Roosevelt’s eyes darkened. “What did we do to the enemy?” he wanted to know, but the three men were silent for a moment.
Admiral Stark cleared his voice. “Well, sir. It appears our boys never even saw this German ship. It was over the horizon. They had no visual or radar contact of any kind. In fact, the Germans hit our P-40 Squadrons shortly after they launched from Wasp for the run out to Reykjavik. They never knew what hit them, sir. It was a complete surprise-a deliberate attack against a neutral country.”
“I see…” Roosevelt’s face suddenly looked a hundred years old. His cheeks were sallow and drawn, eyes deep set and shadowed, with a distant, icy look in them. It was a look one might only describe as an ominous calm, as if he was suddenly seeing events that would now be set in motion the world over, cascading down through the days, months, and years from this moment, years of fire, and struggle, and the smoke and destruction of battle and war. And something in those eyes spoke to his own renewed awareness of his own mortality, as if some final, inner clock had tolled, and his own days were now to be counted off, like leaves falling from a tree, the long, lazy autumn of his life gone, and the winter of cold death waiting for him just ahead.
“Mister President,” said Marshall. “The casualties were… rather high. We don’t have the final numbers yet but there were well over two thousand men on those ships and planes. In light of the situation, I advise that we turn about and return to Washington.”
Roosevelt thought. “Where is Churchill?”
“His still at sea, sir. Apparently the British got a bit of a bloody nose when they went after this raider as well. Just like the Bismarck incident. Their ships are consolidating around Prince of Wales now, sir. That’s the ship presently transporting the Prime Minister.”
“Well is he coming or not?” asked Roosevelt.
“As far as we can determine, Mister Churchill seems intent on getting here to meet you, but we can advise him of this decision and postpone the conference until-”
“No, no, no, General. That won’t be necessary. If Mister Churchill is steaming on in the face of this threat, we’ll do the same. That’s a battleship out there with us, if I’m not mistaken.”
“Right, sir,” said Admiral King. “But the British inform us that two of their battleships were also damaged when they tangled with this new German ship. In the interest of safety, sir, I second the General’s suggestion.”
“And I veto it,” said Roosevelt bluntly. “That settles the matter. Put on speed, gentlemen. I don’t care how you do it, but get me up to Newfoundland as soon as you possibly can. And tell Churchill I’ll be waiting for him.”
Marshall had seen Roosevelt this way before, and he knew that once the President had made up his mind like this, there was no persuading him otherwise.
“Very well, sir,” he said. “If we increase to full speed I believe we can get you to the conference site a day early.”
“Good…” Roosevelt allowed himself a wan smile. Then his face was set and grim again. “Get word over to Mister Welles and the others. Also send a coded telegram to Secretary of State Hull back in the states. Tell him I’ll want a joint session of Congress convened immediately upon my return-sooner if he can learn to herd cats before that. This isn’t some U-Boat playing with a destroyer on convoy watch, gentlemen. This is something entirely different.”
There came another knock at the door, Roosevelt’s other son Elliot came in, his hat under his arm and eyes alight. “We just got word,” he said, a bewildered look on his face. “The Wasp has been sunk!”
Roosevelt leaned over, reaching for his pipe and tobacco. “Pull up a few chairs, gentlemen. We’ve got a lot to talk about.”
Aboard Prince of Wales, the doughty prime minister received the word of the American president’s resolve with great satisfaction. He clapped his hands, his eyes alight with an inner fire and renewed hope. It was as if a new sun was finally rising on the gray horizon, dispelling the heavy fog of war and promising a blazoning new hour that would save his embattled nation and assure the eventual defeat of Nazi Germany once and for all.
He was with General Sir John Dill, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, and Admiral Sir Dudley Pound, First Sea Lord and Chief of the Naval Staff. News of the engagement by his forces reached him the previous day, just as he was about to depart on the destroyer Oribi and slip out to Prince of Wales where she waited at anchor, her decks swept clean, guns and forecastle shining with a fresh coat of paint. The Admiralty had not been pleased to hear the results of Wake-Walker’s air strikes against this troublesome German raider, and when Tovey reported his big ships were under attack as well, from an enemy no one had even set eyes on, there was talk of keeping the Prime Minister at home.
