Chapter Summaries

The Buru representative pressed Secretary of State Hull for a definite date when the United States would enter the war, as Russia struggled to defend Moscow and Yuzefgrad. On June 1, President Roosevelt met with military and government leaders, confirmed the Army and Navy were ready, and ordered the United States to enter the war against Germany.

• The Buru representative urged Hull to make the United States enter the war soon, but Hull refused to give him an exact date.
• Hull received a summons to the White House and realized Roosevelt was likely ready to begin the war.
• President Roosevelt convened Hull and military leaders to review whether the United States had completed its preparations.
• General Marshall reported that the Army was ready, and Admiral Stark said the Navy could put to sea at once.
• Roosevelt ordered the United States to enter the war, warning that Russia's defeat would leave Germany free to focus on America.

Admiral Harold Stark ordered the United States Navy to sail against Germany, and Admiral Nimitz was appointed to command the operation. The American fleet began departing its East Coast bases on the night of June 4.

• Admiral Harold Stark announced that the fleet would depart on June 4 and launch a surprise attack on the German Atlantic Fleet.
• Admiral James Richardson recommended Admiral Nimitz to command the operation because of his skill with aircraft carriers.
• Admiral Harold Stark appointed Admiral Nimitz as commander, with President Roosevelt's approval.
• The United States Navy assigned commanders to its capital ship and carrier formations and committed its main forces to the operation.
• On the night of June 4, American fleets sailed from Norfolk and other East Coast bases into the Atlantic.

After the American Navy’s main force entered the Atlantic, Emperor Qin Tian ordered Germany’s fleets to prepare for a decisive battle and directed the air force to guard western bases. The Home Fleet and Atlantic Fleet sailed out to meet the threat, while the Mediterranean Fleet was also ordered to join them.

• Field Marshal Manstein told Emperor Qin Tian that American capital ships, carriers, and other warships had entered the Atlantic.
• Oscar decided that Germany would meet the Americans in battle and ordered the Home Fleet, Atlantic Fleet, and Mediterranean Fleet to commit their main forces.
• Oscar ordered Field Marshal Kesselring to prepare western air force bases against possible American attacks.
• Marshal Lütjens led the Home Fleet out of Wilhelmshaven aboard the carrier Poseidon.
• General Rolf Kars led the Atlantic Fleet out of Port Hero into the Atlantic.

Admiral Hermann Böhm led the German Mediterranean Fleet out of Gibraltar to join the Home and Atlantic Fleets, creating an overwhelming force for a decisive battle. After learning that all three German fleets had deployed, American leaders recognized their disadvantage but chose to continue the operation under Admiral Nimitz.

• Admiral Hermann Böhm ordered the Mediterranean Fleet’s seven Capital Ships and four aircraft carriers to sail from Gibraltar into the Atlantic.
• Marshal Lütjens took command of the combined German operation, which committed twenty-three Capital Ships and twenty aircraft carriers.
• American agents reported the German fleets’ departures, and Admiral Harold Stark and Admiral James Richardson worried that the United States could not match their strength.
• Admiral Ernest King advised recalling Admiral Nimitz’s fleet, but Stark concluded that abandoning the attack would leave no better opportunity.
• President Roosevelt asked Stark whether a better chance would arise later, and Stark decided to continue the operation under Nimitz’s command.

Admiral Nimitz and Lieutenant General Halsey discussed the American fleet’s disadvantage against Germany and the pressure to fight before the United States was ready. A telegram revealed that Germany’s Home, Atlantic, and Mediterranean Fleets had deployed, leaving Nimitz to fear an imminent decisive battle.

• Nimitz surveyed the American fleet and resolved that it had to win the coming naval battle.
• Halsey warned Nimitz that the American Navy lacked the numbers and aircraft performance needed to defeat Germany.
• Nimitz explained that America had to act because its allies were nearing defeat and could not wait for more ships and F4U fighters.
• A staff officer delivered a telegram, and Nimitz learned that Germany’s Home Fleet, Atlantic Fleet, and Mediterranean Fleet had all deployed.
• Halsey reacted with shock when Nimitz said the German deployment suggested the enemy was preparing for a decisive battle.

