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RE: Small Ship, Big War

 
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RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/1/2007 9:24:00 PM   
Cuttlefish

 

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February 13, 1943

Location: 45 miles east of Waingapu
Course: North
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 371

Orders: Protect reinforcement convoys approaching Timor.

---

Admiral Ozawa dislikes the constricted waters around Timor. These waters seem to breed enemy submarines the way the surrounding islands breed mosquitoes, and the many straits and narrow seas provide too many good ambush points for them. He would much prefer to be fighting in open waters more suitable for carrier operations, but Ozawa is a professional and plays the hand he has been dealt.

At around 0200 hours on the morning of February 13th his fears are realized. As his carriers approach the narrow west end of the Savu Sea an explosion and column of fire rocks the night. Kaga has been struck by a torpedo on the starboard side. Several Japanese destroyers locate the submarine’s position and drop depth charges for over an hour, but the submarine escapes.

Kaga is hurt, but the flooding is contained and by morning the carrier reports that though her speed is reduced she is able to launch and recover aircraft. This is just as well, for the day is soon fairly busy. Several heavy air raids come in from Australia, targeting the transports at Koepang, and fierce air battles develop as Japanese fighters duel with the twin-tailed fighter escort and try to knock down the bombers.

In the end they are largely successful, though several transports are hit. Only one carrier plane fails to return, but several of the land-based Zero-sen fighters are lost. Carrier pilots report downing a number of the enemy fighters and perhaps a dozen bombers.

As night falls the transports pull out of Koepang, their job done. Admiral Ozawa dispatches Kaga to Balikpapan along with a pair of destroyers, all the escort he can spare. The remaining five carriers will slip back through the Lesser Sunda Islands and lurk on their north side to await developments.

---

The submarine that struck Kaga was Dutch boat O24, under the command of First Lieutenant W. J. de Vries. The Dutch submarines have both inflicted and suffered losses out of proportion to their numbers so far this war, and de Vries takes a savage satisfaction in the fact that his submarine is the first to strike a Japanese carrier. It is at least some payment for all of his countrymen the Japanese have killed or imprisoned.

His boat has suffered minor damage during the depth charge attack but is still seaworthy. When O24 is at last able to surface he picks up a coded broadcast intended for all submarines in the area. The contents of the message cause him to raise his eyebrows in surprise. After a moment’s consideration he issues orders that will take his submarine back towards Koepang. He has a feeling he may not be done with the Japanese carriers yet.

---

Submarine O24:








Attachment (1)

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RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/1/2007 10:12:29 PM   
kaleun

 

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RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/1/2007 11:40:44 PM   
princep01

 

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A never fast, and now slowed, Kaga, is left to her own devices, with only two DDs to sheperd her to safety.  Whatever could our young Dutch, submarine captain be thinking?  Will O-24 score a major coup?  Will she be sent to the bottom in the confined waters near Timor?  Will the two never meet again?  Oh, oh....the suspense is building to a crescendo.

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Post #: 1083
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/1/2007 11:49:49 PM   
kaleun

 

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Actually this is an allegro sostenido
Cuttlefish has a definite future writing adventure stories. (He just needs a computer game to provide background)

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Post #: 1084
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/2/2007 9:09:00 PM   
Cuttlefish

 

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February 14, 1943

Location: 60 miles west-northwest of Raba
Course: Holding position
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 333

Orders: Protect reinforcement convoys approaching Timor.

---

When Lieutenant Miharu comes to the bridge early in the evening his first thought is that the Captain looks tired. He doesn’t blame him. He’s feeling tired himself, and will be glad when this campaign is over. Fortunately it looks as though they can just about turn things over to the ground troops now and let them finish the battle. By all accounts there are now enough troops on Timor to defeat the invaders.

“It’s been a quiet day,” Ishii informs him. “Akagi and Hiryu are continuing to operate as a separate force, they are about 15 miles to the east. No enemy submarines or aircraft have been spotted all day, though there was a report that enemy bombers harassed those transports as they left Timor.”

“Very good, sir,” says the lieutenant. “How much longer do you think we will continue operating in this area?”

“I have no idea,” says Captain Ishii, “Admiral Ozawa is probably as eager as we are to leave, but the enemy is in a tough spot on Timor and there might still be an attempt to rescue or reinforce them. We’ll most likely remain in the area until there is no more chance for them to do either.”

