The little ship that could.

[PaxMondo]

Oh no!  Where is my morning dose?!?!  [X(]
 
 

[1275psi]

Extract from Shattering the Sword –a Cantona production

Japanese landings on Sabang strike stubborn, and un expected resistance.
Confined to a square mile of beach and rocky headland, they hang on grimly –the Allied defenders equally grimly trying to drive them into the sea.

Answering the call for help the Japanese navy sends its elderly battlewagons to assist.
The first bombardment is effective, but insufficient.
A second is ordered.
Sensing a chance to retaliate, Formidable, Indomitable, and Hermes strike at Sabang

Only a refuelling stop by the Battleships allows them to miss the trap, but three small Torpedo boats do not.
Regretfully, the British get greedy –remaining in the area an extra day.

Lashed by Yamamoto – livid that the carriers have operated unhindered, 22nd flotilla attacks.
It is the first serious battle between modern Allied fighters verses the zeros, martlets growling over the fleet..
Japan pays a heavy price, losing half its bombers, and a third of the fighters involved – and can report but one strike on the Formidable.
For the next five days the Japanese Navy will believe the battle a loss…..until a handful of survivors are picked up by a roving destroyer.
Yamamoto is pleased. 3 Torpedo boats, a dozen bombers for a carrier, a price he is happy to pay



The cleans continue
The port forward boiler is cleaned –Minobe, the Charge happy with the work – the internals are merely inspected this time – internal cleans need a week that they do not have.
The casings now will have to go on, the furnace repaired –and then, by tomorrow night –light off –after the squeeze, the dump, the fresh fill and dose.
Small words –big tasks.



Now he has to be everywhere.
Again, and again, they call him –Charge! –can you look at this!.
Chief –we have a problem!
He delegates –oh, he delegates as much as he can –but ultimately –this is his baby.
Under the harsh arc lamps –temporarily set up –power cables festooning all through her belly – Charge conducts his inspections, supervises the cleans .

He is-un avoidably –a moving black figure of soot- soot that will destroy his coveralls –the acid in the soot will burn them away over the weeks. Not that that matters –he has already torn a hole in them on some sharp hidden projection.
(And bled on it as well)
His black face peers into each little nook and cranny-searching for those defects –teeth flashing as he shares jokes with his men.
‘Chief –dinner is on”
‘Already?’
“yes –you better get some before the galley closes”
“I’m still not popular there you know!”
‘Tell us about it!’

Damn it, he was hungry. Struggling off the top of the air heater bank –he gathers himself.
He has time for a wash, a change. Then for the squeeze –but food yes. Yes, he could do with a meal.
The Charge makes his way to the ladder, climbs –wearily -up into the lower hanger.
A shower would be good


“You! –Chief Petty Officer!”
The charge –mind snapped back to the present – is confronted by an officer he does not know –a flying officer –and –yes, under the influence.
He snaps a salute – a genuine one –full of respect for men he oh so once aspired to be.
“Why –Chief petty Officer, are you in such a disgusting state?”
“Boiler cleans Sir”
The flying officer contemplates the answer –and now, belatedly, the Charge senses something is wrong
“You are a Petty Officer – you are meant to supervise –not grovel in the dirt with the ranks!’
To which , of course there can be no reply –it is after all his job to get to the darkest, dirtiest corner….
‘This is a warship –not a coal pit –I am so sick of black crap on everything!”
‘Sir?”
“Present! –attention!”
The charge –slowly, stands erect.
And barely see’s the blow that floors him…..

From the deck –the blinding pain crashing through him, his tormentors mutter still penetrates……’Bloody stokers, bloody dirt, bloody no water………..”

Kurihama has dealt ‘discipline” The way of the warrior will win this war –not grubby machinery and its stupid slaves…

[1275psi]

22/4/42

"And you Mr Okura?'
The Minister of production takes his turn.
carefully - better to deliver bad news in a monotone -where it may not be noticed, than to be excited about it, he delivers his weekly assessment.

