Location: Tori Shima
Course: South
Attached to: TF 43
Mission: Bombardment
System Damage: 0
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 270
Orders: Intercept enemy fast transport convoys at Tori Shima
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Hibiki’s bridge is small and crowded. This does not stop Captain Ishii from pacing back and forth, however. Every now and then he walks out onto the starboard observation platform and gazes towards Tanaka’s flagship, Hiei.
“What is going on?” he mutters to himself after one such look. “Why the hell are we still here?”
The night attack was a bust. No enemy ships showed up to be massacred, so the task force steamed back and forth lobbing shells at the island. The bombardment seems to have been effective, judging from the columns of thick smoke rising from the island into the morning sky.
The morning sky, of course, is the problem. It is now full daylight and the task force is still within sight of Tori Shima. Already enemy reconnaissance planes have been seen overhead.
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Aboard Hiei Admiral Tanaka is also asking why the hell they are still there, and he is doing so with increasing urgency and frequency. He was preparing to withdraw his ships as planned when he received a radio transmission ordering him to maintain position. He does not know why. All he knows is that enemy aircraft are almost certainly on the way.
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From the radar room Taiki informs the bridge that enemy planes are inbound from the south shortly before Tanaka orders the task force to disperse slightly to meet the coming attack. Captain Ishii issues the appropriate commands as combat stations are sounded. Anti-aircraft guns are manned and trained skyward. After that all there really is to do is wait.
And the wait is not a long one. The enemy pilots, puzzled but delighted to find a major Japanese surface force just waiting around to be attacked, come in fast and low. Cannon fire churns the sea to froth around their targets while aboard the Japanese ships flames leap upward and men scream in pain. The Japanese return fire is vigorous, if somewhat scattered, and here and there attacking planes shudder and begin to trail smoke.
Ahead of Hibiki destroyer Shimikaze almost vanishes amid the splashes from bombs and cannon shells. When the destroyer emerges she is trailing a light amount of smoke but does not seem heavily damaged. But those aboard Hibiki know that they are too far away to see where the decks and bulkheads of the other ship are smeared with blood.
Tone takes a bomb on the stern which starts a fire and Kirishima is struck by three bombs. And then the attack is over and the enemy planes are leaving, vanishing back southwards.
As Tanaka screams at Tokyo over the radio a second wave soon appears. This attack has fewer bombers but is heavily escorted. Fortunately the escorts remain high overhead. This attack concentrates on light cruiser Oyodo but the ship escapes without major damage. Again the enemy planes depart.
Finally, without comment or explanation, Tanaka receives orders to take his ships back to Osaka. They turn away from the island and are not pursued by further attacks.
“We got lucky,” Ishii tells his executive officer later, as sunset approaches. “We got damned lucky.”
“Yes sir,” says Lieutenant Miharu. He knows it is true. They enemy was probably a bit surprised to be presented with such an opportunity. Their attacks might have been much heavier.
Captain Ishii goes to his cabin to finally get some sleep. He still does not know why they were left in such a position for no reason. And he knows that he may never learn. As he lies down he tries to set the anger churning inside him aside long enough to let him get to sleep. Eventually he succeeds.
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Scenes from a long day at Tori Shima:
