Final impact

“Then if you wish to purge yourself of blame for the disaster at Okhotsk, you will take the bombs that Laventry Pavlovich has made, and you will drop them. Two on Berlin, and one on Tokyo. And then you will do whatever is necessary to break through at the Oder and to relieve your forces on Hokkaido.

“Do you understand? Whatever the cost, you will pay it.”

33

D-DAY + 40. 14 JUNE 1944. 1020 HOURS.

THE WHITE HOUSE, WASHINGTON, D.C.

“Whatever the price, gentlemen, Do you understand?”

Each of the Joint Chiefs nodded, Army Air Force commander General Hap Arnold the most emphatically.

“All right. Thank you, then. General Groves, you have preparations to make.”

The general thanked the president and excused himself, accepting the plaudits of the chiefs as he departed with rare humility.

While he was waiting for Groves to leave, Roosevelt rolled a pencil between his fingers, a poor substitute for the cigarettes he had given up. He no longer suffered from the physical cravings-the tiny insert in his arm had taken care of those. But he still found himself longing for the familiar ceremony of smoking, the soothing effect of the ritual itself. At times like these it was almost impossible to resist the urge to just go through the motions. He was going to write a long letter to Truman, who was campaigning in Iowa at the moment, telling him exactly what he thought of the tobacco companies and what should be done about them. Assuming Harry won in November.

“You have admirals Spruance and Kolhammer via audio relay,” an aide told him.

“Put them on the speaker box,” Roosevelt instructed him. “Everyone needs to be in on this. Lord Halifax, you should stay, too. His Majesty’s government will have a say in this matter.”

The British ambassador smiled and brushed some cookie crumbs from his lap with his one good hand.

The speaker set on the president’s desk crackled before settling back into a sibilant hiss.

“Admiral Spruance, can you hear me?” Roosevelt said.

“Yes, sir,” came the slightly distorted reply. “I’m sorry for the lack of a video link, Mr. President. We’re too far out. I have Admiral Kolhammer with me.”

Kolhammer’s voice crackled out of the box. “Mr. President.”

“And I have the Joint Chiefs and the British ambassador with me,” Roosevelt responded. “Now, tell us about this message from Yamamoto.”

It was Kolhammer who answered.

“The Havoc picked up a wide-area datacast a few hours ago, Mr. President. A few hours after the Soviet Pacific Fleet was destroyed. It was a personal message from Admiral Yamamoto to myself, seeking to make contact to discuss the possibility of a cease-fire, prior to the immediate withdrawal of all Japanese forces to the Home Islands.”

Every man in the room reacted. Admiral King, the U.S. Navy chief, cursed volubly. Lord Halifax raised his eyebrows theatrically. Hap Arnold snorted and General Marshall, the chairman of the Joint Chiefs, shook his head in amazement. Roosevelt, whose whole life had been spent cutting one deal after another, merely bobbed his head up and down.

“I see,” he replied. “And what details do we have of this offer? Is Yamamoto acting on his own? Can he deliver the rest of his general staff? Does he think this is a way to avoid reparations, and trials for war crimes? Will the Japanese submit to occupation?”

It was a hot and brutally humid summer day outside the Oval Office. Hardly a leaf stirred in the still, heavy conditions. Roosevelt wondered what time it was in Kolhammer’s part of the world as he waited for the slightly delayed response.

“On the last matter, Mr. President,” Kolhammer replied, “I would hazard a guess that the Japanese would be only too willing to submit to occupation by our forces, if only to avoid a Soviet takeover.”

“And you think that’s a good idea, I suppose,” Admiral King interjected. He and Kolhammer had a famously antagonistic relationship. Butting into the middle of a conversation between Kolhammer and the president was well within his character.

Roosevelt was glad when the other man didn’t bite.

“I have no opinion either way,” Kolhammer responded. “This is a political decision. That’s why we’re calling it in.”

Roosevelt could hardly suppress the grin that wanted to break out and run wild on his face. Phillip Kolhammer was just about the most political commander he knew. Even Douglas MacArthur was shaded into a distant second place by the man’s Machiavellian machinations. He was just damn lucky that Eleanor had taken such a shine to him.

The president had to wonder what the man was playing at.

“Is the Havoc in contact with the Japanese fleet?” he asked. “I understand she was supposed to be shadowing them. Is that correct?”

“Yes, sir,” Spruance answered. “Captain Willet is stalking the Combined Fleet and reports that she has independent target locks on their carriers and largest gunships, the Musashi and Yamato.”