'resources, oil deliveries are satisfactory. Aircraft rates, fair............ (so far so good, no reaction from the dictator), armaments remain good.. troops numbers are adequate, and no command currently suffers from severe shortages"
herbiesan considers, thinks of moving to the next point, but changes his mind......
'And the Perth operation?"

'Evacuation all but complete sir"

A silence
A long silence - one that those eyes that have so ruthlessly taken over the empire fill with a malevolent glare. One that forces you to break the silence.........even when you know you must keep silent
"but" ...........
'yes Mr Okura?'
A snake is at this table -hypnotic and deadly, and it has him in its sights

"we must address the transport crises......."
'Crises?............Mr Okura, you just told me all commands are happy"
'yes, but.........."
But what?
Alright -we stick out our neck-again
'Sir -i need your piority- is it moving 14th army to davao -the invasion of tarawa, the invasion of Burma -and your India plans, or the Pert evacuation -or, heaven help me - the strengthening of your "iron shield you boast so many times about?"

The Silence is defeaning.

'gentlemen, if you excuse us, Mr Okura and I will be having a little chat........alone"

And now ice flows through his viens.
yes, a snake is in this room, deadly and treachourous.

[kaleun]

Cue in ominous music.....

[1275psi]

(actually wrote this before reading last post)

23/4/42

Working down deep below, it is easy to forget the rest of the world
I suppose, for this war, there are many, many men, deep in the bowels of command centers, bunkers, battle ship bellies, and submarines, who wonder, fo a little, about the ‘other world’ –but then turn again to what matters- their world of 24 day electric light.

But while Zuiho’s men concentrate on their boilers – progressing the work, the out side world continues.
Two events occur –both seemingly linked by the most tenuous threads to our little ship –one very tenous, but important –for it involves a place that already many have planned for Zuiho to go, and another, that touches initially just but one man.



All young Mitchell had ever wanted to do –was spread the Gospel through out the world.
All his Father had wanted was for him to remain right where you are young man – here –safe in the good old USA.
So, as these things go –a compromise – he would go on a quick mission trip –to some place where the war, or danger, could never go..
An obscure place –Guadacanal –where Gods word remained to be spread.

How simple it seemed.
Grab a freighter, work a passage westwards –trust in God, he would get him there.
It hadn’t quite worked out like that.
Maybe God had other plans for him…………

Getting to Hawaii had been easy –young Mitchell can cook –cook really well –and there was no shortage of ships needing a cook.
But from there…………he’d spent two months trying to get a ship Noumea bound –and only just getting one a week before the war came crashing into the pacific.
A real tub of a boat – and a true nightmare.
Spread the good word –God says!
Not on this boat, the crew says –open your trap about that crud –and over the side you will go.

Misery.

And then the real fun begins –a crew threatening to kill him –and a Japanese navy actually trying to..
For 3 months Mitchell finds himself holed up in his galley –looking at an ocean that never ceased to change –to him –while his ship either tried to avoid the roaming Japanese carriers, or moved to the whim of a distant Pacific fleet command.

Then –on one calm sunny day –anchored at some tiny atoll called Tarawa – the Japanese almost did really kill him –it was a sorrowful Mitchell who dragged himself ashore.

And then (it seemed to him ) everything was trying to kill him.
THE bombardment.
The sun
The short rations
The crushing work of digging holes to hide in .


It is a very different Mitchell, though that digs hoes today than the skinny pale youth of four months ago.
Now a lanky, brown man throws crushed coral easily, his rifle (what would his father think of that) resting easily in the pit with him.
Sergeant De Bashio ( you back chat me…I de bashio you!) comes by. ‘”hey Kid! –you nearly finished that hole”
‘No sir –not yet”
A grin from the sergeant. “Well maybe you had better call on that God of yours to help ya dig a bit faster”
‘Why sir?’
‘cause satans little helpers are coming –crap load of battleships –and we aint got anything to stop em”

Satans little helpers.
That’s what the sergeant had called them.
A terrible description.
Mitchell cowers in his hole – and feels Tarawa literally bounce under him.

Naval bombardment.
Two of the most terrifying words ever written.

Slowly, slowly, the great battlewagons cruise along the coast –and Satans great drums –BASS drums, the drums of doom, crash –and the demons of hell shriek over head – screaming, screaming as a million lost souls must…..and then the arrival –the KAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAATHUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPP!, of the eruption as the shells arrive

Mitchell cowers, and the dust showers down, the earth trembles, and the shells scream all night long.
A thousand shells – and a thousand times he asks himself –asks God –why did he get sent here to die?


The other news too, involves death
A short newspaper announcement –one paragraph only

‘The Minister of production, Mr Okura, was killed in an automobile accident today.
He has been replaced by a MR Iwaya, formerly general manager of Mitsubishi motors.

[PaxMondo]

a hard task master; herbiesan ...

[BigBadWolf]

Ah, poor Okura-san, such a waste. Traffic in Tokyo is a death trap...

[8D]

[1275psi]

24/4/42

Hidaka is a hard man.
He has to be.
This is Japan at war, a country ruled by bushido

He would die at the merest suggestion that it would help the empire.
For him, death holds no fear.

But this –this fills him with dread

He takes a deep breath, opens the door.
Okura faces him, face full of anxiety
Quietly he invites him into the small cabin, closes the door.

“I have some bad news ………”
In any military, this is the hardest duty of them all…………..

[1275psi]

Yamamoto faces his staff.
“I have to face facts. This mission is a failure. The allied carriers do not intend to relieve Tarawa.”
He taps the binnacle, feels the vibration through it. Every hour, another 4 tons of fuel gone………
He has seriously miscalculated, this cantona iscunning as a fox it seems.
. It would be good to play a game of chess against him one day.
“Which puts us, I admit, in a rather awkward position.
We cannot allow this place to remain – it will grow like a cancer.”

Captain Hara breaks the silence “ I can hardly see it grow sir –so few troops are there”
Yamamoto smiles –ah, to be so ignorant, such a happy state to be in…….
‘have you seen Americans with a bulldozer?, trust me my friends –tarawa is a cancer we must cut out –and soon. We cannot remain guard here forever……..”


From
Combined Fleet to
4th fleet

Counter invasion of Tarawa island to commence 1/6/42
Please commence all necessary preparations

Yamamoto.



Deep in Zuiho’s bowels many eyes stare at a single guage
Above them, a small air pump pumps away –an ounce of water with every beat of its diaphram.
Boiler squeeze.

Around the boiler, men shine torches into a dozen openings, looking for any leaks, sledge hammers at the ready, spanners poised.
The charge notes the pressure –makes a cutting action with his hand.
Test pressure.
The pump stops, and the click of stop watches is clearly heard throughout the space.

The guage barely moves, and thirty second later grins break out across the space.
The first is the slowest., the pump always takes time. But now he can dump, dose this bitch, and light her off, and use the steam driven pumps to squeeze the rest.

‘Box her up boys”

Zuiho will be ready for sea in 36 hours –easily.
And once again, she is going to stick her neck way, way out…………..

[kaleun]

Fantastic read sir!

[Wirraway_Ace]

Truly brilliant stuff

[1275psi]

Hi cantona!
No peeking for a while I am afraid -big things afoot!


25/4/42

Two friends stand side by side.
One, impetuous, young, always broke, a brilliant pair of mechanical hands, the other, older, quieter, married.
PO Okano, Po Hirate

Okano turns to his friend, a measure of the depth of the bonds-he does not even notice the scars on Hirate’s face now –and rests a hand on his shoulder.
In his other hand, the last bucket of clean water reserved for the last cleaning job.

