"Presuming they can't run any faster than the twenty-two knots she's now making, Sir, I would estimate fifteen minutes."
"In ten minutes, order Battle Stations," Captain Jernigan ordered. "I'm go-ing to go have my breakfast."
"Aye, aye, Sir."
He did not, in fact, have any breakfast. He instead moved his bowels, and returned to the bridge.
Exactly ten minutes had elapsed. As he stepped onto the bridge, and Mr. Lacey bellowed "Captain is on the bridge" much more loudly than was neces-sary, Mr. Clancy pressed the microphone switch and bellowed, "Battle Stations, Battle Stations, this is no drill."
Three minutes later, the lookout aloft reported a vessel dead ahead on the horizon. Thirty seconds after that, Jernigan saw the stack of a merchantman.
"All ahead full," he ordered softly. "Make turns for flank speed."
"All ahead full, make turns for flank speed, aye," the talker repeated.
"Charge all weapons," Jernigan ordered.
"Charge all weapons, aye."
"Mr. Clancy, we will pass to starboard."
"Pass to starboard, aye, aye, Sir."
"I want to read her stern board," Jernigan said. "Run right up her ass until I can see it."
""Right up her ass, aye, aye, Sir."
OPERATIONAL IMMEDIATE
FROM ALFRED THOMAS DD107 0150 GREENWICH 17 APR 43
TO CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS WASHDC
ALL RECEIVING USN VESSELS AND SHORE STATIONS TO RELAY
MOTOR VESSEL COMERCIANTE DEL OCEANO PACIFICO LOCATED AND POSITIVELY REPEAT POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AT 0145 GREENWICH 17 APR 43 POSITION 27 DEGREES 25 MINUTES SOUTH LATITUDE 43 DEGREES 05 MINUTES WEST LONGITUDE.
SUBJECT VESSEL MAKING 22 REPEAT 22 KNOTS ON COURSE 195 REPEAT 195 TRUE. BASED ON FOREGOING, ESTIMATED ARRIVAL MOUTH RIVER PLATE 2150 19 APR 43.
ON APPROACH OF THIS VESSEL SUBJECT VESSEL UNCOVERED FOUR NAVAL CANNON BELIEVED TO BE 5-INCH OR EQUIVALENT, FOUR MULTIPLE BARREL AUTOMATIC CANNON BELIEVED TO BE 20 OR 30 MM B0F0RS, PLUS SIX MACHINE GUNS OF UNDETERMINED CALIBER.
NO REPEAT NO FIRE OF ANY KIND WAS EXCHANGED AND NO REPEAT NO CONTACT OF ANY KIND WAS ATTEMPTED OR MADE BY EITHER VESSEL.
USS ALFRED THOMAS PROCEEDING IN COMPLIANCE WITH ORDERS.
JERNIGAN, LTCOM USN, COMMANDING.
[FOUR]
Second Cavalry Regiment Reservation
Santo Tome
Corrientes Province, Argentina
070D 17 April 1943
The rain had continued through the night. It was still raining when Capitan Del-gano came into the transient officers' quarters to take everybody to breakfast.