herbiesan vs Cantona!!!

[1275psi]

Inoue for one, has mixed emotions over the enforced standown.
On one hand his 40 year old body really needed the break -even though he had had little chance to fly this week -there was still the million and one things that had to be done, that he had to supervise.

On the other, there was the fact that he still lagged behind the others in missions flown -galling -and even more galling -still no kill against his name.

but at least those insufferable zero pilots were gone -them and their superior ways

[1275psi]

One of those insufferable japanese navy pilots.

We have not written about it -but you can imagine the tension on the field as they rack up kill after kill, and our Army pilot s do not!

[1275psi]

Tenth of April to fourteenth of April

rain
more rain
then mud
More rain, and more mud.
Mud that gets tramped into the mess, your quarters, the hangers
your cocpit

planes get bogged -it takes 30 men to move a single bomber 30 yrds
More rain
and now all vehicles get bogged.

Tempers flare.

And then late on the 13th -it stops raining
By the 14th its blazing hot -and you want it to rain again

[1275psi]

I-26
Operating West of Lunganville

The seas are calm, and the moon is out -bright and large
Captain Juni is worried - this is no time to be surfaced at all - the damn moon was lighting him up almost like daylight.

His Big submarine was surging west at maximum power, riding gently almost over the long pacific swells.
But even as gentle as these were -periodically they would surge down the hull, braeking against the launcher rails, grabbing at his crews ankles, trying to claim yet another victim for the eternal deeps.

Dawn is less than an hr away, and the little Glen seaplane must be away by then -he must confirm last nights contact.

Should he send?
Should he break radio silence?

he must

"Signal man!"
"Sir!'
"Send immediate! - have contacted large American task force ----he quickly scribbles on the note pad -this position - containing possibly 2 Lexington class Carriers -am pursueing!"

Now - if he could just get the plane and his indomitable idiot pilot away safely - and get a contact , and get into position............. so many if onlys

[1275psi]

15/4/42

Operational report 47th sentai

Both fighters deployed on strike mission to escort 24 navy, 46 Army bombers to Kwelien -have been joined with new Navy fighter unit, 23 zeros also escort

Pilots Hyakutake, Iwaya flew

No enemy contacts, minimal damage inflicted on enemy field

Combat totals now

Hyakutake -30
Juni V 33
Juni B 31
Iwaya 31
Takenaka 30
Inoue 29

Morale good

[1275psi]

16/4/42

Operational report 47th sentai

Both fighters deployed on strike mission to escort 23 navy, 54 Army bombers to Kwelien -have been joined with new Navy fighter unit, 26 zeros also escort

Pilots Juni v, Juni B flew

No enemy contacts, minimal damage inflicted on enemy field

Combat totals now

Hyakutake -30
Juni V 34
Juni B 32
Iwaya 31
Takenaka 30
Inoue 29

Morale good

[1275psi]

17/4/42

For 1st para regiment, Imperial japanese Army, today will go down in its short history as "the black day"
Ordered to sieze Myritinkya in a coup de main in an attempt to cut off the fleeing troops from mandalaby, the attack plan unhinges from the beginning.

So many things go wrong its hard to list them
transports fail to take off on schedule (the field simply not big enough, supported well enough), the numbers of troops at Myrintinkya badly under estimated, the drop zone poorly picked.

Flak claws seven out of 21 transports from the sky, and what survivors that land, land scattered and un co ordinated.

the"attack" becomes a mere string of probes -all easily pushed back into the jungles by the base force defenders.
By dusk , WO inoue's son, and a mere 200 others, find themselves backs to a river, and in desperate stakes
Only 2 things can happen now.
They will be destroyed -or they will hang on until 33rd division makes it to the battle.

[1275psi]

Piss poor planning by high command results in poor performance!

[1275psi]

18/4/42

despite the general disdain the army pilots feel for the navy men, there is one advantage of having new air groups come into the field.
Its a great opportunity to fleece the unwary and ignorant in cards before ones reputation gets out.
The twins and Hyakutake are doing this now, steadily taking sums of money from 3 navy men in poker, nothing too dramatic yet - but tidy sums all the same.

