The little ship that could.

[1275psi]

No turns again................probably not until saturday..........Cantona "busy"

grrr

[1275psi]

14 Nov 44

Hiroshima bay, dusk

They stand, nearly a dozen of them, on Chiburi's stern, silent.
A bitter cold wind tugs at them, but none of the men notice

Hirate, Okano watch as well.
"Do you remember, my friend, when we were part of that?" Okano almost whispers
"that?, Hirate almost snorts, " I seem to remember when you could hardly fit it all into the bay"

'But its still impressive, yes?"

"yes, yes, it is."

It, is departing Hiroshima bay.
the fleet sails.

Great grey shapes, the battle cruisers. The carriers, japans scarred vetrans, Shokaku, Zuikaku, sliding silently by, Japans war personfied.

They watch, all of them, as the ships fade into the dusk, as the evening gets colder and colder.
No one leaves, not until they are gone.
History calls. And all must taste it.

[1275psi]

55th division sleeps.
Hosho amongst them.
The train rattles south, slowly, stopping at times, starting again in fits and starts.

But 55th division sleep, safe, safe for now.

Other trains pass, rumbling north.
The troops in them, well few sleep. They run north, north towards the furnace.
how can any one sleep in the face of that?

[1275psi]

15th November

Battleship Yamato lies at anchor, her decks deserted.
It has been another exhausting day for her crew, drill upon drill, upon drill. Now, they , those who can, sleep. For tomorrow, it is believed, they sail again for battle.
For three days she has lain at the island of Tushima, as if to gain inspiration and courage from victories ancient.

But it is not needed.

Many claim the battle ship as an anachorism, un needed, useless.
Yamato, I think, has shown them wrong

6 AKs, 5 APs, sunk by her guns
7 destroyers shredded, blown away
battleship California put down from her KB inflicted misery
BB North Carolina overwhelmed
And a South dakato class sunk as well.

Few ships can claim so many victories.
Her crew sleep. proud, utterly confident in themselves, in this mighty ship, in their captain, their Admirals.
They sail to battle

They expect to win.

[1275psi]

15th November

The allied heavies pound Biak, Neomfoore, the bases surrounding
recon flights are sighted all over this corner of the pacific.
Little interferes with them, Japan is holding herself back, gathering daily her strength.. The great question, THE question.

Where to deploy it?

[1275psi]

Daily briefing, Herbiesan HQ

new divisions arriving Chumpon...excellent

33rd div evacuated from singapore, 55th within the week, air HQs entraining. The front, for now, stable in cambodia, Vietnam.
No signs of allied action anywhere else

Japnese fighter strength growing again. new Oscar 3 coming online, Francis bombers, a new plane, the Grace.
Some shortages in transports, search planes, but overall, things good........

.ah, excellent.....


The Fleet has sailed, radio black out, expected in Northern waters to join Yamato task force in three to four days, ABE wishes to exercise the airgroups near Marcus island first...........


Again, excellent..........too think the fleet has been given time to rebuild again........the gods are with us surely.
I still feel he will attack the north..........he must attack the North........and now, with winter upon us.
battleship weather yes?...........
The Navy, my shield, will win me the day yet.............

[1275psi]

From Combined fleet
to
24th HQ, Manilla
Top secret

Please ensure 100000 tons of fuel for fleet support operations are held aside for DEC 1 arrival of heavy units.
AR ship to clear all curent work ready for fleet arrival

maximum ASW effort to begin Manilla approaches

Admiral ABE

[1275psi]

16 Nov 44
Extract from "shattering the sword" a cantona production


.............and these completed the Allied preperations. But what of japans?.

Shorn of any real intelligence of Allied intentions, Admiral Abe and his staff, independently of Imperial HQ mind you, had been reduced to the position of deploying his resources based on the ancient, yet still valuable "gut feel"

A solid line of SS had now been deplyed south of Adak island for many weeks, and extensive air search had revealed nothing, nary a sighting, in the North pacific.
But south, incredibly, to Abe, it seemed, the Allies were preparing to come North against Japans Web of defences, right into the heart of of them.

