Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki

[kaleun]

thx

[BrucePowers]

I did not know what it meant either.

[Cuttlefish]

July 3, 1944

Location: Tokyo
Course: None
Attached to: TF 23
Mission: Air combat
System Damage: 1
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Await further orders

---

Hollywood, California, 1972:

Ernest L. Pressinger, head of Lucky Pictures, sits behind his massive oak desk. Behind him the brilliant Southern California sunshine, tinged ochre by the smog, streams in past the drawn-aside plum-colored curtains. It outlines the fringe of white hair on Pressinger’s head, giving him the appearance of have a halo. This appearance is somewhat deceiving.

Across the room a door opens and a tall, thin man pokes his head in the door. “Are you next?” snaps Pressinger. The man’s Adam’s apple bobs as he swallows and he nods his head. “Well, come on in then,” says Pressinger. “I haven’t got all day.”

Pressinger is holding ‘pitch meetings’, meetings where he gives writers one minute to pitch their ideas. He is looking for Lucky Picture’s next big blockbuster. One or two lucky writers will have their scripts purchased. The rest will endure Pressinger’s scorn and go home to face yet another rejection.

The skinny young man advances across the deep pile carpet, clutching a sheet of paper. He tries to look confident as he approaches Pressinger’s desk but does not entirely succeed.

“What’s your name, son?” barks Pressinger. “Speak up!”

“H…hello, sir,” says the young man. “I’m Walter Herman.”

“Well, Herman, spit it out,” says Pressinger. “And for god’s sake keep it short.”

“Yes sir,” says Herman. “My script is called Japanese Destroyer Attack! It’s adapted from a book of the same title. It’s the action-packed story of one of Japan’s destroyers in World War II.”

“Japs?” says Pressinger. “War flicks are still big, but folks in this country want pictures about Americans. Red white and blue, mom and apple pie kind of Americans who laugh at death and then blow away the enemy!”

“Yes sir,” says Herman, “but remember Tora Tora Tora a couple of years ago. That was half from the Japanese point of view.”

“Yeah,” growls Pressinger, “but did it make money?”

“Yes, it did, thanks to overseas profits,” says Herman.

Pressinger pushes a button on his desk. “Francine!” he says, barking into a speaker. “Get me the profit and loss figures for Tora Tora Tora. I want ‘em five minutes ago! Move!” He looks up at Herman. “Go on,” he says.

“Well, sir,” says Herman, his words tumbling over one another, “I see Toshiro Mifune as the hard driving captain, a man who knows his cause is doomed but is determined to do his duty. One of Chief Petty Officers is a man of great strength with a violent and mysterious past. There’s a love story too, with a crewman who used to be a smuggler trying to go straight and win the love of the Chief’s beautiful daughter. The ship was in a lot of the big battles of the war, so there would be lots of combat scenes. Think of a cross between From Here to Eternity and The Caine Mutiny.”

“Hm,” says Pressinger. “I don’t hate it.”

“It would be a gripping war epic,” says Herman, waxing on when he sees this tack seems to be working, “personal stories against a backdrop of history, like The Longest Day or Battle of the Bulge!”

“Battle of the Bulge!” bellows Pressinger. He heaves his large frame up out of his chair. “I was a sergeant with the Seventh Armored at the Bulge, son, and let me tell you, that movie was a crock!” Herman recoils, aghast at this sudden change in attitude. “Forget the historical errors, which were horrible, that film tried to pretend that M47s were Tiger IIs! And they thought that no one would notice or care that M24s were being used as Shermans! What a joke! And you have the gall to come into my office and talk to me about that movie? Get out, I tell you. GET OUT!”

Herman turns and flees, nearly sobbing. The heavy oak door closes behind him with a thunk. Pressinger sits down and mops his face with a handkerchief. After a moment he leans forward and presses the intercom button.

“Send in the next one, Francine” he says.

[princep01]

How funny...my father was with the 7th Arm. at St. Vith.  It was the third time he was almost killed and the third time you almost didn't get this note. 

[BrucePowers]

Well, at least I am not the only one who disliked that movie.

[DuckofTindalos]

Not by a long shot, Bruce...

[tocaff]

Hollywood!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[histgamer]

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


Hmmmm I sortta feel like my last post could have inspired that story.[:D]

[cantona2]

Battle of the Bulge, see now thats a movie that could do with a total overhaul starting with the tanks and Peiper!!!!! (well the guy supposed to be Peiper)

[Shark7]

Ummmmm...Oops![X(]

SS Cuttlefish, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage

I'm sorry. [:D]

[Capt. Harlock]

ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish


“Battle of the Bulge!” bellows Pressinger. He heaves his large frame up out of his chair. “I was a sergeant with the Seventh Armored at the Bulge, son, and let me tell you, that movie was a crock!” Herman recoils, aghast at this sudden change in attitude. “Forget the historical errors, which were horrible, that film tried to pretend that M47s were Tiger IIs! And they thought that no one would notice or care that M24s were being used as Shermans! What a joke! And you have the gall to come into my office and talk to me about that movie? Get out, I tell you. GET OUT!”

A Hollywood producer who cares about realism?? Something of a stretch . . .[;)]

[Mike Scholl]

ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish

“Battle of the Bulge!” bellows Pressinger. He heaves his large frame up out of his chair. “I was a sergeant with the Seventh Armored at the Bulge, son, and let me tell you, that movie was a crock!” Herman recoils, aghast at this sudden change in attitude. “Forget the historical errors, which were horrible, that film tried to pretend that M47s were Tiger IIs! And they thought that no one would notice or care that M24s were being used as Shermans! What a joke! And you have the gall to come into my office and talk to me about that movie? Get out, I tell you. GET OUT!”

I always thought it was odd that for years one of the most realistic movies about the War in Europe was a comedy called Kelley's Heroes.

[Cuttlefish]

ORIGINAL: princep01

How funny...my father was with the 7th Arm. at St. Vith.  It was the third time he was almost killed and the third time you almost didn't get this note. 

I'm glad he made it and thus that you did too!

It got me thinking, though. World War II had such an impact on so many things that it's possible that a great many of us would not be here had the war not occured. My parents met, for example, because my grandparents moved to Southern California to work for Consolidated building B-24s.

On the other hand, who knows how many forum mates might have been here but aren't because their parent or grandparent died in the war? I guess we all exist at the end of a long chain of chance and coincidence. When you think of it that way it's as if we have all beaten odds that dwarf the chances of winning the lottery.

But thoughts like that make my head hurt. When that happens I usually stop philosophizing and go eat a chocolate chip cookie. It helps put things in perspective.

[Cuttlefish]

July 4, 1944

Location: Tokyo
Course: None
Attached to: TF 23
Mission: Air combat
System Damage: 1
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Await further orders

---

A stocky figure with a startlingly ugly face and very broad shoulders climbs the gangway and steps onto the deck. He is greeted by Ensign Izu, who cannot repress a bit of a grin upon seeing him. His approach is businesslike, however. The stocky figure salutes.

“Chief Petty Officer Shun reporting for duty, sir,” he says.

Izu salutes in return. “Welcome back, Chief,” he says. “I believe you will find that Lieutenant Miharu has already added you to the duty roster. Oh, and Captain Ishii would like to see you at your convenience after you have stowed your gear.”

“Thank you, sir,” says Shun. “I will attend to that immediately.” He hoists his sea bag and heads below.

“Chief,” says Izu, and Shun stops and turns. “It’s good to have you back.”

“Hrm,” grunts Shun. “Thank you, sir.” He turns back and makes his way below, his footfalls as always making almost no sound.

[DuckofTindalos]

Yaaay! The Chief is back!

[Lecivius]

I expect that SYS point will vanish in terror [;)]

[Cuttlefish]

July 5, 1944

Location: Tokyo
Course: None
Attached to: TF 23
Mission: Air combat
System Damage: 1
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Await further orders

---

I thought it might be interesting to take a moment and look at a present-day vessel with a familiar name…


There is no longer an Imperial Japanese Navy, of course. These days Japan has the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force. But there is still a ship named Hibiki afloat. The modern vessel is AOS Hibiki, launched in 1990.

The current Hibiki is a T-AGOS (tactical auxiliary general ocean surveillance) ship. It is the lead ship of the two-vessel Hibiki class, which is really a variant of the U.S. Victorious class built under license by Mitsui. These ships perform a variety of peacetime oceanographic survey and research functions but their main purpose is acoustic detection of enemy submarines.

Hibiki is 234.5 foot vessel with a twin hull. It is unarmed but streams a SURTASS towed array sonar system. The usual crew is 35 plus 5 US Navy technicians. Its home port is currently Kobe.

This is obviously a much different vessel than the namesake whose adventures we are currently following. Interestingly two of our Hibiki’s three sister ships, Inazuma and Ikazuchi, have been reincarnated as Murasame-class large frigates. I don’t believe Japan currently has an Akatsuki.

---

AOS Hibiki:

[Shark7]

ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish

ORIGINAL: princep01

How funny...my father was with the 7th Arm. at St. Vith.  It was the third time he was almost killed and the third time you almost didn't get this note. 

I'm glad he made it and thus that you did too!

It got me thinking, though. World War II had such an impact on so many things that it's possible that a great many of us would not be here had the war not occured. My parents met, for example, because my grandparents moved to Southern California to work for Consolidated building B-24s.

On the other hand, who knows how many forum mates might have been here but aren't because their parent or grandparent died in the war? I guess we all exist at the end of a long chain of chance and coincidence. When you think of it that way it's as if we have all beaten odds that dwarf the chances of winning the lottery.

But thoughts like that make my head hurt. When that happens I usually stop philosophizing and go eat a chocolate chip cookie. It helps put things in perspective.

If it hadn't been for the war, my grandparents would have never met. My grandmother was Scottish, and my Grandfather met her in London. He was part of the ground force of the 8th Air Force.

[Shark7]

Also, the sonar on the modern Hibiki has about a 3 CZ detection capability. In simple terms, it can 'hear' a submarine from well over 100 nautical miles away in the right conditions. While itself it is completely unarmed, it would be a very valuable asset in time of war.

[mdiehl]

It is obvious that Cuttlefish is a man of taste and sophistication who is well-read in the lore of Spider Man. Great work CF, keep it coming!