The little ship that could.

[1275psi]

20/2/45
Extract from shattering the Sword , a Cantona production

Normally, one would expect such a battle, such a victory, to go into the annals of history.
To be studied.
To be wondered at
Just how close did the japanese come to killing a carrier task force?
Just how glorious that battle line!?

But it does not.
Its swallowed up, subhumed in this, the climatic battle of the war, this great rolling fight spread across the celebes sea
A battle of horror, heroism, blind luck, mis fortune, terror and tears.

No, Chokia's demise will become just a foot note, in this, what must be forever the greatest naval and air battle , possibly (and one must pray that it forever remains so) ever.

[1275psi]

Dawn
68th brigade has barely arrived at Djangas, settled into the pre prepared positions.
A line of pillboxes, trenches, gun pits a mile back from the beautiful beaches, perfectly placed on the beginning of the slopes and hills that lead to Minando's rugged interior.
It has been a hard march, a race against the on rushing nemisis, a race barely won.
Now, over breakfast, the men contemplate the growing light, the empty sea, grey at this time, grey and calm, and empty



Just out of sight of 68th brigade, but OH so soon to be spotted, the massive Armada of the allied fleet.
A mighty plan, countless ships, endless task forces, carrier, bombardment, support, amphibious, all carefully tasked, plotted, assigned.
Mission.
Land an overwhelming force onto those beautiful beaches, kill what ever opposes, and strangle Japans lines to the south.



No plan survives contact with the enemy..................

[1275psi]

Tanaka travels towards Jolo island
Abe comes racing south from Leyte
nagato too
Fuso powers south.


On Yamato...........
Tears stream down Captain Owada's face.
"This cannot be...............and this is directly from the Emperor?"
Admiral Takeda nods...........too shaken to speak
"But the battle is so close...................I.........I cannot bear the shame Admiral.........how can i turn from the fight now?"

Takeda turns away............."The Emperor has spoken...........we must bear the unbearable............."


Yamato turns away.......


And gods know what a difference those mighty guns may have made.............................

[1275psi]

Two men climb the gangway onto Chiburi.
They vanish into Captain Ugaki's cabin. then, over the day, one at a time, her crew is called in.
Just after lunch, it is Hirate's turn.

he enters the cabin, wary
With good reason

The men do not introduce themselves
'Take a seat...ahh.Hirate is it?

Yes.............(but I am not fooled, you know exactly who I am)

"we wish to enquire about a certain passenger this ship carried"
"We have carried a few I would think"

The men grimace..........."Too Russia............and do not treat us a fools, my friend"

Oh, I am sure you think you are not..............

"You refer to our late esteemed leader, the traitor herbiesan?"
"We think, our late murdered leader....can you shed any light upon that Hirate?"



"No, I cannot..............we believe he committed suicide"
"We?"
"All of us"


the man stares hard at Hirate...........
'another matter then............on a previous trip, Chiburi carried several men, and two heavy crates............crates we are very interested in"

(so i would expect)
"I am sorry, I am just a stoker down below...I cannot help you there"


The silence stretches. Chiburi rocks gently at the pier, overhead, the gentle growl of distant aero engines.


War rages to the south
It might be safer down there...................

[1275psi]

"Destroyer Susuzuki reports 4 enemy destroyers at Djangas sir............and Destroyer Keyaki reports a large convoy 30 miles from the beaches................

Abe stares down to his flight deck.
It is ready...........
"We are in range, yes?"
"Good"

"Another report sir!.........destroyer Keyaki is engaging two CVE's................multiple ships............"
"report from Djangas sir!............'Am under bombardment............multiple battleships..............."
report sir!.............many ships, course north west, 40 miles north of sangi island......"

'we are in range, yes?"
"Yes"

"Commence launching...............launch everything................"

[Smoky Stoker]

Can you say in game terms why Y and M withdrew?

[kaleun]

Can you say in game terms why Y and M withdrew?

You might have missed this post (on page 100)

Imperial HQ

Yamamato is in his office, a small room to the side of the main Map room.
He conteplates the Chess board, White to win in three.
He is black.

A horrible anology?, no?

But truth nevertheless.

Suddenly, through the glass of his office, a disturbance in the main room.
Officers springing to attention, the hum falling silent.

The door opens
Yamamato stands
'Your Highness!"

The emperor nods, closes the door, sits opposite Yamamato..........'Sit please Admiral.........." he points to the board 'White in three I see"
"yes"

The emperor is here, here at HQ..............impossible, un heard of.............but hear he sits...............

'I hear, that there is a battle underway..........."
"That is true..............it will be the last, I think"

The Emperor nods. 'I appreciate the honesty...............and the fleet?"
"is dying for you, for Japan"
'And this does not make you bitter?"
"Bitter?, how can duty make one bitter?"

The emperor takes the white queen from the board. 'This war must end...............and we must consider ..........consider the after"

'Sir?!"