“Dodging submarines all the while,” says Lieutenant Miharu wryly.

“No doubt of that, Exec! We have reports of possible submarine sightings from all over the area. One patrol pilot out of Kendari radioed that they no longer need a target, they just release their bombs at random over the water and usually they hit a submarine.” Miharu smiles, though it is a grim sort of smile. “Keep the lookouts sharp tonight,” continues the captain, “and make sure blackout regulations are being observed.”

“Yes sir.” Lieutenant Miharu does not add “of course”. He knows the captain must be a bit on edge to issue these completely unnecessary instructions; to everyone in the crew these measures have become as natural as breathing.

After a bit more conversation Captain Ishii goes below. Lieutenant Miharu checks Hibiki’s course and speed relative to the rest of the task force, now just silhouettes in the growing darkness, then settles in for another long, watchful night.

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Post #: 1085
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/2/2007 9:11:11 PM   
Cuttlefish

 

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February 15, 1943

Location: 60 miles west-northwest of Raba
Course: South
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 296

Orders: Protect reinforcement convoys approaching Timor.

---

Though there is no rain a heavy overcast blankets the Timor Sea between Australia and Timor and the waters of the Indian Ocean to the east. These waters are scoured in the morning hours by several H6K flying boats based at Koepang. Around mid morning one of these patrol planes descends through the clouds for a look around. To the shock of the crew they find the ocean beneath them covered with ships, long columns of ships.

Bursts of flak begin to erupt around the aircraft almost immediately. The commander of the plane lingers just long enough to get a good look, then turns up and back into the clouds. Soon his report is on the way to Koepang and all Japanese forces in the area. Long columns of transports, protected by many warships, are heading towards Koepang.

---

Early in the afternoon half a dozen G4M bombers out of Kendari spot a group of ships through a break in the clouds. Battleships, cruisers, and destroyers, all are present and heading northeast. Groups of bombers have been looking for these ships for hours, but have been defeated by the overcast. At last, though, they have been found and the morning’s report of powerful forces approaching Timor confirmed.

The commander of the flight picks the lead battleship as the target and orders his bombers to circle around in order to have a good angle for their attack. A cry of alarm over the radio, however, puts a quick end to this plan. Swooping in over the enemy ships to engage them are enemy fighters, many of them. These are stubby planes, American carrier planes. The bombers scramble for the safety of the clouds, but only half of them make it.

The three surviving planes head for home. Their crews report, variously, having seen between 60 and 80 fighters. Even allowing for exaggeration this news comes as a huge shock to Admiral Ozawa and his staff. Ozawa estimates that if he holds back enough fighters to mount a successful strike he currently has only enough planes available from his five remaining carriers to put about 50 fighters in the air over his own fleet.

He reviews the last available intelligence estimates. The British carriers are all either sunk or believed to still be in dry dock. The Americans have five carriers sunk or out of action, leaving them with one. Yorktown might be out there, of course. Could they have brought Ranger into the Pacific? Could the two surviving British carriers be back in action somehow? Imperial Headquarters knows the Americans are building new carriers, but does not believe any of them could have been completed yet. Still, one never knows.

All Ozawa is certain of is that there are a lot of ships coming his way and it is his job to stop them. He still has five carriers and almost 250 planes. When morning comes he will pit them against whatever forces the enemy is bringing to bear.


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Post #: 1086
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/2/2007 9:37:42 PM   
kaleun

 

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Aha!
Here comes the real action.


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RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/3/2007 3:29:03 PM   
saj42


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Me thinks the Essex is about to make an appearance.

Are you playing with fixed or variable reinforcements?

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Post #: 1088
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/3/2007 5:49:32 PM   
Cuttlefish

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Tallyho!

Me thinks the Essex is about to make an appearance.

Are you playing with fixed or variable reinforcements?


Reinforcements are variable, +/- 15 days.

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Post #: 1089
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/3/2007 6:01:14 PM   
Feinder


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Dang it Cuttlefish, post the story!



-F-

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Post #: 1090
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/3/2007 6:53:20 PM   
princep01

 

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No, Cuttlefish, please wait a day or two to continue. I love to see Churchill (ney Feinder) giving us that international sign of disgust gesture.

