Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki

[tocaff]

I missed that obvious tidbit.  [:(]  I'm sure CF will have it adjusted before the run is made.

[FOW]

The AAR has been showing bombardment since the aborted attempt to bombard Iwo Jima on Jan 12 (game date)......

[kaleun]

Bump[:'(]

[Cuttlefish]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

Location: 60 miles south of Osaka
Course: South
Attached to: TF 43
Mission: Bombardment
System Damage: 0
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 410

Orders: Intercept enemy fast transport convoys at Tori Shima

Okay class -- what's wrong with this picture?[;)]

I actually did have the TF set to bombardment. Since the interception was largely a matter of guesswork I didn't want to waste the trip. I figured that with Tanaka in command he would attack vigorously if enemy fast transports were encountered, and if not at least they could lob a few shells onto the island.

I wouldn't have tried it with most other commanders and if heavy enemy surface forces were to be encountered it might be a problem. We'll see how it works out shortly.

[Cuttlefish]

February 11, 1945

Location: 60 miles south of Osaka
Course: South
Attached to: TF 43
Mission: Bombardment
System Damage: 0
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 382

Orders: Intercept enemy fast transport convoys at Tori Shima

---

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a worthless piece of volcanic rock,” says Yoshitake. “It’s Japanese soil. We have to attack.”

“We have two battleships and three heavy cruisers,” says Riku, stretching out in his hammock. “That’s a lot to risk. It might be better just to let the enemy stay there. Maybe if we are lucky the volcano will erupt and take care of the problem for us.”

Shiro sets aside his whittling. “I like that thought,” he says. “The land defending itself from our enemies. Maybe that could be our divine wind, except that it would be a divine volcano.”

“That would surprise the Americans!” says Oizuma. “We Japanese know all about volcanoes, but I don’t know if they even have volcanoes in America. They don’t, do they?”

Everyone ponders this, but no one seems to know the answer. Shiro picks up his whittling again.

“They had an earthquake in San Francisco a long time ago,” says Yoshitake helpfully. “I read about that once.” No one responds to this. The Japanese are not easily impressed by earthquakes.

“Maybe we could just send a bomber or two over the island,” says Shoji. “They could drop a few bombs right into the volcano. It would cause an eruption and we could go back to Osaka.”

“I don’t think it quite works that way,” says Riku dubiously.

“Maybe if they used armor-piercing bombs?” asks Yoshitake. But no one has an answer to this. Silence settles over the compartment, broken eventually by the sound of Shoji starting to snore.

[kaleun]

"Silence settles over the compartment, broken eventually by the sound of Shoji starting to snore. "

[;)]

[tocaff]

I thought that the TF setting was interesting and that maybe it was done on purpose.  The fuel on the other hand I do find interesting since topped off fuel tanks prior to a fast run in and out makes sense.

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish

February 11, 1945

Location: 60 miles south of Osaka
Course: South
Attached to: TF 43
Mission: Bombardment
System Damage: 0
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 382

Orders: Intercept enemy fast transport convoys at Tori Shima

---

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a worthless piece of volcanic rock,” says Yoshitake. “It’s Japanese soil. We have to attack.”

“We have two battleships and three heavy cruisers,” says Riku, stretching out in his hammock. “That’s a lot to risk. It might be better just to let the enemy stay there. Maybe if we are lucky the volcano will erupt and take care of the problem for us.”

Shiro sets aside his whittling. “I like that thought,” he says. “The land defending itself from our enemies. Maybe that could be our divine wind, except that it would be a divine volcano.”

“That would surprise the Americans!” says Oizuma. “We Japanese know all about volcanoes, but I don’t know if they even have volcanoes in America. They don’t, do they?”

Everyone ponders this, but no one seems to know the answer. Shiro picks up his whittling again.

“They had an earthquake in San Francisco a long time ago,” says Yoshitake helpfully. “I read about that once.” No one responds to this. The Japanese are not easily impressed by earthquakes.

“Maybe we could just send a bomber or two over the island,” says Shoji. “They could drop a few bombs right into the volcano. It would cause an eruption and we could go back to Osaka.”

“I don’t think it quite works that way,” says Riku dubiously.

“Maybe if they used armor-piercing bombs?” asks Yoshitake. But no one has an answer to this. Silence settles over the compartment, broken eventually by the sound of Shoji starting to snore.

Okay this is quite the involved post. As usual Cuttlefish, your yarn spinning skills are exemplary. First, of course, picking up on the previous "random volcano eruption" thread. Then, picking up on the USAAF attempt to induce an eruption at Rabaul using AP bombs. Very nice

[Hornblower]

excellent as always

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: vettim89

ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish

February 11, 1945

Location: 60 miles south of Osaka
Course: South
Attached to: TF 43
Mission: Bombardment
System Damage: 0
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 382

Orders: Intercept enemy fast transport convoys at Tori Shima

---

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a worthless piece of volcanic rock,” says Yoshitake. “It’s Japanese soil. We have to attack.”

“We have two battleships and three heavy cruisers,” says Riku, stretching out in his hammock. “That’s a lot to risk. It might be better just to let the enemy stay there. Maybe if we are lucky the volcano will erupt and take care of the problem for us.”

Shiro sets aside his whittling. “I like that thought,” he says. “The land defending itself from our enemies. Maybe that could be our divine wind, except that it would be a divine volcano.”

“That would surprise the Americans!” says Oizuma. “We Japanese know all about volcanoes, but I don’t know if they even have volcanoes in America. They don’t, do they?”

Everyone ponders this, but no one seems to know the answer. Shiro picks up his whittling again.

“They had an earthquake in San Francisco a long time ago,” says Yoshitake helpfully. “I read about that once.” No one responds to this. The Japanese are not easily impressed by earthquakes.

“Maybe we could just send a bomber or two over the island,” says Shoji. “They could drop a few bombs right into the volcano. It would cause an eruption and we could go back to Osaka.”

“I don’t think it quite works that way,” says Riku dubiously.

“Maybe if they used armor-piercing bombs?” asks Yoshitake. But no one has an answer to this. Silence settles over the compartment, broken eventually by the sound of Shoji starting to snore.

Okay this is quite the involved post. As usual Cuttlefish, your yarn spinning skills are exemplary. First, of course, picking up on the previous "random volcano eruption" thread. Then, picking up on the USAAF attempt to induce an eruption at Rabaul using AP bombs. Very nice

HEY--CF I am planning to add that feature to my first Mod. You cannot take my intellectual property away! [:D][:-][:D]

[Cuttlefish]

ORIGINAL: John 3rd

HEY--CF I am planning to add that feature to my first Mod. You cannot take my intellectual property away! [:D][:-][:D]

Look at it this way: I'm not taking away your intellectual property, I'm advertising for it!

[Cuttlefish]

February 12, 1945

Location: 60 miles south of Osaka
Course: South
Attached to: TF 43
Mission: Bombardment
System Damage: 0
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 353

Orders: Intercept enemy fast transport convoys at Tori Shima

---

“To err is human,” Alexander Pope once said. No one aboard Hibiki has ever read Pope and not even Lieutenant Miharu knows who he is. But all of them would admit to the truth of this statement if they heard it. People make mistakes. They screw up. It’s an inevitable part of the human condition.

Warfare, being a particularly complex and dynamic form of endeavor, is especially subject to this. Errors and mistakes in the chain of command are not always caught and corrected. But in war even small mistakes can produce tragedy. If the manager of a store orders three gross of a certain widget instead of just three widgets it can be a costly inconvenience. If a sign painter messes up a sign the results can be confusing or even humorous. If a football player gets turned around and dashes into the wrong end zone he can even achieve a kind of fame. But when people make mistakes in warfare all too often the result is that people die.

Admiral Tanaka is one of the best officers in the Imperial Japanese Navy. The crews under his command are brave and skilled. But somewhere in the complex chain of orders that stretches from Tokyo to his ships a mistake has just occurred.

Currently Hibiki and the other ships are still circling, waiting for word that enemy ships are on the way. The wait is nearly over. Within twenty-four hours they will be ordered into battle. And somewhere along the line the mistake will cause the operation to go badly wrong. And people will die.

[tocaff]

Now that sounds bad.  

[Barb]

-Me praying to Banzeiten for Hibiki.

[John 3rd]

I'm sacrificing a small child right for Hibiki...

[Ambassador]

Hibiki will be safe, Benzaiten will look after her.[&o]
 
 
 
I hope so, at least.[:o]

[Admiral DadMan]

A line often used in the Star Wars Movies:

"I've got a baaaad feeling about this..."

[kaleun]

Really bad feeling.

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: Admiral DadMan

A line often used in the Star Wars Movies:

"I've got a baaaad feeling about this..."

Oh another pop culture classic, "RUH ROH, Shaggy"

[Radio]

At the risk of stating the obvious it sounds like Admiral Tanaka's error has already been spotted by the audience. Here's hoping Hibiki doesn't suffer for it.