Chapter 1: Portal

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The American landings on Guadalcanal and Tulagi on 7 August caught the Japanese by surprise. The next day, Ryūjō was transferred to Carrier Division 1 and departed for Truk on 16 August together with the other two carriers of the division, Shōukaku and Zuikaku. Her air group consisted of 24 Zeros and nine B5N2s.Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto, commander-in-chief of the Combined Fleet, ordered Truk to be bypassed and the fleet refueled at sea after an American carrier was spotted near the Solomon Islands on 21 August.At 01:45 on 24 August, Vice Admiral Chūichi Nagumo, commander of the Mobile Force, ordered Ryūjō and the heavy cruiser Tone, escorted by two destroyers, detached to move in advance of the troop convoy bound for Guadalcanal and to attack the Allied air base at Henderson Field if no carriers were spotted. This Detached Force was commanded by Rear Admiral Chūichi Hara in Tone.

Ryūjō launched two small airstrikes, totaling 6 B5Ns and 15 Zeros, beginning at 12:20 once the Diversionary Force was 200 nautical miles (370 km; 230 mi) north of Lunga Point. Four Grumman F4F Wildcat fighters from Marine Fighter Squadron VMF-223 on combat air patrol (CAP) near Henderson Field spotted the incoming Japanese aircraft around 14:20 and alerted the defenders. Ten more Wildcats from VMF-223 and VMF-212 scrambled, as well as 2 United States Army Air Corps Bell P-400s from the 67th Fighter Squadron in response. Nine of the Zeros strafed the airfield while the B5Ns bombed it with 60-kilogram (130 lb) bombs to little effect. The Americans claimed to have shot down 19 aircraft, but only three Zeros and three B5Ns were lost, with another B5N forced to crash-land. Only three Wildcats were shot down in turn.

Around 14:40, the Detached Force was spotted again by several search aircraft from the carrier USS Enterprise; the Japanese ships did not immediately spot the Americans. They launched three Zeros for a combat air patrol at 14:55, three minutes before two of the searching Grumman TBF Avenger torpedo bombers narrowly missed Ryūjō 150 meters (490 ft) astern with four 500-pound (230 kg) bombs. Two more Zeros reinforced the patrol shortly after 15:00, just in time to intercept two more searching Avengers, shooting down one. In the meantime, the carrier USS Saratoga had launched an airstrike against the Detached Force in the early afternoon that consisted of 31 Douglas SBD Dauntlesses and 8 Avengers; the long range precluded fighter escort. They found the carrier shortly afterward and attacked. They hit Ryūjō three times with 1,000-pound (450 kg) bombs and one torpedo; the torpedo hit flooded the starboard engine and boiler rooms. No aircraft from either Ryūjō or Saratoga were shot down in the attack.

The disabled Ryūjō (top center) under attack from high altitude by B-17 bombers on 24 August 1942

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The disabled Ryūjō (top center) under attack from high altitude by B-17 bombers on 24 August 1942. The destroyer Amatsukaze (lower left) is moving away from Ryūjō at full speed and the destroyer Tokitsukaze (faintly visible, upper right) is backing away from the bow of Ryūjō in order to evade the B-17s' falling bombs.

The bomb hits set the carrier on fire and she took on a list from the flooding caused by the torpedo hit. Ryūjō turned north at 14:08, but her list continued to increase even after the fires were put out. The progressive flooding disabled her machinery and caused her to stop at 14:20. The order to abandon ship was given at 15:15 and the destroyer Amatsukaze moved alongside to rescue the crew. The ships were bombed several times by multiple B-17s without effect before Ryūjō capsized about 17:55 at coordinates 06°10′S 160°50′E with the loss of 7 officers and 113 crewmen.

Fourteen aircraft that she had dispatched on raids returned shortly after Ryūjō sank and circled over the force until they were forced to ditch. Seven pilots were rescued.

That should have been the end but while the ship was going down a purple portal opened beneath the ship with a certain observer watching.

That should have been the end but while the ship was going down a purple portal opened beneath the ship with a certain observer watching

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Observer Alpha: I think you deserve a second chance little dragon

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Observer Alpha: I think you deserve a second chance little dragon. *giggles*

Sailors: What the Hell/Nani!

Disclaimer
Kitsune: In no way,shape or form do I own Azure lane or Ryūjō*Sigh* Observer A take it away please.

Observer A: Right.Kitsune doesn't own Azurelane or the pictures he/she just owns the idea.Did I do it right?

Kitsune: Phew yes you did surprisingly well 'mutters' For a manipulative loli siren in revealing clothing that is.

Observer A: Did you say something?

Kitsune: What no. What could I ever be talking about?

Observer: 'Deadpan' The way I dress,my personality,my size and race.

Kitsune: 'Jumps into Lockheed AR-71 Black bird and flys away at Mach 3.2 and 85,000 feet in the air'.

Kitsune: BYYYE LOOSER!

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