Quietly, carefully, Pilot officer Graham counts the cartridges for his pistol.
Six
Against 10.
Prudence, everything says withdraw quietly into the dark, to forget this madness.
But the pot is there, and he can smell it.
last night, gunfire on the horizon to the north. How long until the army gets here?
Too long
If he waits............
He dies.
Something tells him, this is it.
Carefully, carefully, he takes his first bullet, places it between finger and thumb, and tosses it unseen into the flame of the fire.
And then he takes the blocks.........
The little ship that could.
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
RE: The little ship that could.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
11/12/43
Zuiho sails at 24 knots across seas far to the north of the latest SS sighting.
The shaft, it appears, holds.
Now on her flight deck, 29 engines turn, 29 propellers spin.
Zuihos children are leaving home.
'We will see you in Singapore , I would think" Takeji returns Hidaka's salute "try not to besmirch our little ships name yes?"
Hidaka grins. "If the fight does not come to us."
"Yes, as our American friends would say, give them hell"
They depart into the afternoon sky, circle once, and dwindle into the west.
And Suddenly Zuiho feels very, very empty.
And useless.
Zuiho sails at 24 knots across seas far to the north of the latest SS sighting.
The shaft, it appears, holds.
Now on her flight deck, 29 engines turn, 29 propellers spin.
Zuihos children are leaving home.
'We will see you in Singapore , I would think" Takeji returns Hidaka's salute "try not to besmirch our little ships name yes?"
Hidaka grins. "If the fight does not come to us."
"Yes, as our American friends would say, give them hell"
They depart into the afternoon sky, circle once, and dwindle into the west.
And Suddenly Zuiho feels very, very empty.
And useless.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
12/12/43
There are 13 destroyers and APDs escorting Akagi. A ASW patrol prowls the air, 12 Kates strong at 2000 feet.
At 0600 hrs, SS Tany makes an attack.
It is a brave effort, but defeated, savagedly depth charged for nearly two hours,, but an attack that omniously leaves 3 DDs out of charges.
At 1200 hours, she is attacked by CVE Unyo's kates, and again rattled by charges.
At 1800 hrs, she tries again
And kills
Akagi, Japans pride, is struck by 4 torpedoes, and there is no saving her from this.
In flames, she rolls rapidly, turtles, and is gone.
Captain Hara, Admiral Yamaguchi go down with her.
The counter attack bashes the Tany for another hour, the charges lashing the waters above her.
She will get away.
Thoughts of victory, of defeating the allies, float away like a summer dream.
Snows fall this day in Tokyo.
Defeat feels colder.
(if i ever read another forum post that allied SS are borked, I will vomit. If you have lost the allied ss war, better give Cantona a call, he will teach you how to do it right.........and yes, I do know how to play anti ss warfare!)
There are 13 destroyers and APDs escorting Akagi. A ASW patrol prowls the air, 12 Kates strong at 2000 feet.
At 0600 hrs, SS Tany makes an attack.
It is a brave effort, but defeated, savagedly depth charged for nearly two hours,, but an attack that omniously leaves 3 DDs out of charges.
At 1200 hours, she is attacked by CVE Unyo's kates, and again rattled by charges.
At 1800 hrs, she tries again
And kills
Akagi, Japans pride, is struck by 4 torpedoes, and there is no saving her from this.
In flames, she rolls rapidly, turtles, and is gone.
Captain Hara, Admiral Yamaguchi go down with her.
The counter attack bashes the Tany for another hour, the charges lashing the waters above her.
She will get away.
Thoughts of victory, of defeating the allies, float away like a summer dream.
Snows fall this day in Tokyo.
Defeat feels colder.
(if i ever read another forum post that allied SS are borked, I will vomit. If you have lost the allied ss war, better give Cantona a call, he will teach you how to do it right.........and yes, I do know how to play anti ss warfare!)
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Zuihos pilots arrived tired but safe at Palua.
One zero arrives chugging smoke, struggling to remain aloft.