Both men are slick with sweat, and grime, but both smile.
‘It never ceases to amaze me old man ‘ says Okano –“how this crap fight cleans up so quickly”
‘It’s a mystery, isn’t it”
But both know its not. It is almost magic, but not quite. A miracle perhaps –but those these men do all the time –it’s the impossible that takes longer.
Port Boiler room is ready for light off.
The casings are on, the myriad of cables removed, rolled, stowed, the hoses gone, the boiler store cage again full and stocked –ready for next time.
The plates gleam again, and the soot – seemingly here forever, is gone like black snow in the sun.
The room gleams again.
Even now –men are busy polishing the copper pipes, and others are aligning the systems..

Soon they leave Soerabaya.
They leave the stinking wharf, the stinking heat, the stinking basin and its detritus.
They have had no leave here –and don’t care.
This is a stinking place………

The moods is good –no, it is better than that. Zuiho is going to sea again, and they will get her there. Again.

“Of course” says Okano –his voice taking on a superior air “this boiler room will never match my engine room for cleanliness”
‘What? –its spotless!’
‘No its not –you have missed a huge lump of dirt”
‘Where? –Hirate looks around, suddenly very concerned –dirt missed? ‘Show me”
“Your face you idiot!”, and smiling, Okano upends the bucket over his friends head “ there –now we are ready for sea!”

[1275psi]

Swift eagle clears Soerabaya just after Midnight.
On her deck, 7 fighters, 9 kates in her hanger. Hidaka has not been able to get replacements yet.
Dawn see’s the task force steaming North towards Singapore across a brilliant blue sea –calm, and hot.

Hidaka keeps her pilots busy –he sends Okano aloft first –and keeps him aloft twice. Busy hands cannot brood.
Hasegawa receives very good news –Formidable confirmed sunk – now, if they encounter the British in the Bay of Bengal –he has a chance .
But he would prefer not to.

It appears that they are destined to escort yet another invasion force –this one containing 25th Army.
Fair enough –but he would prefer to hunt……..





Bluey, carefully advances to the next street corner, peers around it, rifle at the ready
From here he can see Freemantle wharf – see the shattered transports sunk –their cranes forlornly sticking out of the brown waters, drowned and blackened bridges now homes for the gulls.

It is quiet.
Very quiet.

Here, there, a few scattered pieces of discarded Japanese equipment, but not much.

There is no doubt now
Perth, Australian soil, is free of Japanese troops.
They have gone, long, long gone.

[PaxMondo]

Large Latte and my morning installment ... its the simple things! 
 
 
Brilliant writing ... keep it going!
 
[&o]

[kaleun]

Reminds me of the liberation of Attu (IIRC) The American forces prepared, arrived and found...four stray dogs.

[1275psi]

Hosho carefully stirs his small pot.
In it, a small ball of rice, a lizard, and some green shoots of a dubious nature.
Beside him his machine gun poits westward towards the city of Rangoon –unseen and hidden in the jungles ahead.
Not for the first time he wonders why the army remains camped here at pegu –seemingly immobile –the city (apparently) all but defenseless.

He should have known better.
The contents of his pot, the half full ammunition bandoliers about him, the dirty bandages on the wounded.
These tell those that care to look why 15th Army is going no where………..



47th sentai –WO Fuchida’s unit too is spending its days very quietly.
Only 4 Tojo’s remain serviceable – too few to achieve anything.
Frustration levels for the nine pilots is high – all around them Bangkok field vibrates to the sounds of aero engines – KI –43’s and sallies now fill every available space.
Third and Fifth air divisions are back to full strength, and girding themselves for the next great campaigns
For Fuchida and his compatriots, this month is turning into a damnable month indeed..


Swift eagle still steams north
For her aircraft mechanics, for the eagle attendees, the day begins early –before three am.
They will fuel, arm, push, launch, recover and refuel the CAP, the search aircraft all day at a steady rate, the alarms –ting, ting, ting, of the elevators a regular interlude in the business of the hanger, the heat of the flight deck
They will work all day, eating in quick shifts, bodies brown in the hot sun.
They will not stop until dusk……..and then a few, the unlucky ones, will commence deep maintenance on number 9.

