The early morning sun rises over the Pacific with land a few miles away as the USS Enterprise approaches the Marshall Islands.
FEBRUARY 1, 1942
MARSHALL ISLANDS
And on it's deck, a dozen planes ready for flight and battle.
Everyone was inside the briefing room being filled in.
"The target is Roi Island." An officer said gesturing to an island on a map. "Our submarines have reported shipping traffic and one military airfield."
"We don't know what we're facing, so hit 'em as hard as possible and then get the hell out." McClusky said.
"So what about the enemy carrier?" Best asked.
"Any word on them?" Hiccup asked.
"Intelligence says they're 2,000 miles away." McClusky said.
"You mean the same group of geniuses who didn't know the Japs were gunning for Pearl?" Best inquired.
"You sure we're not talking about the same people who couldn't work out if the fleet was north or south of Pearl?" Hiccup questioned.
"Like I said, be prepared for anything." McClusky said and walks off.
"All right, fellas, let's hit it." Hiccup said.
They then got up and they walked off heading to the deck.
"The early bird catches the worm, gentlemen." Lindsey said talking to a few pilots and catches his watch. "We're gonna hit that anchorage before the Japs have even rolled out of bed."
"Looks like he spit polished his shoes." Best said to Dickinson.
"Yeah, with a hint of overconfidence." Hiccup added still angry with Lindsey from before.
"Hey, guys, let's get home in one piece." Best said as they head to their planes.
"Oh, don't you worry." Dickinson said.
Best soon meets with Murray at their SBD being prepared and armed.
"What's the plan, sir?" Murray asked.
"The other squadrons will strike first." Best said climbing up the right wing. "Then we go in and clean up the remaining targets."
"The Japs will know we're coming." Murray said. "What happens if we get shot down?"
"Look, I'm not gonna end up as a POW." Best said. "And neither are you."
Reluctant from the thought, Murray though climbs into the gunner-seat.
Later, Lindsey's team of TBD-Devastators were heading towards Roi Island.
"I've got a large target in my sight." Lindsey called out seeing a Japanese destroyer ahead of them. "Get close enough to make it count."
On the deck of the destroyer, a Japanese sailor soon spots the incoming planes and then was shouting in Japanese alerting everyone else as they saw them. And they manned the AA guns arming them, and started shooting out towards them.
The TBDs continue towards the ship as flak clouds started filling the air.
"Start your run, boys." Lindsey called. "Engage torpedoes."
He then flips the switch as his torpedo starts up, and pulls the release lever as the torpedo drops into the water. A TBD was struck on the left wing losing control and crashes into the water as the torpedo glides underneath the surface towards the ship.
The Japs continue firing at the TBDs as Lindsey turns his plane away as his torpedo closes in the ship. The Japs soon saw the torpedo just seconds away as they all ducked bracing for impact as they were all shouting.
The torpedo then hits the side of the ship with a thud, but no explosion happened as the Japs were partly confused but relieved as the torpedo in the water has broke in two revealing to be a dud and it seems their torpedoes have still haven't been tested properly.
Later, the first team of SBDs were making their approaching to Roi as flak clouds fill the air above the airfield. And Dickinson looks through his binoculars seeing the battle as a flaming plane as seen going down.
"Looks like our boys on Roi poked a hornet's nest." Dickinson said.
Behind him, his radioman Bruno Peter Gaido turns to the carnage. Dickinson looks to his right, and passing the clouds he saw Taroa Island, and a second airfield as well as bombers.
He then grabs his radio microphone. "We got a problem." He called. "I got eyes on a second enemy airfield on Taroa Island."
"I'm counting maybe 30 bombers and heavy fighter cover."
Best grabs his radio mic. "You hear that, boys?" He called to his team as Edwin J. Kroeger listened, "If we don't knock out that airfield, they'll go after Enterprise. And I want a place to land when this is over."
"You heard him, men." Hiccup said through his mic. "Move after Best."
Best turns his plane towards Taroa as the other Dauntlesses followed behind.
Best's team of SBDs head towards Taroa and then Murray heard gunfire saw a trio team of Zeros coming in from the sunlight.
"Enemy fighters, 11 o'clock!" Murray yelled out.
"We got company." Best called out. "Start your runs!"
The Zeros move in firing at them, and one takes out a Dauntless as it explodes as Murray looks back seeing it. Best placed his chewed gum on the dashboard, and then adjusts his stuck as his Dauntless goes in a nose-dive, and Hiccup's plane soon joins next to his as they begin their runs through the flak clouds being fired.
Below, Japanese soldiers rushed around two worked an AA gun firing up in the air as the two SBDs.
Best continues his dive as well as Hiccup as Murray watches the altitude gauge.
"3,000!" Murray called out.
Best and Hiccup continue diving as they begin to take aim towards the bombers as the Japs continued firing the AA gun at them as the two SBDs slightly adjust their approach avoiding of getting hit.
"2,000!" Murray yelled. "1,900! 1,800! 1,600!"
The two Dauntlesses continue diving towards the bombers as Best soon had them in his sights, and pulls the bomb release lever as well as Hiccup. And both their bombs flew forward towards the planes. Best and Hiccup pull back the control sticks pulling up as Best's bomb lands right on top of a Mitsubishi G3M Nell bomber, and Hiccup's struck the plane behind it right in the cockpit as the explosion started a chain reaction of explosions hitting each bomber plane as the two flew off.
Best and Hiccup strained as their planes flew up and away from the airfield as they flew over the ridge. And they soon saw a Zero approaching them and fires at them, but Best and Hiccup fired back at it, and Best made the fatal shot as it catches fire and soars by them as Best looked back as it soon crashed. And it was then that three more Zeros showed up from behind shooting at them.
Murray and Francis turned around lifting the windshield cover over them and brought out the 30. calibers and started firing at them. They fired at the Zeros closest to them as the Zero shoots back as bullets nearly struck them as they ducked.
"Get those bastards off me, Murray!" Best yelled.
"Come on, Francis, get them off us!" Hiccup yelled.
"I'm trying!" Francis yelled.
The two then fired back at them.
Best and Hiccup flew up and over a ridge with the shooting Zeros right behind them as Murray and Francis kept firing. And the two SBDs zig-zagged passing a ridge with the Zeros right behind them. Murray keeps shooting and soon lands a direct hit as the Japanese pilot cringes and Murray continues firing as the Zero banks right towards the mountain and soon crashed into the side and explodes.
Francis was still firing at the Zero but was proving more difficult as it zig-zags just missing the bullets.
"Hiccup, I can't get it!" Francis cried.
Hiccup thinks for a moment, and then had an idea as he suddenly pulls back the throttle stick.
"Francis, hang on!" Hiccup yelled. "Brace yourself!"
"What?" Francis frowned turning to him.
Hiccup then pulls the diving flaps lever and then pulls back the control stick hard as they swiftly pull up.
"Whoa!" Francis exclaimed.
They flew sharply upward and bypassing the Zero as the pilot inside watches them. Hiccup then pushed the throttle, flaps, and control stick down hard as the Dauntless pitches downward sharply.
"Come on, come on!" Hiccup growled.
He soon had the Zero on his sight, and then fires and lands a direct hit as it soon explodes.
He soon catches up to Best's plane as Murray continues firing at the remaining Zero as it fires. Francis fires back aiding them, and then both Best and Hiccup pull back their sticks as they flew upward into the air with the firing Zero right behind them.
They flew higher up into the clouds as the Zero keeps firing until they were out of sight. They keep flying up as Murray soon spots the Zero close by getting ahead of them, and Hiccup saw this as he got ready. And then he and Best pull back the mixture control levers as both planes came to a sudden stop and Hiccup's firing as the Zero flies by firing at them but misses as Hiccup was sure a few bullets struck as their planes begin to flip around and he and Best push the mixture control back up as they flew down.
They flew off as Murray looked around unsure if the Zero was wounded from Hiccup's firing, and then the Zero comes at them from the right shooting at them as they ducked and flies off.
Luckily, both planes received little damaged.
"Let's get out of here, Murray." Best said.
The two SBDs then fly off.
Later, they return to Enterprise as Dickinson and Bruno went up to them as Best climbs out.
"Yeah, we got most of the bombers, but not all of them." Best said.
"I think a few made it to the air." Hiccup said.
"Looks like they almost got you." Dickinson said gesturing to the bullet holes.
"Yeah, not enough lead." Best said and walks off.
Dickinson followed him as Murray climbs off the wing and saw the bullet holes on the plane's side.
"What, too much excitement for ya?" Bruno asked.
"I'm not looking to win a medal." Murray said and walks off.
"You know, the Navy's gonna make you pay for this aircraft." Dickinson noted as they and Hiccup were examining the underside of the right wing.
"How'd you boys do?" Best asked.
"We lost Hopping." Dickinson informed. "He never pulled out of his dive."
Then suddenly an alarm blaring was sounded across the carrier alerting them.
"That can't be good." Dickinson said.
Bruno was looking at the bullet holes as a man was shouting over the PA.
Halsey steps outside with binoculars as he and Browning looked, and Halsey looks through the binoculars seeing trouble.
It's the surviving G3M Nell bombers from before, five of them, and their presence is an unsettling one. As they have managed to track them down.
"Twin-engine bombers, five o'clock." Halsey said.
His lowers his binoculars, and soldiers quickly armed the AA guns and turn them towards the bombers and started firing at them. Crew members rushed around as Dickinson, Best, and Hiccup watched as the gunners firing but the flak clouds were exploding behind the bombers as they were shooting directly towards them.
"Goddamn gunners." Dickinson yelled. "Don't they know they gotta lead those planes?"
The five G3M Nells flew in the air as flak clouds explode around them and the gunners adjusts their AA guns at them. And soon one G3M Nell releases it's ordnance of eight bombs as they rained down as the other bombers released their ordnance as well towards the carrier.
"Right standard rudder." An officer said.
"Brace!" Browning yelled.
The Enterprise turns right as the bombs rained down hitting the water just missing it.
"Brace for impact!" Best yelled.
Then explosions of water plume out from the bombs as they ducked down and some took shelter under a SBD wing as water rains down. The AA guns continue firing as the carrier straightens out as they all held on and water splashed down.
Gunner men quickly cleared away any shell casings as the guns kept firing, and the bombers begin to leave as one G3M Nell took a hit on the left engine and starts banking right as Halsey saw this.
And Dickinson, Best, and Hiccup saw this as well.
"What the hell is he doing?" Dickinson said.
The wounded G3M Nell trailing smoke begins to banks towards them.
"He's turning himself into a bomb." Best said.
"He's coming right at us." Hiccup said horrified.
Bruno turns to them hearing that, and back to the approaching G3M Nell as he suddenly rushed out across the deck and towards one of the Dauntlesses. And he climbs into the gunner seat as bullets flew by, and Halsey saw this as Bruno quickly brought out the 30. caliber guns and starting shooting at the incoming G3M Nell.
In the G3M Nell, the forward gunner fired towards the carrier as bullets flew by them and the crew men were shouting as they flew towards them.
"Come on!" Bruno said.
He continues firing at the G3M Nell as it closes in on the carrier.
"Come on!" Bruno yelled.
The G3M Nell closes in on it's target as the bullets then struck the right engine as it shorts out. And Bruno keeps shooting as he then yells out as the G3M Nell comes straight at him as it's right wing clips off hitting the deck, and grazes the Dauntless as everyone got down. And the G3M Nell grazes the carrier deck as the Dauntless' tail was broken off as both fell over the side and crashed into the water.
Bruno lowers the gun in relief.
In the carrier island, Halsey laughs as the other men were cheering as Halsey pats Browning's arm.
Murray stood there all shocked as everyone else rushed up to the tailless SBD as Bruno climbs out unharmed and fire crew pulling the flames.
"Damn, Bruno." Dickinson said.
"Aren't they paying us to kill Japs?" Bruno asked.
"I don't know, but if they did, you'd got a bonus." Hiccup said. "You got nerves of steel, I'll give you that."
One officer then appeared.
"Admiral Halsey wants to see you." He said to Bruno said.
Though nervous, Bruno heads off following him as everyone gave him a pat on the shoulder.
Inside, the door opens as Halsey and Browning see Bruno and the officer entering and salutes. Halsey salutes them and sighs placing his hands on his hips.
"That's the bravest damn thing I think I've ever seen." Halsey said. "What's your name, son?"
"Bruno Gaido, sir." Bruno said. "Aviation Machinist's Mate, Third Class."
"Well, Bruno, you are now an Aviation Machinist's Mate, First Class." Halsey declared.
Bruno momentarily briefly smiled at his promotion, but kept a straight look. Halsey then salutes as well as Bruno, and Bruno soon turns and leaves the room.
"Signal the fleet." Halsey ordered. "Tell 'em it's time to haul ass with Halsey."
"Yes, sir." Browning said and turns to a radioman. "You heard the man. Signal the fleet."
He begins to work the radio.
Author's Note:
Here's to 83 years of the first strike attack of the American fleet against the Japanese in the Marshall Islands.
If you're wondering about that maneuver Hiccup made, yes that was a Cobra maneuver. I'm not entirely sure when the very first one was performed, or if an SBD Dauntless can actually pull it off, but it can save a pilot's life.
And, wow, Bruno saving the carrier from G3M Nell, was sure among the bravest moments in World War II.
Now I'm afraid this story will be on hold till further notice, other stories I'm working needs to get back to work. But don't worry, in the free time I'll work on future chapters for this story.
And here's to the recent Lunar New Year of the Snake.
And real tragic with the airliner and Blackhawk crash.