Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki
Moderators: wdolson, Don Bowen, mogami
RE: Small Ship, Big War
Get on with it. G.darn it![:@]
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Small Ship, Big War
Patience, Kaleum. Give the artist time to weave his story. Great work is not massed producted with cookie cutter speed. Savor the moment, my friend.
RE: Small Ship, Big War
I am savoring it.
I am savoring it.
Next chapter please...
I am savoring it.
Next chapter please...
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Small Ship, Big War
Actually this AAR is why I did not post AAR of my newest games as Japanese. It is hard to compete with something like this.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Small Ship, Big War
March 3, 1943
Location: 750 miles south-southwest of Broome
Course: Holding position
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 359
Orders: Strike at enemy ships returning from the Timor operation
---
It used to be a practice, when hunting tigers in India, to stake out a goat and wait under cover for the tiger to approach. This made catching the tiger much easier, but it tended to be hard on the goat.
It is not a common practice in Western navies to use one of their ships in this manner. And in fact if the Admiralty were aware of the danger they would send urgent messages to the Emerald-class light cruiser HMS Enterprise, now sailing south from Derby, warning them that they were sailing to their doom. But the Admiralty does not know and so the Enterprise, damaged by air attack off Timor, continues placidly on her way.
The stalking goat is about to enter to hunting grounds of the tiger.
---
HMS Enterprise:
Location: 750 miles south-southwest of Broome
Course: Holding position
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 359
Orders: Strike at enemy ships returning from the Timor operation
---
It used to be a practice, when hunting tigers in India, to stake out a goat and wait under cover for the tiger to approach. This made catching the tiger much easier, but it tended to be hard on the goat.
It is not a common practice in Western navies to use one of their ships in this manner. And in fact if the Admiralty were aware of the danger they would send urgent messages to the Emerald-class light cruiser HMS Enterprise, now sailing south from Derby, warning them that they were sailing to their doom. But the Admiralty does not know and so the Enterprise, damaged by air attack off Timor, continues placidly on her way.
The stalking goat is about to enter to hunting grounds of the tiger.
---
HMS Enterprise:
- Attachments
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- HMS_Enterprise.jpg (24.58 KiB) Viewed 261 times
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wernerpruckner
- Posts: 4142
- Joined: Thu May 05, 2005 1:00 pm
RE: Small Ship, Big War
an update.....
RE: Small Ship, Big War
Enterprise vs. KB. Now there's something I doubt even Capt. Kirk can weasle his way out of!
-F-
-F-
"It is obvious that you have greatly over-estimated my regard for your opinion." - Me
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Small Ship, Big War
March 4, 1943
Location: 750 miles south-southwest of Broome
Course: Holding position
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 316
Orders: Strike at enemy ships returning from the Timor operation
---
In the morning search planes reveal to the Japanese the presence of HMS Enterprise, moving along the Australian coast barely 90 miles to the southeast. There is brief debate among Ozawa and his staff whether to wait for a bigger prize or to strike now. Ozawa decides in favor of a strike; yes, a better target might come along tomorrow, but the cruiser is here today. The Japanese carriers send off a dozen fighters and about forty bombers to deal with the lone ship.
---
HMS Victorious and the rest of the task force have made excellent time since leaving Sydney, and by mid-morning they are some 300 miles south of Exmouth Bay. An Avenger torpedo bomber on a routine patrol comes across a number of wakes cutting across the calm ocean, and the pilot follows them right to the Japanese fleet. He observes the three carriers, all launching planes, and sends a frantic report back to Victorious.
The British can only assume they have been discovered. Victorious has little chance against three Japanese carriers, but the British are determined to make a fight of it. They send everything they have, 16 Seafires and 20 Avengers, winging north.
---
“The target is reported sunk, sir,” the radio operator tells Captain Ishii via the speaking tube. “The planes are returning.”
“Thank you,” Ishii replies. “We will be coming about again soon to recover planes,” he tells the bridge. “Keep an eye on Zuikaku for the signal.” Hibiki is currently to port and slightly astern of the big carrier. He receives acknowledgement and starts to step out onto the observation wing to watch for the returning planes.
“Sir!” comes the radio operator’s voice again. “Our fighters report enemy planes inbound from the south!”
“The south!” says Ishii. “Where the hell did they come from? Combat stations, now!” Hibiki erupts into frantic activity as the klaxon begins to sound. None too soon. Already the enemy planes are visible. Two Zero-sen fighters roar over Hibiki, their engines screaming as they come to full power and start to climb.
---
The Japanese have left a prudent combat air patrol over their ships, but the last direction they expected trouble from was the south. Many planes are out of position as the British aircraft come boring in. The Seafires move to deal with the rest. They pay for it, losing several planes to the guns of the Japanese fighters, but the Avengers slip underneath the fray and come in at the Japanese ships.
---
In the forward 25mm gun tub Taiki is watching three Avengers. They are ahead of Hibiki, passing from left to right as they begin their run on Zuikaku. A Zero-sen fighter is on the tail of one and it begins to smoke as the plane jinks back and forth, trying to stay in the air long enough to reach its release point. The plane releases its torpedo too far out to be effective and then turns away, still pursued by the Japanese fighter.
Taiki tracks the second plane as it crosses Hibiki’s bow about 400 meters ahead. He stands so still that his crew thinks that perhaps their young gun captain has frozen. But Taiki is calculating, and almost immediately he gives orders to lay the guns and open fire. The three 25 mm guns roar, and tracers reach out to intersect the Avenger. It explodes, and pieces of aircraft spin into the ocean.
The last Avenger makes a good drop and banks away, evading the anti-aircraft fire from the carrier. The torpedo makes its deadly run straight at Zuikaku. The big carrier attempts with ponderous grace to turn away, but the torpedo comes relentlessly on and its track intersects with the side of the carrier. There is a thunk and the torpedo breaks in half and sinks, a dud.
---
Zuikaku comes through unscathed, and there is cheering aboard Hibiki. This celebration is abruptly cut off by the sound of an explosion rolling across the water. Some 1000 meters behind Zuikaku a torpedo has found Hiryu, and this one is not a dud. As Hibiki’s crew turns and looks a second torpedo slams home against the carrier. Hiryu shudders under the impacts and slows almost to a stop, smoke roiling upwards.
---
The surviving British planes head for home, chased by the Japanese fighters. Only a handful have been shot down, but many of them have been damaged.
The Japanese planes returning from the strike against HMS Enterprise have to wait until the battle is over before they can begin to land. Hiryu is wounded, perhaps mortally, so her returning planes are divided among the two surviving carriers. Fortunately the carriers are under strength enough that this does not leave either Zuikaku or Akagi overcrowded.
Now the Japanese must find and retaliate against their adversary.
---
The British know they are still facing two carriers, and that they can expect to get hit. They quickly turn around their returning planes and launch another strike. All they can put in the air are eight Avengers and a few fighters, but it is better than sitting around and waiting for the Japanese to act.
This second strike crosses the Japanese attack. Victorious has been quickly located and 17 fighters escort 41 dive and torpedo bombers are dispatched to sink the British carrier.
---
Aboard Hibiki they listen tensely to the broadcasts of the pilots as the Japanese begin their attack. Only five Seafires rise to meet the oncoming threat, and these are no match for the Japanese fighters. Victorious is ready for destruction.
But now the attacking Japanese planes make a fatal blunder. In the foreground of the British task force is Prince of Wales, and for reasons that will never be clearly understood almost all the torpedo bombers and many of the dive bombers choose to strike this ship. Prince of Wales is subject to a vicious attack, but the anti aircraft fire from the battleship and her escorts is heavy and accurate. The big ship takes one torpedo and a pair of bomb hits, but her survival is not seriously threatened.
A lone bomb strikes Victorious. It takes out an anti aircraft gallery but does little damage otherwise.
---
The second British attack seems gallant but doomed, and in fact few planes return. One Avenger, however, sneaks through the covering fighters and the flak and puts a torpedo right into the side of Akagi. The Japanese carrier is not heavily damaged, fortunately, and the flooding is quickly contained.
---
As the afternoon draws on the two forces begin to separate. Victorious is intact but has almost no planes left; the Japanese are in disarray and two of their three carriers are damaged. Ozawa still has hopes of finishing off the British carrier, but his first priority at the moment is saving Hiryu. Akagi is limping a bit but able to launch and recover planes.
Hiryu has her fires mostly under control. Flooding is a more serious problem, and as night falls the carrier is still battling the sea as it works on loosened hull plates and tries to bypass damaged bulkheads. Ozawa orders his ships to head for Tjilitjap, the closest port where the carrier might possibly be saved. They must proceed with agonizing slowness, however, and Tjilitjap is a very long ways away.
---
Hiryu watch: Sys damage 34, Flood 43, Fires 14. Distance to port: 1000 miles
Location: 750 miles south-southwest of Broome
Course: Holding position
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 316
Orders: Strike at enemy ships returning from the Timor operation
---
In the morning search planes reveal to the Japanese the presence of HMS Enterprise, moving along the Australian coast barely 90 miles to the southeast. There is brief debate among Ozawa and his staff whether to wait for a bigger prize or to strike now. Ozawa decides in favor of a strike; yes, a better target might come along tomorrow, but the cruiser is here today. The Japanese carriers send off a dozen fighters and about forty bombers to deal with the lone ship.
---
HMS Victorious and the rest of the task force have made excellent time since leaving Sydney, and by mid-morning they are some 300 miles south of Exmouth Bay. An Avenger torpedo bomber on a routine patrol comes across a number of wakes cutting across the calm ocean, and the pilot follows them right to the Japanese fleet. He observes the three carriers, all launching planes, and sends a frantic report back to Victorious.
The British can only assume they have been discovered. Victorious has little chance against three Japanese carriers, but the British are determined to make a fight of it. They send everything they have, 16 Seafires and 20 Avengers, winging north.
---
“The target is reported sunk, sir,” the radio operator tells Captain Ishii via the speaking tube. “The planes are returning.”
“Thank you,” Ishii replies. “We will be coming about again soon to recover planes,” he tells the bridge. “Keep an eye on Zuikaku for the signal.” Hibiki is currently to port and slightly astern of the big carrier. He receives acknowledgement and starts to step out onto the observation wing to watch for the returning planes.
“Sir!” comes the radio operator’s voice again. “Our fighters report enemy planes inbound from the south!”
“The south!” says Ishii. “Where the hell did they come from? Combat stations, now!” Hibiki erupts into frantic activity as the klaxon begins to sound. None too soon. Already the enemy planes are visible. Two Zero-sen fighters roar over Hibiki, their engines screaming as they come to full power and start to climb.
---
The Japanese have left a prudent combat air patrol over their ships, but the last direction they expected trouble from was the south. Many planes are out of position as the British aircraft come boring in. The Seafires move to deal with the rest. They pay for it, losing several planes to the guns of the Japanese fighters, but the Avengers slip underneath the fray and come in at the Japanese ships.
---
In the forward 25mm gun tub Taiki is watching three Avengers. They are ahead of Hibiki, passing from left to right as they begin their run on Zuikaku. A Zero-sen fighter is on the tail of one and it begins to smoke as the plane jinks back and forth, trying to stay in the air long enough to reach its release point. The plane releases its torpedo too far out to be effective and then turns away, still pursued by the Japanese fighter.
Taiki tracks the second plane as it crosses Hibiki’s bow about 400 meters ahead. He stands so still that his crew thinks that perhaps their young gun captain has frozen. But Taiki is calculating, and almost immediately he gives orders to lay the guns and open fire. The three 25 mm guns roar, and tracers reach out to intersect the Avenger. It explodes, and pieces of aircraft spin into the ocean.
The last Avenger makes a good drop and banks away, evading the anti-aircraft fire from the carrier. The torpedo makes its deadly run straight at Zuikaku. The big carrier attempts with ponderous grace to turn away, but the torpedo comes relentlessly on and its track intersects with the side of the carrier. There is a thunk and the torpedo breaks in half and sinks, a dud.
---
Zuikaku comes through unscathed, and there is cheering aboard Hibiki. This celebration is abruptly cut off by the sound of an explosion rolling across the water. Some 1000 meters behind Zuikaku a torpedo has found Hiryu, and this one is not a dud. As Hibiki’s crew turns and looks a second torpedo slams home against the carrier. Hiryu shudders under the impacts and slows almost to a stop, smoke roiling upwards.
---
The surviving British planes head for home, chased by the Japanese fighters. Only a handful have been shot down, but many of them have been damaged.
The Japanese planes returning from the strike against HMS Enterprise have to wait until the battle is over before they can begin to land. Hiryu is wounded, perhaps mortally, so her returning planes are divided among the two surviving carriers. Fortunately the carriers are under strength enough that this does not leave either Zuikaku or Akagi overcrowded.
Now the Japanese must find and retaliate against their adversary.
---
The British know they are still facing two carriers, and that they can expect to get hit. They quickly turn around their returning planes and launch another strike. All they can put in the air are eight Avengers and a few fighters, but it is better than sitting around and waiting for the Japanese to act.
This second strike crosses the Japanese attack. Victorious has been quickly located and 17 fighters escort 41 dive and torpedo bombers are dispatched to sink the British carrier.
---
Aboard Hibiki they listen tensely to the broadcasts of the pilots as the Japanese begin their attack. Only five Seafires rise to meet the oncoming threat, and these are no match for the Japanese fighters. Victorious is ready for destruction.
But now the attacking Japanese planes make a fatal blunder. In the foreground of the British task force is Prince of Wales, and for reasons that will never be clearly understood almost all the torpedo bombers and many of the dive bombers choose to strike this ship. Prince of Wales is subject to a vicious attack, but the anti aircraft fire from the battleship and her escorts is heavy and accurate. The big ship takes one torpedo and a pair of bomb hits, but her survival is not seriously threatened.
A lone bomb strikes Victorious. It takes out an anti aircraft gallery but does little damage otherwise.
---
The second British attack seems gallant but doomed, and in fact few planes return. One Avenger, however, sneaks through the covering fighters and the flak and puts a torpedo right into the side of Akagi. The Japanese carrier is not heavily damaged, fortunately, and the flooding is quickly contained.
---
As the afternoon draws on the two forces begin to separate. Victorious is intact but has almost no planes left; the Japanese are in disarray and two of their three carriers are damaged. Ozawa still has hopes of finishing off the British carrier, but his first priority at the moment is saving Hiryu. Akagi is limping a bit but able to launch and recover planes.
Hiryu has her fires mostly under control. Flooding is a more serious problem, and as night falls the carrier is still battling the sea as it works on loosened hull plates and tries to bypass damaged bulkheads. Ozawa orders his ships to head for Tjilitjap, the closest port where the carrier might possibly be saved. They must proceed with agonizing slowness, however, and Tjilitjap is a very long ways away.
---
Hiryu watch: Sys damage 34, Flood 43, Fires 14. Distance to port: 1000 miles
RE: Small Ship, Big War
I gotta cheer for the guys that fly the Union Jack on this one!
-F-
-F-
"It is obvious that you have greatly over-estimated my regard for your opinion." - Me
RE: Small Ship, Big War
Chapter Title: Vicky Faces the Giants
Wow, not only does Vicky survive to tell of this moment in history, but Hiryu may not. But for a dud, all three Japanese CVs would have left the field bearing scars from their joust with HMS Victorious. A ship aptly named, one would have to say. Hip. hip hurray for a grand gal.
Wow, not only does Vicky survive to tell of this moment in history, but Hiryu may not. But for a dud, all three Japanese CVs would have left the field bearing scars from their joust with HMS Victorious. A ship aptly named, one would have to say. Hip. hip hurray for a grand gal.
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Capt. Harlock
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- Location: Los Angeles
- Contact:
RE: Small Ship, Big War
ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish
Ozawa orders his ships to head for Tjilitjap, the closest port where the carrier might possibly be saved. They must proceed with agonizing slowness, however, and Tjilitjap is a very long ways away.
---
Hiryu watch: Sys damage 34, Flood 43, Fires 14. Distance to port: 1000 miles
FROM: PEARL HARBOR HQ
ALERT TO ALL RPT ALL ALLIED SUBMARINES . . .
No decrease in the tension level for this AAR![:D]
Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?
--Victor Hugo
--Victor Hugo
RE: Small Ship, Big War
Three cheers for the RN
hip hip hooray
hip hip hooray
hip hip hooray
hip hip hooray
hip hip hooray
hip hip hooray
1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Small Ship, Big War
ORIGINAL: Feinder
I gotta cheer for the guys that fly the Union Jack on this one!
-F-
Yeah, yeah, hooray for the Royal Navy. Jolly good show and all that. Now if everyone has that out of their system let's get back to what's happening aboard Hibiki.
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Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Small Ship, Big War
March 5, 1943
Location: 750 miles southwest of Broome
Course: Northeast
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 294
Orders: Escort damaged carriers to Tjilitjap for emergency repairs
---
“Do you know anything about Tjilitjap, Exec?” asks Captain Ishii. His pronunciation of the name sounds a bit like “silly cap”.
“Very little, sir,” Lieutenant Miharu answers. “It’s the only decently sized seaport on the south coast of Java, and I’ve heard it has a pretty good harbor sheltered behind some large island just off the coast. But I don’t know anything else about the place, or what forces we have there.” Captain Ishii grunts.
“Well, I’d say we will find out soon, but not at the speed we’re making,” he says. “I understand that to go any faster would only speed up the flooding on Hiryu, but this pace is maddening. If the enemy has any submarines out there they can hardy miss a target like this.”
“We will have to trust to luck, then,” says the lieutenant. “The Indian Ocean is a big place.”
“Luck,” says Ishii musingly. “Well, we had little enough of it yesterday, perhaps we are due for some. At least Hiryu reports that the pumps are able to keep up with the flooding.” He pauses, then paces across the bridge and peers at the injured carrier through a pair of the big 21 centimeter binoculars. “She does seem to be down a little by the bow, maybe more than she was this morning,” he says, then removes his gaze and turns back to Lieutenant Miharu.
“Nothing we can do about that at the moment,” he says. “We just need to do our part to make sure she takes no more damage. Post a couple of extra lookouts tonight.”
“Yes sir,” says Miharu. “Good night, sir.” Captain Ishii leaves the bridge. As the sun draws towards the horizon Hibiki continues to prowl restlessly around the perimeter of the slowly moving task force.
---
Hiryu watch: Sys damage 40, Flood 46, Fires 4. Distance to port: 900 miles
Location: 750 miles southwest of Broome
Course: Northeast
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 294
Orders: Escort damaged carriers to Tjilitjap for emergency repairs
---
“Do you know anything about Tjilitjap, Exec?” asks Captain Ishii. His pronunciation of the name sounds a bit like “silly cap”.
“Very little, sir,” Lieutenant Miharu answers. “It’s the only decently sized seaport on the south coast of Java, and I’ve heard it has a pretty good harbor sheltered behind some large island just off the coast. But I don’t know anything else about the place, or what forces we have there.” Captain Ishii grunts.
“Well, I’d say we will find out soon, but not at the speed we’re making,” he says. “I understand that to go any faster would only speed up the flooding on Hiryu, but this pace is maddening. If the enemy has any submarines out there they can hardy miss a target like this.”
“We will have to trust to luck, then,” says the lieutenant. “The Indian Ocean is a big place.”
“Luck,” says Ishii musingly. “Well, we had little enough of it yesterday, perhaps we are due for some. At least Hiryu reports that the pumps are able to keep up with the flooding.” He pauses, then paces across the bridge and peers at the injured carrier through a pair of the big 21 centimeter binoculars. “She does seem to be down a little by the bow, maybe more than she was this morning,” he says, then removes his gaze and turns back to Lieutenant Miharu.
“Nothing we can do about that at the moment,” he says. “We just need to do our part to make sure she takes no more damage. Post a couple of extra lookouts tonight.”
“Yes sir,” says Miharu. “Good night, sir.” Captain Ishii leaves the bridge. As the sun draws towards the horizon Hibiki continues to prowl restlessly around the perimeter of the slowly moving task force.
---
Hiryu watch: Sys damage 40, Flood 46, Fires 4. Distance to port: 900 miles
RE: Small Ship, Big War
Gnaws on fingernail.
Observes fingernail.
Removes dentures, replaces with new ones.
Resumes gnawing.[8|]
Observes fingernail.
Removes dentures, replaces with new ones.
Resumes gnawing.[8|]
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Small Ship, Big War
What does the deck log say for current speed (in this case of Hiryu)?
-F-
-F-
"It is obvious that you have greatly over-estimated my regard for your opinion." - Me
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Mike Solli
- Posts: 16012
- Joined: Wed Oct 18, 2000 8:00 am
- Location: the flight deck of the Zuikaku
RE: Small Ship, Big War
ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish
---
Hiryu watch: Sys damage 40, Flood 46, Fires 4. Distance to port: 900 miles
Ouch. 8 days to port. Cross your fingers.
Created by the amazing Dixie
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ny59giants
- Posts: 9888
- Joined: Mon Jan 10, 2005 12:02 pm
RE: Small Ship, Big War
I hope he was smart enough to send a handful of AR's to give her a chance.
If not, she may make port and sink there. [:D]
If not, she may make port and sink there. [:D]
[center]
[/center]
[/center]-
Cuttlefish
- Posts: 2454
- Joined: Wed Jan 24, 2007 5:03 am
- Location: Oregon, USA
RE: Small Ship, Big War
March 6, 1943
Location: 800 miles southwest of Broome
Course: Northeast
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 271
Orders: Escort damaged carriers to Tjilitjap for emergency repairs
---
From the diary of Petty Officer Third Class Taiki Takahashi:
Lieutenant Miharu took a moment today to tell me to pass his compliments to my gun crew for shooting down that plane the other day. I thanked him and assured him I would, and I will. The men did a good job.
It’s a funny thing. While the attack was going on we were shooting at a plane. And I was very happy when we destroyed it. But since then I have had time to think that there were two men in that plane, men I killed. I think we hit the torpedo warhead, the way the plane exploded, so it was probably very quick for them. But thinking about it as killing men instead of targets makes it seem different. More of a grim business. Since it is necessary to kill the enemy to keep them from killing us, I will try not to think about it that way. Not now. Maybe someday, after all this is over.
Our progress is very slow. Hiryu keeps having engine problems, and can’t steam at any kind of speed even when they’re working. I came across some of the sailors setting up a betting pool about whether or not she will make to port, and put a stop to that very quickly. It just seems to show too little respect for the men who are trying so hard to save her.
There is not much else going on. I have been thinking about Noboru lately. It has been a long time since we had any news from home. The last I heard Mutsu was still in port, but that was some time ago. Has Noboru recovered from his injuries, and is he aboard if Mutsu is back in the war? I don’t know of any fighting going on elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean anything. There could be fighting all over the Pacific lately and we would not have heard about it.
---
Hiryu watch: Sys damage 42, Flood 50, Fires 0. Distance to port: 780 miles
Location: 800 miles southwest of Broome
Course: Northeast
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 271
Orders: Escort damaged carriers to Tjilitjap for emergency repairs
---
From the diary of Petty Officer Third Class Taiki Takahashi:
Lieutenant Miharu took a moment today to tell me to pass his compliments to my gun crew for shooting down that plane the other day. I thanked him and assured him I would, and I will. The men did a good job.
It’s a funny thing. While the attack was going on we were shooting at a plane. And I was very happy when we destroyed it. But since then I have had time to think that there were two men in that plane, men I killed. I think we hit the torpedo warhead, the way the plane exploded, so it was probably very quick for them. But thinking about it as killing men instead of targets makes it seem different. More of a grim business. Since it is necessary to kill the enemy to keep them from killing us, I will try not to think about it that way. Not now. Maybe someday, after all this is over.
Our progress is very slow. Hiryu keeps having engine problems, and can’t steam at any kind of speed even when they’re working. I came across some of the sailors setting up a betting pool about whether or not she will make to port, and put a stop to that very quickly. It just seems to show too little respect for the men who are trying so hard to save her.
There is not much else going on. I have been thinking about Noboru lately. It has been a long time since we had any news from home. The last I heard Mutsu was still in port, but that was some time ago. Has Noboru recovered from his injuries, and is he aboard if Mutsu is back in the war? I don’t know of any fighting going on elsewhere, but that doesn’t mean anything. There could be fighting all over the Pacific lately and we would not have heard about it.
---
Hiryu watch: Sys damage 42, Flood 50, Fires 0. Distance to port: 780 miles
RE: Small Ship, Big War
(* big sigh *)
I was missing my Hibiki fix.
Flood is creeping up...
Perhaps a slow death?
-F-
I was missing my Hibiki fix.
Flood is creeping up...
Perhaps a slow death?
-F-
"It is obvious that you have greatly over-estimated my regard for your opinion." - Me