For the bridge watch keepers, the lookouts, they too, will spend long hours. You spend two as look out, then perhaps two hours on the helm, then two more as boats party, or bosuns party, then –if you are lucky –two at rest.
Communication sailors will continue their shifts –the comm. Center is alive today – swift eagle has much to plan
Morse will flash continuously, and flags raise and fall all day –you cannot maneuver with out telling everyone!

The gun crews will be at station all day too –drilling, or cleaning, or drilling again
Our stokers, today –have it easy –4 hours on, 2 hours at damage control stations, 6 hours off! (but don’t let the others realise that!)

And. Elsewhere, the cooks work, so many men to feed –the new cookers are good –but they don’t change the hours needed.

Others onboard quietly work as well. There is the laundry. There is the sickbay – fairly empty today, her single doctor, 2 assistants only have one case today –a good dose of something we cannot mention.

She has a mailman – (as we have seen –and he still remains very, very unpopular amongst many).

Then, those who man her magazines, and , of course, all those who command her and navigate her safe.

And then, there is the airgroup –and all her hanger on hers………

From many hours before dawn –through dawn action stations, through her day, through dusk action stations, to the deep of the night, her decks will teem with work –work with a common cause.

And all history will show, is that Zuiho achieved nothing today…………..

[BigBadWolf]

And all history will show, is that Zuiho achieved nothing today

[&o][&o][&o]

[1275psi]

thankyou Big bad wolf
its nice to hear from readers

28/4/42

PO Okano and the charge stand side by side on the plates of Starboard engine room. Around them the steady roar of the turbines, the fans, the general beating noise of a plant at steady revs
‘Will we get leave in Singapore Chief?’
The Charge grins
‘I damn well hope so –I am damnably thirsty for a good beer !’
A good beer.
Oh, for a good beer, a good bath, a good sleep, a good meal……….
Out of the corner of his eye –Okano sees it
The main vacuum gauge is falling………
A glance at the charges face –inscrutable –but eyes twinkling……..
Crap!
Its ECCD’s , caso time –machinery break downs –again……….
‘Third hand! –check-------“ a swift glance at the gauges – and there –the gland steam controller is falling too –but…….Wait! –‘Check 150 supply to the ejectors!”
tricky barsted is the Chief, tricky……..
‘Bridge, starboard engine –losing vacuum starboard engine, request reduction in revolutions to 064!”
‘Bridge, 064, roger!’
bells ring, rev indicators spin.
064
And repeated
Okano spins his throttle, spins the main circ throttle, the big pump whirs up to speed, and ..the 150 gauge suddenly springs back to life, the gland steam too, and yes – the main vacuum steadies, begins to rise again…………

The Charge smiles
“well done”

It is all that needs to be said. Po Okano is coming along nicely thankyou.


Above, swift eagles strike force is coming along nicely too.
Accepting the slight risk, Hidaka turns the entire task group to attack training today – and the kates rumble of the deck steadily.
They make their dummy attacks, again, and again.
Okura – scares them today
For many on the port side –they will live forever with the fleeting, and terrifying image of his bomber coming in suicidal low – the dummy launch even more crazily late –and the bank away terrifyingly close.
Hidaka can only grimace.
And hope that the anger can be hurled at the enemy soon.


Dusk
‘I have the Con”
‘captain has the con”
‘Slow ahead port, slow astern starboard’
stop both
stop both.
‘anchor”
‘slow astern both”
‘stop both main engines
Finish main engines.

‘Executive Officer!’
“sir”
“grant leave -24 hour pass to 50% crew, Singapore city limits only.. Leave for remaining next day, we need a rest.”

Need a rest
Yes. Especially him. A rest would do him good.
Hasegawa retires from the bridge to his cabin. There is much on his mind –operations, his ship, the orders, the convoy he must escort. The battleships at anchor here.
All important. But shoved aside by a single worry.
Is it natural to bleed when one sits on the toilet?

