1275psi
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January 20th 1945
Shikuka in 1944 is as Hirate explains it, 'the pimple on my arse"
There is but one long wharf, one that will not see the 1950's, such is its current state of repair.
Along this wharf there is a single pipe of not more than 12 inches in diameter, through this the precious crude that justifies this place labouriously flows.
Only 2 tankers can tie up at any one time, the escorts will as always, have to anchor.
There are two other berths, further up the harbour, once a ferry wharf, this is gone now. destroyers Namikaze, Nomikaze now crowd against its facilities.
There are many, many advantages, of course, in getting a alongside wharf, not the less being the availability of shore power.
Shore power.
Oh, how every stoker wonders if the next port has it. For it allows your generators to be shut down, and shut down means no more watchkeeping, shut down means maintenance availability.
It also means....leave.
Namikaze, Nomikaze always get the berths at Shikuka, always have, andalways will.
To say this has bred a little resentmant amongst the crews of the other escorts............
The pumping, today, is slow. Twenty four hours, or more, may be needed to fully load.
Ugaki grants 12 hour leave.
Hirate and Okano gather at the stern of Chiburi, near the bosuns ladder, and wait impatiently for the ships boat to be launched.
This is a painful process. There is nothing more galling to be granted a rare leave, to have that leave even more rarely coincide with your off watch time, to only have to wait for the executive branch to get its S##t together and actually get a boat into the water.
When it does come(after someone finishes lunch, after someone else seeks a missing item-to be found in the boat-where else?) they are both surprised to see that besides themselves only the second cook is going ashore as well.
'I think Okano" notes Hirate "that Shikuka may be a little berift of shore entertainment facilities"
The cook breaks in " or that we are thourghly sick of the place"
'Oh,"......is there anything ashore cook?"
The Cook, who is really not a bad fellow, but mostly unknown to our two stokers as other than a stern face that always refuses seconds smiles " I am going ashore only to see if I can obtain some crabs..........there is a bath and sauna, end of the street........two eateries..........."
'A bath house?"
"yep...........but......."
"I could do with a bath"
"Good luck with that"
Okano and Hirate both look at him with surprise, there is not a little pain in that "good luck with that'
'What do you mean by that?'
But cook just smiles, and remains silent.
There is of course, only one thing to do once the boat touches shore. Both Stokers make straight for the bath house, impossible to miss at the streets end.
They meet the proprietor, pay her the money, gather the towels, strip, and enter to one of Japans great traditions .
A bath, a warm bath..........
They enter a large room, wooden benches, the charcoal briars, the water, the pails, and stoney silence
Five men occupy the baths, five wiry, hard, crew cut men
'"This bath is reserved for Namikaze, Nomikaze men". The words are cold, and menace filled.
'pardon me?, did I hear some one speak? Hirate replies.
"Let me re prhase that......this bath is reserved for real fighting men, men who can actually kill a submarine"
'Is that so........."?
'It is"
Men stand. Men bristle.
Hirate turns toards Okano.......'how many battles have we seen now old friend?"
'So many, I suppose another will not matter"
Chiburi is a ship that can barely master the art of war.
But two of her men know how to fight a battle
Hirate, Okano, will enjoy their bath.
Five other men, I am afraid, do not.
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RE: The little ship that could. - 
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