herbiesan vs Cantona!!!

[1275psi]

Extract from Shattering the Sword -a cantona production


And so dusk falls.
Yamato, Mushia,Kongo - turn south, and charge towards the task forces east of Iwo - it is doubtful that they can reach -but they will try
The three elderly battleships -Yamamoto on the Ise -charge towards Iwo itself
The CVE's are shorn of all escorts -all CAP -they will be just 200 miles north west of the stinking rock at dawn -every plane committed to the attack
There DD's -lead by the redoubtable Hibiki -will also attack whatever they encounter

From the south -mobile fleets one and two -13 carriers strong -come up -they too will be just 300 miles south of the island -and within 300 of the enemy if they do not move violently

On iwo itself, 47th again will escort newly flown in TBDs, and Japan releases every single LBA bombers in range of their leashes.

Siapan packs with LBA -also ready to hit everything it can

And to underline the desperate stakes - every ship capable of sailing -from the Mutsu, to the lowliest PG, sails.
Mobile fleet three is still many, many days away -but in the floatsam that must result from tomorrow - any carrier may be enough.

It is the greatest battle in the war.
Two great swords swing -both chipped, scared, dulled.
Tomorrow, who's will shatter?

[1275psi]

47th has 151 kills total now
fatigue is 12
Juni, Miyazuki did not score -but just about everyone else seems to have!
34 planes available tomorrow, 38 pilots.

[1275psi]

"it took a bit of doing..............."

And the silence lingers. I so much want to know -what was it like.
And then he smiles, he smiles so often this man, as if all of life is just a joke, -and shuffles over to his books -and opens a slim album
It falls easily open, and i see grey faces, faded over time - peering at me over the chasm we can never cross -the one between these men of 47th in the fading photo, and us.
And below it, a poem

I recongnise it -and i am surprised to see such words here, here in japan.

I read, and for a little while, there is a bridge over the Chasm

Once an earlier David took
Smooth pebbles from a brook:
Out between the lines he went
To that one-sided tournament,
A shepherd boy who stood out fine
And young to fight a Philistine
Clad all in brazen mail. He swears
That he's killed lions, he's killed bears,
And those that scorn the God of Zion
Shall perish so like bear or lion.
But . . . the historian of that fight
Had not the heart to tell it right.

Striding within javelin range
Goliath marvels at this strange
Goodly-faced boy so proud of strength.
David's clear eye measures the length;
With hand thrust back, he cramps one knee,
Poises a moment thoughtfully,
And hurls with a long vengeful swing.
The pebble, humming from the sling
Like a wild bee, flies a sure line
For the forehead of the Philistine;
Then . . . but there comes a brazen clink.
And quicker than a man can think
Goliath's shield parries each cast.
Clang! clang! and clang! was David's last.
Scorn blazes in the Giant's eye,
Towering unhurt six cubit's high.
Says foolish David, 'Damn your shield!
And damn my sling! but I'll not yield.'

He takes his staff of Mamre oak,
A knotted shepherd-staff that's broke
The skull of many a wolf and fox
Come filching lambs from Jesse's flocks.
Loud laughs Goliath, and that laugh
Can scatter chariots like blown chaff
To rout: but David, calm and brave,
Holds his ground, for God will save.
Steel crosses wood, a flash, and oh!
Shame for Beauty's overthrow!
(God's eyes are dim, His ears are shut.)
One cruel backhand sabre cut --
'I'm hit! I'm killed!' young David cries,
Throws blindly foward, chokes . . . and dies.
And look, spike-helmeted, grey, grim,
Goliath straddles over him.


Robert Graves

[1275psi]

q

[1275psi]

18/6/44

You cannot say 47th spend a night on Iwo.
It is like no other night in their experience

Juni sums it up well – its like putting your head in the guillotine –and then spending all night waiting for the blade to fall……….

Japan holds the northern end
It holds the stinking rock called a mountain at the other
The allies hold the first field, and the east beach.
But that is all

They have made no further attempt on the rock –and flounder at the escarpment that is the first line .
But all around the island, their ships prowl.

How do you service a plane, operate it in such conditions?
Where showing a single light will bring the whistle of Naval guns?

You melt into the dirt, you become one with the ground itself.
Transport planes have been coming in for days now –and many –a great many, have brought huge camouflage nets –and others great brown tarps. The fishermen of Japan scream over the loss, but here, for once –the military do justify there seizure.

Now, through the night, the men work.
It is brutal, hard, gasping work –and bodies sweat, glisten and gleam in the starshell lights.
One at a time –each plane is placed under a tarp, essential to kill the lights so needed, –three at a time overall, rudely serviced –then pushed to the edge of the field, or even further away –and covered by a net.
If the artillery comes, they will be smashed – if the navy bombards –they will be destroyed –and the men too will die.
But all night, those ships prowl, the starshell floats down, the artillery falls on the escarpment – and the blade remains poised.

By 0400, Nakamura knows that today they will be ready.
He gathers his men –and tries not to look shocked at the worn, worn faces in the pale moonlight.
‘How many?”
Between 47th, and 87th -40 Tigers are ready……….

A flare flies up, and the men prepare to scatter – aircraft approaching. A Dinah wings low overhead –and a can , streamers flutters down, banging into the dust.
“Please light strip – Naval strike about to stage in”

Reinforcements………..

They come in –and the men cannot but admire the sheer guts of them -27 of the big George fighters bounce in………

The flares burn bright –and still the ships prowl, and still the blade does not fall.
‘Lunacy” murmers Chuzaburo “Lunacy”
He has seen what is entering circuit………..
‘I take back everything I said about the Navy” . Juni’s voice is flat. Tired? Yes.
Stunned at the risk here. Yes.
But there is more.
Pride at lunacy that speaks of never, ever give up………
27 grace Torpedo bombers circle in – each already armed with a fish………

They attempt “the impossible” –landing on this excuse of a strip –still loaded.

24 make it -3 do not – aircraft literally disintegrating on impact – rolling into tangles of metal, and fire.

But 24 do.

Nakamura runs to the leading plane, its pilot still trying to compose himself after his effort.
Nakamura has steeled himself for a day of CAP, for defending this base, this field.
Now –as he spies this mans tanned creased face – he see’s instantly that this , that these men, are crack –the best, of the best.


Two men stand –Nakamura on the bombers wing, the other still in his office –the engine still beating
Eyes meet.
A million messages instantly passed.
Two men, years of leadership
Two men
They know what to do.

‘Can you fuel me Colonel?”
He needs to shout above the beat of the beast
Nakamura bursts into a grin. “If they give us two hours –I can.”
“By they –you mean their ships? –from what I have been told –they need to conserve ammo –Our navy is coming”

Good –very good. And I bet Miyazuki will be seeing his brother at that…….
I need to decide.
Stuff it –what courage.
Stuff it –Juni will just have to swallow it.
He offers his hand to the bomber man. “If you can get this crate of the deck here before 6 –then I guarantee 47th will get you to your target”
“good. Time for a piss then……..”






Dawn
Akagi .
Captain Hara again is at his post.
Lookout bridge, comms to the con established.
Hard hat firmly on his head.

Sweat streams down, and his Khaki’s stick to him. Barely daylight, and already the humidity is killing.
The seas are oily calm, and the sky -so far, is clear.
The deck below beats to mass of aircraft – a full, full strike from Akagi today
Genda prepares to depart –today he intends to lead this attack.
He feels the air –“Storms this afternoon, I think”
‘Yes, I agree. A beautiful morning”
“Yes”
You are about to go to almost certain death friend, and I probably to follow –and yet, here we stand, and talk the weather?
Such is the banality of life.
Hara extends his hand . Genda’s grip is firm, and dry. “Strike hard for Akagi my friend”
He nods-eyes like ice “ Mutual assured destruction I would call it . Have something left floating for me when I return hey?”
And then the little man is gone.
Hara follows him to his fighter, watches him settle in. Mind firmly fixed on the battle ahead, and even from here, Hara can see the excitement coursing through Genda’s body.

Mobile fleet two’s packed strike begins to pass overhead. Akagi is already steaming hard North –into the teeth of the enemy –and she has the wind in her teeth.
Genda leads the launch –and now the air thunders again, once again, to the mighty fist of combined fleet

177 zeke, 21 B7A’s, 60 judys, 157 D7A’s, 18 Jill, 14 george, the great sword of Japan, unsheathed yet again –thunders towards the north.