Admiral Nimitz learned that all three German fleets had entered the Atlantic, making the planned American surprise attack unlikely to succeed. The American commanders resolved to fight anyway and began considering whether to change their approach to the Azores.

• Lieutenant General Halsey assessed the American fleet's disadvantage in capital ships, carriers, and carrier-based aircraft against Germany.
• Admiral Nimitz summoned the formation commanders aboard the Essex and told them the German fleets had put to sea.
• Admiral Nimitz said the United States had to enter the war because its allies were close to defeat.
• Admiral Kimmel, Lieutenant General Halsey, and the other commanders voiced confidence that the American Navy could win a decisive battle.
• Lieutenant General Halsey warned that the Germans would expect them near the Azores, while Major General Spruance urged destroying German airfields and aircraft there first.

Admiral Nimitz and the American commanders weighed the German defenses in the Azores and concluded they had to attack the islands before facing the German fleet. General Kimmel accepted the mission, and the generals committed to a decisive battle despite the risks.

• The German Navy’s extensive airfields, underground hangars, and fortifications had turned the Azores into a heavily defended Atlantic base.
• Admiral Nimitz warned that avoiding the Azores would let the Germans delay until they defeated Russia and brought more fleets against America.
• General Kimmel agreed with Nimitz that the Americans had to destroy the Azores bases before fighting the German Navy’s main force.
• Admiral Nimitz assigned Kimmel’s Capital Ship formations to attack the Azores and try to draw out the German fleet.
• Kimmel trusted his fifteen heavily armed Battleships to withstand the German ships, while Nimitz and the generals vowed to risk everything in the decisive battle.

The German Navy gathered its fleets around the Azores to await the American Navy and fight on a battlefield supported by land-based aircraft. Aboard Poseidon, Marshal Lütjens and Lieutenant General Karl Weitzel expressed confidence in Germany’s advantage as the decisive battle approached.

• The German Home Fleet sailed from Wilhelmshaven through the North Sea and into the Atlantic, while the Mediterranean Fleet crossed the Strait of Gibraltar and headed for the Azores.
• The Atlantic Fleet remained near Port Hero, prepared to join the other German fleets and face the arriving American fleet with support from Azores airfields.
• Marshal Lütjens and Lieutenant General Karl Weitzel discussed the Americans’ decision to commit their entire fleet and asserted that Germany could afford the risks of battle better than its enemies.
• Marshal Lütjens described the German plan to unite near the Azores, use carrier-based and land-based aircraft to counterattack, and position the three fleets north, west, and south of the islands.

Admiral Rolf Kars prepared the German Atlantic Fleet and the Azores defenses for an expected American attack, confident that Germany held the advantage but warning his officers to remain vigilant. The chapter ended with the fleet’s defenses ready and a secret weapon still unrevealed.

• Lieutenant General George Friedberg reported that the Mediterranean Fleet would arrive near the Azores in two days and the Home Fleet in five to six days.
• Rolf Kars ordered reconnaissance forces to intensify their search for the American fleet and warned that it could reach the Azores within five to six days.
• Friedberg questioned whether the Americans would attack the heavily defended Azores, and Kars argued that they had to fight soon to save Russia and prevent Germany from growing stronger.
• Kars ordered the Azores airfields and coastal fortresses to prepare for an attack, including moving aircraft into shelters and readying their heavy guns.
• The chapter revealed that the German Atlantic Fleet had a secret weapon deployed in the Azores.

The German Home Fleet and its submarines prepared to confront the approaching American fleet around the Azores. Admiral Nimitz ordered American formations to attack German air bases on Corvo Island and Flores Island, despite Halsey’s warning that the Germans might be waiting to ambush them.

• Marshal Lütjens learned that the American fleet was about two days from the Azores and ordered submarines to gather around the islands.
• German submarines converged on the Azores to ambush American ships and defend the German bases.
• On June 11, the American fleet appeared more than six hundred kilometers west of the Azores, while its fighters shot down German reconnaissance aircraft.
• Admiral Nimitz ordered three Capital Ship formations and three heavy cruiser formations to attack the airfields on Corvo Island and Flores Island.
• Lieutenant General Halsey warned Nimitz that the Germans might trap the attacking formations, but Nimitz insisted he trusted their strength.

