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Cuttlefish -> RE: Small Ship, Big War (8/11/2007 2:32:51 AM)
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February 21, 1943
Location: Balikpapan
Course: In port
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 419
Orders: Return to Balikpapan to refuel and rearm.
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The Japanese fleet anchors in Balikpapan Bay. While Hibiki awaits its turn at the docks Captain Ishii grants leave to as many of the crew as possible. This will be the first chance the crew has had to go ashore since the fleet left Truk some weeks ago.
Though the men are not inclined to be picky, Balikpapan is in truth not much of a place. Fifty years ago it was a small and unknown fishing village. The discovery of oil there changed that, and the Dutch oil companies built a neat if uninspiring town near the entrance to the bay. The town, the wharves, and the oil facilities are now under Japanese management, and there are no Dutch or other Europeans to be seen. A Japanese Army regiment is stationed here, and there are quite a few base force personnel as well.
The deep bay is lined with mangrove swamps, and beyond them rise low hills covered by dense rain forest. Like other tropical ports Hibiki has visited Balikpapan is hot and humid, and the swamps and the oil facilities give the place an interesting blend of vapors and odors. The area around the town has little of the exotic beauty of some of the places Hibiki has visited, such as Truk or Espiritu Santo. Balikpapan does have two of the things the men of Hibiki most need, however, places to drink and room to just walk around.
To the chagrin of the crew, however, there are no women to be found. The men think with regret of the women in places such as Saigon or Singapore, places not too far away. Somehow the chance of seeing an orangutan or a pygmy elephant in the nearby forest just does not compare.
The rescued sailors go ashore, two of them still on litters, and Hibiki’s decks no longer resemble a refugee camp. Late in the day Captain Ishii goes ashore as well. Admiral Ozawa has received new orders and wishes to brief his ship captains.
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“The enemy gathered a great many ships for their operation on Timor,” Admiral Ozawa says. He is speaking to the other officers at a polished wooden conference table in a meeting room that once belonged to a Dutch oil executive. Now Japanese maps and charts line the walls. “Some were sunk, and many more were damaged. We estimate that at least 15 capital ships sustained significant damage, as well as many smaller warships and transport type vessels.” He steps to a large wall map and indicates the west coast of Australia.
“There are no major repair facilities in this area,” he says. “They will need to send these ships to the other side of Australia at the least, and probably many of them will return to America.” He points to the Torres Strait on the map. “The enemy cannot use the northern route to send their ships back because we control the air in this region. They must instead send their ships by the southern route. And not just damaged ships,” he says. “Any ships or troops they now wish to use elsewhere must be sent eastward as well.”
Ozawa indicates the southwestern coastline of Australia. On the Japanese map this area is dun-colored and completely bare of any sign of human habitation.
“Because of all this we think that a lot of enemy ships will be passing through this area. They probably already are. We are going to take three carriers – Zuikaku, Akagi, and Hiryu – and pass through the Lombok Strait into the Indian Ocean. We will move south and then east to a point here,” he marks a spot about 100 miles off the southwest Australian coast, “which should ensure that our ships go undetected. With luck we will have a chance to deal a serious blow to the enemy.”
Ozawa pauses and looks around. No one has any questions or comments. They know that Ozawa is telling them this because he likes for his subordinates to have an idea what is going on, not because he expects or needs any input.
“We will remain at Balikpapan for one more day,” he continues. “I know some of you would like more time, but that is all we can spare. For what it is worth, there should be time for refit and repair work after this mission.”
There are a few details to discuss. Half the Japanese carriers and some of the escorts will be returning to Japan. Captain Ishii has some regrets about not being in their number. Hibiki has not seen the Home Islands in nine months. But he knows his ship is still in good fighting condition, and he understands himself well enough to know that he would regret missing out on any action that might happen. He returns to Hibiki to tell the crew that they are once again going hunting.
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