Hara watches , and then begins the timing. They have little time, the enemy CV’s are close.
“get the CAP up” he urges to nobody, to everybody.
120 fighter CAP. Probably not enough…………..

Below, Akagi hustles as the men prepare the next strike, death approaches –the work must go on.










Battleship Yamoto.
Main director

Miyazuki sits at his sights, sweat already a problem.
The director is quiet, tense, the hydraulics humming .
The great ships race across the sea, locked down, bolted up. Again, that awful silence -3000 plus minds, all keenly aware of the brightening sky above.
Dawn is 3 hours behind – the CVE’s strike has just gone overhead – a comforting sight- but so far, nothing the other way………

‘Alarm!” Aircraft approaching!

Yamato explodes, men bending again to glasses, guns swinging upwards….

20 odd aircraft –moving up from IWO direction.
Miyazuki turns his head to the Director – such responsibility for such a man.
The commander of the guns shakes his head. ‘Steady men. They are going for the carriers’
‘We could reach with the main rifles sir”
Grandfatherly the commander nods in acknowledgement “ lets save our barrels for something you can hit Miyazuki……..”

Miyazuki bends again –and , yes!
‘Iwo island in sight sir!”




Yamamoto lowers his glasses……
‘Signal Unyo. . regardless of damage – continue to Iwo island.”
One torpedo. One was enough for the Shoho. Maybe she is tougher. Maybe not.
Better her to wear the fish than Yamato.


‘here they come”
Hara retightens his grip on the searchlight he stands beside
How many times has that been heard in warfare before?
Here they come/
Has They ever been so terrifying?

The attack is developing against Mobile fleet one –and the zekes are coming in right with it, defying the flak, flinging themselves at the attackers.
Grimly, Hara see’s, some have taken to ramming attacks,………..

But yet, here they come………

It is not one great, smashing attack, but a rolling series of strikes, marching down the formation from its Starboard quarter, and today, unlike Majuro, Hara can follow the battle………


It begins – out of the melee , 2 torpedo bombers, 4 miles distant –coming at Akagi on her beam.
Hara calculates –and refrains from manoeuvre –letting the guns, the destroyers engage.
The stink of cordite, the crash of the 4.7’s, the staccato bang, bang of his 25mm’s – and the two planes drop far too early…………

9 crosses plunge on Hiryu…………….., miss, miss, miss, aircraft down, crump, crump, miss, miss, miss………….. and she appears unhurt……….
Now the Dive bombers are coming in from everywhere,………

Zuikaka takes a bomb – and mountains of water erupt around her
Shokaku takes two – one glances off her side ? – hopefully!
Taiho takes one – deep, oh damn -------------
And now five dive bombers peel at him –and they come down, line astern, and a storm of steel is rising……….

Poor bombing indeed…………..not even wet.
Soryu takes a bomb, hiryu two more…………….

The attacks peter out.

80 attackers, 10 hits, a torp on zuikaku…………… and Akagi, Kaga live yet.

Hara looks at his watch. 15 minutes, 15 lifetimes have passed.
Whats the damage Ex? –is Mobile fleet still in the fight?”



















Extract from Shattering the sword, a Cantona production

……………..57 avengers, 30 helldivers, 63 DB5s, only 33 hellcats made this strike
23 hellcats go down, 30 bombers all told fall.
The attack should have been the killer blow. It was not. Exhaustion? Lack of skill?. The suicidal defence? –or most uncomfortable of all to confront – a lack of determination to risk all for a battle many already felt doomed to lose.

Combined fleet fought not just with tenacity –she carries an enormous reputation…….


………..zuikaku is in terrible trouble. Hiryu burns. Shokaku’s deck is closed, as is soryu’s. A moot point anyway, all the hit carriers planes are either dead, or diverting to Pagan . And even though Kaga, Akagi live, their ammo lockers are now bare………



“am attacking”
Genda sounds cool, his voice crisp.
Again, Mobile fleet sweats it out – waiting for the news……………

“40 odd fighters lost. 6 bombers lost. What flight decks open?”
Silence
A hundred men scream soundlessly into mikes –the attack? what about the attack?’

