Battleship Destroyer by L.D. Roberts

clustering the guns together in groups easy to support but easy to hit and knockout as well, like the current crop of Navy battleships, Tom's big twin barreled gun turrets were spread down the long hulls full length. Which was expensive in itself since each turret had to have their own generators and support equipment close by.  Though the empty or tanked space between them was a good replacement for a lot of heavy armor and a hell of a lot easier and cheaper to repair. Each time you doubled the thickness of armor you quadrupled the cost of repairs to it and the machinery inside it.
    "Hey man ." Tom appeared on the Comm screen excited. "I got me a battleship and a couple of heavy cruisers but I was hit by several torpedoes and I have a pack of cruisers and destroyers chasing me. I think I should have stayed with the fleet even if they are well within range of the enemy battleships. After all, like you said, they can punch holes in my tanks all day long without doing any real damage to my ship. Sorry I did not believe you old buddy until these guys started punching holes in me. I just realized that even if they hit an engine or two I could have still kept up with the fleet for protection. At the closer range, I could have taken out half the enemy ships in no time at all with my big beautiful guns."
    Jack shook his head and smiled in exasperation. He loved his friend dearly but he just seemed so dense sometimes, taking forever to see what had been obvious to Jack for well over a year by then. With Tom not quit being able to grasp the seemingly simple basic tactics until he was damn good and ready no matter how frustrated Jack got. Making the same mistakes in battle over and over again. At least now he was starting to realize how to fight his ship right. Jack watched as Tom's ship took out another light cruiser with its stern's big guns but the ship was again hit by a torpedo up the stern as well as several 6 inch and 8 inch cruiser shells. 
    The Battle Cruiser suddenly slowed as it lost power in one of its engines. With no choice of out running the cruisers now. Jack watched Tom start yelling orders as he turned his ship hard around broadside on and brought all his guns to bear tripling his fire power on the small fleet chasing him and fired point blank at them knocking out both of the heavy cruisers in one broadside as his medium 8 inch guns started raking the destroyers. The enemy turned tail and started retreating. Leaving another spread of torpedoes running toward the Battlecruiser as they tried now to escape. Hoping the spread would buy them the time they needed. But the torpedoes were launched too far away and were too few even though they numbered a good hundred. With the Big ship now broadside on, its massive point defenses could easily take them out. The big guns concentrated on the cruisers and the enemy squadron started dying with each salvo now they were targeted by the ship's main gun director in the bow at point blank range. The Destroyers in turn started slowing and then literally disappearing under the massive withering fire power of 8inch, 5 inch and 3 inch guns. If Tom had deliberately run sucking in the enemy squadron, it would have been pure generous but Jack knew it was only desperation.
    Jack watched Tom's ship take out the last of the torpedoes as well as another cruiser while hitting several more destroyers. He did not expect the enemy squadron to last much longer under the Battlecruisers guns now that they had Tom's full attention. It was over in only a few minutes as Jack watched Tom's bridge break out in celebration.
    Finally To m turned his attention to the Enemies main fleet. "Damn it Jack." Came Tom's voice as he shook his head. "It is going to take an hour to repair the engine and I don't dare close until I can out run them. Looks like I am out of the battle. By the time I get back it will be all over with. You better finish taking them out. I can't take on a whole fleet by myself. But at least I