The little ship that could.

[1275psi]

The chinese offensive hits the first Japanese units.

they are ten to one stronger than what the empire can muster.
A steamroller aimed at canton.


Combined fleet appraoches Bataan island, intending to slip just past Aparrim, crawl down the coast of the phillipines. Its journey, for today at least, proceeds smoothly.


The Myrt recons keep flying, they know their duty

The fleet north of Timor...........".contains at least 2 carriers."..............

[1275psi]

Turns are slow..............

22nd November 1944
20 miles west of Vigan.
Dusk

Admiral Abe, japans last great hope, strides onto the bridge. He has slept for nearly 4 hours.
‘Anything to report captain?”
‘Convoy attacked 80 miles North west manilla. We lost an E boat, , we got the Buka”
Abe acknowledges the report.
“And three days without an attack on us.”

Silence falls upon the bridge at this. The scars of last years campaign still run deep. No one, thinks Abe, have expected to get even this far.
Good luck?. No, one makes one’s own luck in war…….

Combined fleet has followed a literal stream of ASW groups on the journey towards Manilla, sweeping, in bloody theory, the way clear.
But time is pressing, they Must , must push on.

“Time for the dash in captain”
“Sir”

It is no small thing, this dash.
30 miles from the coast, into a darkening sky, a hundred orders are passed. Fires flare deep in the bellies, and the great beasts belch deep dark smoke.
A fleet trembles,, sterns dig deeper.
The dash to Manilla begins.




The Kitano maru has seen better times
Much, much better times.
But at least she is still afloat.
Hosho fingers the joke that someone has called a life jacket. Not that it would do much good if he ever needed it.
2 decks down, a 100 men crowded into a compartment designed for 10, a single ladder leading to the upper deck…………….
But one cannot worry about what one cannot change, no?.
One day at a time Hosho, one day at a time……………
Right now, meal time. A full meal, with meat, or fish. And for a man 15 kilos below weight, that is more than enough for this day.

Kitano maru has seen better times. But she floats still, steams still. Steams east, towards home.

[1275psi]

The fleet reaches Manilla unmolested.
It will spend today refuelling, taking on final stores. There is little doubt now from the reports coming from the south, the enemy gather their strength.
A wise move.
But now Japan has been given a chance to gather hers.........





80 miles north of Sinyang.

It is a familiar routine, almost a year old now. Private Yang awakens, performs his abulutions in the camp, then, after a leisurely breakfast, he climbs to the peak of hill 154.
Its not a great climb, 500 odd feet, the path well stepped now, cut and borderd with steady planks, even the occasional rail to assist.

The divison has been static here for a very, very long time........

Once at the top, Yang will step onto the top of the bunker, and wave across the 1000 yards to hill 155.
And every morning, for the last 400 odd days, the chinese privates manning the almost identical machine gun post to Yangs, will wave back.

Yang will then enter the bunker, kick the sleeping watch out, and settle in for another long, long day.

Today, a slight change in the routine
Nobody appears at the top of hill 155. Yang shrugs, and enters the bunker.

He sighs, the place is even a greater mess than yesterday. Almost angrily he kicks the sleeping men.
"Up you pigs, the chinese are attacking!"

A groan.'Oh truk off Yang...."

The off going watch gather their stuff, .........."Don't bloody start something Yang, ........"

The sentence is never finished

The first shells of the artillery bombardment will obliterate the bunker on hill 154............

History will describe it simply.
23rd of November 1944.
"The Chinese Front awakens"

[kaleun]

Nicely told.

[1275psi]

24 November 1944

A cold winter breeze sweeps across Hiroshima bay, the last light of day fading

Hirate and Mioko are resting with backs against the coast rockwall, sheltered from the breeze
A small picnic is spread before them, simple food, a plain clothe covering the grass verge.
Silence has spread between the two, the silence of contentment and love.

The time has been sweet, these last two weeks. Arranged, or not, this is a marriage in full bloom, with all the mad selfishness and inwardness that only blooming love can bring.
It is Mioko who breaches the subject that must be shed.
"You are sailing soon, aren't you?"

here it is. The question that so many servicemen must answer.
There is no right answer
Not, especially now, that love demands so much of them, of him.

The answer, given more times than history can record, I am sure, is simple
"Yes, I must"
"But you have been sunk twice already!, You cannot risk a third time!"
"But I must"
"Run away, I can hide you"

Hirate can but sigh. "You know as well as I do, they would catch me, and shoot me"

Hirate turns, kisses his wife "But, you know, I really think Chiburi might be different"
"Different?"
Hirate suddenly becomes animated " you know, nearly every man on that ship is a party man, a party man leading all the way back to the revolution......."

"Oh, get out of it Husband......."

It is Mioki's turn to plant a kiss..."regardless, you must be careful." gently she places a hand upon her belly "We demand it!"

"We?"
"yes, we"

Hirates eyes widen...........


Fight for Emperor.
Fight for country
Fight for your comrads

Nothing, compares though, than to fight for your family

[1275psi]

24th November

secure in manilla bay, the fleet waits

Kaga, 8 days to availablity.

The enemy still lingers near Timor..........gaining definition daily. Multiple task forces, multiple CV's, APA's, destroyers, AKs, the whole gamut............

The fleet waits
The battle plans are laid

On day one, the best of the fighters will defend what they can
On day two, limited LBA attacks, heavily escorted, with, if possible, sweeps over the invasion.
On day three, the Carriers strike, with every plane that can be found
Dawn, day 4, the battlewagons strike
Its worked before

Gods willing, it will work again.

[british exil]

Nail biting stuff.

Any real intel about the size of the enemy fleet size? How many fighters? Exact whereabouts?

Mat

[John 3rd]

Go get 'em!

[1275psi]

25th November 1944

Command is a lonely thing

Admiral Abe has settled on Yamato as his flagship. From here, with her communications, her powerful radio, he can (albiet with difficulty) co ordinate his forces for the battle ahead.

In theory, he has over 1000 fighters, 300 bombers, 200 Torpedo bombers to commit, land and sea based.
6 battleships, 3 battlecruisers, 8 cruisers, destroyers enough.
All his. All his to command, to wield.

Is this not what one would want?, to leave ones mark upon history?, maybe to even change it?

But here, in the quiet of this cabin, alone, utterly alone, the wieght crushes him.
Yesterday, they counted 10 carriers near Dilli....

Today,.........

None.

Is this great gathering a decoy?
Has he been decieved?

Damnation!


No, he Abe, is right. He must be right!

There is a gentle knock on the door.
Tanaka........Commander now of the battlecruisers.
'Admiral?"
"Yes Tanaka, how can I be of assistance?".
One must be cool, be seen to be in control. To be seen to be not afraid.........
"Kaga sails in two days Tanaka, another ship to help , yes?............but I am being rude, what is it you want?"

The round face breaks into a nervous smile............'Nothing really admiral.......but one suspects that to share a drink this evening would be a good thing.."

Abe feels it course through him. A glow of warmth.
Not so terribly alone, after all.

""Why yes, tanaka, scotch? .Tell me, old friend, do you remember your first ship?...........mine was such a tub......."

[1275psi]

25 November 44

Kendari is pounded by nearly 100 heavy bombers
Manando is hit by superforts
bases in Brunie are burnt

Around Jolo island, a deady, deadly dance between the hidden bukas, the swarms of ASW ships.

(so many in fact, that the numbers are noted by the allies)

At Chumphon, the allied main army arrives. It just may not be strong enough..........
(2600AV to 1900)

[1275psi]

The convoy carrying Hosho is dead in the middle of the south china sea, so far unmolested.
33rd division has arrived safely in Japan.

Sumutra is being stripped of troops, they flow towards Soerabaya..

In china, the first allied offensive rolls south towards the canton area of china.

japan springs a desperate, but bold inititive to kill it...............

[1275psi]

extract from shattering the sword, a cantona production.......


It has been a long time since the war in China intruded upon this tale.. But now , with supplies flowing freely across the Burma road, the first offensive in 8 bitter years of war begins

The road and rail link between henghang and Kukong first crosses the great river that sweeps south of Changsha, then follows almost due south a great valley, 40 miles wide for some 80 miles, before slowly climbing through the rugged foot hill country around Kukong.
It is, initially , a valley of rice fields, a great many small villages, unchanged in make up for centries. There are few defensive positions until the hills north of Kukong.

What China fails to notice, in this first offensive, is that directly south of henghang, is another rail and road link, that drives along the southern bank of the river, and then curves south towards central southern china.

On the 15th of November, 5 chinese divisions cross the river south of Henghang, and drive south
On the 21st, they obliterate a regimental out post, and triumphant, press towards Kukong

Japanese reaction, is swift, bold.
5 tank regiments, a mobile infantry regiment, and a recon unit, are immediately sent north and west, up that noted valley in the centre.
Units race towards Kukong
On the 27th, the Japanese armour debouches into the head of the valley, a mere 20 miles south of Henghang, where, too late, another two chinese divisions cross the river to block.
Japanese tanks, compared to the allies, are frail, weak things.
But if your heaviest weapon is a rifle, they are unstoppable

The battle of the 28th is short, sharp, brutal. One any panzer commander of Germany would only nod with satisfaction at.
The chinese divisions are flung back across the river.

Without hesitation, the tanks swing south.
From Kukong, 3 divisions move north

Blitzkrieg has come late to the pacific war.
But it is no less devastating

[1275psi]

27th November

'truk me, Ogowa, is it just me, or is it truking cold?"

His feet crunch in the light covering of snow as he jumps down from his new fighter.
Ogowa smiles, Diogowa is flapping his arms, beating his body, trying frantically to beat some warmth into his body
"Its cold.........this is Sapporo you know, and winter is coming"

Diogowa looks about the bleak field, the light covering of snow upon the field, the greay skies, the bare trees bordering the field.
Its been a terrible flight, low cloud, fog, heavy winds.
""Does anyone really think the allies are coming here, now?.........with winter coming on?"

Ogowa feels the biting air, the chilling wind on his face, feels his skin already begin to freeze
"No, I don't........truk this, lets get inside"

[1275psi]

Emily flying boats are huge, they are pretty hard to hide.
Especially in these new days of radar.

But, where there is a way, it will be found

24 liberators strike near ambon, another milk run of powdering the poor isolated barsteds below.
But 25 planes return towards darwin.

Only upon arrival, one stays at altitude, does a great lap of the bay, and gets very, very busy counting.

A single recon mission.
But one whos report flows all the way to the very top of Japans chain of command


'118 ships reported in Darwin"


A mere 6 hours later, the order goes out.
"all, repeat, all non restricted air units are to deploy to southern phillipines.."


herbiesan is rolling his last dice
he is stripping Japan of what ever he can

The celebes sea will be the final stand.

[1275psi]

Kaga, with just 5 destroyers available as escort (and still with 6 system damage), begins her race south from Tokyo harbour.
can the old girl arrive in time to have an effect?

We will try

Full ahead, flank!

[1275psi]

28th November

Mt fuji slips past, under Ogowa's right wing

Surrounded in clouds, she stands eternal.

Will he ever see it again?
deep, deep in his bones, Ogowa doubts it.
Sapporo is behind, kagoshima ahead. Today, he will traverse the whole length of his land, then tomorrow, undoubtably, south, to the war.

it is good, to see home one last time
Good, to nod towards the eternal, to pay your respects



And to swear, by all that is holy, that no foriegn flag will ever fly upon it.

[1275psi]

'bombs gone"

Long pig strains as he peels the wellington hard into the bank. Sturdy yes, heavy to fly..........crap yes.
Another milkrun

There are rumours of japanese fighters based again near hanoi, but for today, thankfully, the skies are clear.
"5 to go, hey Bigglesworth..........and thats the tour done!"

Bigglesworth glares at him
'Talk like that, is bound to jinxs us, you idiot..just get us home, and keep your eyes peeled"




120 miles to the south, 9 Japanese fighters lie smashed, caught today, by superforts , upon the ground.

Long pig, has not a clue on how lucky he was today..............

[1275psi]

29 november 1944
10 miles from Amoy, Chinese coast.

Our men on the zuiho would have recongnised the sound immediately.
that ringing, trash can crash of a fish slamming into some hapless hull, that tearing, creaking groaning of baulkheads collapsing,,,,,,,,
Hosho and his men have never heard this sound, but they have now.
Too a man in the crowded compartment, faces go white.
hosho cannot help himself, sphincter tightens, and eyes immediately turn towards the exit, the companion way out of this bloody steel box.

The tannoy breaks into life
"There has been a submarine attack. This ship has not, repeat, not been hit. All soldiers will remain below decks"
What follows is nightmarish.

For an hour, the bangs ring through the hull.

depth charges, but how are they to know?
A million un answered questions...........did they get it?. Who got it?

And what happens if the SS gets them......................



Hosho knows what happens then.

They drown

[1275psi]

Yokosuka KU-S2 fighter group arrive takao safely.

The base is packed to capacity, not since december 41 have so many planes lined the tarmac.
Okura howeversee's the dark side of this accumulation of attack planes

Too many are refugees from carriers now lying on the ocean floor.
But does it matter now?

The phillipines is two dozen unsinkable carriers.

The men make there way to the mess.
A proper field. proper facilities
A proper place to fight a war.

[1275psi]

The last night

Tomorrow Chiburi sails again.

This is a night that hollywood gets so wrong

The heroes will spend it in passion, in love, in understanding.
She will be brave, he braver
They will talk, they will express the deepest desires , the deepest needs

Its mostly wrong.
Ask those who have been there.


For Hirate, for Okano, the night is long, and mostly painful