up over the concrete wall, like gophers on Groundhog Day.
Just then, a new voice came over the radio. "This is Gunnery Sgt. Appleton, opening fire."
The 6-inch guns opened fire, using the recoil force to push the guns back behind the wall, disappearing completely. Their 152mm shells pierced the lead landing ship in the port side, as it began listing heavily into the water. Their salvo was complemented by Battery Chamberlain, just across the channel. Another volley of 6-inch shells rained into the second landing ship, destroying the steering gears as it careened into the lead ship, and they both capsized. By this point, the Neuroi had realized where the gun mounts where, and returned fire. A pair of 5-inch high explosive shells landed in the gun pits of Battery Rathbone-McIndoe, destroying one of the gun mounts and killing its crew.
Soon the Neuroi carrier had put out the fire, and launched a wave of dive bombers against Rathbone-McIndoe. The deadly arrow-shaped craft strafed the gun pits with laser fire, dropping bombs into the gunnery mounts.
"This is Gunnery Sgt. Appleton! Enemy air elements have attacked my position! I'm down to two operational guns! For Christ's sake, get some air support in here!" He cried.
"Roger that Appleton, this is Captain Yarnell of USS Saratoga. The Bomber Witches are inbound, with Baker Flight and Able Flight flanking them. Just sit tight."
"I don't think I have much of a choice!" He shouted, as another bomb fell on top of the bunker, throwing concrete fragments everywhere.
Able Flight swooped in with their F4F Wildcats, slotting in behind the Neuroi dive bombers as the .50 caliber guns ravenously chewed up the targets. They continued to engage the bombers, as Baker Flight's TBD Devastator's followed the Bomber Witches. Ila fired a few of her 5-inch HVAR rockets into the third landing craft, as it cracked open like a volcanic fissure. Thelma and Pauline nailed the remaining LST's with their 1000lb dive bombs, eliminating the threat of amphibious invasion.
It was then that Captain McAllister's voice came over the radio. "Attention all friendly bombers! The enemy battleship has exited our firing arc! She's driving right down the channel for a last stand! You've got to sink that thing before it gets in range of Saratoga! We'll deal with the carrier!" McAllister panicked.
Ila looked ahead, as the fearsome dreadnought charged right through the minefield, undeterred by the extensive damage received from coastal defenses. Even as flames poured from the smokestacks, it maintained course and speed like an angry bear. Battery Chamberlain opened fire, but the 6-inch shells bounced harmlessly off the armor belt. Baker Flight couldn't drop their torpedoes in shallow water, and flew ahead to attack the enemy carrier. Ila searched anxiously for an answer, her head panning around the harbor. Then, her gaze rested on the Golden Gate Bridge. A dreadful idea crossed her mind, as she cautiously contacted Captain McAllister.
"Tech Sgt. Yakone, please tell me you're not serious…!" Captain McAllister roared.
"What choice do we have left?" Captain Yarnell objected. "The 6-inch batteries are just pea-shooters against that thing's armor."
"I'm sorry Captain McAllister." Ila said. "It's the bridge, or all our vessels in the harbor."
"Do you have any idea how far we'll be set back in merchant shipping? Did you even consider that Saratoga will be stuck here until the bridge is raised and repaired?!" McAllister fumed.
"Better to be moored here than at the bottom of the harbor." Yarnell concluded, stroking his chin. "I approve the attack, Tech Sgt. Yakone."
"Roger that." Ila nodded. "Desperate times call for desperate measures."
"You can't be serious…!" McAllister wept, as he sank to his knees in defeat.
The battleship was about to pass under the Golden Gate Bridge, as thick oily smoke billowed from end to end of the accursed vessel. Ila hovered atop the bridge, waiting for just the right moment, until the ship's smokestacks were directly underneath the bridge.
"Father, please give me strength…" Ila said, a tear running down her face as she looked skyward. An aurora appeared in the skies above San Francisco Harbor, with intensely prismatic light waves, as Ila retrieved a K-Bar knife from her side holster. The blade was inscribed with native Aleut writings from her father, who was the previous owner of the knife. The very same knife he had used to protect his daughter from wild animals, when she was but a young child. But her father was gone, and the knife was now the only heirloom she had left of him. Ila wiped her tears, attaching the blade to her Browning M2 in a bayonet configuration.
"POLARIS!" She yelled out, her eyes gleaming with killing intent. Her speed and mobility increased tremendously, as she began slicing through the bridge supports and suspension cables. The mighty Golden Gate Bridge groaned, as the main beams shifted, and began to fall. The high-tension wires and steel supports came crashing down, bludgeoning through the boiler room and core of the battleship. The bow of the ship rose into the air, as the midsection split, and the vessel sank slowly into the harbor waters. The core shattered from the combination of battle damage and the water pressure, as the hull disintegrated into snowy flecks.
Simultaneously, the Devastators were returning from their torpedo run. They had left the enemy carrier with multiple hull breaches, despite a few losses, and Battery Townsley fired the killing blow into the carrier's citadel. The 16-inch round pierced the red hexagonal core, and the ship shattered like a glass window pane.
When the dust had cleared, Thelma and Pauline saw Ila falling through the air, heading straight for the submerged bridge supports. They dove in to catch her, stopping the Aleut girl from being impaled. By the time Ila opened her eyes, the San Francisco harbor was lined with civilians, the police department, the fire department, the coast guard, and the marine force from USS Saratoga. Despite the loss of several artillery gunners, navy pilots, and the Golden Gate Bridge, the throng of people let out a cheer that shook the city.
The girls touched down on Saratoga's deck, as Captain Yarnell came down to greet them. Ila managed to open her eyes and sit upright, as he walked over.
"You girls have got some spunk. With pilots like you, I'm certain we can win this war." Yarnell smiled. "Don't let McAllister frighten you, he let his overconfidence get the best of him. He saw his chance at glory, but misjudged his capabilities."
"So, what happens now?" Ila groaned.
"Don't worry about the bridge. We can always rebuild things like that. Remember, these people built the Saratoga in just five years." Yarnell chuckled. "Besides, I don't think the civilians mind. You hear that cheering? That's the sound of life, one of the best gifts anyone could have on Christmas Eve. The harbor is safe, there were no civilian casualties. Hold your heads high."
"I guess we… saved Christmas then?" Thelma said inquisitively.
"I suppose. The Bomber Witches who saved Christmas." Pauline giggled.
"Easy there, we were just doing our jobs." Ila coughed. "Just another day for the Bomber Witches."
The group laughed, as the harbor defense crews cheered from the gun pits, and the civilians sang Christmas carols in the streets.
Later, when the girls flew back to Attu, they found a dark green, bristly thing inside the radar station, decorated with red and gold ornaments. As it turned out, the people of San Francisco were overjoyed by the Bomber Witches heroics, that they bought the girls a rather large Christmas tree, and several gifts to put underneath it. However, it was bent by the comparatively low ceiling. Still, it was a welcome gift, as the girls rejoiced and sang Christmas carols with the radar crew.