3 Jills do not depart Siapan, fragile beasts indeed.
For Diogawa and his friends, a strange experience indeed, to sleep this night on bunks that do not roll or sway continously.
And the nights are too quiet with out the constant fans in the background.
Too a man, they will all feel something is missing. Stupid to miss something as sterile as a ship.
But of course, Zuiho has been more than that.
She has been home.
One zero arrives chugging smoke, struggling to remain aloft.
3 Jills do not depart Siapan, fragile beasts indeed.
For Diogawa and his friends, a strange experience indeed, to sleep this night on bunks that do not roll or sway continously.
And the nights are too quiet with out the constant fans in the background.
Too a man, they will all feel something is missing. Stupid to miss something as sterile as a ship.
But of course, Zuiho has been more than that.
She has been home.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Keep it simple stupid
A good policy .
The bullet Pilot officer Graham has so artfully thrown into the fire goes off with a satisfactory bang, throwing embers everywhere, and startling the men about it.
With a blood curdling scream, a giant shadow of creature bursts into the camp fire, leaps the fire, snatches the pot hanging, and is gone............
Almost as stunned as the men he has robbed (at the unexpected success) Graham plunges into the pitch dark of the jungle.
he goes but 10 yards, skidding under a fallen tree .
The pursuit pounds past voices jabbering.
Graham is rising to his feet, eager to go back the way he has come, when the jungle behind him, bursts into gunfire.
The jabbering turns into screams, drowned in the crack of Brens and the thud of grenades.
"TRUK!"
Graham seeks the dirt.
A boot apperas immediately before him, and another.
"hey Blueyee!............look what I have found"
'What mate?"
"Not quite sure, far too big for a nip!..............hey, how much do the brits pay for missing pilot officers.....?"
A friendly hand reaches down, helps him up. "You almost ruined our ambush mate."
The Aussie smells the tin. "You must be bloody mad to eat this mate.........some of the barsteds we have found have taken to two legged pork"
The words wash over him, unheard. Only the accent matters.
Its Australian, its friendly. It is not the spear point however.
120 miles to the south, Rangoon is retaken by the British.
A good policy .
The bullet Pilot officer Graham has so artfully thrown into the fire goes off with a satisfactory bang, throwing embers everywhere, and startling the men about it.
With a blood curdling scream, a giant shadow of creature bursts into the camp fire, leaps the fire, snatches the pot hanging, and is gone............
Almost as stunned as the men he has robbed (at the unexpected success) Graham plunges into the pitch dark of the jungle.
he goes but 10 yards, skidding under a fallen tree .
The pursuit pounds past voices jabbering.
Graham is rising to his feet, eager to go back the way he has come, when the jungle behind him, bursts into gunfire.
The jabbering turns into screams, drowned in the crack of Brens and the thud of grenades.
"TRUK!"
Graham seeks the dirt.
A boot apperas immediately before him, and another.
"hey Blueyee!............look what I have found"
'What mate?"
"Not quite sure, far too big for a nip!..............hey, how much do the brits pay for missing pilot officers.....?"
A friendly hand reaches down, helps him up. "You almost ruined our ambush mate."
The Aussie smells the tin. "You must be bloody mad to eat this mate.........some of the barsteds we have found have taken to two legged pork"
The words wash over him, unheard. Only the accent matters.
Its Australian, its friendly. It is not the spear point however.
120 miles to the south, Rangoon is retaken by the British.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Oh com'on! The allied subs really ruined the party!...luckly Zuiho hasn't been touched...but a carrier without her airgroups is like a tiger without fangs and nails....[:(]
Damned americans
Damned americans
RE: The little ship that could.
13th and the 14th of December
The shaft bearing repairsbecome an epic of a job. For nearly 48 hours Zuiho sails, tail dragging a mad wake behind her, with one shaft locked.
In the damp hell of the shaft tunnel, repairs are attempted.
You cannot weld oil soaked cast iron. But you can drill it, tap threads in the holes, and fashion a patch .
