herbiesan vs Cantona!!!

[1275psi]

20 miles from the coast of PNG, Tanaka takes his battle line south –looking for trouble.
Inshore of him, hugging the coast, captain Takeda is leading BB ISE, Hyuga and Fuso also south –a desperate tactic – there are so many uncharted reefs in this area. He should be five miles out –but the great hills of PNG are blanking Tanaka’s radar, he must just hope that all goes to plan.

But it is those same hills he too depends on –if they are confusing his radar –surely it will do the same for the Allies?

It is midnight –Madang is 65 miles due west. The coast a mere 5. Tension is palpable –will the enemy oppose them.?
Tone, Chikuma lead the force –Line ahead, Mutsu third in line, behind them, Oyoda, Agano, Noshiro, Yahagi, Abukima and the elderly Tatsuta. A mere 5 destroyers guard the flanks.

The bridge is silent – shuffling of feet, the occasional murmured report. The Moon is coming up –and the weather is, for the moment clear –bloody humid, but clear.
“Tone reports many ships! –dead ahead –range 12000yrds! –moving right to left!”
Damn to hell!-his T has been crossed.
There is no time to be afraid, no time to doubt. Time to avenge the Haranua
“Formation !, new course 090!, engage!, Engage!, engage!”

Mutsu swings into action, 1500 men, as a team, the great machine moves into gear.
Even as the great battlewagon wheels over to the new course , her great guns are wheeling to starboard, seeking the battleship her director already is tracking.
Other directors are already bringing the smaller batteries into battle –and the guns begin to bark –turning the darkness into sudden bursts of fire.

Tanaka moves to the starboard wing side – the reports are coming in.
Ahead Tone is thundering away – Chikuma as well –and the horizon is a line of fire.

3 minutes in, and to tanaka, the battle becomes a series of incidents, of small moments that will forever sear into his memory.
His great guns firing
Tone blazing –burning from a hit deep in her guts
The destroyers cutting through the line –one mere metres from his bow –bracketed by the towers of water from the Washington’s great shells.
An Allied cruiser leaping -literally leaping into the air as a Long lance crushes its guts
For three, four minutes the two fleets sail in parallel – no quarter given, no quarter asked.
And then Mutsu takes a 16incher somewhere deep in the bowels, and the helmsman is reporting no helm, and the great ship swings hard out of line –and the light cruisers follow him in the great loop Mutsu performs.

Tone, Chikuma plow on ahead –3 destroyers in tow –defying the entire allied line before they too swing hard north –their part in the battle done.

‘Emergency helm!”
A lifetime of waiting, waiting, helpless as the compass swings, and swings – and then the word – ‘Aft steering available!”
Mutsu burns –brightly – speed still unimpaired.

The reports come in – all the cruisers are still fighting – and Mutsu is not the only battlewagon burning here
‘resume course 160!” – target the battlewagon! – all destroyers, all cruisers –launch torpedoes!”

The enemy seek battle –they too swing around –the radar my be confused by the coast so near, but the naked eye can easily see the Japanese line.
For a lifetime -three, four minutes the two fleets sort themselves out –and then, again in traditional formation (Oh how the naval colleges will study this battle –have studied FOR this battle) they begin the hammering again.

Over the thunderous crash of the guns –the navigator speaks.
Calm. Measured. Pure professional. The perfect cog in the great machine.
“Sir –recommend about course –we will ground ourselves in 5 minutes on this course”

Tanaka cannot hesitate. And as Speer did so long ago –the desperate order
“Battle fleet turn together!”

Simultaneously all the ships haul to port, reversing course –a move that undoubtedly saves them all.
Mutsu takes two hits.
The first –another 16inch shell, slices deep into her in the area of her aft tower –and her 5inch magazines explode –a great KATHUMP! – that cracks her open from top to bottom – flooding engine rooms, magazines –and sending fire racing through her aft compartments.
Tanaka races to the bridge wing –out the armored door – as the second 5 inch shell smashes into the Towers base.
It smashes him across the bridge –and into deep unconsciousness

2 minutes later, BB Washington too swings wildly away – Madang is being pounded.
She will arrive too late to stop Takeda.

[1275psi]

Dawn and Captain Umeya curses.
Heavy rain pounds the ship. A large squall only – but as he races south, it too must be tracking south –and the rain goes on, and on.
His decks are packed – strikes at the ready
Its going to be a long day.

‘Where is Mutsu? –where is the fleet?”

She is hurt –that he knows –hurt badly –somewhere to his south.
Takeda has already passed him –racing north –the largest rising sun he has ever seen streaming from his yard arm – round one to him!

The Admiralties are ready –they at least are not in this crud.
As is Wewak, Hollandia.
And still he blunders south, in the pouring , pouring rain.

“Sir –we have heard from Mutsu – have been heavily bombed, DDs Nagatsuki, Okikaze sunk. Am coming north still.”

And more reports
Hollandia reports a large allied cruiser east of Madang hit by 3 bombs –dead in the water

And still it rains

Another report.
Sir! –Admiralties report Oklahoma class battleship east of Madang –they are attacking!”
An Oklahoma class –where?. God –what if they blundered into something like that in this?

And still it rains

Oklahoma class hit by 5 bombs, 5 torpedoes.
Yes!. Oh yes!. The trap springs.
“Come about!, lets get the hell out of here –give ma a course for the rendezvous”

And then, as its so happens in the tropics, they are abruptly in sunshine
‘BB Washington reported at Madang sir –she is burning”
A moment to savor
“launch the strike!’.

[1275psi]

Dusk on the bridge of the Taiho

Yamamoto listens carefully to the reports.
The first battle is a draw –the Mutsu is finished –a good ship gone. The irreplaceable Tanaka –his good friend –fate yet to be decided.
Chikuma hurt –2 DDs lost. 68 planes lost
A few light cruisers banged about a bit.

The Washington lives –Umeya’s men have flung themselves suicidally into her guns –hit her –but not finished her.
The Wichitica -she may be sunk
2 light cruisers crippled, a destroyer sunk.

But what to make of the Oklahoma ? –what was that old lady doing there?
And how quickly she had sunk!
Had they really caught the Allies that far out of position?
Perhaps they had.

Yamamoto makes his decision
The Admiralties were the key –if they could keep them open –this might work yet.
“Get me the Air operations officer, get me Genda, and get me the 22nd air commander! On the line right now!”


The attack would continue

[1275psi]

cantona's comment
BOOM< BOOM< BOOM in his reply
The carnage continues tomorrow! (too tired to write)

[1275psi]

Captain Umeya faces his tired pilots.

The decks are wet, and all around the fleet the great thunderclouds are riding low above the ocean. They cloud in the Admiralties -and most of the png coast. But here -here, right now -they sail in sunshine.
"We have lost friends -this I know. More of us will die -this I know -but we are winning"
His voice becomes hard
"If my old floatplanes will brave the flak -then so shall we.
The enemy is scttered to hell all over the Bismark sea -and his fields are closed. We attack!"
Banzia!
banzai!
banzai!

Umeya's depleted units attack
Junyo has teeth - and the enemy CAP is weak - CA Indianapolis takes a torp, and 4 bombs, the Nashville a torp, a DD a torp.
The fleeing Washington however makes safety -I-164 failing to hit.............

[1275psi]

Gently Tanaka is lowered into the waiting small boat. He is awake - and in pain - a shattered hip in all likely hood.
He is placed carefully beside companions -and there are a great many of them in the small boat.

Mutsu is finished -she lies at anchor in Wewak bay -heavily down by the stern -burning still -and the evacuation is underway.
She will -must soon -capsize -but there is no panic. The men are in fact cheerful -they believe the Washington sunk -(not true) and that they have done the job asked of them.
Now they leave their home -taking what ever they can with them.
Japan fights. A thousand men are added to the Wewak defences.................

[1275psi]

Nakamura spends a little quiet time in a very amusing task.

He reads the newspapers.

The disconnect between reality and the news, is hilarious.
But one story he reads does ring true - The road between Lashio and Mandalaby is in Japans hands again. The counter attack in Burma appears to go well..


Of course , no matter how hard one looks -no paper talks about the battle at Port blair.

[1275psi]

18/1/44

'how many now?"
"18 confirmed kills now sir"
Nagumo nods. 18 liberators down attacking the fleet, and none have even gotten near.
"But still they come on" he murmers

"can the CAP hold Genda?"
'I cannot guarrantee it sir -not against the helldivers especially"

Nagumo nods - it was always going to be all or nothing.
'Alright then. Inform the invasion commander. Advance on Madang. Lets see if 17th army is as good as they claim to be"
"Genda -lets give them as much cover as we can. Maximum CAP. From all reports the enemy fleets are fleeing anyway"

Nagumo retires to the bridge wing alone. he cannot allow the men to see him. This operation fills him with dread..........

[1275psi]

SMN Miyazuki watches the last liberator flutter into the ocean some ten miles away.
So many planea shot down, so many red suns in the sky.
But when would they attack?
Surely the allies had more than this?

The watch officer speaks. " When we are relieved men you must try to sleep -tomorrow we come into helldiver range -and the rest.It will not be easy. Good luck to us all"

Helldivers.
So, the fleet is going in .

[1275psi]

Hosho spends ANOTHER day dodging bombs .

he is now getting very, very angry.

he -and 100 other transport pilots wonder -what in the hell are they waiting for?

[1275psi]

Dictator herbiesan is travelling south in convoy -a dozen army vehciles, his heavy limosine.
They stop briefly -and unexpectantly at a small village -the great leader needs to stretch his legs.

The single shot misses by not much - and comes from somewhere deep in the heart of the village.
The security detail are quick, and ruthless, in minutes sealing of the village from the outside world.
But the gun -and thus gunman -cannot be found -the gun more than likely is already deep in the river bordering.

The solution is swift, simple.

herbiesan simply has the entire village shot.

It does not take long - and gives his legs that extra exercise they need.

[Jones944]

Brilliant writing! You're giving us just enough detail that our imaginations fill in all the blanks making for a genuine feeling of the emotions and excitement experienced by the characters.

Thank you for your efforts!

[CV Zuikaku]

Outstanding writing! [&o]

[1275psi]

Thanks all -for those reading, thanks -its going to be quite a year ahead i hope

[1275psi]

19/1/44

Pre dawn
The mighty fleet moves south in wedge formation, grey shadows in the growing predawn light.
Thousands of men rise, and are at work.
All are aware -that many may not see the dusk.
yet they work.


Seamen Agarshi, Shimto take over the watch in the boiler room, continue the work of tending Ryujo's boilers. They try to smile - and find they grimace instead. They are pale in the electrical light, sweating. The boilers burn bright -mini suns.
They work, and think of the real sun about to rise.


Captain Hara of the Akagi fingers his iron helmet.. Its scratched, rough, tattered a bit inside. carefully he dons it, tightens the straps. About him the bridge crew take this as a signal, and solomely they too don theirs. the bridge is still dark, and silent.
Hara nods to his XO, and proceeds into the cool dawn air, climbs the ladder, and sits on the bridge. He sits, and waits for the sunrise

Nagumo walks the deck of the Taiho, oblivious to the activity of the deck about him, the fighters being wheeled into position
His hands are folded behind him, and his face is still.
He walks to the very front edge of the flight deck -the breeze of the ships movement plucking at his uniform.
He stands, still. faces the horizon. And awaits the dawn

Smn Miyazuki climbs the great tower of Yamato. His pockets are crammed with food and water. It will be a great day. A long day. A, if all goes as dreamed -a glorious day. he takes his post, and eagerly awaits the dawn.

Umeya paces Junyo's bridge - she is heading north -away from the battle. he awaits the dawn too -and curses what they will miss.

And in Tokyo -deep in the arms of his wife, Nakamura sleeps - oblivious of the dawn

[1275psi]

And cantona tells me the turn will be delayed.............And herbiesan chews another finger nail to the quick!

[1275psi]

Extract from shattering the sword -a cantona production

Yamamato had promised that the troops would be delivered -at any cost.
But not even he -in his wildest dreams could conseve this days events
Dawn found literally the entire fleet cruising almost with in sight of Madang -and struggling to maintain a Cap in the confined waters anmd calm conditions
But what was provided poves today to be more than enough.
The allied attacks are -incredibly -weak -only Mushia -straying a little away -is struck by 5 bombs -all that barely impeed her.
Nearly a dozen attacks come in -and over 80 allied planes are downed, the fleet loses just 5 fighters.

In return hastily flown in torpedoe bombers and dive bombers to Kavieg and the admiralties reap a terrible harvest south of new Britain -2 CA are struck, nearly a dozen transports claimed sunk.
And by dusk, saidor is invaded, and the troops begin storming ashore at mandang

The second marine division is surrounded -and fighting for its life.............

[1275psi]

Miyazuki now truly knows what terror means

Those dive bombers -peeling of out of the sky -diving down at you -God -you -and those big black eggs whistling down -how in the world you could not believe they were not aimed at you personally!

And the bang!, when that first one had struck the forward turret!
And how amazing how little damage that bang caused!
Tomorrow they would come again -that was for sure.
This time -just don't flinch!

[1275psi]

"casualties are heavy sir -but the troops are 50% ashore"
Yamamoto nods. He turns to Nagumo. 'we will move away into clearer waters. I think the allied fleet is in Home waters -this response is terribly weak."
He smiles -it is a wane smile -tired, almost forced. Few in the high command have slept at all in the last few days.
'I think Nagumo, you will like this order. Release the battle wagons -lets shower some steel about shall we. Then home, if we can"

[1275psi]

Iwaya reads the report again

"all of them? -the entire village?
had it come to this?. how had it come to this? How could they have been so derelict to not see that it could come to this?

Tears blur his vision, and for a long, long time, his office is silent.

And the thought strikes him. To save Japan, he may well have to destroy her.....................