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13/5/43
I am desperately tired, the duty certaintly allows one no sleep!
Again we are at sea, this time charging north, to swing around kavieg, and then to attack lunga from the north east.

The word is, we are going to try to draw the enmy CVs into a fight -2 have been sighted -6 to 2.
We should win.

Today was another day of preparation, and the frantic stowing of stores, so many came aboard yesterday,, and we have had no time to get them below.

this evening I dared to visit the bridge.
How strange to enter its darkened confines.
You enter from the back, and keep still -eyes attempting to get used to the dark.
gradually the shapes reveal themselves
The helmsman -rigid at his wheel, all concentration on the compass .
The lookouts, and the OOW, and his assistant.
The small red glow of the navigators table -our track clearly marked -not often I can confirm we are going to steam into danger - a shiver up my spine as I see the x on the chart -"attack launch point"
Will I launch to my death -or glory from that little X?

Growing bold I approached the windscreen -looking out over the our carriers great, great flight deck.
Up here we are remote from the sea, it seems to slide past, and it looks so harmless from here-and I know its a 6 fot chop today.

Lt samutsu approaches -he is assistant OOD, and a good naval officer.

I feel his tension -there are so many hidden dangers out there -and this old battle wagon is no destroyer, even I know that.
we exchange small talk -whispers -why whispers?
I do not know -but the dark always seems to reduce us to them.


We discuss todays news -so many questions, one does not know what to believe

Army fighters claiming 60 enemy for only 8 lost in china, and a huge attack in burma "although not successful -is being pressed"
We both agree though -the enemies seemingly unchecked advance has been stopped.
can we roll it back?
For the sake of our empire I hope so.
japan seems so far away.

14/5/43

All is ready.
We steam south. Our commanders urge us to rest today -we are committed to the attack, we must be fresh for it.

Encouraging news, Tokyo rose announces another successful "tokyo express" to tassafronga.
Our troops are getting the supplies they need.

Further good news, the british army is slowly giving way in Burma, our troops, despite a huge bombing effort by the British seem to be prevailing -but losses are reported to be heavy.

Many, many ships at Lunga.
Our plan is bold -to sit at max range -and launch at max strength -we risk the carriers!

15/5/43

We continue south, Green Island is to the west

The british continue to lose in Burma -a massive air battle reported -our Tonies are fighting hard .
Cursed P 38s seem to have their measure.

Intelligence on Lunga air is poor, many ships, special recon must go in before we commit.

What cowardice!.
6Cv, 3 CVL, 3cve -more than enough planes!
We must attack, we must!!

16/5/43
Today great news, the british army has been defeated south of mandalaby -with its troops streaming towards Pagan!

BANZIA!!

The british have responded in a terrible way -a huge terror raid on rangoon -150 bombers or more.
The enemy fight with no honour!

The captain is pleased, again the speakers blare at breakfast -yet another successful "tokyo express" last night.

We continue south -tension rising -a SS is reported ahead in our track!
I think I will sleep in the ready room again tonight!

Our planes are spotted on the deck -ready to strike.
We should be spotted tomorrow, and then we will have to charge in to the attack point!.

17/5/43
I awake well before dawn, stiff and sore
The tanoy blares great news!!!
The british army south of mandalaby is smashed -and streams north in defeat -2 british divisions and 3 indian ones are reported defeated!!

The moral of all onboard is as sharp as any i have ever seen!

Alarm!!!
catalina flying boat -we are spotted.
In turn sevearl BBs are reported at Lunga -but no sign of carriers

The day is tense , we continue south still -but only at about 15 knots -the CVEs cannot keep up.

Dusk -and at last -2 CV , 90 miles south east of lunga -moving north.
Another day without action -but a good day.
Tomorrow we reach the attack point!

18/5/43

Just after midnight I knew today would be a bust -as Kagas great hull began to pitch into a gathering sea.

dawn -grey skies, terrible seas.
We lose a Val of the junyo as the ASW patrol risks suicide getting into the bleak sky
rain lashes us

Word of a mighty air engagement over lunga -the allies (we can clearly hear them over the radio -claim 30 jacks shot down.
The enemy is close -and know we are here- but the weather.
DAMN them!

At dusk, we turn north, the mission has at least kept his heavy units pinned to Lunga.
The enemy retreat to mandalaby

19/5/43

The bridge is out of bounds
And for once no, repeat , no information is coming from anyone.

But things are happening!
Just after dawn the CVEs were detached, and faded rapidly behind, and we began to speed as fast as we can to the north east.

What is happening!
I see one of the chief stokers in a passageway -he and some of his black gang are blocking the passageway.
I watch as they open the top of a tube, and in a amazing action drop a plumb bob into it.
They are measuring a fuel tank!
I listen carefully -but with out appearing to listebn, after all pilot officers should have little to do with such things.

The Stokers confer - and I hear the figure 48hrs.
easy -we have fuel for 48 hrs at this speed.

Only one place is in that range -the gilberts.
I am disturbed.

20/5/43

Now we know

Kwelijien has been taken!
And a large convoy has been sighted 300 miles due east of rangoon.

The empire is being assualted from all sides.

The captain briefs the ship

1CV, maybe 2 more are supporting Kweljien, where our troops fight on.
The field, although destroyed, is held by the enemy
Our fast CVs will meet the battle line at Ponape (my brother!), and will attack

Our CVEs will remain of Lunga -and try to make the enemy think we remain there.
At the least, they must dint the enemy CV fighter strength if it comes north as well.

pagan has been retaken -but our army is making good time back to rangoon.
It will be close, but a great opportunity arises.
isolated enemy CVs -who must stay and fight.
All depends on what awaits for us at Ponape.

This war moves to a climax -we all feel it.
Go Kaga -move!
take us to the American dogs.

Ponape

Fuel was available
barely enough, barely enough

It is dusk
I am ready

6 hrs ago Adm yamaguchi sailed
Junyo, Hiyo, Ryujo, zuiho, 1st div
Shokaka, zuikaka, shoho 2nd div
Hiryu, soryu, 3rd div

We escort the BBs -Mutsu, nagato, 4 old battle wagons, Akagi with us., we lag 120 miles behind already.

I watched today as 18 betties, 12 zeros left ponape -6 zeros came back -15 betties as well

CV Yorktown, CVEswanee, CVE chenango, and CVE nassua are at Kwel
We are not spotted!

The enemy lands at rangoon -30000 men
I belive our army -3 div strong is all but 15 miles out.

Tomorrow the fate of the empire may well be decided.

I think briefly of our land.
I will not let my friends down.
That is what truly matters.

22/5/43

The horrible crash of a torpedoe hitting some hull somewhere nearby has us scrambling out of our hammocks!

On our port flank the Fuso has taken a torpedoe.
We stare across the water to her, a shadow in the dark
But she steams on!

She singals us : we all read the morse easily- " we maintain speed -minor flooding only"

Dawn -and I launch as CAP, a small circle over the 6 BBs and our 2 CVs

Somewhere ahead the battle is raging

How lonely the cockpit is, wondering what is happening
Finally i land, and race to the ready room -where the tension is so high, we can hear many of our fighter men ahead of us.

Corsairs attacking the fleet!
Avengers!
And Liberators!

My stomach churns -Hiryu has been struck!, Soryu has been struck!
The battle rages, and we are forced to hear our men die.

Static
What has happened!. How badly are we hurt!
Then, amazingly clear -LCDR Sato! "Enemy CVs in sight, all planes attack!"
Our strikes go in
How long is the next 15 minutes? 15 hrs?
Then a strange voice "attack returning -1large CV burning, 4 smaller carriers burning, 2 believed sunk"
Banzia!!!!!!!!!

But joy slowly fades, as we hear Zuikakas, and Shokakas flight controllers ordering the 2nd Cv div planes to return to them.
How badly are they hurt?

Why do we not join the battle?
Curse the slow BBs, we should never have waited.
Another wave attacks our carriers -and we hear a horrible order -DDs to assist Hiryu

Our second strike goes in, and Ponape planes join it -and our target -the Yorktown is struck again

All remains quiet on the kaga
Planes flying west over us -a dribble of vals, zerosand kates to ponape .
50 zeros head west -reinforcements!for the Shokaka group!

we are called to the ready room
Hiryu is abandoned
Soryu is out of action
Junyo is non functional
90 zeros are lost
But we estimate 50% of the enemy fighter strength is gone, and 2 enemy BBs are at Entiwok -and maybe the crippled Yorktown.
4 enemy carriers are sunk.


The enemy invasion of rangoon has failed!
We attack!!
The BBs will attack -and we will race north
We trust in fate.
We must prevail
Good luck Brother -shoot true -if nagatos guns miss -I expect my home will be sunk tomorrow.
Grimly, we go to battle
Let the empire live 10000 years.

BANZAI[:@]

tip : 60 sys musashi and 80 sys kongo was back into action in my pbem in 9 months

thrilling, this is really an exciting format of AAR.

23/5/43
0900
This is the BBC World service

Reports are filtering in of a great naval engagement at rangoon, Burma today.
Admiralty reports that at least 1 japanese battleship, tentatively identified as the Heie , engaged british battleships , including the veteran battleship Warspite in a sustained action
The Admiralty reports that the invasion troops are "safely ashore at rangoon", but facing unexpected heavy resistance.

Further reports of our aircraft carriers in action in the same naval battle
have not yet been confirmed.
There are so far no reports of losses in our fleet, although the Admiralty has stated that some may have been experienced

In further news in the south pacific American carriers are reported to be in action against japanese shipping at the southern fortress rabual.

And Just in, reports of further , to quote -"a battle of Jutland dimensions "
is occuring in the central pacific, near the island of entiwok, recently siezed by the American army.
Although not yet confirmed, reports of a "major carrier engagement" are being recieved
Claims by the japanese broadcast that the Carrier Yorktown, and 4 other carriers have been sunk, are being strenously denied by the United states navy department

In europe today, german forces were being driven........

Tease![:(][:D] Awesome read, keep it up.

23/5/43

1800
This is the BBC world service, with the evening news

Our news is dominated today with the reports of the major Army, navy and Air engagements that have occured in the Pacific today

At 1530 hours today, ADM Wobbly, commander of all Allied Forces in the war against japan released the following report.

"As you know now, Allied forces have been engaged in a naval and air battle of unprecedented size and ferocity in the south and central pacific.
This battle continues even now.

The japanese war machine, so far seemingly irresistable in the pacific, has been severly handled by our forces, and is in full retreat from its apparent mission against our forces in the central pacific.
But this battle has not been with out great cost to ourselves, a bitter price to pay in our fight for freedom.

At this time, many details are still unclear, but we can reveal this
In actions ranging as far as Rangoon, to rabual, to Entiwok, the following japanese ships are confirmed sunk at this time

battleships, Heie, Nagato, Mutsu,and yamarishio are confirmed sunk, or reported same
The remaining battleships Fuso, Ise, and Hyuga are reported to be severly damaged, and limping west, it is greatly hoped that they will be hunted down tomorrow.
More importantly, the enemy carriers Soryu, and Junyo are dead in the water. Of greatest import a further 9 japanese carriers are reported as hit -many very heavily

In other battles, principally arounfd rabual, our forces , fast attack carrier forces have smashed 2 japanese task groups, claiming 6 light cruisers, and some 10 destroyers

Overall today some 16 enemy destroyers have been sunk, a cruiser, 4 Battleships, and the enemies principle weapon -his carriers have been nuetralised for a great deal of time to come. Some 240 japanese planes were destroyed today -in addition to those of yesterday

These momentous battles, details yet to become clearer, have ensured the eventual victory for our forces, sweeping the japanese from the seas.
To my knowledge only 2 japanese battleships remain functional, and some cruisers.

ladies and gentlemen, this battle has not been with out cost
at this time it appears that we have lost the following warships
CV Yorktown
CVE Sangamon
CVE nassua
CVE swanee
CVE Chenango
BB Tennessee
BB new mexico
BB west Virginia
BB massachutas
BB california
Bb Warspite has not been sighted since being struck by some 56 bombs
CA devonshire
CA penescola
CA witchita
CL motpelier
CL emerald
Cl dragon
Cl maurituios
CL glassgow
DD bache
Dd Conyham
DD Smith
DD maury
DD Gridely
DD paterson
In addition some 180 aircraft were lost today

This is a greivious loss.
However the enemy is retreating, and a massive effort is being made to ensure as few of the damaged ships escape.
the battle continues, we will release the details of the battle, one that makes Jutland seem like a side show, at the appropiate time."

The Prime minister has also made a brief statement
" The battles in the Indian ocean, bravely fought by our sailors and airmen, have proven vital
Our Army, trapped at rangoon, in a valiant but failed effort to trap the japanese army in northern Burma, is being evacuated.
the navy covers it well.
This war has a long way to go, and i thank the valiant courage of our sailors , soldiers and airmen.
The allied victory in the pacific is significant -the japanese tiger is hurt -maybe even mortally -yet we must put it down.
This we swear to do."

In further news, the British Army announced that the effort to capture rangoon "on the hop" had failed, some 6 japanese divisions are confronting the army there now. A armoured regiment has all but been destroyed probing across the mandalaby river.

casualties are unknown.

In europe today....

This is radio Tokyo

Today the supreme command released the following statement

In the face of widely spaced and splintered advances by the enemy , our navy today took advantage of the situation, and brought the enemy to decisive battle.

In the Indian ocean BB Heie and supporting warships attacked the British fleet supporting the trapped army there -and forced it to flee.
regrettably the Hiei was lost to enemy carrier aircraft the following day -but the BB Warspite easily fell to her guns, and the bombs of our Army bombers.
The british situation in Burma is now Dire -some 8 divisions have been defeated in battle over a period of a single week, the weak british soldier, and his Indian slave proving incapable of defeating our samuri warriors.
The emperor has bestowed a special honour upon our Burma army.

In the south pacific, the Allies have attempted to distract our attention from the central pacific.
Heavy air raids on rabual have damaged several of our destroyers and cruisers -which retire in order.
Our naval bombers operating from Shortland extracted revenge for the impudiance iof sailing north by sinking the BB tennessee.

The decisive battle has occured in the cental pacific
Yesterday our fast carrier forces attacked similar forces near Entiwok island.
damage was recieved on both sides
At dawn today our forces continued the attack.
5 enemy carriers were sunk, and many other ships damaged -the allied battle line was discovered at entiwok

Admiral tanaka, leading 6 battleships immediately attacked.
Regrettably he has been reported killed, and 2 battle ships have been lost.
the allied fleet has been destroyed in its entirety in a mighty battle line vs battle line engagement.

Our fleet retires in good order.
No carriers have been lost to date.
Admiral herbiesan reports that "further attacks continue"

The emperor announces a national holiday to celebrate the sinking of the allied fleet.
BANZIA

From ADM yamaguchi to ADM herbiesan

Top secret

damage report
BB Heie sunk
BB nagato sunk
BB Mutsu sunk
BB Fuso 54/33/28
BB Ise 56/33/30
BB yamarishio 88/47/49
BB Hyuga 19/0/2
CV Ryujo 37/10/23
CV Kaga 45/15/25
CV Akagi 17/0/5
CV Shokaka 10/0/0
CVL Shoho 24/3/16
CVL zuiho 48/12/13
CV Zuikaka 50/14/4
CV Junyo -99/51/49 -abandoned
CV Hiryu 67/80/20
CV Hiyo 51/50/16
CV Soryu 99/82/36 -abandodned

many destroyers sunk
9 zeros left to me
All ammunition expended
many enemy ships sunk, many damaged remain at entiwok
I retire
have orderd BB Kongo, Kirishima to attack!

Enemy fleet in South pacific contains many transports!
Please alert army commands.
Am attempting to concentrate all naval air forces at Truk, ponape.

We must have a new fighter -the gull winged monster is killing us

23/5/43

How can I relate today?
Why am I relating today?
Just how did Hori and I survive today, when so many of us died.
Then again, as i smell the smoke, and listen to the chaos down aft -death has probably only been delayed 12 more hrs for us.

midnight -and already the thudding of depth charges had spli the night twice, as we charged north.
at Midnight, the tanoy blared -a huge naval battle at rangoon, and reports of a desperate british army trapped in the dock area.

have they overeached themselves again!

3 am
And the motors roar, our Jakes already report several burning ships near entiwok.
And then the electrifying news -a enemy battle line!
But even as the light grows , the action starts
our CAP roars away, and frantically we begin to bring the strike onto the deck -how vulnerable we are

Even as our strike leaves the deck, action is occuring around us, corsairs and lightings in a tangle -right over the fleet.

To our south Junyo is being hit!, and other ships burn as well.
The kates clear away so slowly, our guns are hammering away -KAga cannot turn -we must stay into the wind
The deck is clear ahead!, throttle to the floor -a tremandous crash as a huge bomb hammers right beside the deck, a mountain of water -and i am away!
I turn violently, we are to gather, if we can, over the shokaka.
Horror!
kaga has been hit -where there once was guns, now a column of fire!

We climb hard, all around fighters whirl, we must gather our bombers in this madness, and strike back.
Shokaka, and zuikaka have been hit
But they have launched.
and we turn east -towards the enemy fleet.
88 zeros, 74 val, 44 kate
Corsairs!
they dive into us, and we desperately weave, trying to protect the bombers.
it is pitiful, again and again our planes fall, streamers of smoke.
The corsairs are just too good.
The island is ahead, and there -a great line of battleships.

I turn my flight towards the corsairs, banno, Hori, and I
Banno dissapears in a flash, and we turn frantically, I pull and kick, upside down, vertical, desperate to avoid the tracer streaming my way.

A Flash in front, I fire -The wildcat explodes!!!
And suddenly I am alone, low down

A dozen kates to my left , I tuck in close, we go in -a great wall of steel ahead on the horizon
Throttle to the wall -I will lead them in!
4000 yrds, the water racing so close underneath -abruptly it erupts as the guns turn to us!
I flinch -i cannot possibly survive this!
An explosion on the battleship -huge, mushrooming in her guts-and another -our Vals hit the battlewagon again and again
the firing against us abruptly stops -and i scream across the BBs aft guns -her admidships on fire

Exhualtation as my guns hammer empty -i zoom up -and a great cry as the kates torpedoes arrive!!

We turn for home, climbing.
The battle line is a mess -3 burning battlewagons!
and there, there, BANZIA -the nagato and all her brethren -a great wall of fire as the broadsides begin!
Go brother!

Our fleet is easy to find -great walls of smoke mark it, and clouds of AA fire.
I am hit, a tremendous bang on the engine.
Dead stick landing!
Fire is out on the kaga -and somehow I get down -wrecking my plane as I pile into the island.

Silence
I live!
men pulling me out, out into the chaos of battle!
Guns hammering, and bullets, glimpses of Mitchells flashing across our decks.
I am dragged into the island, flung about as Kaga shudders too mighty bomb hits aft.
the stern is a gaping hole -a torrent of fire.

The rest is a night mare
So few of us survived.
I am the senior pilot left!. Just 8 of us are left -Hori, somehow has survived as well
through the smoke, i go to the bridge.
Yamaguchi listens to my report -carefully.
Am I sure?
how many torpedoes.?

The bridge is such a hive of activity.
In Horror I look around.
6 huge pillars of smoke
Our carriers.!

Our deck is closed
Onboard we have a few orphans.
i am senior officer now, Hori is hurt.
I must gather how many planes we have left.
It is pitifully few.
And still the crew fight the fires aft.

And steadily from the horizon -the pounding of great naval guns, fight well brother.



It is midnight
The struggle to survive continues
The fleet limps northwest
What will tomorrow bring.
I am shattered, pyhsically, mentally destroyed. it hardly seems anything that finally, i am a fighter pilot.
I cannot go into the ready room -too many ghosts there. i hope banno felt nothing.

herbiesans notes

OK, what happened

Over the last month i have had KB involved covering supplies and troops in a rather desperate effort to retake lunga, and to drag his CV fleet, in the majority to the south pacific.
This I thought was working, and 3 divisons were at sea, but a long way away, headed for the gilberts to retake Entiwok

In Burma, I had just smashed wobblys army south of mandalaby.
The moment I did this , wobbly stated he would fight for mandalaby.
This I knew was an invitation -so post haste all the troops raced back towards Rangoon -and BB hiei and CA haranua and escorts raced north from Singapore -I know wobbly well!

At the same time, the battle line was at Truk -preparing for the entiwok invasion.KB was half way between naru island and Lunga.

And then Wobbly grabbed at Kwaljien!
Intolerable -I could take back 1 island, but not 2, they would support each other.
Also I knew only 1 CV was present, plus a few CVE
A chance to overwhelm some of his fleet.
I raced north to Ponape -dropping the cves, and sailed everything I could to ponape.
Fuel was critical, and delayed me 1 day
I raced towards Kwal -where I knew his CVs were.

Day 1 of the battle though saw Kwal fall, and ships race towards Entiwok -one hex short.
A CV exchange took place -but his corsairs and mitchells on Entiwok were lethal -I hit yorktown and 3 cve, he smashed 2 CV
Akagi and kaga were 2 hexes west, clouded in, with the battle fleet.

day 2
I thought my BBs could reach , so I attacked with 6, hoping to smash the airfield
KB sailed to 1 hex west of the island, and I hoped to kill the BB massachutas?
regretfully the BBs did not bombard during the night, and thus a viscous air battle went ahead -me sinking yorktown and 2 CVE, and hitting the mass with a torp, and 3 other BBs as well!
But his counterstrikes hit all of my carriers, and the corsairs tore me apart

Then the BBs went into action -all 6 hitting the mass 100 plus times, and sinking her, shorpshire and escorts

Imagine my shock when they then engaged his entire battleline!!
A screen full of BBs!!!!
What a battle

At the same time Hiei took on 4 british BBs at rangoon, and then my LBA struck heavily

I think I have sunk 8 BBs this week (so Wobbly says), lost 2 , with 2 more to go I think, lost 2 CV, 2 more probably, to his 1 and escort CVEs.

What a battle!!!
it took hours to play.
Saved it for a rainy day as well.
The biggest shock was Oda and his mate surviving the battle!!
The game says they only flew once, both getting a single kill

Both pilots are now stuck on a still burning carrier, limping home.
Not out of the fire yet, but I think if they do Oda might get a chance to visit a certain young female in japan[:D]