Yes, Alice, there is a Cactus.

[Pigboatcook]

It is Christmas Eve and despite the dismal patrol the crew has settled in to enjoy a surprise ham our overstuffed cook has prepared. We passed up some warm nog, minus the rum, to the men on the sheers. Photos of girlfriends, wives, and children have appeared all around the boat. Somebody, I think the elecrictian from Kentucky, is trying his best to spit out 'Jingle Bells' on a harmonica. I tell the XO to see that instrument, or the musician, make it's way unexpectedly overboard soon.

Seadragon is down to six fish. A quad of Mark 14s in the bow, and two old faithful Mark 10s nestled in the stern. Our total score for the home team is just one small freighter, that one required the deck gun in order to end her career. The clock had just stuck 2200 hours when the OOD comes sliding down the ladder from the bridge.

"Captain," he says, "one of the lookouts thinks he sees something. I've looked and I'm not sure what he sees. Do you want to take a look?"

I climb up unto the bridge, take the glasses, and scan the bearing called out by the lookout on the starboard side of the sheers. It takes me several slow arcs with the glasses for my eyes to finally settle in on what the seaman had seen. It might be a ship, but if so it is at the very limit of mortal vision. Chip, the XO, takes a turn at the view and tells me he thinks it is a bow wake. We guesstimate the range and plot it on the map. Five minutes later we know it to be doing thirty knots. Whatever it is it is a sprinter and we suspect it is making a dash into Guadalcanal. We are just fifty miles WNW of Savo. At our range and the bow angle there is no way to catch it. Even straining Seadragon's guts out will leave us far behind. That is when the lookout called out there was another wake not far astern of the first. Soon there were four, then six. Something was very important to the emperor tonight.

The officers crowded around the plot and the final consensus was it would be an impossible chase. The XO suggested we call it in and try to take them as they left the Canal. After gobbling down a chunk of that ham left on my plate I asked for best guess on range.

"9000 yards, maybe a litte less", chimed in the OOD. The XO agreed.

"Get the gun crew up", I ordered.

"What?" exclaimed the XO.

"Get the gun crew up", I repeated and turned and scrambled up to the bridge. We sent in a contact report.

I looked down as the gun crew assembled and prepared the beast to fire. The Chief of the Boat, our ace with big bullets, called up to me. "What is the target, sir?"

"Crank the elevation as far as you can", I told him. "Bearing 95 degrees. Send two downrange and then get the hell below decks."

Glancing over at the XO I could tell he thought I'd lost my mind. Maybe I had.

The COB and his crew shattered the darkness with two rounds, secured the gun and scrambled below. It didn't take long for Christmas lights to spark on the horizon. We hadn't hit anything, of course, but those two rounds was enough to wake up every Japanese gunner on our flank. A long necklace of orange-red flashes on the horizon announced that we had their attention. They'd be a little behind schedule making that beach.

"Crash dive!", I yelled. "Right full rudder, settle in on a course of one-eight-zero"

The Seadragon lurched to starboard and did her best to get under the waves. Around her the sea exploded as the Japanese shells peppered the ocean. By the skin of our noses the boat had dropped under the sea as the last two Japanese shells parted the water. Those two shook a few bolts in the Dragon's hide.

We leveled out at 100 feet. The sonar man sounded like he was about ready to pass out as he announced not five, or six, or even seven fast screws approaching. It was nine.

"We better get her deeper, Captain", the XO chimed in.

I looked at him. Chip was a good officer, and yes we should do just that. The better part of valor here was to live to fight another day. We lived until today so today would be the 'another' day.

"All ahead flank. Periscope depth", I bellowed. "Give me the mean bearing to the contacts". I could hear the XO groan.

"Twenty degrees", came the response.

The Seadragon rose up to fifty-five feet and we opened all six of the loaded tubes. I quickly sent the bearings of the two biggest wakes I could see in the scope, and guessed the range a long 5000 yards. They were closing on us at over thirty knots. I stared at the stopwatch and did the math quickly in my head. The bow tubes were going to spit out four fish with a three, one, zero angle left, and a two angle right. Off they went. Seadragon then spun on her heal 180 degrees as fast as she could and the two short legged Mark 10's flew out the stern. The sound of angry screws filled the hydrophone. Toothless now the Seadragon ran as deep and as fast as she dared.

The snap shots were haphazard and unprofessional, but the enemy had taken the bait and I prayed Cactus got the contact report. It was a long way until dawn but just maybe however long it takes them to vent their anger will be enough time for Cactus to hit them at first light.

Suddenly the boat shook as two explosions announced that somehow behind us two of those Christmas fish had found something to bite into. Our shotgun blast had reduced the contact reports to seven. There was no reason for it, no special ability to boast on. It was what it was, a shot in a billion.

As the night went on the angry sisters of those lost above did their best to rip us asunder. With no deadly fish left to use the Seadragon could only dance and weave, feint and play opossum, sprint and crawl and hope to find the dawn. Our hope was that Cactus was up early on Christmas morning as the devils above us weren't giving any sign of letting us alone. Cactus would shoo them away, I prayed.

Finally, a mere hour before dawn, the pursurers scrambled away. The next morning the Seadragon took a long needed breath of fresh air and sent her Christmas message to Guadalcanal.

"Yes, Alice, there is a Cactus. Merry Christmas from a very grateful Dragon"

[cdrsubron7]

Enjoyed reading your story. Thanks for sharing.

[cmdrwhack]

Enjoyed the yarn! was very realistic.

[ssjtoma]

outstanding post!!!!