December 22, 1941
Gulf of Siam
Private Endo makes his way down a companionway aboard Mizuho Maru. He only has to shift his balance a bit as he goes, a far cry from just a couple of days ago when the ship ran into storms out in the South China Sea. There are still footprints on the lower walls of the companionway from that event.
He enters the bunkroom where his squad is assigned. The room smells overpoweringly of vomit and many of the men are lying in their bunks. Endo is not without sympathy. He has recovered faster than many of the soldiers but he still has not been able to eat much.
“I have good news!” he announces. His fellow soldiers, usually as eager for gossip and news as a group of Hokkaido fishwives, scarcely respond.
“This tub has been torpedoed and will sink within minutes?” one man asks hopefully in a hoarse voice.
“No!” Endo says. “We’re almost there. We’ll reach Bangkok tomorrow morning sometime.” This information causes a stir among the men. Some of them almost look a little lifelike for a moment.
“Is that for real?” someone asks.
“I heard it from the Lieutenant, who got it from one of the ship’s officers,” Endo says. “Bangkok! Women, drinks, gambling! Women!”
“What would I do with a woman right now?” says someone else resignedly. “Throw up on her? I’m too weak to even stand.”
“You’ll feel better when you’re on dry land,” Endo assures him.
“Dry land,” a soldier says. “I remember dry land…” He groans and slumps back in his bunk. Endo, his news delivered, turns and heads back topside. The air is a lot fresher up there, even if it is impossible to completely escape the sound and smell of violently sick men.
Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
-
Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
-
Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
December 23, 1941
The Coral Sea
The last dive bomber roars off Akagi’s deck and joins the other planes circling nearby. Nearby Hiryu and Soryu are also launching planes. Chief Sado watches them join up and then head west by northwest, towards Port Moresby.
Kido Butai had rounded the eastern tip of New Guinea late in the morning and search planes had soon spotted three ships moored there, two freighters and a smaller ship, possibly a gunboat or a small destroyer. Admiral Nagumo ordered a small strike launched to dispatch them and it is this strike that Sado has just helped to launch.
Sado looks up to see Captain Hasegawa strolling towards him. He comes to immediate attention and salutes. Hasegawa returns the salute.
“That went well, Sado,” he says. “Good work.”
“Yes sir, thank you,” says Sado. He is pleased. If Hasegawa had any complaints about his performance he would not hesitate to make them known, and in excruciating detail. Now, however, Akagi’s captain clasps his hands behind his back and looks after the departing planes.
“We had hoped to find more shipping at Port Moresby,” he says. “Admiral Nagumo has informed me that we will press on into the heart of the Coral Sea tomorrow looking for more of the enemy. Be ready, Sado, with luck it will be a busy day.”
Sado glances up at Akagi’s island where Nagumo is no doubt even now preparing tomorrow’s orders. “Yes sir,” is all he says.
“Carry on. Chief,” says Hasegawa. He strolls away and Sado returns to work, barking orders at the flight deck crew.
---
The ships at Port Moresby, a large freighter, a coastal steamer, and a minesweeper, are quickly and efficiently sunk. Radio reports of the attack by Japanese carrier planes are broadcast across the Coral Sea and to Australia, where they are received with dismay. The area is crowded with shipping. Though in many ways taken off guard by the Japanese attack the Allies have moved quickly to counter Japanese threats both real and imagined.
Now these ships pick up speed, many changing course. There is no force in these waters capable of challenging the Japanese and the time when Westerners would mock the military capability of Japan ended sixteen days ago. Something close to panic now spreads across the water at the prospect of a Japanese attack. Everyone is seeking a safe haven but there are few of those to be found.
The Coral Sea
The last dive bomber roars off Akagi’s deck and joins the other planes circling nearby. Nearby Hiryu and Soryu are also launching planes. Chief Sado watches them join up and then head west by northwest, towards Port Moresby.
Kido Butai had rounded the eastern tip of New Guinea late in the morning and search planes had soon spotted three ships moored there, two freighters and a smaller ship, possibly a gunboat or a small destroyer. Admiral Nagumo ordered a small strike launched to dispatch them and it is this strike that Sado has just helped to launch.
Sado looks up to see Captain Hasegawa strolling towards him. He comes to immediate attention and salutes. Hasegawa returns the salute.
