Letters from a Prime Minister

[AllenK]

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

14th May
They begin just east of the Cape.
Pushed by the trade winds that blow eternally eastwards, circling forever the great frozen
southern wastes, they grow.
By the time they reach the gulf, some of them are simply enormous.

The great southern swells.

I have sailed across these swells. As a sailor you mark of certain things. The
salt water mans bucket list:, to pass through the Panama Canal, the suez, to go around
the capes.
To do the bight, to do Bass strait.
These waters may, rarely, be mirror calm, on the surface. I have seen them so.
But under the surface, the great beasts roll ever eastward.

They march, one after the other, sometimes miles between the peaks of each moving ridge, so
deceptive, hiding so much power.
I have stood on the decks of a destroyer, a DDG, and known, that on the other side of the
moving mountain, hidden, sails another.
I have seen a destroyer slide down the face of one of these swells, with the Captain
pretending that he has control of his vessel, knowing full well that the swell has control, not him

So they roll, ever onwards, where eventually some travel Bass strait, and pound the coast,
creating one of the most beautiful vistas in the world.
And for sailors, for over 200 years, one of the most lethal.

South of Perth, of Albany, off Esperance, a great many ships sail today. A high pressure
weather zone is over the bight, calming the surface, but not the hidden mountains.
They will carry the detritus of these days ever eastward, to add to the skeletons and bodies
and wreckage of 200 years, to this, Victoria's southern coast, the shipwreck coast.

The first battle in these moving mountains occurs 100 miles due south of Albany.
Minneapolis, Louisville, skating around Mogami, Sendai, 3 destroyers.
The mighty Minni does best, smacking the Mogami hard, leaving her burning.
But its a win for the Japs, the allies are prevented from making the coast, of completing the
mission.

CL Raleigh bombards Esperance, creates chaos.

Sideshows to the real goal. The eternal swells will have a heavy cargo to carry.
AO Rampao, torpedoed by a SS
Three fat AKs racing into Albany, filled with everything 5th division needs so
desperately.
Sunk.
Many of the bodies will miss the shipwreck coast. They will be pushed ever on eastwards,
ever on, ever on and forever on.........

Poetic beauty [&o]

[1275psi]

14th May

Midway between Hawaii and Los Angeles.

She is one of the "presidents", a medium size liner, assigned with her sisters to do
the regular run between the states and the fortress Hawaii has now become.
Her decks are crowded, again, this trip men of the first marine division, the beginning
trickle of what will become a stream, a river, a flood, from the powerhouse of America's
industry and resolve.

Jeffery Ford sits on the fantail, crutches stacked neatly beside him. He stares at the endless wake, fascinated.
This has been a good day, the first he has managed to get here un assisted..

For the moment he is alone. The Marines about him occasionally glance his way, He is literally
the only non combatant aboard, and thus a subject of endless speculation.
Jeffery does not care, or give a damn.
This billet, this ticket home is no proof his Father gives a damn about him, does it?
No, it doesn't.
What does bloody matter, is he is going home. His leg is healing.
And still a slim chance to wreck revenge against the Japs for it.




Destroyer Napier rests alongside Colombo.
John works steadily amongst his Charts, trying as hard as he can to not be distracted
by the BBC broadcast playing in the compartment beside his.

A war Cabinet. What does that really mean?. Is Dad still the PM?. Is he
still making the decisions? .Is he , well, is he OK?
Prime Ministers are men too.

With all the weaknesses of men.

[1275psi]

As if they are trying to atone, for something, the dauntless bombers at Kalgoorlie fly
today against the 18th Division, so firmly across the rail line to the east.
They are only 5 strong. 75th fighter can only provide 3 fighters.

Jack flies one of them.

It is a short mission,down the strip, line ahead (there is room only for line ahead,
to thread the bomb craters} barely time to get the gear up, to climb to attack height, to
peel away, to bomb.

They continue their immaculate record, missing everything.
Fortunately no Japanese fighters appear against them, busy, it seems over Albany.
A quick mission.
But long enough for the Dauntless commander to notice how quickly one of those three Kittyhawks
drifts away, as if shy of the little bit of flack...........

[1275psi]

15th of May

"Prime minister?, its General Mac Arthur on the line"
The American. Thank God for the American.
Frank takes the phone "General?"
There are no preliminaries, apparently from this man, there never is "I am moving my
HQ to Townsville, and I am also moving 1st Amphib HQ there as well. 25th Division
is coming up to me. We are going onto the offensive"

There is much more. But Ford only hears those words "going on the offensive"

[1275psi]

Japanese forces are pushing everywhere, in India they are probing North. Imphal falls, and
a division probes against Chittagong.
Over these forces however, the allied airforce is very active, bombing, strafing, contesting.
They lose at a 1 to 1 ratio against the Japs, on many days, it seems, at a 2 to 1 ratio.

