Commander's Rounds

Entry 54-3 Operation Ulysses: Divided but Unconquered

Duke of York and Bismarck had gotten the order to disengage, but found that executing the order had its own difficulties. Disengaging from a foe that was actively bent on fighting and pursuing them was no easy task, and the ships adjusted their heading to interfere with their attempts to retreat. Even more than that, their radar and other equipment had gone fizzy, so it wasn't easy to tell whether they were even heading in the right direction.

This led Bismarck and Duke of York to base their decision on where they had been in the formation, and turn to where they believed Hornet and her carrier group would be. Dead reckoning over an open ocean was not something that was commonly practiced, but it was all they had to go on in an instance like this. another thing that didn't help them was that they were being constantly attacked by the lighter ships of the remnants of Purifier's fleet, either from direct fire or from long-range torpedo attacks.

The one bright spot in all of this was that this was actually the sort of engagement that Battlecruisers were actually designed for- hunting down enemy cruisers and other raiders.

However, the disengagement was messy, even though it was generally done in good order. There was only time to account for who was there and who wasn't after a wave of attackers had been disposed of. Duke of York let Bismarck do all of the counting while they made speed towards the general direction of where they believed that Hornet was. Duke of York needed to occupy herself with a maintenance matter, as she had to eject her two-gun main turret into the ocean- it had taken a shot through the raised turret ring and so it was nothing more than dead weight.

Bismarck was relieved at the results of her count- all of the ships from her own and Duke of York's battlegroup were there, and none had been overtaken by their Siren pursuers. However, even though her own ships were all accounted for, she felt some concern for Hood- after all, they had been involved in some heavy fighting, so it was best to check if she and other others were okay. She left Tirpitz to keep the course steady, and went over to Hood's squadron.

Hood was using the brief respite to open the covering on her engines and using the heat to prepare herself some tea. She was already taking a sip by the time that Bismarck arrived. She immediately paid attention to Bismarck once she showed up. "Ah, Bismarck- I see you've decided on a course?"

Bismarck pulled in alongside her. "It's our best guess as to which way Hornet's carrier group will be. the Sirens have let off attacking us for now, but we're probably going to be attacked for most of the way back."

"I see." Said Hood. "How are your people?"

"All accounted for- same with Duke of York's. That was my biggest worry after disengaging. We're all still able to move at good speed, so we'll be able to get to the carrier group as fast as we're able." and then she remembered the question she had meant to ask. "...And what about your people?"

Hood put her teacup down, and there was a silence that persisted between the two of them- it was something which was hard for Hood to say in terms that were palatable to her. "Everyone is here except Incomparable."

Bismarck's eyes widened. "Did you merely lose track of her, or did something happen?"

Kirishima, who was close by, also pulled up. "When the order to pull back came around, Incomparable had been keeping an eye on the commander- shortly afterwards, she lost track of him, so she said she was going to go out there and find him- and that she wasn't coming back until she had."

Hood quietly returned to drinking her tea.

Bismarck knew that she wasn't any good at offering reassurances, at least not in any appreciable way. It might well have had something to do with her own dismal history, and she worried that any comfort that she might try to offer to Hood would come off as disingenuous. So, she sailed along Hood quietly for a few moments.