Hey, everybody. I hope you like this story. It's somewhat similar concept to Operation Illuvatar, but this one is about immediate post-WWII United States facing down the Numenoreans in their attempt to invade Valinor. With this one, I won't go through a couple of chapters setting up how the Valar got in contact with America, I'm just going to jump straight into the war. However, I'll explain throughout the story as to how the US got involved.

Alao, I chose to list this under Lord of the Rings since it has to do with Numenor and Sauron, and because the current Second age show by Amazon (I won't name it as I hate the show) is classified as a Lord of the Rings show.

Let's get to it.

Chapter 1

As the sun begins to set over the island of Numenor, it shines orange hues over the massive fleet gathered off its shore. A fleet known as the Great Armament. On top of a building overlooking the bay, the king of Numenor, Ar-Pharazon, looks down with smug pride upon his fleet. Today is the day. The day his war will begin.

For nine years, at the counsel of Sauron, Ar-Pharazon has built up the most powerful fleet ever seen in Middle-Earth, and trained an army more powerful than any seen in millenia. All of this with one purpose. To invade the Undying Lands and wrest control of them from the Valar, taking the immortality he deserves and establishing themselves as the rulers of the world.

Finally, after 9 years, the armament of Numenor is compete, and the fleet is ready to sail. Thousands of ships have been constructed, and an army of hundreds of thousands have been assembled. Ar-Pharazon, ever paranoid of someone attempting to challenge, is leaving part of his army behind on Numenor to defend it, as well as garrisons in its colonies. However, his army of almost a million is more than strong enough in his opinion to defeat the Elves of Aman and the Valar and seize control of Valinor.

"My Lord, it is time," the king's chief aid in the armada says from beside him. With a simple nod, Pharazon begins walking down to the bay.

Almost all of the fleet has already cast off from the dock and is waiting for the king. Pharazon walks down to the docks, where his mighty flagship, the Alcarondas, is waiting for him. Pharazon boards his flagship and sits down upon his throne aboard the ship. As he does so, the ship casts off from the dock and begins to move away from the docks.

Across the bay, Numenoreans cheer as they watch their king's ship set sail. At last, Valinor will be theirs, and they will finally achieve immortality. As the fleet sets sail, atop a hill overlooking the bay, Elendil the Tall watches in sadness. He knows that Pharazon's effort is doomed, and this will bring great punishment upon Numenor, perhaps even its destruction. Looking up at the sky, he says a prayer to Eru that his father had reached Valinor with his plea, and that he, Elendil, will be able to save the Faithful.

Nobody, not Pharazon nor Elendil, knows the fight that Pharazon will soon face.

(Shadowy Seas)

In the Shadowy Seas off of Valinor, the sky is rather dark, but the sea is calm. However, the sea, for the first time in a very long time, is not uninhabited, nor just a calm waterway. Now, a great fleet lies in the Shadowy Seas off Tol Eressea. A fleet of warships unlike any ever seen in Arda.

On the bridge of the battleship USS New Jersey, Fleet Admiral William Halsey is watching the waters to the east. He knows from submarines keeping watch on Numenor that the fleet will be setting sail today. Soon, the Great Armament will reach these waters, and his fleet will be engaged in the greatest naval battle in history.

After the Valar had first made contact with the United States the previous year through the portals that had happened up, Halsey, who had previously been scheduled to take a special assignment in the office of the Secretary of the Navy, asked to retain his fleet command, and therefore was assigned to lead the 3rd Fleet into Arda, and was given his promotion to the rank of Fleet Admiral.

Halsey's 3rd Fleet had arrived in Arda through a portal just two weeks earlier. His fleet was one of 2 fleets, the second being the Seventh Fleet under Admiral Kincaid. The Third Fleet had most of the warships assigned to Arda, including all of its aircraft carriers, while the Seventh Fleet had a few warships and all of the transports.

General Eisenhower and Admiral Nimitz, who had taken over from General Marshall and Admiral King as Army Chief of Staff and Chief of Naval Operations after the end of WWII, had together devised a plan for the campaign against Numenor. Halsey's Third Fleet would engage the Great Armament at sea and destroy it. Once the Great Armament was destroyed, the Seventh Fleet would embark an invasion army, the 6th Army under the command of General Walter Krueger, massing in Valinor and sail to Numenor with the Third Fleet to mount an invasion of Numenor. Once Numenor was conquered, the US would proceed onwards to destroy Numenorean outposts in Middle Earth and free its colonies.

The question of what to be done about Sauron was still being debated, but it had mostly been decided that the discussion would pretty much be tabled until Numenor was conquered, so they could see what would happen with Sauron during the invasion. However, if he escaped, Eisenhower was already planning an operation to attack Mordor and bring down Sauron.

Halsey's Third Fleet is much smaller than it was at the end of WWII, especially given there is no British Pacific Fleet joining his fleet like there was at the end of the pacific war, and some American ships are busy with other tasks. However, it's still more than enough to deal with the Numenoreans.

Halsey has split has fleet into two forces. The main battle fleet is centered around his eight fast battleships: the North Carolina, the Washington, the South Dakota, the Massachuetts, the Alabama, the Iowa, the New Jersey, and the Wisconsin. Accompanying them are the large cruiser Guam, 10 heavy cruisers, 14 light cruisers, and 56 destroyers. These ships are arranged in battle formation just east of Tol Eressea, ready to engage the Numenorean fleet in battle. They will be joined in the eventual battle by 8 submarines that are currently serving recon duties.

The second force is stationed almost 150 miles north of Tol Eressea. This second force is Halsey's carrier force. It is comprised of 10 fleet carriers (Enterprise, Essex, Yorktown, Intrepid, Ticonderoga, Lexington, Bennington, Bon Homme Richard, Antietam, and Midway) and 4 light carriers (Belleau Wood, Monterey, Langley, and Bataan). Given the lack of threat posed by anything in Middle-Earth, they are escorted by just six destroyers. They are meant to send their air wings to attack the Numenorean fleet as it is engaged in battle by the rest of the 3rd Fleet.

Admiral Kincaid's 7th Fleet is currently moored off the southern end of Valinor, with almost a thousand transports and auxiliary vessels waiting to pick up the invasion army. Also with the transports are a small number of warships meant to provide escort and later gunfire support for the landings. They include 5 older battleships (New Mexico, Idaho, Tennessee, Maryland, and West Virginia), 4 heavy cruisers, 5 light cruisers, and 22 destroyers. Admiral Kincaid is flying his flag on the West Virginia.

Admiral Halsey watches the darkening sky and sea as he thinks about the battle ahead. Although the Numenoreans are far inferior in their technology, Halsey knows victory will not be so simple as it seems. This is definitely going to be a campaign to remember.

And, I'll end the chapter there. Hope you liked this somewhat short intro.

Next chapter will be the naval battle between the Third Fleet and the Great Armament, and then we'll move on to the invasion of Numenor. The next chapter will be up within a few days. Until it is, please leave a review, and stay tuned!