The little ship that could.

[1275psi]

'How many sick now?"

the executive officer looks at the pad, frowns, rubs his forhead

"122 men sick sir. gastro like I have never seen. Its coming out at both ends"
Zuiho's captain nods.
'Avoid the heads then?"

'They are hell sir..........."

[kaleun]

'They are hell sir..........."

I can just see that.

[1275psi]

Hi kaluen

Really appreciate the comments. Writing into a vacuum is not much chop..............


Sickness on a warship is no small thing. In confined quarters, in sometimes less than sanitary conditions, it can spread like wildfire.
Although this is plain old food poisoning (the pork, yes, the pork), having literally 100's of men trying to use the toilets that only can take 20 at a time, is a recipe for disaster.

Next, taking the way some positions on a ship are critically dependant on key personal, it is no small thing to lose them
In reality, by midday Zuiho is crippled.
Her medical team is overwhelmed.
At midday, Takeji makes a decision.
All sick men are sent to the fantail, and the fire hoses come out.
The heads are attacked, the passage ways are attacked.
Every man onboard turns to cleaning stations, if Zuiho (always clean) is not sparkling by days end..................

Only in the hangers does normal work continue

For Zuiho, its a big moment
The new Torpedo bombers have arrived.
Hidake watches the first one tenderly lifted aboard from the barge tender, contemplating the Jills extra bulk.
Longer, wider......heavier.
They will be a tight fit. hanger rash down below will be a given.
But the extra range, and speed........


Hidaka knows his pilots are disgusted that they still fly the AM2. But now, now he truly has a weapon that can out reach the enemy, at a range where he cannot hit them.
Brutal as it seems, and something he can hardly admit to himself. Better to preserve this flight deck than its pilots.

Or himself.

[Crackaces]

Sickness on a warship is no small thing. In confined quarters, in sometimes less than sanitary conditions, it can spread like wildfire.
Although this is plain old food poisoning (the pork, yes, the pork), having literally 100's of men trying to use the toilets that only can take 20 at a time, is a recipe for disaster.

Just to say . in confined quarters it does not take food .. prestine cruise ships have been crippled by the Norovirus as an example. As far as war ..dysentery changed the battle of El Alamein.

Great story line!!

[Smoky Stoker]

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

They will be a tight fit. hanger rash down below will be a given.

I am unfamiliar with the term. Is "hangar rash" just a lot of little dings on the airplane, or something that happens when shirtless aircrew try to squeeze between the too-large machine and bulkheads?

[1275psi]

LOL

hanger rash -when some clot rams a wing or a prop into something else.

[1275psi]

From
First fleet

to

Combined fleet


Doctrine report

The strategic situation has changed
The enemy is firmly on the attack.
In light of lessons learned, First fleet has studied the lessons of the last 18 months, and draws the following conclusions

The only way to achieve victory on our terms, is to now crush the Allied fleet.
The allied fleet, is, the allied carrier forces.
our only weapon capable of doing this, is our carrier force.
In forty days, it will be considerably reinforced.

Thus, from this point on, Combined fleet shall operate under the following broad doctrine.

1/ The Army is on its own.
2/ No operation that requires anything less than a full deployment of every carrier we have, is worth pursuing.
3/ The only operation worth pursuing, are those where an opportunity to destroy enemy carriers is achievable

Combined fleet shall not be deployed until full strength is achieved in forty days time

new fleet organisation:

Combined fleet shall form 3 battle groups

battle group one
Akagi
Taiho
Shokaku
Zuikaku
Zuiho
Shoho
ryujo
Mushuia
Tone
minimum 14 DD

Zuiho and shoho shall provide exclusive naval search, and CAP


Ryujo, purely CAP


battle group 2
Hiryu
Soryu
katsaguri classCV
katsaguri class CV
Ryhuho
Nissan cvl
Mizhuro cvl
yamato
Again, CVLs will provide CAP and search


battle group 3
Hiyo
yamashiro
6 DD

This battle group shall operate at all times some 80 miles ahead of the main fleet, as picket, and early warning

Further surface task forces shall be formed, and operate on the flanks, ahead of and in support of mobile fleet

main counterstrike forces, shall form around Bat div 1, Bat div 2 -Kongo class BBs, and heavy CA's
They shall seek night engagements.


A new fleet, eastern fleet shall form at Singapore, based around 3 CVEs, and the old BBs as available
It shall form a fleet in being, and act as a decoy force with CV based aircraft sightings south of Ceylon and in the indian ocean.

from his point on, any chance of inflicting 1 for 1 losses in fleet carriers, is acceptable.
American tolerance to further naval disasters is now severly limited, sinking new CVs remains Japans greatest chance of a successful peace.

Genda.

[1275psi]

2/9/43

Zuiho lies at anchor quietly, the run of sickness now abating.
Takeji calls a wardroom conference

"We can expect to remain here for some time. After that, i fear we will see little rest."
His eyes take all under his gaze
"get your departments into order, I am taking Zuiho to 24 hrs notice"

Notice for sea:

Immediate" ready to obey telegraphs' -everything burning and turning.
1 Hrs notice - boilers online, turning gear in, reduced vacuum
4 hrs -steaming auxiliary -minor repairs
8 hrs - still at auxiliary here in harbour -but one plant can be shut down

24 hrs ......well. can you repair equipment A, and once started, get it back online within 24 hrs?

This, of course, is the question Minobe takes to the Charge
"What can he do?'

24 hrs, a lifetime in war.
And now, an unexpected luxury.

But there are other things to consider.
many machines in this world, (and on warships especially) have the happy knack of working well - until you touch them. Then they seem to get cranky............

But Charge barely hesitates
"we must crack down the Evaporators. At the least. And some cooler cleans must be done. But the evaporators
are critical"

There, my dear Engineer. A decision for you, have you really changed?. Or will you slope shoulders as ever?

Minobe nods.
"'Do them Chief."
And then the unexpected.
"I believe we are going to be here at least a week.......I know you have other things greater than 24 hrs notice.
I will not notice........."

[1275psi]

To Hosho, the war has taken a curious turn

The Prince briefs them in the shade of his HQ tent
The enemy have retired from katha, with out a shot being fired, towards Myitkina.
And their own particular protagonists, the aussies, they too, by any indication, were retiring on Myitkina.

'A trap?, a decoy?"
The prince was inclined to disagree.
But the clown, thinks Hosho, has at least the foresight not to go rushing North again.
"If it is, we are not going to find out. The enemy push at Akyab. Nothing in the centre though towards Mandalaby. Our supplies are low. So we will sit. The longer we sit, the more men we can expect to arrive to help us"

This, of course to a leg weary man, is good news.
But supplies are low.
More men.
How in the hell are we going to supply them all?

Overhead, however, mutely in the air, the ever present growl and whine of the fighters.
The war on the ground has come to a stop.
In the air, the blood still flows.

[Smoky Stoker]

I just put the "notice for sea" hours in my occasional book, where I save things useful and/or entertaining. In another fifty years, it will be a piece of arcane knowledge that naval historians will flail desperately to find. In return, here is a quote from one of my favorite writers of science fiction -

"Look at this. What do you see?" He nodded at Tony again.
"A laser weld, sir."
"So it would appear. Your identification is quite understandable—and quite wrong. I want you all to memorize this piece of work. Look well. Because it may easily be the most evil object you will ever encounter."
They looked wildly impressed, but totally bewildered. He commanded their absolute silence and utmost attention.
"That," he pointed for emphasis, his voice growing heavy with scorn, "is a falsified inspection record. Worse, it's one of a series. A certain subcontractor... found its profit margin endangered by a high volume of its work being rejected... The welds passed the computer certification all right—because it was the same damn good weld, replicated over and over again..."
He gathered his breath. "This is the most important thing I will ever say to you. The human mind is the ultimate testing device... There is nothing, nothing, nothing more important to me in the men and women I train than their absolute personal integrity. Whether you function as welders or inspectors, the laws of physics are implacable lie detectors. You may fool men. You will never fool the metal."

-Lois McMaster Bujold; Falling Free

[1275psi]

Now that was brilliant smokey stoker!

yes, and all very, very true.

