Rear Admiral Smith's personal log. Current date is November 18, 2015. The initial landings on Australia proceeded well but most failed to reach their day one objectives. Operation Ace is a multinational operation involving troops from North American, Central America, and South America. In addition, the New Zealanders are involved along with the Free Australian Army which consists of a couple thousand Australian soldiers who escaped before their country fell.

The invasion is still making progress albeit slowly. Sydney, the capital of New South Wales, has been surrounded but yet to be liberated. Due to Sydney being a capital and one of Australia's largest cities naval bombardment and carpet bombing have been prohibited. Precision airstrikes though have not.

The invasion force sent for Wake Island succeeded in recapturing it. There are stirrings of a plan to invade New Caledonia and use it as a launching point for attacks on the Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea. It's a solid plan and I've given it my approval. Whether HIGH COM approves of it is another question. If they do approve the next question is will it begin during Operation Ace or after.

Off the East coast of Australia lies the supporting fleet for the invasion. Numerous battleships and cruisers provide fire support while aircraft roar overhead providing air cover or conducting close air support. Most of the destroyers are deployed as a screening force fifty nautical miles from the supporting fleet. Their main objective is to sink enemy submarines and alert the fleet if enemy surface units are heading their way. One of the many destroyers assigned to this is USS Maury. Her sister, McCall, is patrolling eighteen nautical miles to her West. Another destroyer, Lamson, is patrolling twenty-five nautical miles to her East. Their patrol area has them as the furthest allied Kanmusu from the support fleet.

'The weather is clear and the seas are calm. Perfect day to be out on the ocean. Now if only I wasn't patrolling for hostile submarines. With the calm conditions, it will be far easier to pick them up on sonar.'

With that thought, she sent a few pulses of active sonar before switching back to passive. Knowing that her sonar operator would alert her if he heard anything she closed her eyes and soaked in the sun.

"Radar contact."

"Where," Maury asked.

"Direct North. Range, seventy-seven miles. It's alone."

"Is it a fighter or bomber?"

"Speed suggests some type of bomber. Wait, it just turned around. It's gone."

Maury raised her eyebrow at the strange event. "McCall, Lamson. Just had a single radar contact but it turned tail."

"Maybe it was a scout aircraft?"

"If it's a scout aircraft it did a terrible job. Here's another question: Why did it come from the North? You'd figure any and all aircraft would come from Australia."

Before they could discuss it further, Maury received a radio call. "Maury, do you copy. Over."

"Go ahead North Carolina."

"One of my scouts spotted an Abyssal armored column heading down the coast. I want one of your destroyers to destroy it before they reach the front. Out."

"Sis got some shore bombardment for you. There's an Abyssal armored column that North Carolina wants destroyed."

"Say no more sis. I'll stop'em dead."

"Lamson, hold your position. I'm filling in McCall's spot."

"Copy that."

Being down one destroyer meant they had to widen their search zones. Due to this, Maury and Lamson increased speed slightly to cover their patrol zones quicker. She started pinging active more frequently.

"Sonar contact. Bearing: 0-0-9."

Maury changed course and headed straight for the contact. "Switching to active. Positive contact on active."

She increased her speed and rapidly closed on the submarine. "Contact lost."

She launched two spreads of depth charges. She started to come about when the charges detonated creating columns of water on the surface. She reduced her speed.

"Contact reestablished. Bearing: 3-1-1."

Maury turned hard to port and rapidly closed the range. She fired three more spreads of depth charges. She turned hard to starboard and reduced her speed. Her sonar didn't pick anything up but there is no indication that she sank the submarine.

"Massive decompression from the submarine."

"Implosion?"

"Negative. It blew its ballast tanks. It's trying to surface! Bearing: 1-6-3."

Maury brought her guns to bear and waited. The seconds ticked by and she could see the Abyssal submarine slowly rise. Suddenly, there was a flash and hundreds of bubbles hid the sub but she still had it on sonar.

"Internal explosion. Contact breaking up."

"Lamson this is Maury. Enemy submarine foundered. There might be more. Out."

She pulled away from the sinking submarine so her sonar wouldn't pick it up as it sank. Once her hydrophones didn't hear the submarine breaking up, she slowed to ten knots. She pinged active sonar for a few seconds before switching back to passive. For the next hour, she patrolled nothing happened. Sonar and radar were clear and nobody contacted her.

"McCall, how's the bombardment going?"

"It's going great! One of Carolina's floatplanes is spotting for me making this a hell of a lot easier!"

Maury smiled at her sister's joyful tone, "Good to hear. How much longer will it take?"

"Most of the convoy is destroyed so a couple more minutes and I'll head back."

"Copy that. Out."

"We've received a message from Lamson. It reads Engaging enemy submarine contact."

"Farragut, do you copy? Over."

"Loud and clear."

"Two enemy submarines have been engaged by my squadron. Be on guard, more might be inbound. Out."

"Report from Lamson: Enemy submarine destroyed."

"Excellent."

Farragut is part of a smaller second screening force of destroyers. The closest destroyer to her is Flusser who is twenty nautical miles from her current position. She has, mostly, tuned out the near-constant sound of naval guns firing. Every now and again she would turn around and see multiple flashes as eight-inch, fourteen-inch, fifteen-inch, and sixteen-inch shells pummel the Abyssals.

She pinged active sonar a few times before switching back to passive. She has repeated this process for the past forty minutes but has yet to detect a submarine. Judging from the lack of radio calls, none of the other destroyers have detected a submarine either. She refuses to relax though as Maury had reported two enemy submarines sunk.

The drone of an aircraft engine brought her attention to the sky. She spotted it easily enough; it's Carolina's floatplane returning to her. She ignored it and turned her attention to Australia's coastline. Black smoke is rising up into the air but she doesn't know for sure how the ground war is going. Judging from the shelling that's been ongoing for the past couple of hours, the fighting must be vicious.

The transport ships have long since returned to Wellington Naval Base. The only non-combat ships in the area are two supply ships that can resupply Kanmusu.

"Farragut, this is Flusser. I've detected an enemy submarine and I'm moving to engage. Out."

"They're getting closer," she whispered. "Dale, do you copy?"

"I read you Farragut. Over."

"Flusser is engaging an enemy submarine. Be on high alert, out."

She pinged active sonar but came up empty. That didn't reassure her; in fact, it made her stomach churn.

"All destroyers this is Dale. Second screen reports hostile submarine contact. Be on high alert. Out."

"Well, that's not good," Brazen muttered to herself. She was part of the third and final destroyer screen for the fleet which is a mear five nautical miles from her position.

"Sonar contact! Bearing 1-7-7! I just lost it!"

Brazen cussed. She increased her speed to full and turned hard to port. Her sudden and violent maneuver didn't go unnoticed.

"Brazen? What's wrong?"

"Submarine sneaked past me! I'm moving to engage!"

"Copy that. Good hunting."

"Brazen this is Case; I'm moving to set up my own depth charge attack."

"Copy that Case. If I don't sink it, you will."

"Ten-four."

Brazen rapidly closed on the contact. She passed over it and launched five spreads of depth charges. Six seconds later, they detonated. Huge gazers of water exploded upward before gravity pulled them back down. She cut her speed, turned hard to starboard, and pinged active sonar. After a long thirty seconds, she picked up the contact.

"Contact breaking up."

Brazen nodded and contacted Case, "Enemy submarine sunk."

"Hell ya! That's what I like to hear!"

Brazen laughed in good nature at her Enthusiasm. "I'll return to my- TORPEDOES IN THE WATER! TORPEDOES IN THE WATER!"

Their enthusiasm is wiped away. "WHERE!?"

Salt Lake's guns roared sending ten eight-inch shells screaming towards her unfortunate targets. She had been providing support for so long that her ammo stores are running empty.

"Carolina, I'm reaching critically low levels for my ammo stores. Over."

"Understood. Resupply at one of the supply ships. Out."

Her guns rotated into cruising position and she slowly left the formation. It took a few minutes but she reached the edge of the formation where a few destroyers are patrolling. She slowly increased her speed and saw one of the destroyers rapidly increase its speed. A second destroyer followed and, in the distance, she saw gazers of water shoot upwards. "Depth charges," she whispered.

"SALT LAKE! MOVE!"

"Torpedoes off our port side!"

She cussed and turned hard in. She anxiously watched the torpedoes close in. The silent killers swam past her hull with one missing by mere inches. She looked behind her and found their actual targets. Tennessee and California are so focused they've missed what just happened.

"TORPEDOES IN THE WATER! TORPEDOES IN THE WATER!"

"Tennessee California TORPEDOES OFF YOUR STARBOARD!"

The sisters didn't hesitate. Black smoke poured from their funnels as they rang up flank speed. Between the destroyer's warning and the sudden action taken by Tennessee and California, the fleet slowly started to move.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

"Ah son of a bitch! WHERE'S THAT FUCKING SUBMARINE!? I'LL CRACK ITS DAMN HULL OPEN!"

Salt Lake looked toward the enraged shout. Indiana had just been hit by three torpedoes and she's already starting to list.

BOOM! BOOM!

"GODDAMMIT!"

"TENN!? Are you-" BOOM! "AH! You sneaky little shit!"

"Cali!?"

"I'm good! Okay, I'm not good but I've been worse! What about you!?"

"Those torpedoes fucked my screws and my rudder! I'm dead in the water!"

More explosions drew her attention. Off her port side, a destroyer just launched a spread of depth charges. Another destroyer started rolling charges creating a thick spread. Dozens of gazers are created in seconds as the charges explode. By now, most of the fleet is up to a good speed and is quickly heading away save for California who has put herself between her sister and any more torpedoes much to Tenseness's anger. "Damnit sis! Get out of here!"

"No! I'm not leaving you!"

There are more explosions to Salt Lake's starboard bow. Nine columns of water roar upward as a destroyer rolls depth charges. She changed course and rolled more depth charges creating another six columns of water. Salt Lake changed course and opened the distance between herself and the destroyers who are relentless in their hunt.

About two hours later the fleet continued their shore bombardment missions but Tennessee, California, and Indiana returned to base with a significant destroyer escort. This left the battleship North Carolina and the battlecruiser Renown as the only two Kanmusu with guns bigger than eight inches and significantly reduced the strength of their battleline.