Force 19 arriving to join a group of destroyers searching for survivors. They had pulled 212 men out of the sea, but not a single man they found alive would live two weeks, so close were they to the rain of radioactive seawater that showered down on them after the passing of the enormous blast wave and base surge from the detonation. It rained for an hour after the blast, a deadly man made storm that continued killing the survivors days and weeks after.
Tovey saw a yellow lantern flash from his forecastle as King George V signaled to the distant American cruisers. She was ready and able to render any and all assistance, but flutter of the lamps winking back carried a stark, brief message that lay heavily on them both- no further survivors. The cruisers were passing north, slowly making speed as they set out to look for the enemy ship that had wreaked this havoc. As they turned one last message winked back at Tovey’s bruised battleships. Advise dispersal.
The Admiral looked at Brind. “I can’t imagine the weapon that did this Brind, nor can I believe the Germans could possibly have more than one aboard that demon ship, whatever it was. The Americans may have given us good advice, but I think I’ll keep Home Fleet just as it is for the moment.”
“Very well, sir,” said Brind.
“Signal the Yanks good luck,” Tovey looked at him, an ashen expression on his face. “And good hunting.”
“Word is the German ship has vanished, sir. American PBY’s out of Argentia Bay have been scouring the seas north of our position for some hours now. Ark Royal has had planes up as well. They reported some odd sea effects for a time, but no sign of this German raider, sir. No word from the American destroyer group that managed to get in close on the monster either.”
“Damndest thing I’ve ever seen in my life.” Tovey lowered his field glasses. “Well then… We’ve orders to turn about and rejoin the Prime Minister,” he said sullenly. “And God help us the rest of the way on in this damn war, Brind. If the Germans have any more of these weapons…”
“God help us all, sir.”
HMS Devonshire sailed smoothly into Argentia Bay heading for the anchorage where the old battleship Arkansas rode quietly in the waning light. The ship executed a smart turn, then slowed to a gentle glide as she came along side the American ship.
Prime Minister Churchill was out on the main deck, his face set hard, yet a smoldering determination in his eyes. Admiral Pound was at his right hand, and when they saw the array of officers and staff on the deck of the Arkansas, and heard the band there strike up “God Save The Queen” he allowed himself the hint of a smile.
Churchill could see the tall, stiff figure of President Roosevelt standing in greeting, and he noted the sallow cheeks, deep set eyes and furrowed brow of the man, and how he leaned slightly on the arm of another young officer, which he took to be the President’s son. I’ll be leaning on your arm soon enough, he thought. We’re in this together now. I can’t do it without you.
The ships came abeam of one another, and pipes wailed over the sound of the band as able seamen ran to secure lines and tie them off. Soon a gangway was laid across from Arkansas to the smaller cruiser, and Churchill wasted no time making his way quickly to the side railing where he was piped aboard with a finishing flourish from the band. He saluted the American flag as he came aboard, smiling, then walked steadfastly on to greet the American President, taking his hand in a firm handshake, his eyes alight, yet his face set with an expression of deep concern and respect.
“Mister President,” he said. “My deepest condolences on the losses you have so grievously suffered at the hands of our enemy.”
“Thank you Mister Prime Minister,” said Roosevelt. “It seems we have a great deal to talk about, and I am honored to finally make your acquaintance.”
“The honor is mine, sir, and I can only regret that your nation has made the acquaintance of Hitler’s war machine in such a startling and unexpected manner.”
The cameras whirled, light bulbs flashing and recording images that would stand as the symbol of an new alliance in arms between Britain and the United States. The two men stood side by side as the anthems of both nations were smartly played by the band, then, one by one the senior British officers followed Sir Dudley Pound and crossed the gangway to greet the President and their American counterparts all lined up in dress uniforms, their dour faces warming to meet these new found allies. Even Admiral King, long suspicious and resentful of British influence in the Atlantic, allowed himself a grudging smile.
“I’m afraid Herr Hitler has kept us all in the dark for a good long time,” said Roosevelt.
“Indeed,” said Churchill. “When I first heard that the Germans had attacked your carrier Wasp I was of mixed mind, Mister President. On the one hand I was wrenched by the loss of life, and reviled by the ignominious nature of the enemy, striking at a neutral power as they did. Yet, on the other hand, I felt this would clearly demonstrate the nature of the foe, and make my appeal to you for active support in this war more likely to be heard and embraced. I was elated to think England might now survive this conflict, and indeed prevail with the United States at her side. Yet, after what we have now seen and learned, this terrible new weapon, I come to believe that it will take the whole blood, bone and sinew of both our nations to survive as free peoples. We must stand shoulder to shoulder, for we will most certainly face perdition if we fail.”
“Well said, Winston, if I may, sir.”
“If you please,” said Churchill with a smile.
“They’ve drawn up a few chairs here for us to sit before the cameras, and more likely so I can get off of these lead feet. I suppose we had best sit a while and indulge them. After that, I think we have very much to discuss. Will you graciously join me below decks here aboard the Arkansas? They tell me this is a sturdy ship, and a safer place than any billet ashore.”
“It would be my pleasure, Mister President,” said Churchill.
“Well, if I’m getting away with Winston, you had better call me Franklin. I suppose I could make it Sir Winston to satisfy protocol, but I’m not sure what you could tack on to my name in return.”
“Let me start with my good friend Franklin,” said Churchill, “and let us hope it is a long and fruitful friendship indeed.”
The band concluded, the cameras winked and the two great men smiled dutifully, then were solemnly escorted below decks while the band played on. Soon the they were comfortably below, exchanging gifts, a fine crafted pen for Roosevelt with a wish that it be used to mandate a new alliance and common purpose between the two nations. From Roosevelt came a box of the finest Cuban cigars for the Prime Minister. “I hope you’ll enjoy these, Winston,” he said, “because I think we’ll be making quite a bit of smoke together now.”
Nothing more was ever seen or heard of this dread German raider, nor was there any further deployment of the fearsome new weapons she had savaged the Allied navies with that fateful week in August of 1941. No ship of Kauffman’s Desron 7 came home, so Roosevelt put it out that the brave destroyers died to a man, but took the German ship down with them, and that was what the country decided to believe. David and Goliath was an old and comforting story.
Some in the Admiralty had grave doubts about the report. After the successful conclusion of the Atlantic Charter the British were particularly watchful, and the boys at Bletchley Park scrutinized any movement of suspected German replenishment ships. The obvious reasoning was that if the German raider had somehow escaped and was at large in the Atlantic, it would soon have to rendezvous for supplies. When an odd report crossed the wire later that month the alert went out to American and British Forces in the area.
Investigating a suspected meeting point hinted at by Ultra intercepts, the Canadian auxiliary cruiser Prince David out of Halifax sighted an unknown vessel, which it reported as a Hipper class cruiser. The British Battleship Rodney was immediately alerted, and joined with the American carrier Task Group 2.6 to hunt for the ship. Planes off the carrier Yorktown soon reported several merchant ships in the search zone, and then suddenly confirmed the sighting of a warship described again as a “possible Hipper class cruiser.”
A second US Task Group quickly formed around the carrier Long Island to expand the search zone. The British dispatched Force F with the carrier Eagle and the cruisers Dorsetshire and Newcastle, and pulled the battleship Revenge off of convoy duty, with three more fast cruisers. In all, the combined Anglo-US forces amounted to three carriers two battleships, twelve cruisers and twenty destroyers. But the suspected ship seemed to simply vanish again, and the Admiralty received good aerial photos of Brest to assure themselves that Scharnhorst, Gneisenau
