I'm putting 20 yen of occupation money on it!
-F-
Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki
Moderators: wdolson, Don Bowen, mogami
RE: Small Ship, Big War
My money is on "She takes a couple hits, we lose a couple of guys wearing red shirts, and limps away to fight another day."
I'm putting 20 yen of occupation money on it!
-F-
I'm putting 20 yen of occupation money on it!
-F-
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"It is obvious that you have greatly over-estimated my regard for your opinion." - Me
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AU Tiger_MatrixForum
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RE: Small Ship, Big War
ORIGINAL: Feinder
we lose a couple of guys wearing red shirts...
[:D]
"Never take counsel of your fears."
Tho. Jackson
Tho. Jackson
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Capt. Harlock
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RE: Small Ship, Big War
“There will be torpedo boats, without doubt. I have also received reports that at least three enemy battleships have been seen recently in the Coral Sea. We could thus face almost any type of surface vessel. Enemy submarine and air attacks are also very likely.”
“Battleships, sir!” enthuses Sugiyura. “Now that would be a worthy target!”
I have to say I share Sugiyura's enthusiasm for seeing battleships. But I might not be rooting for his side . . . [:D]
Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?
--Victor Hugo
--Victor Hugo
RE: Small Ship, Big War
I am afraid Lt. Sugiyura is notoriously overzealous. DDs can do well against BBs at night and in confined waters. This is especially true if the BBs are otherwise occupied with having their T crossed by numerous enemy BB/CA.
The stinging fly indeed scores a hit sometimes, but it often suffers a catastrophic swat in return.
The good Lt. reflects the Japanese dedication to the "fighting spirit" well, and I suspect that is the role the author wishes him to play among the Hibiki's honored cast.
The stinging fly indeed scores a hit sometimes, but it often suffers a catastrophic swat in return.
The good Lt. reflects the Japanese dedication to the "fighting spirit" well, and I suspect that is the role the author wishes him to play among the Hibiki's honored cast.
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Cuttlefish
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RE: Small Ship, Big War
April 25, 1943
Location: Rabaul
Course: Docked
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475
Orders: Attack enemy positions in and around Gili Gili
---
Riku and Shiro stagger into the machine space ahead of the forward ammunition hoist where they sling their hammocks. It has been a long day of drills and maintenance work, and both men are tired. Seaman Oizuma is there ahead of them, and as the men walk in he is putting a thirty-inch long snake into one of several crates sitting next to the bulkhead.
The snake seems sleepy and perfectly content to be handled. There is an oblong bulge in the center of its body, just about the right size for a rat.
“Wow, they are really growing, Oizuma,” says Shiro.
“I know,” says Oizuma. “I’m running out of room.” While several of the young snakes have perished from illness or misadventure there are still quite a few left. Benzaiten, the elder snake, is still rather aloof, but the young snakes are quite accustomed to the sailors and don’t mind being handled. It is some commentary on the sailor’s living conditions that the dry, reptilian smell of the creatures is scarcely noticeable in the compartment.
And there is no doubt that Hibiki has fewer rodents aboard than any ship in the harbor. Oizuma has discovered that the young snakes will return “home” after a hunt, so he releases them when they become active and hungry. The snakes usually return some time later after dispatching a rat or a mouse or two. Oizuma is now known as “Snake Man” throughout the ship.
“That reminds me,” says Riku, beginning to rig his hammock. “I was talking to a sailor aboard Mikazuki yesterday. He was complaining about rodents and I told him about our snakes. He wondered if we could spare one.”
“Sure!” says Oizuma. “I’m getting worried that there isn’t enough food aboard ship for all of them any more. I’ve tried feeding them other things, but if it isn’t alive they don’t seem to want it.”
“Good, I’ll make the arrangements,” says Riku. He collapses into his hammock. “Tomorrow,” he adds wearily, and falls asleep.
Location: Rabaul
Course: Docked
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475
Orders: Attack enemy positions in and around Gili Gili
---
Riku and Shiro stagger into the machine space ahead of the forward ammunition hoist where they sling their hammocks. It has been a long day of drills and maintenance work, and both men are tired. Seaman Oizuma is there ahead of them, and as the men walk in he is putting a thirty-inch long snake into one of several crates sitting next to the bulkhead.
The snake seems sleepy and perfectly content to be handled. There is an oblong bulge in the center of its body, just about the right size for a rat.
“Wow, they are really growing, Oizuma,” says Shiro.
“I know,” says Oizuma. “I’m running out of room.” While several of the young snakes have perished from illness or misadventure there are still quite a few left. Benzaiten, the elder snake, is still rather aloof, but the young snakes are quite accustomed to the sailors and don’t mind being handled. It is some commentary on the sailor’s living conditions that the dry, reptilian smell of the creatures is scarcely noticeable in the compartment.
And there is no doubt that Hibiki has fewer rodents aboard than any ship in the harbor. Oizuma has discovered that the young snakes will return “home” after a hunt, so he releases them when they become active and hungry. The snakes usually return some time later after dispatching a rat or a mouse or two. Oizuma is now known as “Snake Man” throughout the ship.
“That reminds me,” says Riku, beginning to rig his hammock. “I was talking to a sailor aboard Mikazuki yesterday. He was complaining about rodents and I told him about our snakes. He wondered if we could spare one.”
“Sure!” says Oizuma. “I’m getting worried that there isn’t enough food aboard ship for all of them any more. I’ve tried feeding them other things, but if it isn’t alive they don’t seem to want it.”
“Good, I’ll make the arrangements,” says Riku. He collapses into his hammock. “Tomorrow,” he adds wearily, and falls asleep.
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Cuttlefish
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RE: Small Ship, Big War
April 26, 1943
Location: Rabaul
Course: West
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475
Orders: Guard against enemy invasion forces heading for Lae or Buna
---
Morning reconnaissance photographs from Gili Gili show a large number of enemy transports and warships offshore. What they are doing there is not clear; all the Southeast Fleet intelligence analysts know is that they were not there yesterday.
The most likely possibility is that this is a reinforcement and resupply convoy. An immediate sortie against the enemy base is considered, but rejected. The weather is fair, and the enemy ships would simply withdraw if the Japanese were seen approaching. Disrupting the unloading would not be worth the possibility of heavy damage to Japanese warships.
The other possibility is that this represents the vanguard of an invasion fleet. To guard against this Hibiki’s task force is ordered towards Lae, as the most likely targets are deemed to be Lae or Buna. The Yamato task force will remain at Rabaul to protect Gasmata, and carriers are dispatched from Kwajalein to keep an eye on the Solomons.
The Japanese ships set sail near dusk. The task force consists of battleship Kongo, heavy cruisers Myoko and Furutaka, light cruiser Abukuma, and destroyers Hibiki, Yugumo, Kagero, Mikazuki, Tachikaze, and Kasasagi.
The Japanese ships turn west and sail through the night along the north coast of New Britain. The moon, just past full, rises in the clear skies behind them as they travel. There are no incidents, no alarms or sightings, just the sound of the ships engines and the slap of waves against the hulls of the ships.
Location: Rabaul
Course: West
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475
Orders: Guard against enemy invasion forces heading for Lae or Buna
---
Morning reconnaissance photographs from Gili Gili show a large number of enemy transports and warships offshore. What they are doing there is not clear; all the Southeast Fleet intelligence analysts know is that they were not there yesterday.
The most likely possibility is that this is a reinforcement and resupply convoy. An immediate sortie against the enemy base is considered, but rejected. The weather is fair, and the enemy ships would simply withdraw if the Japanese were seen approaching. Disrupting the unloading would not be worth the possibility of heavy damage to Japanese warships.
The other possibility is that this represents the vanguard of an invasion fleet. To guard against this Hibiki’s task force is ordered towards Lae, as the most likely targets are deemed to be Lae or Buna. The Yamato task force will remain at Rabaul to protect Gasmata, and carriers are dispatched from Kwajalein to keep an eye on the Solomons.
The Japanese ships set sail near dusk. The task force consists of battleship Kongo, heavy cruisers Myoko and Furutaka, light cruiser Abukuma, and destroyers Hibiki, Yugumo, Kagero, Mikazuki, Tachikaze, and Kasasagi.
The Japanese ships turn west and sail through the night along the north coast of New Britain. The moon, just past full, rises in the clear skies behind them as they travel. There are no incidents, no alarms or sightings, just the sound of the ships engines and the slap of waves against the hulls of the ships.
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Onime No Kyo
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RE: Small Ship, Big War
Does Lae qualify for the "Armpit of the South Pacific" award among Japanese posessions?
"Mighty is the Thread! Great are its works and insane are its inhabitants!" -Brother Mynok
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Cuttlefish
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RE: Small Ship, Big War
April 27 - May 2, 1943
Location: 60 miles west of Admiralty Island
Course: East
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 296
Orders: Guard against enemy invasion forces heading for Lae or Buna
---
Annapolis, Maryland, November 1935:
Lieutenant JG Sakamoto Miharu arrives at the home of Lieutenant Ben Packard and his wife, Mary, at exactly 7:30 pm. This was the time on the invitation, and so the young Japanese officer is of course the first to arrive.
The Packards are not surprised; they had, in fact, expected it. They are both fond of Miharu, and his unfailing punctuality at social gatherings is just one of those quirks that reminds them from time to time that he is, after all, from another culture.
Ben opens the door. Miharu is stand there in his dress whites. A box is tucked under one arm. He gives a small bow as the door opens.
“Sakamoto-san, it is good to see you,” says Ben. He shakes Lieutenant Miharu’s hand. “Come in, come in.” The Japanese officer steps inside, removing his cap as he does so. Ben takes it. Mary comes out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on the apron she still has on over her cocktail dress.
“Hello, dear,” she says. Lieutenant Miharu smiles and bows again. He holds out the box.
“Thank you once again for inviting me into your home,” he says. “This is for you.” Mary takes the box, a look of curiosity on her face. It is fairly heavy.
“Why thank you,” she says, and sets it on a small table nearby to open it. “You really didn’t have to…oh my!” She unwraps and lifts out an exquisite covered Japanese serving bowl. “This…” she stammers, “this is beautiful! It must have cost a fortune. I can’t take this!” Lieutenant Miharu smiles. This is a perfectly appropriate response. A Japanese hostess would have gone on at greater length, perhaps, about being unworthy of so fine a gift, but the forms have been observed.
“It has been in my family for many years,” he says. “Please, it is just a small token for all you and your husband have done for me during my stay in America.”
“Well I…I’m going to go put this someplace safe!” she says. She stretches up on tiptoe to kiss Miharu on the cheek. “Thank you,” she says simply, and holding the bowl protectively she returns to the kitchen to finish preparing for the party.
Ben Packard leads Miharu into the living room. He is an instructor in foreign languages at the Naval Academy. Lieutenant Miharu has spent the year teaching Japanese there. The two men began by giving each other additional lessons in their respective languages and ended up becoming friends.
As they enter the living room “Chasing Shadows” by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra is playing on the phonograph. Ben gets Miharu a drink and then goes to help Mary get the plates of hors d’oeuvres set out. It isn’t long before the doorbell chimes again, and the dinner party is underway.
It is a small but eclectic gathering that night. Ambassador Sternwheeler, Ben’s uncle, and his wife Jennifer are there, along with Sternwheeler’s aide, Mr. Retief. Thaddeuz Skorda, a Polish naval officer (“the other one, he is back in Poland,” he jokes) is there with his date. There are a couple of other friends of Ben and Mary, also naval officers, and Stewart Wetherby and his wife Marie. Stewart is an old high school friend of Ben’s who is now an Army Air Corps captain.
After an excellent dinner the women move to the kitchen to clean up and chat while the men retire to Ben’s study for drinks and cigars. Given the composition and interests of the group the talk naturally turns to international affairs. The situation in Europe, where earlier in the year Hitler passed the Nuremburg laws and announced he was abrogating the Treaty of Versailles, is discussed. So too is Asia, especially China. The Marco Polo Bridge incident is still almost two years in the future, but already there are those who think that eventual war with Japan is inevitable.
Ambassador Sternwheeler puts forth the optimistic view that the United States can avoid going to war anywhere. Lieutenant Commander Charles Turnby, who teaches seamanship at Annapolis, disagrees.
“I have a son, Mark, who is twelve,” he says. He looks over at Miharu. “He wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and go into the Navy. I believe that by the time he gets there you and he will be enemies.”
“I sincerely hope not, sir,” says Lieutenant Miharu. “Our two countries have much to gain by being friends, and much to lose by being enemies.” Turnby sips his brandy.
“I agree with that,” he says. “You and I, we can sit here and discuss things as friends. I like you, Lieutenant. You strike me as an intelligent and reasonable man, and I like to think I am too. If it were up to you and I, well, we could probably work out everything just fine. But nations have a harder time doing that, and war has a momentum all it’s own.”
“A pessimistic view, Captain,” says Sternwheeler. “Fortunately there are men such as myself whose job it is to help nations find solutions other than war.”
“And it is the job of people such as myself to fight if you fail,” says Turnby. “But I wish you success, I really do.”
“Here is to peace, then,” says Skorda, the Polish officer. There is a chorus of agreement, and everybody drinks. The talk turns to the upcoming Army-Navy football game ( a game Army is destined to win, 28-6) and then to other matters. But Lieutenant Miharu will remember Turnby’s words in the years to come, as the shadow between Japan and America grows longer.
---
The Japanese ships remain for several days in the Bismarck Sea. The enemy makes no moves, however, and their ships at Gili Gili vanish again.
Captain Koyanaji’s task force is next ordered to head east, clear the Bismarck archipelago, and then proceed down the northern side of the Solomons. Perhaps Captain Koyanaji knows the reason behind the orders; aboard Hibiki they do not. This does not stop rampant speculation, of course. But as Captain Ishii points out, the why of things really does not matter. They will go where they are told regardless of the reason, and see what is waiting for them when they get there.
Location: 60 miles west of Admiralty Island
Course: East
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 296
Orders: Guard against enemy invasion forces heading for Lae or Buna
---
Annapolis, Maryland, November 1935:
Lieutenant JG Sakamoto Miharu arrives at the home of Lieutenant Ben Packard and his wife, Mary, at exactly 7:30 pm. This was the time on the invitation, and so the young Japanese officer is of course the first to arrive.
The Packards are not surprised; they had, in fact, expected it. They are both fond of Miharu, and his unfailing punctuality at social gatherings is just one of those quirks that reminds them from time to time that he is, after all, from another culture.
Ben opens the door. Miharu is stand there in his dress whites. A box is tucked under one arm. He gives a small bow as the door opens.
“Sakamoto-san, it is good to see you,” says Ben. He shakes Lieutenant Miharu’s hand. “Come in, come in.” The Japanese officer steps inside, removing his cap as he does so. Ben takes it. Mary comes out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on the apron she still has on over her cocktail dress.
“Hello, dear,” she says. Lieutenant Miharu smiles and bows again. He holds out the box.
“Thank you once again for inviting me into your home,” he says. “This is for you.” Mary takes the box, a look of curiosity on her face. It is fairly heavy.
“Why thank you,” she says, and sets it on a small table nearby to open it. “You really didn’t have to…oh my!” She unwraps and lifts out an exquisite covered Japanese serving bowl. “This…” she stammers, “this is beautiful! It must have cost a fortune. I can’t take this!” Lieutenant Miharu smiles. This is a perfectly appropriate response. A Japanese hostess would have gone on at greater length, perhaps, about being unworthy of so fine a gift, but the forms have been observed.
“It has been in my family for many years,” he says. “Please, it is just a small token for all you and your husband have done for me during my stay in America.”
“Well I…I’m going to go put this someplace safe!” she says. She stretches up on tiptoe to kiss Miharu on the cheek. “Thank you,” she says simply, and holding the bowl protectively she returns to the kitchen to finish preparing for the party.
Ben Packard leads Miharu into the living room. He is an instructor in foreign languages at the Naval Academy. Lieutenant Miharu has spent the year teaching Japanese there. The two men began by giving each other additional lessons in their respective languages and ended up becoming friends.
As they enter the living room “Chasing Shadows” by the Dorsey Brothers Orchestra is playing on the phonograph. Ben gets Miharu a drink and then goes to help Mary get the plates of hors d’oeuvres set out. It isn’t long before the doorbell chimes again, and the dinner party is underway.
It is a small but eclectic gathering that night. Ambassador Sternwheeler, Ben’s uncle, and his wife Jennifer are there, along with Sternwheeler’s aide, Mr. Retief. Thaddeuz Skorda, a Polish naval officer (“the other one, he is back in Poland,” he jokes) is there with his date. There are a couple of other friends of Ben and Mary, also naval officers, and Stewart Wetherby and his wife Marie. Stewart is an old high school friend of Ben’s who is now an Army Air Corps captain.
After an excellent dinner the women move to the kitchen to clean up and chat while the men retire to Ben’s study for drinks and cigars. Given the composition and interests of the group the talk naturally turns to international affairs. The situation in Europe, where earlier in the year Hitler passed the Nuremburg laws and announced he was abrogating the Treaty of Versailles, is discussed. So too is Asia, especially China. The Marco Polo Bridge incident is still almost two years in the future, but already there are those who think that eventual war with Japan is inevitable.
Ambassador Sternwheeler puts forth the optimistic view that the United States can avoid going to war anywhere. Lieutenant Commander Charles Turnby, who teaches seamanship at Annapolis, disagrees.
“I have a son, Mark, who is twelve,” he says. He looks over at Miharu. “He wants to follow in his father’s footsteps and go into the Navy. I believe that by the time he gets there you and he will be enemies.”
“I sincerely hope not, sir,” says Lieutenant Miharu. “Our two countries have much to gain by being friends, and much to lose by being enemies.” Turnby sips his brandy.
“I agree with that,” he says. “You and I, we can sit here and discuss things as friends. I like you, Lieutenant. You strike me as an intelligent and reasonable man, and I like to think I am too. If it were up to you and I, well, we could probably work out everything just fine. But nations have a harder time doing that, and war has a momentum all it’s own.”
“A pessimistic view, Captain,” says Sternwheeler. “Fortunately there are men such as myself whose job it is to help nations find solutions other than war.”
“And it is the job of people such as myself to fight if you fail,” says Turnby. “But I wish you success, I really do.”
“Here is to peace, then,” says Skorda, the Polish officer. There is a chorus of agreement, and everybody drinks. The talk turns to the upcoming Army-Navy football game ( a game Army is destined to win, 28-6) and then to other matters. But Lieutenant Miharu will remember Turnby’s words in the years to come, as the shadow between Japan and America grows longer.
---
The Japanese ships remain for several days in the Bismarck Sea. The enemy makes no moves, however, and their ships at Gili Gili vanish again.
Captain Koyanaji’s task force is next ordered to head east, clear the Bismarck archipelago, and then proceed down the northern side of the Solomons. Perhaps Captain Koyanaji knows the reason behind the orders; aboard Hibiki they do not. This does not stop rampant speculation, of course. But as Captain Ishii points out, the why of things really does not matter. They will go where they are told regardless of the reason, and see what is waiting for them when they get there.
RE: Small Ship, Big War
Cuttlefish, to echo many other entries in this excellent AAR; excellent writing, sir. Should you have the inclination, this AAR could serve as the beginning of a very good historical novel. I really like the "human" stories, such as the immediately proceeding, even more than the battle parts. It gives your characters a richness not found in almost any other AAR. Plus, the characters and attention to small details (ie. who won the Army-Navy game) are excellently forged. A really nice treat to read. Well done.
RE: Small Ship, Big War
50 pages of first-class entertainment... [&o] Thanks, Cuttlefish!!
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Small Ship, Big War
May 3, 1943
Location: 175 miles east of Emirau Island
Course: East southeast
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 254
Orders: Proceed to latitude -6.45, longitude 160.80 and await further orders
---
It is shortly past 0200 hours. Lieutenant Miharu is in the chartroom when he is called onto the bridge by Lieutenant JG Kuwaki.
“Sir, signal from Abukuma,” says the gunnery officer. “They are under torpedo attack.” Lieutenant Miharu grabs a pair of binoculars and peers through the darkness at the light cruiser. Abukuma, the lead ship in the center column, has come around to starboard and is now presenting her stern to Hibiki, which is the lead ship in the port column. Signals are flashing from the destroyers on the starboard screen.
“The attack came from starboard,” he tells Kuwaki. “They’re looking for the submarine now.” He orders the starboard lookouts to be alert; depending on the angle of attack is possible that any torpedoes that missed Abukuma might present a danger to Hibiki.
The enemy submarine escapes. Aboard Hibiki they learn later that Abukuma was struck by two torpedoes, neither of which detonated. Such torpedo failures on the part of the enemy, once common, have become rarer as the year has gone on. No one is inclined to argue with this stroke of fortune, however. The task force abandons the search and departs the area before the enemy can launch more attacks.
Location: 175 miles east of Emirau Island
Course: East southeast
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 254
Orders: Proceed to latitude -6.45, longitude 160.80 and await further orders
---
It is shortly past 0200 hours. Lieutenant Miharu is in the chartroom when he is called onto the bridge by Lieutenant JG Kuwaki.
“Sir, signal from Abukuma,” says the gunnery officer. “They are under torpedo attack.” Lieutenant Miharu grabs a pair of binoculars and peers through the darkness at the light cruiser. Abukuma, the lead ship in the center column, has come around to starboard and is now presenting her stern to Hibiki, which is the lead ship in the port column. Signals are flashing from the destroyers on the starboard screen.
“The attack came from starboard,” he tells Kuwaki. “They’re looking for the submarine now.” He orders the starboard lookouts to be alert; depending on the angle of attack is possible that any torpedoes that missed Abukuma might present a danger to Hibiki.
The enemy submarine escapes. Aboard Hibiki they learn later that Abukuma was struck by two torpedoes, neither of which detonated. Such torpedo failures on the part of the enemy, once common, have become rarer as the year has gone on. No one is inclined to argue with this stroke of fortune, however. The task force abandons the search and departs the area before the enemy can launch more attacks.
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Small Ship, Big War
May 4, 1943
Location: 170 miles east-northeast of Green Island
Course: East by southeast
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 217
Orders: Proceed to latitude -6.45, longitude 160.80 and await further orders
---
The Japanese ships pass through the Bismarck Archipelago and into more open waters without further incident. They then turn and head down along the far side of the Solomon Islands. This far from Gili Gili there is no chance of detection from enemy aircraft, and during the next twenty four hours no submarines are sighted. Hibiki and her fellow ships have successfully vanished from the enemy’s sight, though for what purpose is still unknown.
Location: 170 miles east-northeast of Green Island
Course: East by southeast
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 217
Orders: Proceed to latitude -6.45, longitude 160.80 and await further orders
---
The Japanese ships pass through the Bismarck Archipelago and into more open waters without further incident. They then turn and head down along the far side of the Solomon Islands. This far from Gili Gili there is no chance of detection from enemy aircraft, and during the next twenty four hours no submarines are sighted. Hibiki and her fellow ships have successfully vanished from the enemy’s sight, though for what purpose is still unknown.
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Small Ship, Big War
May 5, 1943
Location: 220 miles east of Buin
Course: East by southeast
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 474
Orders: Proceed to latitude -6.45, longitude 160.80 and await further orders
---
“That’s Shokaku and Zuikaku off to the east,” says Shiro. “After so much time escorting them I could recognize them while asleep. I’m not sure about those other carriers off to the northeast.”
“I think they are Junyo and Hiyo,” says Seaman Yoshitake. “I do not know the other carrier, though. It is smaller.” The sailors are on deck examining the two carrier groups with which Hibiki’s task force has rendezvoused in the afternoon.
“I hear that we are waiting for more ships,” Yoshitake continues. “What do you suppose is going on? It must be something big.”
“The other carrier is Ryuho,” growls Chief Petty Officer Shun from behind them. “And what is going on will be the rescue effort needed after I kick you both overboard for gossiping like fishwives when you are supposed to be keeping watch.” The two sailors whirl around and come to attention.
“Yes, Chief, very sorry,” says Shiro. He isn’t worried about being kicked over the rail. Not that Shun wouldn’t do it – he has – but if he were going to do it he would have done it already. Yoshitake echoes his apology. Shun fixes them both with a hard gaze for a moment, then grunts.
“Back to work,” he says, and stalks off. The two sailors turn back to the rail and raise their binoculars to resume scanning the nearby sea and sky.
“That yakubyougami*,” mutters Yoshitake under his breath. “Can’t we put something in his shoes to make them squeak, or something like that? He is going to make my heart stop one day, coming up from behind the way he does.”
“I think,” says Shiro without taking his gaze from the water, “that you would be better off attacking San Francisco with a rowboat and a pointed stick than trying something like that.”
“I guess you’re right,” says Yoshitake glumly, and the two men continue their watch without further conversation.
---
*Note: The term can be translated as “jerk”. It more literally means “pestilence god”.
Location: 220 miles east of Buin
Course: East by southeast
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 474
Orders: Proceed to latitude -6.45, longitude 160.80 and await further orders
---
“That’s Shokaku and Zuikaku off to the east,” says Shiro. “After so much time escorting them I could recognize them while asleep. I’m not sure about those other carriers off to the northeast.”
“I think they are Junyo and Hiyo,” says Seaman Yoshitake. “I do not know the other carrier, though. It is smaller.” The sailors are on deck examining the two carrier groups with which Hibiki’s task force has rendezvoused in the afternoon.
“I hear that we are waiting for more ships,” Yoshitake continues. “What do you suppose is going on? It must be something big.”
“The other carrier is Ryuho,” growls Chief Petty Officer Shun from behind them. “And what is going on will be the rescue effort needed after I kick you both overboard for gossiping like fishwives when you are supposed to be keeping watch.” The two sailors whirl around and come to attention.
“Yes, Chief, very sorry,” says Shiro. He isn’t worried about being kicked over the rail. Not that Shun wouldn’t do it – he has – but if he were going to do it he would have done it already. Yoshitake echoes his apology. Shun fixes them both with a hard gaze for a moment, then grunts.
“Back to work,” he says, and stalks off. The two sailors turn back to the rail and raise their binoculars to resume scanning the nearby sea and sky.
“That yakubyougami*,” mutters Yoshitake under his breath. “Can’t we put something in his shoes to make them squeak, or something like that? He is going to make my heart stop one day, coming up from behind the way he does.”
“I think,” says Shiro without taking his gaze from the water, “that you would be better off attacking San Francisco with a rowboat and a pointed stick than trying something like that.”
“I guess you’re right,” says Yoshitake glumly, and the two men continue their watch without further conversation.
---
*Note: The term can be translated as “jerk”. It more literally means “pestilence god”.
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DuckofTindalos
- Posts: 39781
- Joined: Fri Apr 22, 2005 11:53 pm
- Location: Denmark
RE: Small Ship, Big War
CPO Shun the Pestilence God...[:D]
We are all dreams of the Giant Space Butterfly.
RE: Small Ship, Big War
Going to have to call him Nurgle from now on [:D]
Those of you who know warhammer will know what i mean
Those of you who know warhammer will know what i mean
1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born
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Capt. Harlock
- Posts: 5379
- Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2001 8:00 am
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
RE: Small Ship, Big War
“That’s Shokaku and Zuikaku off to the east,” says Shiro. “After so much time escorting them I could recognize them while asleep. I’m not sure about those other carriers off to the northeast.”
“I think they are Junyo and Hiyo,” says Seaman Yoshitake. “I do not know the other carrier, though. It is smaller.” The sailors are on deck examining the two carrier groups with which Hibiki’s task force has rendezvoused in the afternoon.
“I hear that we are waiting for more ships,” Yoshitake continues. “What do you suppose is going on? It must be something big.”
“The other carrier is Ryuho,” growls Chief Petty Officer Shun from behind them.
The IJN high command is clearly making a maximum effort. Can they be thinking of going against Allied land-based air?
Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?
--Victor Hugo
--Victor Hugo
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Small Ship, Big War
May 6, 1943
Location: 220 miles east of Buin
Course: South
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 396
Orders: Proceed to latitude -6.45, longitude 160.80 and await further orders
---
The task force based around Yamato, Musashi, and Kirishima joins the task forces already present. After they arrive Captain Ishii joins other officers aboard Shokaku for a briefing. There he learns the details of the latest plan to attack Gili Gili.
Aerial reconnaissance shows that the Solomon Sea is infested with Allied submarines. To avoid this danger the Japanese ships will slip through the Solomon Island chain and approach Gili Gili from the east. Leading the way will be Captain Koyanaji’s task force, including Hibiki. The bombardment group will follow them in. Bringing up the rear will be the five aircraft carriers, which will remain out of strike range of enemy land based aircraft but close enough to extend some fighter coverage over the other task forces.
The latest reconnaissance information shows only enemy torpedo boats at Gili Gili. Reports from submarines in the Coral Sea tell of enemy surface forces in area, though their current strength and whereabouts are unknown. No one has seen an enemy aircraft carrier since the battle against Victorious some time ago, but there is believed to be little chance they can or will interfere.
The biggest danger is deemed to be from enemy land-based aircraft. But the Japanese hope they will only have to worry about them on the way in. With any luck the airfield at Gili Gili will be too damaged to support attacks against them as they leave.
Location: 220 miles east of Buin
Course: South
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 396
Orders: Proceed to latitude -6.45, longitude 160.80 and await further orders
---
The task force based around Yamato, Musashi, and Kirishima joins the task forces already present. After they arrive Captain Ishii joins other officers aboard Shokaku for a briefing. There he learns the details of the latest plan to attack Gili Gili.
Aerial reconnaissance shows that the Solomon Sea is infested with Allied submarines. To avoid this danger the Japanese ships will slip through the Solomon Island chain and approach Gili Gili from the east. Leading the way will be Captain Koyanaji’s task force, including Hibiki. The bombardment group will follow them in. Bringing up the rear will be the five aircraft carriers, which will remain out of strike range of enemy land based aircraft but close enough to extend some fighter coverage over the other task forces.
The latest reconnaissance information shows only enemy torpedo boats at Gili Gili. Reports from submarines in the Coral Sea tell of enemy surface forces in area, though their current strength and whereabouts are unknown. No one has seen an enemy aircraft carrier since the battle against Victorious some time ago, but there is believed to be little chance they can or will interfere.
The biggest danger is deemed to be from enemy land-based aircraft. But the Japanese hope they will only have to worry about them on the way in. With any luck the airfield at Gili Gili will be too damaged to support attacks against them as they leave.
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Small Ship, Big War
May 7, 1943
Location: 40 miles north of Tassafaronga
Course: South
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 360
Orders: Screen bombardment force from enemy attack
---
The Solomon Islands have been a quiet backwater in the midst of the war ever since the Japanese occupied them in February 1942. They have been largely shielded from enemy activity by the Japanese bases in New Caledonia and the New Hebrides, and by the long struggle around Gili Gili.
