The little ship that could.

[1275psi]

Susuzuki reaches Tokyo.
Fuel, food, stores, spares.
Mail delivered. No mail recieved.
Sail


No rest for the wicked this day.

[1275psi]

7/3/45

(turns are very slow)

Japan has air superiority over Dadjangas
The franks sweep today, by the third raid, little rises to meet them
The bombers crater the field, a kelidoscope of types, bettie, peggies, Lilly's, to Jills, kates, vals

The field may be closed, any shipping in the harbour sunk, but it avails the defences to the North little
The enemy attack, and are held, but barely.
Tomorrow, if it can carry a bomb, all planes will attack the allied front lines, the reinforcements are going to be too late.

Lose here, and lose everything.

(allied deliberate attack, 1 to 2, 1498 AV to 808, adjusted, 697 to 1354.
But caso's were horrendous for japan)

[1275psi]

At first, they ignore them
But now, stunned, incredulous, Hosho and his men watch them pass.
long lines of japanese soldiers, streaming, listless, down cast, North, away from the battle.
Angrily Hosho takes one of them by his laple. "What are you doing?"
Un seeing, unfocussed eyes turn to him.
"Are you retreating?, who told you to retire?.........."
'Nobody sir...............I ,...........I am just following my friends"

Hosho has retreated before. retired 1000's of miles in fact, but always, always, they have fought, delayed, fought again, retained their formations............but this?, this rabble?"
'Do you feel no shame!..........you should die first!. japan men never run away!"
Suddenly the mans eyes do focus. Angrily he shakes himself free " Truk you, you barsted!. Go to your glorious death!, You will think different when the tanks come!"

A murmer of anger from Hosho's men. They gather about him, but some of the retreating soldiers too gather.
And too many, far too many hands are resting upon weapons...........

Angrily Hosho shoves him away. This is not worth it..........
But what the hell is happening to our Army?
Loudly he addresses all about him " To hell with it. Let them go men. We are 55th division. We will show these peasants how to fight!"

The parties seperate. The march South continues. The font is clearly heard now, a continous rumble in the air.
22 miles to go.

[1275psi]

Susuzuki rides comfortably across the swells, steaming steadily east, 200 miles south of Japan.
Hirate and Okano have settled in.
They have their watches, new uniforms, new bunks, and already, new, and welcoming crew mates.

This, they already know, is a good ship.
She displays all the signs. Clean. Well maintained, disciplined.
This is a happy ship.

More importantly, she appears to be a fighting ship.

[1275psi]

'You have flown your last mission Son"
'Sir?" Long pig looks up at the commander
"I am taking you off operations, you have done your trips........besides, we can't have you risking becoming a reverse Ace"
the Commander grins.
"So I am going home?"
'Its a long way, how about a little R and R in Australia first?"


And just like that, Long pig will leave the war.


But some how I think, not adventure.................

[1275psi]

8/3/45

Air superiority
Two little words

That mean so, so much.

With out it, armies die.

50 odd miles north of dadjangas, the allied troops attack again.

They have been bombed, continously from dawn, to dusk.
On paper, they have 2 to 1 odds.
In reality, barely 1 man in 8 is effective..........


The attack collapses


Under an umbrella of steel, Hosho's men march
faster, heroes of the empire, baulwark of japan, faster!

[1275psi]

Darwin
1945

They have not even yet attempted to start salvaging the wrecks, the great many wrecks, that litter the bay against which daewin nestles.
Nor, it must be said, has much been done to the shattered city.
The port is repaired, the roads are clear. The rest...........mostly burnt rubble

But not the Bush inn
It stands, inviolet, an island of completeness, in this sea of rubble.
The Bush Inn, the indestructible Bush Inn.

darwin has clung to the Bush Inn for nigh on 4 years now, as long as a man can obtain a beer in the Bush Inn, there is hope, there is life.
For many a thirsty sailor, for many a very thirsty Soldier or airman, the fact that despite all the bombings, the bombardments, this place still stands, is conclusive proof, undoubtable proof that God exists.


Long Pig, Bigglesworth are in the Bush Inn. They have ben here a long, long day.
Some time back, a lot of beers back, they made (as you do) new, life long friends with some sailors they will never remember come tomorrow morning.
But right now...........

One of the sailors, a particularily drunk one (for he has just heard of his posting to a CVE, so who are we to blame) leans towards Long pig.
'So,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,so,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,have you done the dance, my friend.......?"
Long pig blinks, attempts to assimulate the question..........."dance?"
"can't be a sailor mate, can't be one of us,, until you have.........."
"dance?"

'dance of the flamers mate..........."

Bigglesworths eyes, drooping at this time, widen.........'I say, old chap, please don't"

Like many things Bigglesworth has done, or said, he really should have pushed the point.

And thus the night of tragedy.

A naked Long pig. a rolled up newspaper up his butt, a match...........

All, I think would have been good, God, we know, protects drunks, especially, in this, his favourite pub.

But for the fart...............



darwin has a sea of rubble.
In the centre, the remains of the bush Inn.........burnt to the ground..............

[BBfanboy]

[:D][:D]
Ah, the Dance of the Flaming A***oles. Have heard the legend but thankfully never saw the ceremony.

Must have been some powerful fart from LongPig. Did the locals roast him for the cannibals of Papua?

[british exil]

Jonas seems to affect land objects as well or was it because sailors were involved in the incident at the Bush Inn?

Long Pig survived I gather?

Mat

[1275psi]

Turns still painfully slow.............


7/3/45

Ogowa climbs yet again into the cockpit of his fighter
774 times he has gone through these motions, done his pre flight checks.

100's of times, he has known that ahead lies battle, potential death.

How many more times?
How many times do they have to go to the well?
It seems a life time since that first hudson, that first kill.........

The joy in battle is gone
Only grimness remains.

he glances over to the fighter to his right. Diogowa nods, grins, raises his left hand.
A banana..........gods, the man is such a clown.

But without him, I would have given up so long ago......................

he returns the nod, places the goggles over his eyes, fixes the mask, tastes the cold oxygen......

The beast vibrates under him. Numbly, he pushes the throttle forward

To battle
Mission number 775

[1275psi]

ORIGINAL: british exil

Jonas seems to affect land objects as well or was it because sailors were involved in the incident at the Bush Inn?

Long Pig survived I gather?

Mat

yes, privately between you and me, he's not happy............but not as un happy as the rest of Darwin is

[1275psi]

Susuzuki rolls easily across the swells.
It is a delightful day, the sea crystal blue, deep, sparkling, the air warm, clear.
Hirate and Okano lounge on the fantail of the destroyer, chatting with new friends, feeling the breeze, watching the wake trail endlessly behind.
The deck vibrates, the propellers beat deep below them.

It is a sailors day
"What do you think Hirate?"
Of what?
"this, the ship, the Susuzuki?"
Hirate looks about. Looks at the steady, war bitten men about him. Feels the ship alive about him.
"Good, my friend...........good"

[1275psi]

Ogowas eagles kill 15
For 1 lost

reinforcements, replacements are flowing in.
Ogowa, Diogowa climb down from their birds, grinning.
They have not killed, not even fired today.
It does not matter.
The enemy have fallen before them.

"We are Hunters eh Diogowa, hunters again!"
Diogowa grins.
It is true though.................Ogowa's eagles.
Birds of prey
Killers aloft .

[1275psi]

8/3/45
Hiroshima bay

battleship Yamato
She lies quietly, water lapping her great flanks

4 years old now, four hard years.
Her decks are stained dark, soot spoiling her decks, camoflage prepared for the dark nights that must lay ahead.
Her flanks are stained now, rust streams from a hundred places, her superstructure faded.
There is no paint left in Japan now.
Paint needs oil, and there is little enough of that left now for niceties , for looks.
Yet, and yet. Yamato lies quietly, magnificent, strength itself.

Yamamato, Fleet commander climbs the gangway to the great quarterdeck.

He can almost feel her power flow into him,strengthening him.
A strength he needs.

I have failed.
I have failed Japan, her people, my emperor.

There is nothing I can do, to redeem my honour.
Nothing but this last thing

Admiral Yamamto, has come aboard.
To take personal command of japans last fleet.
To take it south, one last time
No return. Honour restored.

[Long pig]

This is like a series of hyku, magnificent!

[kaleun]

Blood on the water
Families mourning
The passing of spring.

[1275psi]

Susuzuki slides into takao bay, anchors.
For the next two hours Hirate and Okano will be very busy, takaking her plant down to an hours notice for sea.
The Aft boiler will be shut down, the systems cross connected between units
The turbines will be shut down, but the vacuum will be reduced to only 15 inches, turning gear will be engaged.
In short, her engines remain hot.
Should the enemy appear, vacuum can be quickly re raised, her engines re flashed.

The boiler shut down will conduct bottom blows, a task, an unpleasant task hirate had almost forgotten about. Yet, somehow, not to have to work with smelly diesels, and their bloody oil leaks, is compensation enough.

The work proceeds , the routines. War, or no war, they will remain

"All hands, not on watch, muster focastle"

Hirate and Okano join the crowded ranks.
A small dias has been raised. With a mighty yell, the coxswain calls them to the attention, as all coxswains in any Navy do.
The captain mounts the Dias.

"Men, look about you"

And for Hirate, its the first time that he does.
Everywhere, fading in the mists, the long low shapes of tankers ride, all of them, high out of the water.
'There are 40 tankers here, almost all we have in the Empire."
Hirate studies their Captain. Grey. Grim. Almost, almost like , what was his name?. Hasegawa? the old man who died........
But harder. A lot harder

'We are to escort these vessels, these vital vessels to Palembang, batavia, Soerabaya. Dangerous enough. But now, and for the last week, a British carrier task force has been operating of Georgetown.and we know how close that is to Singapore."

Silence greets this. Hirate feels, knows it. The enemy does not scare Susuzuki, does not daunt them.
"If we are interfered with, I intend to do the one thing, one thing only. Attack them. I know you will not let me down"
"That is all"


The Captain steps down, the coxswain roars again


The sun shines, a beautiful day, calm, warm. Susuzuki rides easily
Gird yourself, men of Susuzuki. .Mars calls you.

[1275psi]

11/3/45

For a week now, 55th division has marched towards the hills. Now, for the last three days the road has slowly swung west, skirting them, beginning to rise in barren foot hills.
The weary men are but two miles from the mountain pass proper, when the division halts

Then the terrible news.

"we are going the wrong way"

About face, turn east, and march again.
Order, counter order, disorder


Disaster








(game mechanics had decided best way to reach dajangles was not through the hex I am defending........aaaaaarrrrgh!)

[1275psi]

12/3/45
extract from "falling Cheery Blosoms, a fighter pilots war'
.............the days seemed to begin to merge into each other, a never ending cycle of flying, of fighting, of returning, counting the dead, counting the killed. faces, cherised faces begin to disa pear. men, who have survived so long, taken , as if fate played with us like a cat plays wioth a mouse.
This day was a particularily brutal day. 130 plus of us sweeping again over Dajangas. The allies met us, coasairs, T bolts, twin tailed devils.
We lost 20 planes this day, for but three kills, 10 more men lost.I think now, think over that statement. Lost
We were all lost.
Souls adrift in never ending torment, doomed to cycle through terror and pain, again, and again, and again

Lost.

[1275psi]

55th division is bombed, but still marches 12 miles, desperate to atone for the blunder

The Prince is gone. Removed overnight, replaced by gods know who.
But Hosho and his men do not need to know him, they simply must obey.
"55th Division will not stop or rest until we reach the line"