Sounds easy, but in conditions of extreme crampness, with only hand tools, this job becomes a true battle.
There is, of course, only one set of suitable taps as well onboard, and Charge threatens death to the man who breaks it.
The man, as usual, becomes two men, Hirate and Okano.
Oddly enough, large parts of the job become enjoyable. Surrounded by the ocean, the shaft remans pleasantly cool to work in, compared to the tropical heat of the boiler rooms.
But, as fatigue, and blisters mount, this job becomes merely a struggle.
They do, however, succeed.
Charge sends them to bed, and reports to Minobe.
"It is done.....we are raising vacuum"
Minobe merely nods. he does not need to ask anything, seek anything else. It is done.
Minobe reports to Takeji
"It is done"
The Captain, too, merely nods.
"Very good. let me know when full power is available again"
That is all. All that is needed. Instead of continuing North back to Japan, as he feared they would do, Takeji can remain with the fleet here deep in the phillipine sea.
Zuiho continues in her place,
Combined fleet turns west.
Destination Singapore, and hopefully, her missing children.
The shaft bearing repairsbecome an epic of a job. For nearly 48 hours Zuiho sails, tail dragging a mad wake behind her, with one shaft locked.
In the damp hell of the shaft tunnel, repairs are attempted.
You cannot weld oil soaked cast iron. But you can drill it, tap threads in the holes, and fashion a patch .
Sounds easy, but in conditions of extreme crampness, with only hand tools, this job becomes a true battle.
There is, of course, only one set of suitable taps as well onboard, and Charge threatens death to the man who breaks it.
The man, as usual, becomes two men, Hirate and Okano.
Oddly enough, large parts of the job become enjoyable. Surrounded by the ocean, the shaft remans pleasantly cool to work in, compared to the tropical heat of the boiler rooms.
But, as fatigue, and blisters mount, this job becomes merely a struggle.
They do, however, succeed.
Charge sends them to bed, and reports to Minobe.
"It is done.....we are raising vacuum"
Minobe merely nods. he does not need to ask anything, seek anything else. It is done.
Minobe reports to Takeji
"It is done"
The Captain, too, merely nods.
"Very good. let me know when full power is available again"
That is all. All that is needed. Instead of continuing North back to Japan, as he feared they would do, Takeji can remain with the fleet here deep in the phillipine sea.
Zuiho continues in her place,
Combined fleet turns west.
Destination Singapore, and hopefully, her missing children.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
15/12/43
For Zuihos fighter pilots, Waingapo (if thats how you pronounce (and spell it)) is well..........a little underwhelming.
A single dirt strip, bordered by jungle on each side. A few reverments, a few palm huts.
A poliferation however, of slit trenches and bunkers. This place has been visited by heavy bombers once before it seems, a lesson not needed twice.
There is , however, a naval Flottilla HQ here, complete with Torpedo maintenance section, and quite heavy representation of navy maintainers.
Jill TBDs lie covered in green nets all around the strip, and Zuihos fighters vanish startling quickly into the jungle as well once our pilots feet touch the ground.
With some trepidation, they make their way towards what appears to be the command area.
"Hidaka?"
The Commander is thin, his uniform well worn, and in places almost threadbare. What original colour it once was has all but bleached from the cloth
"Hie!'
"Welcome sir, a few words to your men?"
"Of course"
He turns towards the pilots "Gentlemen, I hear you are some of the very best. But let me tell you this.
The mosquitos do not care.....malaria can kill you'
Our poisoned water does not care.....you must boil it. Dystenry will kill you.
The jungle does not care, I have lost 7 men in 3 months to snakes....they will kill you.
And the ocean does not care, there are no sharks, the crocodiles have eaten them all............"
"Any questions?"
It is Diogawa who asks the question............"But the food won't kill us then?"
'No" Smiles the commander "But we don't get too much of that iether, submarines sank our last two supply efforts"
"
'Welcome to the other side" growls Hidaka 'Don't ever let me hear any one grumble about the mess again..........."
