12 June 44
Extract from the diary of the Charge
(yes, its been a long time since we peeked into here.............but like a machine, he keeps the diary going)
.........the number of defects is climbing quickly. Mainly steam leaks, and the burners desperately need re alignment, we are blowing far too much smoke.......
I have no spares. Plenty of spare metal in the shop, but even we are being stretched..........
We have heard nothing of anything since leaving singapore.
I hope, pray, my son remains safe in Japan, nursing rookies..........
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.
13 June
Pilot Officer "long Pig" Graham stares blanefully through his one eye. The other is closed by the brutal bruise that covers half his face. One day, he silently swears to himself, these little barsteds would pay...
In the beginning, things had been............strange
The soldiers had robbed him, yelling with delight at the bars of chocolate. The Officer.........
The Officer seemed to know him. Seemed to be amused about him. The word canoe even might have been mentioned, but there had been little English in this hole.
Incredibly, they had spent 6 hours playing chess!
Played Chess as the bombers banged away above
But then, the intelligence officer had arrived, strutting peacock of a prig.........
The questioning he had expected
The beatings..........well, part of the game, what?
But the cruel tortures..............
Now these barsteds seem to be about to play a new game.............
There are 6 men now in the bunker, a Leutenant, 4 common ranks...............and this prig, the intelligence officer.
The little prig leans close again, and repeats, in horribly impecable English.......'And for the last time, the number of Divisions across the river....and do they intend to attack?"
Graham tests his bound hands again, still numb, useless behind him.
Wearily he shakes his head.
No
Rapid Japanese....the hands grab him.
Sharp words betwen the two Officers...........
Arms force him to his knees, push his head forward..........in the dull of the cave, the glint of the sword.
Hosho views the scene with disgust
Questioning yes, that is expected.
But this..........
He will have nothing of this. This man has fought, not surrendered with out a fight. A japanese heart, no?
Torture is, is below them...........below the 55th Divisions name surely........
The Intelligence officer, how quickly he has come to hate the man, advances on the prisoner again, "'And for the last time, the number of Divisions across the river....and do they intend to attack?"
No
"Get him on his knees!"
A sword is drawn
Hosho's eyes catch a form in the corner, the dummy soldier, lying forgotten.
A crazy idea fills his head
'Sir!, you cannot!"
The intelligence officer sneers."and why not?'
'Because Divisional Commander has reserved the pleasure sir...........if you deprive him........."
'Buka"
The sword goes back into its scabbard.
'"get him on his feet. I will take him to Headquarters"
Hosho nods......sir, if i suggest, the front entance would be easier and faster"
Silence fills the bunker. Several of his mens eyes widen............but none speak
"very well"
The Intelligence Officer strides to the entrance.....'bring him"
Hoshos men take Graham by the arms, and hang back ever so slightly
The intelligence Officer moves out of the cave, and Greg Butler across the river shoots true.
Hosho shakes his head. "war ney?"
"Why sir?" one of his men asks, incrediously.......
Hosho shrugs.'I dont really know, insurance perhaps?." he gestures to the britisher, release his bonds, he's not going anywhere"
'Long pig' shakes his hands free...........things, apparently, remain strange
Pilot Officer "long Pig" Graham stares blanefully through his one eye. The other is closed by the brutal bruise that covers half his face. One day, he silently swears to himself, these little barsteds would pay...
In the beginning, things had been............strange
The soldiers had robbed him, yelling with delight at the bars of chocolate. The Officer.........
The Officer seemed to know him. Seemed to be amused about him. The word canoe even might have been mentioned, but there had been little English in this hole.
Incredibly, they had spent 6 hours playing chess!
Played Chess as the bombers banged away above
But then, the intelligence officer had arrived, strutting peacock of a prig.........
The questioning he had expected
The beatings..........well, part of the game, what?
But the cruel tortures..............
Now these barsteds seem to be about to play a new game.............
There are 6 men now in the bunker, a Leutenant, 4 common ranks...............and this prig, the intelligence officer.
The little prig leans close again, and repeats, in horribly impecable English.......'And for the last time, the number of Divisions across the river....and do they intend to attack?"
Graham tests his bound hands again, still numb, useless behind him.
Wearily he shakes his head.
No
Rapid Japanese....the hands grab him.
Sharp words betwen the two Officers...........
Arms force him to his knees, push his head forward..........in the dull of the cave, the glint of the sword.
Hosho views the scene with disgust
Questioning yes, that is expected.
But this..........
He will have nothing of this. This man has fought, not surrendered with out a fight. A japanese heart, no?
Torture is, is below them...........below the 55th Divisions name surely........
The Intelligence officer, how quickly he has come to hate the man, advances on the prisoner again, "'And for the last time, the number of Divisions across the river....and do they intend to attack?"
No
"Get him on his knees!"
A sword is drawn
Hosho's eyes catch a form in the corner, the dummy soldier, lying forgotten.
A crazy idea fills his head
'Sir!, you cannot!"
The intelligence officer sneers."and why not?'
'Because Divisional Commander has reserved the pleasure sir...........if you deprive him........."
'Buka"
The sword goes back into its scabbard.
'"get him on his feet. I will take him to Headquarters"
Hosho nods......sir, if i suggest, the front entance would be easier and faster"
Silence fills the bunker. Several of his mens eyes widen............but none speak
"very well"
The Intelligence Officer strides to the entrance.....'bring him"
Hoshos men take Graham by the arms, and hang back ever so slightly
The intelligence Officer moves out of the cave, and Greg Butler across the river shoots true.
Hosho shakes his head. "war ney?"
"Why sir?" one of his men asks, incrediously.......
Hosho shrugs.'I dont really know, insurance perhaps?." he gestures to the britisher, release his bonds, he's not going anywhere"
'Long pig' shakes his hands free...........things, apparently, remain strange
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
6 hours later 55th division recieves new orders.
A relief divisionis enroute. Retire to Rangoon
It is not before time. Starvation, bombing, malaria, disease.
It will be a shadow division that begins its march south
A relief divisionis enroute. Retire to Rangoon
It is not before time. Starvation, bombing, malaria, disease.
It will be a shadow division that begins its march south
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Over lautern, Fiasco
No sweeps go in
Poorly escorted, properly escorted (it makes no difference ultimately), the disjointed strikes go in.
170 hellcats await.
81 japanese aircraft are lost for 11 allied, and no allied ships are even threatened with an attack..
A Fiasco, and a frightening taste of what may soon become all too familiar.
Nearly 3 full divisons have gotten ashore.............
No sweeps go in
Poorly escorted, properly escorted (it makes no difference ultimately), the disjointed strikes go in.
170 hellcats await.
81 japanese aircraft are lost for 11 allied, and no allied ships are even threatened with an attack..
A Fiasco, and a frightening taste of what may soon become all too familiar.
Nearly 3 full divisons have gotten ashore.............
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Zuiho steams on, still heading steadily north.
There are daily updates of the forces in Colombo.
Today the news is, the Carriers are gone.
Enroute to port blair?
If they are, Zuiho will be one of the first to engage.
There are daily updates of the forces in Colombo.
Today the news is, the Carriers are gone.
Enroute to port blair?
If they are, Zuiho will be one of the first to engage.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Steaming steadily Northward.
This is, of course, all the books of history will ever tell us. Another day of the war. But let us dig a little deeper.
There is the Captains ships book.......
"Steamed steadily North as part of Task force 69. Minor Engineering casualty reported 1300 hours. Rectified 1345 hours
Combat patrol resumed 1400.......
Mmm........
Let us look eleswhere.........
Flight operations log.
Flight deck closed 1300 hours to 1400 hours, insufficient wind across deck.
OK, so another clue.
The Engineers log...................
damnation...........nothing of good there..........Minobes entry is just........."Nothing to report'
But we dig, and if we dig deep enough, there is the rough engineroom log...........and now we know:
It is Lurch on watch, Lurch the steamer, gaining every day confidence and poise. Okano is in the engineroom. Zuiho steams on two boilers only pushing them hard, the others banked, conserving fuel..
The day, as the last week has been, drags interminably on.
'Port boiler, Port engineroom............routine feedpump swing please"
"Roger, swinging feed pumps"
The watertender reluctantly moves upstairs to his pumps, temperatures here are quite hellish now, the less time away from the fan the better.
He checks the standby pump. Suction valve, discharge valve, exhaust valve..........
Crack the drains, steam roars, shut the drains.
On with the gloves, grab the wheel spanner, 2 feet of iron. Open the throttle valve, the turbine springs to life, rolling at half speed.
Drains again, all good. Take the governor control arm, heave it up, hold it against the pressure, the turbine speeds up, fiddle with the pin that holds the governer arm engaged, fiddle with it, fiddle with it, fiddle with it...........grunt with the effort, and it slides into place.
Right, turn to the other pump, the effort to close the throttle, the pump begins to wind down, out pin, shut the throttle.......
Swing eyes to the Boiler water level guage glass..........
Minus 2 inches
Minus 3 inches..........dropping.
What the ???
Lurch sees the level too.......
"What the TRUK is going on up there!...........WHATS the WATER LEVEL!!"
"Minus 4 inches!", the reply is tinged with panic.........
'Truk!.........Lurch turns to his Burnerman.........get your mainstop wheelie..standby!!"
'Minus 5 inches!..........
desperately the water tender is searching for the cause, his pump is running..........the DA is filling........filling too fast!.......What the hell????.
He will not notice until too late, that the pin did not go in..............the online pump is actually only on idle load.
Lurch calls it.
(And no charge could expect anything less)
"PORT Engine room!, Port Boiler room!, Low water level, Pulling fires!, emergency shut down!"
Things happen fast now, my friends.
Fast, smoothly, with out hesitation. they need too.............death awaits if things go too wrong.
Okano calmly does his job.........."Bridge, port engine room, flame out port boiler, crossing boilers, revolutions limited to 096 rpm....." Word delivered calmly, normally......
More words, yelled to clear the scream of the turbines, ..........."Open the cross connect!, open the auxiliary cross conect!, shut condensate BHD Valv, close............
A stream of orders, his men leap to action.
Lurch too follows his so recently learnt drills............there is no time to be afraid, or nervous. The main stop......Shut!, the Auxiliary stop............shut!, fuel recicing...........auxiliary steam crossed, yes.............pumps still going!, feed stop..........stopped.........
Blowers secured............
Zuiho steams on, the rest of the ship oblivious to the work below.
The pin failure will be discovered, the feed restored, the boiler, 45 minutes later re connected.
A bad error, initially.
But a flip side. Lurch is really coming along, no?
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
14 June
55th division is marching.
Hoshos unit trails at the rear. Trails is the word, the entire division has long passed the point of being a military coherent unit. Now it is a long snail of men, the weakest falling behind, the strongest forging ahead to the promise of proper provisions, proper support somewhere south.
There are a lot of weak men.
Pilot officer Graham stumbles along with them. At the moment, despite the swollen face, there is little doubt he is the far, far fitter then those that guard him.
He has not eaten now for 2 days.........
That does not scare him, he's been there before.
Its the way some of the obviously starving japanes soldiers eye him, that does.
he's been there before too...............
55th division is marching.
Hoshos unit trails at the rear. Trails is the word, the entire division has long passed the point of being a military coherent unit. Now it is a long snail of men, the weakest falling behind, the strongest forging ahead to the promise of proper provisions, proper support somewhere south.
There are a lot of weak men.
Pilot officer Graham stumbles along with them. At the moment, despite the swollen face, there is little doubt he is the far, far fitter then those that guard him.
He has not eaten now for 2 days.........
That does not scare him, he's been there before.
Its the way some of the obviously starving japanes soldiers eye him, that does.
he's been there before too...............
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
14 June 44
Indian ocean
Fate turns her hand again
Combined fleet is spotted. No, more than that, tracked, snooped, counted, catalogued
Colombo is reported empty of ships, crawling with fighters.
Truk! says Abe!
Truk! says herbiesan
Truk says a dozen captains
herbiesan had a cunning plan, cantona seems to have out witted it.
The fleet will return to Singapore. 200000 tons of precious fuel wasted.................
Indian ocean
Fate turns her hand again
Combined fleet is spotted. No, more than that, tracked, snooped, counted, catalogued
Colombo is reported empty of ships, crawling with fighters.
Truk! says Abe!
Truk! says herbiesan
Truk says a dozen captains
herbiesan had a cunning plan, cantona seems to have out witted it.
The fleet will return to Singapore. 200000 tons of precious fuel wasted.................
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Forts to 3..........
The bunker spits machine gun fire, sweeping the area before it. The slit is all but hidden, only the flash of the hammering gun gives it away. Before it, the Company of marines inch forward, seeking the flanks.
