30/11/45
0500 hours
On the horizon, the first hint of the rising sun
It spreads its rays across the sea, across the skies, the clouds
Sunburst.
With an explosive bang the last Pete flings itself into the man made breeze
of Musashi's charge south, wobbles, banks, and begins to climb.
It will never be seen again
Hirate orders the catapult stowed, and pauses, and takes in the sight about him.
1000 yards astern, 2000 yards to starboard Yamato cleaves the smooth seas.
To Musashi's Port, Takao and Kumano are steaming parallel, to starboard,
Mikuama also spreads herself.
Ahead, a line of destroyers, the Akisuki class mostly, to the flanks, more greyhounds.
All at speed, full speed.
Such a sight.
Such a goddamn glorious sight
Musashi trembles, the wake boils, stream behind, arrow straight
But from the quarter deck, the seas appear tobe empty of the enemy.
Then it happens
The forward director wheels to port
The after director turns all the way to Port, facing all but forward.
And Ponderously, alarm bells ringing, the great gun turns to follow, the barrels now
alive, seeking, seeking.....
Hirate does the only thing sensible, he scrambles for the hatch, down the ladder
towards the port boat space
Just in time
With a stunning concussion, Musashi opens fire.........
The little ship that could.
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
RE: The little ship that could.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Captain Ariga smiles
The Gods have answered..........
"Flash Yamato.........1 Essex class carrier, 1 CVL, several cruisers, 6 destroyers
bearing 300 degrees true....range 21000 yards........engage at will"
21000 yards, and the allies are facing them, coming at them
Range closing fast.
The Bulls have gotten into the china shop
The Gods have answered..........
"Flash Yamato.........1 Essex class carrier, 1 CVL, several cruisers, 6 destroyers
bearing 300 degrees true....range 21000 yards........engage at will"
21000 yards, and the allies are facing them, coming at them
Range closing fast.
The Bulls have gotten into the china shop
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
21000 yards
A long, long way.......usually
Musashi's first salvo punches Essex's deck, a puff of smoke, then the sudden bloom...
Ammunition explosion......Essex is burning, slowing even as the allies turn away.
The great guns boom, the smoke boils, the range closes.
Hirate waits in the aft hanger, counting the salvos.
They are impossible to miss, the great bang, the jolt,, again, and again, and again
Smoke light, but acrid, stinking of sulphur, begins to fill the space
The speaker on the damage control headset stiffens, taps the logger, the red chinagraph
makes a mark.....6 inch hit, fwd, base of the bridge.
There are many, many AA gunners sheltering there.
Time stands still
Time flies
0710, a second hit, flag deck.
the great guns are being joined now by the secondaries, a crashing chorus......a hundred
mad giant drummers.
It is hard, so hard, not to show fear.
0720.
A giant slams the hull beneath them
Armour defeating a cruisers main armament.
Moments later, another
Hirate points to three men......go and check for that.
They vanish into the labyrinth.
0810
The great guns hammer again, slower now, more deliberately, as if taking great, great
care
0845
Silence
Smoke, cautiously Hirate moves to the ladder, climbs it.
Opens the hatch, sunlight streams in.
Musashi steams on, still at full power, scratched yes, unbowed.
Hirate bounces onto the quarterdeck, looks hard
He counts Japanese ships.
They are still all with them, one destroyer burning though, but all of them still there.
But the AA crews are bursting from shelter too, flinging themselves at the guns
Hirate ducks back down the ladder, hatch slamming down upon them.
Last view, a sky full of fighters, high, high above
Some with weird shaped wings.
A long, long way.......usually
Musashi's first salvo punches Essex's deck, a puff of smoke, then the sudden bloom...
Ammunition explosion......Essex is burning, slowing even as the allies turn away.
The great guns boom, the smoke boils, the range closes.
Hirate waits in the aft hanger, counting the salvos.
They are impossible to miss, the great bang, the jolt,, again, and again, and again
Smoke light, but acrid, stinking of sulphur, begins to fill the space
The speaker on the damage control headset stiffens, taps the logger, the red chinagraph
makes a mark.....6 inch hit, fwd, base of the bridge.
There are many, many AA gunners sheltering there.
Time stands still
Time flies
0710, a second hit, flag deck.
the great guns are being joined now by the secondaries, a crashing chorus......a hundred
mad giant drummers.
It is hard, so hard, not to show fear.
0720.
A giant slams the hull beneath them
Armour defeating a cruisers main armament.
Moments later, another
Hirate points to three men......go and check for that.
