Hey, everybody. Back with another chapter.

Let's get to it.

Guest: They have to some degree, but have been keeping most of the details of the two ships secret, mostly because they don't want the truth about them being from the future to leak out.

Lenny Mcface: There will be a chapter like that, but interviews won't really be happening, for the reasons discussed above.

dextermed16: Both sides recognize that the Nimitz is a game changer.

Chapter 20- Crushing the Evacuation

Admiral Halsey looks out from the flag bridge of the Missouri as the battleship cuts through the waves around New Britain. It hadn't been too long ago that Halsey decided to transfer his flag to the Missouri, believing it to be a more durable and better suited as a flagship than the Enterprise, not only because of her armor, but also her advanced systems from the 1980s.

Halsey was currently leading some of his surface ships on a special mission. The Japanese had finally given up on New Britain, and were evacuating their forces from New Britain. Halsey had attempted to stop the initial evacuation, under the impression that it was a reinforcement effort and not an evacuation. However, that had resulted in the loss of the heavy cruiser USS Chicago. After Captain Carney had confirmed to Halsey that this was an evacuation, and that the Japanese would not be mounting a major attack, Halsey decided to attack the vacuating ships.

Frustratingly to Halsey, he didn't have too many warships available for him to try and stop the final evacuation effort. Most of his carriers, both US and British, were too far away, and not as many surface ships were in the area. In addition, most of the pilots flying from the airfields around Rabaul were not experienced in trying to attack ships at night, so they would not be able to assist.

However, Halsey did have enough ships that he hoped were close enough to devastate the evacuation. Reports were that the evacuation was being carried out by destroyers so they could escape at high speed. There could be anywhere from a dozen to thirty destroyers inbound.

Halsey's force was small, but powerful. It included 5 destroyers, the light cruiser USS Phoenix, and two battleships: Missouri and the HMS Anson. With the firepower at his disposal, Halsey could cause heavy damage to this last evacuation.

However, that's a problem. While the US knows the general area of New Britain where the Japanese troops are, they don't know exactly where they are, nor do they know the route that the destroyers will be using to reach New Britain to evacuate the troops. At this point, Halsey is on a bit of wild goose chase to try and find the Japanese. The main advantage to help is the Missouri's advanced surface radar, which will be able to detect the Japanese destroyers at a greater range than any of the other ships will be able to detect them.

So far, the US ships have not been able to locate the Japanese. Halsey has tempted to split his force into two or three forces, but also is a bit concerned about the number of destroyers incoming and the threat they pose with their torpedoes against just two or three warships, even battleships.

"Anything on primary radar?" Halsey calls down to the CIC.

"We might have something, Admiral. Standby," an officer monitoring the surface search radar calls back up to the bridge.

Halsey waits impatiently, staring out at the nigthsky. He looks over to the ship's port side, and can faintly see the Anson about 2 miles off the Missouri's port side.

"Admiral, several radar contacts. Distance 38 miles on bearing 2-8-0, heading south. At least 6 contacts. Likely these are the destroyers heading to pick up the Japanese troops," he says.

"We need to intercept those destroyers," Halsey orders.

Captain Carney, hearing this, quickly orders, "Signal the Anson. Come to course 270 and increase speed to 28 knots."

The order is quickly relayed to the Anson by blinker light, and the two battleships begin their turn. The cruiser and destroyers quickly follow suit, all of them either behind or level with the two battleships. At the same time, the ships speed up to 28 knots.

Halsey turns to Captain Carney as the ships complete their turn, and says simply, "Sound General Quarters."

"Yes, sir," Carney responds. Carney then turns around and says loud enough for everyone to hear, "General Quarters!"

General Quarters alarms begin to sound on the Missouri, and the crew begins to race to their battlestations. At the same time, the alarms can be faintly heard on the Anson and two destroyers close enough, and these ships also begin to sound General Quarters. The alarms continue to be heard one by one across the task force, and one by one the ships begin to sound General Quarters. It doesn't take long for all the ships to be at their battlestations.

The task force proceeds due west at high speed, trying to get within range of the destroyers heading to evacuate the remaining Japanese troops. The two battleships and the Phoenix load their main guns with armor piercing shells, although the Phoenix loads her center gun in number 2 turret with a star shell to help illuminate the destroyers.

About 50 minutes, Halsey calls down to the CIC, "Range to targets."

"Admiral, closest destroyer is 12 miles out. Can confirm that most of the ships have stopped," the radar operator responds.

"They're starting to pick up the troops. We have to move quickly. We open fire at ten miles," Halsey orders.

