The little ship that could.

[1275psi]

Earlier:

Fuchida fiddles with the trim, trying to find the sweet spot again. 47th Sentai circle above Ambon at 15000 feet, growling across the great blue sky, Ambon below, the ocean fading away to the horizon. As they bank, and the Northern horizon comes into view, the great grey shapes, way out there, wakes streaming, arrows, "here we are" they speak, "come and get us".

Somewhere, over there, Fuchida's Father serves. Too far to pick out Zuiho, but they are there. He is all right.
And that is so good.
The sun streams onto the canopy, the ocean a billion diamonds sparkling
The air, here, at least, cool and sweet.
Temptation to remove the oxygen mask lurks, but that is a fools game.

There is no surprise when the call comes.
"Enemy bombers"

He see's them immediately, 6000 feet, he see's them a long long way away, so has every body else
Orders crack across the airwaves. A dozen fighters peel down and away.

Fuchida keeps circling.
47th is too experienced to get over excited by half a dozen Mitchells

The Mitchells turn away, well the two survivors do

47th resume circling, resume the guard.

Combined fleet sail on, racing towards their tankers, wakes streaming, "here we are"
Nobody will answer the invitation, not this day.

[1275psi]

14/3/44

Quiet descends in the passageways and compartments on Zuiho

State 2

Sleep

Balakipapan in 2 days



The battle of babar is over.
The costs, to both sides, frightful

For the Japanese, there is an immediate and direct effect. Nearly a dozen fighter groups have been shattered, and they now lie scattered across a half dozen bases to the rear. Some are at 50%, some as little as 20% strength, and the pools are empty.
Losses in Pilots, staggering.
Those who survive, however, must be very good, or very lucky.

High Command makes a brutal, yet necessary decision. Land based fighters of the zero make, will be nothing more than escort fodder from now on. The defence rests on the george, on the carrier units.

Across the Empire, postings are promlugated.
The Zero sentai's are stripped of their best, replaced with raw rookies.

All know, it heralds the beginging of a downward spiral.
But what other choice does Japan have?

[1275psi]

16/3/44

( Zuiho 7 system, 2 engine damage)

Zuiho rests at anchor Balikapapan, her Port boiler room now finally quiet. She steams auxiliary on 2 B boiler, swinging at anchor
Her port boilers have been shut down, and as rapidly as possible "killed". Now, with all the pressure released, (a great deal into the space via a boiler back fill valve-which has done nothing for the humidity) and the boiler drained, the sound of sledge hammers rings through the space, the nuts for the float controller are both large, and reluctant.

Lurch swings the hammer
Nobody knows why, or what has happened, but Minobe has dropped the charges, has approached the Captain, and just like that, it seems, Lurch has returned to us.
he will not waste time thinking about it. The nuts are reluctant

It feels especially good to swing the hammer.

[1275psi]

A letter, nestled in Minobes Diary


"My dear chap.

It has not escaped notice , even amongst us lofty fellows, that you exibit aa certain roughness of character towards certain members of our crew, one, who in particular, currently resides in the cells.

It pains me to remind you of this, but you do know who my father is?

I would really appreciate it, as a favour, if you like, if you would forget about a certain incident involving that young man, and returned him to us, my Father really is a very busy man and I would hate to bother him with my (your ) problem

regards
Pilot officer Uto

[1275psi]

"hey Uto, what in the hell do you care about a stoker, why get involved?"

"because Diogawa, you idiot, he is the man you see every time you need an extra long shower""
"oh"
"fair enough?"
"Yes, fair enough"

[1275psi]

16/3/44

battle of babar washup

japanese losses
BB Haranua
CA Mogami
CA Suzuya
11 destroyers (ouch!!!)
2 APD
4 E class
7 ss
5 AK
5 AP

2 regiments, 2 NG, 2 ENG reg, 2 BF units
Probably 500 a/c

By the ship sunk screen
BB Royal Oak
BB massachuettess (and I am fairly confident of that, via sunk location and sinking noises on that turn)
CVE Sanagoman
CVE Liscombe bay
CVE Altamaha
CVE Breton
8 DD
1APA
10 AP
2 LSD
3 LST
4DE
5 AK
1 AM
2 PF
about 200 a/c

However, other than Yamato and sister, every BB is out of action for anywhere between a week and a month, and so are most of my cruisers.
The fleet is very roughed up.