“That went well, Sado,” he says. “Good work.”
“Yes sir, thank you,” says Sado. He is pleased. If Hasegawa had any complaints about his performance he would not hesitate to make them known, and in excruciating detail. Now, however, Akagi’s captain clasps his hands behind his back and looks after the departing planes.
“We had hoped to find more shipping at Port Moresby,” he says. “Admiral Nagumo has informed me that we will press on into the heart of the Coral Sea tomorrow looking for more of the enemy. Be ready, Sado, with luck it will be a busy day.”
Sado glances up at Akagi’s island where Nagumo is no doubt even now preparing tomorrow’s orders. “Yes sir,” is all he says.
“Carry on. Chief,” says Hasegawa. He strolls away and Sado returns to work, barking orders at the flight deck crew.
---
The ships at Port Moresby, a large freighter, a coastal steamer, and a minesweeper, are quickly and efficiently sunk. Radio reports of the attack by Japanese carrier planes are broadcast across the Coral Sea and to Australia, where they are received with dismay. The area is crowded with shipping. Though in many ways taken off guard by the Japanese attack the Allies have moved quickly to counter Japanese threats both real and imagined.
Now these ships pick up speed, many changing course. There is no force in these waters capable of challenging the Japanese and the time when Westerners would mock the military capability of Japan ended sixteen days ago. Something close to panic now spreads across the water at the prospect of a Japanese attack. Everyone is seeking a safe haven but there are few of those to be found.
RE: Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
Yepp, it's a good thing to be able to read a CF war tale.
Todd
I never thought that doing an AAR would be so time consuming and difficult.
www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2080768
I never thought that doing an AAR would be so time consuming and difficult.
www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2080768
-
Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
December 24, 1941
The Coral Sea
Japanese carrier planes roam high over the sparking blue waters of the Coral Sea and where they go death follows. All day long the six aircraft carriers of Kido Butai launch and recover strikes aimed at enemy shipping they discover all around them.
Not far from the Australian coast, near Cairns, a large convoy is found. Sunk are troop transports Koolinda, Zealandia, Raranga, and Marella. Going down with them are small freighters Patris and Wollongbar and aircraft tender Arend. The transports, mercifully, are empty of troops.
Out in the wider reaches of the Coral Sea several ships are found and sunk. Lost is large minelayer Bungaree and freighters Talune, Mangola, and Koomilya. Some of these ships are crowded with soldiers, though to the Japanese pilots the ships remain simply targets. They are too high and remote to hear the screams and curses of the men dying beneath them.
More ships are discovered near Port Moresby. These are all hit by dive bombers. Freighters Lancaster, Steel Mariner, and Mathew Luckenbach are all struck by several bombs and left ablaze. With them are lost artillery pieces intended for the Port Moresby’s defense. Later in the day small freighter Pulganbar is discovered not far away and also left dead in the water and burning.
Admiral Nagumo is tempted to remain for a second day; many of his staff advise doing so. But he has already struck a heavy blow and he considers that his main objective, to impede any enemy build-up at Port Moresby, has been accomplished. He orders his carriers to move east. His orders include other targets and it is time to go and pay them a visit as well.
Behind them, as night falls, ships continue to burn. Debris covers the water and some of the pieces have survivors clinging to them. Here and there are lifeboats filled with huddled men. Amid all of the misery and carnage on this dark Christmas Eve the only happy creatures are the sharks.
The Coral Sea
Japanese carrier planes roam high over the sparking blue waters of the Coral Sea and where they go death follows. All day long the six aircraft carriers of Kido Butai launch and recover strikes aimed at enemy shipping they discover all around them.
Not far from the Australian coast, near Cairns, a large convoy is found. Sunk are troop transports Koolinda, Zealandia, Raranga, and Marella. Going down with them are small freighters Patris and Wollongbar and aircraft tender Arend. The transports, mercifully, are empty of troops.
Out in the wider reaches of the Coral Sea several ships are found and sunk. Lost is large minelayer Bungaree and freighters Talune, Mangola, and Koomilya. Some of these ships are crowded with soldiers, though to the Japanese pilots the ships remain simply targets. They are too high and remote to hear the screams and curses of the men dying beneath them.
More ships are discovered near Port Moresby. These are all hit by dive bombers. Freighters Lancaster, Steel Mariner, and Mathew Luckenbach are all struck by several bombs and left ablaze. With them are lost artillery pieces intended for the Port Moresby’s defense. Later in the day small freighter Pulganbar is discovered not far away and also left dead in the water and burning.
Admiral Nagumo is tempted to remain for a second day; many of his staff advise doing so. But he has already struck a heavy blow and he considers that his main objective, to impede any enemy build-up at Port Moresby, has been accomplished. He orders his carriers to move east. His orders include other targets and it is time to go and pay them a visit as well.
Behind them, as night falls, ships continue to burn. Debris covers the water and some of the pieces have survivors clinging to them. Here and there are lifeboats filled with huddled men. Amid all of the misery and carnage on this dark Christmas Eve the only happy creatures are the sharks.
-
Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
December 25, 1941
The Java Sea, near Bandjermasin
At 3:00 am on Christmas morning steamship Legazpi creeps along the southern coast of Borneo, heading south. For years the 1000-ton ship has plied the waters around the Philippines. Now under charter to the U.S. Army Legazpi is attempting to escape the tightening Japanese net. She is not destined to make it.
Without warning a torpedo from I-155 catches her amidships and a second later another torpedo strikes near the bow. The small freighter is ripped wide open and sinks in less than a minute. There are few survivors
From his observation point atop the sail Captain Sagara watches the attack and its aftermath with satisfaction. It was a small ship but not a bad prize considering they were already heading back to Saigon to refuel. Three ships sunk is not a bad patrol, even if together Sagara doubts they amounted to 10,000 tons. It has been excellent training for the crew and perhaps next time out they will find a bigger prize.
Sagara lowers his binoculars and looks up at the bright stars. It is a fine, clear night. He notes the action in his log and then stops and ponders for a minute. Isn’t this the date the Americans and British celebrate that holiday? The one with the old man and the baby? He looks back towards where the ship had been just moments before.
“Merry Christmas!” he calls across in heavily accented English to the few men left struggling in the oily water. He chuckles to himself, then gives the machine gun crew orders to leave the men alone. He is still in good spirits as he goes below.
The Java Sea, near Bandjermasin
At 3:00 am on Christmas morning steamship Legazpi creeps along the southern coast of Borneo, heading south. For years the 1000-ton ship has plied the waters around the Philippines. Now under charter to the U.S. Army Legazpi is attempting to escape the tightening Japanese net. She is not destined to make it.
Without warning a torpedo from I-155 catches her amidships and a second later another torpedo strikes near the bow. The small freighter is ripped wide open and sinks in less than a minute. There are few survivors
From his observation point atop the sail Captain Sagara watches the attack and its aftermath with satisfaction. It was a small ship but not a bad prize considering they were already heading back to Saigon to refuel. Three ships sunk is not a bad patrol, even if together Sagara doubts they amounted to 10,000 tons. It has been excellent training for the crew and perhaps next time out they will find a bigger prize.
Sagara lowers his binoculars and looks up at the bright stars. It is a fine, clear night. He notes the action in his log and then stops and ponders for a minute. Isn’t this the date the Americans and British celebrate that holiday? The one with the old man and the baby? He looks back towards where the ship had been just moments before.
“Merry Christmas!” he calls across in heavily accented English to the few men left struggling in the oily water. He chuckles to himself, then gives the machine gun crew orders to leave the men alone. He is still in good spirits as he goes below.
-
1EyedJacks
- Posts: 2304
- Joined: Sun Mar 12, 2006 6:26 am
- Location: Reno, NV
RE: Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
“Merry Christmas!” he calls across in heavily accented English to the few men left struggling in the oily water. He chuckles to himself, then gives the machine gun crew orders to leave the men alone. He is still in good spirits as he goes below.
Thanks Cuttlefish - I really enjoy your writing <grin>.
TTFN,
Mike
Mike
-
Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
December 26, 1941
Over Rangoon
The aircraft in Susumu Ishihara’s sights is a stubby little monoplane. It has RAF roundels on the fuselage and Ishihara, who has spent a lot of time studying aircraft recognition silhouettes, knows it is an American-made Brewster fighter. The plane tries to turn abruptly to the left and Ishihara turns a little inside it. He centers the Brewster in his sights and presses the cannon button.
