comm_4451_teaser

PEARL HARBOR SLEEPS, COMMANDER. BUT NOT FOR MUCH LONGER, SHIRO!

STORY NORMAN ADAMS N SUNDAY, THE SEVENTH OF DECEMBER, 1941, O JAPAN ENTERED THE SECOND WORLD WAR WITH A SNEAK ATTACK ON THE UNITED STATES PACIFIC FLEET BASE ON THE HAWAIIAN ISLAND OF OAHU.AS THE FIRST WAVE OF IMPERIAL JAPANESE NAVY AIRCRAFT SWEPT DOWN ON UNSUSPECTING “BATTLESHIP ROW” ON FORD ISLAND THE CREW OF A NAKAJIMA B5N2 “KATE” TORPEDO BOMBER COULD HARDLY BELIEVE THEIR LUCK.

ART OLIVERA COVER IAN KENNEDY

4 SWARMS OF BOMBERS AND FIGHTERS POUNDED THE VIOLENTLYAWAKENED FLEET. A CHEER ERUPTED FROM CAPTAIN ICHIRO MASAKI — THE NAVIGATOR, OBSERVER AND BOMBARDIER — PILOT, CHIEF PETTY OFFICER SHIRO OYAMA — AND HIROSHI IDZUMO — GUNNER/RADIO OPERATOR — WHEN THEIR WARHEAD FOUND ITS TARGET. BANZAI!

BUT THEIR SMILES FADED AS BULLETS FROM A HEAVY MACHINE GUN, OPERATED BY A WOUNDED SEAMAN, RIPPED THROUGH THE KATE’S WINGS AND DAMAGED A FUEL LINE.

TAKE THAT, NIPPO!

YOU NAILED HIM, BUD.

5 MASAKI ORDERED SHIRO TO MAKE FOR THE JAPANESE CARRIER FLEET, LESS THAN TWO HUNDRED MILES TO THE NORTH OF THE ISLANDS. BUT THEY KNEW THE CHANCES OF SUCCESS WERE SLIM. OUR FUEL PRESSURE IS DROPPING, SIR.

BE PREPARED TO DITCH IF WE DO NOT REACH LAND!

ALTHOUGH MASAKI HAD A NON-FLYING ROLE, THE VETERAN PILOT OF JAPAN’S WAR WITH CHINA COMMANDED THE PLANE. HE CONSULTED HIS BATTLE ORDERS. IN AN EMERGENCY THE CREW SHOULD TRY AND REACH THE TINY AND REMOTE HAWAIIAN ISLAND OF KIHIKIHI. ACCORDING TO JAPANESE INTELLIGENCE IT WAS UNINHABITED, WHICH MEANT THERE WAS LESS RISK OF THE AMERICANS LEARNING OF THEIR WHEREABOUTS. ONCE THERE WE MUST AWAIT RESCUE BY ONE OF OUR SUBMARINES. IT WILL BE TOUCH AND GO. DO YOUR BEST, SHIRO. I DON’T FANCY SWIMMING WITH SHARKS.

6 AFTER SEVERAL ANXIOUS MOMENTS MASAKI IDENTIFIED THE SMALL GREEN ISLAND AMID THE VAST STRETCH OF OCEAN. HE ORDERED HIROSHI TO CONTACT THEIR CARRIER.

REPORT OUR POSITION. MAKE IT PLAIN AND SIMPLE.

AYE, SIR.

BE QUICK, HIROSHI. OUR ENGINE IS DYING.

THE ENGINE COUGHED AND SPLUTTERED AS THE PLANE SANK TOWARDS THE ISLAND. SHIRO WAS HUNCHED, RIGID, AS HE NURSED THE CONTROL COLUMN. MASAKI HAD SELECTED A LANDING AREA. HIROSHI’S CODED MESSAGE TO THE CARRIER HAD BEEN ACKNOWLEDGED. NOW WE ARE IN YOUR HANDS, SHIRO.

I WILL NOT FAIL YOU.

HAPPY LANDINGS.

7 BUT AS HE MADE THE APPROACH HE WAS UNABLE TO LOWER THE UNDERCARRIAGE DUE TO A MECHANICAL FAULT. BAYAN TREES RUSHED TOWARDS HIM AS THE PLANE WENT INTO A BELLY SKID. A WING PLOUGHED INTO THE ROCK-STREWN GROUND.

HOLD ON! WE’RE GOING OVER.

ULFF!

AN EMPTY FUEL TANK HAD PREVENTED FIRE. THE CREW, ALTHOUGH BADLY SHAKEN, HAD ESCAPED WITHOUT SERIOUS INJURY. HIROSHI DELIVERED THE WORST POSSIBLE NEWS, THOUGH. THE RADIO IS BEYOND REPAIR.

THAT IS A SERIOUS BLOW. WE CANNOT CONTACT OUR RESCUE SUBMARINE WITHOUT IT.

8 THAT FIRST NIGHT THEY DISCUSSED THEIR PLIGHT. SHIRO, WHO FELT GUILTY AT THE LOSS OF THE RADIO, BRIGHTENED.

PERHAPS WE COULD LIGHT A HILL BEACON WHEN THE SUB SHOWS UP?

THIS FOUL WEATHER MUST CLEAR.

SMOKE SIGNALS MIGHT WORK. JUST LIKE THOSE WESTERN FLICKS I WATCHED IN MY LOCAL FLEAPIT.

A GLIMMERING HORIZON MET THE AIRMEN WHEN THEY SET OFF TO EXPLORE THE ISLAND AT DAWN. AS THEY NEGOTIATED A STEEPLY FORESTED HILL IN THE HOT SUN A RUSTLING IN THE UNDERGROWTH STOPPED THEM IN THEIR TRACKS.

WE HAVE COMPANY.

IMPOSSIBLE! THE ISLAND IS UNPOPULATED.

THE TENSION WAS BROKEN WHEN THE INTRUDER TURNED OUT TO BE A WILD GOAT. HIROSHI LICKED HIS LIPS. AH, FRESH MILK FOR BREAKFAST!

HAVING A FARMER’S SON ON OUR SIDE IS A BONUS, SHIRO.

9 AFTER SHARING RATIONS OF TINNED STEW AND RICE THEY FOLLOWED A GOAT TRAIL THROUGH THE LUSH FOREST. A HARD SLOG ENDED ON A RIDGE OVERLOOKING THE OCEAN. MASAKI COULD NOT BELIEVE HIS EYES AS HE FOCUSSED HIS GLASSES ON THE WHITE-SANDED BEACH BELOW.

BY SHINTO! IT MUST BE A TRICK OF LIGHT. IT LOOKS REAL ENOUGH TO ME, SIR.

WHAT? HAS THE SUB ARRIVED?

THE AIRMEN WERE SHAKEN BY THE SIGHT OF VILLAGE LIFE ON AN ISLAND THEY HAD BEEN INFORMED WAS UNPOPULATED. OUR BACKGROUND BOYS GOT IT WRONG.

ARE THE NATIVES FRIENDLY?

SO LONG AS THEY ARE NOT CANNIBALS.

10 MASAKI STUDIED THE COMMUNITY THROUGH HIS GLASSES. HE WATCHED AS WU CHANG, A CHINESE-HAWAIIAN STOREKEEPER, CROSSED THE SQUARE TO GREET VILLAGE ELDER, ENOKA OKALANI. ALOHA, ENOKA! IT IS TOO HOT FOR STOCKTAKING.

MASAKI DOUBTED IF NEWS OF THE PEARL HARBOR ATTACK HAD REACHED THE ISLANDERS.

IT CERTAINLY LOOKS PEACEFUL, SIR.

LIKE ANY SUNDAY BACK HOME.

AI, MY FRIEND! COCONUT MILK WILL COOL YOU DOWN.

MASAKI GASPED AS HE TURNED HIS BINOCULARS ON TO THE ROOF OF WU’S STORE. RADIO! OUR PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED.