RE: The little ship that could.

Matrix Games Forums

Forums Register Login Photo Gallery Member List Search Calendars FAQ

My Profile Inbox Address Book My Subscription My Forums Log Out

RE: The little ship that could.

View related threads: (in this forum | in all forums)

Logged in as: Guest

Users viewing this topic: none

Printable Version

All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: The little ship that could.

Page: << < prev 94 95 [96] 97 98 next > >>

Message

<< Older Topic Newer Topic >>

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/23/2014 8:53:31 PM

british exil

Posts: 1686
Joined: 5/4/2006
From: Lower Saxony Germany
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: bartrat

Is this going to be like the real battle that Taffy3 had in 1944???
The World Wonders.

Nice comment.

I just hope that there is no Allied naval force out there to save the day.

BANZAI!!!

Mat

< Message edited by british exil -- 1/23/2014 9:54:19 PM >

_____________________________

"It is not enough to expect a man to pay for the best, you must also give him what he pays for." Alfred Dunhill

WitE,UV,AT,ATG,FoF,FPCRS

(in reply to bartrat)

Post #: 2851

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/24/2014 7:54:43 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

Belting rain , the pouring vertical downpour all tropical sailors , soldiers and airmen are so familiar with, that you just cannot convey the strength of to people of temperate climes, lashes the CVL belluea wood.

Dawn is breaking, and Admiral Turner yet again paces the small bridge of the carrier.
They call the Belluea wood, "the hunted one"...so many of her original companions have been hit, or sunk in the last year, yet she, despite so much metal flung her way, remained.

But now.now Admiral turner truly feels hunted.
20 Miles south of Morotai, his Task forces wait for the onrushing enemy
He has made his dispositions, this task force waits for the onrushing enemy, ahead of him, 10000 yards to the north, 8 fletchers, the trip wire.

Dawn is breaking......and the expected night attack has not come Soon, very soon the search aircraft should give the enemy dispositions, and he can get to business...........
'Signal sir!"
"Amphibious task force 57 has cleared the beaches, unloading completed, it is passing south, 5000 yards to our port."

Good. 50 ships, safe.........

Another flimsy handed to his communications officer............who reads it, hesitates.......
'Sir!.task force 56 reports enemy ships attacking it, 60 miles to our south!"
What!"
'To our south!, , 'Am under destroyer and cruiser attack!"

Jesus.............

'Captain, come about!, all ships, prepare to execute 180 degree turn!"

Three things occur simultanously right then

'Radar shouts
"Contacts!, 20000 yards!
The rumble of heavy guns fill the air
And artillery fire, heavy calibre, marches magnificent towers of white 100 yards across his bow.......

No. the enemy did not attack last night.
That was not the plan

Dawn
Fleet surface action...................commence .

(in reply to bartrat)

Post #: 2852

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/24/2014 9:34:35 AM

british exil

Posts: 1686
Joined: 5/4/2006
From: Lower Saxony Germany
Status: offline

Now this attack sounds sneaky. Very nice.

Mat

_____________________________

"It is not enough to expect a man to pay for the best, you must also give him what he pays for." Alfred Dunhill

WitE,UV,AT,ATG,FoF,FPCRS

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2853

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/24/2014 2:36:29 PM

Lecivius

Posts: 4845
Joined: 8/5/2007
From: Denver
Status: offline

Ye gawds, I get caught up, only to trip off another cliff hanger

(in reply to british exil)

Post #: 2854

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/24/2014 7:28:18 PM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

8 fletchers.
The trip wire

Somehow, but almost certainly hiden, masked from radar by the heavy rain, the land mass of Morotai itself, 4 heavy japanese Cruisers, three destroyers have slipped past, and even now, are beginning to bring fire upon The belluea Wood task force.
Frantic calls for help are being recieved from task force 56
The skies above are filling with the mayhem of aircraft battle

The Fletchers wheel about, begin to form up, they will be a decisive factor against the cruisers, in this battle

They will not get there
They will have one of their own

Battleship Fuso, cruiser Yubari, 5 destroyers, emerges from the furtherest rain squall, The horizon erupts with the flashes of a dying history.
23000 yard, against all odds, the battleship still has a vital role to play.

