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Cuttlefish -> Small Ship, Big War (9/17/2009 8:26:51 PM)
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June 14, 1945
Location: Wakkanai
Course: None
Attached to: TF 21
Mission: Surface combat
System Damage: 5
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 475
Orders: see below
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It is not much of a meeting room, simply the front half of a warehouse. The back is piled with crates bearing the stamp of the Imperial Japanese Navy, though a persistent smell of fish betrays the building’s original use. In front there are several rows of folding chairs. In these are seated officers from the twenty-one ships of Rear Admiral Yamamoto’s task force.
Yamamoto walks out into the space in front of them. He has no lectern or dias and no large flags or maps hang in the background.
“Remain seated, please,” says the admiral. “Let us get this over with quickly.” He rocks back and forth on his feet a couple of times and then places his hands behind his back and begins.
“Tonight we set sail for the enemy-held ports of Yamaguchi,” he says. “We will attempt to get as close as possible before being detected but being detected will not deter us from our mission. That mission is to destroy the enemy surface forces guarding the ports and, if possible, to sink or drive away as much shipping as possible.
“The latest reports,” he continues, “show many enemy ships in the area. There are at least four battleships there. We have positively identified one of them as Texas. There are many enemy carriers near the northern entrance to the Korea Strait.” The assembled officers stir, but no one speaks.
“You have all faced the Americans in battle and know what kind of firepower they have,” Yamamoto says. “You all know what their planes can do. You can figure the odds as well as I.” He looks down at the floor for a moment, then raises his head and looks at the officers again.
“I suppose I should say something noble and inspirational,” he says. “But I fear you have the wrong commander for that. I do not speak well. We have our orders and we will carry them out. That is really all there is to say. For what it is worth, the enemy forces have been battered this past week. Our aircraft have reported many sinkings. I am sure most of these are wishful thinking but there is little doubt many of their carriers, cruisers, and battleships have been forced to withdraw due to damage. Our submarines have also been busy with both torpedoes and mines.” Yamamoto takes a breath.
“We leave tonight, as I said. The enemy is on Japanese soil. There can be no thought of holding back forces for another day. This is the final test. Good luck to all of you. May we meet again at Yasukuni Shrine.”
He turns and walks away. Dust motes, disturbed by his passage, dance in the beams of sunlight slanting down from the dirty windows set high up in the walls. The officers stand and talk quietly among themselves for a while before leaving to return to their own ships. They will depart Wakkanai in a few hours and few among them believe they will ever return.
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