Coolly –almost as if he’d been shopping, and forgot the tea
“CV Intrepid sunk. CVL Independence burning. 2 DD’ssunk. 1 CA hit. 1 CLAA burning, stopped in water’



Hara takes the signal
Not unexpected. Damn it, why him?
From Yamada
To
Hara

‘take command remains mobile fleet. Do what you think best”

Fine words. Then –what could you advise?
His second strike, pagans strike –too short! There are still at least 2 CV, 2 CVL out there, and now this –words from Japan, of another “big” carrier group coming in from Midway. How many bloody carriers do they have? Don’t they ever give up?

Almost in desperation he looks around his crowded bridge –the circling strike landing.
What to do?
And there-30 miles away –a growing, blackening thunderhead.
‘Operations! Signal the fleet! Seek cover –all ships, for the storm!”



‘From 22nd flotilla Siapan’
To
Combined fleet

Have hit CVL Bataan one torpedo, east Iwo.


Juni retracts his cart
To his right, Nakamura
His left Miyazuki.

Behind him, his friends.
Around him, his machine. The sky, the sea. His life.
It beats, beats exhaultantly., This great beast he controls. He knows her so well now, from the peeling paint to the lying port magneto, to the scratch on the screen right there in the very wrong spot.
He climbs, they climb, away from that stinking rock, here, into the cool, cool air, turning to the west, climbing, climbing, waiting for those navy pukes to follow.

Below, a sight to stir almost any ones heart (but not his) –the battleships steaming in

Pukes –but they will get them through.
Honour demands it

47th lead the way
The enemy fighters peel in again –less in numbers today.
A hellcat dives on him, and Juni coolly watches, watches over his shoulder, eyes narrow, and the stick flick, the rudder kicks, he rolls over the attack, and it takes no effort, none at all…………
Kill number 9
And the sky is clear -47 have taken another bitter harvest -11 in all.

‘thankyou 47th”
The navy commits, determined to reward the work so well done.

And as they lead the way back home, 3 cve’s burning behind, he watches as the navy strike comes in………..














From Shattering the sword A Cantona production

Ch 20
Between two hammers.

By midday, to the allies horror, the situation was clear.
To the north, Japanese CVE’s were finishing off the burning carrier escorts – and their transports lay helpless before whatever monster was rushing their way.


In the centre –disaster builds……
Shorn of fighters by yesterdays fighting, Bataan, San jancinto flee –but slowly.

And to the south –the Anvil – a still overwhelmingly strong mobile fleet, backed by the strength of Siapan

The allies have been split, scattered all over the ocean, now, at the worst possible moment, have been caught between hammer and anvil.

Wasp, Essex, BB Iowa, dodge, and flay at the persistent strikes by LBA – another lucky hit and absolute disaster becons…….
Admiral …………. Orders all carriers to combine, he will, must fight on.
A strike can go by 1300 –mobile fleet can be taken down yet.






Iwo –midday

‘Did you see your Brother Miyazuki?”
He laughs, ‘yes! And won’t he be pissed –I think we have sunk everything already!”
Nakamura helps his man down –he feels nothing, running on pure adredalin.
Could he ever imagined a day like this!
Around him 47th gather excitably, each and every one of them full of tales of valour.
He has some new aces now –how many? –no time to count yet.

The Navy bombers come in –many holed. Far too many
Regretfully, it appears their leader has fallen too……..
A signals man, dirty skinny, runs to him.

Co ordinated strike from CVE fleet, Chichi jima, timed for 1300 .
Can you help?
Combined fleet

He still has half a tank
50 minutes
‘reload men!”.
The prey is down. The Tigers will be in at the kill.













“Message from Yamamoto sir”

The man almost has to shout.
Around them, the roar. The most beautiful thundering roar Hara has ever heard.
Thunderstorm
It thrashes at the screens, waterfalls of water splashing down….
Akagi barely moves, buried deep inside the great storm –a veritable blizzard of rain, spray about her.
She can barely see.
Nobody –not in this war anyway –will ever see her now.

“Read it”

2nd CVE strike, supported by Iwo LBA, and Chichi Jima bombers have struck CVL Bataan, CVl San Jancinto.
Retire first opportunity on to 3rd mobile fleet.
I intend to remain here and fight to cover your withdrawal


Withdraw.
Refill
Return
8cv
5 cvl
3cve-verses what?

Essex, Wasp –and god knows what else.