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Post #: 1091
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/3/2007 8:50:30 PM   
Cuttlefish

 

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February 16, 1943

Location: 50 miles east of Maumere
Course: South
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 248

Orders: Destroy enemy forces approaching Timor.

---

Shortly after midnight Commander “Mush” Morton finally nails a cruiser. A torpedo from Wahoo strikes Suzuya as the heavy cruiser escorts Akagi and Hiryu to the east. The submarine escapes and a wrathful Admiral Ozawa detaches yet another destroyer to escort the damaged cruiser back to Kendari.

---

The weather in the morning is poor, with heavy cloud cover and frequent rain showers. It is not ideal fighting weather, but it favors the Japanese far more than the Allies. It would take far worse weather than this to conceal the dozens of Allied ships of all types that are now less than 75 miles from Koepang.

Unlike the battle two weeks ago Ozawa has this time kept his ships well north of Koepang. He wants to get a look at what he is facing before committing his carriers while still retaining the option to strike at any transports approaching the island. The initial search reports he receives in the morning show only warships and transports. No carriers are spotted. Yet there are enemy F4F fighters over the transports, so he knows there are carriers out there somewhere. He orders a strong combat air patrol to cover his own carriers, sends out more search planes, and waits.

The morning wears on. The enemy ships draw closer to Koepang, and still the Japanese do not attack. Then, at 1315, the radios aboard the Japanese ships begin to crackle with excited and panicked messages. The transports that recently delivered the Japanese troops to Koepang, moving slowly because some of them are damaged, report that they are under attack by American carrier planes.

These transports about 60 miles southwest of the Japanese carriers, closer to Koepang than the carriers are. Ozawa and his officers are mystified. The Americans have to know that Kido Butai is in the area hunting them. Why would they waste a strike against transports while the carriers remain unlocated? Ozawa himself has enemy transports in his sights, but knows they cannot be attacked until the enemy air threat is neutralized.

One possible explanation presents itself: the enemy scout planes have mistaken some of the larger transports for carriers. In this weather such a mistake is possible. The enemy planes would no doubt discover their mistake once over the target, but if they were operating at extreme range, as seems likely, it might be too late to switch targets or abort the attack.

For half an hour the Japanese ships listen to the distress calls from the transports. Ozawa hates leaving them to their fate, but he has no planes to spare, and even if he did dispatch fighters they could not arrive in time. The best he can do is to wait for his opportunity to avenge them. As they listen two transports are sunk and several others are hit hard.

Finally, at 1435, the opportunity comes. A Japanese scout plane spots three aircraft carriers lurking behind and to the west of the main enemy fleet. This puts them at the very edge of Japanese attack range, but Ozawa does not hesitate. All strike planes are outfitted with bombs and he throws the heaviest strike he can at the enemy.

---

The three carriers spotted are the escort carriers Sangamon, Chenango, and Suwanee. These small carriers were converted from fleet oilers to carriers late last year. As the Japanese strike approaches they have recently finished recovering their planes and are rearming them for another strike.

They will not have the chance. Japanese fighters engage the Wildcats overhead while the bombers begin their attack runs. Since Pearl Harbor the Japanese pilots at the controls have sunk over 70 enemy ships and have twice fought and beaten enemy carrier forces. They execute their attacks with ruthless efficiency. Flak and enemy fighters put up a vigorous defense, but there are just too many planes. Sangamon and Chenango suffer multiple bomb hits, and soon fires are raging out of control on both carriers. Suwanee has more luck; she is separated from the others by a couple of miles and takes only two bombs. The Japanese planes reform and withdraw. Nineteen of them have been lost, but the Japanese are confident that the enemy carriers will not be closing the range and launching their own strike.

Ozawa orders a second strike launched. This one is smaller, but arrives simultaneously with about 20 G4M bombers from Kendari. Only 14 Wildcats remain to cover the burning carriers, and these are overwhelmed by Japanese fighters. The bombers make their runs unimpeded, and unlike the carrier planes the land-based bombers are carrying torpedoes. Both Suwanee and Sangamon are struck by torpedoes. Chenango takes four more bombs. Battleship Indiana is also struck by several bombs, but she dodges all torpedoes launched at her and suffers no great damage.

The Japanese planes again withdraw, this time having suffered only three losses. Behind them Sangamon is already on the way to the bottom, to be followed a few hours later by Chenango. Suwanee limps away, trying to bring her fires under control but still afloat.

---

As the last Japanese planes return to their carriers Admiral Ozawa longs to launch a strike at the now unguarded warships and transports nearing Koepang. But the day is already growing late, and at this point he cannot be sure of recovering his planes before dark. He decides against another attack.

Instead he orders his carriers into the Savu Sea. He will draw close to Koepang by morning. If the enemy is standing off their landing beaches his pilots will a chance to deal the enemy fleet a blow from which they may never recover. Should the enemy reverse course during the night it will not help them much. There is no way the transports, at least, can get out of range of his aircraft, and land-based bombers will again be available to help.

As night falls the Japanese carriers and their escorts are heading south. Admiral Ozawa has communicated his intentions to the rest of his ships and all of them are unified by the same fighting spirit. From ordinary seaman to captain, every man is determined to make tomorrow a day that their foes will regret. It is time to crush the enemy once and for all and end this campaign.


(in reply to Cuttlefish)
Post #: 1092
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/3/2007 10:57:30 PM   
kaleun

 

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The ten million Yen question:
Is there an Essex lurking behind?

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Post #: 1093
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/3/2007 11:11:32 PM   
Terminus


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If there is, maybe it's all a plot to get the Japs to waste their aircraft, so it can launch an unopposed strike.

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RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/3/2007 11:21:17 PM   
kaleun

 

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Or a cunning plan to get them to expend their torpedoes before attacking the home Islands

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Post #: 1095
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/4/2007 1:35:01 AM   
saj42


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quote:

ORIGINAL: kaleun

The ten million Yen question:
Is there an Essex lurking behind?


Yes where is Essex? and what US carrier a/c attacked the empty Japanese transports? (were SBDs encountered).
Those 3 CVL don't have the capacity to carry the 80+ CAP fighters seen 2 days earlier.

EDIT: forget I asked - the crew of the Hibiki would not have this info......

< Message edited by Tallyho! -- 8/4/2007 1:38:29 AM >

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RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/4/2007 2:02:05 AM   
kaleun

 

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quote:

Yes where is Essex? and what US carrier a/c attacked the empty Japanese transports? (were SBDs encountered).
Those 3 CVL don't have the capacity to carry the 80+ CAP fighters seen 2 days earlier.


The world wonders.

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Post #: 1097
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/4/2007 2:02:47 AM   
Terminus


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And groans under the weight of Cuttlefish's latest cliffhanger...

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RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/4/2007 2:29:09 AM   
Cuttlefish

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Tallyho!

quote:

ORIGINAL: kaleun

The ten million Yen question:
Is there an Essex lurking behind?


Yes where is Essex? and what US carrier a/c attacked the empty Japanese transports? (were SBDs encountered).
Those 3 CVL don't have the capacity to carry the 80+ CAP fighters seen 2 days earlier.

EDIT: forget I asked - the crew of the Hibiki would not have this info......


They are, however, very pertinent questions. Ozawa at least would be aware that dive bombers were used against the Japanese transports. Does he know enough about the US CVEs to understand the implications of this fact? Does he wonder why the LBA reported 60 to 80 fighters over the enemy fleet, yet his planes only encountered about 25 enemy fighters on CAP?

My interpretation is that the answer to the first question is no, and that he probably thinks the answer to the second question is a combination of pilot exaggeration and catching the enemy carriers by surprise.

It's strange sometimes looking at a turn from a player's perspective and then looking at it from Hibiki's perspective. It really drives home what we know as players versus what the Japanese on the scene would know.

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Post #: 1099
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/4/2007 2:43:09 AM   
Terminus


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Which is just one part of the reason that this AAR is so fantastic... Kudos to you, CF!

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RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/4/2007 9:08:34 PM   
Cuttlefish

 

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February 17, 1943, Part 1 - night

Location: 90 miles north of Koepang
Course: South
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 191

Orders: Destroy enemy forces approaching Timor.

---

Lieutenant Miharu gazes out at the dark waters of the Savu Sea. Straight ahead of Hibiki is Koepang, now only about 90 miles to the south. The Japanese ships have nearly reached to the position from which the carriers are to launch their planes in the morning.

The night has been quiet so far. There have been no cries of alarm from the lookouts, no explosions as torpedoes find ships. As if to underscore the danger, however, the lieutenant orders a course change to port as the entire task force continues to zig zag southwards.

It is quiet on the bridge, and Miharu almost jumps when the voice of the radioman issues from the speaking tube directly over his head.

“Lieutenant Miharu!”

“Yes?” the executive officer manages to say calmly.

“Sir, we have a report from a ship south of us. Enemy battleships are seventeen miles south of our position and closing. They’re coming right at us, sir!”

---

Admiral Ozawa is still buttoning his jacket as he stumbles onto Shokaku's bridge. He is quickly briefed on the situation. The report cannot be doubted; enemy battleships are closing on his position as if they know exactly where the Japanese carriers are. And perhaps they do know, Ozawa thinks. There are reports that American and British radar development has outpaced Japan’s since the start of the war.

If that is true he is in a bad position. There is little room to run directly behind him. The only escape for his ships lies to the west or east, courses that would allow the enemy to cut the angle and narrow the distance quickly. He has no doubt the enemy warships can outrun him.

If it comes to a fight he is low on escorts. The loss of a heavy cruiser and three destroyers in recent days has cut his escort force to four heavy cruisers, a light cruiser, and nine destroyers, and these are split among two task forces. If the enemy force is as large as reports indicate he will be outnumbered and outgunned.

Still, he is thankful he has any warning at all. It is sheer luck that a Japanese force was out there to spot the oncoming ships. If not for this piece of fortune he might have found out about them when shells began falling among his carriers. He issues orders for his ships to turn to the east and run for it, with most of the escorts falling back to screen the carriers against the oncoming enemy.

---

Captain Ishii is on the bridge now. Hibiki is not running at full speed; they can go no faster than the slowest carrier, in this case Akagi. Ishii is suddenly very glad that Junyo and Hiyo were sent back east some days ago. Still, they are making a respectable 26 knots. There is nothing else to do at the moment but wait and see what happens.

---

The ships that have provided Ozawa’s carriers with the warning belong to a destroyer division commanded by Hibiki’s old friend Admiral Goto, who has finally been released from shore duty. Commanding a destroyer division is a bit of a come down for the Admiral, but he figures it beats conning a desk in some backwater. Goto’s orders are to take his flagship, light cruiser Nagara, and six destroyers into the waters off western Timor and conduct a torpedo attack against enemy ships there. At the moment, however, he has been shadowing the enemy ships ever since his lookouts spotted them moving north.

When the Japanese carriers begin to move east and the enemy column changes course to intercept them Goto knows he has to act. Though he has no illusions about whether or not the enemy radar has spotted him, he orders his small task force to turn and attack.

And attack they do, with persistence and ferocity. They are fearsomely outgunned and coming straight at an opponent who can bring all his guns to bear without altering course. Shells, some of them 16” projectiles, begin to find his ships before they even reach torpedo range.

But Goto’s ships launch torpedoes, fall back, then attack again. And again. Each time there are fewer of them, but the crews fight their ships with bravery and dedication. In the end five of the six destroyers are lost, but they have sunk two enemy destroyers and scored torpedo hits on a cruiser and a battleship. Shattered Japanese destroyers continue to fire their remaining guns until the last, doing a surprising amount of damage to the enemy ships. At the end only Nagara and destroyer Shiokaze are left. Both are damaged and limp away into the darkness.

But they have won an important victory. The enemy fleet, weakened by losses and slowed by damage, is compelled to turn around in order to try and get out of range of the Japanese carrier planes before daylight. The carriers have been saved.

---

When the report comes in that the enemy ships have turned around there is scattered cheering on Hibiki’s bridge. Captain Ishii permits this small display, then sends the bridge crew back to work with a stern glance. Yet he too is relieved. He intends to thank Admiral Goto in person for this night’s work the next time opportunity permits.