They vanish into the labyrinth.
0810
The great guns hammer again, slower now, more deliberately, as if taking great, great
care
0845
Silence
Smoke, cautiously Hirate moves to the ladder, climbs it.
Opens the hatch, sunlight streams in.
Musashi steams on, still at full power, scratched yes, unbowed.
Hirate bounces onto the quarterdeck, looks hard
He counts Japanese ships.
They are still all with them, one destroyer burning though, but all of them still there.
But the AA crews are bursting from shelter too, flinging themselves at the guns
Hirate ducks back down the ladder, hatch slamming down upon them.
Last view, a sky full of fighters, high, high above
Some with weird shaped wings.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Extract from
"Shattering the sword" a cantona production.
This, of course, was not meant to happen
Yet it did.
Almost head on, the Japanese appear at 21000 yards, battleship Musashi leading.
Her first salvo tears into Essex at 21000 yards, sets of a 5 inch ready use
magazine, closes her decks.
The carrier is protected by 2 cruisers, 6 destroyers
They will hit Musashi 4 times, 2 Japanese destroyers twice.
Essex will be hit 34 times in return, Musashi contributing 5 18" salvos, 12 5 inch salvos as well.
Kumano, Takao the rest
She is left behind, ablaze end to end as the Japanese fleet pursues CVL Langley, hits her, hits all
the escorts.
The chase will continue for nearly 3 hours before the japanese Battleships turn away, ammunition
expended
For Essex, for her men, it is three hours of hell, a hell few survive
The allies receive an un expected bloody nose
At Midday however, they kick the Japanese in the groin.
"Shattering the sword" a cantona production.
This, of course, was not meant to happen
Yet it did.
Almost head on, the Japanese appear at 21000 yards, battleship Musashi leading.
Her first salvo tears into Essex at 21000 yards, sets of a 5 inch ready use
magazine, closes her decks.
The carrier is protected by 2 cruisers, 6 destroyers
They will hit Musashi 4 times, 2 Japanese destroyers twice.
Essex will be hit 34 times in return, Musashi contributing 5 18" salvos, 12 5 inch salvos as well.
Kumano, Takao the rest
She is left behind, ablaze end to end as the Japanese fleet pursues CVL Langley, hits her, hits all
the escorts.
The chase will continue for nearly 3 hours before the japanese Battleships turn away, ammunition
expended
For Essex, for her men, it is three hours of hell, a hell few survive
The allies receive an un expected bloody nose
At Midday however, they kick the Japanese in the groin.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Gambatte Musashi!
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: The little ship that could.
Captain Ariga wipes his brow.
'damage report!'
"At least 6 sir.......4 off the armour, one below us near the tower base, flag deck
wrecked.....26 dead, 32 wounded"
"That many?"
Forecastle 25 mm shelter station sir........
damnation........"Guns, ammunition state!?"
The Gunnery officer smiles....."totally exhausted sir, we have just 7 rounds left down aft,
we were throwing bricks at the end......and Yamato signals they are the same"
The Captain considers.
"We have done our duty then, home, home at full speed, set course North!"
Musashi heals, about her the task force forms up into the classic Japanese AA formation.
Overhead, however, the sky is filling now not with allied aircraft, but Japanese.
Operation Winter blanket is working
"Signal from Kaga sir!.I am 60 miles due north east of you, am under attack from KGV
class, 2 Queen Elizabeth class battleships, cruisers and escorts!"
The navigator looks imploringly at Ariga "Shall we alter course to intercept sir?'
'No....Kaga is doing exactly as she is meant to do.......create a diversion"
A dying diversion........
"besides, she can do 30 knots, the last I heard a queen can do 21, they will do their duty, we have done ours"
(he will be right, kaga takes 3 hits, taiho 2, Unryu , Ibuki just one apiece) before escaping.
1217 hours, course North
Speed still 27 knots
And finally, the expected
"Enemy aircraft approaching"
Her Big guns are exhausted. Now for the secondaries. A porcupine of barrels point to the sky.
'damage report!'
"At least 6 sir.......4 off the armour, one below us near the tower base, flag deck
wrecked.....26 dead, 32 wounded"
"That many?"
Forecastle 25 mm shelter station sir........
damnation........"Guns, ammunition state!?"
The Gunnery officer smiles....."totally exhausted sir, we have just 7 rounds left down aft,
we were throwing bricks at the end......and Yamato signals they are the same"
The Captain considers.
"We have done our duty then, home, home at full speed, set course North!"
Musashi heals, about her the task force forms up into the classic Japanese AA formation.
Overhead, however, the sky is filling now not with allied aircraft, but Japanese.
Operation Winter blanket is working
"Signal from Kaga sir!.I am 60 miles due north east of you, am under attack from KGV
class, 2 Queen Elizabeth class battleships, cruisers and escorts!"
The navigator looks imploringly at Ariga "Shall we alter course to intercept sir?'
'No....Kaga is doing exactly as she is meant to do.......create a diversion"
A dying diversion........
"besides, she can do 30 knots, the last I heard a queen can do 21, they will do their duty, we have done ours"
(he will be right, kaga takes 3 hits, taiho 2, Unryu , Ibuki just one apiece) before escaping.
1217 hours, course North
Speed still 27 knots
And finally, the expected
"Enemy aircraft approaching"
Her Big guns are exhausted. Now for the secondaries. A porcupine of barrels point to the sky.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Ogowa circles the fleet beneath him at 16000 feet, one eye on the planes about him
(collision a very very real threat ), the other on his fuel guage.
It is getting dangerously low.
"Damn"
Reluctantly he takes in the ships below him, and wings over for home.
The next three Shindens from 401st climb up past him to take their turn.
When they return, they have a good tale to tell....two of them have kills
Double damn
The enemy, 60 odd strong, have arrived moments after his dive away
31 corsairs, a dozen hellcats, a good 2 dozen dive and torpedo bombers
Nearly 200 Japanese fighters awaiting.............
3 more small attacks on the fleet, 3 suicidal avengers miss Musashi, few survive.
Winter blanket has no holes over the battlewagons.
(collision a very very real threat ), the other on his fuel guage.
It is getting dangerously low.
"Damn"
Reluctantly he takes in the ships below him, and wings over for home.
The next three Shindens from 401st climb up past him to take their turn.
When they return, they have a good tale to tell....two of them have kills
Double damn
The enemy, 60 odd strong, have arrived moments after his dive away
31 corsairs, a dozen hellcats, a good 2 dozen dive and torpedo bombers
Nearly 200 Japanese fighters awaiting.............
3 more small attacks on the fleet, 3 suicidal avengers miss Musashi, few survive.
Winter blanket has no holes over the battlewagons.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
But the enemy do find holes above the carriers
70 zeros defend them, the attack on them is about 140 strong
Kaga takes 17 , yes, 17 bombs
Taiho 4
Unryu 1,
Ibuki no less than 5
Taiho may escape
Unryu maybe not, she is doing just 5 knots
Kaga, of course, is gone..........thank you for your glorious service old Lady, may
you rest in peace
Ibuki goes quickly.
The two battle wagons, the cruisers, 30 odd destroyers out here do
the only sensible thing left to do
They run for home.
70 zeros defend them, the attack on them is about 140 strong
Kaga takes 17 , yes, 17 bombs
Taiho 4
Unryu 1,
Ibuki no less than 5
Taiho may escape
Unryu maybe not, she is doing just 5 knots
Kaga, of course, is gone..........thank you for your glorious service old Lady, may
you rest in peace
Ibuki goes quickly.
The two battle wagons, the cruisers, 30 odd destroyers out here do
the only sensible thing left to do
They run for home.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
There is one more little foot note, lost amongst the chaos of this day
Oyama O, banzia! gives his life for the emperor.
He rams a B-29 over southern Japan.
There will be no happy ending for Long pig and Bigglesworth in this tale
Oyama O, banzia! gives his life for the emperor.
He rams a B-29 over southern Japan.
There will be no happy ending for Long pig and Bigglesworth in this tale
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
The next day is, stunningly, a total anti climax
Yamato reaches home
All ships, except the Unryu, reach home
Unryu meets a SS torpedo..........
Japan has no more carriers.
But lets face it, we don't need them anymore
And we don't have fuel for them anyway.
"As long as Yamato lives, Japan will live"
So far, the old man is right.
Yamato reaches home
All ships, except the Unryu, reach home
Unryu meets a SS torpedo..........
Japan has no more carriers.
But lets face it, we don't need them anymore
And we don't have fuel for them anyway.
"As long as Yamato lives, Japan will live"
So far, the old man is right.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
ORIGINAL: 1275psi
There will be no happy ending for Long pig and Bigglesworth in this tale
Damn [:(]
If it ain't broke, don't fix it!
RE: The little ship that could.
December 2nd 1945
A cold, cold breeze blows across Hiroshima bay, whipping the dark waters into a white capped blanket.
The two great battle wagons rest again at anchor.
A steady stream of small boats leave them, or approach them, sailors going ashore, glory seekers
coming aboard, seeking to touch, to rub shoulders with such men as these.
"As long as Yamato lives, Japan is safe"
No longer just a saying. In the hearts of millions of Japanese, now utterly,
completely fact. Faith in these mountains of steel has been placed.
And( for now) justified.
They look tattered now, rust, paint peeling, fading. (There is no oil left for such
niceties as paint in the empire now) Barrels blackened and blistered.
And then there are those holes.......the blackened burnt paint, torn metal, and faint red stains
one does not want to look at too closely.
In battle terms, they have been barely scratched.
In reality, they are both again, a mess.
Endless salvos of main gunfire, the endless jarring , crashing shocks of those guns.
A thousand self smashed items, a hundred cracks. And below, machinery that has been
driven to the limit for too long.
They rest, these giants, seemingly immutable.
On the bridge, exhausted men take stock.
"Well guns, do they have any?"
Shells?, surprisingly yes.......but my guns.."
"Are worn beyond repair, yes?"
"Nearly, I will never hit anyone at that range again"
The Captain nods, no, you will not. But next time, I think, the range will be a lot, lot, less.
If we ever do THAT again.
"Engines?"
Tan shrugs his shoulders, he is pale, worn. The last three days have stripped
everything away. Three days in that tomb, never expecting to see the sun again.
"I can refuel.......so they say. I will believe that when I see it. I have so much system damage
I cannot guarantee anything for at least 3 weeks..."
Three weeks..........we live, maybe, for another three......
The reports continue, the debrief drags on.
But the consensus will become clear. For a little while, they are done.
A cold, cold breeze blows across Hiroshima bay, whipping the dark waters into a white capped blanket.
The two great battle wagons rest again at anchor.
A steady stream of small boats leave them, or approach them, sailors going ashore, glory seekers
coming aboard, seeking to touch, to rub shoulders with such men as these.
"As long as Yamato lives, Japan is safe"
No longer just a saying. In the hearts of millions of Japanese, now utterly,
completely fact. Faith in these mountains of steel has been placed.
And( for now) justified.
They look tattered now, rust, paint peeling, fading. (There is no oil left for such
niceties as paint in the empire now) Barrels blackened and blistered.
And then there are those holes.......the blackened burnt paint, torn metal, and faint red stains
one does not want to look at too closely.
In battle terms, they have been barely scratched.
In reality, they are both again, a mess.
Endless salvos of main gunfire, the endless jarring , crashing shocks of those guns.
A thousand self smashed items, a hundred cracks. And below, machinery that has been
driven to the limit for too long.
They rest, these giants, seemingly immutable.
On the bridge, exhausted men take stock.
"Well guns, do they have any?"
Shells?, surprisingly yes.......but my guns.."
"Are worn beyond repair, yes?"
"Nearly, I will never hit anyone at that range again"
The Captain nods, no, you will not. But next time, I think, the range will be a lot, lot, less.
If we ever do THAT again.
"Engines?"
Tan shrugs his shoulders, he is pale, worn. The last three days have stripped
everything away. Three days in that tomb, never expecting to see the sun again.
"I can refuel.......so they say. I will believe that when I see it. I have so much system damage
I cannot guarantee anything for at least 3 weeks..."
Three weeks..........we live, maybe, for another three......
The reports continue, the debrief drags on.
But the consensus will become clear. For a little while, they are done.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
Ogowa, Diogowa rest again at Hiroshima again
The Shindens are all home, many are broken, their faith in this new strange bird not.
Snow sweeps the field today
Drawn inward, men think of the days past, and ponder the future
Diogowa, ever the man, buys a duck.
Christmas is coming, time enough to fatten it.
The Shindens are all home, many are broken, their faith in this new strange bird not.
Snow sweeps the field today
Drawn inward, men think of the days past, and ponder the future
Diogowa, ever the man, buys a duck.
Christmas is coming, time enough to fatten it.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
December 3rd
The fleet rests in home waters.
There are, surprisingly, quite a few ships remaining
2 battleships, 3 heavy cruisers, 3 AA cruisers, and nearly 40 destroyers.
They are not going anywhere soon
In the home islands, excluding the northern islands, not a single port holds more than a thousand tons of
fuel.
The largest fuel reserves , ironically, rest in the bellies of the battlewagons.
But even to keep these giants alive, fuel is needed, lots of fuel, every day.
None, of course, is being made.
There is every chance we are going to go out, not with a bang, but a whimper.
