Decisive Action
…all day, the OCDF forces had been organising their retaliation. The harassment strikes, although costly, had served their purpose in keeping the Japanese busy and thinking that was all the OCDF could offer. Now as dusk fell, the first element of the plan was initiated. The OCS Dechaineux had been shadowing the Hiryu fleet since mid morning. It now dropped further behind and prepared its launch tubes. Very quickly, two of the torpedo tubes were readied and fired. With this done, the Dechaineux now dived deep and awaited the result.
The missiles fired by the Dechaineux were of a type unseen by the rest of the world. They were large and as they broke the surface, each quickly fired a rocket that took them high into the air. As they ascended, they received encrypted data-bursts from an overhead satellite. At the peak of their trajectories (around 70000ft), each missile split apart and released 3 smaller projectiles (each was around 1 m in length). Each of these small black, wedge shaped projectiles now fired a scramjet engine (these had been developed by DSTO scientists in conjunction with the University of Queensland and a number of Australian companies). Each projectile, designated Taipans, now quickly identified its designated target and homed in on it. As they descended, the Taipans quickly reached a speed in excess of Mach 8. The entire action was over in a matter of minutes. The Roald Amundsen and the two Atago class destroyers, Ashigara and Fusō were each hit by two Taipans. Interestingly, the Taipans did not carry a warhead per sae, but rather relied on their kinetic energy to inflict damage - it would be sufficient. All three ships were critically damaged, with the Ashigara (having been hit in the forward VLS which detonated) already sinking. The Fusō and Roald Amundsen were also rapidly taking on water and out of action. The only force defending the fleet now was the aircraft of the Hiryu, many of which were on deck being readied for the planned attack on the OCDF vessels.
Within seconds of the Taipans striking, the early warning E-2C spotted a large number of contacts approaching fast at wave top level from the West. Half a minute later a second force was spotted this time from the South East. The orbiting F-15JN and F-2C fighters were urgently dispatched towards the two approaching forces. Meanwhile aboard the Hiryu crews worked frantically to rearm (or at least remove large anti-shipping weapons) and launch fighters. The first to launch were three F-3s, followed by two F-2Cs which were to have been escorts for the strike aircraft. It wouldn’t be anywhere near enough.
Spotting the approaching fighters, the F/A-18A+s escorting each strike package quickly fired their AIM-120 AMRAAMs. These quickly struck their targets leaving pillars of smoke spiralling down. At the same time, the F-111Cs and JAS-39As they were escorting launched their main weapons – AGM-84 Harpoons and RBS-15 (a number of these had been acquired originally with the Gripens) anti-shipping missiles. Like a cloud of modern arrows (over 70 missiles had been fired in total), the missiles converged on the fleet. Many were shot down by the CIWSs, however a number still broke though to strike ship after ship. For the Hiryu though, the OCDF had something special in mind. Given that it was so large and well defended, not to mention strong with its original VLCC double hull still there, it was believed that even multiple anti-shipping missile hits would be insufficient to sink it. Therefore, to provide a large enough blow, the OCDF now revealed another of its ‘secret weapons’. These were two F-111Gs specially modified to be uninhabited missiles. These had been developed a few years earlier when the F-111G had been retired from RAAF service and were originally planned as a weapon to strike underground bunkers (technically they were now designated as QF-111Gs, though to the OCDF forces who prepared them, they were known as “Terminator Pigs”). They had their cockpits removed and replaced by a large explosive charge and weapon bays also loaded with bombs. Now as the conventional anti-shipping missiles started to strike targets, these Terminator Pigs closed to deliver the coup de grace. As they approached the fleet, each accelerated to its maximum speed of around Mach 2.8 (the engines had been modified to provide 115% power and the airframes were clean – what’s more, they only had a one-way trip to complete). Despite the attempts of the already hit Hiryu’s CIWSs, the Terminator Pigs struck. Shortly thereafter, the large super carrier broke into three and settled below the waves. It would not be alone, as every one of the whaling ships as well as the escorting destroyers and frigate also were either sunk or blown apart. The night sky was lit by burning oil slicks. Even below the surface, the Japanese had not escaped with the Dechaineux taking the opportunity presented by the confusion on the surface to close on the Harushio class submarine, Wakashio. In the short underwater dogfight that ensued, the Dechaineux once again was victorious.
Far to the East, the ships of the Hyūga’s fleet received information of the fate of their sister ships with shock. Only hours earlier, everything had been going so well…