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ignore...

Okay...

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

ignore...

Have I just been insulted, Japanese style?

No. He means to ignore his last post.
 

I shall start ignoring it ...
on the count of 3
1
2
3
Ignoring.

[:D] No, I went to edit my 'long' post and accidently quoted it. So just erased and asked everyone to ignore.

Sorry to CF for all these posts.

ORIGINAL: princep01

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

ignore...

Have I just been insulted, Japanese style?

February 21, 1943

Location: Balikpapan
Course: In port
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 419

Orders: Return to Balikpapan to refuel and rearm.

---

The Japanese fleet anchors in Balikpapan Bay. While Hibiki awaits its turn at the docks Captain Ishii grants leave to as many of the crew as possible. This will be the first chance the crew has had to go ashore since the fleet left Truk some weeks ago.

Though the men are not inclined to be picky, Balikpapan is in truth not much of a place. Fifty years ago it was a small and unknown fishing village. The discovery of oil there changed that, and the Dutch oil companies built a neat if uninspiring town near the entrance to the bay. The town, the wharves, and the oil facilities are now under Japanese management, and there are no Dutch or other Europeans to be seen. A Japanese Army regiment is stationed here, and there are quite a few base force personnel as well.

The deep bay is lined with mangrove swamps, and beyond them rise low hills covered by dense rain forest. Like other tropical ports Hibiki has visited Balikpapan is hot and humid, and the swamps and the oil facilities give the place an interesting blend of vapors and odors. The area around the town has little of the exotic beauty of some of the places Hibiki has visited, such as Truk or Espiritu Santo. Balikpapan does have two of the things the men of Hibiki most need, however, places to drink and room to just walk around.

To the chagrin of the crew, however, there are no women to be found. The men think with regret of the women in places such as Saigon or Singapore, places not too far away. Somehow the chance of seeing an orangutan or a pygmy elephant in the nearby forest just does not compare.

The rescued sailors go ashore, two of them still on litters, and Hibiki’s decks no longer resemble a refugee camp. Late in the day Captain Ishii goes ashore as well. Admiral Ozawa has received new orders and wishes to brief his ship captains.

---

“The enemy gathered a great many ships for their operation on Timor,” Admiral Ozawa says. He is speaking to the other officers at a polished wooden conference table in a meeting room that once belonged to a Dutch oil executive. Now Japanese maps and charts line the walls. “Some were sunk, and many more were damaged. We estimate that at least 15 capital ships sustained significant damage, as well as many smaller warships and transport type vessels.” He steps to a large wall map and indicates the west coast of Australia.

“There are no major repair facilities in this area,” he says. “They will need to send these ships to the other side of Australia at the least, and probably many of them will return to America.” He points to the Torres Strait on the map. “The enemy cannot use the northern route to send their ships back because we control the air in this region. They must instead send their ships by the southern route. And not just damaged ships,” he says. “Any ships or troops they now wish to use elsewhere must be sent eastward as well.”

Ozawa indicates the southwestern coastline of Australia. On the Japanese map this area is dun-colored and completely bare of any sign of human habitation.

“Because of all this we think that a lot of enemy ships will be passing through this area. They probably already are. We are going to take three carriers – Zuikaku, Akagi, and Hiryu – and pass through the Lombok Strait into the Indian Ocean. We will move south and then east to a point here,” he marks a spot about 100 miles off the southwest Australian coast, “which should ensure that our ships go undetected. With luck we will have a chance to deal a serious blow to the enemy.”

Ozawa pauses and looks around. No one has any questions or comments. They know that Ozawa is telling them this because he likes for his subordinates to have an idea what is going on, not because he expects or needs any input.

“We will remain at Balikpapan for one more day,” he continues. “I know some of you would like more time, but that is all we can spare. For what it is worth, there should be time for refit and repair work after this mission.”

There are a few details to discuss. Half the Japanese carriers and some of the escorts will be returning to Japan. Captain Ishii has some regrets about not being in their number. Hibiki has not seen the Home Islands in nine months. But he knows his ship is still in good fighting condition, and he understands himself well enough to know that he would regret missing out on any action that might happen. He returns to Hibiki to tell the crew that they are once again going hunting.

To paraphrase Captain Ramius "Once again we head to sea to play our game with our adversary the Americans ...."  Pardon me if the quote is not exact, Its been a while since I last saw the movie.

“There are no major repair facilities in this area,” he says. “They will need to send these ships to the other side of Australia at the least, and probably many of them will return to America.” He points to the Torres Strait on the map. “The enemy cannot use the northern route to send their ships back because we control the air in this region. They must instead send their ships by the southern route. And not just damaged ships,” he says. “Any ships or troops they now wish to use elsewhere must be sent eastward as well.”

Yamamoto is clearly not resting on his laurels -- although I wonder if the troops can be sent east by rail.

February 22, 1943

Location: Balikpapan
Course: In port
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Return to Balikpapan to refuel and rearm.

---

Riku enters the machine space in front of the forward ammunition storage and begins tiredly slinging his hammock. Everyone else there is asleep with the exception of Shiro, who is carving away at a block of wood with a small, sharp knife. He looks up as Riku enters.

“Did you have fun ashore?” he asks. Riku snorts and stretches, then winces and rubs his left shoulder.

“One day to gather supplies,” he groans. “I think I stowed about five tons worth of food myself.”

“At least meals will be more interesting again,” Shiro comments. Riku looks at him.

“That depends what you mean by interesting,” he says. “I did get a good deal on some crocodile meat.” Shiro stops carving for a moment. “And I don’t know what those yellow fruits are, but we got a lot of those too. They say the natives make a powder out of the rinds that is an excellent laxative,” he adds.

“Anything else?” Shiro asks, in a tone of voice that suggests he no longer really wants to know. Riku shrugs.

“Lots of orangutan steaks,” Riku says. “I think the meat is so gamey it’s inedible, myself, but I’m told it’s okay once it’s been pickled.” Shiro grimaces, then notes the barely suppressed smile quirking one corner of Riku’s mouth. He suddenly grins.

“Now you are making fun of me,” he says. Riku laughs.

“It’s possible,” he says. “How about you? Have any fun ashore?”

“I did find some excellent wood,” he says. “They have a huge mill here, turns out they ship almost as much wood to Japan from here as oil.” He holds up the block of wood he is working on as an example. “Otherwise it was good to get off the ship, but I doubt this place will ever qualify as a resort destination.”

“The mosquitoes seem to like it,” says Riku dryly. Shiro needs no reminding. All of the exterior doors and hatchways on the ship have been sprayed with powerful insecticide as a precaution, and those sailors unfortunate enough to forget to hold their breath while passing through them are soon nauseous enough to think that malaria would be a good alternative.

“Good or bad, we’re out of here tomorrow morning,” Shiro says. Riku nods, then rolls into his hammock.

“Maybe we’ll dock at Singapore after this operation,” he says sleepily. Shiro starts to answer this, but when no answer comes he realizes that Riku has already fallen asleep.

February 23, 1943

Location: Balikpapan
Course: In port
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Strike at enemy ships returning from the Timor operation

---

Shortly before dawn, in a light drizzle of rain, the Japanese ships exit Balikpapan Bay. They head south down the Makassar Strait, making for the Java Sea and the Lombok Strait beyond. The force, now designated the Indian Ocean Strike Force, consists of three aircraft carriers, four heavy cruisers, one light cruiser, and six destroyers.

The hunting expedition is underway. The idea behind it is a good one, and probably deserves a better fate than it is destined to meet. It could be that luck, which has so far always sailed with the Japanese carriers, has decided to switch sides for awhile. Or it could be simply that the Japanese ships, aircrews, and even Admiral Ozawa himself are tired from weeks of fighting. Either way, a chain of events is already in motion that will spell trouble for Hibiki and the rest of the task force.

The first link in this chain is currently being forged by events far away, events that no one in the strike force has any idea are occurring. At the center of them is Field Marshall Erwin Rommel and the recently renamed Army Group Africa, currently penned in Tunisia.

The first link in this chain is currently being forged by events far away, events that no one in the strike force has any idea are occurring. At the center of them is Field Marshall Erwin Rommel and the recently renamed Army Group Africa, currently penned in Tunisia.

How far behind are we in the AAR?I wonder.

Uh-oh.  [X(]

Ah, gees! Now I'm going to have to check every 5 minutes to see if the next installment has been uploaded. Dammit, Cuttlefish, you sure know how to keep us waiting!

Chez

The idea behind it is a good one, and probably deserves a better fate than it is destined to meet. It could be that luck, which has so far always sailed with the Japanese carriers, has decided to switch sides for awhile. Or it could be simply that the Japanese ships, aircrews, and even Admiral Ozawa himself are tired from weeks of fighting. Either way, a chain of events is already in motion that will spell trouble for Hibiki and the rest of the task force.

The first link in this chain is currently being forged by events far away, events that no one in the strike force has any idea are occurring. At the center of them is Field Marshall Erwin Rommel and the recently renamed Army Group Africa, currently penned in Tunisia.

Now that's raising the "preview tease" to a new level. And Africa isn't even supposed to be in WitP!

Thanks so much, Cuttlefish.  I'm going to be off camping until Saturday night with no internet. [:(]  Thanks a lot. [:'(]

Good marketing skills, our boy Cuttlefish...[:D]

Leave them hanging; that's the trick.

I remember long ago reading War and Rememberance by Herman Wouk (one of my first war books). It would be very intersting in one place during the war and then would come the dreaded double carriage return and I would be sent over to some section of the war like Washington, D.C. with nothing going on. [:(]
Now, CF has us thinking that something important is going on in North Africa. Who cares??? Get us back to the war in the Indian Ocean. [:D]

February 24, 1943

Location: 60 miles south-southeast of Bali
Course: South
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 398

Orders: Strike at enemy ships returning from the Timor operation

---

“Hey, what is this? Some kind of soup?”

“More like sort of a stew. Cook is getting creative.”

“Hey, move over a little, will you?”

“I don’t recognize this meat…”

“Chewy, isn’t it?”

“Not bad, though. Ow! Hey, what’s this?”

“It’s green. You know, it looks like...”

“It is! It’s a scale! Riku wasn’t kidding about the crocodile meat.”

“Hi everyone. What’s this?”

“Crocodile stew. It really isn’t bad. Watch out for the scales, though.”

“I see. Um, can we have some of that rice down here?”

“I tell you though, I really hope he was kidding about the tarantula pie.”

“Tarantula pie? He told me orangutan steaks.”

“I hear that tarantula pie is okay if you pick out all the legs.”

“Uck. Uh, I’m not really hungry any more. You want the rest of my stew?”

“Yes, thanks! Whoops, another scale. Damn, those things are sharp…”