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RE: The little ship that could.

 
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RE: The little ship that could. - 12/28/2012 5:47:25 AM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		The threat, I suppose, must be honoured.
Combined fleet raises steam.


(in reply to 1275psi)
Post #: 1831
RE: The little ship that could. - 12/28/2012 10:38:34 PM   
1275psi

 

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Dirt trickles down from overhead, and falls, again, upon Hosho.
Faintly through the roof of his bunker the drone of the enemy bombers.
Not so faintly, in fact, far too noisily, the crump , crump of the bombs.
Japans airforce has vanished from Burma, the allies slow at first to realise, are now taking full advantage.
Its all niether here, or there to Hosho and his hardened veterans.
They are dug in deep, the river is wide. Reinforcements are arriving.
There is little to worry about.


Not yet, anyway.









Pilot Officer Graham, well, he has plenty.
There has been no new meals to catch for what?, ten days now.
The rivulet has as hoped, become a stream, the stream a small river, flowing swiftly through the jungle.
Flowing south.............

He has no choice though. He's running a fever. His strength is waning.
He has never been so truking hungry in his life...............thoughts of wellington beef pies keep swimming through his mind.
"Time for another miracle Lord.............please?"

But the Lord, and the jungle do not reply. It remains dark, dark, hot.
Silent
And totally impervious to this mere insect blundering through its mighty domain.

(in reply to 1275psi)
Post #: 1832
RE: The little ship that could. - 12/28/2012 10:42:33 PM   
1275psi

 

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They come over the horizon, great grey shapes, five fleet carriers strong.
There are no radio calls, a few blinking lights.

Dispositions are made, task forces are formed.
Zuiho joins the main body, and begins what she does so well.
"commence flight operations"

Japans carrier strength changes course, south east, Herbiesan wants the waters east of Siapan swept first, before they tackle the monster now finally committed to the Timor sea.

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Post #: 1833
RE: The little ship that could. - 12/28/2012 10:58:19 PM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		Babar island
Saumalaki

Death stalks these seas

japans SS wolf pack moves into the battle

A ss attacks -misses, is sunk
A ss attacks,-misses, is sunk
A ss attacks, misses, is sunk
yet another attacks, and misses the LST it attacks, and is sunk

Others strike:
An AP is hit
A LSD is hit
A AK is hit

Unbelievably, ss RO-33 is attacked, on the surface, by a LST! - and sunk!
More strikes,
A LST is hit
A AP is hit
Another SS is sunk

A mere 4 remain on task.
japans SS arm has sholt its bolt.


And as if to mock her efforts, east of Minando, an Allied ss penetrates a 12 shipo screen, slots CVL Shoho, and in the same spread, her escorting AR

Shoho may survive, she may not.




The Marines storm ashore at babar island, but not with the skill one would expect. Disruption is immense. the japanese waiting are in good shape.
At Saumlaki, the Americal division too arrives in a mess.

This battle is going to continue.

Battleship Yamashirio, CA Kinugasa, CA Mikuma and 7 DDs will attack , they are in range
Heavy cruisers Takao, Mogami, Mikuma, 4 DDs are racing in from near Dilli. They too are in range.
A division is at sea nearby, ready to be rammed ashore
A regiment is landing at Dilli

And hundreds of planes , on airfields spread in a great arc, are ordered to action.

It begins.

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Post #: 1834
RE: The little ship that could. - 12/28/2012 11:02:10 PM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		herbiesan contemplates his map

its still stinks

Alright then, I still think the allies will strike mid pacific. Combined fleet should give him quite a surprise.

Kaga is ordered to leave palua, and race north to join. She will try to brave the ss.
There is nothing left to do, but wait.

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Post #: 1835
RE: The little ship that could. - 12/30/2012 5:09:48 AM   
1275psi

 

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Like an elephant charging down a slope, Japans forces come at Babar island.
And not unnaturally, the allies try to stop them.

There are two thrusts, simultanous and supporting.

Yamashirio comes on, Royal Soverign will try to stop her
She is old, this Yamashirio, but even an old elephant coming on can be so very hard to stop

This action, 8000 yards, dinosours at close paces, is fought in the utter dark.
15 minutes later, Yamashirio powers on.
Behind her, the night is lit by Royal soverigns burning, 8 telling salvos and a long lance have finished her

The next action is almost in explicable, a puzzlement to all who will write of this second battle of Babar
5 allied DDs are blasted to oblivion, a hail of fire sweeping them away, with barely a shot returned
3 will sink, 2 stagger away, flaming.

The elephant charges on.
Light cruiser Montpelier takes her turn...............the hunter stands firm, and wields her blunderbust
17 hits crash into her, but Yamashirio's hide is so tough..............she will, and can fight another day.

She swats Montpelier aside, hitting her hard

Ammunition gone, 2 destroyers shorn from her, she turns away for home.

A battleship, 3 destroyers sinking behind, 3 cruisers hit, 4 destroyers burning
2 Japanese destroyers lost

The elephant has charged the gate, hit it, and smashed it open.

Heavy cruisers, Suzaya, Mogami, Takao and 4 destroyers begin there run from just north of Dilli
2 allied DDs attempt to intercept, DD Remey takes 6 hits
And again the inexplicable.............


Their orders are simple, penetrate the anchorage, at any cost.
The gate, opened by Yamashirio, is now but weakly guarded

Just before dawn, in heavy rain, this task force penetrates to the beachhead at Babar
Inbound, they sink 2 DE's.
And the carnage begins
They sink 5 APA, 4 LST, 2 AM, drown 1200 men, force the remaining transports to flee
They expend all their ammunition
Mogamai, Suzaya, the destroyers all their fuel
Obeying orders to the last, the cruisers run themselves aground, the crews joining the defenders of babar
Takao will get away, using her very last drops of fuel to make Ambon.

It has been a sharp blow.
The landings have been disrupted, and thousands have died already
And the day has not even begun

11th airfleet has many planes available.
A great many

And today, there will be no co ordination issues.



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Post #: 1836
RE: The little ship that could. - 12/30/2012 5:22:22 AM   
1275psi

 

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(waiting for the rushing Kaga to join)

Hidaka enters the bridge, his anger still written large
Takeji views his group commander almost with amusement
"And his excuse?' he asks, voice tinged with humour
'The fool simply misjudged it"

"It happens Hidaka, it happens, sometimes I think you forget just how little our deck is"
"Trust me sir, thats something I never do"

Zuiho has two damaged Jills, one a mechanical failure, the other has clipped the tower on landing, 4 feet of wing now missing.
ASW duty..........
Hard on men, hard on planes
And at times, it seems, totally pointless.

Takeji's humour vanishes.
'There is a battle in the Arafu sea"
"And?"
'Admiral Abe has guessed wrong, I think. The sea is, apparently thick with carriers"

(in reply to 1275psi)
Post #: 1837
RE: The little ship that could. - 12/31/2012 4:24:25 AM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		A long, long time ago in this little adventure, we encountered a certain beast called the evaporator.
Do you perhaps remember?
It doesn't matter if you don't, just another cantakerous piece of kit onboard Zuiho, that bloody great heap of ****e in the corner of the boiler rooms that converts sea water into precious feed and fresh water.
Its been there a long time now, doing its thing. Oh, unrelated in this tale, its had its own little history of problems and maintenance issues, from the regular "crack downsand cleans" to at least three pump rebuilds, all just part of regular crud that Zuiho's men battle each day.

And its been a while since we have heard of water problems too...........

Lurch, unfortunately, is the Chief of the watch when it happens.
Whenever an evaporators output is put to feed tanks, the routine is always the same........."boiler room A or B, test your output, and if clear, put to feed tanks"
The vappy in the boiler room, then does a simple nitrate test, and if the sample does not cloud up, its "clear". he opens the valve to the feed tanks, and shuts the one to the fresh water tanks.
Except tonight, just about when Lurch gives the order to swing, the brine pump silently gives up the ghost............and Lurch , already behind schedule, simply says "Swing tanks A boiler room please"

Who's fault?
His?, or the vappies for not noticing the vap is not bubbling, but a solid wedge of green?
Who knows. Crap happens

Nearly a ton of salt water contaminated the main feed tank, and, somehow (lets not even go there.......) the first reserve.
From 90 percent feed, Zuiho is suddenly at 25%

There is the usual call of the charge, the usual.'TRUK!", the usual calm issuing of orders to set things right.

Its what happens later................