The fleet rests in home waters.
There are, surprisingly, quite a few ships remaining
2 battleships, 3 heavy cruisers, 3 AA cruisers, and nearly 40 destroyers.
They are not going anywhere soon
In the home islands, excluding the northern islands, not a single port holds more than a thousand tons of
fuel.
The largest fuel reserves , ironically, rest in the bellies of the battlewagons.
But even to keep these giants alive, fuel is needed, lots of fuel, every day.
None, of course, is being made.
There is every chance we are going to go out, not with a bang, but a whimper.
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
The enemy carrier fleet retires westward!!
They will, I am sure, be back.
I would like to remind everyone that there is another half to this story, my opponent, cantona.
I have opened up the AAR to him, as there is no OPSEC left really, with the empire as it is.
I hope he enjoys, and understands.
If you see him on the board, say hi, he really deserves a medal for sticking this one out
Finally, current score:
Japan 62847
Allies: 98499
They will, I am sure, be back.
I would like to remind everyone that there is another half to this story, my opponent, cantona.
I have opened up the AAR to him, as there is no OPSEC left really, with the empire as it is.
I hope he enjoys, and understands.
If you see him on the board, say hi, he really deserves a medal for sticking this one out
Finally, current score:
Japan 62847
Allies: 98499
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
RE: The little ship that could.
ORIGINAL: 1275psi
The enemy carrier fleet retires westward!!
They will, I am sure, be back.
I would like to remind everyone that there is another half to this story, my opponent, cantona.
I have opened up the AAR to him, as there is no OPSEC left really, with the empire as it is.
I hope he enjoys, and understands.
If you see him on the board, say hi, he really deserves a medal for sticking this one out
Finally, current score:
Japan 62847
Allies: 98499
I certainly agree that both of you deserve medals for perseverance and doggedness to keep playing when your forces have been shredded. A rare glimpse of the end game that shows the Japanese can still hit back here and there. [&o][&o][&o]
No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth
RE: The little ship that could.
[&o] +1
and a really fun read to boot. I was happy to see you start another. I check on and read
six AARs every day, now it's seven.
and a really fun read to boot. I was happy to see you start another. I check on and read
six AARs every day, now it's seven.
RE: The little ship that could.
December 4th
Winter has come
Snow falls across Japan, a carpet to cover a million sorrows
There are too many sons never coming home. This war has gone on, too long
But the unendurable, has to still be endured.
Musashi rests at anchor, surrounded by barges.
Ammunition has been found, and is being stowed. Fuel, well fuel has come from who knows where.
The enemy fleet has retired. The weather is foul
No action can possibly occur this week.
Tan grants leave to 30% of his men Okano and Hirate amongst them.
On a whim, the two invite him to come home with them, to taste a little sanity, a
little home life.
He gladly, gratefully agrees.
The trip is long, tedious, smelly. The bus, driven by methane, stinks, and barely makes
20 miles per hour.
It is nearly dusk when the three disembark near the post office.
gathering coats about them against the bitter breeze, they make for those familiar steps.
The house, the garage, are dark, silent.
The door, bolted shut.
Confused, Okano tries the door
An old woman leaves the house next door, approaches
"Okano?"
"yes Neighbour......do you know where our family is, where they have gone?"
The old lady mournfully shakes her head
"The secret police came, took them away yesterday....they say the charge was black racketeering.
All they did, was give us a little food"............
Winter has come
Snow falls across Japan, a carpet to cover a million sorrows
There are too many sons never coming home. This war has gone on, too long
But the unendurable, has to still be endured.
Musashi rests at anchor, surrounded by barges.
Ammunition has been found, and is being stowed. Fuel, well fuel has come from who knows where.
The enemy fleet has retired. The weather is foul
No action can possibly occur this week.
Tan grants leave to 30% of his men Okano and Hirate amongst them.
On a whim, the two invite him to come home with them, to taste a little sanity, a
little home life.
He gladly, gratefully agrees.
The trip is long, tedious, smelly. The bus, driven by methane, stinks, and barely makes
20 miles per hour.
It is nearly dusk when the three disembark near the post office.
gathering coats about them against the bitter breeze, they make for those familiar steps.
The house, the garage, are dark, silent.
The door, bolted shut.
Confused, Okano tries the door
An old woman leaves the house next door, approaches
"Okano?"
"yes Neighbour......do you know where our family is, where they have gone?"
The old lady mournfully shakes her head
"The secret police came, took them away yesterday....they say the charge was black racketeering.
All they did, was give us a little food"............
big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt