12th of august.
waiting for allied counter offensive!
The little ship that could.
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
RE: The little ship that could.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
The charge mutters.
It is a steady stream of incentive , murmured almost to himself.
He is pale –partly from the pain of his injuries, mostly from injuries one cannot see.
The two bundles, blankets slowly oozing oil – lie at his feet.
His men. Reduced to this.
Unforgivable
Around him the process of the “rescue” winds down, it has been no easy task this recovery. Oil lies everywhere, evil, slippery. It covers the men, fills the air with its stink
The last man exits, removing his mask.
He shakes his head –confirming what the bundles have already proven.
The tank is deadly
Wild eyed, the charge looks around him.
‘where is the entry chit?’
Ashen faced, the leader hands it to him.
The signature is scrawled, the oil to has even reached it, staining it. But he can read it , scrawled, stained or not.
Minobe
‘Did you test the space leader?’
The leading seaman slams to attention. Bows
The Shame is deep. Terribly deep
‘Yes I did Chief petty officer”
“But only to the bottom of the ladder…………”
Tears break out on the young man, anguish, pain…..
‘But you are not qualified are you?’
Silence
The Charge straightens
“Leading seaman. You SHALL NOT assign blame to yourself. Tank testing is a Senior rates job.
Injuries or not,……… It was my job.
My responsibility.”
Silence
Oil drips , and seeps from the blankets over his men
“I will assume responsibility for this”
The small cutter dances its way across the small chop on Singapore roads.
Hasegawa sits in its stern, content.
Before them, growing steadily bigger, battleship Fuso lies at her ease, great canopies covering her stern, shading the meeting place.
Around her gangway, the white uniforms are gathered, sailors rigid at their posts.
His cutter arrives, and Hasegawa steps nimbly onto the gangway platform.
He climbs, and as always, the stab of pride and ego fills him as pipes shrill
“Captain HJMIS Zuiho!”
Slightly breathless, he takes the salute.
‘If you would follow me sir……..”
A large table has been set up on the stern, combination of shade, breeze, and thirty five thousand tons of steel under them a fitting place for this gathering of commanders.
Five other men are already seated, but there are many spare chairs yet to be filled.
They stand, greetings are shared.
CO Junyo, CO Yamishira, Tones CO, two destroyer captains….
They sit.
A steady stream of cutters are converging on the battleship, there will be time for gossip though before they begin.
“You look tired Hasegawa, I always wondered how a battleship man would handle a carrier”
He smiles. Six months ago……………. No, not now.
Junyo’s captain leans over. ‘I understand you had an accident today?, deaths?’
The smile vanishes.
‘Was it that fool Minobes fault?........or do I here wrong?” Junyo’s captains eyes are hard., glinting with?......with pleasure?
Of course.
Junyo.
A history there.
Hasegawa shifts in his seat……clears his throat “ I will be convening a court martial when I can, but at the moment………..I cannot speak, you understand?’
He changes the subject, addresses Yamishira’s CO –‘You have seen action?”
A grin
‘a little – we roughed up Akyab, tested the rifles. I don’t think the British wanted to play”
Confirmation then, that that little cruise was no waste of time…….
Other captains join them, many others.
The life blood of a nation has been poured into this scene, into this fleet.
In it, a nations fortunes have been entrusted. Millions of citizens , who maybe only vaguely understand what these great beasts of war do, sleep at night, thinking that this trust, this faith, is well placed.
And mostly, I know, it is.
Command of a battleship, of a carrier, of any ship –belongs to a certain breed of man.
Steady men. Conservative men.
Mostly
But there are other factors here, here, especially today.
A beautiful harbour.
A beautiful –recently conquered- harbour
A harbour full to the brim with these mighty warships, warships yet to be touched, let alone beaten in battle
And now, a quarterdeck covered in like minded men, under the shadows of these great rifles, with all this power under their very feet…………this power, this prestige, this mighty weapon to wield.
It is easy, when the circumstances are right, to imagine, to believe, many things…………
‘The Army has requested a convoy, a convoy of considerable size, be fought through to Akyab”
Silence
But how many minds stiffen to that sentence - think “Army lapdogs again!’
‘I have agreed. With full carrier cover, I see little danger to 1st fleet battleships. The mission is certainly achievable.”
The Admiral grins “ It will make a delightful cover for offensive operations…”
Offensive operations.
How sweet a sentence, especially when you believe you can do nothing else, but win…………….?
It is a steady stream of incentive , murmured almost to himself.
He is pale –partly from the pain of his injuries, mostly from injuries one cannot see.
The two bundles, blankets slowly oozing oil – lie at his feet.
His men. Reduced to this.
Unforgivable
Around him the process of the “rescue” winds down, it has been no easy task this recovery. Oil lies everywhere, evil, slippery. It covers the men, fills the air with its stink
The last man exits, removing his mask.
He shakes his head –confirming what the bundles have already proven.
The tank is deadly
Wild eyed, the charge looks around him.
‘where is the entry chit?’
Ashen faced, the leader hands it to him.
The signature is scrawled, the oil to has even reached it, staining it. But he can read it , scrawled, stained or not.
Minobe
‘Did you test the space leader?’
The leading seaman slams to attention. Bows
The Shame is deep. Terribly deep
‘Yes I did Chief petty officer”
“But only to the bottom of the ladder…………”
Tears break out on the young man, anguish, pain…..
‘But you are not qualified are you?’
Silence
The Charge straightens
“Leading seaman. You SHALL NOT assign blame to yourself. Tank testing is a Senior rates job.
Injuries or not,……… It was my job.
My responsibility.”
Silence
Oil drips , and seeps from the blankets over his men
“I will assume responsibility for this”
The small cutter dances its way across the small chop on Singapore roads.
Hasegawa sits in its stern, content.
Before them, growing steadily bigger, battleship Fuso lies at her ease, great canopies covering her stern, shading the meeting place.
Around her gangway, the white uniforms are gathered, sailors rigid at their posts.
His cutter arrives, and Hasegawa steps nimbly onto the gangway platform.
He climbs, and as always, the stab of pride and ego fills him as pipes shrill
“Captain HJMIS Zuiho!”
Slightly breathless, he takes the salute.
‘If you would follow me sir……..”
A large table has been set up on the stern, combination of shade, breeze, and thirty five thousand tons of steel under them a fitting place for this gathering of commanders.
Five other men are already seated, but there are many spare chairs yet to be filled.
They stand, greetings are shared.
CO Junyo, CO Yamishira, Tones CO, two destroyer captains….
They sit.
A steady stream of cutters are converging on the battleship, there will be time for gossip though before they begin.
“You look tired Hasegawa, I always wondered how a battleship man would handle a carrier”
He smiles. Six months ago……………. No, not now.
Junyo’s captain leans over. ‘I understand you had an accident today?, deaths?’
The smile vanishes.
‘Was it that fool Minobes fault?........or do I here wrong?” Junyo’s captains eyes are hard., glinting with?......with pleasure?
Of course.
Junyo.
A history there.
Hasegawa shifts in his seat……clears his throat “ I will be convening a court martial when I can, but at the moment………..I cannot speak, you understand?’
He changes the subject, addresses Yamishira’s CO –‘You have seen action?”
A grin
‘a little – we roughed up Akyab, tested the rifles. I don’t think the British wanted to play”
Confirmation then, that that little cruise was no waste of time…….
Other captains join them, many others.
The life blood of a nation has been poured into this scene, into this fleet.
In it, a nations fortunes have been entrusted. Millions of citizens , who maybe only vaguely understand what these great beasts of war do, sleep at night, thinking that this trust, this faith, is well placed.
And mostly, I know, it is.
Command of a battleship, of a carrier, of any ship –belongs to a certain breed of man.
Steady men. Conservative men.
Mostly
But there are other factors here, here, especially today.
A beautiful harbour.
A beautiful –recently conquered- harbour
A harbour full to the brim with these mighty warships, warships yet to be touched, let alone beaten in battle
And now, a quarterdeck covered in like minded men, under the shadows of these great rifles, with all this power under their very feet…………this power, this prestige, this mighty weapon to wield.
It is easy, when the circumstances are right, to imagine, to believe, many things…………
‘The Army has requested a convoy, a convoy of considerable size, be fought through to Akyab”
Silence
But how many minds stiffen to that sentence - think “Army lapdogs again!’
‘I have agreed. With full carrier cover, I see little danger to 1st fleet battleships. The mission is certainly achievable.”
The Admiral grins “ It will make a delightful cover for offensive operations…”
Offensive operations.
How sweet a sentence, especially when you believe you can do nothing else, but win…………….?
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Ok, for anyone still following, turns now back on sort of, maybe even keel..................
so, on with the war
Petty officers Okano and Hirate are agreeably working together again..
Zuiho steams on the aft unit now, and the cycle of life has brought forth that routine joy of boiler cleans and inspections once again.
Both boilers forward are again with out their casings, and the internal wash downs are well underway. Right now Okano and Hirate are crawling over the air box heater, conducting an examination of the tubes.
It is not going well.
These air boxes are the Japanese Kampon boiler Achilles heels, terribly exposed to the combustion gases, moisture and accumulated crap, they never last long.
Pitting, corrosion, erosion.
Few, if any last longer than two years before failure.
Zuiho’s are 18 months old now……….
Both men work steadily, cleaning the tubes with stiff wire brushes, horrible dust stirring work –clouds of rusty brown crap dimming the lights that swing crazily about them .
Dodgy tubes are being noted, checked against the builders diagram..
There is no ultrasound for these men, no Xray devices, they use Mark one eye sight and common sense., making calls on each tube.
To be replaced
To be replaced
To be replaced
Condition good
Condition fair
To be replaced………
To be replaced………….but when?
Rumour of ‘another big OP’ skulls around Zuiho, to be replaced is not going to happen this port time around………….
But this future is not on our stokers mind at the moment, other, closer topics are.
“Do you really think they will hang Leader Tan?” Okano wonders
‘if they find him guilty –yes, what do you expect they will do –give him a cake?”
Hirate swears –‘damn, another pitting –give me the brush again will you?’
Silence , the sound of work, sweat, fowl language
“”But I heard Minobe signed the chit – doesn’t that make him responsible?’
‘Ahh, my friend, a chance to teach you the real Navy we work for………Minobe will probably deny signing it, claim he was drunk, or blind, or something. Besides, the Charge says he takes responsibility…………….truking dust…………….he’s the one I would worry about having his neck stretched, not leader Tan…………’
‘It’s a barsted isn’t it?”
‘yes, yes it is”
Flight Lt Hidaka scowls in disgust.
‘You want me to do this Sir?’
Hasegawa barely looks up from the paperwork covering his desk.
“Your air group is not flying, your planes are in deep maintenance, your pilots are with Junyo’s group camp. Of all my officers, you have the least on his plate.
You will do the court-martial”
Hasegawa does look up now, and smiles. ‘besides, I understand you have a special, ah, how do you say it, affinity with our stokers”…………
13/August/42
In the deep, deep dark shadow of a tropical storm, the hunter stalks.
Milne bay is quiet, still, 110% humidity.
A silent, dark, killing pond.
Searing search lights –hells own fingers –blaze forth –illuminating the prey in stark, white, unholy light.
HMAS Adelaide, elderly lady , lady working in her own back rooms, erupts in zealous fire – a stat taco drum beat of death.
Startled rabbits –frozen in the light, the small Japanese escort fails utterly to respond –has no time to respond, before death drags it into the deep, deep depths…….
Adelaide swings fire left –shatters the escorts charge, a helpless transport.
The lights go out, and the elderly lady heads for home.
By dinner, now well south of PNG, her decks clear of casings, her seared guns already being painted fresh again –her crew turn thoughts to home, satisfied in a “job well done”
Only years later will they learn just how close they have come to disaster.
Yamaguchi seethes.
‘100 aircraft on naval search, 50, damn it, 50 warships at sea on patrol –and it gets away!. How in the hell did this happen!”
On Kaga’s bridge, Ice forms on the windows, on the ceiling, on the binnacle. You cannot see it, but you can feel it form with every syllable from the Admirals tongue….
‘Do I have to remind you, that the whole purpose of this little cruise was to stop just what happened last night, from happening!”
Glaciers
Snowdrifts.
‘Genda! –I want a new search plan within the hour –within the hour!’
The slam of the door as Combined Fleets commander departs vibrates Kaga to her keel.
It will take many hours before his terrible anger will depart………..
Hidaka places his head into his hand, rubs his forehead, groans inwardly.
Stokers
Gods, he hates stokers
And now, this crud……….