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Post #: 1838
RE: The little ship that could. - 12/31/2012 4:38:30 AM   
1275psi

 

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Battle for Babar
The strikes will go in
The first, 114 fighters strong, taking 30 betties straight in, runs into the cloud of hellcats expected

186 are up, with 24 wildcats, 6 corsairs assisting

Doesn't matter. Doesn't help, there could have been a thousand..........

In heavy rain, terrible visibility, engagements are few, losses are light.........in the air
CVE Lipscome bay eats 2 fish
CVE Copahee eats one

The second, sees nothing but clear air...........how an hour can make such a difference
56 fighters, 9 kates.............the hellcats eat all the kates.
(but there fewer hellcats now)

70 more fighters, oscars this time, try to take 5 sallies in.
They fail...........terribly

The enemy carriers, in their reply, attack shipping at Dilli with horrible accuracy, sinking 5 APs
They smash Suzaya and Mogami, beached now in the shallows just off babar, machine gunning and straffing the ant lines of men to the beach.
And two of Yamashiros DD's, crawling north, are caught, and sunk.
Footnotes it seems, to the battle now brawling over Babar and Saumlaki

The landings continue.
A small beachhead on both islands, no more.


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Post #: 1839
RE: The little ship that could. - 12/31/2012 4:44:05 AM   
1275psi

 

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preliminary results:

Japan loses:
113 a/c
2 CA
5 DD
6 AP
I think, at least 8 ss...............

damaged ships:
4 DD need work
Yamashirio merely needs ammo
Takao is stuck at ambon, in port, no fuel.

Allied losses
71 a/c (30 of which are hellcats)
1cve sunk
1BB sunk
2de sunk
5 APA sunk
4 LST sunk
10 DD damaged
2CL damaged

But most importantly of all...............allied strength does not appear to be sufficient to take either island at the moment!

The attack will continue!

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Post #: 1840
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/1/2013 4:31:08 AM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		Minobe stands a good 12 inches shorter than Lurch, wieghs considerably less.
But when it comes to 'discipline" in the Japanese military, he could have been a full 2 feet shorter, or more for all the difference it made

In a rage, Minobe "disciplines" the younger man just outside Damage Control central, the blows falling thick and fast.
Each ringing slap to the face is punctuated with a question: Why didn't he do this? SLAP!, why didn't he do that!" Slap!
But this time, something breaks that iron grip holding lurch erect.

With a raging howl of fear, frustration, anger.......he blocks the next blow, and hammers home one of his own against the Engineers chin, sending him sprawling.

Stunned silence fills the corridor.

Broken, as if Mars himself has waited for the blow, by the unmistakable sound of a heavy underwater explosion outside.
The alarm bells ring, and almost with a sob, Lurch scrambles away towards his station

Bleeding from the nose, Minobe drags himself into central.
And somehow, whatever has called them to action means nothing

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Post #: 1841
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/1/2013 4:41:08 AM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		Takeji turns away.

Numb

Somehow, he thinks, it almost seemed inevitable

"What is the damage?" he half croaks
"Single hit, damage not critical, 1000 tons flooding, fwd elevator jammed"

Kaga. Again.
A SS, again.

Already Zuikaku lights flash.........."detach for Tokyo. Good luck"

Wishing good luck for the unluckiest ship in the fleet.............what a joke.

Nothing for it. Takeji takes a deep breathe.
"I do not need to remind you that babar is some way away, and the SS remain thick.........sharp eyes gentlemen, sharp eyes"




Kaga......single hit, 22 system, 5 eng damage............45 days alongside.
%$#@#$%!!!!!!!!!

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Post #: 1842
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/1/2013 4:48:54 AM   
1275psi

 

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ss I-160 hits a DD, and is sunk in return
ss I-156 finishes of the CVE Copohae
ss I-170 hits a dd, with a dud. The dud causes the death of the SS in return.

The attacks at babar continue
4 AP/AK are hit, CVL Princetown and CV Essex dodge
A battleship identified as Massachusetts, but suspected to be the south dakato swallows a fish

The cost, however, is simply horrible.
162 a/c lost, to 43

On babar, Samualika, the verdict is in.
The allies will need more troops..
Maybe a lot more.

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Post #: 1843
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/1/2013 3:51:28 PM   
PaxMondo


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Status: offline 		Fighting a good fight here ... you're in to '44 and still resisting the inital incursion into the DEI.  great job!!!  Root him out and make him start all over!  BANZAI!!!



_____________________________

Pax

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Post #: 1844
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 12:02:47 AM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		Hi pax
Thanks for comment

As we will see.............he has struck where Japan is strongest.
Plan is to bleed, and bleed him, and then, KB to finish him.
Its going to be bloody for japan, but, now or never!!!

(in reply to PaxMondo)
Post #: 1845
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 12:10:40 AM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		In the quiet of Minobes cabin, two men face each other

Charge speaks "Sir, I must respectfully ask that you re consider"
Minobe, sitting on his chair, raises his eyes. They are cold, almost empty
'Impossible"
"Sir, I need this man. In cells he cannot contribute. At least , I ask, delay his punishment to after this mission"
"Impossible!"

A long, long silence.
A last effort then..............this pig of a man.
"At least, in action, release him. We will need every man"

"Very well, in action . But he returns to cells immediately after"
'sir"


Zuiho slices the calm waters south of Ulithi, course west.
War to the south, east, and west
war, it seems, onboard as well.

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Post #: 1846
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 12:21:20 AM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		The miricle Graham needs, comes

The village, nestled on the banks of the river is small, almost solment in the baking heat.
He remains hidden, 30 yards away, carefully guaging what he can see.
The Thais, he knows, are not potential friends. Japanese rewards for returned captured airmen are sufficient to feed a family for a year
But villages mean people, and people mean food.
Frustratingly, out of sight, he can hear a chicken clucking.....................

Two men approach from down the river in a small canoe. They tie up, and disembark, vanish into the village.

Graham moves fast, he moves silently.
Pounding heart, neck tense, waiting for the shout, the bullet............
He gets away with it

The canoe moves swiftly downstream. A man, skinny, burnt black, tattered. Paddles. Water in a flask, and oh so precious......a bag of rice, three dried fish, and a coconut.

Goddam, thinks pilot officer"long pig" Graham, luck is turning at last


Swiftly the river carries him south.
South towards Moulmien, and 100000 japanese...............


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Post #: 1847
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 12:30:14 AM   
1275psi

 

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Battle for babar

A pause, if you will, a gasp for breath, as both sides reconsider, re gather, re commit.

At Saumlaki 50% of the americal division, 30% of the 32nd division, half of a cavalry division, and the remains of 2 tank brigades face a regiment of the 21st, engineers and a SNLF and a base force
Its not enough to take the field.
Not faced with defences dug in like this

At Babar, 75% of the 6th infrantry division, 50% of the 1st marines, 2 shattered TD units, some engineers, face another regiment of the 21st div, a guard unit.
Japanese transports fly in a good portion of a naval guard unit this day, braving the CAP.
Again, the Allies do not have enough, not nearly, it seems , to take this field.


His fleet must remain here, pinned in support
Tomorrow, japan will try again.


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Post #: 1848
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 10:07:08 AM   
1275psi

 

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A horrible, horrible day

The attacks, wave after wave, strike at babar

The allies place T bolts on long range CAP, and they kill, and kill, and kill.

196 a/c are lost, for only 36 kills.
And nary a ship has been hit.

There is only one bright spot
The third marines are thrust ashore at samulaki, and this is an equally horrible exercise
This is not a history of the marines
The marines would prefer history forgot this day altogether.
599 casualties. Not a unit landed non disrupted,

To 14th Army, its news writ large.
The allies are desperate.

The navy thinks so too.
They are coming to try again

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Post #: 1849
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 10:18:05 AM   
1275psi

 

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Extract from "shattering the sword" a cantona production.


Tar pit.
Too deeply involved to withdraw, but too weak to press, the allies battle for the two islands. There is a third island involved, no more than a patch of sand midway the two, here a company of engineers fight a war no less vicious with a company of Japanese paratroops.
But Saumlaki is the battle today. The Americal Division, big hard men everyone, lead the attack. At Lunga, up the solomon chain, they have always won. What faces them?, ragged starving imperial troops, who have been bombed for months now.
They will sort them out.

But they don't. The attack fails. The fortifications remain..

And japanese reinforcements are flying in.

< Message edited by 1275psi -- 1/2/2013 10:25:27 AM >

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Post #: 1850
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 10:24:51 AM   
1275psi

 

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BB Fuso is coming.
Near Dilli, she is struck by two torpedoes from a lurking ss.
later, after midday, a carrier strike places several bombs upon her.

Threat nuetralised.

Old, creaking, outdated. But like her sister, detirmined
The first fish has flooded one boiler room. The second, has sprung but a few leaks. The armour has held

BB Fuso is still coming.

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Post #: 1851
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 12:39:44 PM   
BBfanboy


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Status: offline
quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

6/3/44

BB Fuso is coming.
Near Dilli, she is struck by two torpedoes from a lurking ss.
later, after midday, a carrier strike places several bombs upon her.

Threat nuetralised.

Old, creaking, outdated. But like her sister, detirmined
The first fish has flooded one boiler room. The second, has sprung but a few leaks. The armour has held

BB Fuso is still coming.

Jeez - if Kurita had shown this kind of determination at Leyte Gulf it would have been a massacre!

_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

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Post #: 1852
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 10:20:46 PM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		Hi BB fanboy!!

Well, if you like BBs in action................

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Post #: 1853
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 10:35:14 PM   
1275psi

 

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Seaman Ban was, is, always would be but a peasants son.
He knows of the planting of rice, of its harvesting, its planting, of the care of its field
He knows but little of ships, of the techniques of war.
6 months ago, they posted him to Fuso, taught him how to feed this 25 mm gun, and thus his life changed forever. But he still knows little of the navy, other than its discipline, his gun, his gun crew.
And his pride for Fuso.

His Gun is on the tower admidships, overlooking the great rifles there. It is exposed, windy, often cold, remote from the rest of the ship.
It gives a magnificent view.
Seaman Ban knows nothing of battles, of sudden death, cannot really comprehend the violence of gunfire.
Not really
Tonight, this is a good thing.
Ignorance will keep at bay what should have been a night of sheer terror.


Yesterday, when the torpedoes hit, there had been terror, were they going to sink?
When the dive bombers came, and the focastle was hit, there had been terror then.
But Fuso had just plowed on, and the broadcast had issued re assuring words, some flooding, nothing to worry about.
Do your duty.

Now, just on midnight, they plow across a mirror calm sea, tense, excited.
Seaman Ban is about to have a ringside seat to the third battle of babar.

(in reply to 1275psi)
Post #: 1854
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 10:55:44 PM   
kaleun

 

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From: Colorado
Status: offline 		Awesome writing my friend.

_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

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Post #: 1855
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 11:41:23 PM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		The broadcast breaks into life
It is hard to hear over the sound of the ship, the wind whipping the words away.
3 small E class, Hiyodori, hato, Kiji (ships that are only adding to glory already won) have met, engaged 2 allied carrier task forces.
'The enemy has fled!"

"BANZIA!"

But then the silence returns, and the darkness continues.
At 0100 hours, below them, the great rifles swing to port.
Ban knows what to do. They all do. They begin jamming the cotten into their ears, some of them sit, so as to get the gun tub between them and what is about to come.

"We are engaging an enemy carrier!"

Ting, ting.
The bells ring

KKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAAABANNNNNG!!!!!!!!!!!!
blinding flash.
The suck of air, the concussion.
The tower whips, shakes
KKKKKKKKKAAAAAAAAAAABANNNNNNNG!!!!!!!!!!!!!
the next salvo

Fuso commences broadside firing

A fine place to view the battle this, this tower.
Also a fine place to be stunned insensible, choked in sulphur, shaken to bits............

The Salvos crash again, and again, blinding, stunning...............
Unseen by Ban, DD uranami explodes, torpedoed

Silence
Ears ringing, men coughing

"We have sunk a small carrier and a destroyer"

Daylight is breaking
Fuso steams on. Where are they?, What is happening.? The gun captain orders them to their station.

Fuso's secondaries open............her flanks writhe with smoke and flame
On the horizon, transports .
Fuso, her escorts killing them.
Banzia!


And now, now it is 9 am,
'Enemy aircraft!"
"Wait, they are zeros!!!"
The great rifles are silent, now it is their turn. The bombers are coming in, twin engined, low fast.
Take the magazine, slam it into the barrell, hold it as the gun hammers, hammers, rip it out, turn, grab the next, ram it home, hold it, as the gun hammers away, rip it out..........

two bombers flash overhead, towers of water, but no hits............

"battleship Kirishimia is engaging main transport fleet!"

A pause..........and below the great rifles are swinging again, starboard this time
"Enemy battleship in sight!"

A fine place to be, this tower.
Perhaps..........





(in reply to 1275psi)
Post #: 1856
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 11:48:18 PM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		Hidaka reads the message
Emotions, elation, envy, frustration, pass through him

"We should be there, now!, why are we waiting for the slow ships, we should be there now!"
Takeji grimaces. "Its not our speed Hidaka, its, as usual, fuel. We wait for the tankers, refuelling south of palua sometime tomorrow. Then, my friend, we get our turn. In the meantime, lets be thankful yes?, it appears our Battleship brethren are doing well with out us"

"From
BB Kirishima"
have penetrated to beachhead, Saumlaki
magazines empty
Enemy task force dispersed, 15 plus ships left burning
have successfully retired"

(in reply to 1275psi)
Post #: 1857
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/2/2013 11:56:12 PM   
1275psi

 

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Status: offline 		Fuso's great rifles do not fire

They do not have too

Across her bow, the Japanese airstrike races, attacking that great grey shadow, the transports it protects on the horizon.
The enemy planes wheel, and the sky goes black with flack, and the streaks of smoke and flame of dying men.

BB Massachusetts will not engage, she is now too busy just trying to live.


CVE Breton loses her fight.



Third battle of babar
1 dd lost
2 cve sunk
3 AP, 4 AK, 1 LSD 2 escorts confirmed sunk

BB Massa heavy damage, at least another 9 ak/ap will sink/heavy damage
Totally empty of ammo, Kirishima and Fuso will make their escap

(Yes, Kurita would be jealous)


allies lose 62 a/c
japan 55!

7th naval guard now successfully flown in, a division to come soon.
We fight on!!!

(in reply to 1275psi)
Post #: 1858
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/3/2013 8:50:48 PM   
kaleun

 

Posts: 5145
Joined: 5/29/2002
From: Colorado
Status: offline 		Awesome!

_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

(in reply to 1275psi)
Post #: 1859
RE: The little ship that could. - 1/3/2013 11:35:58 PM   
1275psi

 

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline 		Glad you are enjoying Kaleun!!!
happy new year!!

8/3/44

South of Palua

Evening
Zuiho steams on.
The feed water levels are restored, Lurch remains in cells up forward, Minobe has vanished into his cabin again.
Life continues.

There are few worse jobs than watertender on board a steam ship.
Duties are simple.
"The watertender shall monitor and maintain the water level in the boiler, starting and stopping feed and booster pumps as required. During soot blows , bottom blows and surface blows, he shall pay particular care of the level"

The steamers have a better way to describe it "Get back up to the top plates and get back to work!"
Followed by, inevitably, "WHATS THE WATER LEVEL!!?" shouted over the roar and the screams of theblowers and machinery.
Temperatures on Zuiho's top plates, especially here, in the tropics, average 140 degrees F.
The water tender lives under his ventilation fan, venturing forth in spurts to tend his machinery, to check the guage, to do his rounds.

On Zuiho, The level in the boiler, that most critical of things, is maintained automatically by a complicated creature called the float feed controller , a big bulbous device on the front of the boiler.
Whenever surface blows, or bottom blows are required, or aother level related operations are needed, it can be overridden, driven manually.
In a real emergency, the boiler level can be controlled via the main feed check valve. Fully two and a half feet in diameter, this great valve lives on the top plates, square between the boilers.
The principle is simple, level dropping, open it a bit, level rising, close it a bit.

Of course, every revolution change means a change in output from the boiler, and a change in the level.
Carriers operating aircraft, change revolutions continously............

All this explanation, not unaturally is leading to the next little problem Zuiho is suffering..........the float controller has failed.
You cannot repair it with out shutting down the boiler. And tonight, this is not going to happen, not in a million years.


On Zuikaku, the great lamps have flashed. Fuel will be tight. But the news from Saumlaki is bad. Ammunition exhausted, defences collapsing.
The run in must happen now.

Fleet will increase speed to 25 knots.............
"Engine room, bridge.............cut in second boilers"

Four boiler steaming
Feeding by hand, temperatures nearer to 150 than 140
Hell, I think , might be real. Some of us have been there already...................

(in reply to kaleun)
Post #: 1860
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