Every fibre tells him –fight on!
Empty ammo lockers. Empty hangers. Tired, tired men.

Wisdom then. Let the enemy hang on, hang on then.
After all –the marines cannot go anywhere can they?


Miyazuki bends to his glasses.
20000 yards, and the target is crystal clear.
A CVE, low in the water –burning
He feels nothing, just calmness
“target acquired sir”
“You may fire then young man”
He squeezes the triggers, and below, way below, unseen mechanisms spring into violent life.

He has always liked guns
Loved them
And as calmly as he uses his chopsticks, Miyazuki deals death from the greatest guns of all……….
Yamato’s first salvo, at 20000 yards, Strikes the CVE, and her entire aft section erupts soundlessly at this great range.
The young man bends, swings a little to the right, and triggers again squeeze.
A second CVE swallows the 18’’ shell –and simply gives up –joining so many of her sisters in the dark deeps.

Combustible
Vessel
Expendable

Shift target right
AKs – scrambling nets –cranes –still deployed.
6 inch engaging…………

Destroyers –bearing 010 -20000 yards…………..
Something better for Miyazuki……….

Yes. He likes guns. And knows how to aim them……….
DD Anderson -18’, 20000 yards
Kongo engaging
Cruisers engaging
Yamato working like a dream –her rifles firing, firing, the boom rolling across the oceans, across the stinking rock.

And the Marines can but watch their navy melt away…………………




Shattering the Sword. A Cantona production

And now the Imperial fleet comes to stay.

It has lost 1 CVE, a DD
5 CV’s are out -3 however can , if lucky, fight again in this war.

For the allies –a horrific butchers bill
CV Intrepid sunk
CVL Independence sunk
CVL bataan –sunk
CVL San Jancinto sunk
CVE fanshaw bay sunk
CVE Rudyard Kipling sunk
CVE saginan bay –sunk
CLaa Juneau sunk
8 DD sunk
8 AK, with another 3000 men onboard –sunk

And this night, Japan broadcasts to the world.
“We will make Majuro look like a skirmish…………..”







Combat report 47th
Escorted strikes against enemy shipping Iwo
1 pilot lost
3 planes lost
11 kills for today
Total 162

Juni 9 kills total now
Chuzaburo 9 kills
Saito -7 kills
Most pilots multiple kills now.

Mission tomorrow
Bombers flying out.
Cover battleships /CVE’s at IWO in dedicated CAP trap.

[1275psi]

19/6/44


Setsuko listens to the radio
it speaks of essex, wasp, Iwoa, 4 cruisers sunk north of pagan
of mighty battles

but today -near dusk -that familiar roar overhead -the gleaming wings -the crouching Tiger roaring .............

This is the only news that matters...............

[Jones944]

Incredible!

[CV Zuikaku]

And where are the other Essex girls?? Not supporting invasion? Very strange.... [&:]

[1275psi]

19/6/44


For Miyazuki, Yamato, the night seems endless.

The guns have barely fallen silent, the last of the squadron of destroyers dispatched, when again the call comes in

Enemy Task force to Port!
“Engage!, Engage!, Engage!”

Trouble is, Yamato’s mighty guns are now trained hard to starboard………….

CA Boise, Mobile, Detroit, 3 DD, are knifing in –and a storm of fire comes down upon the Japanese line.
Below Miyazuki three tremendous bangs as shells strike the tower – and the smell of smoke fills his nostrils.
But the Armour is doing its job, and communications to below remain, and the figures, the calculations continue.
Musashi this time does the hurt -3 18’’ shells strike the mobile, yamato loses her fwd 6 inch turret, and the cruisers take many hits, as both sides crash at each other.

There is no time tonight to be scared, no time to think, the young man does his duty, aiming, aiming, but it is far harder to hit tonight, and he spends many, many long frustrating minutes seeking elusive targets, and all the while, the sharp vibrations of shells striking the massive armour belt rise through his feet

This naval battle, the third, or is it the fourth now?, settles into a prolong engagement, whoever the allied commander is –he will not yield

30 minutes in, and three Japanese cruisers burn, a destroyer has exploded –yet the allied line is now straggling, and Mobile is distinctly going down.

And then, drawn to the clash like moths to the flame, BB’s Ise, Yamishiro and Hyuga join the fray.