The clues, it seemed, were many
Jolo island, gate to the oceans south of Davao, to tarakan, to timor, swarms with SS.
Lolobato, Morotai, ternate, constantly reconned

massive bombing this day of Biak, Noemfoor, clearing the flanks, apparently

heavy bombing of ternate itself

The signs, to Abe, seemed conclusive.


But on this day, 120 miles North of Dili, something concrete.

task forces, multiple task forces.
With carrier support.



It is useful now to turn to Abe's thoughts themselves.

"The news to me, seemed a heaven sent opportunity. The enemy, it appeared, gathered itself for yet another lunge North.
I chose ternate as the likely target. How fortunate for us!. Surrounded by 5 Air flottilla HQ's, multiple, multiple airbases, and with a string of air reinforcements lined up all the way to japan itself.

My staff urged caution, this could be a decoy.

I dismissed this.
Too many allied divisions, too many Marine divisions had been bled in Timor for the allies to have time to rebuild them, AND redeploy them. No, the allies were committed to this axis, come hell or high water

I intended to give them hell.

November 16th, a momentous day.

In direct defiance of herbiesans orders, battleship Ise, that barsted child of a ship, sailed south from Hiroshima bay.
Every E class vessel in the Navy under my command sailed for Jolo island.

CVL Ryuho completed repairs, come the 17th she would join me at Tushima, and we would sail south, Okiwana, manilla, Jolo island the approach route.
In carriers, I am greatly out numbered. . But they only have to get the battle wagons to the invasion beach.

There has been a great number of "decisive battles" in this war. Maybe, just maybe, I might manage one final one.

[1275psi]

Long pig may be 3 planes towards being a reverse Ace, but today he does show he has skills enough

Four days straight he has piloted his wellington south, dropped his bombs on the poor 18th naval guard regiment north of hanoi, ignored the scowls of Bigglesworth beside him, and taken them home safely

Today, Flak has hit them, a stunning "KAWAK!" on the port wing.
But the wellington does not have its reputation of toughness for nothing, a full 2 square foot hole may have appeared, it doesn't faze Long pig a bit.

he simply grins at Bigglesworth..........."nods towards the new addition to their plane.....'day off tomorrow you reckon?, fancy another visit to bangkok?"

"After last time?"

"hell yes...........the next one might hit under our feet you know!"

Bigglesworth stares hard at the hole in the wing. Unconciously his hand scratches around his crotch.

"Sounds good to me!"

[1275psi]

Work on Chiburi continues

14 days until completion, she remains the only vessel in Hiroshima.

Spares are finally flowing in.


The main engine rebuilds are complete, the engines tested. The Stokers wil have only cleaning, painting, minor jobs left now, while the sonar, radar upgrades go on.
happy times indeed.


he does not know it yet, but Hirate is going to be a Father..............

[1275psi]

OT
basin trial!
fully successful too, I manouvered her 360 degrees under her own power in a pool not much bigger than her.

[PaxMondo]

Gawd! Is she BIG!!

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

[british exil]

Congrats!![&o]

I rember following your blog on the building of the ship, lost it due to a pc failure. Maybe you could post the blog link, just loved the pics of your model building.

Mat

[1275psi]

Hi british Exil!
Modelwarships.com, under scratchbuilt underconstruction, 1/72 yamato, or a steep learning curve!


17 November 1944

Shokakus bows begin the gentle rise and fall, as they begin to carve the cold ocean waters proper.
It is a cold, grey day, snow flecks the sky, a bitter wind sweeps her deck

It is good to be at sea again.
Abe sips his tea, eyes alert to all about him on the crowded bridge, on the flight deck below.
It is very, very good to be at sea again.
Overhaed the rough beat and rumble of three pete floatplanes as they crawl past Shokaku, seeking the hidden menace that is known to be out there.
maybe THIS time, they will beat them, avoid those hidden sharks.
8 seperate asw groups search the waters ahead of me, 40 planes search the seas.and still I am damn nervous!

But, danm it, it is so good to be at sea again, with the fleet, seeking battle............

[1275psi]

Long pig, Bigglesworth roll back into the base at 3 minutes to midnight.
It has, by all accounts, been a good run.

They burst into the mess, loud, happy, pretty damn drunk.

Coldness strikes them


Today, the squadron was ambushed
Today, they lost 6 full crews......

[1275psi]

18th November

rain, sweet rain beats down on the rows of men
row upon row of men, sitting mostly cross legged, the rain belting down upon them

55th division ignore it. After the last year, what is a little rain ney?
Especially, as one row at a time, the rows stand, and file almost exhaultantly aboard the waiting transports.
The rumour mill has been working overtime, until the last hour.

The prince has announced it himself

55th division, still regarded as crack, is needed elsewhere

needed home

needed in Japan.


Hosho stands, wobbles a little as his row is called. It is his turn to climb the gangway , the ladder leading out from hell.

[1275psi]

herbiesan recieves the news coldly.

A chinese offensive?"

"yes sir, from hengyang down towards Kukong.......undoubtably aiming ultimately at Hong Kong, aiming to isolate our Vietnamese divisions.........."

Another problem, it would seem.

'Our reply?........."
"it should be adequate sir"


But is this only the first?...............china resurgent...............damnation!

[1275psi]

18 November

AP Kitano maru slowly moves out into singapore roads, and drops anchor

Her rails are lined with men, her decks crowded. Silent, mostly, the natural reaction, I think, of men who have spent nearly a year under the incredible strain of battle, and now, almost suddenly, find themselves out of it.

Hosho looks about him, resting easy on his walking stick. 3 years ago, a young man, amongst so many other young men, had marched so confidently into Thailand.
None (of those who have survived) are young anymore.

Few, if any, are in good shape.
Many, too many, are walking skeletons.


Walking.
How far?
bangkok, to Singapore. marching.
bangkok to myritinka, to the edge of India..and back again.
So many miles, so many battles.............


But its all piss and wind now. Now they are going home.

The convoy has formed, another, nearly 15 fat tankers, joins it. CVE Hosho rests in its middle, another CVE to join in two days.
escorts scattered every where.

Hosho knows nothing, absolutely nothing of ships, of the war at sea.

But even he can tell this.

One fat, tempting target.

[1275psi]

Japans fleet stops at Okiwana, refuels

There are 8 ASW groups waiting here. One will lead, three others will follow 40 miles behind. One each attached to each of the main battle groups, all of them to follow the same track of the lead ASW group.

3 other groups hunting the takao straights, ASW planes by the dozens....

Abe is not deluded. He almost expects to lose some one to the lurking buggars...........


Not that he expects anyone to survive this little adventure............



"from, 4th air army, kendari
to
All commands


Multiple enemy task forces, 80 miles north, Dili
task forces marking time

Multiple CVE sighted, reports of three CVL unconfirmed"

maintaining search patrols"


Unconfirmed, for few, very few search planes return.

[1275psi]

20 November.

Hirate and Okano are at work in the main engine room.
The mains have been run, and all the work has been essentially completed. Now, its the time honoured tasks of cleaning, of polishing brass, of returning Chiburi, as modest as she is, back to warship standard.

All is quiet about them, they are the only ones down in the space.

"So, Hirate, what do you think?"
"Think of, what?"
Okano looks about him, it is all clear. "The crew"

Hirate pauses in his work. "They are a rough bunch, aren't they?"
"yes, but there is more to it than that, I think".

"What do you mean, you wierd buggar?"

Okano gestures for them to sit. They sellect suitable upside down buckets.
"Did you know, other than the skipper, the Navigator, the comms department, no one else on this tub can read?"

'Eh, how can that be?"

'A good question yes?"

Hirate scratches his head. "That might explain a few things, but.........."

'There is more. Our never ever onbaord skipper..........did you know he was in Tokyo yesteday?"
"So?"
"i did a little research, here, look at this............."

he takes from his pocket a carefully folded newspaper page, hands to it Hirate.

The picture on the page covers half of it. As it should, for it is a photo of great events.
A group of men, gathered around herbiesan on the steps of the Diet.

Revolution day. The day herbiesan siezed power.
There is no mistaking Captain Ugaki standing just to the left of Herbiesan
"Why, do you think Hirate, that one of the great dictators inner circle is hidden away here, on this tub?"