Hosokawa said, ‘We will do that, sir.’
Yashimoto relaxed momentarily, showed ivory-white teeth in a taut smile. ‘You have done well, Hosokawa,’ he said. Then, once more the disciplinarian, he added, ‘Return to your post immediately. Tell your men that the destroyer is to receive a hot welcome if it attempts to come in.’ The dark eyes had narrowed, the lower lip thrust forward. ‘Request the First Lieutenant to see me at once.’
With a deferential, ‘Aye, aye, sir,’ Hosokawa bowed himself out of the cabin.
Kagumi listened attentively as the Captain broke the news that a British destroyer had been sighted to the west of the headlands guarding the entrance to the creek. A Catalina had been circling it.
‘That must have been the aircraft heard by the conning-tower sentries ten minutes ago, sir. I did at once report to you.’
‘Yes, yes.’ Yashimoto’s tone was impatient. ‘I know you did. I assumed it was the usual late afternoon reconnaissance. Now we know it was more than that.’ He fingered his neatly bearded chin, trimmed each day with the same ritual exactitude that he used in clipping his close-cropped head. ‘We will at once prepare for an attack from seaward. Pay close attention to what I say.’
Kagumi said a dutiful, ‘Yes, sir.’ He would have liked to have added, ‘I always do.’
‘The Torpedo Officer is to muster his men in the fore-ends, one watch to be closed up until further orders, the other to remain on standby. Inform him that a British destroyer may attempt to force the narrows tonight.’
‘Yes, sir.’
Yashimoto’s fingers beat their customary tattoo on the desk top. ‘Next — enough camouflage is to be removed to give the forward gun a clear arc of fire covering the basin. An arc of fire for the AA gun on the after platform is also to be cleared. It should not be necessary…’ A knock on the door stopped him in mid-sentence. Frowning, he called ‘Come’.
Lieutenant Sato came in. ‘Sorry, sir. Top secret from Flag Officer Submarines, Penang. I’ve just decyphered it.’ Irritated by the interruption, Yashimoto snapped, ‘Read it.’
‘ETA enemy carrier at Mombasa now AM 28 repeat 28 November. Acknowledge.’
‘We can’t acknowledge. There’s a British destroyer outside the creek. But we can thank our Gods for this.’ Yashimoto’s sour manner switched to one of almost boyish exuberance. ‘It means an extra twenty-four hours. That’s a lot under present conditions. Thank you, Sato. You may carry on.’ When the Navigating Officer had gone Yashimoto, still looking pleased, said, ‘Where was I?’
‘The arcs of fire, sir?’ prompted Kagumi.
‘Yes. Now the matter of sentries. We’ve only one machine-gun post in the narrows. It’s halfway between the inlet and the bluff. That’s not enough. Issue machine-guns right away to the bluff sentries, also to those on the beach by the huts and to Hosokawa’s post at the inlet.’
‘Our establishment of machine-guns is only four, sir. This will mean issuing all of them.’
‘I am well aware of that. Do as I say.’
Kagumi, realizing that he had offended, uttered a submissive, ‘Yes, sir.’
‘If the destroyer tries to come in, if they are foolish enough to risk giving our torpedoes a target at point blank range…’ Yashimoto dismissed the idea with a contemptuous flourish of his hand. ‘… if they’re foolish enough to do that — then their upper deck, and the bridge especially, are to be raked with machine-gun fire as they steam down the narrows.’ The Captain was thoughtful. ‘Of course they may risk sending in a fast motorboat to reconnoitre — or even a whaler under sail.’ He peered at Kagumi with narrowed eyes. The whaler would be silent, difficult to see in the dark. Warn the sentries accordingly. We must take no chances. Any craft of any sort that enters is to be machine-gunned, and the sentries must not hesitate to use rocket flares to illuminate if there’s no moonlight. Stress the vital importance of giving us early warning with Very lights.’
The First Lieutenant managed a ‘Yes, sir. I’ll see to that,’ before Yashimoto continued: ‘There are to be no inspections of sentry posts tonight, Kagumi. No catamaran patrols until further orders. Guns’ crews here on board are to work in two watches, one closed up, one on standby. I want two officers and two petty officers on watch throughout the night. One pair in the conning-tower with the sentries, the other in the control-room. Hydrophones, search receiver and W/T to be continuously manned.’
‘The search receiver and the hydrophones have limited reception, sir.’ Kagumi was worried. ‘The high land, the configuration of the creek, and…’
‘Yes, yes. I am well aware of that, Kagumi. But limited performance is better than none.’ With eyes once more on the portrait of the Emperor, Yashimoto ran a hand over his head while his mind searched for detail. ‘There are to be no camouflage or fresh water parties tonight. I-357 is to remain at first degree readiness.’
‘Tomorrow’s flooding tests, sir?’ Kagumi watched anxiously as the Captain weighed the question, one which soon brought an emphatic shake of the head. ‘That will depend on how the situation develops’.
‘The sick and wounded, sir? Must they be taken over to the huts tonight?’
Yashimoto regarded the First Lieutenant quizzically, as if wondering what lay behind the question. ‘No. That too must be deferred for the time being.
A cautious smile relieved Kagumi’s strained expression. He had not been happy about the Captain’s intention to abandon the sick and wounded to the care of Maji’s fishermen. Not only did the Africans live in primitive conditions without medical facilities of any sort, but they had no reason to like the Japanese.
Yashimoto’s manner relaxed. ‘We must restrict our movement at night until this threat has passed. It seems likely that the British know our boat is in the creek. How they do, I can’t imagine. But it is necessary to assume that they do. Our camouflage makes it unlikely that they know where the boat is moored. For that reason it is possible a Catalina may come over tonight and drop flares — check for signs of unusual activity. So far they’ve not done that. But we must be prepared for it. That is why I want no working parties ashore, or catamaran patrols tonight. Now get busy, Kagumi. At the double.’
‘Aye, aye, sir.’ The First Lieutenant turned to go, changed his mind. ‘Do you really think the British destroyer will try to attack, sir? Breach Portuguese neutrality?’ The question was asked with a diffident air, as if Kagumi feared he might have offended. He was soon to know that he had.
In the brief period since Petty Officer Hosokawa had made his disturbing report, tension had been building up in Yashimoto. ‘How can you ask such a stupid question,’ he exploded, half rising from the settee. ‘After the orders I have just given. Get out and get on with them.’
With a last startled glance at the Captain the young man fled, astonished at the outbreak, for Commander Yashimoto, though strict, was rarely discourteous.
Twenty-seven
From the Captain’s cabin the First Lieutenant went to the wardroom where officers off watch had gathered. Some were sitting about talking or reading, others were involved in games of darts and chess. Midshipman Galpin was stretched out in a corner, apparently asleep.