A man courageously exposes himself, the gun spits, the Marine seeks safety again.
But the slit is fixed now.
Fire suppresses the slit, and mortars fall at its rear, if there is an escape out the back, it is now death.
The Sherman clanks its way forward, impervious to the machine gun.
It fires at almost point blank range, marines burst from its cover, grenades roll, explosions, the chatter of guns, screams.
Flame roars from the tank.............filling the slit...........vague shadows dance, jig, fall..........
The bunker is cleared.
Another Bunker is detected, the tanks roll forward again.
All over lautern, one by one, hour by hour, the marines chew their way forward, deeper up the hills, advancing, advancing.
The japanes stand.
The japanes die
Another day
Forts to 3.
The bunker spits machine gun fire, sweeping the area before it. The slit is all but hidden, only the flash of the hammering gun gives it away. Before it, the Company of marines inch forward, seeking the flanks.
A man courageously exposes himself, the gun spits, the Marine seeks safety again.
But the slit is fixed now.
Fire suppresses the slit, and mortars fall at its rear, if there is an escape out the back, it is now death.
The Sherman clanks its way forward, impervious to the machine gun.
It fires at almost point blank range, marines burst from its cover, grenades roll, explosions, the chatter of guns, screams.
Flame roars from the tank.............filling the slit...........vague shadows dance, jig, fall..........
The bunker is cleared.
Another Bunker is detected, the tanks roll forward again.
All over lautern, one by one, hour by hour, the marines chew their way forward, deeper up the hills, advancing, advancing.
The japanes stand.
The japanes die
Another day
Forts to 3.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
16 June
The defences at lautern are collapsing............
Zuiho finally reduces from her full power sprint, settles back to a more comfortable steaming speed.
Admiral Abe has taken fright at the number of submarines sighted coming his way, and ordered a sprint south to clear the area.
It has hurt.
Zuiho's main machinery spaces are becoming more and more humid, the number of leaking valve glands, pump glands is growing. The steady hiss of leaking steam now a constant back ground noise now in all spaces.
Steam is, of course, water. So now the battle between production of water to its loss, is knife edged. A few more days at sea and it must inevitably turn south, water restrictions for the crew loom large.
The boilers need de coking. They need a clean, internally, externally. Boiler Chemistry is becoming a nightmare.
The crew can do nothing more than battle on.
Zuiho is not alone. The fleet, nearly all of Japans navy suffers too.
This little excursion, we now can say, has been a terrible mistake.
The crews need rest. The ships need it even more.
The allies, now rolling, are not going to give any..............
The defences at lautern are collapsing............
Zuiho finally reduces from her full power sprint, settles back to a more comfortable steaming speed.
Admiral Abe has taken fright at the number of submarines sighted coming his way, and ordered a sprint south to clear the area.
It has hurt.
Zuiho's main machinery spaces are becoming more and more humid, the number of leaking valve glands, pump glands is growing. The steady hiss of leaking steam now a constant back ground noise now in all spaces.
Steam is, of course, water. So now the battle between production of water to its loss, is knife edged. A few more days at sea and it must inevitably turn south, water restrictions for the crew loom large.
The boilers need de coking. They need a clean, internally, externally. Boiler Chemistry is becoming a nightmare.
The crew can do nothing more than battle on.
Zuiho is not alone. The fleet, nearly all of Japans navy suffers too.
This little excursion, we now can say, has been a terrible mistake.
The crews need rest. The ships need it even more.
The allies, now rolling, are not going to give any..............
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Hirate, Okano, are doing what they have done so often, for so long. Working together on some new Truking piece of kit that has failed.
It doesn't really matter what it is, its metal, its broken. Together, these men will fix it. In the quiet of the workshop, this particular jig saw puzzle is coming together.
Brothers in arms
Brothers, now, in law
"Got the nut?"
"Got it"
"Spanner........no, the other way you clot"
"Ok, keep your hair on"
the work continues
"Hirate.........I ahve to ask"
A silence...........the spanner pauses.
"What happened on your last draft..........with you, with Minobe?"
Hirate looks his friend in the eye. His answer is emotional, hate filled.
"hell"
"hell?"
"Thats all you need to know..............hell"
It doesn't really matter what it is, its metal, its broken. Together, these men will fix it. In the quiet of the workshop, this particular jig saw puzzle is coming together.
Brothers in arms
Brothers, now, in law
"Got the nut?"
"Got it"
"Spanner........no, the other way you clot"
"Ok, keep your hair on"
the work continues
"Hirate.........I ahve to ask"
A silence...........the spanner pauses.
"What happened on your last draft..........with you, with Minobe?"
Hirate looks his friend in the eye. His answer is emotional, hate filled.
"hell"
"hell?"
"Thats all you need to know..............hell"
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
17 june
The debates have been fierce
None more so than in japans high command -how to utilise its shrinking submarine force.
Too many times its submarines working individually have been sunk for no gain.
Not today
20 Submarines enter the Lautern area.
Their orders are simple, no one withdraws until they have killed
2 are lost, 1 heavily damaged. 6 LST and 2 AKs are sunk.
The convoy attacked appears to have been overwhelmed
You can draw your own conclusions.......................
Lautern still holds. Yesterdays attack (1 to 2) has faltered. Today the bombers come, and come, and come on.
It must fall soon.
Herbiesan is betting that a hundred more lauterns mark the path to Japan.................
The debates have been fierce
None more so than in japans high command -how to utilise its shrinking submarine force.
Too many times its submarines working individually have been sunk for no gain.
Not today
20 Submarines enter the Lautern area.
Their orders are simple, no one withdraws until they have killed
2 are lost, 1 heavily damaged. 6 LST and 2 AKs are sunk.
The convoy attacked appears to have been overwhelmed
You can draw your own conclusions.......................
Lautern still holds. Yesterdays attack (1 to 2) has faltered. Today the bombers come, and come, and come on.
It must fall soon.
Herbiesan is betting that a hundred more lauterns mark the path to Japan.................
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
22nd sentai (which Fuchida will reach in two days) has entered action in central China
In 2 days they have lost 3 planes, no men...............and taken 25 kills.
And finally, Zuiho refuels, and keeps sailing south.
We must return to her tomorrow
In 2 days they have lost 3 planes, no men...............and taken 25 kills.
And finally, Zuiho refuels, and keeps sailing south.
We must return to her tomorrow
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
TRUK!
Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.
RE: The little ship that could.
18th June
The refuelling hoses disconnect with the usual spray of black, dancing across the gap between the tanker and Zuiho. The ropes soon follow, drawn swiftly by the lines of men.
Takeji watches carefully from his bridge.
They are high out of the water now, these tankers, sucked dry by the fuel hogs all about them, another reminder of the failure of this mission.
Ce la vie................some you win, some you lose yes?
At least no bloody hidden Buka's out here.
"refuelling completed sir!, all lines clear!'
Ah, back to centre stage then.
He stiffens slightly. Captains do not just command, they must be seen to be in Command...
"Very good!.......revolutions 230, port 20"
The broadcast blares....."attention on the upper deck, face to starboard, IJN ship.....Maru!"
Already the name of the tanker is whipped away by the wind, the hiss of the sea racing past, the rising noise of the fans.
Zuiho cleaves away across an emerald , sparkling calm sea. To her port, java , low and brooding. Ahead, batavia, then somewhere after that Singapore.
Buka's allowing, of course.............
Takeji hands control back to the Officer of the watch, takes his chair. A stack of signals await, delayed news, delayed problems.
Disturbingly, no war news.
He puts the signals down, stands, moves to the window. All around them, the fleet. So mighty, so strong. But........but is it strong enough now?. Was Colombo more than a failure of tactics, but a failure of will............dare he say it?, a failure of nerve?
No. No, never................but.................
There is a report, buried in that stack of papers behind him, claiming America could have 40 plus escort carriers now.
Impossible of course.
Surely?
The refuelling hoses disconnect with the usual spray of black, dancing across the gap between the tanker and Zuiho. The ropes soon follow, drawn swiftly by the lines of men.
Takeji watches carefully from his bridge.
They are high out of the water now, these tankers, sucked dry by the fuel hogs all about them, another reminder of the failure of this mission.
Ce la vie................some you win, some you lose yes?
At least no bloody hidden Buka's out here.
"refuelling completed sir!, all lines clear!'
Ah, back to centre stage then.
He stiffens slightly. Captains do not just command, they must be seen to be in Command...
"Very good!.......revolutions 230, port 20"
The broadcast blares....."attention on the upper deck, face to starboard, IJN ship.....Maru!"
Already the name of the tanker is whipped away by the wind, the hiss of the sea racing past, the rising noise of the fans.
Zuiho cleaves away across an emerald , sparkling calm sea. To her port, java , low and brooding. Ahead, batavia, then somewhere after that Singapore.
Buka's allowing, of course.............
Takeji hands control back to the Officer of the watch, takes his chair. A stack of signals await, delayed news, delayed problems.
Disturbingly, no war news.
He puts the signals down, stands, moves to the window. All around them, the fleet. So mighty, so strong. But........but is it strong enough now?. Was Colombo more than a failure of tactics, but a failure of will............dare he say it?, a failure of nerve?
No. No, never................but.................
There is a report, buried in that stack of papers behind him, claiming America could have 40 plus escort carriers now.
Impossible of course.
Surely?
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
55th division continues to struggle south.
For two days now the fresh 2nd guards devision has passed them going north, faces askance at the sight of the emancipated men of the 55th.
The passing of the two divisions does not go smoothly.
Again, and again groups of desperate starving soldiers break raanks, and besiege the Guards men, begging for food, for anything, anything at all.
The guards soldiers, instinctivly understanding what lies waiting for them at the front are quick to use rifle butts and violence to keep them at bay.
"There is food ahead!, there is food ahead!, just keep going!, Just keep going!
Hosho, almost out on his feet, confronts a company commander from the Guards
'You must give us something!" almost without thought, his hand rests upon his side arm."You must !"
The Commander - how full and clean his uniform!- tries to force his way past.
Hosho's hand grabs his arm, holds him back , and now the small pistol is actually drawn.
Behind the guard commander, a dozen soldiers, a single one as fit as a dozen of Hoshos's, unsling rifles.
Silence fills the air, dangerous silence
To dozen men, a dusty track, the brooding jungle, and yet, on both sides, hundreds of other soldiers in great lines passng North and south, blotting this scene from their minds ; for they have seen it already too many times today.
The guards commanders eyes fill with tears.........'I cannot, .........you must carry on, I promise you, 2 miles more, a camp, kitchens, a supply dump..unbombed. "
"I do not believe you" Hoshos voice is ice. " look at you, your men. You have been stealing what was meant for the front!, now give us what you have stolen!"
There are growls now from the guard soldiers, bolts are being eased into place.
The guards commander makes one last try. "Your 15th army HQ is there, and have you ever known an army HQ to go with out?"
Hosho hesitates. Is this true?. If it is...........
He lowers his pistol, it is all too much trouble ...........
For once, the truth is told. 46 miles south of the front, 15th army HQ is established. Few supplies go north of here it seems, but that does not matter. Tonight, 55th division will eat
Nearly ball of them, that is. Pilot officer Graham will get very little this night it seems.
For two days now the fresh 2nd guards devision has passed them going north, faces askance at the sight of the emancipated men of the 55th.
The passing of the two divisions does not go smoothly.
Again, and again groups of desperate starving soldiers break raanks, and besiege the Guards men, begging for food, for anything, anything at all.
The guards soldiers, instinctivly understanding what lies waiting for them at the front are quick to use rifle butts and violence to keep them at bay.
"There is food ahead!, there is food ahead!, just keep going!, Just keep going!
Hosho, almost out on his feet, confronts a company commander from the Guards
'You must give us something!" almost without thought, his hand rests upon his side arm."You must !"
The Commander - how full and clean his uniform!- tries to force his way past.
Hosho's hand grabs his arm, holds him back , and now the small pistol is actually drawn.
Behind the guard commander, a dozen soldiers, a single one as fit as a dozen of Hoshos's, unsling rifles.
Silence fills the air, dangerous silence
To dozen men, a dusty track, the brooding jungle, and yet, on both sides, hundreds of other soldiers in great lines passng North and south, blotting this scene from their minds ; for they have seen it already too many times today.
The guards commanders eyes fill with tears.........'I cannot, .........you must carry on, I promise you, 2 miles more, a camp, kitchens, a supply dump..unbombed. "
"I do not believe you" Hoshos voice is ice. " look at you, your men. You have been stealing what was meant for the front!, now give us what you have stolen!"
There are growls now from the guard soldiers, bolts are being eased into place.
The guards commander makes one last try. "Your 15th army HQ is there, and have you ever known an army HQ to go with out?"
Hosho hesitates. Is this true?. If it is...........
He lowers his pistol, it is all too much trouble ...........
For once, the truth is told. 46 miles south of the front, 15th army HQ is established. Few supplies go north of here it seems, but that does not matter. Tonight, 55th division will eat
Nearly ball of them, that is. Pilot officer Graham will get very little this night it seems.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
19th June 44
Fuchida climbs wearily from his truck, dusty, sweat stained, thirsty
His keen eyes sweep Wuchang airfield.
A long dirt strip., almost indistingishable from the plain it nestles on. A few tents, ragged, fading. Three battered fuel trucks, the windsock, limp.
He counts them, yes........35 Franks, scattered around the field.
Little stirs under the hot sun.
there is a small knot of men sitting in the shade under a rough awning. He makes his way to them.
A dozen men, pilots, sitting in a circle, the rice pot in the middle.
Fuchida's stomach rumbles. ' 'Excuse me gentlemen, I am looking for the commander"
One of the men stops eating, eyes the newcomer
"Fuchida?"
"Hiei!'
"You are bloody late. Take a seat, let us fill you in on this little circus........."
Fuchida lies staring now at the stars, unable to sleep.
The story is simple. 49 pilots, 20 or more of them aces.
35 servicable fighters.
An aggressive, aggressive enemy
A mighty chance to score again, and again
Or to be killed.
Fuchida climbs wearily from his truck, dusty, sweat stained, thirsty
His keen eyes sweep Wuchang airfield.
A long dirt strip., almost indistingishable from the plain it nestles on. A few tents, ragged, fading. Three battered fuel trucks, the windsock, limp.
He counts them, yes........35 Franks, scattered around the field.
Little stirs under the hot sun.
there is a small knot of men sitting in the shade under a rough awning. He makes his way to them.
A dozen men, pilots, sitting in a circle, the rice pot in the middle.
Fuchida's stomach rumbles. ' 'Excuse me gentlemen, I am looking for the commander"
One of the men stops eating, eyes the newcomer
"Fuchida?"
"Hiei!'
"You are bloody late. Take a seat, let us fill you in on this little circus........."
Fuchida lies staring now at the stars, unable to sleep.
The story is simple. 49 pilots, 20 or more of them aces.
35 servicable fighters.
An aggressive, aggressive enemy
A mighty chance to score again, and again
Or to be killed.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Thanks. Great story lines, my morning pot of latte, great start to a day.
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Pax
-
Smoky Stoker
- Posts: 87
- Joined: Thu Mar 24, 2011 9:34 pm
RE: The little ship that could.
ORIGINAL: 1275psi
For two days now the fresh 2nd guards devision has passed them going north, faces askance at the sight of the emancipated men of the 55th.
[:D] Had to read the whole chapter before I was sure you meant "emaciated", because they are emancipated, too.
"Leveling large cities has a tendency to alienate the affections of the inhabitants and does not create an atmosphere of international good will after the war." -Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery
RE: The little ship that could.
Thanks for Comments guys. On the road with work, playing and posting has been a trial.
Men speak. We speak all the time. we curse, we swear, we give praise, we give orders, we acknowledge them.
But we speak in a million other ways.
Now, tonight, the invisible messages are passed. You see them in the mens actions, the way they hesitate before passing down through that water tight hatch. The glances between men as they pass in the crowded passageways.
Tension once again stalks the decks of Zuiho. Fear, that ever present current, is again flowing.
Zuiho is passing batavia tonight, then will turn North for Singapore.
Submarine country.
No words will be spoken between men this night on Zuiho of this fear.
None are needed.
You look in you companions eyes, and hear it plain as day.
Men speak. We speak all the time. we curse, we swear, we give praise, we give orders, we acknowledge them.
But we speak in a million other ways.
Now, tonight, the invisible messages are passed. You see them in the mens actions, the way they hesitate before passing down through that water tight hatch. The glances between men as they pass in the crowded passageways.
Tension once again stalks the decks of Zuiho. Fear, that ever present current, is again flowing.
Zuiho is passing batavia tonight, then will turn North for Singapore.
Submarine country.
No words will be spoken between men this night on Zuiho of this fear.
None are needed.
You look in you companions eyes, and hear it plain as day.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt