Midway Page #2

Their industrial might is awesome.

I'm convinced our only hope of victory

is one massive strike at Midway.

Joe, are you sure this

"hot information" of yours can't wait?

I already got one thing for the boss.

- I consider this urgent.

And, you were right about Coral Sea.

That's where the Japs were, alright.

Every ship on your list was there.

- Did we get hurt?

We got hurt.

Welcome on, Admiral.

How was your flight?

Long and full of potholes.

Got Fletcher's Coral Sea report?

- Right here, Sir.

Get in back, Joe.

But wait till I cue you in.

Here's Admiral Fletcher's

preliminary report, Sir.

We lost the Lexington.

What about the enemy?

We sank one light carrier, one big

first-line job and some small ships.

Looks like

we just about broke even, Admiral.

We can't trade the Japanese

carrier for carrier, Matt.

We started with a 3 to 1 superiority.

With the Lexington gone,

the Saratoga laid up,

all we've got is the Hornet,

the Enterprise and the Yorktown.

Sir, Yorktown was heavily damaged

at Coral Sea. There's the report.

Admiral, Commander Rochefort

has something urgent, he says.

It's about objective A-F,

the meaning of "A-F".

Dur listening posts pick up traffic

between Yamamoto's flag commanders.

There's been a heavy traffic volume,

with references to object "A-F"...

...and A-D. A-D is a mystery,

maybe a diversion.

But I think we've identified "A-F".

It's Midway.

It had us stymied until one of my men

remembered an intercept from March.

A Jap reconnaissance pilot radioed

his base that he's close to "A-F".

We plotted every course

the plane could have have taken,

and the only appreciable landmass

he could have flown over was Midway.

Joe! - I know it's thin.

- Thin? Damn near invisible!

But I figured out

a way to confirm it, Sir.

If you have this flown to Midway.

It's a fake message, Admiral,

reporting that Midway's

freshwater condenser's broken down.

It should be transmitted in the clear,

so the Japanese get every word.

Instruct Midway to include this in

their housekeeping traffic tomorrow.

Aye-aye, Sir.

Send this right away.

Hey, chief!

What's this?

There ain't nothin' wrong

with our freshwater condenser!

Dombrowski, send it.

Damn heat's gettin' to everybody here.

Have this intercept coded

and transmitted to fleet headquarters!

They took the bait, Admiral.

Rochefort just decoded a transmission

from Kwajalein

to Yamamoto's headquarters:

"A-F has trouble

with its freshwater condenser. "

"A-F" has to be Midway Island.

Be at my office at 05:00, Matt.

I'm calling in the whole staff.

This is how

I expect the battle to develop:

The northern force, under Hosogaya,

strikes the Aleutians as a diversion.

To keep Nimitz's attention

away from our main objective.

He will not realize

our objective is Midway

until 24 hours later, when

Nagumo's carriers strike the island

and destroy the American

planes and shore batteries.

At that hour you move in,

Kondo, with your invasion forces.

Nimitz will be forced to respond.

He'll commit the balance of his fleet,

most certainly his carriers,

to repel the invasion.

His carrier commander

will undoubtedly be Admiral Halsey.

I have studied his tactics

and I have studied the man.

Halsey is courageous,

tough-minded and not afraid of risks,

but we will turn

these strengths against him.

It will take Halsey's task force

at least 48 hours to reach Midway.

By that time, Nagumo, you'll have

crushed Midway and be waiting for him.

You'll have a better position,

and at least

a 2-to-1 superiority in carriers,

and 4 to 5 times

the number of screening vessels.

Assuming the American fleet is still

guarding Hawaii when we strike.

Nimitz is crippled

and on the defensive.

He must deploy his remaining strength

around his most valuable Pacific base.

I agree with Admiral Nagumo.

We must make certain

where the enemy fleet is.

I propose we send 2 flying boats

to French Frigate Shoals on the 29th.

We fuel them by tanker submarine and

fly them to Pearl Harbor on the 30th.

They then report whether or not

the American fleet is actually there.

A very wise precaution indeed.

We will call it "Dperation K".

Does anyone have any other thoughts?

Yes.

We can achieve a great victory,

providing Nimitz and Halsey

do exactly what you expect.

The Enterprise and the Hornet

are due in by sundown.

The rest of the task force

should be in by morning.

The Yorktown is more

severely damaged than we thought.

How soon can we dry-dock her?

By the 17th, if a Jap sub

doesn't spot the oil she's trailing.

Admiral Fletcher

just radioed in with a repair list.

Tell the yard repairman I want

every workman he can get to board her.

That sharpshooter from Washington

just landed. Be here in 30 minutes.

Who did they send?

- Captain Vinton Maddox.

Maddox. He's a damned scalp hunter!

See that he's thoroughly briefed,

and get Captain Garth up here.

Admiral,

why don't you let me handle it?

No, he's entitled to a crack at me.

Phone that in.

Are those arming switches fixed?

- No, we still got some damn snafu.

Get them working 100/, or rip them

out of all our SBDs. Is that clear?

Yes, Sir.

- Get to it.

Sorry to drag you out of bed so early,

but it's our only chance to talk.

It's DK. Did you get the report?

- Yup.

I've already read it.

Did you know your girl

belonged to those

Japanese patriotic organizations?

I saw the magazines,

but I didn't know it was propaganda.

The Attorney General's office

says it's subversive.

And the FBI doesn't think she's

telling the truth about coming here.

You can't blame them for that.

- Sure I can! And I can clear it up!

You cool down

and let me handle this!

Tom, I don't have time to fool around.

Do you want me to help you or not?

I guess I have no alternative,

do I, Sir?

I guess you don't.

Captain Maddox, Admiral Nimitz.

- Great pleasure, Sir.

Should we get right to it, Captain?

- Certainly, Admiral.

I'm sure you're aware of Washington's

opinion on this Midway invasion.

Yes. They think it's an enemy ruse.

An elaborate phony, Sir.

- Go on.

Could we speak in private?

- If you'd feel more comfortable.

These enemy radio intercepts

your intelligence has accumulated...

Very detailed... - Too detailed.

Remember, just before December 7th?

The fake Japanese messages.

- These could be carbon copies.

Washington's sure Yamamoto's

feeding you this to hide his plans.

Very definitely possible.

Well, then how can you insist...

- Because I believe it's factual.

I'm convinced

Yamamoto's target is Midway.

But if you're wrong, Admiral,

if you send our carriers

into a Japanese ambush,

the entire West Coast and Hawaii

will be open for invasion.

Fully aware of that, Captain.

You mean, the safe play

is to defend the home folks first?

With respects, Admiral,

it's the smart play.

Captain, if we surprise the enemy,

catch him where he's not expecting us,

we can drive him back 3,000 miles.

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