Yamamoto now clears the area.
Rock like, he still stands on ISE’s flag deck – glasses firmly on Tanaka’s fleet
Suzaya is probably not going to make it.
Nor Ashigara, or for that matter Kumano

An expensive nights work
3 allied cruisers sunk this morning, many, many more dead.
And the days slaughter not yet begun………


Yamato will sail away this day, back towards japan.
Her tired men will fight minor fires, and count the splay marks where so many shells bounced off her.
She has dead –mostly amongst her 25mm crews, although one of the six inch turrets is a abattoir inside.
Miyazuki will never speak of this morning –the removal off what remains of so many friends from the turret he once worked so hard in.



BB’s warspite, Nevada, a heavy escort fleet arrive Iwo too late to engage the ammo less Japanese fleet

Too late, too few, too scattered.
It will be the theme for today






Hara again, Oh God, yet again, waits for todays hammer to fall.
Again, war takes him to the edge of exhaustion, smiles at him, and pushes him over the edge.
Sleep.
What he would do for some sleep.

At his orders, his pilots have slept -2 hours some, his flight deck crews – some have snatched a little.
Men act today drunk –actions, thinking taking ridiculous lengths of time.
But by Dawn, driven by fear, driven by duty, driven by the overriding driver of all men in combat –don’t let your companions down – Hara’s task force is ready.

The allies chase him –tearing south trying to get his cripples –and now, at dawn –Hara’s search planes tell him they are just 60 miles behind……….

But for this dawn –it may as well be 60000

Just three hellcats escort the allied first strike – and nothing of it even comes into view
The afternoon will see a second strike against him – again, not seen

His strikes on the other hand……………….







Evening.
Agaki plows towards siapan.
Taiho is with them now, her fires out


Essex, wasp, Iowa, perth, boston, reno, names to paint on the side of her bridge.
Cold witness to a navy broken.

Hara does feel now.
Determination.
Determination to drive the nail home. To punish such foolishness. To chase him into pagan’s range, siapans range………
What arrogance!

There are at least 2 more CV’s coming –somewhere to the north east.
Plenty of time to deal with them…………
‘Where is mobile fleet three?’

“2 days sir”
‘And his tankers?’
‘at least ten at wake”
“Tell Mobile fleet three that they now have a target………..”


47th sentai fly out.
You can only sit under the blade so long –with Allied BB’s approaching, nakamura takes the prudent course.
His men are exhausted. He is exhausted. His planes are in desperate need. Of work.

But the rock can no longer support him – those carefully squirreled away stocks of fuel, bullets, water and food –are now dwindling.

If this war does not end soon, Nakamura knows they must come back – and cover the reinforcement convoys everyone knows must be gathering.

To his disgust ( I am only leaving you behind Juni, because I know you will do the job) 47th’s longest server remains on the rock –tasked with getting the cripples home.
He has a cave to hide in, a deep cave at that.
But he is not alone, there are an awful lot of orphaned navy pilots in it as well.




Nagumo, in Japan, reads the results.
He does not know why the allied fleets split, why they plunged into Pagans range, siapans range.
He is just grateful they did.
How many ships are they willing to lose?
Do they really think they can take Iwo now – maintain communications to it? – with the Mobile fleet still functioning?
He must admire their tenacity………….
But………

If they are re buffed this time………there can be no stopping. They will turn the oceans red, and destroy America’s heart, and place it alongside the British one they have already broken .

The American Ambassador enters his office
He is pale, and grey. Still visibly shocked. No need to ask if he has heard todays news…..

Nagumo cuts to the point immediately.

‘For the love of humanity sir – I ask that the allies seek a peace with us. This war is murder now…………..

[1275psi]

No turn tonight -marriage -blah!- disaster for wargaming LOL[8|][8|][8|][:D]

[1275psi]

20/6/44

Juni spends a miserable night, hot, thirsty, dusty.
navy pilots all snore.

he emerges from his cave well before dawn, ready to give the ground crews hell, he wants to get of this rock pronto.
It takes a few minutes for him to realise, but something has changed.

It is quiet

The guns have fallen quiet.

With a mad rush, with something almost bursting out of his chest, he walks, stumbles, then jogs, then with a rush, races to the nearest crest that overlooks the bay, the invasion fleet.

The sun is rising.
A beautiful sunburst, the dawn.

