On Junyo, 2nd Lt Asada settles into his cockpit
His crew chief bends over him, skinny, wrinkled, eyes inscutable. he does not speak, he hardly ever speaks.
The straps are tigtened, the engine blips and burbles, the blade spinning, as do some 18 other about him
The crew chief taps him twice on the shoulder-all is good, dissapears.
Alone
Checks, instruments, do the circle with the controls, shift the bum in the hard little seat
he can see little over the nose, Junyo is steady,there is no swell.
Glance left, glance right
other faces, mostly, like him, taunt, expressionless.
Aren't they nervous like him?, afraid even?
Apparently not
The first fighter roars into life, appears in his vision, wheeling away.
His turn soon
he grips the stick, too tightly for sure
Mission 17 coming up....
A fleet sent to die
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
Re: A fleet sent to die
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
Re: A fleet sent to die
kanda strides across the dust and dying grass to his big fighter, takes the salute, climbs easily enough aboard
He does his own straps, does his checkc, fuel on, magneto's on, flaps set, trim set, round the circle, pump the primer 6 times.
Nods to the crew chief
Start
Whine, whine, clunk, bang, whine, rattle and then the satisfying roar as the great radial bursts into life, filling Kanda's world with noise, vibration, smell and extra heat
about him, the entire airfield is bursting into life.
taxing now, impossible to see ahead, looking at the edge of the track, adjusting, adjusting, hard left brake, swinging, aligned
No delays here, kanda takes every takeoof as a scramble
his eyes see all the instruments in one practiced sweep, the throttle slams forward, the corrections are automatic, natural, tail up!, the world falling away, gear up!, , and swinging around, joining the others already aloft....
72 birds strong, they swing south east.
it is good to be in the air again
Davao
Dusk.
barely a building remains on the field, all blasted, broken, burnt
but the strip is clear, undamaged, and the ground crews appear like magic
They will have to sleep under the wings tonight, never mind
Its a dawn mission- sweep talaud Eilanden with full force
"We will not be alone" tells the brief
With 200 fighters reported there, one should hope not
He does his own straps, does his checkc, fuel on, magneto's on, flaps set, trim set, round the circle, pump the primer 6 times.
Nods to the crew chief
Start
Whine, whine, clunk, bang, whine, rattle and then the satisfying roar as the great radial bursts into life, filling Kanda's world with noise, vibration, smell and extra heat
about him, the entire airfield is bursting into life.
taxing now, impossible to see ahead, looking at the edge of the track, adjusting, adjusting, hard left brake, swinging, aligned
No delays here, kanda takes every takeoof as a scramble
his eyes see all the instruments in one practiced sweep, the throttle slams forward, the corrections are automatic, natural, tail up!, the world falling away, gear up!, , and swinging around, joining the others already aloft....
72 birds strong, they swing south east.
it is good to be in the air again
Davao
Dusk.
barely a building remains on the field, all blasted, broken, burnt
but the strip is clear, undamaged, and the ground crews appear like magic
They will have to sleep under the wings tonight, never mind
Its a dawn mission- sweep talaud Eilanden with full force
"We will not be alone" tells the brief
With 200 fighters reported there, one should hope not
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
Re: A fleet sent to die
the little ship that could could never have been what it was without cantona
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
8th July 44
Dawn
Akizuki hums
At 26 knots, the destroyer carves her way through the calm seas. Just 5 miles to her Starboard side, the low, green, menacing coast of brunie. Somewhere ahead, the tawi, tawi passage
The ship is at action stations, tense, expectant
2 hours ago they have ocertaken a small ASW squadron of the E class boats, Minobe will not with satisfaction the
news "we have attacked and sank a ss 2 miles from here"
True, or not, it might keep the Buka's head down
Minobe scans the horizon with his glasses again, the light is improving rapidly, dawn about to break
Behind, clear skies, but to the east, darkness - great banks of monsoon clouds and rain.
Good. maybe it will keep the cats away
His ship vibrates sweetly under him. His crew stands ready The breeze blows cooly in his face, and his wake carves the sea
Soon the formation will slow, and begin its sonar hunt.
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
Kizuka has abandoned his normal post in damage control central, the tension, the waiting too much. Instead, he has gone to the forward boiler room, joined the men there.
They will greet this dawn with tea, dumplings, smiles and jokes, deep in the beating roaring belly of the beast.
Death may strike at anytime.
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
Akizuki hums
At 26 knots, the destroyer carves her way through the calm seas. Just 5 miles to her Starboard side, the low, green, menacing coast of brunie. Somewhere ahead, the tawi, tawi passage
The ship is at action stations, tense, expectant
2 hours ago they have ocertaken a small ASW squadron of the E class boats, Minobe will not with satisfaction the
news "we have attacked and sank a ss 2 miles from here"
True, or not, it might keep the Buka's head down
Minobe scans the horizon with his glasses again, the light is improving rapidly, dawn about to break
Behind, clear skies, but to the east, darkness - great banks of monsoon clouds and rain.
Good. maybe it will keep the cats away
His ship vibrates sweetly under him. His crew stands ready The breeze blows cooly in his face, and his wake carves the sea
Soon the formation will slow, and begin its sonar hunt.
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
Kizuka has abandoned his normal post in damage control central, the tension, the waiting too much. Instead, he has gone to the forward boiler room, joined the men there.
They will greet this dawn with tea, dumplings, smiles and jokes, deep in the beating roaring belly of the beast.
Death may strike at anytime.
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
8 July 44, cv Unryu
Dawn
CV Unryu
When was the last time you greeted a dawn, without a nights sleep?
Was it after a night of revellery?
or a night of tragedy?, of drama?
or like Ashishi, after a night of duty, at his post, at action stations?
The dawn is breaking, Unryu has made it "around the corner" from Miri, turned into the celebes sea, turned south
It has been a long night
No easy task, to sail in such a tight formation, in such tight waters
No easy task to navigate the dozen small islands, the reefs that would bar their way
No easy task when every gap may have that lurking submarine
Ashishi is young
For him, this was is still the great adventure. Injury, death for himself, for his friends still some sort of abstract thought.
Ashishi is young- and so he greats this dawn, despite a night at action stations, with strength and vigour to spare
Soon, he knows (from the bridge chatter behind him)captain Sagaki will relax them to state 2, and get his men to breakfast
Ashishi raises his glasses yet again, sweeps the waters, then the sky about him. The grey blobs, shadows of the fleet beginning to clarify, come into focus as the sun breaks
26 knots. A flight deck bustling as the planes prepare to launch.
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
CV Unryu
When was the last time you greeted a dawn, without a nights sleep?
Was it after a night of revellery?
or a night of tragedy?, of drama?
or like Ashishi, after a night of duty, at his post, at action stations?
The dawn is breaking, Unryu has made it "around the corner" from Miri, turned into the celebes sea, turned south
It has been a long night
No easy task, to sail in such a tight formation, in such tight waters
No easy task to navigate the dozen small islands, the reefs that would bar their way
No easy task when every gap may have that lurking submarine
Ashishi is young
For him, this was is still the great adventure. Injury, death for himself, for his friends still some sort of abstract thought.
Ashishi is young- and so he greats this dawn, despite a night at action stations, with strength and vigour to spare
Soon, he knows (from the bridge chatter behind him)captain Sagaki will relax them to state 2, and get his men to breakfast
Ashishi raises his glasses yet again, sweeps the waters, then the sky about him. The grey blobs, shadows of the fleet beginning to clarify, come into focus as the sun breaks
26 knots. A flight deck bustling as the planes prepare to launch.
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
CV kaga
Dawn
The word is given at 0300 hours
'All fighters to be ready for CAP operations 0500, all bombers to remain below decks"
Normally Eto would be pleased, he might not be needed as a TBD man
But no japanese sailor can dare be allowed to be idle
30 fighters to the deck by 0500. very well, it will happen.
Eto does not have to yell today, or cajole, or threaten. They are at action stations, they are headed into battle
Those fighters may well keep them alive this day
The men move swiftly, expertly
By 0500, Kaga's aft flight deck is packed, 30 plans, 30 pilots nestled against the island, waiting.
dawn is breaking
The sun rises out of the ocean, red, swollen, the dark monsoonal clouds below it covering the eastern horizon
Is this the pause before battle?
Wo Eto pauses briefly, takes in the fleet spread about them, all steaming hard now due south east.
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
The word is given at 0300 hours
'All fighters to be ready for CAP operations 0500, all bombers to remain below decks"
Normally Eto would be pleased, he might not be needed as a TBD man
But no japanese sailor can dare be allowed to be idle
30 fighters to the deck by 0500. very well, it will happen.
Eto does not have to yell today, or cajole, or threaten. They are at action stations, they are headed into battle
Those fighters may well keep them alive this day
The men move swiftly, expertly
By 0500, Kaga's aft flight deck is packed, 30 plans, 30 pilots nestled against the island, waiting.
dawn is breaking
The sun rises out of the ocean, red, swollen, the dark monsoonal clouds below it covering the eastern horizon
Is this the pause before battle?
Wo Eto pauses briefly, takes in the fleet spread about them, all steaming hard now due south east.
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
BB Ise 8 July 1944
The wardroom is crowded.
Lt Tokiwana has managed to find a space about the great table that dominates the room
On it, a very good 3d relief map of the island of talaud Eilandden, along with multiple photos of the island viewed from the sea.
Captain Izuka holds a long pointer in his hand
"gentlemen, our old friend talaud"
Tokiwana knows this place well, they all do. Only 3 months ago they have expended over 100 rounds against this place, been terrorised by PT boats, and watched Hyuga limp away, crippled.
"Last time we visited, we, well we basically missed"
Missed. A word no gunnery officer could ever happily speak
yes, 100 rounds, and all of them, apparently, overs.
"last time, we lacked enough float plane coverarge, too few flares, too few spotting reports. 1st fleet is not making that mistake this time. You may have noted today that a great number of our jakes remain onboard, they will do a better job this time"
The gunnery men about the room shuffle. There can be no mistakes this time
'Also, last time, the PT boats. our target is, again crawling with them. Combined fleet has allocated no less than Cl, DD mix task forces to sweep the way for us before we go in."
The Captain takes everyman in the humid, sweat gleaming room by the eye
"we are using HP shells from the start men, 50 rounds per barrell, 100 from the secondaries. Don't waste them"
"to your stations please, we still have a long way to go"
Tokiwana returns to his sweat box turret, settles into his seat. 6 inches of steel on every side of him, action ahead
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
Lt Tokiwana has managed to find a space about the great table that dominates the room
On it, a very good 3d relief map of the island of talaud Eilandden, along with multiple photos of the island viewed from the sea.
Captain Izuka holds a long pointer in his hand
"gentlemen, our old friend talaud"
Tokiwana knows this place well, they all do. Only 3 months ago they have expended over 100 rounds against this place, been terrorised by PT boats, and watched Hyuga limp away, crippled.
"Last time we visited, we, well we basically missed"
Missed. A word no gunnery officer could ever happily speak
yes, 100 rounds, and all of them, apparently, overs.
"last time, we lacked enough float plane coverarge, too few flares, too few spotting reports. 1st fleet is not making that mistake this time. You may have noted today that a great number of our jakes remain onboard, they will do a better job this time"
The gunnery men about the room shuffle. There can be no mistakes this time
'Also, last time, the PT boats. our target is, again crawling with them. Combined fleet has allocated no less than Cl, DD mix task forces to sweep the way for us before we go in."
The Captain takes everyman in the humid, sweat gleaming room by the eye
"we are using HP shells from the start men, 50 rounds per barrell, 100 from the secondaries. Don't waste them"
"to your stations please, we still have a long way to go"
Tokiwana returns to his sweat box turret, settles into his seat. 6 inches of steel on every side of him, action ahead
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
CVL Shoho 8 July
dawn
The last TBD, the last fighter aboard the hard steaming CVL vanishes into the predawn murk
Overhead, the steadily rising beat of TF148's CAP as it begins to circle 1st fleet, and themselves
Asada can see them, glinting in the sun rays that have yet to reach over the horizon to them, confident that nothing will pass them.
it has been a while since Shoho has had every plane aloft, a strange feeling
But there is no time to wonder, an officer is gestulating to them- the hanger is not yet secured enough.
It isnt even dawn, 4 hours effort lies behind them, many, many more ahead.
he takes in the cool air, the breeze created by Shoho's rush south.
smiles inwardly
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
The last TBD, the last fighter aboard the hard steaming CVL vanishes into the predawn murk
Overhead, the steadily rising beat of TF148's CAP as it begins to circle 1st fleet, and themselves
Asada can see them, glinting in the sun rays that have yet to reach over the horizon to them, confident that nothing will pass them.
it has been a while since Shoho has had every plane aloft, a strange feeling
But there is no time to wonder, an officer is gestulating to them- the hanger is not yet secured enough.
It isnt even dawn, 4 hours effort lies behind them, many, many more ahead.
he takes in the cool air, the breeze created by Shoho's rush south.
smiles inwardly
He couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
Junyo
Asada launches at dawn, a wobbly, uncertain climbing into the dark, here he joins "the circuit"
About him, TF148's fighters are establishing CAp, stacked at 11000, 15000, 21000 feet, 10 miles out from the fleet below.
To the west, Borneo, ahead, somewhere to the south, the tawi, Tawi passage. To the east, Zamboanga, somewhere in that muck that covers the eastern horizon.
below, spread over 30 miles, the fleets, a hundred white arrows streaming south east
19 missions total in the log book today, he might actually be getting the hang of this
He too, couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
About him, TF148's fighters are establishing CAp, stacked at 11000, 15000, 21000 feet, 10 miles out from the fleet below.
To the west, Borneo, ahead, somewhere to the south, the tawi, Tawi passage. To the east, Zamboanga, somewhere in that muck that covers the eastern horizon.
below, spread over 30 miles, the fleets, a hundred white arrows streaming south east
19 missions total in the log book today, he might actually be getting the hang of this
He too, couldn't think of anywhere else, right now, that he would prefer to be.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
davao
204 KUs-1 dont fly today
They are under that grey muck to the east
Nor does Catatabao
Nor Dajangles
it just rains
204th spend a miserable day, huddles in tents, cursing the weather, dreading getting caught on the ground.
dreading even more failing their mission
They, all of them, would prefer to be anywhere else but here
They are under that grey muck to the east
Nor does Catatabao
Nor Dajangles
it just rains
204th spend a miserable day, huddles in tents, cursing the weather, dreading getting caught on the ground.
dreading even more failing their mission
They, all of them, would prefer to be anywhere else but here
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
to do glorious battle
For the imperial navy, the 8th is a day of high tension
sailing at dusk from miri, the fleet "turns the corner" , clears the straights, and enters the Celebes sea, making for the tawi, tawi passage.
TF148 provides a combat patrol, while in the phillipines several 100 planes move south, spreading themselves
across minando. The allies have moved their bombing campaign north, and although sevaral fields are closed, many, with so many construction troops on hand, have become operational again
Akll the fields this day, however are both closed down and possibly protected by the monsson front passing over the southern phillipines
The day is not without drama
Multiple SS sightings are reported, and 3 SS are attacked by the pete float planes circling the fleet.
The petes help keep the fleets unmolested this day, but do the Americans notice?, do they twig to the monster rushing towards them?
Time will tell
By dusk, as the fleet passes sandakan to its right, and recovers its cap, final orders for tomorrow are given
Nagumo, knowing full well that given a free hand his attack planes would waste themselves at talaud on useless AXLs, PT boats and LCTs, stands them down. Tomorrow at dawn, the entire fleet, gods and ss willing, would enter the Celebes sea, with every fighter available aloft.
The convoy to zamboanga would arrive tomorrow. 2 regiments and support troops strong.
His men desire battle, HE desires battle
But , but, those 2 regiments- ashore safely. THAT must be the mission
sailing at dusk from miri, the fleet "turns the corner" , clears the straights, and enters the Celebes sea, making for the tawi, tawi passage.
TF148 provides a combat patrol, while in the phillipines several 100 planes move south, spreading themselves
across minando. The allies have moved their bombing campaign north, and although sevaral fields are closed, many, with so many construction troops on hand, have become operational again
Akll the fields this day, however are both closed down and possibly protected by the monsson front passing over the southern phillipines
The day is not without drama
Multiple SS sightings are reported, and 3 SS are attacked by the pete float planes circling the fleet.
The petes help keep the fleets unmolested this day, but do the Americans notice?, do they twig to the monster rushing towards them?
Time will tell
By dusk, as the fleet passes sandakan to its right, and recovers its cap, final orders for tomorrow are given
Nagumo, knowing full well that given a free hand his attack planes would waste themselves at talaud on useless AXLs, PT boats and LCTs, stands them down. Tomorrow at dawn, the entire fleet, gods and ss willing, would enter the Celebes sea, with every fighter available aloft.
The convoy to zamboanga would arrive tomorrow. 2 regiments and support troops strong.
His men desire battle, HE desires battle
But , but, those 2 regiments- ashore safely. THAT must be the mission
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
Re: A fleet sent to die
ban climbs wearily up the endless ladders from Hyuga's guts
Another step done
Tomorrow, the pararrel alignment, both shafts same distance apart at 90, 270 degrees.
A doodle
In theory
Hyuga, 36 days to go
(and unknown to him, Nagato 19 days)
Another step done
Tomorrow, the pararrel alignment, both shafts same distance apart at 90, 270 degrees.
A doodle
In theory
Hyuga, 36 days to go
(and unknown to him, Nagato 19 days)
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
9th July 44
0100 hours
It is far from being a dark night.
The seas here are mirror smooth, the moon full and bright.
The phosphorus churns from Unryu's stern, not in a great straight line, but in a jagged , crazy mix , left and right, as Captain Sagaki weaves his way as best he can.
"Escort Number 3 reports periscope 300 metres from her, our bearing 030!, range 5000 metres!"
Instinctively a dozen pairs of glasses swing to the bearing, including Ashishi's
A solid smack on the back of the head immediately follows "Not you idiot!, your segment is 090 to 120!, and if you deviate from it again...."
The Bosuns mate's voice is hard, edges with the tension all feel...
Ashishi swings back to his allocated sector.....it is so hard to not look
In the distance, the faint crump of depth charges...
It is far from being a dark night.
The seas here are mirror smooth, the moon full and bright.
The phosphorus churns from Unryu's stern, not in a great straight line, but in a jagged , crazy mix , left and right, as Captain Sagaki weaves his way as best he can.
"Escort Number 3 reports periscope 300 metres from her, our bearing 030!, range 5000 metres!"
Instinctively a dozen pairs of glasses swing to the bearing, including Ashishi's
A solid smack on the back of the head immediately follows "Not you idiot!, your segment is 090 to 120!, and if you deviate from it again...."
The Bosuns mate's voice is hard, edges with the tension all feel...
Ashishi swings back to his allocated sector.....it is so hard to not look
In the distance, the faint crump of depth charges...
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
Re: A fleet sent to die
0400 hours
A warship closed down buttoned up tight in the tropics.
A thousand plus men at stations they cannot leave
The air hot, stinking, stuffy.
Eto sits at his station, aft in the main hanger, doing what so many others are doing
waiting
waiting, and trying not to show fear
Faintly, through the hull, the crump of depth charges
A warship closed down buttoned up tight in the tropics.
A thousand plus men at stations they cannot leave
The air hot, stinking, stuffy.
Eto sits at his station, aft in the main hanger, doing what so many others are doing
waiting
waiting, and trying not to show fear
Faintly, through the hull, the crump of depth charges
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
Re: A fleet sent to die
0400 hours
Akizuki heals hard, and takes her new course
"revolutions 260!'
the formation of destroyers shakes itself out from line abreast, to line astern, and makes way hard almost east
The fleet has passed through them, through this narrow Tawi, tawi island gap.
Untouched, so far...
But the Buka's are thicker than fleas.....
Akizuki heals hard, and takes her new course
"revolutions 260!'
the formation of destroyers shakes itself out from line abreast, to line astern, and makes way hard almost east
The fleet has passed through them, through this narrow Tawi, tawi island gap.
Untouched, so far...
But the Buka's are thicker than fleas.....
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
Re: A fleet sent to die
(in an alternative world Ise was meant to carry judy dive bombers, that would launch and be recovered eleswhere. In this world she has also been fitted with a crane on her stern, one that allows a Rex fighter to land in her wake, taxi up, be recovered, and readied again. She also has considerably more avgas then our history time line)
(something the game has missed)
It is an hour before dawn, Celebes sea
With that familiar explasive bang, the last fighter is dispatched, roaring past B turret at the same hieght of Tokiwana
It wobbles, banks, and fades into the murk
For but a moment
Tokiwana sees it through his scope, follows it as it sudenly banks sharply, engine roaring, and abruptly drops its little 50 pounders into the smooth seaEven he knows what that means
Ise begins to heal hard away from the ss
Captain Izuka's voice comes through immediatly, cold hard, calm
" Submarine target bearing 0310 degrees, range 1000 yards. I cannot see him gentlemen, guns are free, repeat, guns are free"
Guns are free. If you spot something, shoo
The turret swings smoothly....he peers...nothing, nothing, nothing yet. Smiles as he hears Charlie and Delta turrets begin the familiar curses of catapults obscuring firing arcs....
What is that, 5 ss sightings before dawn?, already?
And in his mind, not for the thousandth time, Toiwana mentally practices evacuating the steel tomb
(something the game has missed)
It is an hour before dawn, Celebes sea
With that familiar explasive bang, the last fighter is dispatched, roaring past B turret at the same hieght of Tokiwana
It wobbles, banks, and fades into the murk
For but a moment
Tokiwana sees it through his scope, follows it as it sudenly banks sharply, engine roaring, and abruptly drops its little 50 pounders into the smooth seaEven he knows what that means
Ise begins to heal hard away from the ss
Captain Izuka's voice comes through immediatly, cold hard, calm
" Submarine target bearing 0310 degrees, range 1000 yards. I cannot see him gentlemen, guns are free, repeat, guns are free"
Guns are free. If you spot something, shoo
The turret swings smoothly....he peers...nothing, nothing, nothing yet. Smiles as he hears Charlie and Delta turrets begin the familiar curses of catapults obscuring firing arcs....
What is that, 5 ss sightings before dawn?, already?
And in his mind, not for the thousandth time, Toiwana mentally practices evacuating the steel tomb
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
204th KUS-1
Dawn
50 miles North of Talaud island
40000 feet
204th sweep south, 71 fighters strong.
At 40000 feet Kanda is not really flying his beast, he's balancing it on a tightrope, balancing lift on impossibly thin air, against drag.
At this height, you are mere moments from a high speed stall.
But this balancing act is all automatic for him, his fingers rest easily on the stick, barely thinking about the flying, everything, everything is concentrating on whats ahead, and below
2 Corsairs.....and a gaggle rising some 5000 feet below.
A grim smile, the Yankees seem to have forgotten defence after so many days of offensive
A look, left right, Tamiguchi almost laconically raises his hand, -I see them-
The day of the zero dogfight is done.
Now its dive, energy, hit, turn away.
Throttle full, he gently dives down, tthe KU following, streaming behind
It, as always, happens fast
A corsair growing, turning, Disintergrating underShiga's blows as the cheeky barsted drifts across and in front, cannons spitting
Diving still, all is noise, vibration, darting shapes and crosses of death, the corsairs rising, wheeling about him
Another corsair.... turning hard, hard, gasping, gasping, a buka on his tail, turn harder, stall, falling away....sky, sea, clouds, and another Buka......guns hammer, hits on the darting, drifting shape, screwing itself down.
never follow them down...
head swivelling.
Gods, how does the sky clear so quickly?
Still breathing hard....20000 feet, climb, climb.
Others about him....they shuffle back into formation, head for home
Behind them, the smoking trails of death, of fallen aviators are streamed across the sky...
And above, the next wave of NK1's are going in.....
50 miles North of Talaud island
40000 feet
204th sweep south, 71 fighters strong.
At 40000 feet Kanda is not really flying his beast, he's balancing it on a tightrope, balancing lift on impossibly thin air, against drag.
At this height, you are mere moments from a high speed stall.
But this balancing act is all automatic for him, his fingers rest easily on the stick, barely thinking about the flying, everything, everything is concentrating on whats ahead, and below
2 Corsairs.....and a gaggle rising some 5000 feet below.
A grim smile, the Yankees seem to have forgotten defence after so many days of offensive
A look, left right, Tamiguchi almost laconically raises his hand, -I see them-
The day of the zero dogfight is done.
Now its dive, energy, hit, turn away.
Throttle full, he gently dives down, tthe KU following, streaming behind
It, as always, happens fast
A corsair growing, turning, Disintergrating underShiga's blows as the cheeky barsted drifts across and in front, cannons spitting
Diving still, all is noise, vibration, darting shapes and crosses of death, the corsairs rising, wheeling about him
Another corsair.... turning hard, hard, gasping, gasping, a buka on his tail, turn harder, stall, falling away....sky, sea, clouds, and another Buka......guns hammer, hits on the darting, drifting shape, screwing itself down.
never follow them down...
head swivelling.
Gods, how does the sky clear so quickly?
Still breathing hard....20000 feet, climb, climb.
Others about him....they shuffle back into formation, head for home
Behind them, the smoking trails of death, of fallen aviators are streamed across the sky...
And above, the next wave of NK1's are going in.....
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
CV Junyo
Evening, CV Junyo
Asada wearily climbs out of his zero
he has 21 missions now.
A long day of circling the fleet
Snoopers have been seen, and some shot down. But he has not seen any himself.
He has seen the SS though, the Petes 10000 feet below him circling, the attacks.
Successful?
he does not know
They are moving deep into the Celebes sea now, tomorrow?
Tomorrow will bring what tomorrow will...
He has made it down, and for now, that will do.
Asada wearily climbs out of his zero
he has 21 missions now.
A long day of circling the fleet
Snoopers have been seen, and some shot down. But he has not seen any himself.
He has seen the SS though, the Petes 10000 feet below him circling, the attacks.
Successful?
he does not know
They are moving deep into the Celebes sea now, tomorrow?
Tomorrow will bring what tomorrow will...
He has made it down, and for now, that will do.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
Re: A fleet sent to die
Evening
Puerto Princesa
204KUS-1 continues to dribble into the dusty field
So do a great many other NK1's, some damaged, but many not.
he takes a deep breath, anxiety deep within in him
Shiga has not come in, nor Ogowa
They were there at Davao, both celebrating kills......
And Tamiguchi....There had been too much blood , 2 many holes in that wreck that slid into the crater
Davao was a cratered mess. 60 plus liberators leaving it as rubble only 15 minutes after their departure. Somehow
they had gotten down, the engineers filling just enough holes for a single file return
So here they have returned, just 55 so far.......
Puerto Princesa
204KUS-1 continues to dribble into the dusty field
So do a great many other NK1's, some damaged, but many not.
he takes a deep breath, anxiety deep within in him
Shiga has not come in, nor Ogowa
They were there at Davao, both celebrating kills......
And Tamiguchi....There had been too much blood , 2 many holes in that wreck that slid into the crater
Davao was a cratered mess. 60 plus liberators leaving it as rubble only 15 minutes after their departure. Somehow
they had gotten down, the engineers filling just enough holes for a single file return
So here they have returned, just 55 so far.......
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt