Mission to Britain Read online

  Additional work by this author in the series . . .

  The Naval Odyssey of Professor James Brand:

  Submarine Scourge

  (Book I)

  Available at Amazon.com

  Mission to

  Britain

  The Naval Odyssey of

  Professor James Brand

  Book II

  J. Eugene Porter

  Mission to Britain:

  The Naval Odyssey of Professor James Brand

  © J. Eugene Porter, 2019

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.

  For permission requests, email the author at:

  [email protected]

  First Edition

  This is a work of fiction. All the characters, names, incidents organizations, and dialogue in this novel are either the products of the author’s imagination or are used fictionally.

  ISBN: 9781791382698

  Design: Vivian Freeman Chaffin, Yellow Rose Typesetting

  Printed in the United States of America

  Dedicated to

  Kenneth E. Porter

  USMC 1938-1941

  and the Marine Detachment

  aboard the USS Chicago CA-29

  Author’s Note

  This book is a work of fiction, but it is based on the cataclysmic events of World War II. It is a story of the underappreciated side of the war which involved science, engineering, and the experimentation of new ways to wage war. It is told from the viewpoint of a young scientist and his team who fight with ideas as well as with weapons. It also deals with the challenges that new ideas encounter when confronted with years of complacency, inefficiency, and tradition. The Second World War made the careers of many men, but it also ended the careers of others, not just through the carnage of battle but by the harsh realization that some men were not capable of dealing with new types of warfare.

  This is the second novel in the Professor James Brand series. The first book, U-boat Scourge, introduced the science team and their mission to fight the initial German submarine attacks along the East Coast. It also introduced the leading characters to America’s top leadership and the politics involved in fighting the war. Mission to Britain starts in early March 1942 and ends in May 1942. America faces its darkest days in countering the U-boat offensive, dealing with the loss of the Philippines and the challenge of stopping the Japanese advance towards Australia.

  The story begins with the U-boat war waged with great ferocity along the East Coast of the United States, as well as throughout the Atlantic. Caught unprepared by the evolutionary nature of the German submarine attacks, the United States Navy stumbled to halt the destruction of the Allied merchant fleet just miles off its coastline. Starting in early January 1942, the United States and its Allies lost hundreds of ships, some of them within sight of land and only managed to sink three U-boats. The British had warned their new Allies about the approach of the U-boats and offered many of their experiences about fighting this scourge, but the Americans were not quick in learning from Britain. It would take most of 1942 to push the German submariners away from their “second happy time” along the American East and Gulf Coasts. These efforts were slow to become a reality as documented by many sources including the seminal work by Rear Adm. Samuel Elliott Morrison in his History of the Naval Operations of World War Two, as well as the many later studies conducted on both sides of the Atlantic.

  This story is just that, a story. Set in a time of terrible events, changing the world and the people who witnessed it. The fictional characters are not designed to emulate real persons from this era, but as you will see, they interact with the real leaders in government, military, science, and production to achieve a better understanding of the issues and problems faced in those dark days. The conversations and actions taken by the real persons are based upon various writings by the participants themselves and by how history now views many of these individuals. Time has changed the image of some of these people; some for better and some for worse, but it does not change how they managed the war, led their people and in some cases, how the leaders of two great nations provided leadership to the world.

  The book is divided by date, with each section beginning with the daily information about what was happening in the war. My hope is this device will provide additional context for the events unfolding in the book and will help the reader better understand the scope and immensity of the war effort. This daily information comes from two sources:

  • The United States Naval Chronology, World War II, published on March 17, 1955, by the Naval History Division of the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations.

  • Chronology: 1941-1945, published on February 21, 1958, by Chronology Section of the Historical Division of the Office of the Chief of Military History, United States Army.

  Prologue

  In August 1939, Albert Einstein signed a letter describing recent scientific research efforts. Alexander Sachs, a good friend of both Einstein and President Franklin D. Roosevelt, delivered the letter to the president in October.

  In part the letter stated,

  In the course of the last four months it has been made probable—through the work of Joliot in France as well as Fermi and Szilárd in America—that it may become possible to set up a nuclear chain reaction in a large mass of uranium, by which vast amounts of power and large quantities of new radium-like elements would be generated. Now it appears almost certain that this could be achieved in the immediate future.

  This new phenomenon would also lead to the construction of bombs, and it is conceivable—though much less certain—that extremely powerful bombs of a new type may thus be constructed. A single bomb of this type, carried by boat and exploded in a port, might very well destroy the whole port together with some of the surrounding territory. However, such bombs might very well prove to be too heavy for transportation by air.

  It also specifically warned about Germany:

  I understand that Germany has actually stopped the sale of uranium from the Czechoslovakian mines which she has taken over. That she should have taken such early action might perhaps be understood on the ground that the son of the German Under-Secretary of State, von Weizsäcker, is attached to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Institute in Berlin where some of the American work on uranium is now being repeated.

  It also warned about recent German activities which were of great concern to many American scientists. This letter provided the stimulus to what was to be known as the Manhattan Project.

  President Roosevelt’s reaction was positive and gave the scientists the approval to expand their research. The president summed up the conversation, “Alex, what you are after is to see that the Nazis don’t blow us up.”

  The Nobel winning scientist sent other letters to FDR on other scientific developments and often communicated outside of normal channels with him. One such informal letter was sent to the president on January 6, 1942, and involved a young prodigy who had joined the navy. This led to a search for Professor James Brand who would become the key member of a special science team reporting to the Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Ernest King. Einstein was pleased to find out how the young scientist was now being employed by the navy. A letter from Einstein to President Roosevelt dated March 2, 1942, covered many scientific subjects as well as the success in finding and employing his young protégée.

  The letter read in part,

  Your science advisor, Vann
evar Bush, informed me of a meeting he had with James Brand and how he found his scope of knowledge beyond his best expectations. Thank you again for finding him and utilizing him for the war effort. My good friend and James’ mentor at Columbia, Professor Enrico Fermi believes, as I do, Brand will play an important part in winning the war. I realize you are overseeing the largest endeavor in human history, but if you could take the time to insure this young man is properly being used by the Navy, then the scientific community, including myself, would be very grateful.

  Part 1

  1

  11 March 1942

  Washington, D.C.

  • Gen. Douglas MacArthur and Rear Adm. F. W. Rockwell leave Corregidor, by motor torpedo boat for Mindanao, Philippine Islands

  The smell of freshly baked biscuits mixed with the noxious odor of gun oil and cigarettes. The source of the oily stench lays on the floor of the kitchen of the large house of Capt. Fredrick Jameson, Science Aide to Admiral King, the Chief of Naval Operations. The house accommodates the men of the special science detail assigned to the captain, and they were now rapidly preparing to leave their very nice quarters for a location known only to the three officers of the group and Gunnery Sergeant Jones. The Marine security detail had their weapons, now in various stages of disassembly, scattered about the floor getting prepared for the unknown.

  Dora Jane, the housekeeper, had set a large platter of fresh biscuits on the table and departed as she took a separate plate full of biscuits and hot coffee to the owner of the house, Captain Jameson, and two other officers assembled in the main drawing room. The men noticed her leave and began a conversation in hushed tones.

  “Gunny, are we taking all this equipment with us?” The voice of Cpl. Willie Dean whispered to the standing senior non-com in the group.

  “Gunny, what time do we leave the house? Can we get some time off, so we can hit the bar before we leave?” Sergeant McBride chimed in before the gunny could answer the first question.

  The gunny had been getting questions for several days since Captain Jameson let him know the team was about to be sent out of the country. Jameson informed him about the destination but ordered him not to tell the other members of the team until they were on their way to the point of embarkation. Jones was now to the point of losing his temper but held his mug of coffee tighter until he thought he could hear it begin to crack.

  “Now listen up,” he said with a stern but still not yelling voice. “The next man who asks any questions about when we’re going to leave or where we’re going will be assigned to Portsmouth as a guard for the duration and busted to private. Do you understand me?”

  The men all nodded their heads with a few of them just smiling, knowing they had gotten the gunny’s goat. Each of the Marines, as well as the two navy petty officers assigned to the team, were all experienced men with at least five years or more in the service, except for Pharmacist Mate Hamlin who had joined the navy in 1940. They all knew the rules and understood the secrecy associated with their mission. None of them understood what this mission was, but they had been impressed by the talent assembled to carry it out. All the non-coms were top notch and had proven track records. The three officers on the team were equally impressive.

  The commander of the security team was Marine Capt. Robert Flannigan. An Annapolis graduate, he had served in the Philippines and been seriously wounded in the Japanese bombing of the naval base at Cavite. He was a First Lieutenant then serving as the Marine aide to the Commander of the United States Asiatic Fleet Adm. Thomas Hart. The admiral had sent him to Cavite to assist in the relocation of irreplaceable supplies to the fortress of Corregidor but arrived just as the Japanese bombers struck and destroyed the base. During the attack, Flannigan had pulled wounded men from burning buildings, supervised the firefighting efforts and tried to remove as many supplies as he could before he lost consciousness from his many injuries. He was fortunate to be evacuated to Java and the new headquarters of the Asiatic Fleet. He left on one of the last naval ships to leave Manila Bay before the Japanese blockaded and invaded the island of Luzon.

  The leader of the team and Science Advisor to Admiral King was Capt. Fredrick Jameson. He had left the navy eight years after graduating from Annapolis in 1921 to pursue a doctorate in mathematics. He maintained his status as a reserve officer and was called to full-time service in 1940. The men idolized the captain for being not only a strong leader but also a fair man. He made sure each of the team members was well taken care of and rewarded for their efforts. The captain had purchased the large regal looking house several years before when he was doing business with the government. His wife, Doris, currently lived in New York where she took care of her ill mother. Jameson had been very successful in business as well as science and had invested his money in innovative technologies as well as real estate, but his first love had always been the navy.

  The third officer enjoying the hot biscuits was not an official member of the team but was “available” as required and provided medical services and counseling to anyone who needed it. Lt. Hiram Feldman, M.D. had been part of the project, as he called it, since its inception. He was not only a top physician but also a friend and mentor to all. He was very close to Flannigan and had helped him work through many of his problems stemming from his near-death experiences in the Philippines.

  “Doc,” Captain Jameson said, “I told you that I’m sorry you can’t come with us on the mission. I asked Admiral Willson, and he was not going to budge. Perhaps next time we can get you added, but for right now, if I were you, I’d stick it out at the hospital and enjoy the company of the young nurses.”

  Feldman was about to speak, but he had a large amount of biscuit still in his mouth. Flannigan enjoyed this temporary inability to speak saying, “Don’t worry, Doc, there will be more opportunities for you to see the world with us, but the captain is right. Now is not the time to push Admiral Willson for any favors. Besides, after last night’s festivities at the dance, I’m sure you will be very busy. I don’t think you’ll even know we’re gone.”

  Jameson smiled at the tall Marine captain and wondered what kind of trouble the two of them got into last night. Feldman had asked him to encourage Flannigan to attend the officer’s club dance at Bethesda Naval Hospital, if for no other reason but to get him out of the house and doing something different than barking orders to his security team. Both officers had noticed how he was getting edgier with his men and how he was becoming more ill-tempered. Dr. Feldman believed the young Marine captain had flashbacks to his time in the Philippines plus regretting he was not there now with the Fourth Regiment in their desperate battle against the Japanese. Living in a nice house with all sorts of fine foods was painful for Flannigan knowing the defenders of Bataan and Corregidor were down to quarter rations and running out of just about everything required to fight the enemy.

  Feldman finally swallowed the huge chunk of biscuit and scowled at his friend. “Look Robert, or is it now Bobby blue eyes?”

  Doc turned to face Jameson saying quickly, “Seems that the tall Marine officer sitting in front of you is now in high demand at the hospital. Several of the young ladies called him Bobby blue eyes and wondered what other mysteries hide beneath his uniform.” Before Flannigan could offer his rebuttal, the doctor continued.

  “The entire nursing staff at Bethesda has asked me about the tall Marine captain and how soon he would be available for special duty. I fear this special duty would tire out our young captain, but he must be ready to make sacrifices in the time of war. Wouldn’t you agree, sir?”

  “Why Dr. Feldman, I’m sure that the nurses of your fine hospital would be willing to wait a few weeks or more for a dashing young officer to return and would it not be out of line to think you’ll be able to console them until he returns?” Jameson was smiling and enjoying the game the two officers were playing.

  “Thank you, sir, for coming to my rescue.” Flannigan was smiling at both men and realized that both of them had his best in
terest at heart. Last night had been good for him, and he had already expressed his appreciation to Hiram for making him go. “Doc, I think we should table this discussion until our return, and then we can see if there are any virtuous women left for me to choose from.”

  Dr. Feldman, knowing his diagnosis and treatment was working, smiled and replied theatrically, “Captain Flannigan, it will be an honor for me to protect your flock while you’re away and I shall endeavor to find at least one lady of some repute to await your return.”

  Captain Jameson and Flannigan both laughed at the doctor as he bowed gallantly and waved his hand as if he had just accepted a medal. Feldman then picked up another biscuit and spooned on a large helping of strawberry jam and took a bite.

  The conversation now took a serious tone as the men needed to get down to the last items on the list before shipping out. “We need to go over the security arrangements on Brand. I know we’ve discussed this many times, but the admiral wanted us to be very specific on various contingencies.” Jameson looked at both officers, and each of them now gave him his utmost attention. Even though Doc was not going on the trip, his input was vital. Feldman had protected James Brand from the first. He had been a new navy doctor at the San Diego boot camp where James went upon his induction and witnessed the brutal physical attack on Brand when he defended himself from the sadistic petty officer in charge of training.

  James Brand was the primary reason for the team now assembled and ready to fly off to Britain. He had joined the navy out of youthful patriotism and attempted to avoid revealing his real background. Brand was considered by many, including Albert Einstein and Enrico Fermi, as one of the most brilliant physicists in the world. At the age of eighteen, he already held numerous patents in the new field of electronics plus a Ph.D. in Physics from Columbia. His attempt to stay unknown ended when he defended a helpless seaman recruit named Pine from being killed by Chief Petty Officer Dugard. Dugard turned on him and landed a punch before he and his assistant were taken down by Brand’s expertise in martial arts.