USS Des Moines (CA-134)'s New Future

Chapter 2

[Des Moines' POV]
A Few Minutes Ago, I Noticed 6 Unidentified Ships Off My Stern-Starboard Side Range: 30 Miles Distant. But Since Me And My Sisters Were The Last All Gun-Based Heavy Cruiser, We All Had Very Advanced Radar For The Time. So Therefore, My Radar Was Able To Give Me A Basic Silhouette Of The 6 Ships. Checking The Book Of Silhouettes, Apparently One Of My Crew Had Left, I Can Tell That One Is The Fleet Composed Of [1 Yorktown-class CV, 1 Independence-class CVL, 1 St.Louis-class CL, 1 V/W-class DD, 1 Leander-class CL, And 1 Renown-class BC]. But Weirdly Enough The Two Carriers Are Not Launching Any Aircraft. My Best Option Is To Remain Unseen While Watching Their Moves, And Stay At A Parallel Bearing And Maintain Speed. Just Incase Any Of Them Attack Me, I Had My Primary Guns And Dual Purpose Loaded With AP Shells, And My Anti-Aircraft Guns Loaded With HE. As My Gun Directors Rapidly Try And Get The Wind Speed And Direction So That They Can Compensate For Them By Gun Elevation And Turret Rotation. Plus Because We Were Designed To Be The Ultimate Gun-Based Cruisers, Not Only Radar Is Where Me And My Sisters Excel, But Also In Gun Fire Control Systems (GFCS). Modernized To Have Almost The Same Electronic Suite As An Iowa-Class Since The Iowas Were Fast Enough To Keep Up With Us Cruisers, Like How Though. That Is A Question I Shouldn't Be Bothered With Since I Have Bigger Issues To Deal With. While I Was Watching Their Movements, I Am Currently Drinking My Vanilla Ice Cream On Top Of Coca-Cola Since My Ships Have A Lot Of Stuff Regarding To Electronics, Firepower, And Food Supplies. Via My Radio Interception Devices, It Seems Like They Are Rushing Back To Their Base After A Supposed Combined Axis Fleet Is Heading There With 6 Aircraft Carriers............ (Pieces Two And Two Together) Wait, 6 Axis Carriers, A Allied Force Rushing To Return To Base....... This Is About To Become Pearl Harbour All Over Again.

Des Moines: What Should I Do? I Have 3 Possible Options: 1) I Rush In A-Head Of Them To Try And Intercept The Axis Fleet, 2) Try And Out-Speed The Axis Fleet, And Give The Base An Early Warning, Or 3) I Can Assist When The Attack Has Begun. The First Two Are Way Too Dangerous, So That Leaves Me With Option 3. I Just Hope They Don't Detonate A Specific Ship All Over Again.

As She Was Preparing To Assist Several Minutes After The Attack Has Begun, She Notices Several Radar Blimp On Her Radar Screen, Direction: Dead Ahead, Range: 30 Miles

Des Moines: Hold On, Which Ships Are Those Dead Ahead. Moving About 28 Knots In A 4 Group Formation. Something Is Wrong Here

[Meanwhile With The Axis Fleet]
Atago: Takao Onē-San, What's Wrong?
Takao: I Feel Like Someone Is Tailing Us At A Great Distance.
Atago: How Can Someone Tail Us When Iron Blood With The Most Advanced Radar Haven't Seen Anything.
(A/N: For Your Standards Since You Don't Even Have Radar; 1948 Tech Vs 1941 Tech, Seems Fair)
Zuikaku: Still, We Can't Let Our Guard Down Since We Are Attacking Azur Lane.
Shokaku: Oh, Don't Worry Zuikaku, Your Onē-San Got Your Back.
Zuikakau: Hai.
Atago: *giggles*

Further Forward With The 4 Horsemen Of The Apocalypse.... Wait Wrong Group
The 4 Horsemen: *starts charging on their horses*
Author: Bloody Hell! Run!!!!
-Encountering Some Technical Difficulties Please Standby-

Take 2
Further Forward With The 4 Sakura Empire Destroyers.

Ayanami: Why Are We Doing This Anyways Shouldn't We Be Fighting Together Against The Sirens Not Against Each Other.
Yukikaze: (In The Background) My First Real Battle, Yeah!!!
Shigure: (In The Background) Calm Down
Yuudachi: (In The Background) *starts eating her food*
Yukikaze: (In The Background) Try And Make Me
Shigure: (In The Background) *sighs in defeat* Suite Yourself.

While The 4 Sakura Empire Destroyers Are Enjoying Themselves, Somehow, With The Iron Blood Formation Far Behind The Sakura Empire Carrier Group.

Scharnhorst: Screen Is All Clear Here, Over
Gneisenau: Same Here, All Clear.
Prinz Eugen: *giggles*
Z23: SONAR are also clear.
Leipzig: *continues to drink*