Wobbly vs herb, ens hanamato

[1275psi]

21/9/42

a strange day today
We lost our home today - our mess deck that is

The black gang were quite apologetic - but the XO was not

That turbine that exploded has to be remved -huge piece by huge piece
That means a hole in the roof - which means our deck - which means our home.

So we are all moved out - I am sleeping in the ready room today
The black gang say it will be at least 4 days to get the turbine out our mess -and out another hole in the STBD side of the ship.
A new one is waiting for us At Rabual

It takes the black gang exactly 1 hour to trash our room.
The stink of cutting torches fills the lower areas.
Its a big job - how clever the engineers are.
I will however avoid the area like the plague.

We catch radio Noumea today - we lost a lot of bombers over burma today -no fighter escort
An attack at homan was repulsed.
the empire seems to have stalled.

[1275psi]

22/9/42
really pissed off today

The inevitable -a small fire in the mess today started by a cutting torch - and guess who lost their lockers worth of possessions.

I am not happy - now my entire worldly possessions consist of my flying suit - my writing kit - and 1 bottle of illegal sake.

There is a bright side to it.
The CPO in charge of the black gang is now definately in my debt - and on a ship with continous fresh water restrictions - this can be used to advantage.

We are one day out of shortlands - then we will sail into the sub infested coral sea - the plan is to LRCAP ambush one of his heavy bomber raids.
Ive got about 3 days to finalise how i am going to tackle a B17

[1275psi]

I am writing this by moonlight
It is late in the night - and the ship is at action stations
As per orders all pilots are on the upper decks - KB is under Submarine attack.

To both sides of us I can see land - we are in very close waters -approaching Shortlands.

To the south of us we can hear clearly over the wind crossing the deck the crump, crump of depth charges.
This is the second attack tonight, I do not expect much sleep.

A surreal sight, all the planes lined up on the deck - powerless- with small clumps of men gathered around them.
Surprisingly we speak in whispers -why? - I do not know.
The thought of submarines make my stomach knot..

Apparently the coral sea is alive with them -will yamaguchi risk them?.

[1275psi]

the relief from the tension has been shortlived
We made Shortlands today without being directly attacked by the hidden menace - our escorts are claiming 2 enemy subs sunk overnight.

We refuelled all day, a packed harbour full of shipping.
Tomorrow we sail yet again - for the area off Gilli, Gilli - back to familiar waters again.
No mail.

I did recieve some new Uniforms today to replace the destroyed ones - so Im not that upset with the black gang now.

The mess looks like a bomb hit it - but the turbine has been removed.
our squadrons have some reserves following us around the world - it is good to have them.

A big day of briefings about the B17 and liberator.
tactics have been decided - its the head on attack we will adopt.
I must trust to my skill.

little news in the world -the usual siege about Homan in china -and the army is trying to create a super pocket in the south of china.

[1275psi]

25/9/42

KB approaches good enough island
the situation is tense, so many subs about
tomorrow half our fighter strength will fly CAP over PNG - will I see action tomorrow.

The day is very grey, overcast -a lot of mist
and the humidity!
it is very hard on us today.

[1275psi]

a terrible, terrible day

we launched into a threatening sky, and over 100 of us spent the next 6 hours doing lazy circles over the base at gilli gilli.
pleasant, boring.
But as the day wore on, things started to go very, very wrong
the storms sprung up so incredibly quickly -huge masses of clouds -between us and our carriers.

Our CO took the plunge early -we headed south, then east, then finally got home, safe.
others were not so lucky.
shokaka lost 6 men today, we lost 10 zeros to mother nature today.
they simply vanished into silence, the great maw of clouds simply swallowed them up.


a very unpleasant night - sub alerts all night.
I am very, very tired.

[1275psi]

28/9/42
simply no time to write yesterday
yesterday was a day of huge storms -no flying, heavy seas.
non stop lightening.

a great, deadly show.
We lost 6 more pilots - some idiot insisted on a CAP .

today we retire towards rabual - this is a bust.
the men are angry, and frustrated.
tokyo rose is full of news though, the enmy has struck our shipping at rangoon - big air battles
it appears the army is fighting back in the air

The black gang promise us our mess deck back within 3 days of arrival at rabual.
3 days!!!
i positevly hate this ready room, i hate the navy, i hate ships, I hate this war.
I want my own bed back!!!

[1275psi]

29/9/42

we sail back to rabual - arrive tomorrow
Sub reports all over the area -but we remain un touched.
Tokyo rose is full 0f news about a large raid on Akyab, heavy losses are claimed on both sides
It is interesting listening to her - and then the BBC version

The black gand have heard of my distress.
a bottle of sake appears by magic under my seat in the ready room today.

really, they are fine fellows.

mail tomorrow?
all of us look forward to that.

[1275psi]

30/9/42

The end of ultimately another frustrating and futile cruise.
Rabual harbour once again is crammed with ships.

After the usual busy day of stores, and fuelling, Sagara and myself took leave.

We again got hold of the same beaten up old car we used last time, and again made our way to the airfield.

The difference from our last visit was startling.
Instead of a busy, grim base, today we found a complacent sleeping base, occupied with only a single zero squadron.

Disturbingly one gains the impression that many supplies and spares one would expect were in short supply, twice today we heard comments about "it got sunk enroute"
After about a morose hour we went back into town.
Lae is the place for action, apparently every day large "milk runs " take place against the troops we chased into the jungles near port Moresby.

Tokyo rose again reports very , very fierce fighting in the skies above Akyab - the army seems to have become detirmined to regain control of the skies there.
heavy fighting reported at Kweiyang - a look at the map shows that this leaves Wuchow and a large chunk of southern china cut off..

can we keep it sealed, and take the place?

But enough of the war, hunger for a good seafood meal beconned.
A pleasant evening of crayfish followed.

[1275psi]

1/10/42
Kaga has a horrible rusty AR ship alongside her, when we returned from shore, great news, already the turbine is below, and soon our home will be restored.

I was very busy today - many inventories to carry out - a new Kit to be fitted with, personal items to replace.

AR ships are faboulous - they hold all a man needs.

An alert near lunchtime - 100 heavies hit Port Moresby today - how ironic
The BBC came through loud and clear -and a new station - "freedom America", imperial slavery in my mind

The fighting over akyab continues, another heavy air day.

We recieved some replacements today -fortunately all crack pilots, returning from courses in japan.

Mail.

The news from home remains good.
father and I have organised a code, to defeat any censors
A new battle wagon "as big as a mountain" sits in his bay.
I look over to yammato - another sister to her?

[1275psi]

2/10/42

amazing what 200 odd black gang can do.
we have a new mess - fresh, painted, comfortable.
Well done men.

A quiet day - many of the same black gang finally get shore time.
We spend the day on paper work.

After lunch, some staff officers from the air technical branch arrive.

We are asked many questions on our zero - what is needed to improve our planes.
Soon a new model is coming out - but attention is swinging to 43, 44 - should the war go that long- what is needed.

We are deeply divided.
some say manouverability is everything, the older pilots seem to tend this way.
I dis agree - I feel speed, hitting power, and armour is everything - the bigger the engine , the better.
I argue the case about Burma -where today again the war rages.
there the Tony is doing well - while the lighter Tojo appears to be struggling.

And always at the back of my mind - the heavy bombers - how to knock down bombers - and guns mean everything there.

The staff leave satisfied I feel.

I am disturbed though - 43 -44?, I thought peace was at hand -that the war was all but won?

[1275psi]

3/10/42

Another quiet day at anchor rabual.
The evening news is again concentrating on the airwar over Burma.

A huge airbattle over Akyab - which is reported as "closed" by both the BBC and Tokyo rose - to ones amazement, and to a convoy attacked at rangoon harbour -"devastated" -"lightly damaged".
regardless -the Army continues to fight very hard, the Tonies, and Tojos are doing well.
we understand that some 22 zeros were lost today in the theatre - now we know why rabual is so quiet - and 11 tonies.
Tokyo rose claims that some 38 enemy fighters were shot down in reply.
To think I have travelled half way around the world this year -for just 1 action of note -and yet daily the war burns brightly .
its a very frustrating war.

[1275psi]

4/10/42
sagara and myself went swimming today

The enemy sinks a ship inside PM harbour.
Cheeky

A day of rest.
let the war go on with out us for a while

[1275psi]

5/10/42

Another day of routine work onboard the ship -many engine change outs -many major repairs underway on the ship.

News is a mixture today.
A small naval battle at tarwana -a convoy intercepted, a brave effort put up by the small escorts
In Burma the army is claiming a victory in the air -the enemy has ceased to oppose our raids on Akyab.
This sounds good to us.

[1275psi]

6/10/42

Another small convoy intercepted today.
The enemy is so aggressive -everywhere except where we are!

Burma news is still good - another big un opposed raid on Akyab today
Fighting at Kweiyang, and homan.

here we are awaiting fuel and supplies.
Why does paperwork breed so quickly!!!

[1275psi]

7/10/42

A very busy, busy day
My zero has a new engine -and has been thourhly inspected for cracking in the main spar.

I like to get involved with the inspections.
Several zeros have been reported lost this month with main spar failure, this is a very big worry -especially if you throw a plane about like i do.

if only there was a way to see into the metal of a wing.
The big hustle today is a reaction to the enemy - 100 heavies hit PM again -the army is screaming for cover.
All planes are put on 6 hrs notice for a move to Lea

Japan has been hit!
parishimo jima hit by heavy bombers!

surely the enmy will not attack through those frozen wastes.

[1275psi]

8/10/42

Today we flew into lea
What a dump.
let me describe it to you-

This afternoon we assembled for briefing in the airfield command post. I use the words command post freely. The CP was ridiculously inadequate. It failed to deserve even the name 'shack' for it had no walls! Mats hung from flimsy overhead beams to serve as walls, curtains, and doors. The room was barely adequet to hold all thrity filers when they huddled closely together. In the center was a large crude table, hune from local timber. A few candles and one kerosene lamps served for illumination. Our electricity for telephones came from batteries.
... Outside the CP I saw all the vehicles assigned to Lae. These consisted of an ancient, rusty, creaky Ford Sedan, one decrepit truck, and one fueling vehicle. They served the entire base. There were no hangers. We lacked even a control tower!
...Elements of the 18th div man the perimeter.
the rookies have been moved out to make room for us -although the tonie guys are remaining- carrying out daily attacks to the south.
The whole place is terrible - another no where to sleep joint.
we make our own mess in the local luthern church - not the fine stone building you imagine -at least it has grass wall,.

I do not think much of the field iether -it faces east west - straight at the mountains that surrounfd the plain this hole rests on.
never mind - closer to the action -one hopes.

The cheeky allies sent a single DD into Pm last night -it beat up some patrol boats.
We are going to fly LRCAP over Pm tomorrow - maybe we will give his milk run something to think about.

What really worries me is the fact that it took 6 hrs to fuel all the fighters once we arrived.
No where satisfactory!
I hope the immenent arrival of a Emperor herbiesan special will rectify the supply shortages.

[1275psi]

10/9/42

a long, and tiring day

it started well -the news from Burma is good
the tactic seems clear - the major effort over burma has forced the allies to switch his focus.
today our airforce appears to have switched back the bombers to china -the fight for kweilang is truly on

No enemy air over Akyab again today.

In our area of the world a report that the enemy heavies had hit Ndini -our southern most out post.
we took off at about 10 in the morning -nearly 100 fighters and after a quick flight began the loiter over PM.

An interesting sight once we cleared the stanelys- and let me tell you later what that simple line implies - a AK sinking just out of the harbour - a enemy sub at work.

6 boring hrs later we turned for home.
Do you know what 6 hrs in a cockpit at 10000 feet entails - the struggle to remain focussed, alert.
Ansd always the jungle below us.

then for home -and the stanleys now have a terrible cover of storms - building all over them.
fortunately our CO has the right idea - we move to full throttle , and blast our way between the peaks. to the clear air on the north side.
terrible
Somewhere along the way we lost one of our rookies.
another 30 mins and we would have been forced to try to use the moonscape crated PM field.
My landing was rough, and hard - i smashed an oleo -burst a tire -and ground looped.
My beautiful refitted plane is a write off!
I got a shake -a cut for head and a banged up knee.
But I was lucky, it could have been worse.

sagara has spent all evening pulling the piss out of me - he demands to put an entry in my log book -and has asked do i need a refresher course.
It cost me a bottle of beer to shut him up.

[1275psi]

10/10/42
Lt tomowaga asks am i fit to fly
its already 85 on the ground, humidity 100%
Its 60 at 10000 feet.

of course i am fit.

Another day doing circles over PM -while the enemy hits ndini.

And that was the day -I am so stiff and sore
We stand down tomorrow -heavy storms predicted.
Already I pine for the kaga -this place stinks

interesting news Burma - the army did not fly in Burma today -remaining "on patrol" - expecting heavy attacks - instead pounding china again.
the enemy has moved 150 plus fighters into Akyab - the enemy General - "the wobbly wonder one" is declaring that the air has not been surrendered in burma.

how will we deal with this challenge.
Tokyo rose talks of - "significant naval forces " of ours are on the move.

good.
Now where can i get a beer in this shit hole?

[1275psi]

2721 hrs of flight time
behind sagara, i am the 2nd most experienced pilot in the unit now.
11/10/42
Ironically the weather was clear here and at PM today -fortunately the enemy did not attack.

The day was not good -spent most of it playing cards, and sweating.
The natives -and i mean the natives -are hostile in this place -one does not wander far from the "CP" - well our hut.
My new plane is a creaky old beast, engine test today was not satisfactory, although the fuel quality has a lot to do with it.
I suspect the octane is not what it should be.

news from the world - our british opposition glares at us in burma - we glare back
I did some calculations -if we produce say 200 tonies a month - it only needs a week of little action, and that is another unit converted to them - the oscar is patently in adequate.
Tomorrow we try again
Also I hear that Gilli, Gilli, is now packed with fighters -maybe we can give him a rude shock or too.
how I would like to down a B17, or a liberator.