His CVs have vanished -back, I suspect towards PNG/Cooktown

I have, on the other hand, brocken 1st and 3rd marine divisions for at least 3 months.

We fight on!!!

[kaleun]

Good Show!

[british exil]

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

16/3/44

battle of babar washup

japanese losses
BB Haranua
CA Mogami
CA Suzuya
11 destroyers (ouch!!!)
2 APD
4 E class
7 ss
5 AK
5 AP

2 regiments, 2 NG, 2 ENG reg, 2 BF units
Probably 500 a/c

By the ship sunk screen
BB Royal Oak
BB massachuettess (and I am fairly confident of that, via sunk location and sinking noises on that turn)
CVE Sanagoman
CVE Liscombe bay
CVE Altamaha
CVE Breton
8 DD
1APA
10 AP
2 LSD
3 LST
4DE
5 AK
1 AM
2 PF
about 200 a/c

However, other than Yamato and sister, every BB is out of action for anywhere between a week and a month, and so are most of my cruisers.
The fleet is very roughed up.

His CVs have vanished -back, I suspect towards PNG/Cooktown

I have, on the other hand, brocken 1st and 3rd marine divisions for at least 3 months.

We fight on!!!

I think you may have hurt him, he might have been expecting a pushover.
Great work. Just hope your losses really were worth it. It sure looks that way.


Fight on!!!


Mat

[1275psi]

17/3/44

A quiet day in the war.
But for any ship, war or peace, quiet is very subjective.........


It is time, my friends, to face the harsh realities of this war.
The Allies grow stronger, and despite her victories, now for Japan, its the bloody step by step fight backwards.
And increasingly, especially in the light of last months experience, the chances of being damaged (or worse) are increasing for everyone

Its time to think about Zuiho's damage control.

Lets try to avoid the arguments over Japanese standards, some, its clear, were very poor, especially amongst some of her carriers.
Others had superb control -the cruisers were particularily tough, it seems, and lately, some of her battle wagons have shown admirable skill and strength.
But what of Zuiho?
How is her ability to fight the hidden fight that grows daily in threat?

Damage control is three things, the ship itself, the systems she uses -(her D/C doctrine), and her men.

The ship.............well, not so good. Small hull, only 8 real flotation zones, boiler rooms grouped together, Engine rooms aft together, simple systems, only 4 fire pumps, only limited emergency power (and only a single portable fire pump), and , of course, she's a carrier, and a converted one at that.
But, she can turn hard.
Dodging, she has already shown, she's good at that.
With all of those torpedoes, av gas, and bombs onboard, lets hope Takeji remains lucky.

Her systems, or doctrine........

Zuiho is based very much on the British system, as are most japanese ships.
She has firstly, 3 main repair bases, one at each end of the main hanger, the third on the lower hanger.
The two on the upper areas, have half a ship each, the lower one is assigned mainly to the machinery spaces

There are other special gunnery repair, and electrical repair teams scattered. (these, it seems, know exactly where to hide in a exercise, and catch a bit of sleep)


But we digress..............

Each base has fire teams.
Fire teams have firstly an attack party, armed with crude, often mis firing extinguishers.
They are followed by the hose team -an attack nozzle, a water wall nozzle
Other men are assigned to pump and flood, or containment.
Many, simply are messengers
All have very crude gas masks/smoke cannisters, and ( i did not know this until i saw it in a 1940 Japanese movie made on Akagi), they wear a very early version of anti flash..........unlike their current american foes, japanese sailors "cover up"


Each repair base reports directly to Central, nestled here on Zuiho deep down in the ship, nestled between the boiler rooms and the engine room.
Here Minobe mostly glowers at Lurch, who recieves the messages (along with 2 other sailors) and plots the reports on the damage control board.
The CPO Chippee, basically, then runs the show, delegating poirities and the like.
This should be Minobes job, instead, it seems, he simple restricts himself to reporting to the bridge the state of affairs.
(they are always very good and under control)

There is a dedicated damage Control officer on Zuiho, he has a roving role.
We have not written about him, because he's not worth the ink.............