‘So let me get this right………..to enter a tank, it has to be ‘gas freed’”
‘That is correct sir”
‘And legally –the man who signed the chit, is responsible for the test?’
“Yes”
‘Its that easy –that’s the man we hang yes?”
‘yes”
Damn to hell………but of course, it could never be that easy, could it?
‘But now Chief coxswain, you tell me, you cannot find said chit?’
“That, I am afraid sir , is correct. It, its carbon copy, are both missing”
Stokers. Bloody stokers…………….
14Aug 42
Extract from shattering the sword, a Cantona production
Defeated ( for now) in the air over Burma, the allies abruptly change tack.
The first night bombing strikes come in low, hard, fast.
They catch Japanese forces and bases utterly unprepared, and reap a heavy harvest.
The downward slide to total war speeds up……….
so, on with the war
Petty officers Okano and Hirate are agreeably working together again..
Zuiho steams on the aft unit now, and the cycle of life has brought forth that routine joy of boiler cleans and inspections once again.
Both boilers forward are again with out their casings, and the internal wash downs are well underway. Right now Okano and Hirate are crawling over the air box heater, conducting an examination of the tubes.
It is not going well.
These air boxes are the Japanese Kampon boiler Achilles heels, terribly exposed to the combustion gases, moisture and accumulated crap, they never last long.
Pitting, corrosion, erosion.
Few, if any last longer than two years before failure.
Zuiho’s are 18 months old now……….
Both men work steadily, cleaning the tubes with stiff wire brushes, horrible dust stirring work –clouds of rusty brown crap dimming the lights that swing crazily about them .
Dodgy tubes are being noted, checked against the builders diagram..
There is no ultrasound for these men, no Xray devices, they use Mark one eye sight and common sense., making calls on each tube.
To be replaced
To be replaced
To be replaced
Condition good
Condition fair
To be replaced………
To be replaced………….but when?
Rumour of ‘another big OP’ skulls around Zuiho, to be replaced is not going to happen this port time around………….
But this future is not on our stokers mind at the moment, other, closer topics are.
“Do you really think they will hang Leader Tan?” Okano wonders
‘if they find him guilty –yes, what do you expect they will do –give him a cake?”
Hirate swears –‘damn, another pitting –give me the brush again will you?’
Silence , the sound of work, sweat, fowl language
“”But I heard Minobe signed the chit – doesn’t that make him responsible?’
‘Ahh, my friend, a chance to teach you the real Navy we work for………Minobe will probably deny signing it, claim he was drunk, or blind, or something. Besides, the Charge says he takes responsibility…………….truking dust…………….he’s the one I would worry about having his neck stretched, not leader Tan…………’
‘It’s a barsted isn’t it?”
‘yes, yes it is”
Flight Lt Hidaka scowls in disgust.
‘You want me to do this Sir?’
Hasegawa barely looks up from the paperwork covering his desk.
“Your air group is not flying, your planes are in deep maintenance, your pilots are with Junyo’s group camp. Of all my officers, you have the least on his plate.
You will do the court-martial”
Hasegawa does look up now, and smiles. ‘besides, I understand you have a special, ah, how do you say it, affinity with our stokers”…………
13/August/42
In the deep, deep dark shadow of a tropical storm, the hunter stalks.
Milne bay is quiet, still, 110% humidity.
A silent, dark, killing pond.
Searing search lights –hells own fingers –blaze forth –illuminating the prey in stark, white, unholy light.
HMAS Adelaide, elderly lady , lady working in her own back rooms, erupts in zealous fire – a stat taco drum beat of death.
Startled rabbits –frozen in the light, the small Japanese escort fails utterly to respond –has no time to respond, before death drags it into the deep, deep depths…….
Adelaide swings fire left –shatters the escorts charge, a helpless transport.
The lights go out, and the elderly lady heads for home.
By dinner, now well south of PNG, her decks clear of casings, her seared guns already being painted fresh again –her crew turn thoughts to home, satisfied in a “job well done”
Only years later will they learn just how close they have come to disaster.
Yamaguchi seethes.
‘100 aircraft on naval search, 50, damn it, 50 warships at sea on patrol –and it gets away!. How in the hell did this happen!”
On Kaga’s bridge, Ice forms on the windows, on the ceiling, on the binnacle. You cannot see it, but you can feel it form with every syllable from the Admirals tongue….
‘Do I have to remind you, that the whole purpose of this little cruise was to stop just what happened last night, from happening!”
Glaciers
Snowdrifts.
‘Genda! –I want a new search plan within the hour –within the hour!’
The slam of the door as Combined Fleets commander departs vibrates Kaga to her keel.
It will take many hours before his terrible anger will depart………..
Hidaka places his head into his hand, rubs his forehead, groans inwardly.
Stokers
Gods, he hates stokers
And now, this crud……….
‘So let me get this right………..to enter a tank, it has to be ‘gas freed’”
‘That is correct sir”
‘And legally –the man who signed the chit, is responsible for the test?’
“Yes”
‘Its that easy –that’s the man we hang yes?”
‘yes”
Damn to hell………but of course, it could never be that easy, could it?
‘But now Chief coxswain, you tell me, you cannot find said chit?’
“That, I am afraid sir , is correct. It, its carbon copy, are both missing”
Stokers. Bloody stokers…………….
14Aug 42
Extract from shattering the sword, a Cantona production
Defeated ( for now) in the air over Burma, the allies abruptly change tack.
The first night bombing strikes come in low, hard, fast.
They catch Japanese forces and bases utterly unprepared, and reap a heavy harvest.
The downward slide to total war speeds up……….
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Hi herwin!
From
4th fleet
to
Combined fleet
Immediate
0433 hrs
Enemy carrier aircraft sighted over Majuro
from
4th fleet
to
combined fleet
immediate
0638 hrs
Enemy carrier task force, bearing 120 degrees, range 140 miles, Majuro island
we will fight to the last drop of blood.
end
From
4th fleet
to
Combined fleet
Immediate
0433 hrs
Enemy carrier aircraft sighted over Majuro
from
4th fleet
to
combined fleet
immediate
0638 hrs
Enemy carrier task force, bearing 120 degrees, range 140 miles, Majuro island
we will fight to the last drop of blood.
end
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Ok, turn just played, the war begins to hot up!
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
15th of August
The Charge leans against the guardrail on Zuiho’s stern, contemplating the dirty waters below.
A small school of minnows beat frantically, erratically against the current, darting, almost as one , this way and that.
He finds it peaceful, just to watch these small fry……….
Of course, they too must be aware of the monsters that lurk below………..
The Moment he read that signature, saw that name, he knew his course of action.
There must be no betrayal of his men.
He had gone immediately to damage control central, immediately hunting for the entry chit book.
It was there, still on the bench.
Each carbon copy, carefully numbered, in sequence.
But page 59 was missing.
Undoubtabley the tank in question…………
He pulls the original from his pocket, again stares at the signature on it.
Regretfully, oil, water, sweat, the process of use…………It is Minobes signature……….possibly.
He puts it back into his pocket…….safe
But why, why did he, when the coxswain asked for it –did he say he did not have it?
Why?
The charge contemplates the minnows.
It’s a question he cannot answer ……..
B is for Betty, liberator bomber of the seventh, thunders towards Milne bay, her shadow racing them across the green seas.
LT Jones chews gum, checks his six again.
The noise in the cockpit is horrendous, that great rattling, beating roar of sheer aero power lugging many tons of aluminium, metal, bombs, fuel and men across the skies.
A great noise. A powerful noise.
The noise of war.
’15 minutes to target skipper”
‘Roger that”
And who in the hell is roger, he thinks for not the hundredth time……
Five other bombers are with them, a definite sign of the growing allied strength in the south pacific.
B is for Betty is today the tip of the spear.
Still chewing hard, Jones again scans his instruments, wriggles in the seat.
Its their first action…………….
Milne Bay has no airfield. Little infrastructure. A few dumps to hit –if they can find them.
There should be no Jap fighters.
Should not be………..
“eyes peeled boys”
Jones grins at his co pilot…… its what the pilot is meant to say isn’t it?
Injun country
Got you, you dirty rat…….
The sun blazes in, and the noise continues its riot…………….and the mind goes into neutral……….
‘Fighter!, fighter!,………S#$T!, half a dozen of the trukers!”
The calls from aft startle him…….and for a moment Betty wobbles…….
“Where, where the truk!?”
And childhood imaginations are blown away, and the sweat springs unbidden, streaming down his back, and despite himself, the knuckles are white, the grip on the yoke tight, tight, tight.
Zeros, half a dozen, peeling in from the flank…little sparkles on the cowling, on the wings.
And the thought crystallizes……….They are shooting at me!...........at me!........that can’t be right!
The forward turret crashes, bangs into action, the upper too –raining red hot casings everywhere, and cordite stink fill the air…..
The first zero inverts, dives away, undamaged, unable to inflict damage herself…..
Milne bay rises, a dark shadow on the horizon.
Two more zeros climb above, above, ahead, wheel over, wings glinting, dive through the formation –the liberators spitting tracer and lead all over the sky.
Again, nobody hits anything.
And now the zeros hang behind……….unwilling to risk the flak –as light as it is rising from the bay.
Jones bombs –misses everything, and leads the formation around for home, the sharks still seeking an opening.
And then they are gone.
He lands the bomber . Pleased. Relieved. Proud. Aviator, veteran, at last.
A long way from home Ma, but I did it.
The Intelligence Officer shatters the mood………”Did they have arrestor hooks Jones –were the fighters carrier capable?” the moustache of the intelligence officer truly –yes truly bristles with anticipation………
‘Why yes sir, they did, now that he thinks about it………” but the officer, that moustache is already gone, racing towards the radio shack……..…didn’t he want to hear the rest?
It is bad , but who can blame them?
So long with out action……
Yamaguchi watches the last zero catch neatly onto the arrestor cable, the men racing to get it ready for its next mission.
“how many bombers engaged Genda?’
“Six sir, we did not engage very heavily………I am not sure how we will tackle those monsters”
‘Any losses?’
‘None, all planes have returned.”
Yamaguchi considers the flight deck below, the refuelling, the re arming.
There is little doubt that mobile fleets position is almost pinned to the metre now…….., time to be departing.
Another grand plan bites the dust. Yamamoto, I understand what you felt now old friend………this enemy is slippery like an eel.
Captain Hara approaches………..”Signal from 4th fleet sir! –the enemy carriers are moving on to the Gilberts”
A burst of excitement……..”Are they sure?”
‘A second signal confirms it – many planes, a great many planes sir!”
So, one plan dies. Another must rise to take its place. I must think about this.
But , rule number one.
Concentration.
Concentrate everything at the point of decision.
Always –rule number one.
‘Signal all Combined fleet units,, return to Rabual -best speed……and…where is first fleet?’
“Charge!”
He turns from the railing. Minobe stands , face almost hidden in the shadows.
An awkward moment
The big man makes a decision, comes alongside him, he too peers at the minnows, still frantically fighting the current.
‘Has the coxswain seen you yet Charge?’
‘Yes sir, he has”
The fish jump…………….a shadow passes under them.
‘And?”
‘Apparently the gas free chits are missing……………. Both of them”
The big man does not look at him. Inscrutable. Japanese. Dangerous.
This, this the Charge feels………, yes, dangerous.
And now, suddenly, he knows why he has the chit hidden in his pocket.
“Then it is my word, against leader Tans then………, even if I did sign the chit, which I did not.”
The statement is half spat out, it lingers in the air.
Suddenly Minobes mood changes –completely. He grins. ‘bah, I been threatened with court-martial before……..who cares what some pilot thinks. This is war, you know ……...war. We could be dead before they find that chit, hold the court.”
He places a hand on charges back, thick, heavy.
‘news……we are ordered to 8 hours Notice for sea. You must get the boilers forward back on line ASAP.…….something is up. Work on Ryujo, the battleships is being rushed. Hosho is sailing immediately…………” the smile becomes almost a grin, savage, wild. “See, there is nothing to worry about about….the war is going to solve everything, you watch………”
And then he is gone
Charge looks at the fish one last time, the water swirls, the monster has swallowed them..
Herbiesan contemplates the map.
How easy it seemed to say ----------“the Gilberts will not be defended”
But now, here in the quiet of the night, staring at these little flags, those horrid little American flags……….
What to do?
Fight them. Fight them. Every bone in his body screams, insists…fight them!
This, this is no planned invasion. This is an ad hoc, grab the moment opportunity that buggar Cantona is famous for…………
Fight them!
But, KB is so far away!
Fight them!
No.Wait. Maybe there is something else we can try…………
The Charge leans against the guardrail on Zuiho’s stern, contemplating the dirty waters below.
A small school of minnows beat frantically, erratically against the current, darting, almost as one , this way and that.
He finds it peaceful, just to watch these small fry……….
Of course, they too must be aware of the monsters that lurk below………..
The Moment he read that signature, saw that name, he knew his course of action.
There must be no betrayal of his men.
He had gone immediately to damage control central, immediately hunting for the entry chit book.
It was there, still on the bench.
Each carbon copy, carefully numbered, in sequence.
But page 59 was missing.
Undoubtabley the tank in question…………
He pulls the original from his pocket, again stares at the signature on it.
Regretfully, oil, water, sweat, the process of use…………It is Minobes signature……….possibly.
He puts it back into his pocket…….safe
But why, why did he, when the coxswain asked for it –did he say he did not have it?
Why?
The charge contemplates the minnows.
It’s a question he cannot answer ……..
B is for Betty, liberator bomber of the seventh, thunders towards Milne bay, her shadow racing them across the green seas.
LT Jones chews gum, checks his six again.
The noise in the cockpit is horrendous, that great rattling, beating roar of sheer aero power lugging many tons of aluminium, metal, bombs, fuel and men across the skies.
A great noise. A powerful noise.
The noise of war.
’15 minutes to target skipper”
‘Roger that”
And who in the hell is roger, he thinks for not the hundredth time……
Five other bombers are with them, a definite sign of the growing allied strength in the south pacific.
B is for Betty is today the tip of the spear.
Still chewing hard, Jones again scans his instruments, wriggles in the seat.
Its their first action…………….
Milne Bay has no airfield. Little infrastructure. A few dumps to hit –if they can find them.
There should be no Jap fighters.
Should not be………..
“eyes peeled boys”
Jones grins at his co pilot…… its what the pilot is meant to say isn’t it?
Injun country
Got you, you dirty rat…….
The sun blazes in, and the noise continues its riot…………….and the mind goes into neutral……….
‘Fighter!, fighter!,………S#$T!, half a dozen of the trukers!”
The calls from aft startle him…….and for a moment Betty wobbles…….
“Where, where the truk!?”
And childhood imaginations are blown away, and the sweat springs unbidden, streaming down his back, and despite himself, the knuckles are white, the grip on the yoke tight, tight, tight.
Zeros, half a dozen, peeling in from the flank…little sparkles on the cowling, on the wings.
And the thought crystallizes……….They are shooting at me!...........at me!........that can’t be right!
The forward turret crashes, bangs into action, the upper too –raining red hot casings everywhere, and cordite stink fill the air…..
The first zero inverts, dives away, undamaged, unable to inflict damage herself…..
Milne bay rises, a dark shadow on the horizon.
Two more zeros climb above, above, ahead, wheel over, wings glinting, dive through the formation –the liberators spitting tracer and lead all over the sky.
Again, nobody hits anything.
And now the zeros hang behind……….unwilling to risk the flak –as light as it is rising from the bay.
Jones bombs –misses everything, and leads the formation around for home, the sharks still seeking an opening.
And then they are gone.
He lands the bomber . Pleased. Relieved. Proud. Aviator, veteran, at last.
A long way from home Ma, but I did it.
The Intelligence Officer shatters the mood………”Did they have arrestor hooks Jones –were the fighters carrier capable?” the moustache of the intelligence officer truly –yes truly bristles with anticipation………
‘Why yes sir, they did, now that he thinks about it………” but the officer, that moustache is already gone, racing towards the radio shack……..…didn’t he want to hear the rest?
It is bad , but who can blame them?
So long with out action……
Yamaguchi watches the last zero catch neatly onto the arrestor cable, the men racing to get it ready for its next mission.
“how many bombers engaged Genda?’
“Six sir, we did not engage very heavily………I am not sure how we will tackle those monsters”
‘Any losses?’
‘None, all planes have returned.”
Yamaguchi considers the flight deck below, the refuelling, the re arming.
There is little doubt that mobile fleets position is almost pinned to the metre now…….., time to be departing.
Another grand plan bites the dust. Yamamoto, I understand what you felt now old friend………this enemy is slippery like an eel.
Captain Hara approaches………..”Signal from 4th fleet sir! –the enemy carriers are moving on to the Gilberts”
A burst of excitement……..”Are they sure?”
‘A second signal confirms it – many planes, a great many planes sir!”
So, one plan dies. Another must rise to take its place. I must think about this.
But , rule number one.
Concentration.
Concentrate everything at the point of decision.
Always –rule number one.
‘Signal all Combined fleet units,, return to Rabual -best speed……and…where is first fleet?’
“Charge!”
He turns from the railing. Minobe stands , face almost hidden in the shadows.
An awkward moment
The big man makes a decision, comes alongside him, he too peers at the minnows, still frantically fighting the current.
‘Has the coxswain seen you yet Charge?’
‘Yes sir, he has”
The fish jump…………….a shadow passes under them.
‘And?”
‘Apparently the gas free chits are missing……………. Both of them”
The big man does not look at him. Inscrutable. Japanese. Dangerous.
This, this the Charge feels………, yes, dangerous.
And now, suddenly, he knows why he has the chit hidden in his pocket.
“Then it is my word, against leader Tans then………, even if I did sign the chit, which I did not.”
The statement is half spat out, it lingers in the air.
Suddenly Minobes mood changes –completely. He grins. ‘bah, I been threatened with court-martial before……..who cares what some pilot thinks. This is war, you know ……...war. We could be dead before they find that chit, hold the court.”
He places a hand on charges back, thick, heavy.
‘news……we are ordered to 8 hours Notice for sea. You must get the boilers forward back on line ASAP.…….something is up. Work on Ryujo, the battleships is being rushed. Hosho is sailing immediately…………” the smile becomes almost a grin, savage, wild. “See, there is nothing to worry about about….the war is going to solve everything, you watch………”
And then he is gone
Charge looks at the fish one last time, the water swirls, the monster has swallowed them..
Herbiesan contemplates the map.
How easy it seemed to say ----------“the Gilberts will not be defended”
But now, here in the quiet of the night, staring at these little flags, those horrid little American flags……….
What to do?
Fight them. Fight them. Every bone in his body screams, insists…fight them!
This, this is no planned invasion. This is an ad hoc, grab the moment opportunity that buggar Cantona is famous for…………
Fight them!
But, KB is so far away!
Fight them!
No.Wait. Maybe there is something else we can try…………
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Dawn, 16th August 1942
There has been the ceremony
The dead have been seen too. Ashes shall be returned to Japan. These dead, are the “lucky ones” –for these remains will at least get home, find peace in the eternal land.
But now, as the uniforms stream back up the gangway to board Zuiho –the dead will be forgotten.
She is to sail immediately……….
Hasegawa pauses at the base of the gangway, his crew waiting.
There is so much now to think of. So many things he should not be thinking of. Not now.
But that is fate ney?. He is command ney? If this is a plate of crap served to him hot and steaming –then it is his duty to digest it –yes?.
That is what command is.
He takes Zuiho in., taking in her ugly lines, her rusty flanks. And briefly, a slight summer breeze…..the thought floats through his mind. Ah, for a battleship……..
But, he takes in the men waiting for him, rigid, true, Uniforms white and strong.
His men. Zuihos men.
His responsibility
Good………….and bad.
He climbs, the pipes shrilling, face impassive, stern, as it must be…………and struggles to hide the fatigue, the shortness of breath………no bloody energy…
He makes the top……..barely.
And feels in his bones………feels it where the soul lives.
I may have stepped on land as a man, for the last time.
Responsibility.
Duty
He turns, and faces Minobe.
The Engineer salutes.
Impassive
Sober today, but his eyes shift .
So unpleasant to deal with this man. But I have him. Fate again ney?
“Minobe, we are ordered to sea…………what is the state of the plant?’
‘We can sail in 4 hours sir –but stbd boilers only., cleans on two boilers are still ongoing.”
‘as son as you can then Engines, but we must sail at 1600 hrs.”
And now below, below for some of those damn pills the medic has given him. He has to. Anything to relieve the pain…….
Hidaka and the coxswain confer.
Both are far too busy for this. Hidaka –an air group to prepare.
The coxswain, a ship to get to sea.
But it must be done
‘Leading seaman Tan did the test. He says Minobe signed the chit. Minobe denies signing the chit. This may be a lie. He may have , however, signed it –but was too drunk to remember signing it..
The Charge –for reasons I cannot determine, is probably in possession of the missing chits. Why, I don’t know –he had nothing to do with the test, he was in the sickbay at the time. Personally, I don’t give a rats. I have to find some one guilty. I lob for the leading seaman –he at least we know did the test.”
Hidaka ducks under a wing, tests an elevator, checks the movement of it.
Around them the canopy of noise of planes being prepared echoes through out the hanger.
“Alright Coxswain…….thank you. We will convene the court martial upon arrival ……….crap, upon arrival of wherever this bloody bucket ends up. Charge Leader Tan with gross negligence……..one fish in the net better than none yes?’
“Very good sir”
And so the wheels begin to turn.
Sail
1600 hours
Sail on port boilers only, get the stbd ones back together, squeezed, chemically treated.
The term is -----having your tail hanging out.
Lurch is part of the team, his great strength a boon . Single handed, he can hold a boiler casing in place as others get those first dogs on, that damn first nut threaded and tightend.
He works, a rock in the storm about him.
Okano is part of the team. He works swiftly, surely, he knows exactly which hose is needed, where the air pump needs to go, what needs to be done
He has his team already under the boilers, spanners in hand, ready to tighten the hand hold doors, ready to attack any leak.
Water already flows in ..
He works, a rock in the storm about him
Hirate is part of the team
Boilers need to come on line, systems to be aligned –all with the out of units in mind.
Feed water will be tight.
And there are few, if any spare hands . There can be no problems today, they must sail at 1600.
Carefully he guides, cajoles, corrects the youngsters working for him.
The gauges rise in pressure
He works, a rock in the storm about him
The Charge stalks Zuiho.
From the auxiliary machinery room way forward, to the steering compartment aft, he is there.
Secure that!
Get that fixed!
Have you enough of this?
Shoho has some spare –that I know –quick, go get them, Shoho’s Charge owes me that!
Lurch will receive encouragement, Okano advice, Hirate praise.
On his shoulders, Zuihos rock, gets her ready for sea.
Another world away…………
“Mili reports overwhelming numbers of troops landing sir”
Yamaguchi nods-it is to be expected.
“Anything else?”
‘4th fleet confirms two carrier task forces, Maloelap has been bombed, they believe at least 4 carriers are involved”
Four. Is that all of them then?
Six verses four. . But if he was Admiral Cantona, would he hang around?
No. Not likely
So –where would he go next?
Concentration. Rule number one
Get every carrier we have. Here. As soon as possible.
Then fight.
Minobe and Charge stand side by side, Charge on the ahead throttle, Minobe on the astern
Test main engines
The familiar dance
It goes well.
She will sail defect free –all four boilers will be available by dawn
‘ready to let go aft”
Let go aft. Slow ahead port, slow astern stbd, hard a stbd”
‘slow astern both, wheel admidships”
Zuiho slips her berth, alive again
Already in the roads Junyo, Hiyo, shoho, the towering pagodas of two battleships wait for her. Ten destroyers already probe the way ahead, shepherds for the main flock.
A long journey ahead –to another un certain future
But then, that is war ney?
There has been the ceremony
The dead have been seen too. Ashes shall be returned to Japan. These dead, are the “lucky ones” –for these remains will at least get home, find peace in the eternal land.
But now, as the uniforms stream back up the gangway to board Zuiho –the dead will be forgotten.
She is to sail immediately……….
Hasegawa pauses at the base of the gangway, his crew waiting.
There is so much now to think of. So many things he should not be thinking of. Not now.
But that is fate ney?. He is command ney? If this is a plate of crap served to him hot and steaming –then it is his duty to digest it –yes?.
That is what command is.
He takes Zuiho in., taking in her ugly lines, her rusty flanks. And briefly, a slight summer breeze…..the thought floats through his mind. Ah, for a battleship……..
But, he takes in the men waiting for him, rigid, true, Uniforms white and strong.
His men. Zuihos men.
His responsibility
Good………….and bad.
He climbs, the pipes shrilling, face impassive, stern, as it must be…………and struggles to hide the fatigue, the shortness of breath………no bloody energy…
He makes the top……..barely.
And feels in his bones………feels it where the soul lives.
I may have stepped on land as a man, for the last time.
Responsibility.
Duty
He turns, and faces Minobe.
The Engineer salutes.
Impassive
Sober today, but his eyes shift .
So unpleasant to deal with this man. But I have him. Fate again ney?
“Minobe, we are ordered to sea…………what is the state of the plant?’
‘We can sail in 4 hours sir –but stbd boilers only., cleans on two boilers are still ongoing.”
‘as son as you can then Engines, but we must sail at 1600 hrs.”
And now below, below for some of those damn pills the medic has given him. He has to. Anything to relieve the pain…….
Hidaka and the coxswain confer.
Both are far too busy for this. Hidaka –an air group to prepare.
The coxswain, a ship to get to sea.
But it must be done
‘Leading seaman Tan did the test. He says Minobe signed the chit. Minobe denies signing the chit. This may be a lie. He may have , however, signed it –but was too drunk to remember signing it..
The Charge –for reasons I cannot determine, is probably in possession of the missing chits. Why, I don’t know –he had nothing to do with the test, he was in the sickbay at the time. Personally, I don’t give a rats. I have to find some one guilty. I lob for the leading seaman –he at least we know did the test.”
Hidaka ducks under a wing, tests an elevator, checks the movement of it.
Around them the canopy of noise of planes being prepared echoes through out the hanger.
“Alright Coxswain…….thank you. We will convene the court martial upon arrival ……….crap, upon arrival of wherever this bloody bucket ends up. Charge Leader Tan with gross negligence……..one fish in the net better than none yes?’
“Very good sir”
And so the wheels begin to turn.
Sail
1600 hours
Sail on port boilers only, get the stbd ones back together, squeezed, chemically treated.
The term is -----having your tail hanging out.
Lurch is part of the team, his great strength a boon . Single handed, he can hold a boiler casing in place as others get those first dogs on, that damn first nut threaded and tightend.
He works, a rock in the storm about him.
Okano is part of the team. He works swiftly, surely, he knows exactly which hose is needed, where the air pump needs to go, what needs to be done
He has his team already under the boilers, spanners in hand, ready to tighten the hand hold doors, ready to attack any leak.
Water already flows in ..
He works, a rock in the storm about him
Hirate is part of the team
Boilers need to come on line, systems to be aligned –all with the out of units in mind.
Feed water will be tight.
And there are few, if any spare hands . There can be no problems today, they must sail at 1600.
Carefully he guides, cajoles, corrects the youngsters working for him.
The gauges rise in pressure
He works, a rock in the storm about him
The Charge stalks Zuiho.
From the auxiliary machinery room way forward, to the steering compartment aft, he is there.
Secure that!
Get that fixed!
Have you enough of this?
Shoho has some spare –that I know –quick, go get them, Shoho’s Charge owes me that!
Lurch will receive encouragement, Okano advice, Hirate praise.
On his shoulders, Zuihos rock, gets her ready for sea.
Another world away…………
“Mili reports overwhelming numbers of troops landing sir”
Yamaguchi nods-it is to be expected.
“Anything else?”
‘4th fleet confirms two carrier task forces, Maloelap has been bombed, they believe at least 4 carriers are involved”
Four. Is that all of them then?
Six verses four. . But if he was Admiral Cantona, would he hang around?
No. Not likely
So –where would he go next?
Concentration. Rule number one
Get every carrier we have. Here. As soon as possible.
Then fight.
Minobe and Charge stand side by side, Charge on the ahead throttle, Minobe on the astern
Test main engines
The familiar dance
It goes well.
She will sail defect free –all four boilers will be available by dawn
‘ready to let go aft”
Let go aft. Slow ahead port, slow astern stbd, hard a stbd”
‘slow astern both, wheel admidships”
Zuiho slips her berth, alive again
Already in the roads Junyo, Hiyo, shoho, the towering pagodas of two battleships wait for her. Ten destroyers already probe the way ahead, shepherds for the main flock.
A long journey ahead –to another un certain future
But then, that is war ney?
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
17th aug, 42
Nearly midnight
'"Open the main stop!"
Hirate's face is lined deep with fatigue, yet he can still raise a grin.
'All boilers online Charge..........."
The Charge simply nods. It has been a herculean effort. But now Zuiho is 100% available again.
For how long, who knows?
But that is for tomorrow. Success for today is enough.........
Hasegawa peers through the bridges screen yet again.
It is a terribly dark night, a night with little moon, and heavy overcast.
Darkened ships.
A great many darkened ships.
Somewhere over to Starboard, unseen, Palembang.
making this one of the most dangerous strips of watercurrently in the world.......
War calls. The task force sails on at 16 knots, only the stirred phosphorous marking their progress. Hasegawa peers, and frets some more.
Nearly midnight
'"Open the main stop!"
Hirate's face is lined deep with fatigue, yet he can still raise a grin.
'All boilers online Charge..........."
The Charge simply nods. It has been a herculean effort. But now Zuiho is 100% available again.
For how long, who knows?
But that is for tomorrow. Success for today is enough.........
Hasegawa peers through the bridges screen yet again.
It is a terribly dark night, a night with little moon, and heavy overcast.
Darkened ships.
A great many darkened ships.
Somewhere over to Starboard, unseen, Palembang.
making this one of the most dangerous strips of watercurrently in the world.......
War calls. The task force sails on at 16 knots, only the stirred phosphorous marking their progress. Hasegawa peers, and frets some more.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
Read it!
What I'm current!
A good yarn of the sea and sky during the war years.
Excellent character development, some stand to their duty and beliefs, other are doomed by their past and ensnare others in their doom. And some even grow becoming more then they were the day before.
As Heeward says: Read it!
A good yarn of the sea and sky during the war years.
Excellent character development, some stand to their duty and beliefs, other are doomed by their past and ensnare others in their doom. And some even grow becoming more then they were the day before.
As Heeward says: Read it!
The Wake
RE: Read it!
Thankyou for comments
(it would be nice to bring that slippery eel cantona to battle though........)
18th August 42
Extract from “Falling Cherry blossoms……… a tale of an Imperial navy pilot”
Amazon books
..and so, after too long, back to work. There was, and always would be that tension
before flight deck operations…I still wonder why the Gods blessed me with the skill, or good fortune to get onto that pigs ear of a flight deck.
But they did.
Now as Zuiho steamed south, Hiyo, Junyo, Shoho with us, it was back to earning our keep.
Combat Air patrol.
But something subtle was different today.
Hidaka lead us into the air, his face grimmer and sterner than ever…….he would terrorise us, and everyone all day.
We would remain on our boring circuits –he would spend his time trying to bounce us –and woe to any that failed to see him.
But then again –what sweet pleasure to so easily side step his ‘attack –and to ‘take his six”
Why was he up here –other than maybe to escape the poison atmosphere of Zuihos wardroom?
At the time, we did not know.
But he did.
On the other side of the world, but a world we were racing too, American carriers pound Kwajalein.
We thought the war won.
There is no way to be not corney and predictable in saying it.
But the truth was, of course.
We were wrong.
It is a busy day this day. A ship to re shake down.
Flight deck operations
Safety valves are tested today (how quickly that task comes around again!), and the usual plethora of minor defects reveal themselves.
Forward vap distillate pump fails – it will take 12 hours to replace
Main steam to a feed pump does a thread nut.meaning it is only emergency use only.
Chemistry Aft requires multiple blow downs……..no way to improve Hasegawas temper through out the day – as the repeated calls for steady revolutions for 30 minutes add to the ‘fun’ of the flight deck operations…..
Minobe works on the Master log
He is, as usual, several days behind. Actually, this time, he is even further behind
The entry for this day, 12th of August, at anchor , Singapore..is empty
The first bits are easy to fill in, simple transfer of running logs, the Damage control log to his book
Steaming Aux, port Aft boiler, conducting boiler cleans forward.
Ready use tank repairs underway.
He stares at the page for an eternity.
Did he sign the chit?
Did he?
And deep in his heart, he knows he did.
Junyo. Dead men
And now , now Zuiho.
Dead men
No. No!. he will not accept that.
He writes.
Due to a regrettable and criminal lack of judgment by a member of this ships staff. .an accident in the ready use tank claimed two lives…………….
Minobe writes.
Alone
Where nobody can see his tears flow.
(it would be nice to bring that slippery eel cantona to battle though........)
18th August 42
Extract from “Falling Cherry blossoms……… a tale of an Imperial navy pilot”
Amazon books
..and so, after too long, back to work. There was, and always would be that tension
before flight deck operations…I still wonder why the Gods blessed me with the skill, or good fortune to get onto that pigs ear of a flight deck.
But they did.
Now as Zuiho steamed south, Hiyo, Junyo, Shoho with us, it was back to earning our keep.
Combat Air patrol.
But something subtle was different today.
Hidaka lead us into the air, his face grimmer and sterner than ever…….he would terrorise us, and everyone all day.
We would remain on our boring circuits –he would spend his time trying to bounce us –and woe to any that failed to see him.
But then again –what sweet pleasure to so easily side step his ‘attack –and to ‘take his six”
Why was he up here –other than maybe to escape the poison atmosphere of Zuihos wardroom?
At the time, we did not know.
But he did.
On the other side of the world, but a world we were racing too, American carriers pound Kwajalein.
We thought the war won.
There is no way to be not corney and predictable in saying it.
But the truth was, of course.
We were wrong.
It is a busy day this day. A ship to re shake down.
Flight deck operations
Safety valves are tested today (how quickly that task comes around again!), and the usual plethora of minor defects reveal themselves.
Forward vap distillate pump fails – it will take 12 hours to replace
Main steam to a feed pump does a thread nut.meaning it is only emergency use only.
Chemistry Aft requires multiple blow downs……..no way to improve Hasegawas temper through out the day – as the repeated calls for steady revolutions for 30 minutes add to the ‘fun’ of the flight deck operations…..
Minobe works on the Master log
He is, as usual, several days behind. Actually, this time, he is even further behind
The entry for this day, 12th of August, at anchor , Singapore..is empty
The first bits are easy to fill in, simple transfer of running logs, the Damage control log to his book
Steaming Aux, port Aft boiler, conducting boiler cleans forward.
Ready use tank repairs underway.
He stares at the page for an eternity.
Did he sign the chit?
Did he?
And deep in his heart, he knows he did.
Junyo. Dead men
And now , now Zuiho.
Dead men
No. No!. he will not accept that.
He writes.
Due to a regrettable and criminal lack of judgment by a member of this ships staff. .an accident in the ready use tank claimed two lives…………….
Minobe writes.
Alone
Where nobody can see his tears flow.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
19 Aug 42
In a small restaurant in the back streets of Tokyo, a small Birthday dinner is being held
Guest of honour, LGEN Yakuda Takeo, Commander of Eastern Army
It is a small quiet affair…………and the guests do not stay long
One, Admiral Yamamoto, however, does not.
They talk quietly deep into the night.
Dawn, the next day, and 52nd Division, eastern Army, abruptly cancels its training , and prepares to entrain for Tokyo……….
Liberator bombers bomb Rabual. Again..Impervious to Japanes efforts to stop them.
This is Petty Officers Edo’s moment
The tiny island of Kusaiie has a Japanese outpost . A garrison
Of two men
Himself, an Able seaman
It also has a radio, and an observation tower, a lot of sand, 6 pairs of mutton birds, 3 pelicans, some seagulls…..and more sand.
It is maybe 100 metres across, has no lagoon, and there is nowhere you can go and not see the endless ocean
Some times Petty Officer Edo thinks he has died, and this is the purgatory that those Catholics warn about.
It certainly has sent his Able seaman…………..strange.
The only good shade, and escape from the heat, is paradoxically, in the tower.
But PO Edo will have his moment, before the war forgets him again.
Today,, he never gets to settle into the tower.
For there, on the horizon, the unmistakable outline of carriers, American carriers. moving west.
And unlike the movies, or some book, yes, the radio does work……….
Captain Hara is back onboard his Beloved Akagi, steel helmet once again at hand
Again he stares over the ocean to Kaga, and wonders what Yamaguchi will do.
All of yesterday the enemy carriers have steamed west through the gilberts, striking at will.
But now, with the sun setting, it has been confirmed.
They are still coming west…………
“will you succeed this time Yamaguchi, where Yamamoto so nearly did ?’ he thinks.
Was it almost three months since they were here in these waters, trying to lure the enemy?
Yes.
Maybe second time around……..
“Our Officers are here Sir”
‘very good”
He turns to his Command team, crisp, white, straight.
His friends.
Comrades
Responsibility
‘There is chance of battle men……….I wish to brief you.”
“Gather round”
Hara’s stubby finger stabs at the map, landing on a point 40 miles North east of Kusaie island, 320 miles south east of Ponope.
‘The enemy fleet –steaming West – possibly aiming for a strike on Truk”
Murmurs……..unthinkable……….
‘Our position, 120- miles west Narau.. Almost in range, almost….”
‘Do you think Yamaguchi will race us North?’
Hara shakes his head. ‘No –last time we did this, our small boys ran out of fuel..’
His Finger moves again, taps a spot 440 miles due west of the enemy carriers.
‘However men………another piece for the chess board. CVE Taiyo – aircraft ferry.
She is racing straight across their bows, heading straight to us, if they chase her, react to her………”
“We will be in range”
‘Yes”
‘We are ready Captain………….”
‘Yes, yes, I know you are. Let us hope tomorrow brings us battle…….”
And silently…….and that I don’t need my helmet
A light flashes on Kaga, right on cue.
‘new course, 010, battle speed two. Execute. Prepare for carrier action’
In a small restaurant in the back streets of Tokyo, a small Birthday dinner is being held
Guest of honour, LGEN Yakuda Takeo, Commander of Eastern Army
It is a small quiet affair…………and the guests do not stay long
One, Admiral Yamamoto, however, does not.
They talk quietly deep into the night.
Dawn, the next day, and 52nd Division, eastern Army, abruptly cancels its training , and prepares to entrain for Tokyo……….
Liberator bombers bomb Rabual. Again..Impervious to Japanes efforts to stop them.
This is Petty Officers Edo’s moment
The tiny island of Kusaiie has a Japanese outpost . A garrison
Of two men
Himself, an Able seaman
It also has a radio, and an observation tower, a lot of sand, 6 pairs of mutton birds, 3 pelicans, some seagulls…..and more sand.
It is maybe 100 metres across, has no lagoon, and there is nowhere you can go and not see the endless ocean
Some times Petty Officer Edo thinks he has died, and this is the purgatory that those Catholics warn about.
It certainly has sent his Able seaman…………..strange.
The only good shade, and escape from the heat, is paradoxically, in the tower.
But PO Edo will have his moment, before the war forgets him again.
Today,, he never gets to settle into the tower.
For there, on the horizon, the unmistakable outline of carriers, American carriers. moving west.
And unlike the movies, or some book, yes, the radio does work……….
Captain Hara is back onboard his Beloved Akagi, steel helmet once again at hand
Again he stares over the ocean to Kaga, and wonders what Yamaguchi will do.
All of yesterday the enemy carriers have steamed west through the gilberts, striking at will.
But now, with the sun setting, it has been confirmed.
They are still coming west…………
“will you succeed this time Yamaguchi, where Yamamoto so nearly did ?’ he thinks.
Was it almost three months since they were here in these waters, trying to lure the enemy?
Yes.
Maybe second time around……..
“Our Officers are here Sir”
‘very good”
He turns to his Command team, crisp, white, straight.
His friends.
Comrades
Responsibility
‘There is chance of battle men……….I wish to brief you.”
“Gather round”
Hara’s stubby finger stabs at the map, landing on a point 40 miles North east of Kusaie island, 320 miles south east of Ponope.
‘The enemy fleet –steaming West – possibly aiming for a strike on Truk”
Murmurs……..unthinkable……….
‘Our position, 120- miles west Narau.. Almost in range, almost….”
‘Do you think Yamaguchi will race us North?’
Hara shakes his head. ‘No –last time we did this, our small boys ran out of fuel..’
His Finger moves again, taps a spot 440 miles due west of the enemy carriers.
‘However men………another piece for the chess board. CVE Taiyo – aircraft ferry.
She is racing straight across their bows, heading straight to us, if they chase her, react to her………”
“We will be in range”
‘Yes”
‘We are ready Captain………….”
‘Yes, yes, I know you are. Let us hope tomorrow brings us battle…….”
And silently…….and that I don’t need my helmet
A light flashes on Kaga, right on cue.
‘new course, 010, battle speed two. Execute. Prepare for carrier action’
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
20th August 1942
Zuiho rushes on. There is something new today. They slowly emerge from the tropical mist, fat ugly, rusting. Heavily loaded, smoke shovelling from ugly funnels.
A great convoy, tankers exclusively.
They race past them, two worlds apart. The crisp white uniforms stare and observe the
Stained, dirty one of the merchant men, and do their best to express the disdain they feel for those “inferior’ types.
Swift eagles commander deems it not even in his interest to reply to the brief greeting flashed from the small escort.
It is a small incident in the day.
It says everything about why Japan will lose this war……………………
Ndeni.
Midnight.
Totally un observed, five Heavy Japanese cruisers, Tanaka in command , sweep into Ndeni waters.
Surprise is complete
The action is , again, absolutely nothing like Pre war thought said naval combat will be like.
A new war, a new set of rules………..
Fire is opened at the impossibly close range of 2000 yards…announced without starshell or search lights.
He who fires firstest with mostest…………wins.
The engagement ends 6 brutal minutes later, 3 allied DDs sunk, an AK, an Ap as well.
A single damaged Japanese DD in return
Round one to Japan………
Mobile Fleet.
“Enemy are hitting Eniwetok sir”
Yamaguchi’s grip on the binnacle hardens, knuckles whiten.
It is the only reaction he visibly gives.
‘And their position?
‘North east of the island………..’
Damnation.
Damnation to hell!
Another bust.
To far away, obviously heading home.
‘What to do now?”
Concentrate. Rule number one………..
‘Order all detached units back to Truk, we will refuel, then………..”
Then, then what?
21 Aug 1942
Minobes cabin
Seated, side by side, Minobe, the Charge, the CPO shipwright.
Between them, a table.
On it, a sketch book.
Opposite them, PO Okano.
Examination. Oral. Engine room ticket
Halfway through this most vital of hours of any stokers career……..
Minobe clears his throat. His question.
‘PO Okano, we have taken some damage in the Port engine room..and the water is, to be crude, pissing in…………. What actions can you take?
Po Okano answers. The trick is –of course, is to appear confident, to be accurate, and to be able to think on your feet…….
“Fast flood sir? Or something remotely controllable?”
Minobe shifts in his seat, obviously annoyed. What in the world did did he think pissing in mean? –something you plugged up with your thumb?
‘If it was uncontrollable Petty officer –you have already drowned…………lets just tackle the flood yes?”
‘yes sir…….Sir –immediate report of a fast flood to central. Start bilge pump, start eductor system. ………fast flood, open main circ pump emergency bilge suction …”
The charge interrupts ‘and what might that effect PO?’
‘I probably am going to have vacuum problems charge –if we start to beat the flood…..not enough water for cooling………”
“Too much, and we sink yes?” The Chippee interjects……….. “Anything else PO”
‘Portable pump Chief………and of course., lets try to plug the hole?
‘How?”
“I’d stuff Lurch into it”
‘Laughter.
Laughter is good.
Po Okano is going to achieve his ticket……………
Ndeni
Directly over the still oil leaking remains of DD Express, CA Aoba races into the sound
Behind her, cruiser squadron two, Kinsugura , Furataka, Kako, cls Yura, and the elderly tenryu, Tatsuta..
A thousand yards ahead, destroyers Inazmo, Oboro, , easily discernable in this good moonlight…….
They hunt for the yet unseen prey .
To starboard, the dark.
To port, blankness, utter darkness, a tropical downpour, visibility zero.
Battle ship Warspite has been tracking them for nearly 15 minutes now……..radar.
A weapon beyond comprehension of the men on Aoba.
Inter navy Co operation between Allies is still not the best, CA’s Helena, Quincy alter course, masking the great ships guns.
It makes little difference
Range 2000 yards, another knife fight, short, sharp brutal.
He who fires firstest, with mostest…..wins
DD Inazuma staggers under the first salvo, and the column is hauled hard to port, for the shelter of the storm.
CA Kako is hammered………….multiple hits, but none as devastating as the one that strikes her Long Lance launcher………..the explosion shatters her into two,..and she is gone
DD Grayson follows her…… a long lance gutz her like a fish.
Aoba, uppers works blazing, leads the battered Japanese into the storm….
Round two to the allies.
They emerge, and Helena follows, Quincy, the DDs following.
Again, Warspite unable to bear
Helena eats a fish, loses hre bow.
The battle ends
SS-32 sinks her fangs on the retiring Kinugasa.
Round three-a draw.
Yamaguchi reads, with disbelief, the report
Kako sunk
Kinugusa.crippled, expected to sink
Aoba –broken
Furatuka burning still
An entire cruiser division broken
For what?
What in the world was first fleet thinking?
But deep inside, he knows the answer.
Politicians –no- dictators need victories. Even hollow ones………
Zuiho rushes on. There is something new today. They slowly emerge from the tropical mist, fat ugly, rusting. Heavily loaded, smoke shovelling from ugly funnels.
A great convoy, tankers exclusively.
They race past them, two worlds apart. The crisp white uniforms stare and observe the
Stained, dirty one of the merchant men, and do their best to express the disdain they feel for those “inferior’ types.
Swift eagles commander deems it not even in his interest to reply to the brief greeting flashed from the small escort.
It is a small incident in the day.
It says everything about why Japan will lose this war……………………
Ndeni.
Midnight.
Totally un observed, five Heavy Japanese cruisers, Tanaka in command , sweep into Ndeni waters.
Surprise is complete
The action is , again, absolutely nothing like Pre war thought said naval combat will be like.
A new war, a new set of rules………..
Fire is opened at the impossibly close range of 2000 yards…announced without starshell or search lights.
He who fires firstest with mostest…………wins.
The engagement ends 6 brutal minutes later, 3 allied DDs sunk, an AK, an Ap as well.
A single damaged Japanese DD in return
Round one to Japan………
Mobile Fleet.
“Enemy are hitting Eniwetok sir”
Yamaguchi’s grip on the binnacle hardens, knuckles whiten.
It is the only reaction he visibly gives.
‘And their position?
‘North east of the island………..’
Damnation.
Damnation to hell!
Another bust.
To far away, obviously heading home.
‘What to do now?”
Concentrate. Rule number one………..
‘Order all detached units back to Truk, we will refuel, then………..”
Then, then what?
21 Aug 1942
Minobes cabin
Seated, side by side, Minobe, the Charge, the CPO shipwright.
Between them, a table.
On it, a sketch book.
Opposite them, PO Okano.
Examination. Oral. Engine room ticket
Halfway through this most vital of hours of any stokers career……..
Minobe clears his throat. His question.
‘PO Okano, we have taken some damage in the Port engine room..and the water is, to be crude, pissing in…………. What actions can you take?
Po Okano answers. The trick is –of course, is to appear confident, to be accurate, and to be able to think on your feet…….
“Fast flood sir? Or something remotely controllable?”
Minobe shifts in his seat, obviously annoyed. What in the world did did he think pissing in mean? –something you plugged up with your thumb?
‘If it was uncontrollable Petty officer –you have already drowned…………lets just tackle the flood yes?”
‘yes sir…….Sir –immediate report of a fast flood to central. Start bilge pump, start eductor system. ………fast flood, open main circ pump emergency bilge suction …”
The charge interrupts ‘and what might that effect PO?’
‘I probably am going to have vacuum problems charge –if we start to beat the flood…..not enough water for cooling………”
“Too much, and we sink yes?” The Chippee interjects……….. “Anything else PO”
‘Portable pump Chief………and of course., lets try to plug the hole?
‘How?”
“I’d stuff Lurch into it”
‘Laughter.
Laughter is good.
Po Okano is going to achieve his ticket……………
Ndeni
Directly over the still oil leaking remains of DD Express, CA Aoba races into the sound
Behind her, cruiser squadron two, Kinsugura , Furataka, Kako, cls Yura, and the elderly tenryu, Tatsuta..
A thousand yards ahead, destroyers Inazmo, Oboro, , easily discernable in this good moonlight…….
They hunt for the yet unseen prey .
To starboard, the dark.
To port, blankness, utter darkness, a tropical downpour, visibility zero.
Battle ship Warspite has been tracking them for nearly 15 minutes now……..radar.
A weapon beyond comprehension of the men on Aoba.
Inter navy Co operation between Allies is still not the best, CA’s Helena, Quincy alter course, masking the great ships guns.
It makes little difference
Range 2000 yards, another knife fight, short, sharp brutal.
He who fires firstest, with mostest…..wins
DD Inazuma staggers under the first salvo, and the column is hauled hard to port, for the shelter of the storm.
