Postby kham » Fri Nov 14, 2014 12:45 am
OK, the creator of the original day-by-day thread is unable to continue, but while sad, this not the end
Using my own knowledge, library and such, will attempt to proceed. Certainly not minute by minute, but as best as able. Any commentary from this point would be ok, and not break the flow of things
With the action largely over, the shattered remains of both Task Forces retired, at least those able to do so. Abe, wounded and somewhat shaken, remained aboard Hiei as she staggered off to the north of Savo Island. Having his flag captain turned into a pile of body parts before his eyes, wounded himself, then having the entire forward superstructure of his flagship collapse on top of him like a demolished building probably screwed him up somewhat. Hara, and Amatsukaze, managed to dodge out of Helena's servo-mechanical rage and steering drunkenly with her engines, made her way back up the Slot. Atlanta, her engine room immolated, Scott dead, and shot to pieces equally by Japanese fire and San Francisco... was fighting to stay afloat by jettisoning loose gear, torpedoes, half her anchors and anything they didn't need. Drifting with the current, they were headed towards the beach, eventually managing to fetch up on her remaining anchor a couple miles off Lunga Point. With the dawn, help began to arrive in a stream of Mike boats to ferry wounded ashore and DC parties from Cactus, and Tulagi. Power was partially restored, but the damage she had suffered was just too much. Late in the afternoon, her remaining crew was taken off, and demolition charges fired to scuttle the wreck. Portland, spent most of the day spinning in slow circles, taking the time to blow up the smouldering remains of Yudachi but also rousing Hiei from her slumber. Luckily, Henderson was also awake, starting a day-long string of sorties that eventually put the old BB on the bottom. Portland, with the tug Bobolink, a score of Mike boats and luck, eventually slogged over to Tulagi, managing to get there after dark, in spite of the morons driving PT boats there that tried to kill her...
Throughout the day, the survivors of the force still able to steam, had been making their way south towards Esprito Santo. Hoover, aboard Helena is OTC at this point, leading the ragged line home. San Francisco, riddled by over 45 hits of all calibres is more or less seaworthy, but has no comms or signal capability beyond a single blinker light. Juneau, with a broken keel and sundry other damage is structurally holding together, but probably wouldn't be if the sea was anything but flat calm.
Juneau's surgeon has just come aboard SF, bitching about having to come, until looks at the shambles topside, and the hands trying to hose off and sweep down the body parts scattered into every nook and cranny of the former flagship. He will assist in emergency surgery on Captain Cassin Young, in a failed attempt to save his life. His wounds will be mortal.
Around 11am lookouts on Helena spot what looks like a disturbance in the water, like a porpise breaching; a second is sighted with a fin, quickly resolving into a trio of torpedo wakes, closing fast. Helena, and SF both take evasive action, but Juneau, doesn't get the word. With no means to communicate, SF can only watch. A signalman on Helena, in the process of taking a blinker message from Juneau, has his telescope on his counterpart but no time to react. The ocean seems to shiver, with the signalman suddenly vanishing, as if snatched away by a giant hand. He takes the telescope away and sees the man flying high into the air. The blast that sunders Juneau is without compare, utterly shattering, raising a pilar of smoke over 600 feet into the air, throwing debris in all directions; SF is hit by thick metal plates, smashing into her superstructure. One of her complete 5" gun mounts soars through an arc that splashes into Laffey's wake barely 100' astern.
A second, underwater explosion finishes the obliteration, leaving not a stick or spar in sight. With only one functioning DD for ASW work, Hoover orders the force to proceed at best speed south. From his perspective, no one could have survived. But of course, there were some. He signaled a patroling B-17 to relay the loss, and send search ships. This was dutifully done, but as you will see later, with tragic consequences. The Sullivan brothers were aboard, and unlike the movies, not all just killed in a blink....