[1275psi]

Leave

Not that restricted to the base confines leave, not the must be back by midnight leave, but true leave, overnight leave, leave in a proper city –a (mainly) secure city –and leave with pockets full of cash
Three months of hard work, stress, and the prospects of death behind them, the prospect of death ever present before them.
24 hours of freedom.

How to spend it?

All day the ships boats transfer the men –uniforms white and immaculate ashore to the steps –and along with the other ships, Zuiho’s crews join the mad house of Singapore
It is probably not the best time to visit, 4 battleships, cruisers, and many, many other ships ride at anchor here – and their men too are determined to make the most of it……..


We won’t give him a name, for he will feature only once in this particular story –but tonight, tonight it his turn to rise to the fore.
Chief petty Officer Coxswain…….
Duty position
Main gangway.

He is a big man, is Chief petty officer coxswain, big, scarred, wrinkled, graying at the edges.
And as experienced as any man that sails on zuiho.
And he has volunteered to man the gangway tonight. To judge, to assist, to decide, to dispatch.
Wisdom of Solomon. Authority of God. Installer of fear like the devil.
.
There are many like him in the world, and I wonder how many nights like this, men like him, have paced the quarterdecks, and maintained the peace, solved the crises, and kept the cement of his crew tight and strong.

They begin to trickle back onboard just after midnight, and only three will not make the gangway closing.
The come aboard –some quiet, swaying, eyes glazed, uniforms dirty.
They will see him, and salute the flag, swaying, trying to keep straight.
These, coxswain, will smile at, and see safely with his bosun mates below.

Others will return, boisterous, noisy, singing, and these he will share a chorus with – and see safely below.

A few, a very few, will return, quiet , sober, contemplative. He may share a word with them, and momentarily stare wistfully at the town so close .

Others –others will return angry, and drunk, and violent –not many, but enough.
These he will deal with, and do so decisively.
And then, amongst them, the unfortunates, the small number –but there are always some –who will need medical aid.
There will be a steady stream of broken noses, black eyes, and lost teeth. These, just one question. ‘Was it worth it lad?”

The night will be long, hot, humid –but never boring.
And when dawn comes, Coxswain will hand over his watch –and the Captain will hear –no incidents ashore of note sir…………..and Zuiho’s name has not been besmirched.


Of the three missing, two will be found in cells……..a foul of other ships shore patrols. The third……….. Zuiho loses a young cook –throat slashed from ear to ear –singapore is a safe port – mainly.

[1275psi]

29/4/42

From
24th Flottilla
to
Combined fleet


Have sighted, and confirmed one CV – Enterprise Class, 300 miles south east Tulgia, speed 20 knots, course south west’
End


Hara cocks an eye towards Nagumo
‘Worth Chasing?”
The older man shakes his head “No –not now, but it does confirm some things does it not?”

Hara too nods –yes, yes old man, it does.
Nagumo has been ill –and only today does his presence once again overshadow the bridge of Akagi
“This new plan of Yamamotos – I think Hara, it may be time for you to brief me, seeing how once again I am going to lead this little fleet in some wild goose chase of his”

Hara grins.
Yes, there has been an awful lot of useless steaming lately……

He takes out his map.
‘Admiral, the gutz of it is this. The enemy must be completely aware of our desire to take Tarawa back. . any invasion must –if you follow convention, have CV cover.
Thus”….and Hara cannot believe he is saying this ‘ thus –this invasion will not”
Nagumo merely grunts “Go on”
“CVL Junyo will provide some cover –and play the role of this fleet. Battle ship div 1 will cover the landings. –2 regiments –barely enough I feel –but they are not the point”
‘And our role?’

This carrier sighting tends to confirm an allied build up -based on Noumea in all likely hood . When the invasion strikes Tarawa, Yamamoto expects Admiral Cantona to steam into the coral sea………..”
‘Where we will be waiting”
“With base ball bats –yes”