But then, Minobe is not a man of honour.

But I don't think the charge will bend too many rules.
(The Vaps are a big enough head ache as they are!)

[1275psi]

Damiensan enters Imperial HQ
He has been seen rarely these last months, Japans industry running at full tilt now.
As usual, the Dictator is straight to the point
A small document is thrust into his hands:

Intelligence estimate of Allied carrier strength.:

CV Wasp
CV Essex
CV Bunker Hill
CV, name unknown
CV, name unknown
CVL Independence
CVL Bellaeu Wood
CVL Princetown
CVL Cowpens
CVL Motgomery

Total, approx 850 a/c


"Is this posible!?. Is this correct!?. That in 18 months they have rebuilt their carrier arm?"
he can hear the incredulious doubt in his voice........'tell me this cannot be true!"

Ahhhhhhh, when dreams crash. And reality comes thudding in.............

"Its probably worse sir. Add in the CVE's, and the battleships coming off the ways.........."
'And we cannot match this , can we?"
'You can try to catch the wind sir"

Silence
'You are dismissed"
"sir"


They out number me already. They grow strong.
In material. In steel.
But what of their men?
Impossible that they will fight on, and on............
Surely?

I must force a decisive battle.
I must.


But that inner voice persists:

But we have already had it.................and they fight on.......................

[kaleun]

Great thread, keep it up.

[John 3rd]

TOTALLY depressing...

[1275psi]

There is a new routine for the pilots.
Every day, as they have since the war begun, they will conduct calethsetics, or what ever the hell you callit (Diogawa more bounces about in a undignified jiggle most days).
But now, at the Captains insistance, they sing Marshall songs before they begin,and one when they finish.
Tostart, they rang out these songs, but today, Hidaka notices with distatste, they die away, mutely stolen by the wind.
He dismisses them, but followsthembelow decks.

The ready room is too hot, and with the evening meal only some 30 minutes away, most of them gather on the starboard "balcony", seeking the shade of the overhanging flight deck.
Wearily they sit, and contemplate silently the vista of this "tropical paradise"
Uto breaks the silence. "You know, this really is a crap hole, isn't it?'
Most murmer agreement.
"Not like Truk," agrees Diogawa "At least there, there are proper shore facilities. Even Some decent bath houses"
"Buggar the Bath houses" Ogawa's voice is tinged with regret "What of the Brothels of Rabual eh?. When will we be going back to them?"
Hidaka silently shakes his head.
He should not, but he must. It is bursting within him. Like a Father to his children, you can only hide the terrible truths of this world for so long.
"I doubt, my friends, that we will ever see Rabual again"

This brings sharp heads towards him.
And uncomfortable shifts of bodies.
"Please explain flight leader?"
Hidaka carefully considers his words.
When he speaks, he speaks carefully, clearly. A teachers words.
They come from the very depths of his heart, and the men listening will feel the emotion there, will sense the utter essence of Hidaka the man in them.
Some, some who look carefully, will see his hands, his lips tremble.............

'The enemy have invested Lae, they have pounded Rabual, they have closed kavieg. Your Brothels are long gone"
He pauses, stares at this lagoon, the gathering mist, the greying shapes of the ships softening in this dusks light.
'My Father was part of the team that went to the washington treaty negotiations. probably explains a little of why I hate those arrogant bukas so much. When he returned, he bought me a book.
I was struggling to learn English, but I tackled it nevertheless."
He smiles, eyes distant, remembering.
"It was a strange book, what you call science fiction. Something strange to us, but so appealing. I wonder if we will ever adopt it.?. Anyway, it was called War of the Worlds, by HG Wells"

'Ahh, I have heard of this book" Diogawa breaks in " An invasion of England by Martians , set in the early 1900's no?"
'Yes, yes, you are correct."

Silence has fallen now, and the men listen carefully.
About them, Zuiho continues, but here time stands still.
In fact, it goes backwards, back to youth, and innocence.

"I will always remember one scene in the book.. The invaders are unstoppable, impacable. They stride about in giant three legged machines, with ray guns, that melt all in their path. Nothing can stand against them, to do so, is to die.'

Die.
The word hangs heavy in the air

"The hero makes his way to the coast, and see's his girl taken to sea on a steamer, into the mist. But standing before them, three of the martian machines..........."
And then, as if he reads the words now, Hidaka carries on.
They are engraved, maybe imperfectly, on his heart. but they live there. And now he gives them voice
"But standing silently, there lay the dreadnought Thunderchild. With a whoosh of steam, a mighty roar, she charges the Martian machines. They release their deadly black smoke, but she charges on, guns blazing. A martian machine is shattered, spinning, splashing to destruction. Thinking luck has changed, fortune has smiled at last, the crowds watching begin to shout 'Come on Thunderchild!'
But then, the Martians raise their heat rays, and melt her valiant heart

Earth is theirs. Man is done."

is there a tear there Hidaka?
I think so. Certainly, we hear your heart now.......
"I find it funny you know. I think. They had no chance. None at all. But they fight anyhow. They fight for family, for home, for loved ones. I never thought I would, me a Japanese, learn what Duty really means from the British".

He takes them in the eye, in the silence, in the gather dusk.
The sun is setting.
"I don't think we will see Japan again, my men. I truly don't. I don't think much about my family, about my beautiful land, of Japan, as it hurts too much.
But when the impacable enemy comes, I will know my duty............"

[1275psi]

Not depressing John 3rd

A challenge!!!

[1275psi]

6/9 43

Leadership matters

CL Oyoda, leading 6 of the new Akizuki race into the waters around finchesan. They encounter 3 enemy destroyers.

Its a fiasco, after a single hit on Oyoda, the japanese fall into confusion.
It takes them nearly 4 hours to slip past these ships, time enough for the transports to get away
APA calvert takes 2 hits, the smoke screens laid by the many SC's escorting them is good enough.
Chastened, the japanese retire.

It is a poor effort.


Zuiho remains at anchor.
Hidaka, already, hates the new B6N1's. A week, and still 3 remain unservicable, and to boot, one wing has already been mis judged in length, shattering a zeros canopy.
But they have them now.

He can hardly hand them back.

CV Taiho commissions in Kobe.
Captain kato in command.
May he have better luck in her.


And poor hosho is marching again.
They have abandoned the ridge. 15th Army is now in full retirement mode.


The war is, realitevly quiet.
It will still be 30 days, or more, before japans carrier arm is ready for battle.
It is obvious to Japans high command, the allies are waiting for theirs as well.
Who's will arrive first?
It is a question, the answer of which, may well decide the rest of the war.

[Gridley380]

Love this story, especially the bits like the bad pork, and the sailor's units of measure.

[1275psi]

7/9/43

The war has slipped into almost a slumber.
Only in two places, in the air over Burma, and near gassmatta, is blood spilt

In Burma, air activity has dropped to mere probes, some single one on one combats. Losses on both sides are light.
Both sides, evidently, are re gathering for the next great clash, which now inevitably, will occur in the jungles south of Akyab.

South of gassmatta, frustration supreme.
CL Oyoda's raid has had one effect. Forcing ships to flee every which way, it now seems that dozens flop about, tanks dry.
Frustrating I am sure for the allies.
Worse for the Japanese, who cannot take advantage.
Jakes try to bomb, they miss.




For Zuiho, this week has been a blessing.
For the Charge, a double blessing. Officially Zuiho is now zero system damage, zero float damage. A fact Minobe passes straight faced to Takeji every evening.
In reality, many greatly delayed jobs are being tackled.
The evaporators have been cracked down, cleaned, the filters replaced, this time with out hassles.

Many valves have been re packed, and several pumps overhauled.
In the Port Engine room, several long sections of drain main have been ripped out and replaced. The work list, amazingly, is getting thin.
Maybe an approach to Minobe for a departmental day ashore is in order?

The Navy, however, has its own ideas, similar to the charges nevertheless.

The notices go up on all the boards, team lists...........
The fleet is going to have a sports day.

There are only (well to my mind and experience) two opinions on sports days.
For most, a very, very welcome way to release steam.
For others, a day of curses, extra work and effort.

The cooks, well-send the raw ingredients ashore, let the sailors cook, there is never a shortage of volunteers. So, all good.
But the supply bods - well, some one has to dig all these supplies out of Zuihos bowels, and get them ashore.

Medics hate these days, always some poor barsted is going to crack a skull or break a bone.

90 percent of stokers welcome these days, stokers generally do well.
Tug of wars -a given win.
The rowing regatta -a good shake.
The wrestling, the races, well, the fights can always be won as well.

But for some, these days are a nightmare.
600 men are going ashore today, 600 men in the ships boats

For the Charge, the nightmare begins about 11am
All morning he has been checking the gangway, watching the way the coxswains use or abuse the boats, and asking for fuel states.
Lurch has been kept busy, sweating in the hot sun, topping tanks, checking oils.
One boat breaks down early -well, not so much as breaks down, it comes limping back, shattered prop, bent prop shaft.
Another cooks its simply diesel engine, the fool driving it has beached it.
Diesel cooling systems do not work well sucking sand.

Japans lack of industrial background for so many of its men, is killing the charge.
The true nightmare however see's boat number 4 running out of fuel, right as word is recieved that the Captain will require to return onboard in ten minutes..........


Cursing the coxswain the dumb brute, Charge and Lurch descend the ladder.
The boat is a simple open pinnace, a small 4 cylinder diesel driving it.
Refuelling, bleeding the system will take just the ten minutes, ten minutes of incentive directed at some poor simple peasant.
The sun will burn the back ot their necks, and grease will stain their uniforms.
It is a foul mood chief petty officer (a dangerous beast indeed) who sends the boat on its way again.

But these are the charges troubles, few will notice, nor I supposwe, rightly care.
The fleet has a good day.............



Charge is having a bite of supper, when it happens.
I think, in retrospect, it is a good thing.

The very little pinnace he cursed this morning, is a bare foot securing in its davit, suspended nearly 40 feet above the water, and zuihos bulge, when the aft chain block fails.
It explodes in a catastrphic spray of breaking timber and flying metal, dropping the boats arse into a vertical plunge -throwing the poor coxswain straight out, and down.

The sound of his head fatally striking Zuiho's side is akin to a coconut striking.
But coconuts dont explode in a spray of red.............

[1275psi]

Hi gridely 380

here are a few more thoughts:

Things that are gone for good:

The whine of forced draught blowers, rising to a shriek as full ahead is rung down..........
The long line, waiting for a spot in the heads, so you can have a bird (basin of water) bath.
The even longer line at meal times.
The eternal friends you make , while waiting in those lines.
The ability for a ship to roll, and plump that meal you waited for so long for, into your lap.
How vital machinery only breaks 12 hours before sailing.
The heat that blasts out of boiler room dorrs and hatches.
The nochalant way the stokers descend down into that heat, as if it means nothing........
The Stokers "veranda' on the Starboard side.
The Cooks on the Port.
The way that the only spanner that will fit, is right at that moment being used in the aft gland space -ie, about as far away as it can get with out going over the side.
How, all those bits of crap, you cleaned out last week-ie, gave a swim- apparently included those bloody special bits you absolutely need right now.
The art of pumping bilges -without pumping oil (not!)
How 24's feel like 48's
The fine art of bilge cleaning, AKA, turning humans into toilet brushes.
Non stop, never ending card games in the mess.
You are always talking boiler chemistry -is it in the box?
Its not! -give it a dose!
Its not! -give her a good blow down!
Duty swaps -whats the going rate?
How dibbies don't have a clue, bloody upper deck monkeys
How stokers don't have a clue, bloody black gang
water tests
Work
That unique sizzle a wrist makes when it contacts a exposed steam line.........
Transfer fuel time -again
revolutions 230! -whoo hoo!, rip into her boys!
revolutions 320! -for ***** sakes -stop sucking me back!
Gawd, that fuel is crap! -she'll burn, just wind the blower up a bit.
More work
Even more work
Burn yourself did ya? - you call that a burn? -check this out!
The knowledge, that if you can handle a steam ship, you can handle anything life throws at you..............