The emperor smiles............'Relax Yamamato, I am not talking surrender.............but I need a symbol to rally Japan around after the war. I need a symbol to hang our hope upon in the bitter months ahead"

'I do not follow you"

The emperor stands, his voice, so often soft, becomes suddenly hard, commanding utter obedience

Battleships Yamato, Musashi are not to be risked. Return them to Japan at once"

[Smoky Stoker]

@kaleun

If you understood my question, this answer would appear to mean you believe that Akihito contacted 1275psi and asked him to let Yamato and Musashi survive in this particular alternate history. [:)]

[kaleun]

That's the gist of it.

[1275psi]

Hi Guys

the real reason is so shameful..................yamato and Musashi sailed with empty magazines, the ultimate rookiee mistake.
I will disembowl myself later to atone...........

(although I do really need to preserve something to allow the story to continue deep into 45, its getting grim now I am afraid!)

[1275psi]

For the men at dajangas, it is an astonishing sight.
The sea is covered in ships, literally hundreds of them. Ships in numbers beyond Japans wildest imagination.
There is time to stare at them manouvering, to wonder at the majesty of the scene, to wonder how there could be so many ships left to the allies...............hadn't the Imperial Navy destroyed the allies in battle after battle after battle?

This, this was impossible.............
Then of course, the Navy gunfire support begins, and the landing craft begin to approach, and there is no time for anything else but the battle..

And so it begins.
The invasion of the phillipines.
Land, sea , air.

With violence beyond comprehension.

[1275psi]

The allied plan follows the familiar pattern
Bombardment
Air strikes by heavy bombers
Close support for the troops storming ashore from destroyers

And above the chaos, the majesty of the invasion, the close range CAP from the CVEs, marking time within sight of the beaches themselves.

The heavy ships, the essex class carriers.........south near Sarmi, protecting the fast battlewagons, waiting for the Japanese to come.

Above the beaches, the air is rent by the sound of air combat.
Oscars, KI 44's.....old planes, out dated planes, filled with in experienced men. They fill the sky, targets mostly, against the swarms of hellcats, corsairs and P38's.
They die. But they keep the enemy fighters busy.

And that is enough.

[corbon]

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

And that is enough.

I do not believe I have encountered any other writer, in any kind of writing or format, that has such absolute mastery of short (almost illegally short!) sentences that say almost nothing, yet have incredible weight and import.

[kaleun]

I do not believe I have encountered any other writer, in any kind of writing or format, that has such absolute mastery of short (almost illegally short!) sentences that say almost nothing, yet have incredible weight and import.

I have the strong suspicion that a few of our AAR writers moonlight as fiction writers, which explains why the next volume of The Game of Thrones series is interminably delayed while the author wastes his time in this forum.[:D]

Seriously, I don't know if that is true, but at least one of our AAR giants has some stylistic resemblance to George R R Martin, hence the allusion.

[bartrat]

I like the how 1275PSI covered the withdrawal of the two super battleships (to cover his mistake). IMHO the Emperor wanting them as "symbols" is a great idea and "feels" like something a Japanese leader might do. The idea is post war these become symbols to rally the people around.
Of course the victorious Allies (assuming they win) may demand the ships be destroyed...

[kaleun]

It's credible. Nice out.

[Mike McCreery]

It is a damn sight less embarrassing than actually being in battle with empty guns!!

[1275psi]

55th division completes unloading at Naga.
Hosho comes ashore. he has a new uniform, boots (which is NOT a good thing, these are hard boots, yet to be broken in, a long March today will be a terrible disaster), and no gun.

He has nothing else, all being at the bottom of the ocean, everything precious to him.
They call the Japanese soldier the Emperors human bullets. With out his familiar back pack, the 101 little iems he has found essential all these years, he feels ill equiped, vulnerable...............expendable.

But he is a soldier, and he will do as must.

In regiments they fall in, and march only a kilometre to a bivioc area, one that has been here a long long time.
Only a kilometre, but for Hosho's experienced eyes, it is more than enough.

Overhead, circulating fighters, , in numbers.
All around them, the unmistakable signs of regiments that have dwelt here a long, long time, now gone.

And of course, the glimpse of the pier on the other side of this asimuth...........a long pier, a dozen fast transports nestled alongside.
A way station then.
Obviously for troops to the battles rumoured to be occuring south..........

He won't have long it seems, to re aquire a descent pack of essentials.

First, a gun.

[1275psi]

KB

Combined fleet carriers

Japans mighty sword.

Abe stares down at his deserted deck, then up as the strike passes overhead, low, fast....and still impressive.
120 planes

Just 120

To think, we once sortied 15 fleet carriers strong............

Kaga
Zuikaku
Shokaku
Unryu
Ibuki
Chitose

The last arrows in the quiver................



But still lethal, yes?

The fleet navigator stands behind him. "What course shall we set sir?

"South, due south..............for as long as fate allows it"


Combined fleet, arrows shot, ........................decoy.

[1275psi]

Over Dajangas the fighters brawl, a swarming circling fight, starlings wheeling across the skies
Combined fleets strike arrives, plowing through them, hawks hunting

Too late the defending fighters see the danger at 12000 feet, too late they try to turn away, to climb to the new threat

The hawks, unharmed

Stoop