Hyperion
Banned
1203 Hours, March 10, 1942
Coral Sea south of New Guinea
Vice Admiral Wilson Brown stood on the flag bridge of the Lexington reading a report on damage from the strike on Japanese ships off northern New Guinea. Initial reports indicated a number of ships sunk, but from his experience reading various intelligence reports over the last few months, he had a feeling that some of the damage was exagerated, or outright inaccurate.
Rear Admiral Fletcher had just sent a message from his flagship, the USS Yorktown, reporting that all aircraft from the strike on Lae and Salamuana where back aboard, and that he was preparing his aircraft again in case of a second strike. Brown was more cautious than Fletcher, and now that surprise had been lost, was somewhat hesitant to launch a second strike, though he had to admit, the idea of picking off several of the Japanese cripples was tempting.
"To hell with it" Brown decided, and then turned to Captain Frederick Sherman, the commander of the Lexington. "Order a second strike, every aircraft available. I don't like the idea of risking ourselves again, but we have no reports of enemy carriers in the region aside from a light job the pilots reportedly damaged, and we may not get another chance to hit the Japanese again anytime soon".
1349 Hours, March 10, 1942
Brown quietly watched as the first planes lifted off from the Lexington, on their way north to bomb the Japanese ships, knowing full well that this attack could either end in disaster, or one of the biggest victories of the war to date. "Lord, I hope I haven't made the wrong decision" thought Brown.
Coral Sea south of New Guinea
Vice Admiral Wilson Brown stood on the flag bridge of the Lexington reading a report on damage from the strike on Japanese ships off northern New Guinea. Initial reports indicated a number of ships sunk, but from his experience reading various intelligence reports over the last few months, he had a feeling that some of the damage was exagerated, or outright inaccurate.
Rear Admiral Fletcher had just sent a message from his flagship, the USS Yorktown, reporting that all aircraft from the strike on Lae and Salamuana where back aboard, and that he was preparing his aircraft again in case of a second strike. Brown was more cautious than Fletcher, and now that surprise had been lost, was somewhat hesitant to launch a second strike, though he had to admit, the idea of picking off several of the Japanese cripples was tempting.
"To hell with it" Brown decided, and then turned to Captain Frederick Sherman, the commander of the Lexington. "Order a second strike, every aircraft available. I don't like the idea of risking ourselves again, but we have no reports of enemy carriers in the region aside from a light job the pilots reportedly damaged, and we may not get another chance to hit the Japanese again anytime soon".
1349 Hours, March 10, 1942
Brown quietly watched as the first planes lifted off from the Lexington, on their way north to bomb the Japanese ships, knowing full well that this attack could either end in disaster, or one of the biggest victories of the war to date. "Lord, I hope I haven't made the wrong decision" thought Brown.