The little ship that could.

[1275psi]

Extract from "shattering the sword" a cantona production

...............but by the 23rd of October, the remains of the japanese army had slipped the net. It retreats down the road towards singora, a shattered army in every sense

Only one division, the 55th, actually retains any sembalence of fighting ability, but even it is reduced to less than 50% effectiveness.
japanese reinforcements are being rushed towards them, regiments with drawn from borneo, and , more ominously, from sabang, High Command now desperate to try to stop the avalanche threatening malaya.

2 Divisions of Burma army retreat towards Siagon, if at all possible, High command would try to move them across the gulf.
But these can be but stop gaps, for nothing can hide the horrible truth
This battle has been catastrophic, 2 entire armies effectively written off.
Un recorded, also, the complete destruction of five fighter groups, three bomber formations, 20 odd merchant men sunk trying to force supplies to the front.

Under heavy rain, the only thing saving the tattered columns from complete destruction, the defeated armies flee south

[1275psi]

Bigglesworth shakes Long pig awake.
Blearily he rises, peeks his head out of the yet another truck.'eh?'

"bangkok, old son, bangkok"

Long pig views the destruction about him, miles upon miles of ashes, shattered bricks, twisted steel. Only the roads seem clear, although, here and there, already fresh timber rises, the first new buildings.
"urban renewal..........courtesy of the United States airforce, where the hell is the airfield?"

Bigglesworth chucks Long pig a scornful look. "Airfield?.may I remind you that we are not required, or expected until tomorrow?"
'And?"
Bigglesworth casts a thumb towards a row of new buildings, the porches of which are adorned with several young ladies.
'This is Bang...Kok, you know?"
"Oh?"
OH"!

"O,............ OOOOH!"

[1275psi]

Hirate sits against the island, chest panting, face, arms, thick with oil and crap.
"Why in the hell, do we bother..........gods I hate this ship!" he angrily throws his spanner across the tilting flight deck "why won't she just sink, take us with her and end this S#$t!"

Okano kneels, grabs his brother in laws laples, and slaps him.

Stunned, Hirate,stares back

"You truking fool!........have you forgotten!, have you forgotten already!. Every day we keep this bucket afloat, every day we live, is a day closer to home!. Your Wife Hirate!, your Wife!. Your home, our future!.....when this crap is done, when the war is done., there will be just two sort of men, the living, the dead!.......and I will not be the latter!, nor, nor.....nor will you!"

Hirate drops his eyes.

A tear, reluctant falls

'I'm sorry, Brother in law, i am sorry"

Okano stands, places a hand on his shoulder. "Come on then, they say we will see bataan tomorrow..........we are nearly there my friend, nearly there"

[1275psi]

23 oct


battle report, ss Sealion


Struck Hiyo class CV 2350 hrs, three fish
Ship sank almost immediatly, 30 miles due east bataan

Heavy counter attack, nil damage recieved






Hiyo sinks, flag still flying
Takeji, now forever to keep watch on her bridge............



barsted Bukas!


barsteds!

[obvert]

SOOOoooooo close! [:(]

[koniu]

I think Cantona need to create sub warfare tutorial on forum.
Numbers of ships he sunk or damaged during this game is abnormal.

[kaleun]

"O,............ OOOOH!"

[:D]

[paullus99]

Damn....the narrative is getting a bit thin....a lot of dead bodies piling up here.

[pws1225]

And what of Hirate and Okano?

[Lecivius]

I am getting so little work done [:D]

F5...F5...F5...

[1275psi]

ORIGINAL: paullus99

Damn....the narrative is getting a bit thin....a lot of dead bodies piling up here.

I, personally, blame cantona[8|]




27 October

Hirate looks, not with a little horror, at the engine room of E class Chiburi, one hand holding very firmly the door while the little ship rises and bounces over the swells, rolling with a particularily sickening gait.
The compartment confirms immediately every thing he has suspected about this "boat" (after Yamato, could you call 1000 tons a Ship?).

Its a tub

Okano joins him, his grin also dissipating rapidly. But it quickly returns, he leans in against Hirates ear, so that he can be heard over the incredibly thumping roar of the two diesels " Takao friend, rememeber, we are going to Takao, after that , who knows?"

Hirate smiles back, yes, luck it seems remains with him

They have spent but one day on the sensie maru, in the "crew reserve" after Hiyos sinking.....how long did that swim last?......15 minutes?
A good day though, friendships forged in that lost battle to save Hiyo have seen food, new uniforms, even kit bags generously donated, aquired, issued, even, he suspect, purloined
.
But best of all, Oh best of all, a posting to this Tub

E Class Chiburi is due a refit..............in japan.


There has been little time to learn the ship, but, well, its not going to take long, is it?
A dour, incredibly fat looking Captain, a stoker crew of ten, with a Chief petty officer (yet to be met) as the Charge. Two 16 cylinder Mitsubishi diesels as main propulsion, two small guns, depth charges, a mortar, and a sickening motion across the ocean

And now, the first watch.......

A long, lean, dirty leading seaman rises from a chair, casually tosses his magazine aside. The other watchkeeper, a boy almost, shyly waves a hand across the space, resumes dipping one of the sumps
"Leading seaman Toyoda, at your service, hear you are the new boys, welcome!"

His grip is hard, confident
"I like this man" instantly, Hirate thinks 'I like him a lot"

Okano returns the shake, "So, whats the go?" he waves his hand at the dark, dirty noisy cave of the engine room
Dismissively Toyoda shrugs, "Oh, plenty of time for that, I hear you guys were on the Yamato!, first, tell me about that!"

[1275psi]

E class Chiburi

is actually a Mikura class escort

discplacement, 1100 tons
Captain Ugaki (inspiration 39, leadership 37)

Speed 20 knots
2 times 12 cm guns , one fwd, one aft
2 times 25mm guns aft
30 depth charges
a mortar
radar
two Mitsubishi V16 diesels
Now 12 stokers, as part of a crew of 54

And, oh yes, she rolls and bounces across the ocean like a pig

Currently headed north from manilla towards takao, as part of a 4 ship ASW group (E class boats No3, 7, 14, all brand new) to engage ss know and detected in the area.
From there due to return to Tokyo for refit................if cantona does not sink her as bloody well!)



I commisioned 20 , yes, 20 E class this month, time for some revenge against these Bukas!

[1275psi]

18 October

A small village, 30 miles east of Hiroshima.
It is half an hour before dawn, chilly, the waters calm, the air silent.
As it is happening in millions of homes across japan, people are stirring, the smell of cooking fires will soon fill the air. The fishing boats, just dots of lights now, are moving across Hiroshima bay.
It is another beautiful day promised

in a small house, almost indistinguishable from all the others in the village (other than this one has a small garage/workshop attached to it) three people are rising, preparing for the day.

they are no different to any one else we know, i would think, good, decent people, trying as best they can, to make their way in a difficult world

The first to leave the front door is a tall, almost elderly gentleman, he moves down the door, with a groan of old timbers, it reluctantly opens.
He pauses for a few minutes to watch a column of army trucks pass, there have been so many of these lately, divisions of men, he wonders, moving east.

he waits for them, crosses the road, clambers down the rocky sea wall, and checks the pots.
Nothing today, maybe tomorrow........
They pass, he glances across Hiroshima bay, empty now of warships. As ever he thinks of two men, thanks the gods that there has been no telegraph , and enters his workshop.
he has no real work to do, has not had anything for weeks, but, well, there are projects he can tinker with...

The two young women leave together as the sun rises.
Miori (Okano's wife) and Mioko, the new wife of Hirate will walk the half mile to the railway line, then take the commute of 30 minutes into Hiroshima

Here Miori will take a tram , and spend her day packing explosives into 25 mm shells. Mioko has a new job, she works as a typist in the bowels of Imperial Fleet HQ.
The days pass as so many, dull, long. Almost, they would say, fruitlessly.
It is only when they both get home, almost at dusk, that the real day begins.
The house is on the edge of the village, the road seperating them from the rockwall, the bay.
It has a garden, and they tend every millimetre of it.

Mioko is young, and knows little of the world. But she knows this, Japan needs ships to feed herself. And every day, she types out the names of ships lost.

And even she knows that there is no endless suppply of them.
So every day, they fish, they garden.


They chat, as we do, about everything.
But there is one topic never to be mentioned.
Two men, husbands, somewhere south, somewhere in this endless war.

[1275psi]

18 October

Captain Ugaki is, as Hirate suspected, fat.

"And what happened to you sailor?" the Capatain leers at Hirate's face

As if I have to tell you.......................... '"fire on Junyo sir"

"Not from honorable action, yes?"

Hirate hesitates. How to answer this , how to answer?........ " We served on Zuiho sir"

'Ugaki, now he hesitates, then, very imperceptably, the slight nod of the head, of acknowledgement " Ah....good. "
he turns, paces the tiny bridge........"Not as exciting as a carrier, I am sure. But we have just as important job, we hunt submarines, you know of that menace"

Okano answers for them both."We hate the bukas sir, hate them with a vengence"

Ugaki smiles. "Good, I think you will fit right in, welcome to the Chiburi"

[1275psi]

18th October

Chiburi will bounce her way towards Takao, our two stokers spending most of the day learning the ropes of her engine space
Toyoda is loud, has a million stories, most involving sex, the gaining of it, the pursuit of it. Somewhat annoyingly, he has little to pass on about the engines in his care, he puts oil and fuel into them, Hirate (and Okano) soon suspect that he leaves too many details to the other two watches.

Both men soon learn the simple systems, they are diesels after all.


Much of Chiburi is, well simple. Utilarian is the word I would use. Everything is as simple and economical as can be.
But her builders have been lavish with two things that matter.
Her depth charges, her mortars.


Unknown to all but three of her crew, she recieves a signal that would cheer them all.
'proceed to Hiroshima, for refit'

[1275psi]

The Chiburi continues to pound her way north.
Its an awkward motion, as we have already described, one for strong stomachs, strong legs
Everywhere the beat of her diesels intrudes, a steady rumble, the background noise to life

Its does not take long to settle into life on a ship such as this. The mess, admidships, is as sparten as can be imagined. hammocks rule here, a single wooden bench, some trestles. A single locker for the communal eating utensils, a row of lockers for each mans limited kit.
The galley, another simple affair, is admidships, and as Hirate and Okano have found to their displeasure, food goes quickly enroute to the mess.

The ship has a single passageway down on 1 deck, below she is divided into 7 basic compartments.
A bosuns store, a set of store rooms, the fwd magazine.
The mess deck, the auxilary machinery room, the main engine room,, aft ammunition, the steering compartment, the essential compartments.
below them, the fuel tanks, the water tanks, the odds and ends.
Above the main deck, a simple bridge, signal office, radar hut, two fan rooms nested about the single funnel, ready ammo stores, the aft gun, and little else.

Its a ship, functional for but one purpose.

But ships are just metal.
Its the crew that makes them.
And this one is , well.....................

[1275psi]

19th October

55th division fights rearguard
the allies, chasing hard, botch this attack, and the line holds



It only costs 4000 japanese lives

only.

[1275psi]

30 October

0300 hrs

Hirate and Okano keep watch.
There is little to do, especially compared to watchkeeping on Zuiho. Well, little that they HAVE to do.
The two diesels need fuel, once every 4 hours or so, a top up of oil. There are two small generators in both corners, and between them, a small flash type distilling unit.

The small switchboard occupies the fwd baulkhead. In the uppers, a header tank, an oil tank.
Both men work, however..........the space is far, far from clean to their standards.
So, they clean.
It helps pass the watch quickly, and every hour passed, is another closer to home.

The watch finishes at 4, both men make their way to the quarter deck, dawn action stations soon, and they are assigned to port depth charge rack.
The air is cold, the sea dark, the sky grey.
There is little conversation as men slowly assemble at their posts.

Action stations is called..........early
E-14 reports a contact...........periscope, 1000 yards ahead.

[1275psi]

Ugaki staggers onto the bridge.........grasping his binnacle against the vicious roll and dance of his ship.
His executive officer, a pimple faced youth of 22, single strip eon his shoulder, reports Chiburi closed up.

"radar?"
a silence from behind the door leading to that small red room..........
*&^%$%! Ugaki spits, radar, apparently is performing as well as usual......

'Sonar?"............one can hope.........the tone of the question envisions little hope
"No contact sir!"

Ugaki raises his glasses
E-14 is flashing, her small shape bounding across the waves, a terrier after the rats.......

"Have contact.am attacking!"

two charges roll of her stern, in the cold air, the crack of the bangs is sharp, pure.
E-7 swings into the attack as well

"Starboard 20...........admidships.............radar???.....sonar, do you have a contact!"
"No sir...........radar down sir.............."






The rope to the block is cold, hard wet, the water freezing on fingers, the muscles straining as Hirate helps pull the depth charge up and into the thrower.
It hurts, the labour hard, it hurts good.
each gasp, each pull, each strain, accompanied with a single muffled word
Buka
buka
buka

E 14 drops another pattern, Chiburi races through the disturbed water, and all onboard suddenly stop.........all
smell it together, diesel fuel.........oil!

She leans hard, doing her turn.............and mortars thud into Chiburi's wake

And suddenly, there, a great belch of water, oil, air, unrecongnisable debris.........and others recongnisable........


And on Chiburi's quarter deck, two men dance and yell, tears run from one......"Take that you Buka's!, take that!, take that!, take that!"

[1275psi]

Ok, interuption right now, as I write there is a major bushfire less than 300 metres from my father in laws house, I think he might be about to lose it, we are waiting to hear the news
If we go off line for a while after tomorrow you know why.


31 October

Chiburi slides across Hiroshima bay, and un heralded, docks at 1300 hrs.
there is no leave, not yet.
Tomorrow she will slide into dock, her refit is scheduled for 20 days.
But first, she has to be prepared for her docking, her tanks emptied, her ammunition landed
But leave is promised.

It is so close now, they can taste it.