herbiesan vs Cantona!!!

[1275psi]

Extract from Shattering the sword -a cantona production


by the evening of the 24th Allied pilots were no longer referring to the Bismark sea as such. The Blood sea was more appropiate as they wrecked terrible vengence on the countless transports desperately trying to clear the area, or the barges trying to maintain the attack on Madang.
Yamamoto may have preserved his fleet - but he has always been unconcerned with Japans lifeblood of merchantmen. It is a terrble mistake -one that must surely have consequences in the months ahead.

The Allies on their part prepare for the next operations, operations.............

[1275psi]

25/1/44

Hosho manages to escape the action at Kiungshan -although things are no longer so bad as they were. Day after day the allies have swept over the base with P51's, T bolts, beaufighters. day after day Japan has sent up KI-44's, Nicks, and the KI-43's.
Niether side has gained the advantage - and the bombing has decreased -although far too many of Hosho's transport units planes are brocken -no matter how good the dispersal, far too many fall by the wayside day by day.

Hosho escapes -not through some neferious scheme -simple duty -he is sent to Manilla for parts.
Here, at Clarke field, his world turns again.
he is drinking tea in the mess - a small room on the edge of the field, when the Admiral is wheeled in on his chair.
He is thinner, and paler. But the smile, the twinkle in the eye is still there.
Admiral Tanaka see's him -and breaks into a smile 'Men!" , he calls -"its my old chauffer -Hosho you villian -what are you up to?'
Hosho smiles too - its good to see the man - and wonders if he is still up to the same mischief of last years world trip.
'Just waiting for a parcel sir"
'A parcel? - blow that. How would you like to be my driver again? -I am going back to japan for a refit" he pats his hip -"needs some rivets I think"

Japan?

Driving tanaka?

Fate is a funny thing "I would like that very much sir"
"Good -theres the plane -lets go"

And so Hosho finds himself suddenly and abruptly, once again in the vortex of the conspiricy -and, as we shall see -there could have been none better..............................

[1275psi]

26/1/44

To those following 47ths tale -apologies that there has not been much of them lately. Quite simply the war has dictated this. 47th are the top KI-84 upgradable unit I have in the army -by a long shot -and I do not want them chewed up uselessly in an inferior plane.
I need 47th sentai desperately now - the enemy dominte the sky over the burma front, Port blair he has driven me from the skies, lower PNG is a pit planes fly to -and never return, and in China its countless raids all along the front
Japan needs the KI-84
the men have 4 precious days of leave left -then its a month of final testing, then they should start recieving the new fighter.
After that -47th must, and will fight to the bitter end..........

[1275psi]

extract from fighting the tide -by Colonel Nakamura

Idid not want to lose a day away from my wife -but the call was urgent -Iwaya wanted me. And so I found myself in a small room, near the palace -and wondering, coldly -what in the world had i gotten myself into?

The general of 54th division seemed competent enough -and he was certaintly friendly too -but these are not qualities one needs in a coup - that calls for ruthlessness -and hard detirmination.
This man, I felt, may be lacking in both. But Iwaya seemed pleased, a full division, and -did i really promise it? -air cover as well.

But, we were far from ready. The Dictator needed to be tracked. The Emperor needed to be found, and some how informed that he would be restored..
And some how, the Imperial guard division in Tokyo -loyal to herbiesan, had to be eliminated -somehow.

An enormous task. And, I had a new fighter to fly, and the war stilled raged..........

[1275psi]

The small Japanese platoon had failed to reach the caves of Rabual mountain . Trapped in the river bed of this foul creek -the Americans only yards away -they debate the next move. These are no combat soldiers, but service men, mechanics, clerks of the 10th aviation regiment -and only three of the ten are armed.

All around the Pacific, Japanese troops fight to the death -mostly. These chose life.
A white flag is hastily torn from a singlet -and cautiously they clear the creek -seeking surrender.

They get five yards -and are cut down -the flag fluttering into the blood
"remember Majuro men" the heavy marine growls "kill em all"

[1275psi]

27/1/44

My honorable opponent announces he is getting married in August -better finish him off before then[:D][:D]

Yamamto reads the signals, and frowns in disgust.
The invasion of Madang has been for naught -the Army has underestimated the enemy -again
How many times was this now? -three, four times?
And every time the Navy risks all to get the troops ashore -and every time it seems -the Army fails.

Enough.

The enemy fleet gathers strength -and surely its wounds must be nearly healed now.
Where will it strike next?
And what can his response be?

What can the empire afford to lose -and what must he draw the line under?
The enemy, he reads, has begun to recon Truk from rabual already.
Truk.
Was this a line in the sand?

He contemplates yamato's great bow, sliding across the sea.
maybe.
maybe not.

[1275psi]

47th spend their last night on leave -in every way imaginable.
Tomorrow they must report back to duty. If it is any comfort, they will remain in Japan for at least the next month.
Then the war.
But for tonight -the last taste of freedom........

[1275psi]

Iwaya reads the reports

As powerless as a man on a snow covered mountain slope -a slope that he can feel beginning to slide away under him -Iwaya can see the trends.

'Unable to form sentai due to current shortage of air frames'
'regret inability to meet production target due to failure of engine delivery'
'decision to halt production of bombers at my plant is not supported, cannot accept your decision.'
'require 300 additional tons of magnesium per month to reach target'

and worse

'this fighter now considered totally outclassed, why are we being issued with it still?'

and even worse

'shipping losses unsustainable -expect that by mid 44 will no longer be able to sustain resource shipments as per your requirements............'


The slope is sliding, down to disaster.
he must do something, soon..............

[1275psi]

All over Japan, a small ritual is taking place.
It’s a ritual that warriors have been enacting since man first picked up a rock and went to war.

Civilian clothes are being discarded, and uniforms are being donned again.
The shirts, the shorts, are little different in weight to those just removed –yet they do weigh differently –its an invisible weight, only one who has worn the uniform knows.

It is the belt of duty, the shirt of sacrifice.
Many in Japan today, and scattered all about the Empire have had no choice in donning this uniform, as have many of those who oppose them.
But volunteer or not –they all feel its responsibility, all accept what it means.

For most in 47th sentai –it is the single greatest honour of their lives.

1944 will test this honour, sacrifice and duty to the limits………………

[1275psi]

28/1/44

From

HQ 2nd Marines, Madang
To
HQ South Pacific


We are attacking in 360 degree directions.
Enemy resistance weakening
Job essentially completed here


Send doughnuts

[1275psi]

29/1/44

Yamato drops anchor.
Her men released from duty, crowd the guardrails, excitement rippling through them.
Miyazuki joins them, there has been mail, lots of mail -and to his surprise, his Brother has written. To his astonishment, the letter is not the usual weeks old -but merely three days young.

47th sentai is near -a chance to see him again.........

[1275psi]

29/1/44

47th find themselves today in the most foriegn of enviroments. Its one that many have equated to hell in their earlier years. A classroom. Three days of theory, refresher training on navigation, the new radios, and then, the new KI 84.
They look forward to that -but in the meantime, they grit teeth, and battle on.

Although they do not know it -they are being sorely missed.
In Burma, under a massive air umbrella, the british 18th division crosses the Irrawady -and leads the attack....

[1275psi]

30/1/44

Extract from 'Shattering the Sword', a Cantona production.

The chickens were coming home to roost.
The empire had committed 7 divisions , plus extras, to clear Port Blair, and failed. Three of those divisions, the 16th, 69th and 4th, had been so badly knocked about that they had been with drawn to Singapore. The Four Indian divisions remained, but refused to attack.
For the Indians, it was a terrible situation, surrender is out of the question, the British consider them traitors, and they remain on the island at the mercy of Japanese supply lines.
But they number 4 divisions nevertheless, divisions sorely needed in Burma.

In a night of hard fighting, the 26th Indian division joins the 18th, and begin to push hard. Japanese troops rush to the battle -the dike is creaking, and leaking badly now...................

[1275psi]

Rabual is more of a Moonscape than a town - the Allied bombing has blasted it into a unrecognisable wasteland.
But even as the last trapped Japanese troops die, a very recognisable feature of Rabual returns.

Like mushroms they pop up everywhere, crude ramshakle huts, each(and heavens knows how they obtain it) displaying wares already.
Freedom is being celebrated the good old american way.
The Chinese merchants are already back, and doing a roaring business

[1275psi]

Iwaya reads the note carefully, then even more carefully burns it.

"The emperor has been located -and we can confirm he rides the same path every day, accompanied by just 2 guards......"

Could the Divine ruler be persuaded to come down to earth, and get into the muck?

The news from Burma is bad.
PNG is worse
he must try

[1275psi]

Extract from "Fighting the Tide" by Col Nakamura,

, the week ended, and with yet another delay in delivery of the fighter (Monday!, Monday! -we promise), I did something I would not have contemplated 2 months ago -I went home.

I still cannot believe now -the air of unreality one found in Japan in those days. The enemy blockade had yet to truly bite -and food remained plentiful, the cinema's continued to play, and although everybody worked hard, 'and we miss our sons' -most I think, really thought the war won.

I knew better.
The enemy had attacked Truk already this month - unsuccessfully -but if Truk was under attack -what of the Marshalls?, those islands we had sweated blood over?
In fact -when I considered the number of bases we had defended -and had now been lost, one could be excused for getting depressed.
But, this week end I had Setsuko -and with her, how could I be but happy?

[1275psi]

The bath house is empty, all but for two of its customers

Iwaya and Yamamato sit side by side, oblivious of their surroundings

"I must admit to a fair bit of frustration Iwaya" confesses Yamamato, I just can't seem to finish him of.
"And each time, it gets harder?"
"yes -at majuro -I thought the war won -but he comes back" Yamamato smiles "then New Britain -and he gets away"
"I wish we knew if you had killed that fleet carrier"
'Does it matter? -he appears to have a lot more doesn't he. And then Madang -and they don't come out to play"
Its Iwaya's turn to smile "I think Tanaka might have a different view on coming out to play"
Silence descends

"How goes the war truly Admiral?"
Yamamoto does not hesitate. "On the surface -we hold our own -each allied advance is costing him immensly -but he keeps coming. Truly - If I cannot pull of a decisive battle soon -very soon, ...................."

Another long silence

'Iwaya? -your plans?"

Iwaya shifts un easily on his seat "They progress. Its a pity we cannot count on the Navy in general yet......"
Yamamoto turns and faces him - "I cannot sail the fleet to the palace gates or the Deit -nor will we be here when,....it.........happens. No -its the Army that must strike. Where does the air arm stand?"
'A few sentai's -but only a few. Revolution is slow to forment I have found"

Yamamato stands, takes his towel . If Burma collapses -and I fear it might - you might find the heat under the pot rising nicely. Take care Iwaya -I will try to obviate the need for............your action. If that buggar Cantona will let me........."

[1275psi]

new bomber entering service -the Peggy

[1275psi]

3/2/44

The war "ticks along " today.
Bloody fighting at Wuchow -the japanese make some progress -but bleed.
They prepare to throw the british/indians back in burma -under a carpet bombing campaign terrible to behold.
At Madang some allied LSTs join the gathering reef of barges off the beaches

In japan, domestic coal deliveries cease "during this time of national emergency"

yes, the war "ticks along"

[1275psi]

4/2/44

'See!, see! "herbiesan screams at the planning table - the generals, the aids wincing. "We hold still!
This empire will last a thousand years!. "

It is hard not to acknowledge the dictator today -he has been right after all.
The British have been flung back over the irrawady......................