The little ship that could.

[1275psi]

21 March

2 quiet days at anchor.

How does a crew fill those days..............I suppose like a mix of a floating factory , Office, community centre
Men keep the lights on. Men do the paper work. The medics (OH Joy) conduct yearly physicals.
Exercises are conducted, repairs slowly progress.
The rust always waits to be tackled

There is a little spare time ( It is popularily said and believed japanese warships work a 8 day week), most try to sleep. A few gather on the quarter deck, dangle a line.
Few catch anything, there is a disconcerting tendency for a fish to be hooked, only for a gigantic swirl of water or bite to take it.
The sharks are thick.

The fleet remains at anchor, burning fuel.

[1275psi]

Herbiesan yet again looks at the figures.

Damiensan was right, (but dictators must never admit that should we?)..he's a greedy son of a bitch.
"Is this right?, 400000 tons of oil, 1000000 of fuel only?.........what the hell is going on!?"

The lackey trys to hide the pain on his face.........."Its not lack of supply sir, we have sucked every reserve almost dry in the DEI, our tankers are working well. We simply are using too much, trying to build too many things.............."

Herbiesan nods.
"You are dismissed"

In the quiet of the privy (why do so many men think best here?) he considers his options
The Last CV: Ikoma, has arrived. Industry needs to be reduced, that is obvious. He cannot screw down on the people anymore, not if he wants to keep the rumblings to just that:rumblings

What should his piorities be?
These new E class boats? destroyers?, tankers?, what fighters?, does he really need army bombers anymore?,..........
What fighters should be removed from the fighting?

Decisions.
The trouble with war, of course, is you cannot ever have enough of anything..........

[John 3rd]

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

CVL Shoho, CVL Mizuho arrive safely at Japan.
90 odd days to repair, each.

But they are home, and that, at least, is a small win.

Well done getting them home!

[1275psi]

22/ march 44

never heard of the place before, and after the war, destined to never hear of it again
But right now, the focus of the war in Burma centres on the rail head town of Chiang Mai, dead in the centre of the line, and furtherest northern point of japans defences.

Except this statement isn't really correct. Chiang Mai is garrisoned with the bulk of the Thai Army.
An Army that grumbles with discontent, that does not really want to fight, that almost hates the Japanese with equal intensity it hates the british.

Who are coming.
Unable to force the river at moulmien, the british are forcing the jungle north of Chiang Mai. How they can supply themselves, japan cannot understand.
They can barely feed themselves, with rail ways at their backs.
But it does not matter
They are coming.


Overhead, in the blue above the great green hell, Japan still has teeth. 41 P40N sweep Rahaeng. Its a bloodbath, the Franks and Tojos that bounce them are good. Very good

20 are shot down, 12 more will be written off.
9 franks lost.

Herbiesan views the situation in Burma.
It is good.
He orders divisions south. The DEI needs them more than this morass.

[1275psi]

"The boiler squeeze is successful sir, we will be lighting it off within 6 hors to set Chemistry"

Charge waits for Minobe's reply. The Cabin, as usual, is dark, the shape on the bunk a mere black lump. The room, quite simply, ranks.
3 PM in the afternoon, and Minobe has not been seen for two days.

"Sir?"

'I heard you first time Chief", the voice grumbles "the rest of the work?"
'It progresses sir"

"Ahh yes, it progreses. The war progreses................life progreses...and death approaches ney?"
Charge cannot answer. What answer can he give?

''With your permission sir, I have a lot of work to do"

Silently, he closes the door.
Disturbed, does not adequately describe how he feels.

[1275psi]

23 March 44

"Congratulations, Captain"
Takeji extends his hand with genuine pleasure, and shakes Japans newest captains hand " You deserve Carrier Ikoma, and she deserves you"
Zuihos , until a moment ago's XO, smiles, a smile almost of embarressment. "I feel almost guilty sir, leaving you at a moment like this, I feel..........."
"feel that the old girl will not manage with out you?." Takeji grins. "Don't worry, we will forget you quickly enough. Besides, I think we will see you here at the war in short order."
Silence falls.