This is not to say that the Japanese have ignored the place. Lunga, on Guadalcanal (or Gadarukanaru, as the Japanese call it) has been transformed into a major base, and there are other bases scattered along the chain. Despite the quiet it is not thought of as easy duty by the pilots, infantry, or support units based here. The Solomon Islands seem to combine every unpleasant element the tropics have to offer while leaving out all the good ones.
The climate and terrain are atrocious, a perfect breeding ground for disease. The flora and fauna are lush and dangerous; it seems to the men based in the Solomons that if it can bite you, sting you, infest you, or poison you it can be found here.
Hibiki gets to view these unappealing islands from a distance as they pass through them. From offshore they do not look so bad, though the breeze brings across the water hints of rank vegetation and stagnant swamps. The destroyer men do note as they pass that the many channels and islands of the chain would make this a nasty place for surface forces to clash, and they are glad they do not have to fight here. The Japanese ships pass swiftly through the islands and out into the open sea beyond.
Location: 40 miles north of Tassafaronga
Course: South
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 360
Orders: Screen bombardment force from enemy attack
---
The Solomon Islands have been a quiet backwater in the midst of the war ever since the Japanese occupied them in February 1942. They have been largely shielded from enemy activity by the Japanese bases in New Caledonia and the New Hebrides, and by the long struggle around Gili Gili.
This is not to say that the Japanese have ignored the place. Lunga, on Guadalcanal (or Gadarukanaru, as the Japanese call it) has been transformed into a major base, and there are other bases scattered along the chain. Despite the quiet it is not thought of as easy duty by the pilots, infantry, or support units based here. The Solomon Islands seem to combine every unpleasant element the tropics have to offer while leaving out all the good ones.
The climate and terrain are atrocious, a perfect breeding ground for disease. The flora and fauna are lush and dangerous; it seems to the men based in the Solomons that if it can bite you, sting you, infest you, or poison you it can be found here.
Hibiki gets to view these unappealing islands from a distance as they pass through them. From offshore they do not look so bad, though the breeze brings across the water hints of rank vegetation and stagnant swamps. The destroyer men do note as they pass that the many channels and islands of the chain would make this a nasty place for surface forces to clash, and they are glad they do not have to fight here. The Japanese ships pass swiftly through the islands and out into the open sea beyond.
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Small Ship, Big War
May 8, 1943
Location: 80 miles south of Munda Point
Course: West-southwest
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 324
Orders: Screen bombardment force from enemy attack
---
From the diary of Petty Officer Second Class Taiki Takahashi:
By tomorrow afternoon we will be within range of enemy planes. My gun crew is as ready as I can make them. We will try to give any plane that attacks us a tough time. We’ve already been hit by two bombs, and no one wants to make it three.
After that who knows what will happen? In a way it is worse knowing a battle is coming. It gives you time to think about things. The battles that happen unexpectedly don’t really leave you time to worry. By the time you know you are in danger your training takes over and you are already shooting back.
Time to put such thoughts behind me and get some sleep. It’s possible anyway that nothing will happen. That wouldn’t be the first time, to get all ready and then have no battle occur.
I wonder how my parents are? Noboru is probably still at sea. One of us at least should have gotten married, then the wives could help our parents while we are gone. But that is the sort of thing that it always seemed like there would be time for, later. If I had guessed that “later” would turn out to be months and months on a small ship far from home in great danger I might have tried to do more when I had the chance. I will remember that, if I make it through all this safely and return home at last.
Location: 80 miles south of Munda Point
Course: West-southwest
Attached to: TF 36
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 3
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 324
Orders: Screen bombardment force from enemy attack
---
From the diary of Petty Officer Second Class Taiki Takahashi:
By tomorrow afternoon we will be within range of enemy planes. My gun crew is as ready as I can make them. We will try to give any plane that attacks us a tough time. We’ve already been hit by two bombs, and no one wants to make it three.
After that who knows what will happen? In a way it is worse knowing a battle is coming. It gives you time to think about things. The battles that happen unexpectedly don’t really leave you time to worry. By the time you know you are in danger your training takes over and you are already shooting back.
Time to put such thoughts behind me and get some sleep. It’s possible anyway that nothing will happen. That wouldn’t be the first time, to get all ready and then have no battle occur.
I wonder how my parents are? Noboru is probably still at sea. One of us at least should have gotten married, then the wives could help our parents while we are gone. But that is the sort of thing that it always seemed like there would be time for, later. If I had guessed that “later” would turn out to be months and months on a small ship far from home in great danger I might have tried to do more when I had the chance. I will remember that, if I make it through all this safely and return home at last.
RE: Small Ship, Big War
Definitely has a feel to it, the hibiki i think is going to get pounded.
1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born