Devil's Garden

Chapter 21

Karpov was in the flag room of the bridge, pouring over charts and several old books from Fedorov’s old library. He found them most useful for the research he was conducting now, sizing up his potential enemy. The ship was still off the Tsugaru Straits in a blockading position. After sinking the Tatsu Maru, he watched at a distance while the second steamer attempted to rescue the stricken crew, and when he saw the steamer turn about and head back for the friendly shores of Japan, he was finally satisfied.

Rodenko had come to him in the midst of that action, returning to the bridge shortly after the Captain ordered Samsonov to fire.

“Marching to the sound of the guns, Rodenko?”

“Yes, I heard the forward deck gun, sir, but there was no call to action stations.”

“That was not necessary. We just happened across a pair of Japanese steamers bound for Dailan near Port Arthur. That traffic stops now. We will not permit the Japanese to resupply their forces in Korea or Manchuria.”

That remark surprised Rodenko. “But sir, how can we possibly enforce such a quarantine? We are one ship. There could be ten or twenty ships en-route to those harbors even as we speak, most likely well south, coming from the bigger Japanese ports. There is no way we can stop them all.”

“I understand that, but what we can do is set an example to show what will happen to any ship we do find in violation of this order. Once we slap a few around, the others will think twice about the voyage. We can have a great effect, even if we cannot be everywhere at one time.”

“Violation? What order are you speaking of, sir? Have you communicated with the Japanese?”

“Not yet, Rodenko, but that is coming in due course.”

“Then how can they be expected to comply? If you just attack unarmed ships like this it is tantamount to piracy.”

“Piracy? Don’t be silly, Rodenko. You act as though we are bound by the laws these little men devise to regulate their affairs. Quite the contrary! What you should realize is that we are now the sole authority here. Who do you think that sea Captain out there will complain to after I put his ship on the bottom? He will complain to his government, correct? This is exactly what I intend. In my judgment, the next ships we encounter will be warships, and then we can make our position understood even better. I don’t expect a steamer Captain to be my envoy to Tokyo, but if I shake up the tree a bit, the military command structure here will do that for me soon enough.”

Rodenko seemed troubled by this. It was exactly what he suspected. The Captain was going to slowly escalate this situation just as he had in 1945. At present they were a great unknown, but soon he could envision that the whole of the Japanese fleet would be mustered against the threat posed by Kirov.

“Do you really mean to push this, sir? Are you looking for war here again?”

“What of that, Rodenko? You don’t expect us to take a pleasure cruise here, do you? We were sent to sea as a warship in the service of our homeland. We have fought twice with that charge already. We don’t lay it down simply because we find ourselves here now.”

“Respectfully, sir… May I speak my mind freely on this?”

“Of course. Let me hear what you have to say.”

“Are you certain you do this in the service of our homeland?”

Karpov gave his Starpom a long look at that, as if he were trying to see into his real mindset and discern what his objection was. “Alright, Rodenko. I sense you do not approve of what I have done here with this cargo vessel. Let me hear your reasoning.” He folded his hands on the desk where he had been studying Fedorov’s books, waiting, a look of impatience belying the apparent openness he offered at the moment.

“Well, sir… We have no commission to fight in these waters, not if this is, indeed, the year 1908. Anything we do here could have dramatic repercussions on all future history, and I think we should be very cautious. You have announced yourself at Vladivostok, and they will soon learn that St. Petersburg knows nothing about us. I thought that was very unwise-in fact, I thought it somewhat pretentious. Now you have attacked these unarmed merchant ships, and it will certainly lead to more trouble here.”

“Yes, it will, and that is by design, Captain Lieutenant.” The use of Rodenko’s rank in place of his name was ample evidence that the Captain did not appreciate those remarks. “Now…It is my intention to gain the attention of our adversaries here, and let them know what they are dealing with. Only then can we make demands they may heed.”

“But why, sir? Why start another war here that was never fought in the history we know? Haven’t we done enough already?”

“Because the last war that was fought in the history ended quite badly for Russia. Wouldn’t you agree? If Orlov were here he would put it quite plainly. We got our asses kicked, and by a third rate emerging state. It may have been pure chance that we arrived here after that last detonation, and frankly, I see no way home again short of firing off another warhead. That I will not do. So we are here, and with the power to redress a century and more of hardship for our country. I’m going to use that power, and this is only the beginning. The real game remains to be played. Soon they will begin moving their pawns and minor pieces about, but we are the great black Queen now, and we can defeat them all. You doubt this?”

“We can certainly beat any ship they have, sir, but their entire fleet? Won’t that just be a repeat of what we just faced in 1945?”

“Of course not. These ships are no match for us now. They are mere toys in a bathtub compared to Kirov. The sooner the Japanese learn that their Imperial Navy is useless as a tool of foreign policy as long as we sail these waters, the better. The lessons start today.”

“And what about the Japanese Army? We will be entirely powerless to influence any outcome on land, sir. If the present Japanese government does not comply, what can you do? We certainly can’t put men ashore on the Japanese mainland. For that matter we could not even control Port Arthur with our present naval infantry contingent.”

“That remains to be seen. My hope is that the Japanese will not wish to sacrifice their precious navy and be relegated to the status of a feudal power here again. I have been reading Fedorov’s books! The development of the Imperial Japanese Navy is essential to their ability to project power in the Pacific. We can break that navy as it stands, and prevent any further development. If they fail to comply after that, other measures can be taken, but I do not anticipate this. These are not the Japanese of the 1940s, Rodenko. They defeated Russia, yes, we all know that history and have studied it in our naval academy, but now we have a chance to reverse those losses. We have a chance to prevent Japan from getting rooted in Manchuria and the Pacific as a major power. Don’t you see this, Rodenko? We can prevent the war in the Pacific from ever being fought. We can stop Imperial Japan from rising like a shadow on the world scene-right here, right now.”

Rodenko still had a sullen, troubled expression on his face. “That’s another tall order for twenty-one missiles and four thousand rounds of deck gun ammunition, sir.”

“It isn’t the amount of force that matters now,” Karpov said quickly. “The fact that we can apply that force, wherever needed, and without putting this ship at risk, is decisive here. Understand? And don’t forget that we can also count on the support of our own countrymen here. You saw the welcome we received in Vladivostok.”

“Is that what all this nonsense about the Viceroy of the East was about, Captain?”

“That was mere theater,” Karpov waved his hand dismissively. “What else would I call myself with these men? I simply use a title they might understand.”

“So you intend to provoke a fight here? You are looking to sink more ships; seek a major engagement?”

“Whatever it may take to achieve my objective, Rodenko. And don’t get squeamish on me now.” He pointed a finger at his Executive Officer, somewhat annoyed. “I made you Starpom because you were senior bridge officer; more mature, and with more experience than any of the others. But now you begin to sound like Doctor Zolkin! This is war. You know the old quotation-war is the continuation of politics by other means. If you do not have what it takes to stand at your post, I can find another officer to replace you. Otherwise, I expect your voice to second mine in these matters, particularly in combat. There is no room for equivocation in battle. You must either commit yourself or stand down.”

Rodenko could see that there was no room for negotiation with the Captain now. It was as if he had crossed some inner Rubicon, and now saw the days ahead as the decisive moment of this entire affair. On the one hand, he could see what Karpov was aiming for. If they could stop Japan and prevent the war in the Pacific while bettering Russia’s position in the world, it seemed a noble objective. But something told him there was a darkness behind that outwardly glowing aim in Karpov’s mind. He had seen it in the Captain before, and feared it was emerging again, bolder now than ever.

They left it there, with Rodenko leaving the bridge to resume his rest shift, but it was not long before the radar station again reported contacts in the Tsugaru Straits, heading west, and approaching the ship, and this time they were not simple steamers.

* * *

The 9th Torpedo-Boat Division had been training in the bay off Amori for the last week before returning to Sasebo to rejoin the main fleet. It was composed of four Torpedo boats, forerunners of the ship class that would be called destroyers in the years ahead. Commander Kawase flew his Broad Pennant aboard the Aotaka, the first of its class, and he led three more boats behind him, the Kari, Tsubame and Hato. They were no more than small patrol craft 150 long tons each, but very fast at 29 knots. Lined up end to end the 45 meter boats would seem puny next to Kirov, and they carried small 2.2 inch, 57mm guns. Their real purpose was to rush in and deliver their three 14 inch torpedoes to a larger enemy ship, and in this they had considerable success against the Russians in the last war.

Commander Kawase had picked up the wireless signal from Tatsu Maru, and decided to investigate. He notified his base that he was answering a distress call and following up reports of a large Russian warship in the straits. Yet he was not prepared for what he now saw on the far horizon.

The tiny two stack patrol destroyers had been steaming at twenty knots when they saw the distant ship, and with each passing minute as they closed the range Kawase’s alarm grew with the silhouette he was peering at. It was definitely a warship, yet the ship’s bow was very different, long and sleek as it cut through the sea, unlike the reverse bows on all the ships he had come to know. He could not see any large cannon on that long deck, only a few smaller guns to note. Yet he knew that a ship of that size would fight broadside, and that many guns could be concealed in the shadows along her sides, swiveling out from the hull on casements to take deadly aim at his tiny patrol boats.

Now he could clearly see this was, indeed, a Russian ship! It flew the flag of Saint Andrew on its high main conning tower, where he could see something strange rotating in the fading sunlight. The look of the ship reminded him of the tall battlements of Osaka Castle, the high stone fortress of the south that had broken so many armies on its walls. His instinct was to move in closer, and learn more, but something cautioned him, like the voice of a fallen ancestor whispering a dire warning to him. Be cautious here…He made a decision that would save his life, and those of all the men under his charge that day.

If this was a ship of war, and it certainly looked to be all of that and more, then his four torpedo boats were not about to start the next war here on his command. They would be no match for this monster in any case, and so he wisely decided that his best course was to observe and report. He had come close enough, and gave the order to come about.

He turned to a junior Lieutenant and calmly told him to signal Amori with a report that would confirm the distress call of Tatsu Maru. It had already been seconded by Kanto Maru, when it hurriedly steamed into port at Hakodate with tales of a massive ship in the straits. “Send this,” he said. “Sighted large enemy warship flying the Flag of St. Andrew. Give our position and tell them we are circling in place. Request instructions.”

The message sent, it was his to wait for senior officers to decide his fate that day. Thankfully, there were wiser heads in Amori as well, and he was soon ordered to return to base. It was a decision he was glad to hear, even if he was prepared to face danger and even death if so ordered to defend his homeland. One does not fight a dragon with a knife, he thought. They would need no less than an armored cruiser to confront a ship like the one he was peering at through his field glasses. No… Not even that would do. They would need a battleship…they would need many battleships. It was the most frightening ship he had ever seen in his life.

* * *

“They are turning away, Captain.” Rodenko knew Karpov could see that, but he wanted to make certain the Captain knew the ships were no longer closing on them. “I do not think they mean to attack.”

“No, Rodenko, you are correct. I think they merely wanted to get a look at us, and what they saw may have had the desired effect. No doubt they will return to port with tales of a sea monster at large, which would be just what we need at the moment. Fear is a potent weapon, and a contagious disease once it gets rooted in an enemy. I showed them our full silhouette for that very reason.”

“Those look to be small torpedo boats, sir.”

“Indeed. Well they pose us no threat unless they get very close. And these do not seem to have the backbone to do that at the moment. Well enough. I think we will turn south.”

“South, sir? I thought we were heading for Tokyo.”

“There is no Japanese base of note here in the north. Their main naval facilities are mostly in the south at Kure and Sasebo. I had thought to visit Yokohama off Tokyo, but I think we should first settle the matter with the Japanese Navy before I come calling on the Emperor here. As long as they think they have a navy to oppose us they will never listen to any demand I might make at Yokohama. So first things first. We go south, to show our silhouette to these little people and see what they decide to do about it.”

“I understand, sir. Helm, come about, and steady on 185 degrees.” He seconded Karpov’s order, but with a deep feeling of foreboding and regret.

The Captain had the right idea, thought Rodenko. But I think he is wrong about the Japanese. They are bigger men than he may realize.