PACIFIC HEAT
1944
John Carey, Jr. is assigned to the aircraft carrier
USS Hornet where he helps serve one of the waist guns. The U.S. Navy has finally put a new fighter - the Hellcat - into service, closing the gap with the Japanese Zero. Unfortunately, the Japanese have a new aircraft of their own, the A7M Reppu (codenamed "Sam" by the U.S.) which is more than a match for the Hellcat.
A large carrier battle takes place off the coast of San Diego. In this battle, Lt. Hiro Watanabe downs seven Hellcat fighters, an unheard of tally for a single-day's combat. In a brutal battle, both sides loses three carriers, with Watanabe's
Hiryu among the Japanese losses. On the U.S. side, the
Hornet is lost, and John Carey Jr. spends several days at sea in a life vest before being rescued - largely through the efforts of Commander Skip Benson, whose daughter is engaged to young Carey.
In Europe, the German Army invades England after having redeployed troops from the Eastern Front following the Soviet Union's collapse in August 1943. By mid-May, the royal family has sought refuge in Canada and the UK officially surrenders to the Germans. The war in Europe is effectively at an end. The Germans manage to get their hands on many Royal Navy vessels after the Nazis warn the British that their civilian population will suffer reprisals should any Royal Navy vessels go to the Americans. Winston Churchill is later tried and convicted of war crimes due to the bombings of German cities, and is hanged.
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