Pacific Chess Game
By Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette
Aviation Art Store
The
Pacific Ocean is the largest body of water on our planet. Criss-crossed by
imaginary latitude and longitude lines like a chessboard. This is where the
United States and Japan fought a war of great magnitude. Like chess players
moving from square to square Japan took the first move. Japan struck the United
States in its heart, the “Pearl of the Pacific”.
On
December 7, 1941, as morning light broke piercing the gentle clouds over the
peaceful harbor; the Japanese arrived with the rising sun. American men and
women suffered a blow from the Japanese carrier fleet that boldly struck deep
and bloody. The backbone of the American fleet was laid to waste by aerial
Samurai warriors. As smoke boiled from the docks, and ships, the American flag
flying high on its mast looked down on her fallen. America was staggered by
Japans first move. The Japanese took flight back to their carriers and moved to
their next square in the Pacific.
Shaken by the Japanese attack the United
States was weakened but vowed to stay in the game. In loosing important game
pieces America needs to be wise with its remaining ranks. To out think it’s
opponent; use better strategy. The Divine Wind would meet the ingenious American
mind. A mind is more powerful than the largest ship. The mind is more powerful
than any bomb and can outwit an army of aggressors.
An
opponent cornered and trapped in his square can outwit and conquer his enemies
as long as a level head prevails. Japan had a history of fabulous naval
victories against opponents with massive fleets. Japan had conquered the giant
Russian fleet outnumbered ten to one. The war ships of Japan were no more than
armed schooners. The Russians were equipped with state of the art battlewagons
and cruisers. Yet the Japanese ships were quick, agile and stinging with the
accuracy of their guns. Sailing among the mighty Russian behemoths in hit and
run tactics going from one enemy ship to another slowly degrading their defenses
and the enemy’s moral to a final victory that amazed the world navies.
Now
the Japanese would have to defend their reputation of great victories in the
greatest Naval battle of all history. Japans first attack was a tremendous
victory. Or so they thought.
Japan
struck another venomous blow with the taking of the Philippines. Another square
was lost to the Americans and their allies. Another victory in hand and America
lost more game pieces. But Japan was not watching the game board thoroughly.
They were too concerned with their game. Japan became comfortable with success.
The
American fleet made its moves cautiously on their side of the board. Reinforcing
their holdings in the Pacific. This bored the Japanese who were flush with
victories and were waiting to corner the American fleet and destroy it.
The
Japanese Warlords lost sight of the overall game with their arrogance. The
Americans carefully moved an armada with a special aircraft carrier close to the
island of Japan. The Hornet launched B-25 bombers from its deck that stung
deeply into the pride of Japan. Bombs fell on their homeland, insulting the
Japanese people and their military leaders. Japan’s face was crimson with
anger. Though not a disabling strike, but a strike to set the mind of the
Japanese players in a cloud of hate and revenge.
An
angry Samurai reeled and wanted to strike back, but anger can cloud ones common
sense. American forces continued to move and reinforce their holdings. An
opportunity for both navies to clash came in the Square of the Coral Sea. Both
opponents took losses but the soft underbelly of the Japanese dragon was
exposed. America lost a carrier and so did Japan. But the American aviators
gained experience and her Admiral’s gained valuable knowledge of their
opponent. Both players lost pieces with America’s probe into enemy territory,
but you know this tactic. You have had to make a move like this to test your
opponent. Even knowing that you may loose a piece, you still take the move. And
so our Admiral’s made their move.
The
American mind was working. Out gunned our Admirals worked together to pry into
the mind of its opponent. Americans intercepted Japanese communications and were
privy to their next move. Knowing your opponents moves makes for an amusing game
by the player with the knowledge of the other. This is how the rest of the
Pacific war would be played. The Americans would know almost every move their
opponent would make until the game ended.
The
Japanese made a false move across the board to Alaska. This was to throw the
Americans off their true intentions. Yet America knew their intentions. The
Americans patiently watched the Japanese move invasion fleets toward the Midway
Square. The Japanese were under the impression that they would bluff and confuse
the Americans. It is impossible to throw off your opponent when he is holding
your battle plan.
The
Japanese fleet moved into the Midway Square and attacked the island. The
American fleet sailed into the opposing square and prepared their aircraft for
launch. Attacks from American aircraft on Midway were swept clean from the
skies. Japanese’s fighters and ship defenses shot down every American aircraft
or sent the aviator back to Midway damaged. High altitude bombers were easily
avoided with simple weaving of the Imperial Armada.
Japanese
Admiral’s were pleased with the smashing of the American aviators. The
Japanese fleet was alerted to another attack. Torpedo Squadron Eight from
the Hornet glided in formation for an attack aiming at dozen’s of Imperial
capital ships. With the brave American aircrews skimming the tops of the Pacific
waves the Zero’s circling at a higher altitude swept down like hawks onto a
family of mice in a field. The Devastators bore down on the fleet to strike a
mighty blow only to meet their demise.
The
Japanese Admiral watched through his binoculars and was taken by the bravery of
the helpless aviators as one by one meet their doom. After the last aircraft
piloted by Ensign Gay sat with its rudder and tail sticking out of the sea did
the Admiral comment to his men how courageous the American airmen had been.
Then
another attack of Devastators from the carrier Enterprise slid into an attack
formation. Zero’s swept in and the ships gunners spilled out their curtain of
lead and steel. This time a few got away, all damaged yet the Japanese Armada
was unharmed.
This
alerted the Japanese Admiral that the American Fleet was at hand. The last two
waves of attackers came from carriers. A change of plans ensued. Confidence was
a drug feeding the minds of the Japanese leaders. Orders were barked out and
plane tenders scrambled to their new orders. More ordnance was brought up on the
decks. The flight decks of the Japanese carriers were crowded with munitions of
horrific proportions, which lay among the feet of the Japanese seamen.
Convinced
that the Americans had expended most of their aviators the attack of the
American Fleet was at hand. Now the Fleets would clash and Japan would finish
the capitalist fleet. Japanese bombers followed by squadrons of torpedo aircraft
covered with a blanket of Zero fighters would soon send the American fleet to
its defeat settling under the waves of the green-blue ocean. The imaginary
results were burned into the minds eye of the Japanese Admiral. He would be
famous forever in the history of the Japanese Navy.
As
the Japanese aircrews were changing form bombs to torpedo’s the scream of the
dive-bombers alerted the deck crews and plane tenders. The armors loading the
metal piercing bombs and torpedoes and the crew loading the aircrafts guns looked
up. The sky was suddenly mottled with the black puffs of antiaircraft guns from
their own ships guns. The roar of the defensive barrage was deafening. Panic
ensued. The carriers careened and swerved but the SBD’s in their dive followed
the slow turn of the lumbering carriers.
In one swoop from the sky three of the Japanese carriers were struck. Explosions blossomed among the flight decks as the rest of the Japanese navy looked on in horror. With hearts stopped, voiceless Japanese seamen watched helpless. Within ten minutes the American aircraft were gone over the horizon back to their carriers. The very soul of the Imperial Seaman became hollow, vacant of hope.
The
Japanese were able to strike back and sink an American carrier, yet the last
Japanese carrier was hunted down and ruptured with fire and death. Imperial
losses tripled what the Americans lost. Japan lost four carriers. Most of all,
the Japanese lost their most experienced aviators. This is like losing your best
game pieces, your most important game pieces. The Japanese retreated and
regrouped to study the game board.
A
square that the Americans refused to surrender was Guadalcanal. This island was
a thorn in the side of the Samurai, a thorn that tore open an ugly wound as the
Samurai fought to remove it. The battle for Guadalcanal bled Japan of much
strength with the loss of many aircraft, men, and ships. The Guadalcanal Square
was bloody. Both opponents suffered much grief.
The
mighty Japanese Navy was again defeated and withdrew, leaving the center of the
chessboard in American hands. The United States now held 60% of the board. The
American studied their options planning one square at a time until the last
square; the Island of Japan was within their grip and a final checkmate.
The
Japanese were now moving on their side of the board to reinforce their holdings.
No more would the Japanese Navy boldly sail out and strike at the American fleet
without suffering defeat.
America
moved into the Philippine Square and retook these islands. They gained another
square and advanced to the enemy bases at Turk. The American fleet grew large.
America’s Armada was larger than any fleet in naval history.
Japanese
observation aircraft would report a fleet so large that it stretched as far as
the eye could see covering the ocean. The Imperial Masters were in disbelief.
America then took the next squares with the Marianas Islands and Guam. The
United States now held 75% of the chessboard. Japan had lost too many of their
ships, aircraft and men, their best pieces.
Finally
the cry of the Samurai would turn into the cry of the kamikaze. Japanese youth
threw themselves at the steamroller heading towards their homeland. The Kamikaze
took a high toll on the fleet yet not enough to save Japan. No quick wit,
miracle, nor Divine Wind would save the Japanese Empire now. Because no matter
what forces the Japanese deployed, its plans were intercepted and used against
them to their demise.
Finally one morning as the sun in heaven rose over the Japanese Empire another sun rose so bright that the new sun made by man dimmed the solar sun. Japan was finally overtaken with the last move from the Americans.
The
sword of the Samurai was broken. Ash covered its remains.
What
makes a nation rise up and strike another?
What
is fate when fate arranges your future for you?
Japan
in its supreme quest for power rose only to destroy itself.
The
Japanese made the first move. The United States made the last.
Checkmate!
All research, writings and artwork are by Sir Ernie Hamilton Boyette.
No one is permitted to republish any part of this story with out my personal permission.
Please call or e-mail me for any use of this story.
I do not mind sharing, just call or e-mail and ask for permission.
Sir. Ernie Hamilton Boyette
904-282-4198
e-mail: aviationartstore@peoplepc.com
2-24-07