For Zuihos fighter pilots, Waingapo (if thats how you pronounce (and spell it)) is well..........a little underwhelming.
A single dirt strip, bordered by jungle on each side. A few reverments, a few palm huts.
A poliferation however, of slit trenches and bunkers. This place has been visited by heavy bombers once before it seems, a lesson not needed twice.
There is , however, a naval Flottilla HQ here, complete with Torpedo maintenance section, and quite heavy representation of navy maintainers.
Jill TBDs lie covered in green nets all around the strip, and Zuihos fighters vanish startling quickly into the jungle as well once our pilots feet touch the ground.
With some trepidation, they make their way towards what appears to be the command area.
"Hidaka?"
The Commander is thin, his uniform well worn, and in places almost threadbare. What original colour it once was has all but bleached from the cloth
"Hie!'
"Welcome sir, a few words to your men?"
"Of course"
He turns towards the pilots "Gentlemen, I hear you are some of the very best. But let me tell you this.
The mosquitos do not care.....malaria can kill you'
Our poisoned water does not care.....you must boil it. Dystenry will kill you.
The jungle does not care, I have lost 7 men in 3 months to snakes....they will kill you.
And the ocean does not care, there are no sharks, the crocodiles have eaten them all............"
"Any questions?"
It is Diogawa who asks the question............"But the food won't kill us then?"
'No" Smiles the commander "But we don't get too much of that iether, submarines sank our last two supply efforts"
"
'Welcome to the other side" growls Hidaka 'Don't ever let me hear any one grumble about the mess again..........."
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
HI GreyJoy!
I just feel the threat to TImor/ DEI is so pressing.........carriers have to fade and try another approach.
I will rejoin the groups as soon as fleet makes singapore/soerabaya.
Enemy can crawl up PNG coast for next month or so if he likes, I can live with that. An attack on DEI is a mortal threat I cannot allow.
Taiho is half way home., Flooding is improving!
I just feel the threat to TImor/ DEI is so pressing.........carriers have to fade and try another approach.
I will rejoin the groups as soon as fleet makes singapore/soerabaya.
Enemy can crawl up PNG coast for next month or so if he likes, I can live with that. An attack on DEI is a mortal threat I cannot allow.
Taiho is half way home., Flooding is improving!
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
ORIGINAL: 1275psi
HI GreyJoy!
I just feel the threat to TImor/ DEI is so pressing.........carriers have to fade and try another approach.
I will rejoin the groups as soon as fleet makes singapore/soerabaya.
Enemy can crawl up PNG coast for next month or so if he likes, I can live with that. An attack on DEI is a mortal threat I cannot allow.
Taiho is half way home., Flooding is improving!
Yes, i agree with Herbiesan HQ: Southern DEI is much more important that NG/Solomons... hopefully Hidaka and friends won't perform too many escort missions down there... i prey for them to remain on CAP with 0 range[:)]
finger crossed for Taiho[&o]
-
Gridley380
- Posts: 464
- Joined: Mon Dec 19, 2011 10:24 pm
RE: The little ship that could.
A minor gripe that keeps bugging me: TBD is a specific airplane (the Douglas Devastator). The generic would be TB for any old Torpedo Bomber (including the Kate or Jill).
Glad to hear our oversized bomber pilot made it! Again, was he someone the log told you was found after going MIA and you wrote him into the story or was it a fabrication? Loved the story either way, just curious.
Glad to hear our oversized bomber pilot made it! Again, was he someone the log told you was found after going MIA and you wrote him into the story or was it a fabrication? Loved the story either way, just curious.
RE: The little ship that could.
This BITES! 
How many SS have you SUNK in this game? Got to imagine that your ASW is better better but things look terrible!
How many SS have you SUNK in this game? Got to imagine that your ASW is better better but things look terrible!
Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.
RE: The little ship that could.
Hi Guys
I remain slightly bemused (but delighted) that people arefollowing this little tale.
Yes, right about calling Jills TBDs..........my bad!
Yes, carriers without aircraft very bad, but Japan did do it IRL.
To My considerable surprise, a guy in my office read my AAR from start to finish in one hit after we talked about it.
he's ex airforce, so as a "reward", as soon as some beufighters got shot down.............
Yes, he's very large..........
Finally, SS
I was, I thought, winning the SS war until this months disasters. But, Cantona, as already mentioned, is an expert on this.
I have sunk nearly 50 ss, but they were just a green carpet where KB went.
It was a trap, I see it now.
Well played by him, poor play by me.
Still, its nearly 44, and the empire still stretches from Moulmien to Hollandia.
I fight on!
Final one. After sooooooooooooo long with out combat, our fighter pilots are truly caged tigers, no chance in hell they will not be seeking a fight if it is in the offing.
OK, off to play the turn!
I remain slightly bemused (but delighted) that people arefollowing this little tale.
Yes, right about calling Jills TBDs..........my bad!
Yes, carriers without aircraft very bad, but Japan did do it IRL.
To My considerable surprise, a guy in my office read my AAR from start to finish in one hit after we talked about it.
he's ex airforce, so as a "reward", as soon as some beufighters got shot down.............
Yes, he's very large..........
Finally, SS
I was, I thought, winning the SS war until this months disasters. But, Cantona, as already mentioned, is an expert on this.
I have sunk nearly 50 ss, but they were just a green carpet where KB went.
It was a trap, I see it now.
Well played by him, poor play by me.
Still, its nearly 44, and the empire still stretches from Moulmien to Hollandia.
I fight on!
Final one. After sooooooooooooo long with out combat, our fighter pilots are truly caged tigers, no chance in hell they will not be seeking a fight if it is in the offing.
OK, off to play the turn!
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
16/12/43
Combined fleet has gathered in the heart of the phillipine sea.
It now moves due west towards Legaspi, and for the first time in many days, sails untroubled across serene blue seas.
It is sometime after midday when takeji hands control of Zuiho to the OOW, and makes his way below.
he intends to visit the sickbay, the galley, to , well, to do what all captains would love to do more frequently, have an actual mark one on what really is happening below.
He enters the main Hanger, eyes keenly taking in every detail. At the end, the single orphan Jill, now operational, but retained more for convieniance than anything else.
It glimmers in the harsh arc lighting. As does, he notes, the rest of the hanger, it positevly gleams, nothing out of place.
And , despite the Jills immaculate appearance, two of his hanger men are busy polishing the canopy.
Carefully, for Japanese Captains rarely deem it nescessary to talk to the ranks, he approaches the two rankers.
Startled at his appearance, they spring to attention, fear clear on their faces.
'Relax men..........is she ready to fly?"
With startling abruptness, a third face bounces up from the cockpit, the crew chief.
"Hie!"
Takeji addresses him. "Ready then?"
"Yes sir!"
"And the pilot?"
"depressed to be left behind sir!.............delivered with a grin
"I see...............not much to keep you busy yes?"
The crew Chief tilts his head, shrugs..........."I am trying to keep them at it "
Takeji thinks for but a moment. "I have always wanted to see what makes these things tick. Crew Chief, take this Bomber apart, every little bit, then you can put it back together again...........who knows what we will learn yes?"
The crew chief's grin breaks into a genuine smile.
"Immediately sir!"
Keep the men busy. Busy keeps the fear at bay.
There has been too much of it of late..................
Combined fleet has gathered in the heart of the phillipine sea.
It now moves due west towards Legaspi, and for the first time in many days, sails untroubled across serene blue seas.
It is sometime after midday when takeji hands control of Zuiho to the OOW, and makes his way below.
he intends to visit the sickbay, the galley, to , well, to do what all captains would love to do more frequently, have an actual mark one on what really is happening below.
He enters the main Hanger, eyes keenly taking in every detail. At the end, the single orphan Jill, now operational, but retained more for convieniance than anything else.
