1275psi
Posts: 7979
Joined: 4/17/2005 Status: offline
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18th march Dawn Rabual harbour Destroyer Le Triomphant. 38 knots. 38 knots. I think only destroyer men can understand what that figure means. The vibration, the hissing seas, the wind, the noise, the rooster tail..... Things happen fast at 38 knots. The lean grey ship literally skids through the harbour mouth, and there are too many targets, too many fat glorious targets to count. A small patrol craft.....trying to come about. A salvo, it explodes, sinks Guns swing, and the first fat Tanker, the first Replenishment ship, AO Nippon Maru, is on the destroyers flank....and moments later, it is sliding astern, riddled, burning, burning. The Captain swings Le Triomphant full rudder, she heals, heals, men slide, water piles up her flank, helm hard the other way, another AO, Kokoyo maru, the guns bark, hit, hit, hit, another patrol boat, hit KAARBANG!!, debris, and ANOTHER AO, hit, hit, hit, goodbye Kenyo maru, burn you Barsted burn!, VIV LA FRANCE! And as fast as she appears, she is out of the harbour, heading south, a column of smoke 5 miles high marking her triumph. And Cruiser Chokai bars her way. Almost with disdain the destroyer twists, turns, speeds away, 39 knots now. And if skipper wants, Engines says he can give him more.
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big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt
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