Graham watches the losses carefully, rotates his squadrons. He has plenty to play with.
From the very first day of the war India has priority for air power.
That policy now is beginning to become effective.

[1275psi]

15th may
The great Aussie bight.

The great rollers still march on.
There are now a great many ships plying them, yet so large is this
ocean, that entire task forces sail completely undetected.
A small allied force bombards Esperance, it comes and goes completely undetected.
Ironically, CA Chicago, sailing totally alone south of Albany, IS spotted.

She records a "hot, hot day"

10 Nells attack, she dodges the ten fish.
Then 10 Betties, these too dodged.
8 more Nells.........dodged.

And after lunch, just to change it up, they come again, together, 14 more torpedoes to be dodged
ducked, weaved.
A Hot day indeed.

[1275psi]

15th May

Blamey knocks gently on the tent holding the HQ of 75th Squadron.
"Turnball, you in there?"
"Sir!"
" A word, if you don't mind"
The General looks tired. Is tired. Yet the swagger is still there, until that is, he
comes into the tent. Out of sight of any observers, he sags down onto Turnballs stretcher
"How Many birds you have left?"
"Ï can give you five tomorrow, six if I am lucky"
Turnball waits for the general. Something important is coming......
"I am told that 5 of the dive bombers are available, and that they can reach Alice springs, while
you can't, lack of drop tanks and all that"
"That's correct sir"

The General stands, twiddles his hat. "You have 5 planes, 26 pilots. Pilots Australia
will need. I want you, and there is no argument there Turnball, I want you, and the
very best pilots you have in those bombers, and departing for Alice tomorrow. "
He sighs, almost groans the next
"We have to start thinking about what we can save from this mess"

[1275psi]

May 16th
John Ford straightens from the binnacle, takes in the Vista about him.
Napier is clearing the Channel at Colombo, following behind Nestor, Nizzam, the Australia.
The bulk of the Australian Navy is in this line, Admiral Collinson, that humourless
stick, commanding.

Once clear of the heads, this task force will take the lead of what follows.

Of what follows.
John moves to the bridge wing, looks aft, the sea mist, the pollution haze blurs the shapes,
but does not hide them.
7 carriers are manoeuvring, the towering bridges of the Sara, of the Lex , the smaller bridges
of the three brit carriers.
And behind all of them, still clearing berths, Enterprise, Yorktown, and the four
R class battle wagons.
A shiver passes through him. So many ships. So many ships.
All bound for Australia.
The divisions are already long gone, the transports loaded to the gills.
Some how, some how, they have to get them there safely.

There will be no coming back.
As navigator, John knows to the last gallon how far they can go.
Victory or defeat, this must be a one way trip.

[1275psi]

May 16th
The great rollers sweep on across the bight.
They carry a new load of debris today.

Chicago again ducked, dodged, weaved, and got hammered.....................
The betties failed.
36 Kates from Perth did not.


Chicago may have gone down, it does not deter the Allies.
If it can sail, if it carries a weapon, it is charging across those same swells.
So are the Japs.

[1275psi]

May 17th
3 am
Chittagong

Captain Jones moves to the bridge wing, and literally sniffs the air.
It is not a wasted activity, even here, 500 yards from the beach, he can smell India, that
hot, unique smell.
All is quiet, and all is calm.
The moon, a mere sliver, barely glimmers across the calm waters. It definitely sheds little light
on the beach, and the jungle behind it is a dark, dark mystery.

No signs of the Japs.
No signs of anything, just the quiet murmur of the surf, the shuffle and small noise from the
boat deck.
Captain Jones sniffs the air, tries to see through the dark, a damn pointless exercise, but, you know.....
He turns back to the rear of the bridge wing, waves to his XO below.

AMC Manoora springs into silent action, the boats swing out, the men almost grotesquely
careful to avoid making noise.
300 yards away, AMC Kanimbla begins launching her boats as well.

The Ghurkha's, as dark as the night that surrounds them, fill the boats. Weapons glint, clink
Cold steel, for a hot night.

They are ashore , vanishing into the jungle, headed towards the field

An hour later, they sweep into it, slaughter the few, very few Japanese there, and claim it.

The road towards Calcutta is cut. 21st division, pounded daily, is somewhere North of this
sudden stab, this stoppage.

It will have to come back to clear it.



Allied forces also land at Efate. It does not go very well, too many troops remain
aboard ship by dawn.
They out number the Japanese, but only barely. A fragment of the 144th, dug in.
Prudence rules. The Japanese have carriers in these waters, battleships too. The invasion is halted,
the ships withdraw.


Aussie troops re occupy Daly Waters.
Beufighters hit 5 AK at Milne bay

The 5th division, however, is stopped cold by the Imperial Division just 5 miles from Albany.
5 Miles that they will never cross........

[1275psi]

May 18th
Seaman O Rouke grips the guard rail, braces himself against Hornets roll.
He shivers, tries to tighten his jacket: the wind is cold down here, the water undoubtedly colder.
The swells roll on under his ship, almost directly under her ass, first pitching her down and
forward, then, as they roll on under her, corkscrewing her rather viscously, ready
for the whole process to begin again.
O'Rouke hates it. Hates everything about this damn ocean.
He pulls the jacket tighter, checks his watch. Nearly 4 PM. Watch over soon, oh for a
good cup of Coffee.

Hornet shudders under him, creaks, groans. The swells, it seems to him, are getting bigger.
The XO leaves the shelter of the bridge, glances his way.
Warned suitably, O Rourke re picks up his glasses, resumes the scan of the yellowing horizon.
Hornet sinks into the valley, laboriously climbs the next great swell.
A shape on the horizon, vanishing as it falls behind the swell.
Did he really see that?
Hornet rises again, the horizon is clear.
Must have been seeing things.
Deep in the valley he cleans his glasses, and waits, impatiently, for her to climb up again.

Nothing

His relief arrives, noisily.
O Rourke ignores him.
He did see something, he knows it.

This time, as Hornet peaks the swell, so does the object many miles away.
O Rourke knows his ships.

Thoughts of coffee, of the cold vanish.

"Jesus" he whispers.
Then he is yelling, yelling as loud as he can
"CONTACT!, bearing...bearing 090!, range.....range 10000 yards.......JAPANESE Battleship!

[pws1225]

[ny59giants]

[Lecivius]

Oh fer....


Cliffhangers in this day and age? [:-]

[:D]

[HansBolter]

We AFBs keep reading with an ever increasing sense of dread.

Surely this never ending string of bad luck and horrible defeats just HAS to end!

[Lowpe]

Pagoda's!

Day or night? 4pm....could go either way.

Allied carrier fleets are tricksy, very good at escaping but no radar warning this early.

Oh my!

[1275psi]

ORIGINAL: Lecivius

Oh fer....


Cliffhangers in this day and age? [:-]

[:D]

And you expect anything less from herbiesan??? [:'(][:D]

[1275psi]

O Rourkes yell brings the XO back out onto the bridge wing in a great hurry.
It brings a great many men to the wing, nearly half a dozen sets of glasses glint in the setting sun
searching 090 degrees

Agonisingly, Hornet sinks into the next great trough, rises up the next.

Not one. TWO Pagoda's.

The XO swings another glance O Rourkes way, this one says, well done, then he vanishes, and the
claxons ring.
O Rourke has a grandstand seat.
The sights he see's this desperate hour will remain with him forever.
They will, in time, become a book.

The one that will remain strongest, one he will hold dearest, as Hornet
swings her arse hard away from the chasing death, is Nashville, Phoenix, at full power
literally crashing past, leaping over the swells like some surfer at the end of the break,
a full third of each cruisers hull suspended over space, dirty bottoms exposed to
the world, and in that moment of suspended time, the full salvo's cracking out, defiant, deadly.

The great bursting spray as they buried themselves to the bridge, the sea shovelled aside by the great power
of these ships, screws momentarily thrashing, and again, up, , over the top, BANG< BANG< BANG!,
and down, already 500 yards astern, headed straight at the great monsters.

Then, then becomes "the ride"
Hornet, wounded, holed Hornet, works to 20 knots, ploughs south, her shoring moving, the cement
patches separating, a weakened hatch here loosening.
A hundred shells must come here way, only one strikes, destroying the galley.
The brawl , the mad circus behind them peters out as darkness falls.
Phoenix has taken 4 hits, Nashville 2
The Japs several each.

But the cruisers are now separated by many , many miles.
It is past midnight before Hornets Captain slows her down, before resuming due east.
She has taken on another 2000 tons of water.
Now, as the swells grind under her, they more break against her than sweep under.
Hornet no longer sails for safety
She wallows for home.
Alone

[1275psi]

May 18th
From the Cape, from Aden, from Colombo, the pieces sail

Rendezvous is planned for 3 weeks time, a long way due West of Carnavorn.
First Corp
A full British Division
4 Royal class BBs, BC repulse
4 American Carriers, 3 British.
All the escorts you would expect.
And transports a plenty, filled with fuel.

All to gather in the weeks ahead, all to transverse the depths of the Indian ocean.
Then, God willing, to turn due East, and to land, to land in the great brown land.

[1275psi]

18th May
70 plus p40e's operate today over Chittagong
so do the A-24 dive bombers
A convoy is hammered Cox's bizaar, CL Yura is hit too.
Chittagong is retaken, the division to the North turning around.

At Efate, the attack is cancelled, (38 to 18 AV), it is cruel, but South Pac Command
wants, needs, the Japs to react to this little action, needs to drag Japanese forces south,
while Port Moresby is reinforced.

5th division is attacked by the imperial West of Albany.
It holds them off.