Excerpt from California Street

Chapter 40
Begging Pardon


The 0400 watch was difficult, the sky and ocean blended into seamless gray, no horizon was visible as the sub coursed through Vitiaz Strait separating New Britain from New Guinea. I should enjoy the peace and quiet while it exists. I said to myself. Ace Henson appeared on the bridge to relieve me. The old man just announced that were headed for Saint Georges channel between New Britain and New Ireland to patrol for Japanese shipping, he said.

Hope we get us a carrier.

Arent many places to hide from depth charges in a channel, Ace said. Change the subject. I dont need want to be anymore depressed than I already am.

Okay, heres a positive thought for you, Davis. Think all the kinks have been worked out of the detonator for the new MK-14 fish?

Thats what the brass said. Im sure they wouldnt feed us a line, I said. Ace frowned and his eyebrows arched. What, like we have a choice? Are we going to refuse to go on patrol because the torpedoes dont detonate?

I shrugged and headed down the hatch.


By the way Davis, why are you always pulling the midnight watch?

My acute night vision.

What about your night vision?

Bunton sent me into the battery compartment to fix a gauge tube leak after wed been depth-charged with no flashlight. Claimed a flashlight could spark a fire. I managed to fix the gauge in the dark.

Bunton must love you.

He hid his disappointment really well when I didnt choke and die on the chlorine gas in the battery compartments.

The seas had risen and were beginning to pitch the sub around. Davis, toggle the mike and tell the Captain that I see a wake about 15 degrees off the starboard bow. Whatever it is its heading east.


The Captain came onto the bridge and studied the horizon for a moment, then said, got it.

He toggled the mike and said, Mr. Gunderschmidt, dive to periscope depth.

I dogged down the hatch from the bridge to the tower as the second dive bell sounded, the Captain already had the periscope trained on the potential targets. He stated, I hold the conn.

Aye, the Captain has the conn. Replied the Exec.

We are trimmed off at periscope depth.

Mind the swells Ralph, I dont want to broach in this crap.

Aye, Captain.

Battle stations if you please Dave. Seamen Henson and Davis have found us a convoy.

I dropped down the hatch between the tower and the control room to my battle station at the stern planes just as the klaxon sounded and we went to red light.


No one spoke, as we stood in the eerie red of the battle lamps and sweated. Finally, the Captain slid down the ladder into the control room and squawked a message to the crew. Ladies, were 7,000 yards out from a Shokaku class carrier. Shes zigzagging on six-minute legs approximately 30 degrees off of her base course at about 18 knots. Were going to come around inside her destroyer screen on the surface, dive, and, then, blow her the hell out of the water. Get ready for some rough sledding. Those destroyers are gonna go ape on us - out.

The old man has traded in his big brass balls for gold ones, Chief Bunton said.

Chief, I said. Have you ever made a surface run at a carrier task force before?

Never made a run at anything on the surface before not even in my worst nightmare. We could be shark bait soon, but well take a lot of Japs with us if this works. The dive officer, Mr. Evans, who was stripped down to his skivvies and wheel cap, grinned. I agree Chief. Were going to definitely ruin their karma.


We ran on the surface for another ten minutes, then, the dive command came over the blower. We went down to periscope depth. Minutes passed into what seemed like hours. Finally, the old man fired a spread of four fish from 2000 yards out. The ship bucked as the torpedoes left the forward tubes.

Hard to port, Dave. Ralph, pull the plug. I want us at 400 feet pronto. Those Terutsuki class destroyers are loaded for bear and they arent coming to play tiddly-winks.

Time to target?

Forty-eight seconds, Captain.

We heard and then felt three distinct concussions as the fish contacted something. We found out later that we had hit the carrier with three of our four fish. We werent celebrating.

400 feet is a fair amount of pressure Captain.

The Captain laughed. No shit, Chief. If I stove us in, I reckon well all be dead in about five seconds.

Sir, with respect, Chief Bunton replied. Id say six.

Suddenly, there was a hand on my left shoulder. The old man was at my side.

Will, youre relieved here. I want you eyeballing that water gauge line. If we begin to take any water, I want to know in a hurry. Six it is Chief.

Aye Captain.

Chief Bunton stopped me on my way out of the control room to the after battery.

He whispered, Davis, if you fucked up the gauge line repair job, Ill boil you in torpedo grease.

Chief, if I fucked up that repair job up, Ill be happy to live long enough to be boiled.


I headed aft.

The gauge line was okay. By the time I got back to where I needed to be to check it though, all hell broke loose. We had gotten deep enough so that the first charges seemed harmless, then the Japs got serious. Over the blower came, damage control party to the aft torpedo room.


I crawled out of the battery storage compartment and ran for the aft torpedo room.

The charge had opened various valves. I manned a couple of handles and cranked several valves shut.