And this, of course, leads to her men.

Zuihos, bluntly, are neither good, nor bad. They practice, quite a lot actually,
But.........

There is no imagination. None can conceive of bulkheads or decks torn asunder, or of holes metres across, or like Akagi, elevators torn and flung fifty metres.........
No. Regrettfully, in practice, fires are started, they are tackled, they never grow, they never get out of control, they never consume men and metal.
No, they are contained, they are fought, they are put out.

Floods, always seem to hit in the forward store, always seem to be stopped, always seem to be contained to that store.

Zuiho is a battle hardened ship, her men brave, and damn good at their job.
But they have, like I said, little imagination.

(and considering what they have seen occur about them over the last two years, speaks volumes, I think, about a certain Engineering Officer she carries)


After all, can you concieve your steel home torn utterly asunder?
I never could.
It was, is always, so much easier to think of something else.


So, is Zuiho any good?
I am sorry, but the hard truth..........not really.

Lets just pray she is never tested yes?

[obvert]

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

[Lecivius]

Just ghosting in here, mate. I don't believe the Japanese had water wall nozzles in this time. Or am I mistaken?


In any event, carry on!

[1275psi]

Hi Ovbert!
Hi Lecivius

Im not sure either[:D], but i have seen a film of DC exercises on Akagi 1940, and they appeared to have 2 hoses......
anyway, on Zuiho, they do in this story...........(opening for a plot development if needed[:(])

Hope enjoying the show.

[1275psi]

18/3 44

A wide, brown river, flowing swiftly here, with a reef of rocks jutting dangerously fangs drawn almost mid stream.
A beating, blazing sun

A canoe, stuck fast, upon the rocks
In it, a comatose figure, burnt bright red from the sun, but unmistakably a British figure, for the airmans cap still sits askew upon its head.

Hosho lowers his glasses.
"A britisher. 100 yen for who ever gets him tonight, he may be a useful prisoner"

On the opposite bank, another Officer, Australian lowers his glasses
"A quid to whoever gets him back , but we better be quick about it, if the Japs don't get him tonight, the crocs bloody will"

Pilot officer "long pig" Graham, delerious, remains oblivious.

[1275psi]

18/3/44
Carrier ASO joins the fleet at Hiroshima.

Another in 2 days, Taiho returns in 9.
So do both Yamato's

Japan is enjoying this pause for breath. She needs it.

[1275psi]

Above Ambon


Adjust the goggles.
Breath deep
Flex fingers
Push the stick forward, drop the nose, throttle to the wall, dive, dive , stoop as a hawk onto the dove.
Fuchida leads 47th down


380 knots, controls hard, solid, fighting, the mitchell growing, growing, the finger twitch, the guns hammer, the stink, the cordite, the little flashes, the tracer dancing, left engine exploding, and past, and hauling her back, and back, blood rushing, rushing, vision fading, fading, breathe!, Gasp!, gasp!, breathe!, and rising, and rising.........., ,
yamaguchi, gods, pulling even harder, flashing across his nose, , drifting, drifting, eyes meet, grins, grins, , banking into the bukas again, , damn you yamaguchi!,, he was mine!

The Mitchells, all three, are gone.


47th now have 44 kills
Fuchida remains on 5.

[1275psi]

18 march 44

Balikapapan

Zuiho remains at anchor, steaming auxiliary still on the after unit.
For the Charge, for her stokers, its been a tough two days, the little bitch is having a stubborn spell. The Feed controller is repaired, but the boiler has fought the pressure test tooth and nail -the mud droum gasket has leaked -twice, once, it seems, from being replaced poorly, the second time.......well, we blame the gasket itself.

