The dots and dashes went out, repeated three times, spelling, simply, FRD6. FRD6. FRD6.
The code name for the Coastwatchers Organization was Ferdinand. It was a fey title, chosen, Howard suspected, by Lieutenant Commander Eric Feldt himself. Ferdinand was the bull who would rather sniff flowers than fight. The Coastwatchers were not supposed to fight either.
There was no response to the first call. Koffler's finger went back to the key.
FRD6. FRD6. FRD6.
This time there was a reply. Howard had learned enough code to be able to read the simple groups.
FRD6.KCY.FRD6.KCY.FRD6.KCY.
KCY, the United States Pacific Fleet Radio Station at Pearl Harbor, Territory of Hawaii, was responding to Ferdinand Six.
That radio room leapt into Joe Howard's mind. Before the war, as a staff sergeant, he had been stationed at Pearl Harbor; and he had been sergeant of the guard at CINCPAC, Commander in Chief, Pacific. He saw the immaculate officers and the even more immaculate swabbies at their elaborate shiny equipment in a shiny, air-conditioned room with polished linoleum floors. Air-conditioned!
Now Koffler's hand came to life. Howard could not read what was going out over the air. Koffler was proud of his hand. He could transmit fifty words a minute. He was doing so now. Even repeated three times, the message didn't take long. Then there was a reply, slow enough for Howard to understand it.
FRD6, KCY. AKN. SB.
Ferdinand Six, this is CINCPAC Radio. Receipt of your last transmission is acknowledged. Standing By.
Koffler's fingers flew over the keys for a second or two.
FRD6 CLR.
Detachment A of Special Marine Corps Detachment 14 has no further traffic for the Commander in Chief Pacific Fleet and thus clears this communications link.
Koffler put his fingers in his mouth and whistled shrilly. When he had Ian Bruce's attention, he signed to him to stop cranking the generator. Then he looked at Howard.
"No traffic for us, I guess," he said.
Howard shrugged.
"I mean, I guess if there was bad news at home or something, they'd let us know, right?"
"Yeah, sure they would, Steve," Howard said.
(Four)
RADIO ROOM
USS MCCAWLEY
1033 HOURS 8 AUGUST 1942
"Sir," the Radio Operator 2nd Class sitting at the console called out, "I've got a TOP SECRET Operational Immediate from CINCPAC." Operational Immediate is the highest priority message, taking precedence over all others. A tall Lieutenant Junior Grade went to his position and stood over him as the radio operator typed out the rest of the message. The moment the radio operator tore it from the typewriter, he snatched it from his fingers and took it to the cryptographic compartment.
Five minutes later, a Marine corporal in stiffly starched khakis stepped onto the bridge of the McCawley. He was armed with a.45 pistol, its holster suspended from a white web belt with glistening brass accoutrements.
He walked to Rear Admiral Richmond K. Turner, Commander, Amphibious Forces, South Pacific.
"Sir, a message, Sir," he said.
"Thank you," Admiral Turner said, and took it and read it.
OPERATIONAL IMMEDIATE
TOP SECRET
FROM CINCPAC
TO COMAMPHIBFORSOPAC
INTELSOURCE 1 INDICATES YOU MAY EXPECT ATTACK BY
FORTY FIVE BETTY AIRCRAFT AT APPROXIMATELY 1200
YOUR TIME. END
Admiral Turner handed the sheet of paper to his aide-decamp.
"See that the word is passed to the fleet," he said. 'Tell the carriers I want to know when they launch their fighters. Tell them I think this is reliable, and I want to go with it"
"Aye, aye, Sir."
(Five)
USS MCCAWLEY
OFF BEACH RED
GUADALCANAL, SOLOMON ISLANDS
8 AUGUST 1942
At 1600 Admiral Fletcher received word from General Vandergrift that the 1st Battalion, First Marines had captured the Japanese airfield on Guadalcanal, relatively intact. The field was renamed Henderson Field in honor of Major Lofton R. Henderson, USMC, who had died at Midway. In Vandergrift's opinion, the airfield could be repaired enough to accept fighter aircraft within forty-eight hours.
At 1807, Admiral Fletcher radioed Admiral Ghormley stating that in repelling the Japanese aerial attack at noon, he had lost twenty-one of his ninety-nine aircraft. He stated further that the necessary maneuvering of the ships of the invasion fleet during the invasions had reduced his fuel supply to a level he considered inadequate. He further stated that there was a strong probability that a second Japanese attack by air or sea would be made against his fleet. Unless permission to withdraw the invasion fleet was immediately granted, this attack would result in unacceptable losses to his Task Force.
At 2325 hours, General Vandergrift, having been-ordered to report to Admiral Fletcher, came aboard the McCawley. There Admiral Fletcher informed General Vandergrift that he had received permission from Admiral Ghormley to withdraw from the Guadalcanal area. At 1500 9 August (the next day), he went on to say, ten transports, escorted by a cruiser and ten destroyers, would depart from the beachhead. The balance of the invasion fleet would sail at 1830.
General Vandergrift is known to have protested that the off-loading of the 1st Marine Division and its supporting troops-including the heavy (155mm) artillery, along with considerable quantities of ammunition and supplies, including rations-had not been completed. Admiral Fletcher's reply to the protest has not been recorded.
General Vandergrift returned to the invasion beach on Guadalcanal shortly after midnight.
(Six)