Churchill would hear none of it, and insisted on boarding and departing for his long awaited conference with the American president at Argentia Bay. Admiral Pound reluctantly agreed, and the battleship cruised from Scapa Flow a few hours early, wanting to get out to sea as soon as possible. It was not long before they ran into foul weather and the three destroyers escorting Prince of Wales lost contact with the bigger ship, but Churchill demanded that they steam on, determined. “Full steam ahead,” said the ‘Former Naval Person,’ as he oft referred to himself. Churchill had once held the Admiral’s post as First Sea Lord himself.
By midnight, Prince of Wales was well out to sea and some miles east of Ireland. They soon received word of the attack on Repulse and King George V, and Tovey’s intention to gather all his ships and form a strong covering force to insure the Prime Minister’s safety.
“Why doesn’t he just get after this German ship and make an end of it?” Churchill grumbled.
“Under normal circumstances I would agree with you, sir,” said Admiral Pound. “But considering the situation, I rather tend to second Tovey’s decision. You insisted on putting yourself in harm’s way, sir. It’s our duty to see that you reach your destination safely. Tovey’s got a sound head on his shoulders. I expect he’ll want to join up with us in due course. And then, when we have you safely off to Newfoundland, we’ll get out there and settle the matter, just as we did with Bismarck, sir.”
Churchill chewed on his cigar, nodding. “Yes, but at what price, Sir Dudley? We gave up Hood to get at that demon, and now this. What do you make of this new rocket weapon the Germans appear to be using.”
“It’s rather confounding, sir. I can’t say as we’ve heard anything much about it. Bletchley Park seems to have missed something.”
“That they have,” said Churchill. “Well now… Let me put it this way. How many of these rockets can this ship have? If we press her she’s bound to run out, and then we’ll run up on her, take her by the throat, and throttle the life out of her.” He clenched his fist to make the point.
“I’m afraid the Americans suffered rather badly.”
“Yes, but as tragic as this attack was from the American standpoint, it was just the sort of dastardly deed that will enrage them. If Roosevelt allows this to stand, he’s not the man I think he is. This changes everything, gentlemen. I’m convinced the Americans will join us now after this. In this grave hour we’ll stand shoulder to shoulder and let the sinking of this new German ship be the first shot we fire as allies in this war. It was bound to happen sooner or later. The sooner the better, as far as England is concerned. The sooner the better.”
“Right, sir,” said General Dill. “We would welcome full support from the Americans. In fact, the Admiral here tells me that they’ve a considerable naval presence in and around Newfoundland at the moment. Jerry’s picked the wrong time to take a sucker punch at the U.S. Navy. Frankly, I can’t imagine what went through their minds, attacking a neutral country in such a blatant and grievous manner. You’re quite correct, sir. The Americans won’t let this stand. We’ve got word that Roosevelt is pressing on to Newfoundland.”
“Then we won’t be late either,” said Churchill. “I’ll want to get a cypher off to Parliament soon as well. If Roosevelt decides to declare war against Germany, then it’s very likely Japan will throw in on the other side. In that event, I want to be fully prepared to make an immediate declaration of war on Japan. In fact, I think our plan to send Prince of Wales and Repulse on to the Pacific after the conference is right on track.”
“ Repulse will need some patching up first,” said Pound. “She’s still seaworthy, and there’s nothing wrong with her guns, but the Germans poked a couple of holes in her side armor that will have to be mended.”
“Yes, and they poked a few into, Furious as well.”
“ King George V brushed them off, sir. We’ve nothing to worry about on that account.”
“That’s a comforting thought, Admiral. Because I fully intend to catch and sink this German ship. And if I can fish her captain out of the sea after we’re done with it, I’ll see that he hangs.”