Soon orders come from Shokaku. The Japanese ships stop fleeing eastward and begin to slowly return to the position from which Admiral Ozawa intends to launch his planes when morning comes. Captain Ishii accordingly orders Hibiki to come about. As the task force resumes its regular formation Ishii reflects that they have been saved from disaster only by sheer luck and the heroism of a handful of destroyers. They cannot afford such carelessness in the future, not against an enemy as resilient and determined as the one they are facing.

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Post #: 1101
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/4/2007 9:31:26 PM   
HarryM

 

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Wow!!!

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Post #: 1102
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/4/2007 9:49:17 PM   
kaleun

 

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Holy sh$t!
Un f@#$ing believable!

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Post #: 1103
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/4/2007 9:53:11 PM   
FeurerKrieg


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Can't wait to see what morning brings.....

SOmeone needs to turn this into a screen play.

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Upper portion used with permission of www.subart.net, copyright John Meeks

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RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/4/2007 10:13:58 PM   
Terminus


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This one, and Mandrake's AAR's...

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RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/5/2007 3:00:13 AM   
kaleun

 

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I'll have to cjeck that one out

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Post #: 1106
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/5/2007 7:01:14 AM   
Cuttlefish

 

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Terminus

This one, and Mandrake's AAR's...


Mandrake's AAR would make a great movie. It would be also be a very different war film than one made from this AAR. This one would be an old-fashioned war pic. Mandrake's would have a lot more Catch 22 in it, maybe something like a WWII epic as directed by Terry Gilliam.

(in reply to Terminus)
Post #: 1107
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/6/2007 4:43:08 AM   
Cuttlefish

 

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline
February 17, 1943, Part 2 - day

Location: 90 miles north of Koepang
Course: South
Attached to: TF 72
Mission: Air Combat
System Damage: 4
Float Damage: 0
Fires: 0
Fuel: 191

Orders: Destroy enemy forces approaching Timor.

---

Shortly after sunrise destroyer Shiokaze, the last surviving destroyer of the attack that prevented the enemy battleships from reaching the Japanese carriers, is sunk by two torpedoes from submarine Graying. The damaged destroyer sinks almost immediately. Thirteen survivors are eventually rescued.

---

Submarine O24 is caught just off the coast of Timor. Lieutenant de Vries will hunt no Japanese carriers this day. A D3A from Akagi comes out of the east, out of the rising sun, and its accurately aimed bomb strikes the submarine forward on the starboard side. The submarine’s forward compartments flood, pulling the submarine below the surface as her remaining crew fight desperately to keep this from being O24’s final dive.

---

Shiro and another sailor help fish yet another man out of the water. Hibiki and two other destroyers reached the scene of last night’s battle at first light and have been pulling survivors out of the water ever since. The man they have just rescued is from Umikaze, and the poor fellow is in rough shape. He is smeared in sticky oil and one arm has some serious-looking burns.

Shiro helps him to a spot where he can sit down. The decks are crowded with 43 other survivors, and Hibiki crew are moving among them with blankets and tea. The rescued sailor gives Shiro a grateful if somewhat wan smile. Riku appears and pours the man a cup of tea from a pot he is carrying and then kneels and helps him get the oil cleaned off his face. Both Riku and Shiro are smeared with the stuff as well by this time.

Riku looks up at Shiro from where he is kneeling.

“It’s hard not to think that it could be us in the water instead of these poor fellows,” he says. Shiro nods. It has been very hard for the empathetic sailor to see so many comrades in such a wretched state. There have been a lot of bodies in the water too, people they could not save, and that has been an even harder thing.

“I know,” is all he says. “Are you okay for now?” he asks the man they have just rescued. “Someone will be along in a bit with clean clothes, and a medic will look at that arm soon too.”

“I will be fine,” the man says. “Tell me, have you rescued a man named Kiyomi Yoshino, also from Umikaze?” he asks, looking worried. “He is my closest friend, and I lost track of him when the ship started to go down.”

“I will ask around,” Shiro tells him, “as soon as I...” He is cut off suddenly by the combat stations klaxon. From the port 25 mm AA tub above them a man is pointed and shouting above the noise. Shiro and Riku turn and look and see planes on the horizon, coming their way. They are not Japanese planes.

Shiro sprints forward. At the front of the tower he scrambles up the ladder into the forward AA tub. The gun captain, Taiki, is already there. He hands Shiro a helmet and gives him a tight smile.

“Keep the ammunition coming,” is all he says.

