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"Cannons to the left of them, cannons to the right". These guys are in for a serious ride.

Shock and Ford stand side by side on Chester's bridge.
Both have eyes fixated on Saratoga, waiting for what ever the Flagship decides to do.

Further news comes from Darwin. This is no raid, this is a full on invasion, Divisions strong.
The seas to the West crawl with Japanese ships.
The Engineer joins them on the bridge, summoned urgently
"Whats our fuel state like Engines?"
"80 percent"

Shock merely nods, sweat on the brow.
There is plenty. Plenty if Flank speed to Darwin is ordered.
Ford has already done the plotting. Flank speed ordered now.........
The beach head at dawn.


If, of course they made it.


And if on cue, Saratoga's lamp flashes

"task force new course.........180 degrees........flank"
180 degrees........GOD!, that's EAST!

And if on cue, Saratoga's lamp flashes

"task force new course.........180 degrees........flank"
180 degrees........GOD!, that's EAST!

No, that's due South!

ORIGINAL: ny59giants

And if on cue, Saratoga's lamp flashes

"task force new course.........180 degrees........flank"
180 degrees........GOD!, that's EAST!

No, that's due South!

I thought that was true :]

literary license or FOW? [&:]

I guess we await the next installment ... [X(]

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

literary license or FOW? [&:]

I guess we await the next installment ... [X(]

Maybe Saratoga sent the back-bearing by mistake and really wants to bug out to the North!

.

MY BAD!!!!

Yes, task force about face 180 degrees, new course 270!!!

Flank!!!

Run away, run away! (too amused to write serious stuff this post[:)][:)][:)][:D])

For a moment shock rules Chester's Bridge.
About face????..........course due West?.........Flank?

"They can't be serious, can they?" Ford gasps. Run away? The United States Navy
refusing a fight?
He can't accept it.
Almost in mute appeal, he turns towards Shock.
But Shock can, already has, already taking the bearings off the carriers, already
taking the steps to Follow Sara's great bulk West.


And turning West she is, hard.
Shock commands " Helmsman...Port 30!, revolutions 280!"

And that, thinks Ford, is that.
Forever, forever, the fleet that ran away..........





The Japs are swarming ashore at Darwin, backed by something unthinkable 4 months ago
Japan is not just gaining strategic advantage.
She is taking it, at her pleasure.

No carrier clash! ... [:(]

Time for Occidentals and AAR readers to adopt "Oriental patience" I guess.
There will be a time and a place ... [:)]

17th of Feb

Big Ben descends the ladder into Hell.
"When I die, I am sure to go to Heaven, because I have done my time in hell"
The thought pounds through his mind as he begins to descend into the boiler room, the
waves of heat and humidity washing over him

He reaches the bottom plates, nods to the men about them. Talk, of course, is almost impossible,
the scream of the forced draft blowers obliterates all but the loudest yells.
Talk, anyway, is superfluous.
Big Ben knows the score, knows exactly where Chester's plant is at.

Full power.
Flank power
Every pump, fan, pipe, valve at full capacity, strained, pushed to the red, pushed beyond the red.

Hell.
Contained, barely, beyond those thin steel walls.

Ben takes the throttles to the fuel pumps, to the blowers.
Nothing to adjust, they are at the chocks.
Chester at full power
Flank power

Fleeing power.

KB chases them.

18th Feb
It is well after midday before the task forces slow to normal cruising speed

"Revolutions 128"
And that, thinks Ford, is that.
A pall of depression falls upon Chesters bridge, men avoid each others eyes.
Their is no hiding it. The American fleet has run away, defeated with out a shot fired.
He turns to Captain Shock.."and what now?"
The Captain (is he relieved?.......no surely he can't be?) shrugs impassively
"Whatever Fletcher wants I suppose......one thing for sure, I hardly think he's going
to seek an engagement......preservation of the carriers and all that"

Ford has to (silently) agree.
What choice, under those orders, does he have?
But it still stinks...........stinks.

Shock speaks again......."Darwin fell this morning....the Aussies will be crapping bricks, and
as for Pacific Fleet........Port Headland, Broome, all that effort setting up our
submarine bases, all those support ships."

The silence is pregnant
"God, its going to be a bloody mess................"

