1275psi
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Joined: 4/17/2005
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18/2/45
As if the devil himself was stoking the furnace of war, the taps are opened, and men, machines, and hope, roar into its flaming hell, consumed.............
As dawn breaks (0430 hours) 200 miles south of Djangas, rear Admiral Sherman of the Hornet 2, watches the first of his fighters climb into the grey sodden clouds, ready to fly combat patrols over the invasion beaches to the North.
It has been a long, but quiet night
The invasion fleet remains to his east, 40 miles away, only now making for the target beaches. There have been too many reports of Japanese ships to the north to risk it, the last thing they need, now, is a night surface engagement.
40 miles to his south West, the bombardment battlewagons too, are now steaming north
The word,from Fletcher, is go. (and how in the hell did Mr caution himself get promoted to the top job/)
They will.
(By bloody well not getting killed, like so many others already had)
Not that he is happy about it. Whatever happens, this is sure to be a costly day.
His stomach growls, a reminder of a long night awake, of a breakfast missed.
He won't get it.
"bridge, radar!"
"bridge"
'Surface contact, bearing 270 degrees true, range, 35000 yards, closing!"
"Due west?, not north?"
"Can you confirm that radar...........Captain, signalthe Reno, she's nearest , to investigate"
Sherman raises his glasses...........pointless, the horizon is dark, rain covered, shrouded
But sherman is no fool "Comms, signal all ships, expediate launching, and contact the big boy, these bloody japs are too goddam sneaky .........."
he glances around, Lexington 2 is only just commencing, Wasp 2, still not even started, bataan yet to even finish spotting.
5 destroyers only, and the CLAA Reno, between him, and whatever is behind that curtain
he raises his glasses again.'radar.any clarification?"
'No sir, the rain is hiding the contact"
'Bridge!, Reno signals.........'Am in contact, single "e" class patro vessel.am engaging"
The atmosphere, tense as bow string, relaxes slightly
Shermnan watches the light cruiser vanish into the mist, 25000 yards away, a small blur.........."
A single 'E class.............undoubtably put there to confuse the picture.
he turns to the matters in hand, todays plan. "Any further word on the enemy group captain?"
he flight operations chief smiles...........300 plus CAP, and growing sir...........enemy may be east of leyte gulf, our bombers are hitting the target, moderate numbers of japanese over head"
'So, they remain in there holes?"
'that they do............they must attack us though"
Sherman keeps his thought on that to himself..............even a blind man could see that it was them that had to attack.........would any carrier man fling himself at a fighter thick CAP like they right now were launching?.
Damn Fletcher and his caution, damn this almost pathological fear of the mystical japanese carrier forces......
To himself, quietly, he growls......."why the hell are we not rampaging about....attacking him?"
'Sir!, reno signalling!"
Sherman turns, seks the ship.............there, coming out of the rain, guns trained aft, no firing aft.steaming hard...........shell splashes all about her"
'Signal reads ..................."INJUNS!"
At 25000 yards, bursting from the mist, at 35 knots...........Chokia, 9 Akisuki class DDs
.
The furnace roars.
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RE: The little ship that could. - 
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