CA Kako is hammered………….multiple hits, but none as devastating as the one that strikes her Long Lance launcher………..the explosion shatters her into two,..and she is gone
DD Grayson follows her…… a long lance gutz her like a fish.
Aoba, uppers works blazing, leads the battered Japanese into the storm….
Round two to the allies.
They emerge, and Helena follows, Quincy, the DDs following.
Again, Warspite unable to bear
Helena eats a fish, loses hre bow.
The battle ends
SS-32 sinks her fangs on the retiring Kinugasa.
Round three-a draw.
Yamaguchi reads, with disbelief, the report
Kako sunk
Kinugusa.crippled, expected to sink
Aoba –broken
Furatuka burning still
An entire cruiser division broken
For what?
What in the world was first fleet thinking?
But deep inside, he knows the answer.
Politicians –no- dictators need victories. Even hollow ones………
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Hasegawa lowers his glasses
“that is one damn ugly ship”
Tone has rejoined the task group. As ugly as she is, she makes a welcome addition in search and gun power.
Swift eagle passes palua today, destination obvious. Truk
But then what?
Hasegawa needs a chance. Soon. He feels it. Time is running out for him……..
Charge knocks on Minobes door.
‘enter”
Awkward. ……is hardly the word for it. Yet duty must continue. “daily report sir……things are going well. We need to blow soot again tonight’
‘And that is all?”
“yes sir”
Minobe hesitates….goes to speak. Decides not to.
“very well…….I will inform the CO”
Zuiho continues to function. To the book. But by nothing more.
Hosho leads his patrol. Fifty men spread over nearly 3 miles, carefully following the rail line to Myrintinkya –or whatever the hell you call it..
For the last few weeks this has been their war….patrols. patrols, more patrols.
The British continue to try to break out to the south – but they are not going to.
Disease, starvation is doing its job too well.
His men move along the tree line, careful of the threat from the air, but even this has fallen away. After a week of night bombing, the british bombers have swung abruptly back to day raids on the oil fields.
36 fall today……….. 3rd Air was waiting.
No, Hosho fights an easy war at the moment…….
“that is one damn ugly ship”
Tone has rejoined the task group. As ugly as she is, she makes a welcome addition in search and gun power.
Swift eagle passes palua today, destination obvious. Truk
But then what?
Hasegawa needs a chance. Soon. He feels it. Time is running out for him……..
Charge knocks on Minobes door.
‘enter”
Awkward. ……is hardly the word for it. Yet duty must continue. “daily report sir……things are going well. We need to blow soot again tonight’
‘And that is all?”
“yes sir”
Minobe hesitates….goes to speak. Decides not to.
“very well…….I will inform the CO”
Zuiho continues to function. To the book. But by nothing more.
Hosho leads his patrol. Fifty men spread over nearly 3 miles, carefully following the rail line to Myrintinkya –or whatever the hell you call it..
For the last few weeks this has been their war….patrols. patrols, more patrols.
The British continue to try to break out to the south – but they are not going to.
Disease, starvation is doing its job too well.
His men move along the tree line, careful of the threat from the air, but even this has fallen away. After a week of night bombing, the british bombers have swung abruptly back to day raids on the oil fields.
36 fall today……….. 3rd Air was waiting.
No, Hosho fights an easy war at the moment…….
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
August 23rd
Zuiho is approaching Truk, arrival –all going well-in two days
On the stern of the carrier, in the shadow of the flight deck, the charge stands, watching the white wake flow out endlessly astern.
For the hundredth time, he pulls the creased and stained chit from his pocket, stares at the signature
Minobe is a fool, a buffoon, a bully.
Yes, he is all these things, and more.
But he is , also, human.
There is more to this problem, more than the dilemma of the chit.
Culture, a thousand years of it, stands here with him on this deck, and its great weight bears down upon him.
The Emperor rules, and to him, all swear fidelity-even unto death.
Under him, herbiesan, and his government.
They obey –and will be obeyed.
Then, the hierarchy, the Navy, from High command, to Hasegawa, to…….Minobe.
A mere 100 years ago, Minobe would have been his Fief Lord…….demanding, and getting, absolute obedience
Obedience, loyalty…….trust……..above all. Above life itself.
Honour in obedience
Honour in loyalty
This is the warriors code
Bushido
And with out that? –what is Japan?
What is he?
And yet, tomorrow, they put on trial his ‘servant, his vassal’ if you will-Leader Tan.
And where is the honour, the truth in that?
The ocean slides on past.
It offers no answers
Leading seaman Tan sits
He sits at the hatch, now bolted down, clean, secure, offering nary a hint of what occurred below.
As if his friends, the friends, he killed……..never existed
Tomorrow.
Courtmartial
Words like hammers striking his soul.
The Courtmartial of Leading seaman tan…………
It has taken three days, but the fires on Aoba are finally out.
The battered remains of cruiser div 2 and 3 approach home waters……more than aware of the sharks that circle, unseen, waiting.
Zuiho, 2330 hours
Lurch finishes cleaning the last fuel burner, assembling the sprayer tip carefully. He presents it to Hirate, who pushes its valve plate with his thumb. A mis aligned plate, or worse, a loose plate guarantees a poor flame, heavy smoke –or worse
“Shakes Petty Officer?”
Hirate notes the time..nods his head – “via the galley Lurch, see if you can steal something good eh?”
You cannot, of course, have an alarm clock in your mess. With watch keeping, that would be madness. Oh, its time I got up – Oh, so sorry 110 other members of the mess, did I wake you up too?
So, 30 minutes prior to watch change (your ships mileage may vary on the time), one man goes through the darkened mess, and does “shakes’
It is – how do we say this? –an individual task.
How do you sleep?. How do you react to being abruptly woken?
Do you go straight back to sleep?
Do you require another shake in 5 minutes time?
Do you leap straight up –or do you lie still, gathering your thoughts, until the shake man comes around again?
There are no secrets in a mess –and when you sleep –believe me –you reveal more about yourself than you will ever know.
Lurch does shakes, silently, assuredly, displaying diplomacy and tact politicians will never know…..
Sometimes, especially for the gutz watch, men do not bother going to bed, so Lurch does not think twice at the empty hammocks, the watch is up –and that is good enough
He returns (via the galley GOOD man!) to the boiler room, conducts his rounds, is relieved.
Another watch done.
Within 5 minutes, he is in his hammock……..and then out again.
An Engineroom boy is shaking him.
‘Did he shake Leading seaman Tan?
No
Did he see him?
No
Damnation ………….he is missing, over due for his watch
The alarm bells ring
“Hands to action stations, hands to action stations, make all reports to Damage central”
Ship closed up sir.
One man reported missing sir
Search the ship
They will search…………and find nothing
LS Tan is gone.
The ocean slides on past.
It offers no answers
Zuiho is approaching Truk, arrival –all going well-in two days
On the stern of the carrier, in the shadow of the flight deck, the charge stands, watching the white wake flow out endlessly astern.
For the hundredth time, he pulls the creased and stained chit from his pocket, stares at the signature
Minobe is a fool, a buffoon, a bully.
Yes, he is all these things, and more.
But he is , also, human.
There is more to this problem, more than the dilemma of the chit.
Culture, a thousand years of it, stands here with him on this deck, and its great weight bears down upon him.
The Emperor rules, and to him, all swear fidelity-even unto death.
Under him, herbiesan, and his government.
They obey –and will be obeyed.
Then, the hierarchy, the Navy, from High command, to Hasegawa, to…….Minobe.
A mere 100 years ago, Minobe would have been his Fief Lord…….demanding, and getting, absolute obedience
Obedience, loyalty…….trust……..above all. Above life itself.
Honour in obedience
Honour in loyalty
This is the warriors code
Bushido
And with out that? –what is Japan?
What is he?
And yet, tomorrow, they put on trial his ‘servant, his vassal’ if you will-Leader Tan.
And where is the honour, the truth in that?
The ocean slides on past.
It offers no answers
Leading seaman Tan sits
He sits at the hatch, now bolted down, clean, secure, offering nary a hint of what occurred below.
As if his friends, the friends, he killed……..never existed
Tomorrow.
Courtmartial
Words like hammers striking his soul.
The Courtmartial of Leading seaman tan…………
It has taken three days, but the fires on Aoba are finally out.
The battered remains of cruiser div 2 and 3 approach home waters……more than aware of the sharks that circle, unseen, waiting.
Zuiho, 2330 hours
Lurch finishes cleaning the last fuel burner, assembling the sprayer tip carefully. He presents it to Hirate, who pushes its valve plate with his thumb. A mis aligned plate, or worse, a loose plate guarantees a poor flame, heavy smoke –or worse
“Shakes Petty Officer?”
Hirate notes the time..nods his head – “via the galley Lurch, see if you can steal something good eh?”
You cannot, of course, have an alarm clock in your mess. With watch keeping, that would be madness. Oh, its time I got up – Oh, so sorry 110 other members of the mess, did I wake you up too?
So, 30 minutes prior to watch change (your ships mileage may vary on the time), one man goes through the darkened mess, and does “shakes’
It is – how do we say this? –an individual task.
How do you sleep?. How do you react to being abruptly woken?
Do you go straight back to sleep?
Do you require another shake in 5 minutes time?
Do you leap straight up –or do you lie still, gathering your thoughts, until the shake man comes around again?
There are no secrets in a mess –and when you sleep –believe me –you reveal more about yourself than you will ever know.
Lurch does shakes, silently, assuredly, displaying diplomacy and tact politicians will never know…..
Sometimes, especially for the gutz watch, men do not bother going to bed, so Lurch does not think twice at the empty hammocks, the watch is up –and that is good enough
He returns (via the galley GOOD man!) to the boiler room, conducts his rounds, is relieved.
Another watch done.
Within 5 minutes, he is in his hammock……..and then out again.
An Engineroom boy is shaking him.
‘Did he shake Leading seaman Tan?
No
Did he see him?
No
Damnation ………….he is missing, over due for his watch
The alarm bells ring
“Hands to action stations, hands to action stations, make all reports to Damage central”
Ship closed up sir.
One man reported missing sir
Search the ship
They will search…………and find nothing
LS Tan is gone.
The ocean slides on past.
It offers no answers
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Zuiho arrives at Truk
It is raining, a grey horrible drizzle.
It matches her mood
Only Okano gives voice to what many now feel
“This is a cursed ship”
‘And the trial Chief petty officer coxswain?”
“there is no one to prosecute Sir, and no evidence to continue any investigation”
‘I see’ Hasegawa contemplates the lagoon, the ships about him.
Grey skies, grey mood.
“I would hazard a bet that a certain Engineer is happy then?”
The Coxswains face barely twitches. But twitch it does “Not my job to comment on that Sir”
‘No………I suppose not. Alright Chief, we let it drop. We have enough to do…”
‘Fuel state Charge?”
Fifty percent sir……………is it right, there is no fuel ?”
Minobe snorts……”Oh, there is plenty, just none for us it seems. Its due soon.”
That silence .again
‘I am sorry for Leader Tan”
The Charge does not answer.
‘They say the enemy has delivered a serious defeat down south………….I believe we must soon fight. If we fight……..we must fight together yes?’
Sir, I………I will do my duty”
Minobe smiles. ‘then that will have to be good enough then………..”
25/August
Extract from Shattering the sword, a cantona production……
…………..another nibble at the edge of the empire . In the Indian Ocean, emboldened by the absence of the Japanese Carriers, a British task force raids Akyab, its swordfish bombers surprising, and sinking the CL Tama and Jintsu- both caught unloading supplies .
In one week, no less than 10 Japanese cruisers had been sunk, or heavily damaged, for very little loss..
September would see few in the Allied camp doubting that the initiative now rested with them.
Ironically, this is how the Japanese camp still saw it. That the initiative still rested with them.
But who would act first?
26 th August
Nashaguchi circles Truk at 10000 feet, less a combat air patrol, than a joy flight.
The cockpit is now more than an office. It is his refuge, his home. His retreat.
Up here, one did not have to hide behind a mask.
And , of course, there is the sheer joy of the flight .
He flings the zero around the sky, trying to imagine an enemy fighter attacking from here, or there.
Or, there is a bomber –how in the hell do you tackle a B17 any way?
The little zero cartwheels across the sky, earth and sea and sky whirling about him.
Ah, to fly..just to fly.
An hour later, he lands, the usual neat 2nd cable.
Hidaka greets him as he disembarks. ‘Enjoy yourself Nashiguchi?”
