The Last Destroyer

“I remember when the captain gave the order. All other ships were wrecked, all aircraft gone. Theirs as well. It was one warship against the other, the last of each fleet. We were the only thing between the enemy and their goal.”

“They wanted to get to Port Said, didn’t they, grandpa?”

“Yes, my darling girl, they did. And you happen to know why?”

“Aye, sir! ‘Cause they were going to the canal. The Suez Canal.”

“The New Suez Canal, indeed. The enemy had just conquered the lands of the canal. If that destroyer ever got to cross it, this would mean the end of the war… and what an awful end it would be. The enemy would win.”

“Our ship was a destroyer too, wasn’t it, grandpa?”

“Correct. Their destroyer was an advanced class, a bit faster. They had run out of ship ammo. Us too. They were heading straight to the canal. And then, as I was saying, the captain gave the order.”

“Don’t stop, grandpa! That’s the best part! Don’t tease me!”

“Alright, alright! The order was crystal clear: brace for impact, full speed ahead. The captain was going to use his own ship as missile to sink the enemy. The navigators projected the best trajectory to hit them so that they could not avoid us. I was on the deck.”

“But how could the captain be so sure it’d hit the ship and that it’d sink’em?”

“He was not. Neither the navigators, it was only projection. The enemy could pull out a maneuver that would save them. If they ever got passed us, we could not reach them anymore for they were faster. But, you see, that was precisely the factor that would turn the tide on our favor.”

“…I don’t see…”

“The enemy’s destroyer was an advanced class. The captain knew their hull was thinner than ours. They were fragile to our heavy, old ship. We would crush them if we ever got to hit them.”

“And we did!”

“Yes, my darling, we did. They tried to turn away, but they took too long to do so. I think they did not believe we would throw ourselves at them. I mean, they did not believe in time. Yet, do not think it was a pretty sight. We hit them on full speed, and they were fast as hell too. It was a violent explosion, I can tell you that. A violent end to a violent battle. Few survived.

“And it was the end of the war!”

“Not quite. More battles were fought, mainly on land. But the Battle of the Mediterranean was the turning of the tide. There is no doubt about that.”

“Awesome! But, grandpa… you said you’re on the deck. How did you survive the explosion when so many didn’t? Did you go inside at the last seconds?”

“My sweetie, what I did is the reason we are talking today on this beach enjoying the calm sea, chatting under the sun. You and your father exist because of that. And I never regretted my decision.”

“You never told me, grandpa! What did you do when the captain gave the order?”

“I jumped off the ship. While we were still very slow, I mean, and I was pretty lucky to survive that nevertheless. Sorry to disappoint you, I am no war hero.”

“It must’ve taken you a great deal of courage to jump a ship like that, grandpa. And the captain didn’t need you to hit the other destroyer at that point either. So it’s OK, you’re still a hero to me.”

“That’s my girl. Now, people are giving weird looks at my talking head coming out of the sand, you can dig me out of here already.”



(A story on a ship. Past, present or future.)