It is evening -and the end of long day - no flying again today -why -only high command knows why - and its been a boring one.
Conversation has flowed over vmany topics in the marathon game -from the obvious invasion to come of Port Moresby -with the attended digs of"navy finally pulling its wieght", then to the AVG, now reported at Nanning -would they meet again?, and then to the fighting in Burma, particularily the fighting at Myrityka.

"The way I see it" assayed one of the navy men " 3 please, If I was trapped like that there is only one course our honour demands"
Hyakutake raised an eyebrow, after all the adventures of 1st para were very, very relevant to Inoue " And that being? -1 please"
"They must attack immediately -and destroy -or be destroyed"
Juni V grunts 'And that helps us how?"
"Its not a matter of help, or victory -its a matter of duty!"

The game descends into silence for a while

"And if it was your Son involved in the fighting?" asks Juni V
"All the more reason to hope they attack! -war is hard -we are all ready dead, that is how we must live"

At this moment WO Inoue walks into the mess, the news is due, and he is fully attentive to the big radio

"2 pair -i win again" we are already dead men- a true statement thinks Hyakutake -maybe it would be best if Inoue began to think that -and save himself the inevitable grief.
Maybe we should all begin to think that

[1275psi]

19/4/42
maybe it was related, maybe not
Today Takenaka orders Inoue to fly the mission, he accompanies him

Its another big raid -to Nanning -seeking the AVG
51 zeros - some from Hong Kong augumenting the raid, 44 helens, 27 Navy bombers, the 2 tojos

But there is no opposition today, its a milk run -good for experience, but good for little else.

[1275psi]

Milk runs for sure -but things are still happening....................

[1275psi]

20/4/42

Hyakutake and Iwaya again team up for todays mission
Nanning again -54 zeros, 27 betties, 52 helens


To date every engagement has been a short, sharp, furball, he who turns first and hardest wins.

Today is different -vastly different

The raid is thundering in at a mere 5000 feet today, there is little to no Flak to be expected, and the field must be closed. Finally the AVG make an appearance -6 P40's, running parallel to the formation, at about 2000 yards range.

its a strange place to be, the P40 should be higher -diving in. maybe they are waiting for reinforcements -maybe the leader is cautious -who knows -but he has miscalculated today.
The Commander of the first daitai of Zeros sudenly waggles his wings -and promptly some 30 fighters peel away from the bombers to attack them.

The reaction is instantanous -a wing over away and dive for safety - a good tactic for fighters tied to defend the bombers.
20 zeros are more than enough in china.

Most of the japanese dive too - our two pilots almost leading -and the chase is on.
The P40 is faster
Its made for low level stuff
Its hard to spot
They should have got away - but the pack closes fast - and there is no escape today, the Japanese have twice the range of the allied planes -that must eventually return to Nanning - and the navy pilots can cut the corners.

The AVG has another bad day -5 lost for nothing gained

The navy pilots are now even more insufferable!

[1275psi]

Extract from “Shattering the sword” –a Cantona publication


…By late April it was obvious from the highest Admiral to the lowest seaman that the empires eyes were focussed on Port Moresby.
The daily army bombing, the recon flights, the vast weight of intelligence all spoke plainly of the forthcoming attack

Since the start of the month the troops of the invasion fleet – 48th division,65th brigade,56th brigade and numerous engineering troops , had been sweating in their holds of the invasion fleet as it crawled south from soerabaya.

The Japanese plans were 3 phased – first the occupation of Meruke, then that of Thursday island, followed by the invasion itself.
ADM Yamaguchi was under no illusions –he knew the Allies knew he was coming –so could he turn this to his advantage ?

His orders were clear – The Allied Carriers were expected to appear for this battle – and that had precedence –the invasion would have to manage with what ever cover Thursday island and meruke good give

Battle was joined on the 20th –and all doubts that the Allies were not prepared as well as they could be were quickly dispelled

From Dawn Yamaguchi had led KB into Torres straight –and began to spot as heavy a CAP as possible.
By 0900 over 145 Zeros were reported in the air, spread at 3 levels, 5000, 10000, 15000 feet. The hangers of the CVs were packed with bombers –all loaded AP bombs, or torpedoes .

Debate over this had occurred all night – would it not be better to have at least 2 of the 4 Hulls ready to go immediately if the allies turned up –and use the other 4 for CAP –or even better have a 4/2 ratio –attack/defence/

Yamaguchi however can be defended for his decision on 3 fronts.
First - CV doctrine in the Japanese navy –attack with all –all at once
And second – the night had been very rough –moving loaded planes to the deck that may not be needed in rough weather entailed its own risks.

Finaly Yamaguchi must have weighed the risks – since I-26 reported Cvs nearly a week ago, none had been sighted in the coral sea – but the B17’s were very active –they then were the big risk.
And he feared the B17 very much.
Thus KB greets the dawn with a heavy, heavy CAP.



At 0902 his decision is justified as the Tone fires her guns on the formation perimeter –air attack coming in!

The first attack composes of just 3 b17’s at 15000 feet –and the zeros swarm into intercept.
It’s a long battle –and some 14 fighters take damage before all 3 bombers go down.
But its only the beginning.

Again the Tone opens fire –this time she is the target –and the CAP cannot assist -4 B26 race in -1 downed by Tones own guns –and she is bracketed in bombs –but is missed.

1020 – Another 3 B17 come in – and again the battle is desperate –but one sided

1036 – 3 more B-26 attack the Haranua – and miss

By Midday KB is entering Torres straight proper –and Yamaguchi orders the 2 CVL to strike Thursday island – a seaplane tender is reported there –but he is taking no chances

At 1500 20 Val and 20 kate duly sink the unidentified ship at Thursday island, and Yamaguchi impliments the next stage of the plan

BB’s Nagato and Mutsu are detached with escorts - ordered to flatten the PM fields –and if there ARE CVs about –to lure them out

KB returns west towards the transports –and marks time for the night –awaiting developments

21st
The 21st, 22nd are pivotal days for Japan in the war.
Pivotal in that so many future plans are going to be derailed.
Pivotal that such small allied forces can inflict these changes

The day starts the same as yesterday –but this time 4 Cvs are ready to strike –Kaga, Akagi, Soryu and Hiryu have full strikes on deck ready to go –Shokakau and Zuikaku and the 2 CVL are providing the CAP -100 plus zeros in all – surely more than sufficient for the expected task.

But today Japans lack of radar, lack of radios, lack of a co ordinated CAP - reaps a bitter harvest
A mere 21 medium bombers come in, and another 3 B17s.
15 A-24 are pounced upon –and this squadron is decimated
The 3 B17s are turned away
But 6 B-26 come in from the opposite direction – and none are engaged by the fighters.

Two 500lb bombs strike the Akagi

Both slice into the ship in the area immediately under the island –and the destruction is horrific. The vast majority of it simply disappears, along with most of the curving smoke stack –and 2 of the main AA mounts.
The blast penetrates both hangers, and lifts the flight deck upwards some 6 feet in places – several planes are damaged badly as they bounce on their spots.
Half the propulsion plant is snuffed out instantly –the blast travelling down the uptakes –blowing out the furnaces.
It could –it should have been worse – by some miracle the firemain remains functional, and only a single small fire breaks out in the hanger deck –fortunately empty of planes now –and these are extinguished.

Another fire however burns well in the No2 boiler room – and although contained –it will take 2 days to extinguish it.

Akagi is Hors de combat –and will eventually be detached home –she will not be repaired until at least November/December of 42 – eventually requiring repairs to 67% of her hull

[1275psi]

Another day of waiting for orders –and listening to the news.
Great relief for Inoue –as Myitkyina is releved -1st para surviving.
Inoue although will have many more weeks of worry to hear whether his Son has survived or not.

The most interesting news is from the enemy -Akagi is claimed sunk –disturbing to say the least.
Whatever is happening in the pacific –it must be big

[1275psi]

22/4/42
Day 3 of the battle for Port Moresby sees Yamaguchi steaming resolutely towards PM, the straight behind him
Troops begin to land at Mearuke.
Yamaguchi again is prepared to strike at enemy Carriers – again a SS has reported carrier Aircraft deep south in the coral sea –would they come north to engage?

It is another horrible day for Japan.
104 zeros are on CAP –and today the enemy bombers have fighter escort –p40’s

The first raids in are destroyed – all but 2 Mitchells make the bomb run
Its enough
A single 500lb bomb strikes Kaga –striking her stern .
It’s a catastrophic hit, her steering room is obliterated – and her Port shaft is thrown out of its bearings as its propeller wrenches free.
Fires are minimal –but Kaga is crippled –she too will have to go home


Ultimately the attack on PM will be successful –the allied CVs do not engage - for reasons to be explained in the next chapter - but for the Japanese high command the fact has to be faced –for the moment the Allies may well actually hold the advantage in flight decks.
And the Allies would not be slow to grasp this either

[cantona2]

I was waiting to read this from your perspective Herb! Very well written mate!

[1275psi]

22/4/42

Canton Airfield during the "China incident' had been a small base -home to a few fighters, a rather comfortable home away from home for the 47th sentai pilots.

All this has changed now.
The Army has several construction regiments here now - and accomodation does not feature in their plans - Runways, hard stands, even Hangers do.

The base is now huge -even Takenaka cannot jog around its total perimeter now -not that he would want to with guerillas occasionally taking pot shots at personal on the field.

In addition to the 2 remaining KI-44s, there are 2 navy fighter units here now, 2 KI-49 helen units , and a KI-27 sally unit.

LCDR Matsuba has taken command of the field -he too was perplexed with what to do with the "orphaned unit", -he decides to treat them as reinforcements for his zeros.

Today the maintenance men are very busy -tomorrow another large effort is going in.

The mess at night is totally packed -rowdy, loud and enthusiastic.
The war seems to be going well - The Navy men proud of their Carrier brothers -blasting Thursday island, and covering the invasion of Port Moresby - the army men equally -as the conquest of Burma continues .

Much of the conversation now revolves around what will happen next -India? perhaps?

[1275psi]

Imperial navy HQ releases pictures taken from very recent operations near Port Moresby

Navy again denies that 2 carriers have been lost to the allied bombers

"this was the only loss suffered comes the retort"

[1275psi]

Extract from “Shattering the sword” –a Cantona publication


With the lsoo of 2 of his 4 flight decks, yamaguchi faced a very difficult decision -continue the PM invasion, or cancel it..

He took a third option

On the Night of the 23rd the battleships of his fleet dispatched from the carriers -and at around midnight -delivered a devastating bombardment of the Thjursday Island airfield.

It closed the field -but good, and destroyed the Allied ability to attack the invasion fleet.
Yamaguchi then gambled big - the carriers retired west -back to Singapore, attention already swinging towards future plans, and the invasion fleet continued on

Around 3 am, and troops began to land almost un opposed on Thursday Island

With Army bombers operating from Dobodura, Betties from Lea, and soon more from Thursday (it falls in 48 hrs) -Yamaguchi considers his mission complete.

KB has been hurt badly, but its mission is done - The Army will have to do the rest.

[1275psi]

23/4/42
"Watch carefully now" remarks Hyakutake to Takenaka "as my theory is proved"
"OK -Ill buy it -watch what?"

"That despite the differences physically -our twins really are one"
"OK -I'll watch -bottle of beer if they are different"
" Done!"

The Flight line is bursting into life -great lines of fighters and bombers firing up engines, moving across the fields.
Dust swirls, and hats fly in the slipstream blasts.
The twins leave the briefinfg area -un aware of their compatriots scrutany (and of each others movements).



The tighten chutes -together
The pick up briefing boards together -and hitch under the right arm

They reach their planes together
yes -there is the hitch of the suit -so as to ease entry into the cockpit.

Heads down together

" And now for preflights -left rudder, right rudder, stick left, right, around the world, and , and -yes -flaps" Hyakute smiles
" One bottle my friend" acknowledges Takenaka " I hope you don't know me as well as that!"
"Oh possibly, possibly."


Its a big raid today -it kills a lot of geese in the paddy field that gets bombed, a few frogs, and 20 poor chinese peasants.
Changsa -target for today -is missed by miles.