Damnation, what a time to lose my executive officer.Sailing in 2 hours time, in what is going to be a bloody risky enough venture as it is...........still, he deserves it. He's earnt it. I just hope the replacement is as good as he was........
"Off with you Capatain.........you have a plane to catch, and I have a war to attend to. "


And just lke that, Zuiho loses its silent rock, its XO.
A new one, a CMDR Aoki, may, gods willing, catch them before they sail.
If not..............well, the Navigtor will have to take up the slack..........

A knock on the door
Minobe
Cheerful, bright, looking sober even............what the hell is it with this man?..
"Ready to obey telegraphs sir..........regret fuel only 70%, and we are still a little low on water. Some defects, nothing of note though."
70%. Enough for a run to soerabaya............
"Expect full power Engines...........we are going to be working you hard, I think."
"Sir"


In the silence of the cabin, Zuiho bustling about him, preparing for sea, a final moment to think of the mission ahead

Fighters to sweep Saumalaki, draw the enmy into pitched battle, draw his fighters north
Battleships and CVE's, Hiyo to trail a coat north in the banda sea.

And this task force, 4 fleet CVs, 3CVls, including themselves, to steam south of Timor, and to strike Darwin port, where some 50 plus landing craft and LSTs/APA's have gathered.

No sign of enemy carriers, or heavy units for that matter.
Just flocks of fighters.................and those Bukas lurking below.
Its going to be bloody.
But isnt every day of fighting now just that?. Bloody, bloody, bloody.

[1275psi]

Boela airfield

Operations order

47th sentai, in conjustion with our two sister KI 44 units, shall tomorrow at dawn partake in offensive sweeps against Saumalaki.


Fuchida reads the orders.
Smiles

Offensive sweep.
Its been too long since they got that order. too long by far

Tomorrow, the hunter.

[1275psi]

Enemy troops reported entering Chiang mai, burma.

[1275psi]

Zuiho powers through the night.
All four boilers are being forced to the limit, the glow of the furnaces as bright as they haveever been.
Her fans scream, her pumps pound.
Men watch carefully, alert, waiting for whatever may come.

'I will be pushing her hard" has promised Takeji.
It has been no idle promise.
Zuikaku and Shokaku are true greyhounds of the seas, and they are commanded by impatient men. Zuiho simply must do her best...........

Hirate, Okano have the morning watch, An engine room apeice. It is, considering the circumstances, a good watch to have.
You are already on watch for the morning action stations, and coming off for the evening stations.
It maximises sleep.

Hirate hangs arms casually from the main steam guard above him, eyes darting from guage to guage.
Revolutions 296 rung down, and repeated.
And today, 296 obtained, full power.
Zuiho trembles. She shakes, her bow wave creams, smoke billows and streams from her stack.

Few, of course, know where they are going. But going quickly they are............

[1275psi]

Abe reads the signal
CV Taiho task force will sail Japan dusk tomorrow, and make best speed to you.

4 carriers............and the two big BBs. Ships repairing here at Soerabaya almost ready.
He turns to his intelligence officer."Todays sweeps of saumlaki?, any word?"

'120 fighters have swept the base............ 12 lost, 11 hellcats, 7 spitfires shot down. Last sweep reports no opposition
Will rest one day, and try again'

Good, that is a good start............How long to empty Darwin of fighters? how long can 11th air fleet keep this up?
Can he wait until Taiho arrives? And what of fuel? Gods, always, what of fuel?

But it is a start. And he Abe, will carry this through. If for only one reason. Just to remind that cantona fiend, Japan still can bite!

[1275psi]

25/3/44

"Are you kidding me?' Takeji looks askance at Minobe......'This is Soerabaya, how can it be there is no fuel left for us?"
Minobe looks about, at the great gathering of steel in the roads, alongside in the harbour "Some very thirsty ships here sir"
"yes but, this is a joke, isn't it?"
Minobe can merely shrug.'I have heard sir, that we are not alone.........fuel is tight"


Minobe is right. Fuel is tight. Not because of inefficient management, more a case of too efficent practices.
Japan has lost few tankers, and in this last 2 months especially, they have been very busy indeed. Not a base (including Palembang) holds more than 20000 tons of fuel, or oil for that matter.
Its afloat, wending its way towards Japan.

The fleet, apparently, is on a short leash.
Its replenishment tankers are at miri, sucking it dry.
The fleet, the attack on darwin, will have to wait a week, at least.
But Abe is determined for it to go ahead. 11th airfleet is given the order:

Maintain the attack.


There are 55 assualt vessels in darwin, 25 more at Bathurst island. At best, 100 fighters protecting them..

Takeji may wonder at the ridicolous situation of Soerabaya being dry.
It sends Abe almost into a rage.

[1275psi]

47th Sentai is attached to 11th airfleet

Fuchida flies as part of 47th, a Tojo's Tiger

He flies his 553rd mission.
He banks, he dives, he turns, he fires, he wheels at the 38's, the sky a madhouse of fighters, dancing this dance of death.
3 of the 38's go down, 47th lose a plane, the pilot saved.

Fuchida will land, and eat, and sleep, this day another that will merge into the string of days that never seem to end, and then he will rise, and tomorrow, expect to do it again.
Tomorrow, sweeps again
Fight here, fight south down there.........
They are ultimately the same
Himself, his plane, the sky........the reaper chasing hard.

War, it seems, fighting without end. Until the reaper finaly catches you...........

[1275psi]

26 March 44
544 missions

Think of that number
Think of the time it has taken to accumulate those missions. Think of the crappy airfields, the dodgy maintenance, the in hospitable sky full of thunderheads, rain, clouds.
Think of the number of encounters with the enemy.

And yet, on this glorious morning, there is still that anticipation, still that thrill as Fuchida climbs up and into the 'office" this tatterd worn home of fading timber, aluminium and glass.
It helps, of course, to know that today he does not fly alone, today they fly in real strength.

Boela airfield, a great dirty strip carved through the jungle. Nearly 100 metres wide , with its scattering of tents at one end, the windsocks, the ugly patches of mud and canvas scattered, the even uglier AA batteries inside those patches.

All along its length, openings into the jungle, paths to the reverments, where carefully camoflaged lairs hide the beasts.
A dirty road surrounds the strip, vehicled by a wierd mixture of trucks and old civilian cars (and even a bus).
This is boela airfield.
Front line fighter field, home of the 24th air flottilla, 47th Sentai, 85th sentai, and today, a sentai of navy N1Ki's.


The stillness of the dawn is being brocken now, as the great beasts stir, fire spits from exhausts, propellers spin, gleaming, clouds of smoke drift through the trees.
Tojo's Tigers will lead today.

Fuchida 's hands move automatically, and his fighter shakes, and shakes, the gout of flame and smoke, the savage bark, and the blade spins, the air beats, the vibration begins, low, sweet, life.

The dragons emerge from their lairs, men leading, guiding them, for on the ground they are such blind clumsy beasts.
Fuchida taps the brakes, taps his rudder, carefully guiding her onto the smoother surface of the strip, a burst of throttle, swinging her hard towards the end of the strip, the sea.

She beats, rhythmatically.......I am ready, I am ready, I am ready...............a green flare rises, "Lets go!"
The surge, the swing, the correction, the tail up, the climb, wheels up!, ocean below, the gentle bank, friends left and right, more joining, the great circling, climbing, climbing, yet more friends, above, below...........

The leaders wings wobble. Follow me!

108 japanese fighters turn south. Target: Saumulaki, home of the corsairs............

20000 feet. Oxygen sweet, dry, air outside, cold, crisp, clear. Sea blue, scattered clouds at 10000, so far below. Visibility to eternity.
They fly on, and Fuchida is again surrounded by friends, and utterly alone.
Th sky bounces them occasionally, the great string of fighters bouncing like a train, he can look left, right, watch the array dance.

"Island in sight"

Out of the mist, it begins to emerge.
Enemy territory. American territory. Once ours, now theirs. Grave for so many.
Grave for so many more to come.


