Longer version of battle scene
Unfortunately, this version is only partly complete.
Bridge of Kodiak – 1425 hours – Kyoto Atoll – 12000 feet
In line battle, each ship shall engage its opposite number and press the engagement to its conclusion, whatever the circumstances.
Admiral Lord Westland had sent one more message – probably his last before action would be joined that day. It had arrived over the wireless only moments ago and read simply, “Hold the line.”
Aria, an admiral in her own right, an Imperial heir, and the official commander of this force, bristled. Already, she found herself regretting her decision to allow the venerable Lord Westland to command in this, his final battle as a flag officer of the fleet. It was simply a gesture of respect and, certainly, he had earned this honor by his long years of service. But to push aside her plans for the battle for this?
The enemy force, comprised of ten cruisers and a handful of outmoded battleships laid down in the last century, was hopelessly outclassed. Her squadron was comprised of five modern battleships and four heavy cruisers, with a screen of lighter ships constantly on patrol ahead and above to watch for any secret assault that could threaten her heavy units. The mere fact that the enemy had come up to fight at all made her doubtful—made some small voice inside her cry out a warning.
For all the honor of the Australasian Fleet, I would never have expected them to stand and fight… Why?
But to dissent would do her no great honor, and would be a severe insult Lord Westland. She busied herself with details she should probably have left to junior officers.
“Range?” she called out her eyes fixed squarely on the second ship in the enemy line as it soared lazily above the island mountain range below. The enemy approached from the starboard, steaming a near parallel course at a slightly lower altitude: an inferior position, but not so much so as to make a difference. By the time they were within gunnery range, the two lines would be at the same altitude.
“Closing to 26000 now, Admiral,” came the quick reply. “Looks like 264 clicks.”
Hypothetically, each click of the rangefinder’s dial represented ten yards. Realistically, the battle-worn rangefinders on board Kodiak would require several salvos of bracketing gunfire before they found the target’s true range, but an estimate of 26000 was close enough. At the very outside, Kodiak’s 380mm, 45 caliber main battery could not reach a target beyond 18,000 yards. Aria always found herself most unnerved by this. Too poetically, it was the calm before the storm…
She was breathless, forced to wait too long for the inevitable.