RE: The little ship that could.

RE: The little ship that could. (Full Version)

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1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/16/2013 12:04:30 AM)
"Torpedo!!!!, starboard side!" Takeji's voice cracks across the bridge, slicing through the wind, the sounds of the waves, Zuiho's little heart screaming up towards full speed....'Range!, bearing!, give me a TRUKING Bearing!" 200 yards!, aft quarter!, Astern to forward! reactions A life of sailing ships, of steering ships, of bearings and courses and fixes................. "Hard to PORT! " Zuiho leans, leans...................and the silver streak passes, passes down her flank.........and misses..............

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/16/2013 12:21:37 AM)
9/4/44 Dawn Abe has sought the rain Abe has found it. It deep murk , pouring rain, the fleet, minus 3 carriers, steams on The plan was for Hiyo, Shinyo and Ryuho to race ahead, race into the Arafura sea. Two of these ships are far astern now, Hiyo listing, half her machinery spaces flooded. Shinyo detached, unmanageable. Both have but a single destroyer as escort. In these waters, with so many Buka's lurking about.................. Protect the living, let the dead rest............... Takeji greets Hidaka with a smile, a smile that this half light looks even more gahstly...he has, it seems, aged 20 years in 20 hours. he hands the latest slip to Hidake..........'Good morning dead man" 'Ney?" "read it, and weep...........or laugh, whatever takes your fancy" The signal is simple. An intercepted American message. "have sunk CVL Zuiho position XYZ" Takeji's smile vanishes "CVL Ryujo succumbed last night....Shinyo looks similiar to us..........I don't feel too bad for a dead man, how about yourself?"

whippleofd -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/16/2013 2:09:41 AM)
Oh.... you sly little snipe.

BBfanboy -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/16/2013 2:19:59 AM)
Let's hope Zuiho fares better than CV Ark Royal which Lord Haw Haw pronounced sunk several times before she ultimately did catch a single U-boat torp and sink.

PaxMondo -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/16/2013 2:32:52 AM)
quote: ORIGINAL: 1275psi ".........and the silver streak passes, passes down her flank.........and misses.............. Whoo-Hooo!!! <victory dance> [sm=00000436.gif]

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/16/2013 4:42:28 AM)
Even as Combined fleet chases the rain, hiding from what ever the reeling allies can retaliate with, part two of the plan erupts into action Flush em out, and kill them Many ships, a great many ships have fled towards wessel island, deep in the Arafura sea. The wolves are released Flying from Biak, from the nest of airfields there, the carefully preserved betty units come a hunting.. Some hit Hollandia, and die. But a great many attack into these waters that until now have been considered safe, , and the killing begins. Forstall invasions. That has been the grand plan. 18 betties find a convoy north of Wessel island, the torpedoes strike. 5 large APA's are sunk Further raids will kill more. One less division lift available yes? The Japanes 24th air flottilla, operating mainly from Ambon pounds babar And CVL Ryuho, (and OH for her companions to be with her now) strikes. Just 9 brave Kate crews, 4 of whom will not return attack a CL, miss, but hit a DD, that explodes with a satisfactory violence. For combined fleet the day is long, and wet, full of anxiety, yet also a steady satisfaction fills her many bridges. Darwin Nuetralised. saumalaki, babar also. No battleships hurt. The enemy fleeing Clear skies tomorrow Even as the fast battleships rejoin, and others depart to throw their shells at the imperialists, Abe gives the orders for tomorrow. The sword is shiny, it is sharp. Strike. The attack will continue

kaleun -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/16/2013 3:50:16 PM)
Awesome!

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/17/2013 7:27:10 AM)
10 April Zuiho meets a brilliant clear dawn Few, if any, have slept this night, but right now, it does not matter. Over a azure green sea, white caps strewn as far as the eye can see, the carriers have turned into wind Over the night, Yamato and Musashi have pounded Thursday islend, Chokai and Atago have hit Darwin again, and Nagato has added her metal to babar Allied air power is all but grounded. Its been a while since combined fleet has had the pleasure......... Bones in teeth, they launch. 300 bombers, 60 fighters, target Thursday island. There is no aerial opposition, and every plane returns, the base annihilated. Midday comes quickly, and our carriers work hard, the anti shipping strikes begin Furataka, Kinsugasa, Kumano and a destroyer have engaged the enemy in a running fight near wessel island.....enemy cruisers! Attack! The range is great. Very great, but there are no shortage of volunteers Cl St loiuse will be hit by a torpedo, a destroyer is sunk. A grab bag of large APA's and APs swallow fish. And the enemy continue to flee But there is one fly in the ointment CVE Shinyo reports a submarine sighting............and is swiftly sunk. Another carrier falls to the underwater Buka's.

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/17/2013 7:40:52 AM)
11 April Hidaka gathers his pilots about him. The wind is whipping hard, cold today, the decks under their feet wet from the scattered showers. Zuiho trembles beneath his feet, she is steaming hard, as are her brothers, hard into the Arafura sea. The fleet has split into two, regathered its destroyers, the battleships, even some cruisers. Shokaku, Zuikaku, Taiho, Ryuho, Aso, Chitose, Chiyoda are now 60 miles behind them. Soryu leads Zuiho and 4 unryu class south at high speed, today they must, simply must reap a harvest. Hidaka seeks the eyes of his men. They are tired men now, very tired. ....... "Samuri never sleep, never weary, until victory, or until death yes?" The men do not answer. They do not have to, they know as well as any man alive the Japanese warrior code. "Good." Hidaka draws his sword, examines the blade in the morning light, watches the salt spray begin to speckle its brilliant shine. He shoves it back into its scabbard with a satisfactory hiss "Time to live to it.......to your planes men" Soryu raises her flags, and turns her bows into the wind Takeji gives his orders, and zuiho plants her face into the sweet smell of salt and spray. The steam trails down the deck "Commence launching" 0500 hours 4th day of battle? And its going to be another hot one.

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/17/2013 7:51:14 AM)
Extract from Shattering the sword, a cantona production. ..many of course, have queried just what was the point of this great raid, why take the risks, why expose so many ships to the lurking menace below? Hiyo torpedoed twice, limping home, safe for the moment. CVE Shinyo sunk And on this Morning, just as her last aircraft depart, Zuikaku is finally caught by a fish.......... On the face of it, especially with Zuikaku's hit, this is a mission of futility. But dig further. Into Timor.........another regiment is inserted where it should never have been allowed to. To the north of Timor, yet more troops arrive safely in nominally allied air range. Troops that will have to be destroyed, which will take time, and time is now pushing against the Allies. With so many aircraft damaged or destroyed, and now the equivalent of 2 divisions of lift sunk, how badly has Japan disrupted plans for advancement into the DEI? Time will tell, but for now, for this day, there is another, more subtle mission. April 44, and Combined fleet is sending a very special message to Allied command It still has the capacity to dominate an area of ITS choosing. And for Herbiesan, seeking to further weaken allied moral, this is a very good thing indeed.

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/17/2013 7:56:10 AM)
Zuikaku's hit 14 destroyer escorts 20 odd aircraft on ASW patrol And still hit , in daylight!!!! TRUK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 21 system, 41 flt, 16 eng damage, she had fires...........but put them out (Hiyo is half way to soerabaya with 22 system, 47 flood, 2 eng, flood improving) Am I the unluckiest japanese player re SS and CV's EVA! (Why don't they attack the escorts, or nice big fat battleships for gawds sake like they seem to do for everyone else...LOL)

PaxMondo -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/17/2013 1:09:16 PM)
Really, Cantona's sub ops are amazing. He needs to write a tactical paper and publish it in the forums. Never seen or heard of such success as he has had.

ny59giants -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/17/2013 4:48:31 PM)
quote: Really, Cantona's sub ops are amazing.� He needs to write a tactical paper and publish it in the forums.� Never seen or heard of such success as he has had. He needs to auction it off on E-Bay. [:D]

british exil -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/17/2013 6:35:41 PM)
If he really wanted, maybe he could write a book about Sub warfare in the South Pacific. He might even earn his Doctor title with it. But fun aside, glad that the crew of our little ship could avoid a dreadful fate and continue to fight another day. Mat

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/18/2013 7:32:56 AM)
Charge settles onto his tool box yet again Above them, the hatch is again screwed down, the world barred to them. It is going to be a long, long day. Zuiho's engines beat the same beat, the fans scream, his men are at their posts. Fear is at the door. But what can one do? There is nothing one can do, but wait. Wait and bare it. He has his cup of tea, he has a couple of pork rolls, stolen nicely earlier this morning, and he has his guage. Pressure guages, something he has never really been able to get his head around..but maybe today he will. Zuiho leans, the bells ring. Full power........... Half garbled, the broadcast battles the engine rooms bedlam......."launch aircraft" Carefully charge removes the back cover, the little screws placed into a cup. He peers at the guages innards. How in the hell, my little friend, do you work? Tentatively, he pokes at a spring. "Crap" Not a good move.......... OK, lets try this......... In another world, another universe, darwin is struck by the wieght of 200 bombers......... "Another cup Chief?" No, not now, I think I have this worked out.........'"No, no thanks, get me an oil can can you please?'...... In another world, bombers attack the main body...........and are shot down to a man. And before you know it, its midday Ziuho bounces...........the bombers returning from the search The tannoy speaks again 'Takeji here...........we are going to strike an enemy task force to our south, prepare strike aircraft" The guage works now, works perfectly. Hunger suddenly bites. A long day indeed. Yet again, the calls for full power. Zuiho, launching her strike............ Food comes, welcome indeed. With it, the outside world, and real news. The weather?, cruddy, the enemy?, nary a sign. although some Liberators were sighted on the horizon. The fleet?.........nobody hit yet, apparently. The hours drag by, the engines whine, the air remains hot, the news thin Aircraft are recoverd, apparently. All of them And then, just like that.........."hands fall out of action stations, assume state 2" Charge meets the watch change, chats a bit, then its the sweet night air. the day: Combined fleet strikes Darwin, 4 AK 1 AD 1 AS 2 DE sunk, the port trashed Allied strikes consisted of multiple Liberator attacks, all missing 12 beaufighters, 4 hellcats taken down by the CAP Zuiho's bombers participate in strike on allied Surface Action group 3 DD are sunk, 2 heavily damaged, CL St Loiuse 3 hits, heavy damage A seperate strike south places a bomb into CA baltimore, 2 into CL mobile No allied Aircraft approached the task force Zuiho is in, so Hidaka circles with out luck, again. Every single allied ship remaining is passing Horn island or headed that way............ A squad of Japanese paras recon Babar, there are still 2 divisions on the island, including the 1st Marines........ The fleet will regather around wounded Zuikaku, and now make for home..........a race against the pursuing ss no doubt.

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/20/2013 6:30:20 AM)
April 12 It is near midnight, and the room in which Herbiesan is in is quiet and still he stares at a photograph, a young man, handsome, strong,, in flying uniform stares back. The quiet extends, and extends. After some time, he reluctantly puts the photo into the desks top drawer, and locks it away. he picks up the piece of paper, only so very recently delivered from the Swiss Embassy. He reads the paper, again There has been a speach in the white house. Several , in fact. He reads the words again, so carefully underlined ..............this nation is war weary............... War weary, war weary, war weary................ (Turns have been drying up, and Cantona speaks of being AEWITP jaded..........we wait to hear his reply from my tentative peace feelers.........)

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/20/2013 6:38:27 AM)
Attacking heavily armed bombers is no joke................ Hidaka attacks the great beast from the rear. The attack begins out on the port side, and he literrally skids and sweeps his fighter across its tail , left to right, then wheels into its rear right flank, peeling down and away under its tail. Oh so easy to picture, not so easy to do. Tracer chases him all the way, whipping frighteningly close, his dancing in reply across the bukas great fat arse...... But even as he wrenches the stick to climb back, the man, the Zuiho man following him streaks past, wing breaking free, the zero already beginning to turn into a white hot meteor of flame and death........... Teeth grinding, breath grunting he climbs again,, fires again, range too too far, and falls away, the sky balckeing around him as the fleets guns engage.

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/20/2013 6:48:17 AM)
Takeji counts them -13 strong, coming swiftly, coming on strong, liberators, huge at 7000 feet. Zuiho's 4.7's begin to bark, adding to the massed pyrotechnics of the fleet. Tone steams on his flank, her main guns barking. Even Kirishima's 14 inchers are pointing skyward.... About the bombers the fighters dance, bees to the deadly flowers..........and at least three fall, black streaks, fluttering wings and fuselages...... 7000 feet..........a suicidal height for heavy bombers. Tone gets one. Then another. the black, purple, orange green clouds chase the beasts closer, and closer, the guns raising, and raising. The little black beetles begin to fall......a moment of calculation, Zuiho is not targetted....... The bombs miss everyone...........another futile attack indeed. Combined fleet recovers its last killer strike against Darwin, CL St loiuse finally put away.............and continues to crawl north east,. Zuikaku is stuck at 7 knots. The fleet shepherds her. Tokyo, and home, is a long, long way away. Zuiho loses a fighter, and a pilot today. vale unknown warrior

John 3rd -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/20/2013 7:36:25 AM)
Once this fight is over, can we get a tally of sinkings from the Operation?

PaxMondo -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/20/2013 10:44:04 PM)
quote: ORIGINAL: 1275psi ...(Turns have been drying up, and Cantona speaks of being AEWITP jaded..........we wait to hear his reply from my tentative peace feelers.........) OH NO!! He hasn't logged in here since July last year and he doesn't even update his blog since last October... I hope everything is ok with him...

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/21/2013 6:02:21 AM)
High guys No turns again............ new wife, baby, getting a license......but I do think we might be in trouble for turns....... John, for the record, not as impressive as it sounded For 1 CV damaged, 1 CVL damaged, 1 CVE sunk, and 2 DD lost 1 CL 6 DD 2 DE 2 ss 1 AS 1 AD 8 AK and 12 APA (large ones) sunk Allies, depressingly can replace in a week, but it will take time to marshall a new darwin invasion force I am feeling very lost with no AAR to write tonight......................[:(]

John 3rd -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/22/2013 3:29:34 AM)
Sad regarding what might be happening with your opponent. If he quits is there the chance of a substitute player? Your results are rather less then what was expected. The losses sustained by the CV Fleet are depressing as well...

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/23/2013 8:07:22 AM)
Ok 1st, thanks to all PMs, thankfully game seems to continue, cantona is teaching 4 nights a week, trying to learn to drive, and is about to have a baby, so getting a room together. So real life is getting in his way.............. To be honest, one just has to give Cantona a chance April 14th "I seem to be doing this too much" thinks Takeji, as he lowers his glasses again. But despite all internal resolutions to not do it, ones eyes just keep being dragged back to the great warship 1000 yards away. Zuikaku continues to drag herself painfully through the seas., her deck tilted at more than 20 degrees, her bow low. her flooding has stabilised, it seems, yet her painful progress remains at 7 lousy knots. About her, spread across this bright blue mill pond, the fleet plods on. The escorts do, that is. The carriers need wind across the deck today, and they have had a busy day completing racetracks about Zuikaku, , a task far easier to talk about than do. But there have been no SSattacks, not yet , anyway.......... Zuiho's Jills are all away, flying ASW patrol, her zeros, (only 11 available today!) constantly launching and recovering as they add to the CAP. Even with out action, after 5 days of battle, this task alone is testing her mens endurance to the limit.. Takeji murmers to himself the words that surely a thousand others out here with him have thought.'Just one more day......just one" One more day, and they will be out of enemy air range. Zuikaku may be crippled, yet Abe has not yet abandoned her. The intent is clear, the Admiral will make home on his flagship, or not at all. Like every man in his fleet, he is at the very edge of exhaustion now, thoughts break in mid stream, calculations are all but impossible, decisions, once so clear and quick, now clouded, foggy..........hard to reach. He sits still in his chair on the bridge, feet braced against the heel, and stares numbly at the latest message from one of CV Aso's Jills 8 fleet carriers 40 miles due West of horn island, speed 20 knots, many escorts.......... With a great effort, he struggles from his chair, climbs the hill to the chart table. With out a word he passes the signal to Zuikaku's captain. ''Trouble?" 'read it" The Captain curls it into a ball. 'Yes, trouble indeed. .............if they sprint over night........." "They could catch us tomorrow, yes" A long silence, the fleets CAP background music to this most vital of decisions. "Not enough torpedoes, too many tired men, too many lost men in fact.............." Wearily, almost with finality, Abe sits back into his Chair "Assign 6 destroyers to us, we must detach the fleet, get them the hell out of here. Biak must provide Cap for us..........The Americans are cautious, maybe they will not come............." Abe is tired, so very tired. And maybe that is good. It never occurs to him that a mere week ago, he would have ordered Combined fleet to rush south to seek battle. Now, it seems, they must slink away into the night. A week, how much can change in a week..............

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/25/2013 7:07:17 AM)
1th April Endure the un endurable. War tests men. tests them to their very core. It strips personalities fake and vain, it crumbles personal defences built over years. It exposes teir inner core to the flame of exhaustion, the blow torch of courage, the temperance of patence. Somw wilt, some melt. But for many, it forges a new core, a tempered, hardened, stronger core. A core that will remain for life. I know this to be true. I have met these men. Old men, many of them now, but men who, even as others slip into twilight years, will still be carrying on life as if it has just begun. Men who look at the problems of this world, at those who do not know, and smile wryly, and look with eyes that simply say........you have no idea............. Zuiho steams north, the fleet appears to have escaped, the Celebe seas sliding under her bow. She is quiet today, as men sleep, and rest, and recover. Inner cores are cooling, tempered again by war. Zuiho sails, her crew still exhausted. But stronger than ever.

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/25/2013 7:10:43 AM)
April 15th Chiang mai falls,. Thai troops, those maligned men, have also found their inner core. They retreat now, no headlong rush for safety this. They retreat, what few remain. They have fought, and fought, and died in their positions. The british may eventually re conquer Thialand. They will never own it.

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/25/2013 7:16:57 AM)
A japanese operation comes to an end One few will ever hear off, one the Allies , even now, are un aware of. Mid September, 15000 japanese troops, trapped on manus island, no food, no supplies, no fuel, and no airstrip. And no hope. Tonight, under their noses, from a field long repaired (but cunningly hidden of that fact), the last men will be flown out. japans transports have been very, very busy of late. War is not won by evacuations (as a great man once said) But to these 15000, this sure tastes better than defeat.

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/25/2013 8:18:28 AM)
Bottom plates, Zuiho's Port main engineroom This corner is a corner of shadows, of impersonal machinery, of dripping drains, steam and noise. It is not the cleanest place either. But mostly, it is a place of shadows. A machine sits here, the main condensate pump. It smells again today, of over hot bearings, of metal failure, of hidden disaster. An old man sits here, staring at this machine. A man aged decades in days. A man, pushed, and pushed, and bent and bent. Tears stream from his face "Not again you truker, what the truk did I do to you, you bloody machine?". What hell are you putting me in?" The machine does not care. It does not even know it is broken Nor, I think, does the charge. But broken he is.

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (2/27/2013 7:02:54 AM)
16 April Celebes sea, where a life time ago Zuiho hunted with impunity. Now, now to a man, they feel like prey. The hiden enemy Buka's are never far from any ones mind The fleet (unknown to all but a few) is headed towards the home islands Air groups need refitting, ships need refitting, men.........you cannot refit men. But you can restore their faith. Two men, Okano, Hirate, work on the Condensate pump. Two men who have not been assigned to the job, but they have begun it nevertheless. And Brother shall lift up brother.............. Charge sleeps.

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (3/1/2013 10:27:56 PM)
FUBAR Lt Jones shifts in his seat for the hundredth time, and repeats to himself again the same damn thought. FUBAR. Beyond all understanding The Commander of this chicken **** outfit had been full of the confidence and bravado of one who did not actually have to fly this mission. "gentlemen, we are going to send the japs a message they cannot ignore" FUBAR 12 of the big new B-29s had been slated for this mission. 4 had been unready for the day, (just reinforcing the growing opinion of many that this bombers was a beautiful and deadly hanger queen), there had been no bombs for two others, one had crashed on take off, and Christ knew where Simpson had gotten too.......... FUBAR "Tsingtao coming up" "Roger" Another chinese city sliding below, the four remaining bombers bouncing, weaving in the turbulance as they cross the coast and begin to transit the Yellow sea. Who in the hell thought 11000 feet was going to be the attack altitude? Surprise is good, but............. Lt Jones did not join to fight this war, he joined to fight the germans so busy killing is jewish kin.......this, he knows, is not how it was meant to be. Who in the hell cares about restoring the British Empire in the East?! No, he should be in London, fighting with the 8th Air army..............not trying to get this beast of some dust bowl Northern China strip.........attacking god knows how many little yellow barsteds with just 4 planes.......... "Ships ahead!" Jones leans, looks hard to his right...............a convoy.......... FUBAR He clicks the Mike " There goes surprise guys, keep your eyes peeled" They power on, the miles rapidly sliding below. "Saishu To coming up, right on course skipper" "Nakadori Jima .............come right 10 degrees, new course 060" Ahead, Nagasaki.....and a gazzillion little angry men............... "Fighters!...............Starboard side...........20 plus" And now we find out just how good these bombers can be............ "OK guys, stick tight.........commencing bomber run...." LT Jones bomber spins down from the sky, glittering, its great wings carving great graceful arcs, the bright glare of the flames the pivit about which they spin. The sea rises to destroy him, beautiful, green.............. FUBAR

1275psi -> RE: The little ship that could. (3/1/2013 10:34:53 PM)
herbiesan reads the report "Only 4?" "Only four sir, we shot down one, the others missed everything.............they may have been going for Shoho., hard to tell sir" "And from Northern China?" "Only place they can have sir.........we are moving 4 recon units to China today, there cannot be very many large airfields they can operate on" 'I see............thankyou, and send my congratulations to the men who took that first Buka down" B-29's.............well, you knew this day might come. How to counter it? What to counter it with? But only 4..........why only 4?. Herbiesan has his opinions, but will keep them close for now.

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