The little ship that could.

[1275psi]

Extract from shattering the sword, a cantona production


...........as the twin thrusts advanced slowly towards Akyab, and west from Myitinka, the japanese air force returns over burma

It is another typical day.
As dry as the figures are, one cannot be struck by the variety of the actions, the differences in the battles
But one common theme remains. the desperation of the fighting, and the brutal fatality for so many of the men involved.

The day begins before dawn, with 42 Oscars sweeping across Myitinka, surprising a dozen P40's taking off.
3 dead men
9 hurricanes come south, and run smack into 40 plus Tojos over the river, the furball is large, and lethal
5 men dead
11 P38 bounce some of the tojos gliding home.
4 more dead
12 oscars and 12 sonias go into action near Akyab, and run into P 40's
1 dead
38 sallies escorted by 13 Oscars attack ground forces. A P40 collides with the bomber it attacks
6 dead
16 vengence bombers are bounced, and loose a dozen to the Tojos......
it goes on, a lot longer than this, thrust, counter thrust, ambush, face to face battle.
And the dead pile up.

Yes, many bail out, to drift down, down, into the jungles.
And how many ever re emerge?
Not many
Dead.

33 allied planes go down today, Japan loses 28.

But its no longer about the planes to japan
Its now all about replacing the dead.

[1275psi]

Japan has sunk 56 ss so far..........

[John 3rd]

Wow. 56?? YOu are a very efficient SS killer yourself it appears...

[1275psi]

55th division lies along the length of the Irrawady river.
On the far side, Hosho can see the jungle, no different to the jungle they lie hidden in.
The steep banks, exposed here, tree roots danglinging above the clear swiftly moving waters.
The Irrawady is a lot different here to the great brown serpent of downstream, here it is alive, shallow in places, the ripples denoting the sand bars, the hidden rocks.

But for the steepbanks on each side, this is river is no real impediment to the Army somewhere to the North.
And some Army it must be, he muses. At least two armoured regiments, and now positevly identified, the 9th, 7th and 6th Aussie divisions.
But for now, the jungle is silent, of the enemy, there is no sign.
There is just the quiet jungle, the oppressive heat, the tinkling of the waters.
His long time friend, Bando crawls into the bush with him, he is grinning.
It is never good news when he is grinning.

"And what, if I may ask, are you so happy about?"
'Oh nothing"
"Nothing,...........Oh hang on, you've just come from Company HQ, haven't you?"
"yes" bandos grin grows. It is not a happy grin, make no mistake about this. Its the sort of grin you see from those in the trumble, the Gillotine approaching. " You know how you said our beloved Prince was such a clown, well.........."

Hosho turns to him
"Alright , let me have it"
'Apparently the enemy are moving due West, theres been a battle east of Katha"
"And?" This, thinks Hosho, is not looking good
"We are going to move west too, cross the river somewhere to the west of here, and catch them in the flank"

Hosho stares at his friend.

So, our happy clown has consulted the map, and thinks he sees a chance. How simple it must be, a quick move to the west, over the unguarded river..........

Except, of course.........
"Does he really know what lies to the west of us?. Pure Jungle, untouched by man since the bloody dinosours!, he wants to move an entire army through that?
'Apparently......................yes"

Hosho emits a single curse.

Clowns.
Bloody clowns.

[1275psi]

Zuiho has a quiet day

There is a AA shoot at 0800, another one at 1300.
A fire drill at 0900 ( yet again, a hanger fire, and yet again, brought swiftly under control)
Captains table at 1000 hrs
A head of department meeting at 1100

Bottom blows on all 4 boilers during the day, a set of soot blows.
The lathe breaks.

The emergency DG's are run for 20 minutes.
Fire pumps swung

Switchboard drills occur at 1300 hours

27 zero sorties go off, as do 21 kate sorties. All are recovered safely
One fighter has a complete engine change, and torpedo loading drill occur at 1400 hrs

The crew is fed three times today, and 600 loads of laundry are washed.
No signals go out, but 168 flashing messages are sent and recieved
238 engine revolution changes take place, mostly to bring her into the wind for each launch

And at dusk, a destroyer comes astern, and recieves 200 plus tons of fuel oil.

yes, zuiho has a quiet day, as she steams deeper north west into the Indian ocean

[1275psi]

Over Burma, after the thunder in the skies over the front..............Nothing.
an eerie silence.

east of katha, the 254th british armoured brigade attacks.
6th tank regiment defends

It is no place to fight armour

Night will fall, and niether side will know who won, who lost.
But the battle will continue.


18th division rattles north on the trains. it should, gods willing, arrive tomorrow.

[Gridley380]

56 CLAIMED SS kills, anyway. Who knows how many actual kills?

[Crackaces]

ORIGINAL: Gridley380

56 CLAIMED SS kills, anyway. Who knows how many actual kills?

I am not of the Robert McNamara school of thought but rather the measurement of success should be the rates of subamrine attacks. If in fact submarine forces are reduced .. then one would expect less coverage and number of attacks.

I have shot down 4000K IJ planes .. allegedly .. but the IJ bombers keep coming over the skies of Malay and the fighter forces still interdict my extension of airpower into teh battle space .. thus .. it does not matter how many for real I have shot down but in fact I have to find a way of countering IJ air power at this time ..

[Gridley380]

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

ORIGINAL: Gridley380

56 CLAIMED SS kills, anyway. Who knows how many actual kills?

I am not of the Robert McNamara school of thought but rather the measurement of success should be the rates of subamrine attacks. If in fact submarine forces are reduced .. then one would expect less coverage and number of attacks.

I have shot down 4000K IJ planes .. allegedly .. but the IJ bombers keep coming over the skies of Malay and the fighter forces still interdict my extension of airpower into teh battle space .. thus .. it does not matter how many for real I have shot down but in fact I have to find a way of countering IJ air power at this time ..

A fair point, though how far into the game are you? If it is spring of 1942 then that 4,000 would indeed represent a serious chunk of Japanese air power. If it is spring of 1944... not so much.

The USN operated a little over 300 SS during the war (in all theaters), even including several dozen "O" and "R" class boats which were used almost exclusively for training. Another hundred or so weren't commissioned until 1944 or later. Toss in the Brits and Dutch and 56 losses is still probably over 25% of the total Allied sub force at this point. Also don't forget that the US must slowly withdraw its "S" boats and some other early designs.

[PaxMondo]

I suspect a lot of FOW in that number (56).  My experience with allied subs is less than 50% are actually sunk when claimed.  They are very tough and have really good damage control.

[1275psi]

japans military claims 56

I actually, stepping outside the AAR, and looking at the game, estimate about 25 fair dinkum ones

Why not ask Cantona?, it would be interesting (for you guys) to find out the actual number!

[1275psi]

4/8/43

Zuiho still see no action

However, Shohos' Jills sight, and are sighted by, a convoy south of Colombo.
And further to the north of Port blair, Hiyo's task force, too is spotted.

For japans high command, this is mission accomplished.
The Indian oceon crawls with japanese ships.


KB enter palua, refuels, and promptly sails again.

The battle east of katha explodes in the air again, japan loses 23, the Allies 31.
In the Jungle, 6th tank regiments light tanks have no answer to the grants and stuarts, by days end, savaged, the regiment retreats nto katha

3 full divisions are dug in here, plus a division of Thia troops.

The enemy enter Akyab in strength
And transports, again, attempt to load troops from Port Blair.

But all of this is nothing.
160 miles south east of Milne bay, a massive fleet has gathered.
tracked by Mavis search planes especially vectored to it, it idles, waiting for something.
A mere 40 miles to its east, 18 japanese ss in one mega wolf pack, steam to intercept.

[1275psi]

7th August

The enemy bomb Hosho, whos struggling didvison, has at great cost in fatigue, battled a mere 12 miles east.
I did intend to spend time describing the hell 55th division is undergoing, as it attempts what is clearly nearly impossible, moving through the green hell of this primevial world.

but other events, far more important, seem to be overtaking a mere divisions struggles..............

[1275psi]

Zuiho still tracks the Indian ocean many miles due east of sabang.
To the North of her, Hiyo task force still tracks in her area.

For the last three days, there have been intermittant sightings south of Columbo. Now, at dusk, there is a definate one.
A single AK coming south.

Kato can only admire the courage of the men on this ship. There is, in his mind, no doubt what this ship is.

It is a lure. A test. Brutal to the extreme.
Go south, and confirm if the Japanese carriers are there, their strength, their numbers.
Hiyo, apparently, is going to oblige..........
Her signals burn through the airwaves
"I intend to attack"


And gods willing, the Americans will hear that.............

[1275psi]

What is duty?

What is service?
What makes the military, what it is?

Many things

But, I think, some simple things.

Do as ordered
Do it well, trust your command
And be prepared to do it in the light of this:
Every little action, is important.

Hidaka contemplates his men working over his planes, deep into the night, under the glaring lamps of the hanger.
He admires the easy manner, the ease and confidence they exude as they treat his eagles.
And why not. They should know these birds better than their wives, better than their children, or parents now.
They work hard, but they work with known goals, a known purpose.

His pilots, however, are a different matter.
He feels their frustration now. Feels it himself. So many days, so many contacts, and still no attacks........
Of everything they have done, this is one of the hardest.
'Just be out there, and be seen................"
This then, is their duty. A small part to play, seemingly. One which is maddeningly frustrating.
And, of course, way out here, they will never know until they return, if this little journey has been worth it at all.


But of course, History tells us, it was.

[1275psi]

100 miles south of Buna, the allied invasion fleet, obviously now aimed at Lae, crawls north, hugging the coast.

100 miles south of Milne bay, japans mega ss fleet chases.
Another 12 ss race from rabual to intercept.

From Biak, from points further north of Biak, Japans naval airforces flow south towards Manus, towards kavieng.
Zeros fly into bases north of Lae

At Manus, the betties are loaded with fish, the zeros await to escort.
And coming south, aiming for Manus, KB, and 12 heavy cruisers increase to full speed.
Tomorrow, or the day after, battle.

[1275psi]

Deep in the bowels of Zuiho, a young stoker struggles with the repair of a valve.
His Miserly 6 weeks of training, and the two weeks of sea time since joining in Singapore, have left him completely un prepared for this task.
In fact, everything has been bewildering, from the motion of the ship, to the eating arrangements, to the lack of sleep.
Heavens, some times he still gets lost.

"Son, you are doing it wrong"
Oh no, its the Charge............
Seamen should never talk to Chief's.........
Nervously, he nods, springs to attention.
Confidently, the Charge reaches for a spanner, a screw driver........"Look, you do it like this...."

Chief is the pinnacle.
But we all have to start somewhere.
Who knows, maybe one day this youngster will be a Charge too...........

[1275psi]

Akagi rounds manus island, and moves south.
For the tenth time, Nagumo reads the contact reports.

There are none.
The invasion fleet, impossibly, has vanished.

Either America has 100 knot landing craft, or something has gone totally of the tracks.......

Nagumo orders more search flights. Grits his teeth, and keeps coming.

[1275psi]

Tan knocks nervously at the Captains cabin door.
Although he reports here every day, sometimes several times a day, he never has, nor never will feel comfortable in this cabin.
The Captains cabin, is well..........as ridiculous as this sounds, too Naval.
A year of service, and still, deep inside him, Tan remains a railway man.
He could never imagine living like this, working, serving like this as a career.
Never.

"Sir , you called?"
Captain Kato smiles, a rare thing.
"Come in Tan, all still good below?"
"The propellers still go round, yes sir"
"Good"

That pause. Why, before big announcments, do men always pause?
But when it comes, it is sharp, and to the point.

"I am shortly to join Taiho. You are coming with me"

[Gridley380]

Have you picked the new skipper for Zuiho yet?