Other problems have mushroomed, from two ventilation fans siezing , one in the hanger, another one that supplies air to the ready room, of all places.............and that has to be fixed quick!
Boiler cleans are due, and there is not a day Charge thinks about that last tube inspection.............

Refit cannot come fast enough.
But the prospect of that, it seems, fades daily.


Zuiho -6 system damage, 2 Eng - which is almost as bad as she has ever been..

[1275psi]

The sun has settled, and the river has darkened. The Jungles, which only minutes before was a mass of trees and bushes, has now solidified into one dark shadow. Silence is settling, broken only by the occasional bird, the ripple of the waters

The canoe remains in place.

From the southern bank, a single man slips into the water, and begins to glide silently across the 50 yards towards his quarry
Unseen, for now, three men, towing a rope, using a small plank as flotation, slip into the water from the Northern bank.

The darkness grows, now, it is very difficult to even make out the canoe.............
Silence, pregnant with expectation, and hidden menace, seems to fill the very air of the 100's of men, who hidden, watch the game at play.

One pair of these eyse belongs to Hosho.
He gestures, a crack, and a flare bursts into life over the Aussie side, exposing instantly the three heads 30 feet from the bank
A japanese machine gun barks, its stattaco fire shattering the silence, tracer white, hot, whipping towards the swimmers.
Almost instantly, fromthe Aussie side, 5 machine guns, guns that have waited so patiently for a target to reveal itself, burst into life, seeking the muzzle flash of the japanese gun

Bukas!,
Hosho ducks for cover, grabs the radio......."Mortar party!, as previously sighted!, open fire!

The river is being criss crossed with a mad dance of tracer, the waters edges on both sides torn asunder. More machine guns, and a great many rifles now, the noise rising to a cresendo ........the pooft!, POOFT of the mortars joining in......

Almost forgotten, both swimming parties have retreated, seeking shelter from the storm they have launched
Hosho bends to the Radio.......'Get the boat, get the boat!:, get............an artillry shell, 6 pounder perhaps, crashes into the jungle.

Japanes Mortars are being met by Allied artillery
Spitting dirt, Hosho calls again..............."5th regiment artillert officer!, I need support!"

Four minutes since the first guns, and now 8 Aussie Artillery pieces, who have also waited for a target, now seem to have one.........."Enemy Artillery fire, coming from co ordinate XYZ by ABC!"
Barrells lift.

55 Division HQ's slumber has been broken, the rumble of the guns from the river.
The divisional Commander, the prince, stares into the night, gripped by uncertainty..
"Sir!, its 5th regiment calling for Divisional support!, there is word of boats on the river!, a heavy bombardment!"

The attack at last?
It must be!
"get me my sword!, full approval, emergency counter bombardment on 5 regiments river front!. Get me Corps HQ! NO!, WAIT!, on my Approval, commit Corps Artillery, fire everything!"

Long pig Graham, oblivious, will not feel the shock of the shells near by, nor the canoe be shaken free. forgotten by everyone, it seems, in this hail of fire , he will drift on.
And as fate has it, to the allied bank, and rescue



Japan has gathered here, quietly, nearly 70 % of the artillery available to it.Here, on this river bank north of Moulmien.
In the thirty minutes that it takes to sort out the chaos, to bring silence, it will deliver a massive barrage, into basically nothing.
But it will tell the Allies this. Moulmien is not going to be taken.
Dawn, and the recon is not mistaken. Allied troops are marching North.
They cannot cross the river, they will go around it.

[1275psi]

CVL Shoho, CVL Mizuho arrive safely at Japan.
90 odd days to repair, each.

But they are home, and that, at least, is a small win.

[Borys]

"Long Pig" Graham will be able to put "I make things happen" on his business cards after the war  ...

Borys

[Smoky Stoker]

ORIGINAL: Borys

"Long Pig" Graham will be able to put "I make things happen" on his business cards after the war  ...

Except that he won't know. He slept through all this part.