(in reply to Lecivius)

Post #: 2855

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/24/2014 7:30:32 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 #: 2856

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/24/2014 7:46:01 PM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

"remain in formation!, all ships follow me!"

Cmdr Ashida is a young man. Until now he has been a man whom history (like most of us) will swallow. He has served long, he has served his Emperor dutifully, but even he will admit, he has risen as far as his talents will ever allow.

Many days, he considers himself lucky to even be the captain of the Amagiri, this sleek lethal destroyer.
But now fate has taken him, and thrust him to centre stage of this page of history, has placed him at the head, and thus command of these eight destroyers, and asked him.
Are you worthy?

He will respond in the best way possible
The only way a military man must.

He will do his duty, he will play his part, he will be part of the team.

It is still raining. Scattered squalls, heavy showers, patches of bright sunshine on a rising chop
But there is nowhere for task force 56 to hide

Cmdr Ashida raises his glasses again, a dozen, or more allied transports, some almost liner size, swinging about, two columns, seeking shelter.
No escorts!

'Calmly he bends to his speaking tube.
he must take the chance, there may be no escorts now, but in this visibility...........and how long before the helldivers arrive?
"Prepare for long lance attack"

'range is 16000 yards sir!, permission to engage"

He raises his glasses again. He knows THAT ship, that is the AP Montery, how many invasion fleets has she been in?
No more after today, I swear it

Signal all ships.......'Engage, make every shot count, deliberate shooting only!"

'Stbd twenty"
The guns, unmasked, bark
The fish, long sleek, shining, slice into the sea

Death by water. Death by fire. Death by violence.

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2857

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 2:29:46 AM

John 3rd

Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline

Yaaaaaaaaaaaaa BABY! Go get 'am!

_____________________________

Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2858

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 6:52:27 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

lets get this straight, because the books, and the movies never, ever do.

How much ocean does a Naval battle cover?
Especially a Daylight battle?

The movies, those CGI clips you see on U tube, they have it oh so wrong.
naval formation cover many, many square miles.
A column, just in itself, may be miles long.
Ships, "in close formation" will normally still be 500 yards apart.

And as for the enemy?
Small shapes on the horizons, flashing at you, positioned by funnel and gunfire smoke, your replies small pimples of water sprouting about them.

naval battle, at times, can seem unreal.
It is hard, at times, to imagine that those small shapes over there, are trying to kill you..................

naval battle Morotai, actually three in one

Two the south west of the island, Bellue wood has placed her arse to the enemy, and runs.
20 Miles away, to the east, 8 fletcher Class destroyers turn north, a giant is coming over the horizon.
And 40 miles away, task force 56 is ordered to scatter,

bellue Wood runs, her 4 destroyers on her flanks, smoke pouring from their stacks
Ashigari, Haguro, Nachi, Mikuma, 3 destroyers , 21000 yards, guns spitting

The shells scream in, the water towers, the captains 'follow the shot"
The range, however closes fast

Light Cruiser Perth, peels away, and does what has to be done, she closes with the enemy.
At 8000 yards, she strikes Ashigari hard, and the cruiser turns away, out of control.
Hope and triumph do not last long, Nachi in turn strikes her back, but not before she launches her fish

destroyer Take leaps, explodes, is gone...............
Perth, her upperworks a mess, is left behind by the japanese, desperate to get the carrier.

For 30 minutes the shells will rain towards bellue wood, her escorts, only 2 will hit, and them the DDs.
Then the rain will swallow them again, and grant them safety

bellue wood, remains a lucky ship.

(in reply to John 3rd)

Post #: 2859

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 6:59:04 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

Task force 56 attempts to scatter.

It does have three escorts, DE's, but they have placed themselves at the rear of the convoy, the Morotai end

At 22 knots, it will take 20 minutes to get to its head

This quickly becomes about ten too many

The Japanese close quickly, and the killing begins
2 APs are long lanced, and the shells begin to dance upon the transports

The range is down to 9000 yards when the first DE, the Osmos, emerges clear of the smoke.
Only to be moments later run down by the great bulk of the AP Santa Palua..........

A mere ten minutes after contact, the destroyers are literally amongst their prey
That statement on long range, impersonal battle?
Forget it.
This is close, personal, and utterly merciless..............

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2860

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 7:12:47 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

Captain Tosa, battle ship Fuso, curses again

from here, here at the top of this great tower, he can see for many, many miles.

he does not need the radar.he can see them himself.

task force 57 flees..............a mass of indistinct dots on the horizon.
transports enough to lift two divisions..........getting away.
To his flank, the rolling thunder of battle.........undoubtably Ashigari and friends

And 20000 yards, between him, and those fat transports, a line of Fletchers..........and a rapidly, rapidly growing smoke screen
He will have to be quick.........

"general chase!..open fire!"

Fuso is old. She is tired. But she is a veteran, and her crew are still razor sharp.

Second salvo .....and one of those devils blooms fire......
'Good shooting
Yubari too hits, a second destroyer burns

But the fletchers fight back.......and the rate of fire is simply incredible
1, 2, 3...........gods, 4 hits in succession, two on his tower........screams, the calls for fire fighters, for medics.......

The trails of fish seemingly cover the ocean in a deadly weave of white bubbles, and Fuso has to weave, has to turn away, and back again

An enemy DD explodes.........a fish?
One of his DDs sinks, glowing red.............and still he cannot force his way past..............the Fletchers bark, and bark, and the nips of their bites are begining to bite

'Sir, our ammunition is all but expended!"
"Already!, but we have only just begun................and then he sees that the battle is now 2 hours old

And those transports are long gone.

'very well..........disengage............they have fought well , those Americans.
But I am sure Fuso will see you again

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2861

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 7:19:02 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

Captain Ichiyama of the Haguro, takes command of the Ashigari task force, her captain blown to smithereens on her shattered bridge.

he will attempt to engage the bellue wood again, and fail.
Instead they will encounter another task force, well, they must assume they do.
For they never see this enemy in the rain, the crud of visibility, only seeing and feeling the rain of shells that come down upon them.
they, of course, attempt to fire back, they too have radar.

It is terribly one sided, two destroyers hit by torpedoes, all four cruisers hit multiple times.
Shaken, he takes them out of the battle...........all four will need many months of repairs.

But is does not matter

The mission is done.
40 miles away, the destroyers finish the job.

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2862

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 7:31:04 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

Cmdr Ashida is no longer a young man

That man, that ready smile, is gone.
ahead, a life of nightmares, of crushing regrets, of depression.

His seven destroyers race north, tubes empty
Guns empty

behind................

Death by fire, death by water, death by violence

Images

Shells dancing across hulls
Tracer from the 25 mm's, bouncing richochetting , plowing.gods, harvesting the swarming Khaki figures trying to escape the flames

Images

Plowing through an acre of bobbing, pale faces, packed shoulder to shoulder in the water, many busily drowning....plowing through, wheeling hard, so as to trample them under...........

Images

Ships burning
Ships dying
Guns hammering

And the screams...............oh gods...the screams

Images
Images to haunt him forever
Cmdr Ashida is no longer a young man
A great victory............a great victory.

Old now, he takes his ships north to safety.

De derby: 3 hits
DE Neundorf, 12 hits
DE osmus, 11 hits plus her collision

APA knox sunk
AK james H Kimble sunk
AK James Harbin sunk

APA banner, 14 hits, ablaze
APA dawson, 14 hits, ablaze
AP Montery, 25 hits
AP santa Palua, 40 hits
AP maui, 19 hits
AKA Thuban-sunk
AKA Virgo, sunk

3684 casoss
142 squads, 202 non combat squads, 23 engineer squads, 182 guns, 105 vehciles

i am guessing an armoured regiment.............

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2863

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 7:39:03 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

And of the air battle?

The allies do exactly as predicted
Exactly as hoped and planned for
(And for what we rely upon for tomorrow)
They place massive CAP over the fleet.

How many the rain keeps grounded, I will never know

LBA launches just over 200 aircraft into the skies above the battle

199 shot down, to 14

And no attacks get through

His CAP is enourmous.
But , to achieve this there can be few escorts

Not a single retiring Japanese warship will be attacked this day.

Combined fleet, decks closed by the weather today, will close the range
Tanaka will sweep Morotai with his Kongo's

Mutsu and Nagato will lunge for his CVs, they are but 6 hexes awa
Ise too will attack

And the CVLs will also advance...........

We are committed now
Drive the enemy from the waters around Morotai
We continue the attack!

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2864

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 7:45:03 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

A herbiesan note

If anyone says pyhcology does not matter in this game...............

I have consistantly roughly handled cantona in every carrier battle we have had

Even now, in 45, with KB but a shadow of its former strength, I just knew he would roll himself into a ball, and go super defensive with a massive CAP
The number of ships operating inside the strike range of his CVs is incredible, as well as all the SCTF's, there are 4 or 5 ASW E class Task forces "clouding the picture", several AKs running supplies in, and all have not been attacked.

I hope the japanese fan boys enjoyed a victory in 45!

(Tomorrow might go to custard though..............

..)

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2865

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 8:23:47 AM

hosho

Posts: 128
Joined: 10/21/2005
From: zagreb, croatia
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

I hope the japanese fan boys enjoyed a victory in 45!

(Tomorrow might go to custard though................)

The skill ... the writing? What is better I can`t say...

Hat off to you mate!

_____________________________

the first ones are remembered

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2866

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 10:16:20 AM

pws1225

Posts: 1166
Joined: 8/9/2010
From: Tate's Hell, Florida
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: hosho

quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

I hope the japanese fan boys enjoyed a victory in 45!

(Tomorrow might go to custard though................)

The skill ... the writing? What is better I can`t say...

Hat off to you mate!

All that plus a victory in 1945! Very impressive all the way around. Well done, Sir!

(in reply to hosho)

Post #: 2867

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 2:09:47 PM

John 3rd

Posts: 17178
Joined: 9/8/2005
From: La Salle, Colorado
Status: offline

As a JFB: I AM NOT WORTHY!

Banzai BABY!

_____________________________

Member: Treaty, Reluctant Admiral and Between the Storms Mod Team.

Reluctant Admiral Mod:
https://sites.google.com/site/reluctantadmiral/

(in reply to pws1225)

Post #: 2868

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 5:44:49 PM

CV Zuikaku

Posts: 442
Joined: 12/18/2008
From: Legrad, Croatia
Status: offline

Hope KB will live long enough to get A7Ms

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2869

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 11:40:33 PM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

The 11th of January, 1945

Extract from Shattering the Sword, a cantona production

as the battered task forces pull apart, the allied cariers retiring towards Waigo, covering the convoys, nature, already impacting upon the battle, imparts her full influence upon the day.

from Davao, to Ambon, across 500 miles, a deep tropical depression is forming. Winds, already strong, are now blowing at gale force, and blanket rain sweeps the seas.

Visibility..........visibility becomes as the term describes it........"marginal"

For the Japanese, nothing could be better. Nothing, surely, can fly in this.
They fling everything they have left available into the battle.

(in reply to CV Zuikaku)

Post #: 2870

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 11:53:11 PM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

january 11 , 1990

Its a comfortable home, well built, spacious.
A great many walls are lined with books, and along the feature wall, are 3 rows of shelves, and lined along them is literally a fleet of 1/700 scale model warships, each painstakingly built and painted
Below each model, carefully framed, a photo of the actual ship, and a small description.

If one knows their history, these are no random ships modelled here, each and everyone served at Morotai, japanese, and Allied alike

Jim Sanderson shows them to me, almost shyly. At 70 years of age now, he finds it dificult to build, his "eyesight aint what is was in 45" he cracks..........so he takes me through his home to a sunny room out the back.'So I thought I would try something a little larger"

There are two models, both, I see, 1/72 scale. The first is completed, sleek lines, beautifully re created, a true and faithful re creation of a Fletcher class destroyer
I know, instictively, of course, that this is Ralf Talbot, Jims old ship
A second ship is under construction, occupying at least 8 or nine feet of the room, it is perhaps 3/4's finished.
But there is no mistaking her, that great pagoda mast, that barsted flight deck aft.

'Battleship Ise," grins Jim "She has occupied my thoughts ever since that night.........I hope to finish her before I go, you know.......something to remind people of...they forget you know, they forget so quickly........."

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2871

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/25/2014 11:58:57 PM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

"i AM FREEZING MY ARSE OFF"
Hirate laughs at Okano.......'yes, what do you expect, it is 20 below........to sweat?'

'Oh shut the truck up........." grumbles Okano, swinging fittfully with his axe at the ice building up on the capstan.' To think we used to grumble at the heat in Zuiho's boiler room."

Chiburi lies alongside Rashin, ice bound, snow covered rashin. two new tankers, 2 more escorts have joined them, but rashin has little to offer today, they remain idle, waiting for fuel to load.

they are cold...........but they are safe.
And knowing this, both men will chip at the ice with barely a complaint all day.

Well, only a few then..............

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2872

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/26/2014 12:05:32 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

Hosho lies still, carefully takes aim, fires

The string of tracer curves across the field, 1000 yards.........bounces of, shakes the armoured car down the range

he turns his head to the new recruit lying beside him. "Thats how its done..........short , sharp, don't squint, and above all, don't snatch the trigger!"
'Hiei!"

'Good.........now do it again"

Hosho stand, contemplates the firing range.
100 rounds per man..........somebody has influence still, many divisions are not even getting 20 now to train with.
55th Divsion will, must make the most of it.

15th Army trains now, re growing painfully slowly towards full strength again

The prince, still in Command, believes he will need 6 full months at this rate.
There is every chance he may get it.

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2873

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/26/2014 12:27:25 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

Jim finally settles down into his chair.

'Now where was I?".

For a moment you think that this old man has forgotten, that the mind has let that night go, but then he chuckles, and you see almost immediately that once this was a twenty year old, manning his bofors gun, wet cold, but ready to do his bit.

'You know that crummy saying.........it was a dark and stormy night?'
'I may of heard it once or twice"
'Well friend, this was one humdinger of a night. It was'nt cold, no, every goddamned wave was like taking a warm bath, and the rain was even warm..hard, falling stingingly hard........and you could hardly see jack........there was no moon that night you know., and it was beginning to cut up rough, short sharp swells, white caps."

'Did they slow you down?, the waves?'

Jims face breaks into a smile......you see the pride there, see the devotion to a ship, to a Captain, to a crew
he waves his hand dismissively.......'Not a bit, we were ploughing into it, straight on, 30 knots at least, i think we were going over the waves you know, over, through em, felt like a goddam submarine really"

'And you post was still the bofors gun behind the port bridge wing?"
"Still was, yup, and loaded for bear........"

Jim stands, moves to those shelves, takes a particularily small model in his hands, passes it to me
"E class patrol boat. Submarine killing machines in the war........But we sorted em out"

The model, small, but detailed tells you much, even for one who has little knowledge of ships. For it has only one real gun. Fletchers on the other hand, are crammed with them

'You know, I don't think they even knew we were there, until we lit them up.........."

Jim see's them still, in his minds eye. he can still see every detail of that night
The rushing waters, the noise of the sea, of the turbines, of the wind. The shouts, target port 270 degrees........swinging his gun, peering into the dark, the sudden bark, the starshell, those small ships, pitching and rolling in the waves, so brilliantly lit up.
He remembers , remembers peering don the sights, squeezing the trigger, the jolt on his shoulders, the guns all about cracking..........

I see Jim pause..........and I see his trigger finger curl, as if re creating that night so long ago

'It did not last long that action, we took one each, 4 destroyers, 4 kills"
And then the grin
"But I think we attracted trouble............"

The Ralph Talbot, Marshall, Stembell and Martin.
Trouble. Few ships can say they found as much trouble as these..............and lived.

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2874

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/26/2014 12:30:39 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

thanks for comments guys, its a fun ride I hope

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2875

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/28/2014 7:28:21 AM

morejeffs

Posts: 249
Joined: 4/24/2013
Status: offline

Brilliant writing.

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2876

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/29/2014 5:21:56 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

"and that, of course was the ISE?" I ask
Jim smiles..........."well not at first."
He gets out of his chair, and gestures to me. I follow him out to the back of the house again, onto a balcony .
Its a brilliant view..........overlooking rolling pasture land, the rockies deep blue on the horizon. 'How far can you see today son/" he asks
"forever"
'Now close your eyes"
I do

'Thats about how far you could see that night"

'The first thing I knew about it was us changing course, hard. Not going through the waves, but across them, rolling hard, one moment we were up to our arses in the ocean, next , seemed like we were being pitched to hell.......I know now that was us cutting in to run parrallel to em, to try to get our fish away.........."

A silence for a moment. I know enough of the story now, why no fish were released, the mount, its crew, washed overboard in a moment.......

'but that , that did not happen..........and then there sh was, a bloody great mountain of steel, impervious to the waves it seemed, so close you could almost touch her"

'And then?"
'Well, we let her rip.............."

And Jim remembers
the starshell
the running figures, stark, lit by the glare
the great guns

The way his tracer arced, struck, bounced away from her great iron sides.........

"But then, well then "
he stops, gets another model off the shelf...........its a Japanese destroyer, the Tsubaki, one of the emergency program boats
"This silly clot got between us and the real target'

Silence falls. I sense it then. I understand now.
All these years
Like a fisherman, who has seen his record catch at the side of the boat, only to see the line break right then.....
Why he builds the Ise, all these models.

Jim thinks she got away. Got away from him, and his bofors gun...........

'By the time we had dealt with HER, the damn battle wagon was gone..............."

(in reply to morejeffs)

Post #: 2877

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/29/2014 5:31:31 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

Battleship Mutsu powers on, almost blind in this moonless night, this pouring rain., the spray whipped up from the howling wind

Her radar feeds nothing back but junk, a useless white screen of clutter and interferance. Unknown to her, she has already steamed past a task force of fast transports. they saw her, but she not them.
but now, there, not so very far away, the unmistakable horizon lighting flash of heavy guns,, and, suffused in the rain, the arcing, glowering descent of starshells

there can be no hesitation
Mutsu, Nagato hard behind, swing towards the battle, rifles seeking targets

About them her 4 destroyer escorts attempt to get ahead,....a uselss effort, the sea will slow them to great effect

Minutes later, abruptly, the rain lifts slightly.
At 9000 yards, Mutsu gets a target.

With everything she has, she fires upon the Ralf Talbot, her companions..............and of course, unknown to her, Jim Sanderson.............

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2878

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/29/2014 5:35:50 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

In battles such as this, Admirals have little to really to do.
They can order the fleet manouvres, give directions...but the actual fighting, the picking of targets, the bringing to bear the guns, the hadling of the ship, this he must leave to the Captain , to her crew.

Abe can, do little but this night, but watch, and hope

Up and down the line, the guns , great and small, explode, fifty tons of steel a minute, to be flung at those fleeting, dancing shadows in the dark, in the rain.

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2879

RE: The little ship that could. - 1/29/2014 5:39:48 AM

1275psi

Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

Yamamato reads the signal.
reads it again

'have engaged enemy invasion fleet in surface action, near Morotai
Losses light.
Enemy retiring, heavy losses inflicted.

All this good

But this, this last line

Did he not make it clear to him?, did he not make him promise?
'harass, hit, run, maintain a fleet in being!

"I am continuing to seek the enemy. I am continuing the attack"

"BUKA!"

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2880

Page: << < prev 94 95 [96] 97 98 next > >>

All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: The little ship that could.