1275psi
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Joined: 4/17/2005
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20 miles from the coast of PNG, Tanaka takes his battle line south –looking for trouble.
Inshore of him, hugging the coast, captain Takeda is leading BB ISE, Hyuga and Fuso also south –a desperate tactic – there are so many uncharted reefs in this area. He should be five miles out –but the great hills of PNG are blanking Tanaka’s radar, he must just hope that all goes to plan.
But it is those same hills he too depends on –if they are confusing his radar –surely it will do the same for the Allies?
It is midnight –Madang is 65 miles due west. The coast a mere 5. Tension is palpable –will the enemy oppose them.?
Tone, Chikuma lead the force –Line ahead, Mutsu third in line, behind them, Oyoda, Agano, Noshiro, Yahagi, Abukima and the elderly Tatsuta. A mere 5 destroyers guard the flanks.
The bridge is silent – shuffling of feet, the occasional murmured report. The Moon is coming up –and the weather is, for the moment clear –bloody humid, but clear.
“Tone reports many ships! –dead ahead –range 12000yrds! –moving right to left!”
Damn to hell!-his T has been crossed.
There is no time to be afraid, no time to doubt. Time to avenge the Haranua
“Formation !, new course 090!, engage!, Engage!, engage!”
Mutsu swings into action, 1500 men, as a team, the great machine moves into gear.
Even as the great battlewagon wheels over to the new course , her great guns are wheeling to starboard, seeking the battleship her director already is tracking.
Other directors are already bringing the smaller batteries into battle –and the guns begin to bark –turning the darkness into sudden bursts of fire.
Tanaka moves to the starboard wing side – the reports are coming in.
Ahead Tone is thundering away – Chikuma as well –and the horizon is a line of fire.
3 minutes in, and to tanaka, the battle becomes a series of incidents, of small moments that will forever sear into his memory.
His great guns firing
Tone blazing –burning from a hit deep in her guts
The destroyers cutting through the line –one mere metres from his bow –bracketed by the towers of water from the Washington’s great shells.
An Allied cruiser leaping -literally leaping into the air as a Long lance crushes its guts
For three, four minutes the two fleets sail in parallel – no quarter given, no quarter asked.
And then Mutsu takes a 16incher somewhere deep in the bowels, and the helmsman is reporting no helm, and the great ship swings hard out of line –and the light cruisers follow him in the great loop Mutsu performs.
Tone, Chikuma plow on ahead –3 destroyers in tow –defying the entire allied line before they too swing hard north –their part in the battle done.
‘Emergency helm!”
A lifetime of waiting, waiting, helpless as the compass swings, and swings – and then the word – ‘Aft steering available!”
Mutsu burns –brightly – speed still unimpaired.
The reports come in – all the cruisers are still fighting – and Mutsu is not the only battlewagon burning here
‘resume course 160!” – target the battlewagon! – all destroyers, all cruisers –launch torpedoes!”
The enemy seek battle –they too swing around –the radar my be confused by the coast so near, but the naked eye can easily see the Japanese line.
For a lifetime -three, four minutes the two fleets sort themselves out –and then, again in traditional formation (Oh how the naval colleges will study this battle –have studied FOR this battle) they begin the hammering again.
Over the thunderous crash of the guns –the navigator speaks.
Calm. Measured. Pure professional. The perfect cog in the great machine.
“Sir –recommend about course –we will ground ourselves in 5 minutes on this course”
Tanaka cannot hesitate. And as Speer did so long ago –the desperate order
“Battle fleet turn together!”
Simultaneously all the ships haul to port, reversing course –a move that undoubtedly saves them all.
Mutsu takes two hits.
The first –another 16inch shell, slices deep into her in the area of her aft tower –and her 5inch magazines explode –a great KATHUMP! – that cracks her open from top to bottom – flooding engine rooms, magazines –and sending fire racing through her aft compartments.
Tanaka races to the bridge wing –out the armored door – as the second 5 inch shell smashes into the Towers base.
It smashes him across the bridge –and into deep unconsciousness
2 minutes later, BB Washington too swings wildly away – Madang is being pounded.
She will arrive too late to stop Takeda.
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