Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki

[Cuttlefish]

January 18, 1942

Location: Okayama
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 12
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 266

Orders: Repair all damage and get back in the war.

---

Dockside, berth 14, next to the Hibiki:

A work party from Hibiki is taking a short break on the dock near the ship. Nearby another load of braces and steel plate is ready to be lifted and swung on board.

Shiro: Did you hear the news from Hanoi?

Riku: No, but tell us.

Shiro: The Chinese launched a sneak attack against the city a few days ago. They were thrown back by our defenders and suffered great losses, but the attack has angered the Vietnamese. They have raised several divisions virtually overnight and their troops will fight alongside ours!

Taiki: Great news!

Shiro: Yes it is. Perhaps now the Burmese will rise up and join them. They have no great love of their British masters, so I have heard.

Riku: I have heard this is true, but that does not mean they will fight.

Taiki: I don't know, Riku. I feel that a new spirit, an Asian spirit, is sweeping across Asia and the Pacific. I think...

Shiro: *jumping up* Later, Taiki. Shun is looking this way. Back to work!

[Cuttlefish]

January 19, 1942

Location: Okayama
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 11
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 266

Orders: Repair all damage and get back in the war.

---

In a bunkroom aboard Hibiki:

Riku: Hey, Taiki! Didn't you say your brother was in the South Pacific?

Taiki: *looks up from mending the sleeve of his uniform* Yes, he is, aboard Mutsu. Why?

Riku: Oh, I thought you said he was on a cruiser. Well, there was a big naval battle at Gasmata yesterday, but I didn't hear that any battleships were involved. A cruiser duel. It sounds as though Rear Admiral Goto has won a great victory! Four enemy light or heavy cruisers sunk, and the dispatch I read says all we lost was a destroyer.

There is a cheer from the several nearby sailors who are in earshot.

A third sailor: This is wonderful news! But you know, it always gives me a chill when someone says something like "we only lost a destroyer".

A fourth sailor: *nodding* Yes. To the people in charge we are expendable, and of course if we are required to give our lives in battle we are happy to do so. But still, to those of us involved we are far more than "just a destroyer".

Riku: That is so true! I know that to me there is no more important ship afloat than the Hibiki. Long may she sail!

There is a chorus of agreement.

---

Excerpt from "Naval Battles of the Pacific, Volume 1: Steel Sunrise" by Morris Elliot Samuelson; Harper, Row, and Fujimori, New York, 1965


On the morning of January 14th reconnaisance planes detected a large number of transports loading troops at Gasmata. Fearing correctly that this was an invasion force bound for Port Moresby, the Allied high command made the bold decision to attempt to catch the transports in the harbor. Thus a cruiser force was hastily assembled...

The ships approached Gasmata under the cover of darkness on the night of the 15th. So far they had been undetected, and the Japanese transports lay at anchor only a few miles ahead. At around 0100, however, their approach was detected by a lookout on destroyer Sagiri. Rear Admiral Goto ordered his ships to close the distance, and they were within 9000 yards of the Allied force before they were detected.

The Allied ships swung around to meet the threat, but two torpedoes from heavy cruiser Furutaka slammed into the Australia before the Allied ships could even open fire. For all practical purposes the battle was over almost before it had begun...

[Cuttlefish]

January 20, 1942

Location: Okayama
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 10
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 266

Orders: Repair all damage and get back in the war.

[Cuttlefish]

January 21, 1942

Location: Okayama
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 8
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 266

Orders: Repair all damage and get back in the war.

---

In the aft crew's mess of the Hibiki:

Taiki and Riku are manhandling a steel brace into position. Nearby, men from the repair ship Akashi are welding another brace.

Taiki: Careful, Riku! That will hurt if it falls on your foot. How is your shoulder doing?

Riku: *wincing a little* It aches. Don't worry, I'll be fine. There, that's got it.

The two men step back. Lieutentant Miharu enters the compartment, and the two sailors snap to attention and salute.

Lieutenant Miharu: *looks around* The work is going well, I see. All right, sailors, stand down. You're done working for the evening.

Taiki and Riku exchange a glance, confused.

Lieutenant Miharu: *smiles* Captain's orders. The Emperor has declared a holiday, and Captain Ishii is granting leave to the crew for the evening. Singapore just surrendered.

---

Broadcast monitored in the radio room of the Hibiki:

"At 4am this morning, under cover of darkness, men of the Imperial Guards Division crossed the causeway and landed on the island. Pushing aside fierce resistance they created a beachhead, and by sunrise other divisions were landing.

Fighting raged all day, and at 3pm Japanese troops entered the city. At 4:30 pm General Percival sent an emissary under flag of truce to speak with General Yamashita. General Percival, defying the orders of the tyrant Churchill in order to spare his troops further death and suffering in a lost cause, agreed that all forces under his command would lay down their arms.

Singapore, the mighty British fortress of the East, is now a Japanese possession. The Emperor issued a statement praising General Yamashita and the soldiers under his command, and has declared a holiday in honor of this glorious triumph. His statement says..."

[Cuttlefish]

January 22, 1942

Location: Okayama
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 6
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 266

Orders: Repair all damage and get back in the war.

---

In a back room of a small tea house in Okayama:

Two men are seated cross-legged at a small table. They speak in low voices.

Morito: ...and so I have been working as a bricklayer under an assumed name.

Lieutenant Miharu: Please tell me that you have given up your activities.

Morito: I cannot! With this stupid war upon us I believe more firmly now than I ever have that Communism is the only way to peace and prosperity for our people.

Lieutenant Miharu: *dryly* A worker's paradise of peace and prosperity just like they have in Russia, eh?

Morito: *flushing* It is not Russia's fault that they have been attacked by Hitler.

Lieutenant Miharu: You are my brother, Morito, but you are an idiot. Have you ever been to this worker's paradise of which you speak? Do you have any idea what things were like there even before the war? Here in Japan we are guided by the Emperor, who has only the best interests of Japan and our people in his heart. The Communist leadership in Russia exists only to feed its own bloated appetite for power, and they ruthlessly exterminate anyone who opposes them.

Morito: And have not I and my fellow Communists been hunted and tortured as ruthlessly by the Tokko?

Lieutenant Miharu: I know...I wish it were not so. I am sorry.

Morito: Let us not quarrel. I know you disagree with me, and I know that I have brought shame upon our family. And I know how much you have risked to see me tonight. It...it is appreciated, Sakamoto.

Lieutenant Miharu: *sighs* You are my only brother. I can do no less. Here, I have brought you some money.

Morito: *takes the money* Thank you. It shames me to even ask for your charity, but living as a fugitive has been...well, it has been hard.

Lieutenant Miharu: I must go. Be well, Morito, and be careful. And try to stay out of trouble! *he stands*

Morito: *rises and embraces his brother* Come safely home, Sakamoto.

Lieutenant Miharu: Do not worry. Hibiki is a good ship, and will bring us home again safely. *he departs*

Morito: *quietly, to himself* And to what kind of Japan will you come home, I wonder?

[Cuttlefish]

January 23, 1942

Location: Okayama
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 266

Orders: Repair all damage and get back in the war.

[Cuttlefish]

January 24, 1942

Location: Okayama
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 2
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 266

Orders: Repair all damage and get back in the war.

---

On the bridge of the Hibiki:

Captain Ishii: Ah, there you are, Lieutenant. What is the status of the repairs?

Lieutenant Miharu: They are nearly complete, sir. We can be ready to sail as early as tomorrow.

Captain Ishii: Excellent. It will be good to be at sea again.

Lieutenant Miharu: Yes sir, it will. Have we received new orders yet?

Captain Ishii: Indeed we have, Exec. Indeed we have.

[Capt. Harlock]

ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish

Captain Ishii: Excellent. It will be good to be at sea again.

Lieutenant Miharu: Yes sir, it will. Have we received new orders yet?

Captain Ishii: Indeed we have, Exec. Indeed we have.

Arrrgh! Cliffhanger ending! Still a brilliantly done AAR. The Allies must be regretting that attack on Hanoi . . .

[Cuttlefish]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

Arrrgh! Cliffhanger ending! Still a brilliantly done AAR. The Allies must be regretting that attack on Hanoi . . .

I imagine they do! I should take this chance, though, to say a few words on behalf of my opponent, Wolffpack. Because of the way it is written this AAR will tend to emphasize my victories and his mistakes. We mostly hear what the crew of the Hibiki hears, so success is exaggerated and failure is covered up. As a result Wolff won't always get the credit he deserves for the good game he is playing.

It's my hope that part of the fun of this AAR is reading the rumors and reports about certain events and trying to guess what really happened. Remember that Midway was reported in Japan as a huge victory for the IJN...

[Japanese_Spirit]

I like the style you have handled it and it is interesting to know of a Communist brother.....I believe that several Japanese Communists did cooperate with the Soviets on passing intelligence, etc, so indeed an interesting plot.

Anyway, keep up the good writing! [:D]

[Feinder]

Agreed, an excellent[i/] AAR.  I've even sent the link to my other PBEM opponents, who do not regularly check the boards.
 
Thanks for putting in the time.  Wonderful reading.
 
-F-

[marky]

good stuff! fascinating approach, you find urself rooting for them to survive 

[Nikademus]

indeed. Keep up the good work.

[Terminus]

Spectacular AAR! More, MORE!

[Onime No Kyo]

I agree. Youve got me hooked on this. [&o]

[Cuttlefish]

January 25, 1942

Location: Okayama
Course: None
Attached to: Disbanded in port
Mission: None
System Damage: 2
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 266

Orders: Repair all damage and get back in the war.

[Cuttlefish]

January 26, 1942

Location: Okayama
Course: Southeast
Attached to: TF 45
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 1
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 266

Orders: Proceed to Tokyo. From there you will escort heavy cruiser Suzuya to Truk, where both ships will join Cruiser Divison 6, Admiral Goto commanding.

---

In the Captain's cabin aboard the Hibiki:

Lieutenant Miharu: Truk? Yes sir.

Captain Ishii: You have a question about that, Exec?

Lieutenant Miharu: Sir, I said nothing.

Captain Ishii: Come, I know you better than that. You have a question. Ask it, Lieutenant.

Lieutenant Miharu: Yes sir. Well, I think the men were hoping to see some more action. With Port Moresby, Wake, and the Gilberts in our hands and the American fleet sunk, is there anything left to do in the Pacific other than convoy duty?

Captain Ishii: If convoy duty is what the Imperial Japanese Navy requires of us, Lieutenant, then we will do it well.

Lieutenant Miharu: Yes sir. Of course sir.

Captain Ishii: *smiling a little* But as it happens, I do not think that is to be our fate just yet. I will tell you what I know. It is true that the initial plan called for us to establish a defensive perimeter running from Port Moresby through the Gilberts, then north through the Marshall Islands to Wake and Marcus.

Lieutenant Miharu: And that has been accomplished.

Captain Ishii: Indeed. What I am about to tell you, though, has not been made public, and you are to keep it to yourself.

Lieutenant Miharu: Yes sir.

Captain Ishii: As you know, the American carriers were not at Pearl Harbor when we attacked. Last week they launched a raid at Wake Island, sinking several transports and causing considerable damage to the facilities there. Spurred by this event, Imperial General Headquarters has decided that the elimination of the carriers is necessary to secure our defensive perimiter. It is therefore necessary to force them into battle and then destroy them. To accomplish this we are going to extend our possessions to the south. If we threaten to sever the supply line between Australia and America it is felt that the Americans will be forced to give battle.

Lieutenant Miharu: I see, sir.

Captain Ishii: The situation is constantly changing at the moment, so there is no way to know where we will be sent when we arrive. But there is reason to believe that a decisive battle is in the offing, and we may well be there to see it. Do you think that will satisfy the men's desire to see some more action?

Lieutenant Miharu: Yes sir, I think that it will.

[Cuttlefish]

January 27, 1942

Location: 40 miles southwest of Tokyo
Course: Northeast
Attached to: TF 45
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 2
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 220

Orders: Proceed to Tokyo. From there you will escort heavy cruiser Suzuya to Truk, where both ships will join Cruiser Divison 6, Admiral Goto commanding.

---

The Hibiki staggers through moderately heavy seas. Waves crash across the bow and a chill wind whips rain against the ship. On the bridge Captain Ishii sips some tea and stands braced, looking out at the whitecaps. A new ensign, freshly out of the Naval Academy, enters the bridge. His face has a slightly greenish tinge.

Captain Ishii: Hello, Ensign.

Ensign: Sir!

Captain Ishii: Enjoying the weather?

Ensign: Yes s..sir!

Captain Ishii: Good, that's good. Would you be kind enough to relay a message to the cook for me?

Ensign: Of course, sir!

Captain Ishii: Excellent. Tell him that for breakfast I would like three eggs. I like the centers nice and runny, he knows that. He should have fresh stores, so I would also like some fish eggs. Have him make sure they are chewy! And of course, a big slice of liver. Can you remember...Ensign?

There is a crash as the door to the port observation wing is flung open. From the platform outside the sound of violent retching can be heard above the noise of the mild storm.

[marky]

gigglez

[:D]

have u ever considered a writing career?

[marky]

cant wait to read more about...

The Adventures Of The Hibiki!