Cuttlefish
Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
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February 20, 1944
Location: 60 miles northeast of Pagan
Course: South
Attached to: TF 33
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 0
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 346
Orders: Proceed to Saipan
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A very heavy rain envelops the Japanese ships, though the temperature grows warmer as they continue to make good speed to the south. Lieutenant Kuwaki peers ahead through the rain-streaked glass on the bridge.
“I hate this,” he comments to no one in particular. “A submarine could get very close before we would see them.”
Captain Ishii looks up. “Of course, their visibility is also restricted,” he says.
“I know,” says Kuwaki, “but if the stories that their submarines have radar are true…” He breaks off and peers intently ahead. “Engines ahead one quarter!” he suddenly shouts. Ahead, through the curtains of rain, the stern of destroyer Akigumo is suddenly visible drawing rapidly closer.
The vibration of the engines diminishes almost immediately and Hibiki slows, now within about 150 meters of Akigumo, the ship ahead of them in the column. The distance continues to narrow for a moment and then the other destroyer begins to pull a little ahead again.
“The entire column has slowed,” Ishii observes with a frown. A signal light begins to flash from Akigumo.
“Why the hell…” begins Kuwaki angrily, then a lookout speaks.
“Signal from Akigumo,” he calls. “All ships slow to ten knots.”
“How did we miss the original signal?” Kuwaki demands. Ishii says nothing. Kuwaki has the bridge, this is his mess to handle. The lieutenant turns to the lookout tasked with keeping on eye on Isuzu to watch for such orders.
“Sir,” says the lookout with an almost audible gulp, “I thought I saw Isuzu’s signal light but couldn’t make it out through this rain. I was hoping they would repeat…”
“And meanwhile we almost collide with another ship!” says Kuwaki. “Bakayaro! You are on report!” The chastened seaman hangs his head in shame. Lieutenant Kuwaki turns to Captain Ishii. “Why do you think we have slowed, sir? At this speed a submarine could practically surface right next to us and we wouldn’t see them until it was too late.”
At this precise moment a submarine rises out of the sea less than 300 meters ahead and to starboard. Water cascades off its hull as it rises into view. Several lookouts cry out in unison and Kuwaki’s jaw drops.
He closes it abruptly. “Forward turret, prepare to…” he calls, then feels the captain’s hand on his arm.
“Stand down,” says Ishii. He gestures towards Akigumo. The submarine is almost beside the other ship and yet the destroyer is taking no action at all.
“Let this be a lesson, Lieutenant,” says Ishii quietly. “Chew out the lookouts after they are off duty. We missed another signal.”
Several men have come out on the deck of what is now obviously a Japanese submarine. A boat is dispatched from Isuzu, where it collects one of the men from the sub and returns. It’s mission accomplished, the submarine once again submerges and the Japanese ships return to cruising speed.
The visibility is too poor for anyone to make out the rank insignia, let alone the face, of the man from the submarine.
< Message edited by Cuttlefish -- 5/18/2008 8:01:01 AM >
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RE: Small Ship, Big War - Interlude - 
This going to get good.
, but I just wanted to point that the right word for the French flag would be tricolore rather than tricouleur which, while being semantically understandable for a Frenchman, doesn't lexically exist 
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