'Enemy fighters.........6 strong, 10000 feet climbing towards us"
On the far flank, 9 Tigers peel away, and dive

The island is directly below now, and the leader leads them in a great circle, seeking the enemy. But the enemy does not come.

The tigers rise again, rejoin, one missing. They circle again, eyes , 100 pairs of eyes seeking, seeking.
"Enemy fighters, above!, 3 oclock!
he see's them, 2 sharks, no mistaking those wings, spitfires...........
2 against 100.
But they attack anyway, diving down upon them.........
the contact is brutally fast, diving through, one dies, one kills..............
The great formation circles.

The Japanese bombers from Ambon arrive, flying straight, flying true. The bombs tumble,the field vanishes in clouds of dust and flame.
And then for home.

Mission 544.


26th:
Offensive sweep, 3 hours
Minor enemy contact, guns not fired.
Are we achieving anything?

[1275psi]

It is a good question.

Abe reads todays recon reports

Enemy airfield babo is empty of enemy aircraft. Darwin field has greatly increased numbers.
Large convoy entering darwin harbour
No capital ships sighted at this time.


Abe considers the news. "The enemy is covering this convoy. Unfortunately it has increased the strength of darwin. We must drag that North. What bombers do we have?"

The answer is not pretty.
Enough, but not here in this theatre.

"Then get them. Taiho and 3 new CVs are enroute. I need to delay his offensive until they arrive. This is vital!"

4 new carriers. A doubling of his hitting power. If they arrive in time. If the enemy allows him that time.
if, if, if................
In war, especially, always the if................

[1275psi]

Charge is on the focastle with about a dozen of his men, examining each parcel as it comes aboard. Zuiho is alongside the wharf at this moment, borne there by two weasing creaky old tubs pretending to be tugboats. An even more ancient crane is swinging the stores piled higgly piggly on the wharf over to Zuiho, it cannot reach the flight deck, here is its only place it can swing too.

The sun is beating down, the humidity is killing. The men work stripped to the waist, many still oil stained from the tank repair job Charge has taken them from. Zuiho has been given one hour alongside, and by the gods, he needs these stores...........

A cry of glee erupts from his lips as the wax paper torn aside reveals the shiny shape inside.
"A 150 to 15 reducer!, that'll keep the cooks happy"
The men grin. Keeping the cooks happy is always a priority........

Another load bumps aboard, three more remain on the warf, and hopefully that box down there is a feed pump rotating assembly.

Charge, deep in discovery, does not notice the two men approaching.
It is with a start of surprise that he greats Minobe.
Hands full of paper and machinery, he is on his knees before the two men.
"Ah Charge...." Minobe getsures to the little man beside him "This is our new executive officer, Cmdr Aoki"

Charge looks.
Five feet?. At the most? Slim face, slim moustache, uniform neat, clean, Obviously hasn't seen a day of tropical sun in his life......the impressions flow quickly.
He stands, salutes. "Sir"

Aoki looks at him...............and oh so much is said in that look...........
And confirmed a moment later
'I understand this is essentail for the ship Chief petty officer. Normally I make it a rule never to let your types be seen on the upper decks, especially the focastle. Today, I suppose, I will make an exception. Please ensure you leave no mess, and do no damage to my deck with your........." he looks disdainfully at the reducing valve........"toys.

Truk me......thinks Charge..........what have I got here............

"We are requested to move from the wharf at 1600, I intend to be gone by 1500, that gives you 15 minutes. Make it happen, Chief petty officer"

Charge flashes a look at Minobe...........but Minobe, it seems, has taken the opportunity to wander elsewhere , anywhere .
He is poking about in the bits

"Chief petty officer???"
'"Sir, yes sir, I was thinking how to do that sir"

"Don't think, do ney?"

Cmdr Aoki turns, and , gods, swaggers away

The thought cannot be beaten back, it thunders to consciousness.

Truk me...........small man..............with a very big small mans syndrome.

[british exil]

Wondering if any more "accidents" will take place on the next "cruise".

Mat

[1275psi]

Hi British exile!

we wait and see............the timing is not yet right.


27 march 44

Its a quiet day

Enemy ss sink just 2 AK empire wide today, some bombs fall on the Burma front
Little else.

Except, of course, a report of Enemy carrier activity near kavieng, with carrier planes striking at Rabual.
Few in number
Big in menace

The Taiho task group hurries south
Abe nashes his teeth, and waits.

Ominously, it is pointed out to him, that barely a single allied Heavy bomber unit has been seen in the last month.
Gathering, no doubt, for the next hammer blow.

Give me a week, he prays, and I will deliver my own..............

[1275psi]

29th March

It shouldn't be like this. After 2 and a half years, surely it should not have been like this.
The japanese have swept across Babar in the middle of the day, timing exactly perfect, catching the Corsairs circling after their sweep of Dilli, the morning patrol descending to refuel

91 Tojos, a dozen N1Ki's, zeros, even a unit of Oscars.
But it is the Tigers who bounce.
They have the energy, the height, surprise, even the sun.
11 corsairs are killed
2 Tojo's lost, 3 oscars, 2 nicks.

47th have now 51 kills, and morale is soaring.............

40 bombers unload, undisturbed, un hindered.
30 good hits.


Its not meant to be like this

[1275psi]

Takeji, Hidaka, Diogawa, Ogawa and Uto are gathered in the ready room. The atmosphere is relaxed, drinks are in hand, the temperature finally falling with the setting sun.

By rights, the Captain must be invited to the wardroom, the ready room. Takeji has, from the start, claimed the ready room as a part of his life. He is, after all these months, welcome.
The conversation has spun freely, girls, gambling, bars, home, .
It turns, as it must, from flying, to the war.

Takeji has been nursing a theory for some time, now he is prepared to share it.
"Gentlemen, I really think this. The Battles of the Arafura sea, for Babar and Saumlaki, have had a bigger impact than we appreciate.

"I think we hurt him, hurt him badly. I think pychologically, he is beaten. Look at the passivity in Burma-he refuses to risk the river, the casualties. he tries to go around
Look here, in the Pacific. He tackles but one attack at a time, so careful to gather all his strength, so careful to get all his ducks in a row..
It allows us to recover, again, and again, he has us down...........and we are allowed to get up again."

Silence greats theis.

Ogawa asks the question
"And you think we can still win then?"
Takeji nods. "I think he is on the edge, the public in America are screaming.....one more hammer blow........"

Hidaka speaks. 'And thus Darwin?"
"yes. and thus Darwin. Imagine if we can sink his ships before they even sail............


Its an inticing thought.

But first, fuel, and those extra carriers......

[1275psi]

Throttle to the wall, engine snarling, Fuchida banks his tiger to the very limit, lungs gasping against the crushing pressure of the turn.
The buka, gull wings wobbling, too turns as hard as it can, there, just there in his upper corner..........
Breathe!, breathe!.......
The turn continues, and continues, eternity stretching, water, sky, island spiralling about them, canvas to the drama being painted here at 20000 feet.
The Corsair abruptly chops its throttle, drops, spins away under his left wing
"Truk!!'
But another is slicing in from behind, slicing in frightingly fast, rudder, stick, hard over!, barrell rolling out of the way, this buka blasting under and past, helemted face, pale looking up, flashing past, grimacing..

Still inverted, earth above, sky below, ..........snap shot?.!.no!
Roll upright, stick hard over the other way, dust, sun, sky, into the stomach, cutting the corner, going vertical, the american too has gone into the climb. Too fast!, the barsteds! too fast!
Fingers flash, full emergency boost..,.the snarl a howl............climb you bitch!...........
A tojo, flaming flashes past, the corsair is turning again. Again! the range closing, the hunt, the anticipation, face a snarl to match his Tigers, fingers clench, guns hammer, tracer reaching, reaching, striking!, striking, wing folding, got you!

Now , turn away, away!, gods!, that barsted almost got me!, this one spraying wildly from behind, spincter clenchng automatically as the white death streaks past.

Fighters everywhere!

A mess, gods. What a mess.

Sky clear .

He breathes again, body sucking in the sweet oxygen, limbs trembling........

A hot day over babar