Iishi
The three large MTB were in a loose V formation. G-352, G-353 and G-354 were veteran boats now, with veteran crews, and with many kills to their credit. This was their second effort to penetrate the Allied anchorage. The previous night had been a frustration. Three times they had tried to enter, once they had been met by US MTB, and twice illuminated with starshell from prowling destroyers.
Iishi shouted at Lieutenant Matsuhara across the howl of the wind, "If at first one does not succeed, then spend five hours running at high speed around the south side of the island and come in by the other channel!"
Matsuhara grinned in reply, "Well, boss, we did that once before and it worked. Where the big ships fail, we can sneak through the cracks!"
Both laughed, and the bridge crews with them. Privately, Matsuhara was still amazed by the camaraderie of these small craft. It was very different from even the destroyers he had come from, let alone the battleships.
Two hours later, they were working their way through Marau Sound, and all was not well. The three MTB, now in orderly column, motored through poor conditions; a heavy slop when out of the islet lees, rain patches varying from drizzle to torrential, and mist patches. What they say further out in the sound was obvious: seaplane tenders at anchor and many small craft buzzing about laying moorings and positioning what looked like barges and pontoons. Floating AA batteries, perhaps?
"Looks like Rekata Bay!" called Iishi.
"True, Sir," said Matsuhara. "Shall we surprise them?"
"No," Iishi replied. "Let us leave that to the Air Fleet for the moment. We have at least two opportunities here against the enemy troop transports and we do not want to show our hand. We'll attack the convoy anchorage tonight and then again when they leave. They will be unaware of our course here and they have a lot of patrols in the northern channels. Once the weather calms a little, we can get the H and G boats into here and have some real fun. We'll hit the convoy. It's too late to get back to our new base, so we'll head for the old one on the Mbonehehe."
Matsuhara nodded. "Sir, we have nothing much there now, only fuel and some ammo for the guns. No torpedoes."
It was Iishi's turn to nod. "That is true, but we did not have the lift to move the Type 91's. We'll use them on the convoy as it leaves."
This startled Matsuhara. Good God, he thought to himself, for he was a Christian, this man is a damned tactical genius. He foresaw something like this opportunity months ago. And to think I laughed when they were delivered!
Two hours later, the starboard lookout shouted something intelligible and pointed. It was a faint glow in the murk.
Iishi slapped Matsuhara on the back. "Good navigation, there! That's the Hospital Ship Anchorage! Glad we gave the boys rice balls and tea. Now comes the fun part!"
The formation altered course inshore, to get closer to the concealment of the coast. Forty minutes later, the dim shape of a destroyer was seen to seaward, and Iishi knew he was passing through the screen. His boats puttered silently on their V8's, the shoreline a dark loom to port, flickering black and the dimmest of whites as the chop crashed into the bluffs or curled on to the steep-to beaches. They were seen from shore many times, of course. But to the Army men who glimpsed them what were a few more dim shapes moving offshore in friendly waters?
The minutes crawled past. "Ah, there, said Iishi, as the lookouts simultaneously and silently raised their arms and pointed. Two targets, big transports by the look. His boat commanders were veterans. As G-352 turned to line up the port target, G-353 and G-354 also turned: they were in a line of bearing formation. G-353 faced the only quandary, which target to engage, but trusting the accuracy of Iishi himself he selected the starboard target. They got to about 600 yards, close enough to see the thronging Higgins boats and see the men slaving under the dim deck moonlighting of the transports before they dropped. Iishi turned back to port, in towards the Higgins boats, as he watched the targets. Two huge columns shot up alongside his target, then two or three from the starboard target.
The MTB's crash started their engines as their old 40mm Vickers guns, 25mm and machine guns took the Higgins boats under fire. All hell broke loose inside the anchorage. The big MTB raced among the American small craft, engaging transports and landing craft with gay abandon. The transports responded with heavy fire, but it was mostly wild or aimed at their own ships and small craft.
Twelve wild minutes later the three MTB passed close to Point Cruz and slowed in a patch of heavy rain, turning in close towards the coastline and killing their main engines. As they emerged, barely 150 yards from the smashed facilities near Point Cruz, they could see that the anchorage was still ablaze with gunfire as the transports, escorts and small craft fought each other. Two huge fires burned in the distance, marking the pyres of the two sinking transports, but several others were also marked by small fires, and there were several more small but intense fires on the water where fuel-laden Higgins boats burned.
Several minutes later, their dimmed recognition flashes were answered from shore. An hour later, they were pulling into their old berths in the river.
Iishi had not stopped grinning the whole time.
