“I’ll bring it along with me. Can’t leave it here and it may be useful for spares.”
“Indeed.”
They both looked at a modest exchange between three partisans.
“Fuck me, she’s up the duff and then some!”
“She’s one of ours, Sarnt. Anyway, looks like we’re ready for the off.”
Mikenas nodded and made a gesture to her group, all of whom rose and moved off in the direction she pointed.
“Righty ho, Sarnt. Let’s move.”
Within two minutes the large field was silent and dark, clear of beacons, canisters, and personnel.
The only possible tell-tale of their presence was next to a large Birch tree, where a studious eye could possibly find an indentation in the ground that was roughly the same size as a man.
1417 hrs, Sunday, 3rd November 1946, Urakami First Hospital, Nagasaki, Japan.
Ordinarily, Takeo would be on a day off but his section chief had asked him, although it had seemed more like an order, to replace a man who was sick.
The explanation was fair, so Takeo agreed, especially as the interrogation was in Nagasaki itself.
The subject, an IJN Lieutenant Commander, had only recently come to the attention of the authorities as he had been incarcerated in a civilian hospital following a bombing raid on Nagasaki towards the end of the war.
Too ill to move and close to death, it had been decided to get as much information from the man before he went to his ancestors, hence the dispatching of two men across the city on a Sunday.
The questioning was supposed to be undertaken by Royston Waynes, a USN lieutenant, with Takeo translating both question and answers.
Both men took notes, a procedure to ensure that everything was recorded although, by his own admission, the lieutenant’s Japanese was barely up to the basic of communication.
The dying man, transferred to the Sasebo dockyard following the sinking of his old ship, had a good memory of events and, under direction from the new Japanese authorities, cooperated fully.
The whole interrogation was easy, almost dreary in its simplicity.
Until the moment that Takeo did a double-take on one answer.
Without seeking permission, he spoke over his superior.
“Kagesawa-san, surely you mean ‘Special Type, Submarine?”
Kagesawa shook his head, bringing on pain and a bout of coughing.
“No. It is as I say.”
Waynes kept his mouth shut and gave Takeo his head.
The Hawaiian quickly scribbled in Japanese and showed it to the man, who examined it with his good eye.
‘特型潜水艦’
“As I said, special type submarine. One of the big ones built in secret.”
“Big ones built in secret?”
“Yes, Takeo-san. There were a number being built, but two only went to sea. That’s who the guns were for. I oversaw delivery personally.”
Takeo raised a hand to silence the questions about to spring from his companion’s lips and pressed Kagesawa further.
“So, Kagesawa-san, that notation meant that the equipment was not of a special type for submarines, but actually meant for use on the special type submarines?”
“Hai.”
“Why special?”
“They have two hulls.”
“What?”
The coughing started and Kagesawa used his good hand to dab at the blood spots on his lips.
“Two hulls, Takeo-san. They’re very big.”
“Do you want some water, Kagesawa-san?”
“No, arigato.”
“Then please go on.”
“Just that. They’re very big… long… wide… more guns… more hangar space… nearly one hundred and fifty men…”
“Hangar space… like the AMs?”
“Much more. Room for three aircraft, Takeo-san.”
“Three aircraft?”
“Hai.”
The two Americans exchanged looks.
“What happened to them, Kagesawa-san?”
“They both left for Kannonzaki at the same time. 4th June. Left during the night. I remember they’d gone that morning.”
“4th June. Are you sure of that date?”
“Yes, Takeo-san. It’s my birthday.”
“Kannonzaki. Are you sure?”
“Yes, Takeo-san. A faulty part on one of the Type 36s had to be replaced. I redirected it to a base code that I recognised as Kannonzaki… plus that was where the secret base had been constructed, so it made sense.”
Both men scribbled furiously.
“Anything else you can tell us about these Special Type Submarines?”
“Not really. I supplied the weapons. One 11th Year, three triple mounts, and a single mount Type 36 for each. I did ask some of the officers about their mission, but Rear-Admiral Sasaki Hankyu made it clear it was not for me to know.”
“He was there in person?”
“Yes, Takeo-san, often. Throughout the fitting out, Rear-Admiral Hankyu was a regular visitor to the yard overseeing his special project.”
“And you don’t know where they were going after Kannonzaki?”
“No, Takeo-san. I heard rumours that a number of dignitaries would be going board before they sailed… extra comforts were installed for them… I do know that the vessels were fully provisioned, which was a rarity in those times of course.”
Kagesawa suddenly started a bout of coughing which immediately became a serious problem, as blood foamed at his lips and nostrils.
A nurse bustled over from her duty station and tended to the wounded man.
“You should go now.”
In the way of nurses the world over, her words were an instruction, not a request.
The two US officers stood and took their leave.
The bout of coughing got worse and a doctor joined the throng around the bedside.
“Arigato, Kagesawa-san.”
Outside the hospital, Takeo did all the talking.
“Lootenant, we gotta get back to base immediately, cos unless I’m very much mistaken, the Combined Fleet still has two huge submarines out there somewhere… cloaked in secrecy… unaccounted for… and carrying some important people.”
He skim read the last page again before folding them and slipping them into his breast pocket.
‘Special type submarines… chikushō!’
By 1800 hrs, Waynes and Takeo had assembled the evidence to take before their section chief; evidence that two huge submarines had been assembled and sent to sea with next to no history of their existence, probably carrying some important personnel, and were most likely still at large.
The section chief had disappeared for the day so the two excited men set everything aside ready for an early morning presentation.
Waynes couldn’t sleep and took to examining the contents of a bottle of bourbon.
Takeo couldn’t sleep either, but went to bed anyway.
As he fell into a fitful sleep and Sunday became Monday, a life ended in Urakami First Hospital, as Kaigun-shōsa Daisuke Kagesawa slipped from this world into the embrace of his ancestors.
1200 hrs, Monday, 4th November 1946, Former SS-Artillerieschule Beneschau, Beneschau, Czechoslovakia.
The group had congregated on the verandah of the commandant’s house at the former SS Artillery School, where they had exchanged news and smoked cigarettes together.
Just prior to the start of their meeting, two of the brand new Sabre jet fighters had swept overhead, creating a favourable impression on the ground troops below.
Rumour had it that they had many teething problems but, to the men on the ground, they were pretty birds and friendly air was always welcome.