The Captain spoke in an aside to the First Lieutenant who nodded assent. Yashimoto tightened his lips, half closed his eyes. ‘The sentence I have to pass on you, Able Seaman Awa, must be such as to ensure that you can never again fail in your duty, and that others will be aware of the consequences should they be tempted to do so.’
The Captain’s body stiffened as he drew himself to attention. The officers and petty officers ranged behind him followed suit. In the sudden absence of human speech the background sounds of ventilating fans, of generators and air compressors at work in the engineroom seemed to grow in volume. It was not long, however, before the Captain’s voice again commanded attention. Speaking slowly, each word carefully weighed, he said, ‘Able Seaman Saigo Awa, I find you guilty on all counts with which you have been charged, and to which you have pleaded guilty. Since the Japanese Empire is at War your gross neglect of duty in an operational area leaves me with no option but to condemn you to death. The sentence will be carried out after sunset this evening. May Buddha rest your soul.’
Saigo Awa, sobbing uncontrollably, was led away. The Captain went to his cabin, and the officers to the wardroom. The remainder of those in the control-room drifted off in shocked silence, for Awa was an inoffensive and pleasant young man, a hairdresser’s assistant before the War, whose skill with hair and beards had been much in demand by the crew.
Sixteen
The more he thought about it the more Barratt realized that Katu’s story presented him with a difficult decision, particularly against the background of Captain (D)’s recall signal. Much though he wanted to believe that Moroka’s ‘huge fish’ and Mahmoud’s ‘big boat like a whale’ were the Japanese submarine, he felt the stories, second and third hand as they were, smacked too much of fishermen’s tales. The Catalinas had been searching the islands and coastline morning and afternoon during the last two days. Surely they’d have seen the submarine if it had been in the creek at Maji Island?
If, however, the fishermen’s reports were correct, if they had seen the submarine — and with every fibre of his being he hoped they had — then a number of possibilities had to be weighed. The reports concerned something seen on or about midnight on November 20, the night of Fort Nebraska's sinking. It was now afternoon of the 22nd. If the submarine’s crew had repaired the shell damage it would already have left Maji Island. But if they had not, and it was still there, what were Restless's possible courses of action? That was Barratt’s problem. He dismissed the notion of closing the island in daylight to investigate. The submarine Captain would have placed lookouts to warn of ships approaching. According to Katu the island had a deep water creek. To steam into it without knowing its configuration and the depths of water would be to risk stranding Restless. To go in without knowing exactly where the submarine lay meant running the risk of a close range torpedo attack. Should he take Restless to a position off the entrance to the creek, clear of a possible line of torpedo fire, while he asked Kilindini for aircraft to check if the submarine was in the creek? That course of action he dismissed for two reasons: if in their searches so far the Catalinas hadn’t sighted it, it was either because it was not there or wasn’t visible from the air. But the more compelling reason was a psychological one: at the back of his mind he feared that the Catalinas might find and destroy the submarine. That was not what he wanted. His emotions had become too involved; it had become a matter of honour, a moral obligation, that he personally should exact retribution from the Japanese.
Though he would probably have been evasive on the point, he was not yet prepared to inform Kilindini of what he had learnt from Katu; to hand to others the opportunity which might shortly be his of finding and attacking the submarine. Influenced more by emotion than reason he decided to take Restless out to sea for the remainder of daylight, keeping clear of the area where Katu said the island lay. When darkness fell he would bring the destroyer close inshore and set about investigating Maji. He’d plan the detail during what was left of the day.
Restless had steamed some distance out to sea when a Catalina was sighted coming up the coast from the south, well to seaward of the islands. Much to Barratt’s relief it made no attempt to close the destroyer or exchange signals. It had no sooner gone than Peter Morrow arrived on the bridge with a new problem. ‘It’s about Katu, sir,’ he explained. ‘I told him of the change of plans. That we wouldn’t be asking him to take us to Maji Island until some time tonight. He wasn’t pleased. Said we’d promised to put him and his catamaran back on the fishing grounds this evening. If he’s away tonight his wife may think he’s drowned or, worse still, that he’s spending the night with a girl friend on another island.’
T see. Same all over the world, aren’t they? Did you give him those clothes and the other stuff?’
‘Yes. He’s very happy about that.’
‘I thought he might be. Look, Morrow. Tell him we’ll double the quantity of everything, if he stays with us tonight.
In the morning we’ll return him to where you found him. See him right away.’
The Sub-Lieutenant disappeared. Back on the bridge a few minutes later he reported that Katu had accepted the arrangement. ‘He says his wife won’t think bad things once she’s seen the loot.’
‘That RAF Pamanzi signal, Hutchison. In what position did their Catalina sight Restless at 1720 today?’ Captain (D)’s well-fleshed face glowed with perspiration as he dabbed at his forehead with a large handkerchief.
Hutchison pointed with a cue to the position on the plotting table. ‘Here, sir. Ten miles east of Medjumbi Island.’
Captain (D) got up from his chair, leant over the table. ‘I don’t understand what Barratt is up to. Yesterday morning he made his “getting warmer” signal to the Catalina. Stressed the importance of W/T silence. That sounded as if he was really on to something. Restless was then between Cape Delgado and Rovuma Bay, heading north. Late that evening a Catalina sighted her about forty miles south of Cape Delgado. So what takes Barratt down there? Yesterday evening we instructed him to return if he’d not made contact by sunset. He didn’t acknowledge our signal. We’ve no idea where he was or what he was doing during the night. But we do know he was off Cape Ulu this morning.’ Captain (D) shook his head, pointed with a podgy finger at Restless's 1720 position. ‘And here he is late this afternoon ten miles out to sea and thirty miles from Cape Ulu.’ He grunted disapproval. ‘Doesn’t make sense. He’s chasing round like a madman. What’s your view, SOO?’
Commander Russel took off his spectacles, massaged his eyelids, put the spectacles on again. ‘Quite extraordinary really. The “getting warmer” suggested he was on to something. Presumably he knew where the Jap was. A clue of some sort. But what sort, if it has him charging up and down the coast for thirty-six hours, and now takes him well out to sea? Where, incidentally, I should have thought he could safely have broken W/T silence.’
Captain (D)’s blue eyes, set deep in the bucolic face, reflected perplexity. ‘I don’t think we can let him go on with this Nelson act. Ignoring signals, etcetera. The Admiral’s becoming restive. So am I.’
Russel nodded gloomily. ‘Yes. I think we’ve got to rein him in. Restless's fuel must be running low, and she’s still a day and a half’s steaming from here. Apart from anything else, we must have her back by the 25th to augment the escort force for the carrier. That’s absolutely essential now that we know Japanese submarines are busy at this end.’