Great read with the morning cuppa ... thanks Herb!

[&o][&o][&o]

Thanks Pax
Writing this is totally different to the Little ship
Those days I was home about 4.30 in the arvo, and had more than enough
time to write for at least an hour, play turns, do family stuff and the like
Nowadays its getting home about 6.30 Pm, need to be in bed by 9 .
he Penguin and I are exchanging 2 turns a night, so its a choice many nights, honour the turn,
or write
So, its normally the turn

I know this game will go the full distance, so I will stick with it, I might be retired for the second
half.......

Then I can truly get stuck into writing
Finally, this game has been very frustrating getting Chester into it.........

Anyway, thanks for the comments, very encouraging!

Its the 21st

And yet again, its the eternal problem.
Fuel
The mad dash West, a detour towards Christmas island ( a failed, useless grasp
at redemption trying to hit a "sighted" task force) finds the Carriers , and
of course Chester, 200 miles south east of Christmas island.
And yet again, so many ships fuel states are tending towards the red.
Too little, in fact, to return to the Cape, or India.
Barely enough, in fact, to reach Carnovan, the ONLY Port on Australia's West coast
with any fuel.
The ONLY one.

And the spanner in the works, (war is so full of so many of those, isn't it?)
is simple.
Shocks prediction is coming horribly true
Carrier Aircraft smash Wyndham, Port Headland, Broome.
Cruisers intercept, and mercilessly sink the fleeing ships, not one, not two, three
precious AS ships, tankers, AGs, AKE's.
Precious ships........and just as many precious lives.

The allies are being taught a lesson, a painful, painful one.
The carriers were the shield.

Who in the hell thought this one task force would be enough?
KB has swept it aside.

And is ripping apart the exposed belly.

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Thanks Pax
Writing this is totally different to the Little ship
Those days I was home about 4.30 in the arvo, and had more than enough
time to write for at least an hour, play turns, do family stuff and the like
Nowadays its getting home about 6.30 Pm, need to be in bed by 9 .

Totally understand the RL getting in the way. I generally only get from 0400 - 0500 for personal time, the rest of the day is fully committed. And frequently not even that hour ... life.[;)]

I know I will be well past retired before I ever get to even think about a PBEM ...

Agreed. The only time I have for the forum is while I'm at work [;)] Run a test, search the internet until test completes, back to work.

But your fans appreciate the extra effort [8D]

+1 on the thanks and the understanding that there are other priorities that keep you from regular installments of your fascinating stories.
We take anything you post as a bonus and hope you are keeping well. Don't stress over our desires to see more- no flank speed for Herbie-san!

22nd
0800 hours
Captains cabin

Every day,0830 sharp, the department heads gather.
Briefly, for Shock refuses to tolerate any waffling, each man delivers a snapshot
of his part of ship.
Shock barely ever questions, merely nods, occasionally grimaces.

Reactions, when they come, come more indirectly, yet far more tellingly.
Memo's, orders, demands.
Verbal orders, questions can become "lost"
Not the written ones.
They must be fulfilled.
They also, as every man here knows far too well, allow utter control of all that occurs
on Chester.

Today, after this meeting, there will be no doubt another flurry of paper.

The Commanders deliver their reports.
Some good, some routine, some not so good.
The Gunnery Officer feels all is well, so does the Aviation officer.
The supply officers report is very brief: "the men are fed"
(and that is, considering all things, as good as one can hope)
Ford reports Moral, after a pause, and a Shock Grimace, as good.

But it is the Engineers report that matters.
Ford does not understand all of it, but the message is clear. Chester is tired.
Getting very tired.

The communications officer puts that into perspective however.
KB smashes the North west coast of Australia.
If it continues on her present course.........sunk ships don't get any more tired.

Dawn
23rd

A red dawn, pregnant with menace
Chesters wireless room hums, the carnage up and down the North West coast continues.
Today, its Kongo class battlewagons pounding Broome, cruisers further out to sea.

But Of KB...........nothing.
She could be as close as 100 miles away, or as far as 400
It does not matter.
All day ships fuel each other, sharing what is available. Ar days end, new course, South.
Direct towards Perth.

Timor is falling
The DEI's are being invaded
Australia has lost her Northern capital

And we bloody run away.