It glimmers in the harsh arc lighting. As does, he notes, the rest of the hanger, it positevly gleams, nothing out of place.
And , despite the Jills immaculate appearance, two of his hanger men are busy polishing the canopy.
Carefully, for Japanese Captains rarely deem it nescessary to talk to the ranks, he approaches the two rankers.
Startled at his appearance, they spring to attention, fear clear on their faces.
'Relax men..........is she ready to fly?"
With startling abruptness, a third face bounces up from the cockpit, the crew chief.
"Hie!"
Takeji addresses him. "Ready then?"
"Yes sir!"
"And the pilot?"
"depressed to be left behind sir!.............delivered with a grin
"I see...............not much to keep you busy yes?"
The crew Chief tilts his head, shrugs..........."I am trying to keep them at it "
Takeji thinks for but a moment. "I have always wanted to see what makes these things tick. Crew Chief, take this Bomber apart, every little bit, then you can put it back together again...........who knows what we will learn yes?"
The crew chief's grin breaks into a genuine smile.
"Immediately sir!"
Keep the men busy. Busy keeps the fear at bay.
There has been too much of it of late..................
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
"did you sleep well men?'
The silence that greats Hidaka tells the tale. he personally feels as if every mosquito in the world has decided he must donate his blood to them, drop by drop.
Weariness sits on his bones.
"We are not staying. Some place south of here, maumere they call it. Hit by heavies an hour ago. Grab your kit. Its only a short flight, so when we get there, have a damn good look around, landmarks, alternatives, anything that might help. And keep your eyes peeled, we are entering enemy aispace............"
"And about truking time........."
Yes Okano. Yes. About truking time......................
Two birds do not start. Zuihos airgroup of AM3a's, 16 strong blast dust behind them, and fade into the tropical haze.
And I think that every one of them thinks the same.
A chance to have a crack at the enemy.............about truking time.
The silence that greats Hidaka tells the tale. he personally feels as if every mosquito in the world has decided he must donate his blood to them, drop by drop.
Weariness sits on his bones.
"We are not staying. Some place south of here, maumere they call it. Hit by heavies an hour ago. Grab your kit. Its only a short flight, so when we get there, have a damn good look around, landmarks, alternatives, anything that might help. And keep your eyes peeled, we are entering enemy aispace............"
"And about truking time........."
Yes Okano. Yes. About truking time......................
Two birds do not start. Zuihos airgroup of AM3a's, 16 strong blast dust behind them, and fade into the tropical haze.
And I think that every one of them thinks the same.
A chance to have a crack at the enemy.............about truking time.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
17/12/43
There are many things Navies do that simply are beyond the normal.
Zuiho does one of these things this night.
The San bernard straight in the phillipines is no picnic on any day. At night, in total blackout, with little moon, navigation can be as equally as deadly as anything that the enemy can throw at her.
Yet, on this dark, dark night , she passes through with out issue, as does the great bulk of Combined fleet.
They will refuel, gods willing, at Miri. After that, what happens next is very much now in the enemies hands.
There are many things Navies do that simply are beyond the normal.
Zuiho does one of these things this night.
The San bernard straight in the phillipines is no picnic on any day. At night, in total blackout, with little moon, navigation can be as equally as deadly as anything that the enemy can throw at her.
Yet, on this dark, dark night , she passes through with out issue, as does the great bulk of Combined fleet.
They will refuel, gods willing, at Miri. After that, what happens next is very much now in the enemies hands.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
The Burma road is open
Liberator bombers operating from China's interior strike takao, Hong Kong.
Takao bites back, Hong kong absorbs the punishment..
CVE Shinyo, capable of taking 30 fighters, a poor replacement for Akagi indeed, joins the fleet. She makes to Osaka, where she will wait for the rest of the damaged and refitting flat tops.
She has at least 50 days of sitting idle ahead. Ryujo sits on blocks now, men stunned at the damage a single fish can make.
They will fix her, I am sure. But the workers feel no urgency, no pressure. The war slumbers again.
Some even talk that the allies are losing the will to take the war to japan, that negotiations must surely begin soon.
But these are fools talk
As snow falls in Tokyo, long cues are forming in front of many shops and businesses.
Shortages, spotty and rare, are becoming a daily occurance......................
Liberator bombers operating from China's interior strike takao, Hong Kong.
Takao bites back, Hong kong absorbs the punishment..
CVE Shinyo, capable of taking 30 fighters, a poor replacement for Akagi indeed, joins the fleet. She makes to Osaka, where she will wait for the rest of the damaged and refitting flat tops.
She has at least 50 days of sitting idle ahead. Ryujo sits on blocks now, men stunned at the damage a single fish can make.
They will fix her, I am sure. But the workers feel no urgency, no pressure. The war slumbers again.
Some even talk that the allies are losing the will to take the war to japan, that negotiations must surely begin soon.
But these are fools talk
As snow falls in Tokyo, long cues are forming in front of many shops and businesses.
Shortages, spotty and rare, are becoming a daily occurance......................
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
18/12/43
Enemy bombers strike Endah, 40 miles to the North of Zuihos base.
They fight, bomb, and escape with Zuihos pilots remaining ignorant that anything is occuring.
Radar, or the lack of it, is telling.
Enemy bombers strike Endah, 40 miles to the North of Zuihos base.
They fight, bomb, and escape with Zuihos pilots remaining ignorant that anything is occuring.
Radar, or the lack of it, is telling.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
19/12/43
The day for Hirate begins well before dawn.
It has rained steadily all night, and the steady dripping off water through the sorry excuse of a roof has kept him awake for most of the night.
Instead of the constant, reassuring whine of the fans, there has been the disturbing sounds of the jungle. (not to mention the hordes of mosquitos outside the nets)
Waking in the pre dawn dark, struggling to light the oil lamp instead of the steady electric light..........
Too the stinking pits, that pass for heads, feet squelching in the mud.
There is no Mess here, just canvas spread between poles, the rain running of the edges, crazy shadows from the oil lamps, the moths, in the hundreds, committing suicide against the glass.
Hidaka greets Diogawa with a grim smile, as they share the crude bench.
"How the mighty have fallen ney?" Diogawa half jokes.."Do you think we will fly today?"
Hidaka waves a thumb at the strip, now becoming clear as the hidden sun rises. "Are you willing to give THAT a try?"
Diogawa peers .............the single dirt strip seems more a river than a strip, some of the rivlets seem to be carving their own canyons through the dirt............"Ahhhhhh, even I am not that keen"
'Nor I"
They sink back into silence, the rain beats down, the water runs, the mud deepens
One day, and already , to a man, they hate this place.
The day for Hirate begins well before dawn.
It has rained steadily all night, and the steady dripping off water through the sorry excuse of a roof has kept him awake for most of the night.
Instead of the constant, reassuring whine of the fans, there has been the disturbing sounds of the jungle. (not to mention the hordes of mosquitos outside the nets)
Waking in the pre dawn dark, struggling to light the oil lamp instead of the steady electric light..........
Too the stinking pits, that pass for heads, feet squelching in the mud.
There is no Mess here, just canvas spread between poles, the rain running of the edges, crazy shadows from the oil lamps, the moths, in the hundreds, committing suicide against the glass.
Hidaka greets Diogawa with a grim smile, as they share the crude bench.
"How the mighty have fallen ney?" Diogawa half jokes.."Do you think we will fly today?"
Hidaka waves a thumb at the strip, now becoming clear as the hidden sun rises. "Are you willing to give THAT a try?"
Diogawa peers .............the single dirt strip seems more a river than a strip, some of the rivlets seem to be carving their own canyons through the dirt............"Ahhhhhh, even I am not that keen"
'Nor I"
They sink back into silence, the rain beats down, the water runs, the mud deepens
One day, and already , to a man, they hate this place.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt