I just got done reading this AAR - start to finish. Took me the better part of 3 weeks with more than one night deep into the wee hours.
A great story!! You are fortunate - you have the gift of writing.
You also are playing a great game - scene 1 no less! Gives me encouragement, as I'm turning the corner into 43 in my first game as Japan.
Thanks for all the time you've put in; much appreciated!
The little ship that could.
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
RE: The little ship that could.
Thankyou Sanch
Welcome aboard!
July 4th
dawn
Okano is just ascending the ladder from the bottom plates back to the throttles platform when the telegraphs ring
The watch is almost done, all is good below, his experienced eyes have picked out no new problems to pass onto the next watch.
'damnation!"
Breakfast was so close.........
The telegraphs have swung to Flank
Even as he places his hard hands upon the throttle wheel, Susuzukis's alarms ring, action stations!, action stations!, the rudder indicator is wheeling over to hard to port.
"Steady hands!".........a sharp warning to his throttle watchkeeper, as he hands the great wheel to him, it too swings steadily, flashing chrome, feeding the steam into the turbine, the whine and scream already beginning to rise
"On the second condensate!".third hand scuttling away., and quick turns, on the second air ejector, on the second lube oil pump, and Susuzuki is vibrating hard, heeling hard under his feet, the world a great shuddering, banging, clashing symphony as she shoves aside the ocean with her lean flanks, great blades churning the sea into foam
And at the back of the mind..........'what now?, plane, sub?.......enemy ship?...exercise"
The broacast garbles over the canocopony of noise."stand by depth charges.enemy SS, gun crews train to port, port port!"
Submarine then.........and it must heve missed, or he would already be dead then.
The revolutions climb, the rudder swings again.........boiler pressures good......."You good Hirate?"
"You owe me a bloody smoke, just dropped my last in the bilge you barsted!"........vacuum good, temps good.........oil pressure....flickering a little.bloody pump relief, no doubt, again.........
Susuzuki straightens, revolutions 260, 262.............heels hard again, ..what the truk is going on upstairs?.a
CLAAAANG!..CLAANG!.........CRAANGCLAAANK!!!.charges knock, slam against the hull...........the hunt must be close....
Dust falls, the madhouse continues, the helm goes hard the other way............so easy to lose machinery in this s%$T!..........and on cue as the next charges slam against the hull the Turbo generator overspeed trips......and is almost instantly reset by the third hand.......Susuzuki charges on
The guns begin.......the heavy thump of the mains, and now too, the crack crack of the 25's
Okano grins at his watch."always a good sign my friend........
Susuzuki is missed by a russian ss. is engaged...........and sunk!
Welcome aboard!
July 4th
dawn
Okano is just ascending the ladder from the bottom plates back to the throttles platform when the telegraphs ring
The watch is almost done, all is good below, his experienced eyes have picked out no new problems to pass onto the next watch.
'damnation!"
Breakfast was so close.........
The telegraphs have swung to Flank
Even as he places his hard hands upon the throttle wheel, Susuzukis's alarms ring, action stations!, action stations!, the rudder indicator is wheeling over to hard to port.
"Steady hands!".........a sharp warning to his throttle watchkeeper, as he hands the great wheel to him, it too swings steadily, flashing chrome, feeding the steam into the turbine, the whine and scream already beginning to rise
"On the second condensate!".third hand scuttling away., and quick turns, on the second air ejector, on the second lube oil pump, and Susuzuki is vibrating hard, heeling hard under his feet, the world a great shuddering, banging, clashing symphony as she shoves aside the ocean with her lean flanks, great blades churning the sea into foam
And at the back of the mind..........'what now?, plane, sub?.......enemy ship?...exercise"
The broacast garbles over the canocopony of noise."stand by depth charges.enemy SS, gun crews train to port, port port!"
Submarine then.........and it must heve missed, or he would already be dead then.
The revolutions climb, the rudder swings again.........boiler pressures good......."You good Hirate?"
"You owe me a bloody smoke, just dropped my last in the bilge you barsted!"........vacuum good, temps good.........oil pressure....flickering a little.bloody pump relief, no doubt, again.........
Susuzuki straightens, revolutions 260, 262.............heels hard again, ..what the truk is going on upstairs?.a
CLAAAANG!..CLAANG!.........CRAANGCLAAANK!!!.charges knock, slam against the hull...........the hunt must be close....
Dust falls, the madhouse continues, the helm goes hard the other way............so easy to lose machinery in this s%$T!..........and on cue as the next charges slam against the hull the Turbo generator overspeed trips......and is almost instantly reset by the third hand.......Susuzuki charges on
The guns begin.......the heavy thump of the mains, and now too, the crack crack of the 25's
Okano grins at his watch."always a good sign my friend........
Susuzuki is missed by a russian ss. is engaged...........and sunk!
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Russian/manchurian border, 350 miles north of Vladivostock
Lt Nakijima leans against his sand bags, glasses raised.
For three minutes he ramains oblivious to everything else in the world, the scream of the endless artillery overhead, the crump of the motars 100 yards before and slightly below him smashing his first line of trenches.
He remains oblivious to the roar of the bombers roaring overhead, to the shattering explosions of their bombs on his artillery positions behind him
The glasses are not even diverted to the mass of russian infantry bursting from the forests, flowing towards the river that has so long peacefully flowed here on the border
No. Lt Nakijima knows his duty. he counts, steadily, carefully.
Finally, he lowers the glasses, picks up the phone.
"This is 76th infantry regiment...........we are under attack. The Russians are attacking the river crossing at Lope"
'Numbers sir?.........yes, yes, I have counted them.
I count 400 T 34's sir............yes, that is correct.....400.and sir....... " he looks again carefuly over the sand bags, at the mass of armour approaching the river, now plowing through it, climbing towards shattered trenches.........".tell HQ, that 76th infantry regiment has been utterly destroyed".......
Lt Nakijima leans against his sand bags, glasses raised.
For three minutes he ramains oblivious to everything else in the world, the scream of the endless artillery overhead, the crump of the motars 100 yards before and slightly below him smashing his first line of trenches.
He remains oblivious to the roar of the bombers roaring overhead, to the shattering explosions of their bombs on his artillery positions behind him
The glasses are not even diverted to the mass of russian infantry bursting from the forests, flowing towards the river that has so long peacefully flowed here on the border
No. Lt Nakijima knows his duty. he counts, steadily, carefully.
Finally, he lowers the glasses, picks up the phone.
"This is 76th infantry regiment...........we are under attack. The Russians are attacking the river crossing at Lope"
'Numbers sir?.........yes, yes, I have counted them.
I count 400 T 34's sir............yes, that is correct.....400.and sir....... " he looks again carefuly over the sand bags, at the mass of armour approaching the river, now plowing through it, climbing towards shattered trenches.........".tell HQ, that 76th infantry regiment has been utterly destroyed".......
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
General Sugiyama reads the reports.
The Russians advance, but cautiously.
Manchuria will be lost..........inevitable. Burt we can hold a lot, yes?
4 japanese divs to move towards Vladivostock........and to occupy multiple enemy divisions in the forests
They will die.....but the dieing will be long
Just like at Minando..........where 35th army ties down so many buka's
We will defend the river running north south Changhun, Kirin, we will build heavy troopp concentrations in the forests, in the woods, the hills.
Let him have the towns
manchurian army has gotten fat over 4 years yes?
Now it will fight.
and fight
and fight
and fight
The Russians advance, but cautiously.
Manchuria will be lost..........inevitable. Burt we can hold a lot, yes?
4 japanese divs to move towards Vladivostock........and to occupy multiple enemy divisions in the forests
They will die.....but the dieing will be long
Just like at Minando..........where 35th army ties down so many buka's
We will defend the river running north south Changhun, Kirin, we will build heavy troopp concentrations in the forests, in the woods, the hills.
Let him have the towns
manchurian army has gotten fat over 4 years yes?
Now it will fight.
and fight
and fight
and fight
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
July 5th
Extract from "A japanese navy fighter pilots war"
The news that we were now at war with the russians as well came like a thunderbolt to 401st sentai
The Russians?
How in the hell did we end up at war against the Russians?
But at war against them as well we were.
And so on the 5th of July I found myself leading the eagles North east, a long flight across the Sea of japan to the remote out post of Yenkin.
All, as i half expected, was not good at yenkin
Little fuel
Very little ammunition
And no chance in hell of conducting repairs
It would be a short stay.
nevertheless, I ordered 3 sentais to fly for the 6th, mine, the 401st, I would keep on the ground (much to Diogowa's disgust) as reserve
It was a decision, that i now must say, I would very much regret.
Extract from "A japanese navy fighter pilots war"
The news that we were now at war with the russians as well came like a thunderbolt to 401st sentai
The Russians?
How in the hell did we end up at war against the Russians?
But at war against them as well we were.
And so on the 5th of July I found myself leading the eagles North east, a long flight across the Sea of japan to the remote out post of Yenkin.
All, as i half expected, was not good at yenkin
Little fuel
Very little ammunition
And no chance in hell of conducting repairs
It would be a short stay.
nevertheless, I ordered 3 sentais to fly for the 6th, mine, the 401st, I would keep on the ground (much to Diogowa's disgust) as reserve
It was a decision, that i now must say, I would very much regret.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Minando
The allies deliberate attack the marooned 35th and 15 th armies
They fling 4 full divisions, mass armour, heavy artillery into the assualt
The hold up Japanese have been bombed for literally months now, day after day, after day
Surely, the marines must think, they will crack these barsteds in the mountains.
They do not
35th army, this army of pale ghosts, will haunt Allied command for a lot longer yet.
The allies deliberate attack the marooned 35th and 15 th armies
They fling 4 full divisions, mass armour, heavy artillery into the assualt
The hold up Japanese have been bombed for literally months now, day after day, after day
Surely, the marines must think, they will crack these barsteds in the mountains.
They do not
35th army, this army of pale ghosts, will haunt Allied command for a lot longer yet.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
The rain grounds nearly everybody on the 6th.
On the seventh the skies clear, and the russians come again
Japanese pilots have to learn new names, recongnise new types now, Yak, Laag, SB1, SB2......
The russians will just have to learn how to live
Aided by a sentai of Oscar 3's, 210th, S407th and S701 Sentais engage (if that can be the word) the enemy formations
They tear them apart.
By days end, the tally, 114 russians shot down, for 5 lost
Diogowa has but one word for missing the day, ordered to remain on the ground
"TRUK!"
On the seventh the skies clear, and the russians come again
Japanese pilots have to learn new names, recongnise new types now, Yak, Laag, SB1, SB2......
The russians will just have to learn how to live
Aided by a sentai of Oscar 3's, 210th, S407th and S701 Sentais engage (if that can be the word) the enemy formations
They tear them apart.
By days end, the tally, 114 russians shot down, for 5 lost
Diogowa has but one word for missing the day, ordered to remain on the ground
"TRUK!"
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
ORIGINAL: 1275psi
Diogowa has but one word for missing the day, ordered to remain on the ground
"TRUK!"
Note quite the what I thought he would say.....
"Your to kind boss; for a relaxing day off"
The Wake
RE: The little ship that could.
Hi heeward
Diogowa may be a slightly overwieght clown
but in his heart he is all fighter pilot
And killer.
Diogowa may be a slightly overwieght clown
but in his heart he is all fighter pilot
And killer.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
July 8th
We have said it multiple times now.
It takes many things, a great many things to get a fighter into the sky
Oxygen bottles for a start
Fuel for second
parts for a third
Yenkin has Nix, none, zip of any of these things
The Russians come again.
Only s-701st gets airborne today, and only in poor numbers
From another base to the south, Oscars fly
4 of Ogowa's eagles are lost, the pilots recovered
13 oscars
80 allied planes destroyed
Ogowa contemplates the situation
I have no fuel, no oxygen, no chance of flying into combat tomorrow............and these barsteds are endless.
Another day............and I will be destroyed here, on the ground, crushed
The thought of 100 bombers, no matter how bad their aim, is not a pleasant one
I have no choice
We return to Japan.
We have said it multiple times now.
It takes many things, a great many things to get a fighter into the sky
Oxygen bottles for a start
Fuel for second
parts for a third
Yenkin has Nix, none, zip of any of these things
The Russians come again.
Only s-701st gets airborne today, and only in poor numbers
From another base to the south, Oscars fly
4 of Ogowa's eagles are lost, the pilots recovered
13 oscars
80 allied planes destroyed
Ogowa contemplates the situation
I have no fuel, no oxygen, no chance of flying into combat tomorrow............and these barsteds are endless.
Another day............and I will be destroyed here, on the ground, crushed
The thought of 100 bombers, no matter how bad their aim, is not a pleasant one
I have no choice
We return to Japan.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Susuzuki pitches violently. Today the pacific is wild, steep swells pushing north east, driven 100's of miles by the great storm now pounding okiwana.
The swells come up on her port fwd quarter, great white peaked rollers, hissing.
She rises, the water creams, slams her flanks, rattles against the bridge and structure in sheets of white, the top, the tilt, the corkscrewing plunge, the bury into the next, and the rise again to the next one.
She is riding light now, fuel at just 30%, Kobe is near, and none too soon
Hirate is alone, on her starboard side, braced against the roll, watching the rollers emerge from under the destroyer, eyeing them as they come up periously close to his position.
The sea stretches into the grey, mile upon mile, upon mile.
Empty
Like his heart
Kobe tomorrow.
Too much to hope for. Too much to dream, yes?
Kobe
So close, really, to home
The baby is due...............
The swells come up on her port fwd quarter, great white peaked rollers, hissing.
She rises, the water creams, slams her flanks, rattles against the bridge and structure in sheets of white, the top, the tilt, the corkscrewing plunge, the bury into the next, and the rise again to the next one.
She is riding light now, fuel at just 30%, Kobe is near, and none too soon
Hirate is alone, on her starboard side, braced against the roll, watching the rollers emerge from under the destroyer, eyeing them as they come up periously close to his position.
The sea stretches into the grey, mile upon mile, upon mile.
Empty
Like his heart
Kobe tomorrow.
Too much to hope for. Too much to dream, yes?
Kobe
So close, really, to home
The baby is due...............
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Cantona on holidays
turns stopped until??????
buggar
turns stopped until??????
buggar
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
i take it back, his computer died
back online again
10th of July
Ogowa's eagles return to Hiroshima
They stand down, others will fly north and take up the load
The NK2's, however, simply require too much support to be sustained in manchuria.
Not spoken aloud, but there, a deadly foretaste of the future, Hiroshima is now almost the only place in the Empire able to support them.
The fuel situation, the supply situation is getting this bad................
Combined fleet docks, disperses
The great ships are scattered about the bay at Kobe.
Also, ominously, a great many are assigned berths against the shores, and camoflaging ordered.
It is a bitter order to follow.
Destroyer Susuzuki does not berth.
maybe the gods smile upon her.............
She is ordered to continue on..........home to Hiroshima.
back online again
10th of July
Ogowa's eagles return to Hiroshima
They stand down, others will fly north and take up the load
The NK2's, however, simply require too much support to be sustained in manchuria.
Not spoken aloud, but there, a deadly foretaste of the future, Hiroshima is now almost the only place in the Empire able to support them.
The fuel situation, the supply situation is getting this bad................
Combined fleet docks, disperses
The great ships are scattered about the bay at Kobe.
Also, ominously, a great many are assigned berths against the shores, and camoflaging ordered.
It is a bitter order to follow.
Destroyer Susuzuki does not berth.
maybe the gods smile upon her.............
She is ordered to continue on..........home to Hiroshima.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
A secret location
Bigglesworth sits on the HQ's porch, contemplating the setting sun.
The strip is quiet, and the row of B-29's are glittering in the dying rays, the dust a thin sheen on the great wings.
They have flown little these last weeks, this squadron.
They sit, waitng, very much like the men who fly them have been for so long.
Bigglesworth sips his Scotch. Here, away from the front, away from the war, he is content to wait.
Coming down the strip Longpig walks, head down.
He has done this, without fail, every night this week, deep in thought, deep in mental torture.
Bigglesworth can appreciate the struggle.
He has struggled with it himself..............but now, now he can live with it.
Long pig, he thinks, will come to his, in his own time, own way.
And whatever it is, he, bigglesworth, will accomodate it.
The special weapon, apparently, works.
Its power, apparently, is almost incomprehensible. The whispers are, it will end the war.
The cost in innocent lives however.................
The arguments are clear.
japan fights on, and on, and on......................
Victory seems so far, far away...........who would not grasp a chance to end this nightmare now.
But then...........what of the innocents that will surely be underneath the gaze of Longpigs bombsight?
Little wonder, thinks Bigglesworth, that he prowls the field, waiting, waiting for the "special weapon"
Bigglesworth sits on the HQ's porch, contemplating the setting sun.
The strip is quiet, and the row of B-29's are glittering in the dying rays, the dust a thin sheen on the great wings.
They have flown little these last weeks, this squadron.
They sit, waitng, very much like the men who fly them have been for so long.
Bigglesworth sips his Scotch. Here, away from the front, away from the war, he is content to wait.
Coming down the strip Longpig walks, head down.
He has done this, without fail, every night this week, deep in thought, deep in mental torture.
Bigglesworth can appreciate the struggle.
He has struggled with it himself..............but now, now he can live with it.
Long pig, he thinks, will come to his, in his own time, own way.
And whatever it is, he, bigglesworth, will accomodate it.
The special weapon, apparently, works.
Its power, apparently, is almost incomprehensible. The whispers are, it will end the war.
The cost in innocent lives however.................
The arguments are clear.
japan fights on, and on, and on......................
Victory seems so far, far away...........who would not grasp a chance to end this nightmare now.
But then...........what of the innocents that will surely be underneath the gaze of Longpigs bombsight?
Little wonder, thinks Bigglesworth, that he prowls the field, waiting, waiting for the "special weapon"
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Oh, No! Say it isn't so!
RE: The little ship that could.
9 th July 1945
Japan lands another division at Okha
The russians barely interfere.....large numbers of float planes attack, they hit two transports, they in turn die like flies from the oscars on long range CAP
Two more divisions cross the border at saklin, and prepare to engage the fortess guarding the road to the north
And on the Manchurian border, 4 japanese divisions also cross , and head towards Vladivostock, again a fortess guards the way.
The forgotten army, 35th, fights on at Minando
There are 4 enemy infantry divisions, 4 tank regimants, 4 artillery regiments locked in battle against them, and a great more surrounding them on every side
Divisions that cannot be used elsewhere......................
There are heroes here, men who fight on every day with no hope of victory, with death the only possible outcome
But this Minando army may well be winning the war in its very extended dying.
Transports, a mere handful, fly nightly over the hills from the central phillipines. The drop bullets, some food.
They drop something else.
A message
The empire has not forgotten you.
And so they fight. Again the allies attack today
And again, they fail.
Japan lands another division at Okha
The russians barely interfere.....large numbers of float planes attack, they hit two transports, they in turn die like flies from the oscars on long range CAP
Two more divisions cross the border at saklin, and prepare to engage the fortess guarding the road to the north
And on the Manchurian border, 4 japanese divisions also cross , and head towards Vladivostock, again a fortess guards the way.
The forgotten army, 35th, fights on at Minando
There are 4 enemy infantry divisions, 4 tank regimants, 4 artillery regiments locked in battle against them, and a great more surrounding them on every side
Divisions that cannot be used elsewhere......................
There are heroes here, men who fight on every day with no hope of victory, with death the only possible outcome
But this Minando army may well be winning the war in its very extended dying.
Transports, a mere handful, fly nightly over the hills from the central phillipines. The drop bullets, some food.
They drop something else.
A message
The empire has not forgotten you.
And so they fight. Again the allies attack today
And again, they fail.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Mioko and Miori sit on the rocks on the bays edge, watching the sun settling into the sea
It is that little period where things fade to grey, the sea mist begins to gather, when things a minute ago vclear and sharp fade to indistiction, when lights begin to become bright.
The sea is smooth, the air calm
The two women sit close, holding hands.
Father has returned an hour ago, the catch sufficient
The promises of Ogowa continue to be carried out, there is food enough.
There is hope.
The baby is very close to being due now
Very close
On the horizon, a grey shape advances across the bay towards the Naval base
Minutes ago, plainly a destroyer.
The thought that their men could be onboard THAT particular destroyer..........no, impossible
But they are not too worried.
This is the sailors bane, the father absent birth.
Mioko and Miori are philosophic about the days ahead. They wont be the first, nor the last yes?
Just as long as the absent father gets home , yes?
It is that little period where things fade to grey, the sea mist begins to gather, when things a minute ago vclear and sharp fade to indistiction, when lights begin to become bright.
The sea is smooth, the air calm
The two women sit close, holding hands.
Father has returned an hour ago, the catch sufficient
The promises of Ogowa continue to be carried out, there is food enough.
There is hope.
The baby is very close to being due now
Very close
On the horizon, a grey shape advances across the bay towards the Naval base
Minutes ago, plainly a destroyer.
The thought that their men could be onboard THAT particular destroyer..........no, impossible
But they are not too worried.
This is the sailors bane, the father absent birth.
Mioko and Miori are philosophic about the days ahead. They wont be the first, nor the last yes?
Just as long as the absent father gets home , yes?
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
10 July
Fighting continues at Okha, sahklin islands, the russian front
18 oscars are lost for 36 russians claimed
Japan is rotating units every day to the battle, returning them to Japan for replenishment. This is better than any training program you can devise.........the ineffective die, the good get better.
Franks, oscars, the NK2's have all had a go now, tomorrow, zekes, and zeros.
There are, however, too few bombers available to deploy, they must be held for the final battles.........
Susuzuki lies alongside, Hiroshima.
"Petty officer Hirate, captains cabin"
A new Captain
The same old cabin
The same old dangers.........
"Please sit, Hirate"
warily...........
Susuzuki's captain, the former executive Officer, smiles.
"I have been relieved of my command petty officer..........a promotion...........I think......some sort of PT boat flottilla project.........but before I go, I am curious............Just what happened in russia?"
Hirate pauses
What does this man know?.all, or only a little........all I am sure, there are too many spies here on this boat........and who does he work for?..........godam this...........I need to get ashore, I need to get ashore, Mioko is so close in so many ways........
"Ahh.you saw sir, we were ambushed"
"Yes, that I know.........but what really happened, what were you, of all people, doing ashore with the Captain?"
"I..........I do not know sir"
Suddenly the eyes opposite Hirate narrow, and harden.
""Oh, I think you know.............but will not say"
Silence descends, Hirate remains mute.
"Your wife is expecting, yes?"
The question is a knife to Hirate's heart
"yes sir, any hour now, i would think"
"And you wish to be there, of course?"
"of course ............sir"
"Why were you ashore, Hirate............truly?'
'I think sir, the Captain was under a mis understanding that I had knowledge of something valuable, something he wanted.........."
'And you do?"
"No, I do not........"
(and how little you seem to realise.............that murder is so easy...........captain)
'You are positive?"
'I swear sir"
Again the silence descends
The captain seems to come to a decision.........
"I think, petty Officer, that you are a brave man...I think, that my posting to God knows where, is my punishment , because of you.
A smile breaks out. "But I also think the war is nearing its end, and we will need all the friends we can get.............I am going to tell my masters that you know nothing, are totally innocent.........
"Sir?"
"and maybe, when the dust settles, you can look me up, yes?"
Hirate looks at him, almost in shock
"I think I can do that sir"
"Good.............now get ashore, get to your wife..............and remember me"
Fighting continues at Okha, sahklin islands, the russian front
18 oscars are lost for 36 russians claimed
Japan is rotating units every day to the battle, returning them to Japan for replenishment. This is better than any training program you can devise.........the ineffective die, the good get better.
Franks, oscars, the NK2's have all had a go now, tomorrow, zekes, and zeros.
There are, however, too few bombers available to deploy, they must be held for the final battles.........
Susuzuki lies alongside, Hiroshima.
"Petty officer Hirate, captains cabin"
A new Captain
The same old cabin
The same old dangers.........
"Please sit, Hirate"
warily...........
Susuzuki's captain, the former executive Officer, smiles.
"I have been relieved of my command petty officer..........a promotion...........I think......some sort of PT boat flottilla project.........but before I go, I am curious............Just what happened in russia?"
Hirate pauses
What does this man know?.all, or only a little........all I am sure, there are too many spies here on this boat........and who does he work for?..........godam this...........I need to get ashore, I need to get ashore, Mioko is so close in so many ways........
"Ahh.you saw sir, we were ambushed"
"Yes, that I know.........but what really happened, what were you, of all people, doing ashore with the Captain?"
"I..........I do not know sir"
Suddenly the eyes opposite Hirate narrow, and harden.
""Oh, I think you know.............but will not say"
Silence descends, Hirate remains mute.
"Your wife is expecting, yes?"
The question is a knife to Hirate's heart
"yes sir, any hour now, i would think"
"And you wish to be there, of course?"
"of course ............sir"
"Why were you ashore, Hirate............truly?'
'I think sir, the Captain was under a mis understanding that I had knowledge of something valuable, something he wanted.........."
'And you do?"
"No, I do not........"
(and how little you seem to realise.............that murder is so easy...........captain)
'You are positive?"
'I swear sir"
Again the silence descends
The captain seems to come to a decision.........
"I think, petty Officer, that you are a brave man...I think, that my posting to God knows where, is my punishment , because of you.
A smile breaks out. "But I also think the war is nearing its end, and we will need all the friends we can get.............I am going to tell my masters that you know nothing, are totally innocent.........
"Sir?"
"and maybe, when the dust settles, you can look me up, yes?"
Hirate looks at him, almost in shock
"I think I can do that sir"
"Good.............now get ashore, get to your wife..............and remember me"
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Hirate stands on Susuzuki's quarterdeck .
With him a dozen other lucky men who will have leave this evening.
The gangway is down, and the clock drags agonisingly slowly towards 1630 hours, whence it will "open"
His stomach churns.these are cruel minutes
The CPO Coxswain stands before them, a critical eye passing over each man one at a time. A man's collar has a stain..........permission to go ashore withdrawn until the "next boat ashore".not due until 1530 hours.
Another man. he passes the inspection
Another.
He fails.....
And now the eyse fall upon Hirate........and terror strides through his viens. What has he missed?, is his uniform not spotless?.......the creases sharp?.........gods, to miss the birth for a cracked button?
I must,, must get ashore
The eyes scan...........and move on.
And now it is almost 1630.............."your attention is drawn to the regulations, leave is from 1630 hrs, until midnight, Hiroshima citizens excepted, leave for those men expires at 0700 hours 11 July, 1945"
"Do not be late"
"Dismiss"
Eagerly, more than eagerly, the men gather at the gangway, begin to depart, the steel clanging, clattering under them
Hirate's feet rise, step upon the bridge
"FIRE< FIRE< FIRE!..............Fire reported engineers workshop!" the tannoy blasts
hesitation
Home
Duty
baby
leave
time
duty
wife
shipmates, ship, Susuzuki
duty
Hirate drops his bag, turns back aboard, and sprints towards the hatch leading down to the workshop.............
With him a dozen other lucky men who will have leave this evening.
The gangway is down, and the clock drags agonisingly slowly towards 1630 hours, whence it will "open"
His stomach churns.these are cruel minutes
The CPO Coxswain stands before them, a critical eye passing over each man one at a time. A man's collar has a stain..........permission to go ashore withdrawn until the "next boat ashore".not due until 1530 hours.
Another man. he passes the inspection
Another.
He fails.....
And now the eyse fall upon Hirate........and terror strides through his viens. What has he missed?, is his uniform not spotless?.......the creases sharp?.........gods, to miss the birth for a cracked button?
I must,, must get ashore
The eyes scan...........and move on.
And now it is almost 1630.............."your attention is drawn to the regulations, leave is from 1630 hrs, until midnight, Hiroshima citizens excepted, leave for those men expires at 0700 hours 11 July, 1945"
"Do not be late"
"Dismiss"
Eagerly, more than eagerly, the men gather at the gangway, begin to depart, the steel clanging, clattering under them
Hirate's feet rise, step upon the bridge
"FIRE< FIRE< FIRE!..............Fire reported engineers workshop!" the tannoy blasts
hesitation
Home
Duty
baby
leave
time
duty
wife
shipmates, ship, Susuzuki
duty
Hirate drops his bag, turns back aboard, and sprints towards the hatch leading down to the workshop.............
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
11 july 1945
Tolun falls to the mongol hordes in Manchuria.
The first inciling of the Russian plan.........a violent thrust from the north is coming down towards northern Korea
It will apparently be behind what might be the Japanese eastern line.
It rolls south, barely impeded at all by the regiment it has crushed under its tracks.........
29 zeros die in manchuria today, for 29 russians
The zero is long, long obscelecent........but we have a lot of them still.............
Tolun falls to the mongol hordes in Manchuria.
The first inciling of the Russian plan.........a violent thrust from the north is coming down towards northern Korea
It will apparently be behind what might be the Japanese eastern line.
It rolls south, barely impeded at all by the regiment it has crushed under its tracks.........
29 zeros die in manchuria today, for 29 russians
The zero is long, long obscelecent........but we have a lot of them still.............
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt