Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (Full Version)

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Cuttlefish -> Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 2:33:47 AM)

This AAR is based on a PBEM game, Cuttlefish vs wolffpack, scenario 42 Nik mod 8.0b. It will focus solely on the fate and fortunes of one Japanese destroyer, the Hibiki. There will be glimpses into what is happening in the wider war, but since everything will be seen from the perspective of this one ship these glimpses may be fragmented or even inaccurate.

I hope this turns out to be an interesting way to follow the game. I suspect the war looks much different from the perspective of a single overworked destroyer than it does from the position of supreme commander.

I chose DD Hibiki for a few reasons. For one thing, in my two previous PBEM games it earned a reputation as a "lucky ship", surviving surface actions and sub and air attacks unscathed where many other ships were lost. It was also pretty lucky in real life, one of the few Japanese destroyers to still be afloat at the end of the war. It also starts the war in a good position to be in the thick of the action. Finally, it is a capable destroyer but not a new one, and I liked the idea of following a somewhat aging warship around the Pacific (rather like DMS Caine from "The Caine Mutiny").

For the sake of simplicity most terms, such as Japanese naval ranks, have been translated into English.

We will join the ship on the eve of battle.



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 2:49:00 AM)

Meet the Hibiki:

IJN DD Hibiki was one of four Akatsuki class destroyers built in the early 1930s. She was completed March 30, 1933.

Displacement: 1980 tons
Length: 371' 8"
Crew: 197
Max Speed: 38 knots

Ship's Captain: Lieutenant Commander Hagumu Ishii

Here is how she looks at the start of the game:

[image]http://img02.picoodle.com/img/img02/7/1/25/hedge/f_hibiki120i_d415m_1a486fe.png[/image]



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 2:52:09 AM)

December 4, 1941

Location: Pescadores
Course: Docked
Attached to: TF 5
Mission: Shore Bombardment
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Escort Southern Force main body, Adm. Kondo commanding, to Gulf of Siam. In the event of hostilities expect opposition from British naval units based at Singapore. Attacks from British air units are also possible.

---

From: Admiral Nobutake Kondo
To: All units, Southern Force

If the diplomatic efforts currently underway should fail we are tasked with striking the first blow against Great Britain. The fate of Japan rests in our hands, and we shall not fail. I know that every man is prepared to do his duty for the Emperor.

---

From the diary of Seaman First Class Taiki Takahashi

Dec. 4, 1941

We sailed from Mako today before dawn. Rumors of war and what our mission might be have been thick ever since we sailed from Terashima Strait, but it wasn't until after we were at sea today that Captain Ishii read Admiral Kondo's message and revealed any details. The Captain seemed very serious but the men cheered and then sang "Umi Yukaba". I am very excited at the thought of seeing action. I hope I do well.

I asked Shun whether he thought I would perform bravely in battle but he just growled and said that I had better or he would beat my head in. And then he pointed to a faint patch of rust and said that if I was worrying about such drivel I had too much time on my hands and that he wanted to see that piece of deck shine. I jumped to it, recalling something Noboru once said to me about chief petty officers being more terrifying than any enemy.

The ships look so brave as we sail south! We are in formation as pretty as a training exercise, but somehow it is all different now. Now it is for real.



rtrapasso -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 3:48:48 AM)

Nice idea [&o] - but i am curious: if the ship isn't so lucky in this game, is it a short AAR, or do survivors swim to safety and get another ship, or do you "fake" it somehow (attribute the exploits to a ship that is lucky)?? [&:]



1275psi -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 4:15:48 AM)

Yes, nice idea.
From someone who has a similar AAR going -be aware of the following

Long periods when no action happens -do not do anything silly in the game just to get your heros into the war!

Also -don't get too attached!
I almost felt real grief when my 1st hero got killed!
Goodluckwith it though.



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 6:59:38 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

Nice idea [&o] - but i am curious: if the ship isn't so lucky in this game, is it a short AAR, or do survivors swim to safety and get another ship, or do you "fake" it somehow (attribute the exploits to a ship that is lucky)?? [&:]


I thought of this - if a Dutch sub gets lucky on December 8th or something I am going to feel rather foolish. At any rate any one ship's chance of surviving the entire war is pretty small, at least on the Japanese side, so I am likely to face this sooner or later. I guess it depends on how the AAR develops and at what point it happens. Perhaps seven or so survivors can wind up on the shore of an uncharted desert isle...



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 7:05:20 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Yes, nice idea.
From someone who has a similar AAR going -be aware of the following

Long periods when no action happens -do not do anything silly in the game just to get your heros into the war!

Also -don't get too attached!
I almost felt real grief when my 1st hero got killed!
Goodluckwith it though.


Thanks for the advice! What's the old saying, something about war being long stretches of boredom punctuated by short intervals of sheer terror? I will try and use Hibiki according to the dictates of war, not the AAR, but we will see. My best intentions and the results do not always match, try though I might.



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 9:39:37 AM)

December 7, 1941

Location: Khota Bharu
Course: None
Attached to: TF 5
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 447

Orders: Screen transport groups against expected attack from British naval and air units.

---

From the log of the Hibiki:

0115 hours: Heavy units of Southern Force commenced firing on shore positions. Maintained observation of shore and reported possible targets to Haruna and Atago.

0200 hours: Landings commenced. Seas moderate. Enemy fire sporadic and ineffective.

1300 hours: Three aircraft spotted approaching TF from the southeast. Ship ordered to general quarters and engines to full power to maintain firing position to starboard of Haruna. Commenced firing with anti-aircraft guns. Bombs fell well aft of Haruna, one enemy aircraft observed to be trailing smoke as it departed.

1334 hours: Four twin-engine planes observed approaching from east-southeast...

(There follow a series of entries detailing six air attacks on TF 5 over the next few hours. No hits are scored on any ships. Hibiki is not directly attacked)

1615 hours: Secured from general quarters. 60 rounds 13.2 mm ammunition expended.
---

Excerpt from a letter from Lieutenant Sakamoto Miharu to his wife:

...And then, after the excitement of the day, the Captain came back onto the bridge. I was startled to see his usually imperturbable face flushed with excitement. "Exec, look at this!" he exclaimed, thrusting a decoded flimsy into my hands. As I read it he said "Pearl Harbor! Imagine it! The audacity is breathtaking!"

I read the words reporting the destruction of the American fleet at anchor and the stunning success of our airmen and was filled with emotions. Joy, yes, but also a touch of sorrow that it was necessary to destroy those beautiful ships. My dear Kojima, I may have met some of the men killed today at Pearl Harbor during my year at Annapolis. And as I listened to the Captain give the news to the crew and heard their cheer of "Banzai!" in response I steeled myself within. For I know these Americans, and fear that perhaps the loss of their battleships will not prove as grevious a blow to them as some might think. Prepare yourself and the children, dear wife, for I fear that this will be a long and desperate war...




FeurerKrieg -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 10:16:23 AM)

*Subscribed*

Nice approach, good luck with your ship. I say, if Hibiki goes down, move to another ship, maybe one that comes out of the shipyards around the same time that Hibiki goes under.



Terminus -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 10:19:19 AM)

Cool idea... If you wanted a "lucky ship", you could also have chosen the Shigure; she lasted nearly the whole war through plenty of battles that saw horrendous casualties on the IJN side.



rtrapasso -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 2:51:30 PM)

quote:

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Cool idea... If you wanted a "lucky ship", you could also have chosen the Shigure; she lasted nearly the whole war through plenty of battles that saw horrendous casualties on the IJN side.



Yep - she was SOLE survivor in two major battles, iirc. At one point she went into drydock for steering problems, and found a nice round torpedo sized hole in it - where an USN torpedo had failed to detonate... but even her luck ran out eventually (a sub got her, iirc).

EDIT: from her TROM:
"24 January 1945:
Sunk: Torpedoed by USS BLACKFIN (SS-322) in Gulf of Siam, 160 miles east of Khota Bharu, Malaya (06 N, 103-48 E). Sank in 10 minutes with 37 killed, 17 injured; 270 survivors, including Lieutenant Commander Hagiwara (to C.O. KASHI), rescued by KANJU and MIYAKE."




Terminus -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 2:59:28 PM)

The Blackfin, on 1/24/45.



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/26/2007 9:21:43 PM)

December 8, 1941

Location: Khota Bharu
Course: None
Attached to: TF 5
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 421

Orders: Screen transport groups against expected attack from British naval and air units.

---

On the bridge of the Hibiki, 2200 hours:

Lieutenant Miharu: Welcome back, Captain
Captain Ishii: Thank you, Exec
Lieutenant Miharu: What did the Admiral have to say?
Captain Ishii: Our orders are unchanged. There have been no sightings of any British naval vessels since the war started. If they are moving to interfere with the landings they are being exceptionally stealthy about it.
Lieutenant Miharu: I confess, sir, I do not know whether to be disappointed or relieved.
Captain Ishii: Admiral Kondo is, I think, disappointed. While the transports unload we are tethered here, but do not be surprised if we receive orders to go hunting soon.
Lieutenant Miharu: Better to engage them here, under cover of our own aircraft, I would think.
Captain Ishii: Do not be too fretted about their aircraft. You see what they have accomplished so far *gestures out at the untouched warships of the Southern Force*.
Lieutenant Miharu: If I may be frank, sir, I think what our own aircraft did at Pearl Harbor might indicate the danger is greater than that. Five battleships sunk!
Captain Ishii: Bah. Those ships were taken by surprise at anchor in a crowded harbor. I'll believe planes can sink a battleship under way when I see it.

---

From the diary of Seaman First Class Taiki Takahashi

Dec. 8, 1941

I am very tired, but wish to write down at least something of what I have seen so far. I am tired because not only were we under air attack for much of the day but I had so spend much of last night studying aircraft recognition silhouttes. You see, at one point yesterday I pointed up at a bomber passing overhead and made the mistake of yelling to Shun over the roar of the guns "Is that a B-17?" It seemed so huge!

Shun glanced up once, then slapped me on the top of my helmet. "Bakayaro!" he said. "That is a Hudson." Then he went about his business, but after things had quieted down he handed me the cards and said that if I could not recognize every single one of them at a glance by tomorrow he would kick me the length of the ship.

We can hear some artillery fire from onshore but the fighting has moved inland and we can't see much. We can see some smoke rising but that is all. There is another column of smoke rising from that transport that was hit by a bomb this morning but that had diminished by nightfall and they say the ship will be okay.

All day long today the planes came, but none of our warships were hit, just the poor transport. I saw one bomber go down into the sea. One moment it was a plane and the next just a distant splash. The gunners cheered, but I really think that Haruna shot it down. They'll get the credit, anyway, the battleships always do.

They say that we have captured Guam and Wake Island, and that our soldiers are ashore on the Philippines. It sounds like the war is going well. I wonder if Noboru is safe?



wneumann -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/27/2007 12:36:03 AM)

Another DD to try if you lose this one - the Yukikaze (Kagero class). It survived to the end of the war (escorted the Yamato and picked up survivors on its last mission), then it was turned over to the Chinese (1947) , renamed Tan Yang, and finally sunk in 1970.  



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/28/2007 8:35:28 AM)

December 9, 1941

Location: Khota Bharu
Course: None
Attached to: TF 5
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 395

Orders: Screen transport groups against expected attack from British naval and air units.

---

Excerpt from a letter from Lieutenant Sakamoto Miharu to his wife:

...and then we received word that the transports had recovered the last of their barges and were weighing anchor. Not too soon for me. The air attacks are becoming more persistent. There was a very bad moment today, in fact. I was watching through my binoculars as three biplanes dropped out of the clouds and attacked the Kongo. They were unshakable in the face of the anti-aircraft fire. I even saw one struck, but though it wobbled it did not abandon its attack. The British are worthy fighters.

As they banked away there was a pause, and then a huge geyser of water rose into the air as Kongo was struck dead amidships. I could hear groans on the bridge from others who were watching. These turned to cheers, however, when the mighty ship emerged from the column with her speed unchanged. She signaled that the damage was minor and that no assistance was needed.

The Captain clapped me on the shoulder and said "There, Exec! You see? Airplanes are no match for our battleships!" I confess I retain my doubts on this score, dear wife, but in this case I was not unhappy to be proven wrong...



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/28/2007 8:54:19 AM)

December 10, 1941

Location: 60 miles south of Saigon
Course: North
Attached to: TF 5
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 359

Orders: Proceed with the rest of the Southern Force to Saigon and take on fuel and ammuntion (24% of AA ammunition was expended at Khota Bharu)

---

From the diary of Seaman First Class Taiki Takahashi

Late in the day we spotted a flight of five biplanes passing astern, well out of range. They were heading southeast, so I guess they must have already attacked someone else. Riku wondered aloud what kind they were, and even though they were far away I automatically said "They are Fairey Swordfish, a British torpedo plane." Riku looked at me admiringly and said "You know a lot about planes, Taiki!" I tried to look modest.



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/29/2007 12:58:40 AM)

December 11, 1941

Location: Saigon
Course: Docked
Attached to: TF 5
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 353

Orders: Dock at Saigon and take on fuel and ammuntion




Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/29/2007 2:14:19 AM)

December 12, 1941

Location: Saigon
Course: Docked
Attached to: TF 5
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Wait for orders

---

At Le Matelot d'Ivre, a pub near the Japanese naval docks in Saigon:

Riku: Taiki! Over here! *Taiki spots his friend through the noise and smoke and makes his way to the table* Glad you could make it! Shun finally let you go, I see.

Taiku: Finally. I didn't think we'd ever get done stowing that ammo.

Riku: Chief petty officers are born to torment us.

Third sailor: Chief petty officers aren't born. They are hatched, like reptiles.

Riku: *indicates the two other sailors at the table* Taiki, these fine fellows are from the Kondo. They have been buying the rounds to celebrate their good fortune off Malaya.

Taiki: Sounds good to me. How is your ship?

Fourth sailor: *shakes his head* It is the strangest thing. Heaven must indeed have its hand over us. The torpedo hit, we all saw and felt the explosion..

Third sailor: Damn near jarred my fillings loose!

Fourth sailor: ...but the hull wasn't even dented. Hardly even scratched!

Taiki: *as his drink is delivered* Here is to your good fortune!

All: Hai!

Riku: So, you battleship boys get all the news. What do you hear about the war?

Third sailor: We have captured Brunei, I hear, and Menado.

Fourth sailor: I hear our troops are 50 miles inland at Lingayen and driving on Clark Field.

Third sailor: A sailor off Mogami was saying our carriers have struck at San Diego!

Taiki: San Diego?

Third sailor: *shrugs* Of course, he also claimed he was Admiral Yamamoto's son...



Kane -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/29/2007 5:21:25 PM)

Very original AAR. Keep on it ;)

Greetings from spain!!



Mike Solli -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/29/2007 5:31:28 PM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

*Subscribed*

Nice approach, good luck with your ship. I say, if Hibiki goes down, move to another ship, maybe one that comes out of the shipyards around the same time that Hibiki goes under.


I'd suggest that if the Hibiki sinks and the CO survives, assign him to another ship and drive on.

I would have suggested the Yukikaze. She survived the entire war with the same skipper for most or all of it.



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/29/2007 11:26:25 PM)

December 13, 1941

Location: Saigon
Course: Docked
Attached to: TF 5
Mission: Shore Bombardment
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: Proceed to Mersing with the rest of the Southern Force and bombard the airfield and coastal defenses there in preparation for landings by the 55th Division. Expect heavy air attacks. Enemy fleet is believed to be in Makassar Strait, but this is not confirmed. At least 5 enemy submarines are known to be operating in the Gulf of Siam.

---

In the captain's cabin aboard Hibiki:

The captain and executive officer are studying a chart spread across the captain's small desk

Captain Ishii: We have assurances from the Army and Navy air forces that the enemy runways will be closed by air attack before we arrive.

Lieutenant Miharu: Yes sir.

Captain Ishii: I know, I don't believe it either. *pauses* Did you see Suzuya when she came into port this morning?

Lieutenant Miharu: Yes sir. A real mess. But they say she will be back at sea in a couple of months.

Captain Ishii: Yes. Two torpedo hits, it could have been much worse. *more briskly* Well, we have a job to do whether the enemy attempts to hinder us or not. Make all preparations to be underway by 0600 hours tomorrow.

Lieutenant Miharu: Yes sir! *salutes and departs*





Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/29/2007 11:44:47 PM)

December 14, 1941

Location: 180 miles south-southeast of Saigon
Course: South
Attached to: TF 5
Mission: Shore Bombardment
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 443

Orders: Rendevous with Mersing invasion task forces at 5º 52" N, 105º 95" E.



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/30/2007 12:00:06 AM)

December 15, 1941

Location: 180 miles south-southeast of Saigon
Course: Steaming in circles
Attached to: TF 5
Mission: Shore Bombardment
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 419

Orders: Rendevous with Mersing invasion task forces at 5º 52" N, 105º 95" E.

---

On the bridge of the Hibiki:

Ensign: Sir, the Admiral is signaling all ships.

Captain Ishii: Very good. What is he saying?

Ensign: Transport task force has missed rendezvous and is proceeding directly to invasion beaches. We are to proceed south and overtake them.

Captain Ishii: What! Is their commander mad? *sighs* Very well. Helmsman, maintain our course and speed relative to Kongo. Engine room stand by. *mutters to himself* What idiot is running this invasion, anyway?



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/31/2007 8:24:03 PM)

December 16, 1941

Location: 250 miles north of Mersing
Course: South
Attached to: TF 5
Mission: Shore Bombardment
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 392

Orders: Bombard enemy coastal defenses at Mersing.



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (1/31/2007 9:11:47 PM)

December 17, 1941

Location: Mersing
Course: North by Northwest
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 347

Orders: Escort the damaged battleship Haruna back to Saigon.

---

From the diary of Seaman First Class Taiki Takahashi

Dec. 17, 1941

For the first time the Hibiki's main guns have been fired at the enemy! Our task force approached the coast of Malaya in the darkness. How still everything was, how quiet! And then the battleships opened fire, and then the cruisers. At first all we could see was shells bursting ashore, blossoms of flame in the dark. After a few moments some enemy guns near the shore started to fire, and the captain gave orders for us to open fire. The enemy guns did not fire very long. After that it was just the flash and boom of our guns and the explosions ashore, slowly moving inland. At one point there was a huge explosion that lit the night sky as our shells found a store of enemy fuel or ammunition.

How beautiful it all was, and how terrible. The bursting shells looked like flowers. I thought that it must look much different to the British soldiers who were under the barrage.

At length the guns of our task force fell silent. We could see many fires burning. We turned out to sea to put some distance between us and the land before sunrise.

Not enough distance! The sun had only been up an hour when a large group of enemy planes found us. Our two anti aircraft guns fired almost continuously in defense of the larger ships, for they were the ones attacked. Haruna was hit by several bombs and at least one torpedo, but the mighty ship did not falter. Finally the attack was over. Haruna had some small fires burning, but these were quickly extinguished. From here the damage does not look too bad.

---

Action Report, destroyer Hibiki

Date: Dec. 16-17 Location: Off Mersing
Action Details: Approached Mersing under cover of darkness to attack enemy defenses in preparation for troop landings.

2240: "Prepare for bombardment"
2337: "All ships commence firing"
0120: "Cease fire"
0802: Enemy planes sighted. Task force attacked by at least 35 enemy torpedo and level bombers. Fired anti-aircraft in defense of Haruna. Haruna struck by 2 bombs and 1 torpedo.
0900: Detached from task force and ordered to escort Haruna back to Saigon.

Ammunition expended
Main battery 5" shells: 24 rounds 13.2mm AA: 1560 rounds

Battle Results
Significant damage inflicted on enemy airfield and shore defenses

Damage
None

---

Task Force 123

[image]http://img02.picoodle.com/img/img02/7/1/31/hedge/f_hibiki121i_d415m_a0919ad.png[/image]




Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (2/1/2007 8:58:22 AM)

December 18, 1941

Location: Soc Trang
Course: North
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface Combat
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 281

Orders: Escort the damaged battleship Haruna back to Saigon.

---

On the bridge of the Hibiki

Lieutenant Miharu: Sir, I observe that we are trailing Haruna. Wouldn't it make more sense for us to proceed or flank her? The danger in these waters is from submarine attack. Several transports have been hit in this area in the last few days.

Captain Ishii: Captain Maeno's orders, Exec. He thinks this is the best position for us to help protect Haruna from air attack.

Lieutenant Miharu: I see, sir. You have served with Captain Maeno, haven't you? What sort of officer is he?

Captain Ishii *neutrally* Captain Maeno is known as a promising and careful officer. He is best qualified to command a surface fleet.

Lieutenant Miharu: Yes sir.

Captain Ishii: *in a lower voice* Maeno is an idiot. I wouldn't trust him to captain a sampan across a lake. Admiral Kondo must have taken advantage of this situation to return him to fleet headquarters.



FeurerKrieg -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (2/1/2007 9:34:02 AM)

quote:

Captain Ishii *neutrally* Captain Maeno is known as a promising and careful officer. He is best qualified to command a surface fleet.


Classic!! [:D]

This thread is GREAT, keep up the good writing. I keep looking forward to the next post in my inbox at work.

Do you know if anyone else does an AAR in this style?



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (2/1/2007 10:01:40 AM)


quote:

ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg

This thread is GREAT, keep up the good writing. I keep looking forward to the next post in my inbox at work.

Do you know if anyone else does an AAR in this style?


Thanks for the encouragement! The only other AAR from a narrow perspective that I know of is "Wobbly vs herb, ens hanamato" done by 1275psi (he had some good advice for me earlier in the thread). There may be others, but I'm unaware of them if so.



Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (2/2/2007 6:14:41 AM)

December 19, 1941

Location: Saigon
Course: Disbanded in port
Attached to: None
Mission: None
System Damage: 0
Fuel: 475

Orders: After taking on fuel and supplies proceed to Kuching and rejoin Admiral Kondo's Southern Force. Opposition to the invasion of Kuching by surface units is considered possible. British fleet elements were seen heading south from Menado three days ago and their current strength and whereabouts are unknown.

---

From the diary of Seaman First Class Taiki Takahashi

Back in Saigon, but no time ashore this trip. We are to head back out to sea as soon as we can. There was news on the docks, though. Our forces have captured Davao, and some place called Tarawa. And it seems our planes have sunk the might battle cruiser Revenge! It happened at some place called Menado.

I asked Shun where Menado was and he slapped me on the back of the head. "Bakayaro!" he said. "Do they teach you nothing at Yokosuka these days?" He stomped off, but returned shortly with several maps. "Here," he said, thrusting them at me. "You will be able to answer all my questions about these maps tomorrow or I will tear off your ears and shove them down your throat." Then he stomped off again.

I fear I will get little sleep tonight. The Chief is rarely given to idle threats.



Kane -> RE: Small Ship, Big War - The Voyages of the Hibiki (2/2/2007 9:34:00 AM)

Oh.. poor Takahashi. He must study or his ears will go with de Revenge ;)

Greetings from Spain!!



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