General Kimmel led a heavily armed American fleet toward the Azores to attack German bases on Corvo Island and Flores Island, confident that his Capital Ships could withstand the German Navy. Admiral Nimitz promised fighter cover after dawn, and the fleet departed with Kimmel intent on striking before German aircraft could respond.

• General Kimmel told Admiral Nimitz that his fifteen Capital Ships could complete the mission and requested fighter cover for the withdrawal after dawn.
• Admiral Nimitz promised that the 1st Carrier Fleet would provide F4U fighter-plane cover after daybreak.
• General Kimmel requested an immediate departure so his fleet could reach the Azores around dawn, bombard the German bases, and withdraw before German carrier aircraft caught up.
• Half an hour later, General Kimmel led the Capital Ship formations and accompanying cruiser and destroyer formations away.
• The chapter described the American cruisers and destroyers as heavily armed and equipped with strong anti-aircraft defenses, reflecting the American Navy’s concern about German carrier aviation.

Admiral Husband Kimmel led the American Capital Ship fleet toward the Azores, confident that its battleships could defeat Germany’s older warships in a direct engagement. The fleet switched to air-defense mode and increased speed as it approached Corvo Island and Flores Island, with German aircraft and superior radar posing a threat.

• Admiral Husband Kimmel admired the American fleet’s battleships and judged the Montana-class especially powerful in firepower and armor.
• Rear Admiral Corville told Admiral Husband Kimmel that American battleships could easily destroy Germany’s older Capital Ships.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel dismissed Germany’s victories over the Island Nation Navy and resolved to defeat the German fleet in a showdown.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel ordered the fleet to switch to air-defense mode and increase speed before nightfall.
• Rear Admiral Corville relayed the order as cruisers and destroyers escorted the Capital Ship formation toward the Azores, where destroyers activated their air-search Radars.

Admiral Rolf Kars concluded that the American fleet had arrived near Flores Island and planned to lure it into an ambush near Corvo Island and Flores Island. Marshal Lütjens approved the plan, and the German fleets began preparing to trap and attack the American Capital Ships formation.

• Admiral Rolf Kars inferred from the loss of three seaplanes that the American fleet was nearby and ordered seaplanes to notify the Home Fleet and Mediterranean Fleet without alerting the Americans.
• Admiral Rolf Kars proposed an ambush near Corvo Island and Flores Island using the German fleets’ Capital Ships, submarines, and torpedo boats.
• Admiral Rolf Kars ordered combat aircraft hidden in underground and cave hangars so they could attack if the American fleet struck the island bases.
• Admiral Rolf Kars sought Marshal Lütjens’s approval, and Marshal Lütjens approved the ambush plan.
• The Home Fleet and Mediterranean Fleet sent their Capital Ships toward the waters west of the Azores to prepare for the American fleet’s arrival.

Admiral Husband Kimmel’s American fleet approached the Azores at night and planned attacks on German airfields on Flores Island and Corvo Island. He warned his commanders that the Germans might already know they had arrived and ordered them to destroy the airfields quickly before withdrawing.

• American sailors grew nervous as their fleet neared the German Navy, while their captain tried to encourage them.
• Rear Admiral Corville reported that no German aircraft had appeared, but Admiral Husband Kimmel cautioned that the Germans might already know the fleet was there.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel summoned the formation commanders to the Battleship Montana to assign the attack missions.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel ordered the three Capital Ships formations to attack Flores Island’s airfields and the 1st Heavy Cruiser formation to attack Corvo Island’s airfield.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel told the commanders to watch for German torpedo attacks and evade the German main fleet by regrouping with the other Capital Ships formations.

The American fleet approached Flores Island at night, unaware that a German light cruiser had spotted it and alerted the German fleets. Both sides divided their forces and prepared to attack, and at 00:30 AM on June 12th, the American capital ship formations began bombarding German airfields.

• Admiral Husband Kimmel ordered the American fleet to follow its original plan despite Rear Admiral Corville's concerns about German forces waiting nearby.
• A German light cruiser detected the American fleet, escaped without being spotted, and alerted the garrison and the German capital ship formations.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel dispatched separate American formations toward Lajes, Santa Cruz, Ponta Delgada, and Corvo Island.
• The German Atlantic Fleet prepared to engage the Americans heading for Lajes, while the Home Fleet and Mediterranean Fleet joined forces against the formation approaching Santa Cruz.
• At 00:30 AM on June 12th, the American capital ship formations began attacking the German airfields.

The American fleet bombarded German bases in the Azores while German commanders prepared a trap with submarines and torpedo boats. As the German torpedo boats advanced toward the Montana, its radar detected approaching targets and the crew sounded the alarm.

• Admiral Husband Kimmel ordered the American battleships and accompanying ships to bombard Ponta Delgada, while other formations attacked Santa Cruz, Lajes, and Corvo Island.
• Admiral Rolf Kars and George Fredberg discussed the German fleet’s numerical advantage and prepared submarines and torpedo boats to strike the Americans at night.
• German coastal guns returned fire, but their nighttime shots struggled to hit the moving American ships.
• German torpedo boats left a concealed bay near Ponta Delgada as submarines maneuvered underwater for firing positions.
• The Montana’s sea-search radar detected fast-moving targets approaching from the coast, and its radar officer sounded the alarm over a possible torpedo-boat attack.

German torpedo boats ambushed the American fleet and launched a barrage of heavy torpedoes at its battleships. The Ohio avoided the first attack, but a German submarine then fired six more torpedoes at it.

• Admiral Husband Kimmel ordered the fleet's destroyers and Light Cruisers to intercept the approaching German torpedo boats.
• American ships opened fire, destroying five of the twenty-five torpedo boats before they could launch.
• The other twenty German torpedo boats fired eighty 533mm Heavy Torpedoes at the American battleships.
• The Ohio evaded the four torpedoes fired at it by one torpedo boat, and its sailors believed the danger had passed.
• A German submarine less than two kilometers away fired six 533mm Heavy Torpedoes at the Ohio.

German torpedo boats and submarines ambushed the American fleet, inflicting heavy damage on its ships before withdrawing. Admiral Husband Kimmel then learned that other formations had suffered similar attacks and realized the Germans had set a trap.

• German submarines launched torpedoes at the Ohio Battleship, which took four hits but remained operational with reduced speed.
• German torpedoes sank a Fletcher-class destroyer and a Cleveland-class light cruiser, while damaging other American ships.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel and Rear Admiral Corville assessed the damage as American forces counterattacked and sank several German submarines.
• A staff officer reported that three other American formations had also suffered substantial losses from German torpedo boats and submarines.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel recognized that the attacks were part of a German trap.

The American fleet continued attacking German naval bases despite ambushes by torpedo boats and submarines, while German commanders prepared their Capital Ships to exploit the damage. The German Atlantic Fleet then appeared near the American 3rd Capital Ship Formation, and Rear Admiral Ingram ordered his battleships to withdraw.

• German torpedo boats and submarines ambushed American formations near the Azores, damaging Capital Ships and sinking cruisers and destroyers.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel ordered the American fleet to continue attacking German naval bases and then withdraw.
• Admiral Rolf Kars and Lieutenant General George Fredberg discussed the German Capital Ship Formation’s chances against the American battleships.
• The four South Dakota-class battleships of the American 3rd Capital Ship Formation continued firing on the German base at Faial despite earlier torpedo damage.
• American radar detected eight German Capital Ships, led by the battleship Bavaria, closing in on the 3rd Capital Ship Formation.
• Rear Admiral Ingram ordered the American formation to stop bombarding the base and leave the waters.

The German Navy threatened the American 2nd and 3rd Capital Ship Formations with overwhelming forces, leaving Admiral Husband Kimmel to choose which one to rescue. He turned the 1st Capital Ship Formation southeast to aid the stronger 2nd Formation, abandoning the 3rd to fend for itself.

• Lieutenant General Ingersoll learned that fifteen German capital ships were approaching the damaged 2nd Capital Ship Formation and ordered his fleet northwest to seek a rendezvous with the 1st Formation.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel watched the German base bombardment with concern until Rear Admiral Corville reported that eight German capital ships had engaged the 3rd Formation and fifteen had engaged the 2nd.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel realized the 1st Formation could rescue only one of the two threatened forces and ordered the fleet southeast toward the 2nd Formation.
• Admiral Husband Kimmel prioritized the six Iowa-class battleships of the 2nd Formation over the four South Dakota-class battleships of the 3rd Formation.