---

Hibiki and the other two destroyers race back towards the nearby carriers. The fleet disperses slightly, and as the enemy planes draw near Hibiki slides into her accustomed spot on Shokaku’s port flank.

The enemy strike consists of 34 dive bombers and 13 torpedo bombers, escorted by about 15 fighters. There are almost 50 Zero-sen fighters over the Japanese fleet, but not all of them are in position to intercept the incoming strike in time. They shoot down 6 enemy fighters and 11 of the bombers without a loss, but the remaining 36 bombers break through and begin their attack runs against the Japanese ships.

---

Shiro rips an empty magazine out of the receiver of one of the three 25 mm guns and reaches behind him. The empty magazine is plucked from his hands and replaced with a full, heavy one. He leans over and slams it into place. The smoke and noise from the guns blinds him to almost everything, but he is peripherally aware of a enemy dive bomber arcing overhead, trailing smoke as it screams down on Shokaku. He has no time to turn and see whether or not Shokaku is hit. The magazine is emptied in less than 15 seconds and he pulls it out, scrambling sideways to keep up with the traverse of the guns. He hands it back and replaces it with the full one he gets in return.

---

Shokaku is not hit, and neither is Zuikaku nearby, though both are attacked. A few miles away Soryu is not so lucky. Two 1000 lb. bombs strike the carrier. One rips through the overhang of the flight deck and explodes just off the bow, and the second hits the port side of the flight deck near the stern and penetrates two decks before exploding. The carrier heels out of control in a sweeping circle, steering temporarily lost, trailing boiling columns of smoke as she does so.

Fifteen minutes after the last American plane leaves a D3A from Hiryu finds an enemy carrier. It is only 115 miles to the southeast. Ozawa’s four operable carriers come into the wind and launch their planes.

The carrier sighted is Yorktown, and it is doomed. Japanese planes hit the carrier with half a dozen torpedoes and eight bombs. The resulting fires and flooding cannot be controlled, and the carrier sinks less than an hour after the attack. Anti-aircraft cruiser San Diego, operating close by in defense of the carrier, is hit by three torpedoes and battleship Washington is hit by a torpedo and several bombs.

---

No further air strikes approach the Japanese carriers, and no further enemy carriers are sighted. Japanese land based bombers begin attacking the enemy transports now standing off the beach at Timor. Half a dozen of them are left ablaze and a sub chaser is also hit. The small vessel sinks almost immediately.

---

Soryu eventually brings her fires under control. Admiral Ozawa orders his carriers to turn and head for Balikpapan. He does not want to, but he has very few bombs and torpedoes left for his planes, and in his view the few ships he might sink are not worth the chance that a large strike by enemy four-engine bombers could find him and inflict further damage on his force. There are a lot of G4M bombers standing by on Kendari and Amboina; let them deal with the transports.

---

Shiro brings a man over to the patch of deck where the last sailor they rescued sits eating a plate of rice and fish. The rescued man is considerably cleaner, and his injured arm has been treated. The man accompanying Shiro is another seaman, also rescued from Umikaze. The two men greet each other.

“You were asking about Kiyomi Yoshino,” says the newcomer. The rescued man, still sitting, nods. “I am sorry,” continues the man, “I know you were friends. Yoshino was injured, he didn’t make it.”

“Thank you for the information,” says the sitting man softly, and bows his head. Shiro turns and leaves quietly, to give the man a chance to be alone with his grief. As alone, at least, as he can be on a deck crowded with survivors. As he leaves Shiro wonders what it would be like to be in that man’s position and learn that Taiki or Riku had died. He knows that today has been a victory, but he is learning that even victory has a price.

(in reply to Cuttlefish)
Post #: 1108
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/6/2007 5:40:35 AM   
kaleun

 

Posts: 5145
Joined: 5/29/2002
From: Colorado
Status: offline


_____________________________

Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu

(in reply to Cuttlefish)
Post #: 1109
RE: Small Ship, Big War - 8/6/2007 12:43:08 PM   
Barb


Posts: 2503
Joined: 2/27/2007
From: Bratislava, Slovakia
Status: offline
Hell piece of luck with the brave Goto and his squadron in the right place.

_____________________________


(in reply to kaleun)
Post #: 1110
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