The Allied ships maintain course, training their guns in the direction of the Japanese destroyers. Halsey calls for updates every minute on the position and behavior of the Japanese destroyers.

Finally, the radar operator calls out, "Range to targets, 10 miles. All vessels are currently stopped."

"Order the Phoenix to fire her star shell, then all ships are to open fire!" Halsey orders.

The order is quickly relayed. Mere seconds later, the Phoenix fires the middle gun in her No. 2 turret. The star shell streaks towards the Japanese destroyers, landing in the sea in the midst of the formation.

However, before the shell has even landed, the Missouri, her guns guided by her radar, opens fire with her two forward turrets. Her first salvo barely misses, one of her shells missing a destroyer by just 50 yards.

The Japanese sailors and soldiers are thrown into a panic by the sudden appearance of the Allied ships, having only just begun the evacuation. Their panic increases as they see the Anson and Phoenix open fire as well, followed only moments later by the destroyers.

Wanting to preserve his ships, the Japanese naval commander immediately orders his ships to retreat. They have only picked up about 800 soldiers, with almost 3,000 troops still left on the island. However, the Japanese commander feels that it will be better to try and escape with what they already have rather than try to keep picking up men and risk being destroyed.

One by one, the destroyers begin to back away from the island and turn around to assume course for home, leaving almost 3,000 troops behind. As they begin their turns, the Allied ships fire their next salvo. No hits are scored, but a 14 inch shell from the Anson hits the water just 28 yards from a Japanese destroyer and explodes in the water, sending out a shockwave that ruptures the destroyer's hull in 2 spots.

As the destroyers stop backing up and begin to turn, they slow down to almost 10 knots, making them much easier targets. On the fourth Allied salvo, two 16 inch shells from the Missouri strike one of the destroyers. One of the two shells hits amidships and sets off her torpedoes, nearly blowing the ship in half. The other causes heavy damage below the waterline in the bow. The ship begins listing rapidly to port, and sinks in just 9 minutes, taking all but 13 of the men aboard with her.

The other destroyers go to flank speed, quickly accelerating past 30 knots. However, shells from the pursuing Allied ships continue to rain down around them. It only takes a few more minutes before two six inch shells from the Phoenix hit the destroyer previously damaged by the near miss from the Anson. The shells cause heavy damage to the bridge, killing 17 men. Then, she's hit four times in a matter of seconds by 5 inch shells fired from the pursuing destroyers and the Missouri. These hits cause damage to her port side hull and start small fires inside her.

The destroyers continue to race for home. Then, the Anson scores her first hit as a 14 inch shell hits the stern of a fleeing destroyer, causing heavy damage and starting a fire. Then, three 16 inch shells from the Missouri strike the first destroyer, bringing the hit total to 9 hits and one near miss. She's now burning fiercely and taking on water. The captain orders the abandon ship, and the crew and rescued troops begin jumping over the side as the ship begins listing heavily to port.

Halsey quickly recognizes that the surviving destroyers are pulling away. Thinking quickly, he orders, "Order the Fletcher and Phoenix to maintain positions off our starboard and port sides. Anson and remaining destroyers are to bombard the troops left on shore."

The Missouri, Phoenix, and Fletcher speed up to 32 knots and continue to pursue the destroyers, firing as they can. At the same time, the Anson and 4 remaining destroyers move into bombarding position. At a distance of 7,500 yards, the Anson and the 4 destroyers open fire on the Japanese soldiers ashore, hurling 14 and 5 inch shells towards them.

Halsey maintains the pursuit of the Japanese ships for about 20 minutes. However, in that time, the three pursuing ships fail to land a single hit, thanks to the Japanese destroyers sailing in a slight zig zag pattern.

Finally, after 20 minutes, Halsey says, "Alright. Hat's enough. We're falling too far behind. Reverse our course and rendezvous with the Anson."

The three ships turn around and head back to rendezvous with the Anson. The British battleship meets them halfway, having already ended the bombardment. The operation had not been as successful as Halsey wanted, having only sunk two destroyers. However, most of the Japanese troops left on New Britain had been killed by the bombardment from the Anson and accompanying destroyers. Even though it didn't end the way Halsey wanted, the New Britain campaign has come to an end.

And, I'll end there. Hope this was a good chapter.

We're cutting back to the Mediterranean theater next chapter. We'll have 5 straight chapters with the Nimitz, then one with the Missouri, before we get into the buildup to the Battle of Midway.

Next chapter should be up soon. Until it is, leave a review, and stay tuned!