And behind him, like a tide -the cheers are rising.

[1275psi]

From

Nagumo
to
Commander Mobile fleet
Yamamoto.

Cease hostilities.

[1275psi]

Extract from Shattering the sword, a cantona production

For so long, the great nations had wielded their weapons
Japan, her narrow, razor sharp blade -thin, and sharp

the allies -the great broadsword.

Again, and again, both had clashed.

But, it had been America's that had finally broken, shatterd on the shores of Iwo.

[1275psi]

47th's only survivor from the original gang of nine

Juni B
9 kills
172 mission seeing combat
93 exp

[1275psi]

I spent several days with Nakamura, long days, filled with conversation, memories, pain, joy, and mystery.
Do I really know who he is -now?
hardly.
Do I really know the Nakamura of those days.
maybe a little.

There is one thing that sticks in my mind though, as I leave his little home, before I fly back to Australia.
Today is a world of technology, of machines - war is cold, remote, distant.
Or so we think.
I put that to him, and he gave me this
'I thought that once too -that men cannot do much -alone"
And this did not surprise me
"But consider this.
Iwaya -how much did he change things? -it was his decision alone to cancel all merchant shipping on Dec 8, and concentrate on Carriers above all..............
It was Yamamoto who wielded the sword that that gave him
It was single men like Miyazuki who aimed yamatos great rifles.......
And I like to think, of course, that we might have had a bit to do with it................"


And now, when I think of it, maybe that is what war is. Men like 47th, doing their best, and sometimes, just sometimes, doing more than their best.

[gladiatt]

Is it the end ? [X(]

[1275psi]

herbiesans comments before i wind up what happened to each character (I think they deserve that at least)

cantona played a great, great, fair game. I have looked at his dispositions -and he is still immensly strong -but no stronger in Carriers in my opinion than me (except in CVE's -he has gazzillions of them left)

I count the Franklin, the yorktown and a brit CV left to immediately deal with near Iwo - other than that, I was I think still in command

eastern threat non existant really, and i forgot to look at timor front -but it semed no real threat.
He was getting ready to come up the PNG coast further i think -a lot of ready loaded transports
I was right about wake -vulnerable as hell to an attack -and his tankers were where i suspected they would be .

he has so many planes its terrifying -but a lot of units could not be utilised due to lack of manouvre room on a narrow front up the PNG coast.

Score was 48722 to 29733 -plus the points for the 2 essex class still to be counted on the next turn.

all up, allied losses were 9CV, 10 cvl, 22cve, 9 BB, 1BC, 15 CA, 21 CL to him, army and air losses both sides very close, 14000 to 15000 point range

789 jap ships sunk - 1060 allied -with more to come each side

again, a great game, the result really not important, the journey was.
I hope to finish this story this week end, thank you for all those who followed it.
cantona and I now will concentrate on a AE game -i am sure it will be different as well.
I am thinking of another AAR, not sure yet though -is it worth it?


Final game thoughts.
from turn one -the grand plan
Sieze Solomons, Port moresby -and no more.
do everything, and I mean everything, to encourage an advance up the solomons..........
And hit him as he passed up past the bismark barrier

from day one -cancel all ship building to get the carriers on line -and never, ever, split them up.
Only did this after port blair strike when i terribly mis understood the wieght of the attack against IWO

i had a few moments -i always thought he was going to invade northern japan, and i always fretted terribly over timor

But where ever i really thought the crises was -thats where i sent 47th......................

( of course 47th always got the best pilots in the pool!)

[1275psi]

Sorry! -yes -allies have sued for peace![8D]

ORIGINAL: gladiatt


Is it the end ? [X(]

[1275psi]

I was boarding the big a380, when my eye caught her.

matt grey, sleek, and deadly

The F-22J is new to Japans inventory - but a suitable symbol of a superpower that controls a quarter of the globe today.
Built in co operation with her greatest allie, they patrol ceaslessly the borders of manchurio and the russian bear -ever vigilant, and deadly as ever.

I came to Japan find out out the true story of the 47th sentai, fitting, that as i depart, I should see that tiger still, snarling as ever, defending japan and her people, and her empire.
The men of 47th are faded now, but their sentai flies on..............

[flaggelant]

gratz to both, sounds like you both had a good time