Ishihara and the rest of Tainan AG had taken off from Bangkok early that morning. Theirs would be the first Japanese fighters to venture over Rangoon since the war began and no one was sure what they would find. It was an uneventful flight and they found the sky over Rangoon to be heavy with overcast. It was not long, however, before they spotted a dozen enemy fighters above the clouds, some six thousand feet below them and climbing.
The Japanese dove to meet them and flashed through the enemy formation with machine guns firing. Two of the enemy went down quickly but the others formed a defensive circle which the Japanese pilots set about picking to pieces. It did not take long for the battle to become a rout.
Ishihara’s cannon fire marches along the fuselage and into the enemy cockpit. The Brewster shudders violently, pieces of plane flying off under the barrage, and then it abruptly rolls over and plunges towards the clouds below.
Ishihara follows it down, losing it as he passes through the clouds. When he picks it up again it is tumbling like a broken toy as it falls towards a broad river below. There is no parachute. Ishihara salutes his brave opponent and climbs back to meet his comrades.
This time there will be no empty places at the mess table. All of the Japanese fighters are present and accounted for. Some of the enemy planes have escaped into the clouds but at least half of them were shot down. As he flies back to Bangkok Ishihara feels as though a weight has been lifted from him. No longer will he be one of those on the outside. Finally, he has a kill.
Over Rangoon
The aircraft in Susumu Ishihara’s sights is a stubby little monoplane. It has RAF roundels on the fuselage and Ishihara, who has spent a lot of time studying aircraft recognition silhouettes, knows it is an American-made Brewster fighter. The plane tries to turn abruptly to the left and Ishihara turns a little inside it. He centers the Brewster in his sights and presses the cannon button.
Ishihara and the rest of Tainan AG had taken off from Bangkok early that morning. Theirs would be the first Japanese fighters to venture over Rangoon since the war began and no one was sure what they would find. It was an uneventful flight and they found the sky over Rangoon to be heavy with overcast. It was not long, however, before they spotted a dozen enemy fighters above the clouds, some six thousand feet below them and climbing.
The Japanese dove to meet them and flashed through the enemy formation with machine guns firing. Two of the enemy went down quickly but the others formed a defensive circle which the Japanese pilots set about picking to pieces. It did not take long for the battle to become a rout.
Ishihara’s cannon fire marches along the fuselage and into the enemy cockpit. The Brewster shudders violently, pieces of plane flying off under the barrage, and then it abruptly rolls over and plunges towards the clouds below.
Ishihara follows it down, losing it as he passes through the clouds. When he picks it up again it is tumbling like a broken toy as it falls towards a broad river below. There is no parachute. Ishihara salutes his brave opponent and climbs back to meet his comrades.
This time there will be no empty places at the mess table. All of the Japanese fighters are present and accounted for. Some of the enemy planes have escaped into the clouds but at least half of them were shot down. As he flies back to Bangkok Ishihara feels as though a weight has been lifted from him. No longer will he be one of those on the outside. Finally, he has a kill.
RE: Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
Bump.
Good for Ishihara; but will we now see Tainan AG vs. AVG?
Good for Ishihara; but will we now see Tainan AG vs. AVG?
-
Capt. Harlock
- Posts: 5379
- Joined: Sat Sep 15, 2001 8:00 am
- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
RE: Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
Good for Ishihara; but will we now see Tainan AG vs. AVG?
Quite possible. Isn't it fun that WitP tracks the records of individual pilots?
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: Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
What happened, are we done here?
-
Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
ORIGINAL: adm
What happened, are we done here?
Wow, you must have gone back a ways to find this one. The game still goes on and is in fact about to enter 1944. But I couldn't maintain two AARs and decided to continue the one against Q-Ball, since he was also writing an AAR and I think games where you can follow both sides are the most compelling. I'm going to try this format again, though, probably once Erstad and I wrap up this game.
RE: Lives for the Emperor - Cuttlefish (J) vs erstad (A)
I had booked mark this one and both your and Q-Balls AARs, after I finished Small Ship Big War, followed your defeat with Q-Ball, and then started following your current one with Charbroiled, saw this one and got caught up on it.
Better luck with Charbroiled than Q-Ball!
Better luck with Charbroiled than Q-Ball!