“Hie!” yes, yes he did
“Next time won’t be so enjoyable I would think. Next time I think the enemy will be very, very real”
The Smile becomes a grin. And the hunter flashes across Nashiguchi’s face……..
“not soon enough Sir, not soon enough”
He has been on a score of 4 for too long now, far too long.
It is raining, a grey horrible drizzle.
It matches her mood
Only Okano gives voice to what many now feel
“This is a cursed ship”
‘And the trial Chief petty officer coxswain?”
“there is no one to prosecute Sir, and no evidence to continue any investigation”
‘I see’ Hasegawa contemplates the lagoon, the ships about him.
Grey skies, grey mood.
“I would hazard a bet that a certain Engineer is happy then?”
The Coxswains face barely twitches. But twitch it does “Not my job to comment on that Sir”
‘No………I suppose not. Alright Chief, we let it drop. We have enough to do…”
‘Fuel state Charge?”
Fifty percent sir……………is it right, there is no fuel ?”
Minobe snorts……”Oh, there is plenty, just none for us it seems. Its due soon.”
That silence .again
‘I am sorry for Leader Tan”
The Charge does not answer.
‘They say the enemy has delivered a serious defeat down south………….I believe we must soon fight. If we fight……..we must fight together yes?’
Sir, I………I will do my duty”
Minobe smiles. ‘then that will have to be good enough then………..”
25/August
Extract from Shattering the sword, a cantona production……
…………..another nibble at the edge of the empire . In the Indian Ocean, emboldened by the absence of the Japanese Carriers, a British task force raids Akyab, its swordfish bombers surprising, and sinking the CL Tama and Jintsu- both caught unloading supplies .
In one week, no less than 10 Japanese cruisers had been sunk, or heavily damaged, for very little loss..
September would see few in the Allied camp doubting that the initiative now rested with them.
Ironically, this is how the Japanese camp still saw it. That the initiative still rested with them.
But who would act first?
26 th August
Nashaguchi circles Truk at 10000 feet, less a combat air patrol, than a joy flight.
The cockpit is now more than an office. It is his refuge, his home. His retreat.
Up here, one did not have to hide behind a mask.
And , of course, there is the sheer joy of the flight .
He flings the zero around the sky, trying to imagine an enemy fighter attacking from here, or there.
Or, there is a bomber –how in the hell do you tackle a B17 any way?
The little zero cartwheels across the sky, earth and sea and sky whirling about him.
Ah, to fly..just to fly.
An hour later, he lands, the usual neat 2nd cable.
Hidaka greets him as he disembarks. ‘Enjoy yourself Nashiguchi?”
“Hie!” yes, yes he did
“Next time won’t be so enjoyable I would think. Next time I think the enemy will be very, very real”
The Smile becomes a grin. And the hunter flashes across Nashiguchi’s face……..
“not soon enough Sir, not soon enough”
He has been on a score of 4 for too long now, far too long.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Sorry cantona, AAR closed again to you...........so no peeking! LOL
(he knows this means trouble brewing)
Here is the trouble:
27th august
Zuiho sits at anchor, a minnow amongst giants
Around her, virtually the entire strength of Mobile fleet also lies at anchor, and the blue waters of the lagoon are churned by the wakes of dozens upon dozens of ships boats, support vessels attending to the fleet.
She lies smack in the middle, on auxiliary steaming, almost again defect free, her airgroup at 100%.
The fuel barge has departed, as has the stores ships.
In all respects, she is again ready for war.
Onboard, however, few, if any minds are thinking of the war, from Hasegawa down, only one think occupies the fore front of thought.
Finally……..finally, it arrives
“Mail, mail is now ready for collection.”
If you are reading this, and served, .served before the internet, the mobile phone, or even the international call………you understand.
Nothing, nothing is more important than that canvas bag, those envelopes, the anticipation of opening them, the dread, the joy of what they may contain.
They contain………………life.
Life itself, the world not of Zuiho…that other world of family, of friends, of love.
A quiet settles through out the ship………….
28th august
Hasegawa wearily collapses into his chair. Soon the discreet knock, it is Hidaka, his Executive Officer.
“come in gentlemen, let me share the news.”
‘we are under command of a certain Captain Abe –who I have known for many a year. An aggressive little shite if I have ever met one. We are assigned to his Battle group Mutsu, Nagato, some new battle wagon when it arrives……….the rumoured super ship Yamato. (and to have commanded that!)
Swift eagle basically will accompany them.
Mobile fleet, Yamaguchi is another group.
A Captain Tanaka – whom I have never heard of, has the cruisers, Battle group Hyuga.
Yamaguchi has replaced a dozen captains in the last 12 hours……….its been brutal on Kaga –let me tell you”
“And the mission sir?’ Hidaka cannot hold himself. Surely, surely, action at last?
‘You will be pleased I think Hidaka. 144th regiment is going to try again. Target is Tarawa ,”
The executive Officer speaks “They must know we are coming”
Hasegawa contemplates the truth in that. Yes. Yes, they must. A grand battle yes?, a chance to die in glory perhaps, not slowly, rotting away…………
“Oh yes, undoubtedly…I think actually, Yamaguchi desires it…………”
(he knows this means trouble brewing)
Here is the trouble:
27th august
Zuiho sits at anchor, a minnow amongst giants
Around her, virtually the entire strength of Mobile fleet also lies at anchor, and the blue waters of the lagoon are churned by the wakes of dozens upon dozens of ships boats, support vessels attending to the fleet.
She lies smack in the middle, on auxiliary steaming, almost again defect free, her airgroup at 100%.
The fuel barge has departed, as has the stores ships.
In all respects, she is again ready for war.
Onboard, however, few, if any minds are thinking of the war, from Hasegawa down, only one think occupies the fore front of thought.
Finally……..finally, it arrives
“Mail, mail is now ready for collection.”
If you are reading this, and served, .served before the internet, the mobile phone, or even the international call………you understand.
Nothing, nothing is more important than that canvas bag, those envelopes, the anticipation of opening them, the dread, the joy of what they may contain.
They contain………………life.
Life itself, the world not of Zuiho…that other world of family, of friends, of love.
A quiet settles through out the ship………….
28th august
Hasegawa wearily collapses into his chair. Soon the discreet knock, it is Hidaka, his Executive Officer.
“come in gentlemen, let me share the news.”
‘we are under command of a certain Captain Abe –who I have known for many a year. An aggressive little shite if I have ever met one. We are assigned to his Battle group Mutsu, Nagato, some new battle wagon when it arrives……….the rumoured super ship Yamato. (and to have commanded that!)
Swift eagle basically will accompany them.
Mobile fleet, Yamaguchi is another group.
A Captain Tanaka – whom I have never heard of, has the cruisers, Battle group Hyuga.
Yamaguchi has replaced a dozen captains in the last 12 hours……….its been brutal on Kaga –let me tell you”
“And the mission sir?’ Hidaka cannot hold himself. Surely, surely, action at last?
‘You will be pleased I think Hidaka. 144th regiment is going to try again. Target is Tarawa ,”
The executive Officer speaks “They must know we are coming”
Hasegawa contemplates the truth in that. Yes. Yes, they must. A grand battle yes?, a chance to die in glory perhaps, not slowly, rotting away…………
“Oh yes, undoubtedly…I think actually, Yamaguchi desires it…………”
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
30th August
‘Congratulations Hosho…..a field commission is a very rare thing”
It is a dream
Is this me?
Is this true?
As if in a dream, he feels himself stiffen to full attention, his arm swing to rigid salute
And the Co hands him the single small bar……….2nd Lt…….1st company 112th regiment, 15th army.
The Co’s face breaks into a wan smile…
“You will lead them into battle, and win victory….or death Hosho…….remember that. It is no light responsibility”
The bars weigh little in his hand, yet they weigh very much indeed………
112th and now second Lt Hosho, have entrained to Myitkyna, with orders to complete the destruction of the Burma division still trapped to the south.
They are departing now, the low gray sharks. Ten yesterday, another ten today.
Japans SS core sail –eager, determined to do better than they have so far in this war.
All but three have new commanders, the old, cautious men are gone. New, aggressive killers, true Hunters are in their place.
Yamaguchi’s orders to them are simple.
Kill anything that comes their way.
Glory forever to any who get a carrier.
“All hands, clear lower deck, clear lower deck, clear lower decks, muster hanger deck.”
Zuiho gather, all but the few below who tend the boiler and generators. They gather in the mass, packing the hanger, shoulder to shoulder. How many there are!. In tribes they gather, stokers, dirty, stained men, on the port side, greenies beside them. Cooks opposite. Gunners in their gaggle…..brass work shining. The pilots, who have never been good on this shipboard discipline stuff, wander in, self conscious to the front.
Zuiho packs in, shoulder to shoulder we stand.
This is our ship.
We are her men.
And the invisible bonds are very strong indeed, watered by the blood of war.
We gather, and the noise is loud, echoing in the hanger, a great pre football buzz…..
And the rumours are thick. A clear lower deck………what does it mean?
There is a small square clear, a dias, and the coxswain enters it
And his voice barks;
“ZUIHO!...ATTENTION!”
And silence crashes down.
Hasegawa enters. And when , crewman, did you see him last?. Was it at the wars beginning?. Yes. Yes, it was.
How he has……………shrunk.
An old man, bending slightly, uniform loose on a frame that is really too thin, enters.
But he wears a uniform
Your captains uniform.
And he has taken you to battle, and brought you back – and gained victories.
He has your trust.
And with trust, anything can be achieved………
Hasegawa takes the dias, the salute
“Your crew is ready sir”
‘”very good………stand them at ease please”
He takes them in the eye.
This great mass of men, so many he does not know………but so many he does.
His body is weak.
The mind, is strong. The voice powerful too……….it will take far more than cancer to remove that.
“Men. We have travelled far. Seen much. Been frustrated at so many missed chances.
There have been problems, and we have suffered self inflicted losses.
There has been , disconcertingly, lack of harmony, lack of spirit .
These, I suppose, are things that the strain of war, of so long from home bring about.
But now , all disharmony, must and will end
We go to fight. The enemy will be waiting, and I intend to go into harms way.
Therefore, we must banish all that distracts us, that slows us, that hinders us.
We stand, shoulder to shoulder
Shoulder to shoulder, we will fight.
We sail tomorrow.”
And in the silence, the rigid silence, they watch their warrior leader, shuffle out.
“Do you hear there. All pro forma wills and hair clippings must be delivered to mail office by 1700 hrs. last mail is 1700 hours”
‘Do you hear there, all section and compartment leaders are to ensure all inflammable objects have been removed from the vessel by 1700 hours”
“do you hear there, all new draft ins are to collect gas masks from the bosuns store at 1630 hours”
“Out all gash, out all gash. All gash to be clear of the ship by 1700 hours
Special sea duty men will be required at 0400 hours, ship will depart at 0600 hours. Departmental heads shall be required in wardroom 2200 hours.”
The broadcasts will continue most of the evening They define the term. Clearing the decks for action.
‘Congratulations Hosho…..a field commission is a very rare thing”
It is a dream
Is this me?
Is this true?
As if in a dream, he feels himself stiffen to full attention, his arm swing to rigid salute
And the Co hands him the single small bar……….2nd Lt…….1st company 112th regiment, 15th army.
The Co’s face breaks into a wan smile…
“You will lead them into battle, and win victory….or death Hosho…….remember that. It is no light responsibility”
The bars weigh little in his hand, yet they weigh very much indeed………
112th and now second Lt Hosho, have entrained to Myitkyna, with orders to complete the destruction of the Burma division still trapped to the south.
They are departing now, the low gray sharks. Ten yesterday, another ten today.
Japans SS core sail –eager, determined to do better than they have so far in this war.
All but three have new commanders, the old, cautious men are gone. New, aggressive killers, true Hunters are in their place.
Yamaguchi’s orders to them are simple.
Kill anything that comes their way.
Glory forever to any who get a carrier.
“All hands, clear lower deck, clear lower deck, clear lower decks, muster hanger deck.”
Zuiho gather, all but the few below who tend the boiler and generators. They gather in the mass, packing the hanger, shoulder to shoulder. How many there are!. In tribes they gather, stokers, dirty, stained men, on the port side, greenies beside them. Cooks opposite. Gunners in their gaggle…..brass work shining. The pilots, who have never been good on this shipboard discipline stuff, wander in, self conscious to the front.
Zuiho packs in, shoulder to shoulder we stand.
This is our ship.
We are her men.
And the invisible bonds are very strong indeed, watered by the blood of war.
We gather, and the noise is loud, echoing in the hanger, a great pre football buzz…..
And the rumours are thick. A clear lower deck………what does it mean?
There is a small square clear, a dias, and the coxswain enters it
And his voice barks;
“ZUIHO!...ATTENTION!”
And silence crashes down.
Hasegawa enters. And when , crewman, did you see him last?. Was it at the wars beginning?. Yes. Yes, it was.
How he has……………shrunk.
An old man, bending slightly, uniform loose on a frame that is really too thin, enters.
But he wears a uniform
Your captains uniform.
And he has taken you to battle, and brought you back – and gained victories.
He has your trust.
And with trust, anything can be achieved………
Hasegawa takes the dias, the salute
“Your crew is ready sir”
‘”very good………stand them at ease please”
He takes them in the eye.
This great mass of men, so many he does not know………but so many he does.
His body is weak.
The mind, is strong. The voice powerful too……….it will take far more than cancer to remove that.
“Men. We have travelled far. Seen much. Been frustrated at so many missed chances.
There have been problems, and we have suffered self inflicted losses.
There has been , disconcertingly, lack of harmony, lack of spirit .
These, I suppose, are things that the strain of war, of so long from home bring about.
But now , all disharmony, must and will end
We go to fight. The enemy will be waiting, and I intend to go into harms way.
Therefore, we must banish all that distracts us, that slows us, that hinders us.
We stand, shoulder to shoulder
Shoulder to shoulder, we will fight.
We sail tomorrow.”
And in the silence, the rigid silence, they watch their warrior leader, shuffle out.
“Do you hear there. All pro forma wills and hair clippings must be delivered to mail office by 1700 hrs. last mail is 1700 hours”
‘Do you hear there, all section and compartment leaders are to ensure all inflammable objects have been removed from the vessel by 1700 hours”
“do you hear there, all new draft ins are to collect gas masks from the bosuns store at 1630 hours”
“Out all gash, out all gash. All gash to be clear of the ship by 1700 hours
Special sea duty men will be required at 0400 hours, ship will depart at 0600 hours. Departmental heads shall be required in wardroom 2200 hours.”
The broadcasts will continue most of the evening They define the term. Clearing the decks for action.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
31st august
Zuiho, and a good proportion of the fleet, lie at anchor, south west corner, Truk lagoon, a good position for an easy exit.
The wind, which has been blowing steadily south east for three days, - putting the task group in the leeward corner. Tonight, it is due to swing, putting them to winward.
Does that matter?
Why write about that?
What about the war……where is the war?
Well………you see, this wind is about to push anything, and everything that is in the lagoon….right to where the fleet is anchored.
(authors note------this very much based on a real life night……..)
Ship shall sail at 0400 hours.
Let us consider for a moment, what those few words mean
In all respects, Zuiho shall be ready to obey telegraphs an hour before dawn
Warships are not motor cars, you just don’t climb in at One minute too, start, and away you go.
For the stokers, full watch below………..2300 hours
Translate that. For large numbers of them, especially the Charge, Minobe, the CPO Chippee, and many watch and space I/C’s, who will still be putting final finishing touches to evaporator cleans, last minute maintenance tasks, fuel transfers, space securing, there will be little, if any time between completion of the days/evenings/nights work, and the shift to watch keeping.
For the Charge –there will be none.
Please start your sleep deprivation clock.
For the command team, they too will start this hidden, but deadly clock. There are last minute briefings.
Signal codes, steaming formations, chart updates, identification codes……….
0400 hours will come far too fast…….
For the air group maintainers., they too will have a night of work to complete. Zuiho will sail, and launch a heavy CAP………these birds must be ready.
To be truthful, to gain 4 hours sleep on Zuiho tonight, with such an early start, will be a very lucky event…
From the beginning, the flash up, is a nightmare.
Already steaming on 1A boiler, 1B will come online easily enough, as will Port engine room. In fact, just for once, Port unit comes online easily, Hirate and Okano have an easy time of it.
Stbd unit…………..
Charges first call comes at 2330.
Main feed controller, 2A boiler, is unresponsive to pre light off checks.
Like matrons around a birth, they gather about the beast.
The robot auto feed regulator refuses to reveal its secret, despite the curses directed at it. Like most machinery, its feelings cannot be hurt.
‘Is it Trucked Chief?’
‘how the truk should I know? –but lets find out ney?’
Bloody bitch of a machine. I bet I know though………let me poke your gizzards yes?
“get me a wrench”
Unit isolated……..yes, good. Ok, lets pull this drain cock off………
‘Piece of wire –welding rod, something I can poke with”
Ahh, here you go……….lets poke this up.
The welding rod hits something –undoubtedly the float. But its heavy, far too heavy
‘Damnation!. The float is flooded. This boiler is Truked then”
He stands, and already the pressure begins to show…….”get a light under 2 B then, get this heap of crap apart…..and quickly, we cannot delay………not today”
‘How long repairs charge?”
“Four hours minimum sir, we cannot do better than that”
‘Alright then………. Lets hope that is all that will go wrong……….
At 0100 hours, aft TG fails to raise a vacuum.
At 0115 hours, its salt water strainer is found choked with jelly fish. Not those little things you see on the beach, but great basket ball sized buggars, solid, heavy……..and stingy too.
So, zuiho is down to a single Turbo generator for a while…..no biggie….”get the trucker clean!.get it online”
At 0119 hours, fire main pressure is lost ……………….
0125 hours…………”the pumps full of jelly fish chief!”
0135 hours…………Flagship Kaga suffers a total power failure………
0142 hours……Remaining Turbo generator begins to lose vacuum…… yes –it’s a blocked strainer. More bloody jelly fish.
0156 hours……Seaman Lurch finds out that grabbing jelly fish with bare hands in a strainer………is really not a good idea….
0220 hrs----------and BB Kongo too suffers a total power failure
0230………..and although steam has been raised on aft unit, vacuum in the main condenser stubbornly refuse to rise……….and down goes the aux cooling pumps.
1245 hours, and its all hands on deck below…….racing from cooling strainer to the next, isolating, opening, slopping out the literally garbage tins of thick gelatine mass….. closing, de isolating……and on to the next.
It’s a losing game
The tide will turn at 0800……… the wind. Who knows?
O330 hours
‘from Commander combined Fleet
To
All units
Due to unexpected delays, fleet shall now sail at 1800 hours
Stop
Zuiho –through herculean effort, and not a little luck, at least keeps the lights on. .
Many ships do not.
The cry will go up……..bloody stokers!........and there will be little sympathy
Nor, no matter how hard you search, will you find any record of this night in the ships logs, or records.
No Navy can be defeated by Jellyfish ..can it?.
But for as long as they live………any Stoker there in Truk, will know exactly what is meant by the “battle of jelly fish bay’
But the wind does shift, the tide does turn, they do float away.
1800 hours, sanity restored below……..Zuiho sails.
Finally
( This happened to the entire “orange” fleet, of the Australian navy during one of the big Skippy exercises, Port headland during the 1980’s. Every ship suffered complete power failures over night, and the next day…………
………and we got ‘caught in port and ‘sunk’ I believe too…….grin)
Zuiho, and a good proportion of the fleet, lie at anchor, south west corner, Truk lagoon, a good position for an easy exit.
The wind, which has been blowing steadily south east for three days, - putting the task group in the leeward corner. Tonight, it is due to swing, putting them to winward.
Does that matter?
Why write about that?
What about the war……where is the war?
Well………you see, this wind is about to push anything, and everything that is in the lagoon….right to where the fleet is anchored.
(authors note------this very much based on a real life night……..)
Ship shall sail at 0400 hours.
Let us consider for a moment, what those few words mean
In all respects, Zuiho shall be ready to obey telegraphs an hour before dawn
Warships are not motor cars, you just don’t climb in at One minute too, start, and away you go.
For the stokers, full watch below………..2300 hours
Translate that. For large numbers of them, especially the Charge, Minobe, the CPO Chippee, and many watch and space I/C’s, who will still be putting final finishing touches to evaporator cleans, last minute maintenance tasks, fuel transfers, space securing, there will be little, if any time between completion of the days/evenings/nights work, and the shift to watch keeping.
For the Charge –there will be none.
Please start your sleep deprivation clock.
For the command team, they too will start this hidden, but deadly clock. There are last minute briefings.
Signal codes, steaming formations, chart updates, identification codes……….
0400 hours will come far too fast…….
For the air group maintainers., they too will have a night of work to complete. Zuiho will sail, and launch a heavy CAP………these birds must be ready.
To be truthful, to gain 4 hours sleep on Zuiho tonight, with such an early start, will be a very lucky event…
From the beginning, the flash up, is a nightmare.
Already steaming on 1A boiler, 1B will come online easily enough, as will Port engine room. In fact, just for once, Port unit comes online easily, Hirate and Okano have an easy time of it.
Stbd unit…………..
Charges first call comes at 2330.
Main feed controller, 2A boiler, is unresponsive to pre light off checks.
Like matrons around a birth, they gather about the beast.
The robot auto feed regulator refuses to reveal its secret, despite the curses directed at it. Like most machinery, its feelings cannot be hurt.
‘Is it Trucked Chief?’
‘how the truk should I know? –but lets find out ney?’
Bloody bitch of a machine. I bet I know though………let me poke your gizzards yes?
“get me a wrench”
Unit isolated……..yes, good. Ok, lets pull this drain cock off………
‘Piece of wire –welding rod, something I can poke with”
Ahh, here you go……….lets poke this up.
The welding rod hits something –undoubtedly the float. But its heavy, far too heavy
‘Damnation!. The float is flooded. This boiler is Truked then”
He stands, and already the pressure begins to show…….”get a light under 2 B then, get this heap of crap apart…..and quickly, we cannot delay………not today”
‘How long repairs charge?”
“Four hours minimum sir, we cannot do better than that”
‘Alright then………. Lets hope that is all that will go wrong……….
At 0100 hours, aft TG fails to raise a vacuum.
At 0115 hours, its salt water strainer is found choked with jelly fish. Not those little things you see on the beach, but great basket ball sized buggars, solid, heavy……..and stingy too.
So, zuiho is down to a single Turbo generator for a while…..no biggie….”get the trucker clean!.get it online”
At 0119 hours, fire main pressure is lost ……………….
0125 hours…………”the pumps full of jelly fish chief!”
0135 hours…………Flagship Kaga suffers a total power failure………
0142 hours……Remaining Turbo generator begins to lose vacuum…… yes –it’s a blocked strainer. More bloody jelly fish.
0156 hours……Seaman Lurch finds out that grabbing jelly fish with bare hands in a strainer………is really not a good idea….
0220 hrs----------and BB Kongo too suffers a total power failure
0230………..and although steam has been raised on aft unit, vacuum in the main condenser stubbornly refuse to rise……….and down goes the aux cooling pumps.
1245 hours, and its all hands on deck below…….racing from cooling strainer to the next, isolating, opening, slopping out the literally garbage tins of thick gelatine mass….. closing, de isolating……and on to the next.
It’s a losing game
The tide will turn at 0800……… the wind. Who knows?
O330 hours
‘from Commander combined Fleet
To
All units
Due to unexpected delays, fleet shall now sail at 1800 hours
Stop
Zuiho –through herculean effort, and not a little luck, at least keeps the lights on. .
Many ships do not.
The cry will go up……..bloody stokers!........and there will be little sympathy
Nor, no matter how hard you search, will you find any record of this night in the ships logs, or records.
No Navy can be defeated by Jellyfish ..can it?.
But for as long as they live………any Stoker there in Truk, will know exactly what is meant by the “battle of jelly fish bay’
But the wind does shift, the tide does turn, they do float away.
1800 hours, sanity restored below……..Zuiho sails.
Finally
( This happened to the entire “orange” fleet, of the Australian navy during one of the big Skippy exercises, Port headland during the 1980’s. Every ship suffered complete power failures over night, and the next day…………
………and we got ‘caught in port and ‘sunk’ I believe too…….grin)
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
ORIGINAL: 1275psi
30th August
‘Congratulations Hosho…..a field commission is a very rare thing”
It is a dream
Is this me?
Is this true?
no wonder they lost the bloody war, commissioning characters like that [;)]
nice "jellyfish" episode too, let's hope that our guys will find something to fight against....
keep it up you old dictator [:)]
the first ones are remembered
RE: The little ship that could.
Ta Hosho!
Ummmmmmmmmm bad news .
cantona going on a honeymoon...................until August 7th!
I think we are coming to a crashing halt until then..................
Ummmmmmmmmm bad news .
cantona going on a honeymoon...................until August 7th!
I think we are coming to a crashing halt until then..................
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt