RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!!

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All Forums >> [Current Games From Matrix.] >> [World War II] >> War In The Pacific - Struggle Against Japan 1941 - 1945 >> After Action Reports >> RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!!

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RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 11/29/2009 3:26:10 AM

1275psi

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Thankyou Mr Hosho -I think there are about 20 of us sharing 47th's journey - I am getting very curious now how it will go now the tide is beginning to turn!

29/6/43

Commander Hishimato stands ram rod straight opposite Nakamura
Behind him, arrayed in parade, are his men - perhaps the most vital men in the entire Empire.
Behind them -baking on the field, are lines upon lines of the sleek fighters they have been using for over a year now.
Both men, and machines look worn and abused. But None are bent. If planes could generate, express pride, then these sleek fighters would easily be matching the men in front of them.

Hishimato salutes "I hand the wieght to you sir"
Nakamura returns the salute "And I accept it"
The "weight" is very symbolic - fulll of meaning to only those who have been here in Burma so long. The cricket bat is dinted, cracked, scuffed -as one would expect from the abuse it has recieved.
For a few moments the men stare at each other. Hishimato is normally a cold, thourhly proffesional flier - as his Sentais have reflected. But his is also a friend. A friend afraid now - despite the orders -of letting his companion down.

Nakamura smiles "Go friend -before we say or do something stupid in front of the men"

Hishimato bows slightly.
About faces
"PARADE HIE!" Men -man your planes!
A low mutter -heard by Nakamura only "lets get the F%$#k out of here"

The parade breaks -men scatter -ground crews race.
Soon the roar of aero engines once again beat across the field.

It does not take long -soon the Tonies are gone -for good.

Nakamura remains on the field, watching them leave for a long, long time. The cricket bat feels very, very heavy in his hand.

(in reply to hosho)

Post #: 901

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 11/29/2009 3:33:59 AM

FeurerKrieg

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From: Denver, CO
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Nice post.

This writing continues to be great - I'm guessing there are more than 20 following this tale.

_____________________________

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

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 902

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 11/29/2009 3:37:27 AM

1275psi

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30/6/43

Rangoon .

21st Army HQ

General Yashimata concludes the briefing.
The atmosphere in the bunker is -well -tense.
Words have been spoken -sharp words. Reputations have been challenged. There have been subtle -and not so subtle hints about personal honour -and even -dare it be said -courage

General Yashimata gives the final order -the final exhualtation
"Akyab will be retaken! -Tokyo insists upon it!"

Nakamura stumbles from the dark bunker, into the blinding sun. He sits in stunned silence as his driver struggles back towards the field.
Retake Akyab! 5 sentais of KI 44's to cover the entire front. A few lousy army bombers to back him.
Had the entire general staff gone -what was that cute american saying? -had the general staff gone nuts!"

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 903

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 11/29/2009 3:53:49 AM

1275psi

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1/7/43

47th stand down today
Juni is reinstated as flight leader
Inoue is already one
Miyazuki also

Ginowya -another killer, takes a role

47th have 52 kills -aan experience rating overall of now the low 70's -the list of rookies is growing
The situation on the burma front is this
5 Tojo sentais -maybe 6 are available. the enemy have sent a division south from Akyab -and stopped.
Japanese troops await any advance> Burma command fears greatly a sea borne flanking attack - this is nakamuras greatest fear too -what navy bombers left in theatre will have to be very good to stop one indeed.
Where abouts of the fleet - unknown!

Extract from Shattering the sword -a Cantona production

............6 Allied battleships pound the defences at lunga during the night, and well into the morning
It is an impressive sight -the great bursts marching across the field -the greater mountains of water and mangroves as the great swamp is racked by the shorts.

It is impressive
Morale building
And a failure
This mornings attack goes in -and takes -at 200 plus lives -30 metres, one bunker.
The long slog will continue. But now the Navy has a new worry. 5 seperate SS attacks in one day.
More than experienced by the fleet in the last 6 months................

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 904

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 11/30/2009 9:25:58 AM

CV Zuikaku

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From: Legrad, Croatia
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quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Thankyou Mr Hosho -I think there are about 20 of us sharing 47th's journey - I am getting very curious now how it will go now the tide is beginning to turn!

I think there are much more than just 20 of us

Just keep up the excellent writing! You have your fanbase

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 905

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 11/30/2009 10:12:02 AM

1275psi

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2/7/43

Deep in the south west pacific -I-173 places a well aimed torpedo into Yorktowns guts

The captain of the I-173, if he survives the week, will be forever famous -on return to Japan, he will feted as a hero, wined, dined, and inevitably , promoted.

At Rangoon, ragged overworked to the point of collapse mechanics -many barely out of their teens, will struggle to make Inoue's and Juni's planes fly today.
The bullets for the guns will have travelled half way across the globe in the bowels of basically defenceles transports -manned by ignorant, permanently half terrified seaman who spend every second of every day waiting for the clunk of that hidden messanger that will blow them to hell.
Those same bullets will then have been labouriously trucked across Thailand, and in some places literally carried on the backs of men across swollen rivers -rivers now great barriers with the bridges blown.

These same bullets will have been stored in great bunkers -all created with nary a machine in sight - just fear of the ever present bombers overhead driving the shovels and picks faster and harder, getting them safely hidden away -if that is possible.

The ground crew will fuel the fighters will aviation gas -and aviation oil -more untold stories of unseen sacrifice, sweat and never ending effort.
They will do this today, and tomorrow, and the next , and the next -like it has been done since day one of this damn war.

There will of course be no awards for this ant trail of effort from the homeland to here. No promotions. No recongnition. No blaring headlines.
Yet they will work .

Why?

For two reasons. (I think) They know -they, the men on the ground feeding this beast called war -they know its insatable appetite -and they know -that left unsaitated - it will eat THEM.

The second is deeper -deeper then the call of duty that drives them -that drives all in uniform in war.
Its akin to-dare I say it -to love.

Our men -our pilots -are just men. They fight. They drink. They stink just the same. But they go up.
They face death - every single day.
Every single day.

And yet they return -sometimes some don't -smiling, or frowning -or full of excitement -or white in shock.
And tomorrow they will do it again.
Our ground crews know this. They may die too -but their chances are a lot, lot better than for those they serve.
They must never let them down
They can't -just can't

To our ragged teenagers feeding the beasts -they may be men -but some surely -are like Gods?

(in reply to CV Zuikaku)

Post #: 906

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 11/30/2009 10:21:10 AM

1275psi

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from the diary of Col. Nakamura.............

.............well -I've been rebuked by that idiot in Bangkok. What in the world does he expect. Cover the Army? Attack Akyab? protect Rangoon?
Mandalaby is wrecked. All the fields to the north are wrecked.
If I Lose Rangoon -where then? Take offensive action? Where? -how?.
Idiots.
I think some of the older hands have guessed it - we hold on now -we hold on and try to make him bleed.

I need to get some training in - rookies! -if you could call them that! Found 2 pilot replacements yesterday who were -listen to this-! -unable to describe what their Flaps really do.
They strut about -thinking they are so good -simply because they fly. They are dead -still walking -but dead. I must work out some way to get some sort of value from their lives..................

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Post #: 907

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/1/2009 8:59:59 AM

1275psi

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Moments before the disaster (Juni second from left)

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< Message edited by 1275psi -- 12/1/2009 9:48:25 AM >

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RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/1/2009 9:39:14 AM

1275psi

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3/7/43

Arrogance?
Failure to anticipate?
A lack of imagination -or a masking of the mind to the awful realities............

It does not matter
47th is basically caught on the ground, lined up, ready to go, ready for yet another fruitless day of CAP.

Inoue sees the frantic flags first - the flares rising from the end of the field.
Moments ago all attention on the left magneto - now eyes frantically searching the sky above.
The horror strikes -THERE! -OH TRUK! -right there -, coming over the hill, over the edge of the Truking field itself -and so OH GOD -so GODDAM low!

Bombers
Not a raid. Not even an attack.
A mighty wedge of heavies -a great packed formation -a huge hammer descending from just 8000 feet -a hammer out to smash Rangoon to dust
Time freezes
Two choices - go- go and probably get caught - or bail
Already the screaming shrieks are beginning -overpowering the rapidly climbing clamour of the AA guns

He goes
The engine bellows -desperate stick, rudder, lining up onto the strip -get the tail up, get the tail up -come on girl!
A wall of explosions - ahead -a forest of bombs -a mountain of dust erupting - ahead of him.
Spincter squeezing
Speed!
He reefs his beast into the air -unconciously scrunching up in the cockpit.
waiting for a bomb to land right on top of him.
Bedlam
Noise - something flings him up -and hard over to the right - a scream -him? -desperate opposite stick -she rights herself -and clear air bursts upon him

CRAP
That was bad.
He steadies.
Still climbing
Others are with him -a few -far too few
Throttle to the wall he peels upwards -seeking the enemy

Juni too chooses -there is no real choice -its bail -no chance in the world to get away -he has not even got started
There is no looking up, no looking back at the CRUMP, CRUMP CRUMP OH CRAP -CRUMMMMMMMPPPPPPPPPPS coming like giants at them across the field - just the shock of hard ground as he leaps free of the cock[pit - the mad, mad dash with so many others to the trenches -the dive -the dust -tumbling bodies -no breathe - and the GIANTS STOMP! STOMP !the world around them

The bombs dont land
they dont explode
They shriek like the very demons of hell -and hell they unleash - a GIGANTIC bang, that shatters ears, drives shock through you, over you -buries you in dust, and noise -and screaming.
Juni cowers in his hole - arms over head - a blast of hot searing air slams him into the trench wall - and something strikes his face - and unseeing eyes see the hand -the detached hand -lying there- but they dont really see it as the next bombs hammer into the earth -and the guns are long silent

Nakamura curses.
he was airborne -him and a few other 44's - and they have done their best - 40 odd fighters flinging themselves at the 100 odd bombers
The enemy though has gained complete surprise -and the attack is over before few fighters can even engage
They bring down just one before the bombs fall -and the shock sends them silent - breaks them off from the attack -mesmerised at modern warfare unleashing hell

Rangoon has disapeared under a horrible cloud - below it -it burns
One of those precious dumps goes up -the full stop to the attack. They weren't deep enough after all.

Inoue does not know how he gets down -but some how he does. He is hurt - a bullet has grooved him on the thigh -but he does not give it a thought -overwhelmed by the sight about him -in front of him.
Juni stands beside him
He lives -pale -bloody
But he lives

Nakamura is ram rod straight -as usual -as he recieves his report
The WO giving the report is dirty -uniform shredded
He looks broken
"105 hits sir -the field is closed.5 dumps hit. casualties -i can't , i cant............"
"Steady Warrant officer -take your time"
The older man - maybe he was younger this morning -now he is older, far, far older -straightens '" A thousand at last count sir -they hit the construction gangs at lunch."

Nakamura remains silent for a moment
Its then that Inoue see's the object in his hand
The cricket bat.
Brocken now -handle a splitered raw mess of shattered timber

"AAAAAAAAARGH!"
rage
hate
frustration
Nakamura flings the brocken toy onto the moonscape that is his strip

he does not look up -"how many planes left Juni?"
"47th have 7 -we lost too many to count -its too early to tell"

Nakamura mutters something
'Sir?"

he looks up -and incredibly smiles
It will be alright thinks Inoue - if he can smile -it will be alright
"I said gentlemen -walk softly -carry a big stick -remember those times?"

Inoue remembers.
Truck them -the cowards who never fight -until they can .............
Juni remembers. And the hate, always smouldering - flares in him again

Nakamura walks a few feet. Around him the blasted remains of his sentais.
Before him a moonscape of destroyed concrete -of craters and churned earth
He bends, picks up a common object -somehow blasted to this spot.
A shovel

"lets get the men to work Hey?"
He bends -managing to remain the complete picture of authority even at this task
he begins to shovel dirt into the nearest hole

Inoue thinks again. 'yes -its bad -but we will be alright"

Soon the men come from out of the bedlam -the chaos
They begin too -to dig.

< Message edited by 1275psi -- 12/1/2009 9:47:33 AM >

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 909

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/1/2009 12:42:39 PM

hosho

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ookii daiben!

_____________________________

the first ones are remembered

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Post #: 910

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/1/2009 1:56:10 PM

hosho

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double post!

_____________________________

the first ones are remembered

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RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/2/2009 7:22:55 AM

1275psi

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4/7/43

Just after midnight Nakamura pulls his pilots from the work
Many try to refuse - the anger is palable here on the ground.
Nakamura has none of it.
He orders them to bed
Then, Incredibly he takes men from the repair work -and gets a bath built from shattered remains of timber, of canvas.
Before dawn, the pilots who will fly -bathe
Clean, fresh uniforms come from heavens knows where -a hidden miricle
The sun begins to rise -and 10 pilots parade -all that can be provided with frames to fly today.

Under orders, they wear their swords, the rising sun on foreheads.

All work ceases, as Nakamura in turn shakes each mans hand - bows to them.
No words are said -and the field is deathly quiet. Somewhere a bird sings to the dawn

The men jog to their planes -a narrow strip is now available - the sound of boots scuffing in fresh dirt carries far.
Nakamura leads
3 planes refuse to start.
7, a mere 7 -take to the air.

The enemy- wisely, ruthlessly -press the advantage
Nakamura pulls his last ACE - moulmien provides some good CAP -and 47th join them at 9000 feet.
The sun shines on 80 plus

" I see them!'
'Where?"
Low down -on the coast!'
'Got that!'
'All planes attack!'
Follow me!
Attack!
Attack!

Going in
watch out you idiot!
S%$#t -I'm Hit!
Juni! -you OK
TRUK IT -GUNS Jammed!
Get in -get in
NO fighters -get in close!
take that you fat Mother!
he's going down!
Too much chatter men - 85th -rear approach -70th -try to work around to the front
Another down red two
bailing!
Another!
BANZIA!
**** -that was close
TRUK it TRUK It TRUK it!

barsteds
mother Trukers!

They missed -thank the Gods -they missed!

Form up on me everyone
I would -if I could bloody find you
here you idiot
Sorry!

The first raid -18 strong -is liberally chewed up - the 44's swarming over them.
At the last moment it veers away from the field -and heads to the Port -bombs aimlessly shattering its calm.
losses, for them -are heavy - 5 down.

Its a brilliant attack

Nakamura's fighters hunt them -and leave the door open for the second wave
Again the bombs tumble down - not nearly as devastating as yesterday - but the bombing -again -is accurate to the inch
For 47th -rangoon is closed for today -maybe forever

In rage and frustration Nakamura circles the field -their is literally no choice.
Low on fuel, ammo, and spirits -the remains of 47th fly south, looking for a new temporary nest

The enemy - just how many bombers did they have? - arrive with a third wave almost immediately after.
Who ever commands these men knows his work -Rangoon field requires no more effort - almost in contempt the docks of rangoon are bombed to hell............

The Japanese have 20000 support troops in rangoon.
The allies have bulldozers

The allies win.

(in reply to hosho)

Post #: 912

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/2/2009 7:30:31 AM

1275psi

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4/7/43

Its called the battle of the elbow
A jumble of bunkers on the first patch of dry ground the marines have reached.
they are -obviously -shaped in a elbow shape
They are vital -in the scheme of things

The battle is fought at close range - smell your enemy range. It is fought with bayonet, knife -club, grenade -small arms. Fists, teeth.

300 marines are casualties.
500 japanese die.

The elbow however -falls

Offshore -the great guns bark - background noise to the screams of the battle of the elbow.
It too is a knife fight -fought by Japans best cruisers - against the Allied Old battle wagons

Dawn brings many japanese bodies slowly ashore....................

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Post #: 913

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/2/2009 7:33:22 AM

1275psi

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quote:

ORIGINAL: hosho

ookii daiben!

I had to look that up - yes -a big you know what type of day!

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Post #: 914

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/3/2009 11:03:38 AM

1275psi

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5/7/43

Juni, Miyazaki, Inoue crouch in the japanese style -whoofling down the bowls of rice and steamed fish that have just been served.
It is the first meal for quite some time - that they have it is almost a small miricle in itself.
Maybe its the meal -maybe its the small break today has given tham from combat -but spirits are good.
One of the new rookies dares to join them.
Rookies
There are more of them now -some almost every day. this one must be particularily raw -he still has all of his issued kit on him.
He's lucky -our group deem to pay him attention
'Was the war always like this?" -he asks -the obvious answer to that would be -like what?, but Juni just gently shakes his head - playfully punches Inoue on the shoulder
'Like this? -you mean dust and crap and enemies like flies in the sky?"
"yes -, well no - what I mean......."
Juni adopts THE FATHERLY TONE -the tone that only fellow veterans are allowed to use. ' In my day.............."
Inoue interupts " In his day - flying was about clean uniforms, keeping out of trouble..........:
"And picking up girls"
They laugh
"Hey -remember when we borrowed that Transport to move, what was his name? -you know,for the fitness freak - that cow?"
"Sure it was him?"
'Of course it was - remember -Canton............"
It takes a second or too -but the rookie realises that the door has closed to that world he cannot know.
He wanders away - dismissed.

47th do not fly today
The weather helps Japan today -rangoon is not raided -and Nakamura clings to the hope of a return. Moulmien may be a nice fat strip -but the support troops are not here, the ground crews remain in Rangoon. This has to be temporary -has to be.
By dusk a clearer picture emerges
14 planes available from the 47th - 30 odd in total here -more to the North .
Reinforcements coming!
Another day of bad weather. A little luck........
He will fight on.

< Message edited by 1275psi -- 12/3/2009 11:14:07 AM >

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Post #: 915

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/3/2009 11:10:10 AM

1275psi

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Lunga

private Gato fingers his ammunition pouch. Plenty.
he has a full stomach. his companions are with him.
The elbow has been lost -and now the doorstep position. So many dead, so many friends lost.
Are they being defeated? can that be?
His best friend offers him some biscuit -'Cheer up Gato - the emperor came to majuro's aid in time - yamato will do the same here -you watch -believe in the victory friend"

The biscuit tastes terrible. But better than the ashes of defeat.
Yes -they will hang on.
he has to believe it.

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Post #: 916

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/3/2009 11:21:02 AM

1275psi

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Admitted lost - 6/7/43
1st battle of Guadacanal

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< Message edited by 1275psi -- 12/3/2009 11:22:02 AM >

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Post #: 917

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/4/2009 4:12:39 AM

1275psi

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also known lost -sunk within sight of troops on tulgia
CA Haguro

(this is what happens when Admirals disobey orders. Abe joins Tanaka in the dustbin of disgraced navy men)

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Post #: 918

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/4/2009 4:27:35 AM

1275psi

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6/7/43
General yashimata's ignorance of plain facts begins to reap a bitter harvest as Allied bombers "go after" troop concentrations south of Akyab
his "quick loop around the flank" has been pounded to pieces by the bombers.

Records are scratchy for this period -but we do know now that 47th, and all of Nakamura's Sentais again tried to make a stand over Rangoon.

6/7/43
The huts were -gone
The mess -was gone
The fine mechanics workshops - as if they had never been

Miyazaki views Rangoon field in disbelief. how can something so large -so painfully built up -so seemingly permanant -be razed so utterly, so quickly?
Incredible.
The holes in the field however -are gone.

In the rapidly gathering dusk its a gloomy sight indeed -the lack of any lights at all intimidating

'Where do we sleep tonight?" he wonders aloud.
Juni rolls his eyes.
"Where else but under the wings young man -where else?"
Miyazaki thinks about this for a moment. "You know -tomorrow Im going to name my plane -paint a picture on her -in honour of our new status"
"Oh yes -and?"

"The snail" - after all -her cockpit is all about I've got left!"
Juni scrapes a hole for his hip in the hard earth - 'we still have our lives Miyazaki -be grateful for that!"
yes he thinks -but tomorrow I am sure they will try to take that as well.

Strangely -the thought does not bother him at all -and soon the scattered remains of 47th are fast asleep on the ruined plain Japan still calls Rangoon field.

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Post #: 919

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/5/2009 8:56:56 PM

1275psi

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7/7/43

Clouds of dust over Rangoon as the work continues .
The enemy recon -but no attack -maybe they have been hurt too?

47th try to catch their breath.

It will be another night sleeping under the stars though

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Post #: 920

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/5/2009 10:32:04 PM

CarnageINC

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From: Rapid City SD
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WOW, it great to see that your still plugging away at this story Herb. I'll have to go back thru and read it.

_____________________________

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Post #: 921

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/6/2009 4:19:48 AM

1275psi

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yeah carnage -where the hell have you been!

8/7/43

What makes a servicable airfield?
One that can supply your planes with fuel, bullets, parts -a strip.
An intelligence wing, metrological services -radar -AA -they help too
Ability to repair -well, after a few days thats needed too

Accomodation? -food, personal facilities? medical.
The Japanese have never really thought too hard about those things -so nobody is surprised when Nakamura reclaims rangoon as 100% servicable on this day.

He promptly "celebrates' by leading every fighter he can grab -and heads them North -looking for trouble.

It does not take long to find it.

Its a storm front -the mother of all storm fronts -a great solid wall of white, and foreboding black, black underneath it.
The head of the great floating mountains stretch 10's of thousands of feet higher than even a 44 can go - the front too, stretches east and west even further than the eye can see.

Nobody even contemplates trying to go under it -or through it. Aggressive they may feel -suicidal they don't.

It is with the the height of frustration that 47th return to Rangoon - a frustration that only increases as the reports of enemy attacks on the front line filter in. The weather side on the great wall of nature -is, apparently, perfectly clear..

(in reply to CarnageINC)

Post #: 922

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/6/2009 4:22:50 AM

1275psi

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8/7/43

private gato lies dead in his Bunker.
The Navy never came -well maybe it can claim it did -1000's of its sailors too lie dead within sight of Lunga airfield.

If it was coming -and quite a few now doubt that it actually was -it does not matter.

Lunga airfield now flies an American flag

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Post #: 923

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/6/2009 4:29:30 AM

1275psi

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9/7/43

Too Inoue - it rates as one of the most miserable days he can recall in a long, long time.

The great storm front -has moved, or spread, south.
It rains
It buckets
What primative facilities that have been salvaged from the bombing are simply not prepared to with stand the howling wind, the driving rain. The world turns to mud - the drainage system, so shattered last week -does not yet exist in any sort of repair.

No meals are cooked, communications cease -and men seek what shelter, miserable shelter they can find.

Driven from his small bunker ( get out -or drown) Nakamura watches the storm lash his command.
Despair fills him. No amount of bombs can affect his mens morale -this he has seen. But this -this could be deadly to it..

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 924

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/6/2009 4:31:04 AM

1275psi

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10/7/43

Burma front closed by Mother nature -detirmined to influence the war in her way.

At Rangoon -the misery continues.

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Post #: 925

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/7/2009 12:37:34 AM

CarnageINC

Posts: 2208
Joined: 2/28/2005
From: Rapid City SD
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

yeah carnage -where the hell have you been!

Me and Trez planned on switching over to AE when I lost my job and couldn't afford the new game and Trez's wife went ballistic on him for spending to much time on WITP

He sorted things out, I've scraped up the money and we plan on starting a new AE again.

Good reading Herb

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Post #: 926

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/7/2009 7:30:17 AM

cantona2

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From: Gibraltar
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Alls well that ends well Carnage!

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1966 was a great year for English Football...Eric was born

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Post #: 927

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/8/2009 7:39:37 AM

1275psi

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11/7/43

Inoue awakens from his unsettled sleep, every bone aching -the ground was so goddam hard!
Juni is doing the waking -he has a grin from ear to ear. "wake up old man -the Navy is here!"

And so they were -zero's -AM3a's - interesting enough, welcome enough.
But it is where they are from that brings the ripple of excitement through the camp - "Japan, home -they have come directly from home!"

The navy men are -well to be honest -feted like rock stars. For men starved of any news from home -news they can trust -here is a most precious commodity.
The navy pilots -as tired as they are -take it in good humour.
They are old hands -a unit disbanded many months ago -men scattered to training billets through out the country -now reformed to man the growing demands for pilots.
As such, they have a very good picture of the state of the home land from one end to another..........

"The nations morale?" - good -even excelent -many still wondered why the allies had not yet surrendered
Supplies? -the shops? - still well stocked -or so it seemed.
The factories continued to produce, the movie theatres still played -although many plays were now cancelled.
Life seemed to be continuing -shortages here and there- but nothing serious.

The goverment, however, was trying -in eptly it seemed -to organise some sort of civil defence against bombing.
This news most greet with contempt -that would never be required -not on their watch.
Never.

The conversations went on well into the night -and for a while, home seemed so much closer.

(in reply to cantona2)

Post #: 928

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/8/2009 7:45:30 AM

1275psi

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12/7/43

The enemy pound moulmien.
60 miles away -may as well have been 600 -Rangoon once again is pounded by horrible weather.

Its a bit more bearable now -the construction gangs , runway repairs completed, have turned to rebuilding some crude accomodation. It aaint pretty -but it helps.

13/7/43

nakamura sends the zero's north on LRCAP over the army south of Akyab, keen to keep his promise of air cover to the generals.
They go -they fight -many return damaged, but they return.
Morale continues to recover - somebody somewhere has been stung over burma -dusk see's another welcome reinforcement -more zeros.

Nakamura goes to bed contemplating his favourite topic -the attack.

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Post #: 929

RE: herbiesan vs Cantona!!! - 12/8/2009 8:01:20 AM

1275psi

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extract from Shattering the Sword -a Cantona production.

....................it had been hard -a nail biting affair, as expensive (almost) as many had feared it would be -but the reward would soon come -Lunga was now operational.
On the 13th, the P 38's headed North -looking for trouble -the true beginning of the great allied offensive.

We now know what happened to Japans defence -a month of missed opportunities, chronic bad planning, and pure blind ambition leading to the upsetting of a years careful planning.

Initially all went well - the defenders hanging on, the allies tied to reinforcement, covering of the invasion.
The attrition -enemy CVs being damaged, the whittling away of combat power in the sky.

Kido Bahru arriving at Truk -right on schedule.
And then the plan all unravelled.
Admiral Abe - ordered to shortlands for the first of the fast transport runs - target tassafroga -chooses to attack the allied beach head at lunga instead.
Arrogance?
A mis understanding?
A mystery never to be solved -as Abe died on the bridge of his shattered heavy cruiser.

The other mistake would remain hidden to the end of the war -probably the greatest SNAFU -of the war to date.
The carriers anchor -and yamato and staff meet on the mighty flagship.
The debate, planning, and (we believe) subsequent party -lasts for nearly 24hrs.
More than enough time for some base officer -definately clueless to the situation to the south -to choose to convert all fighter squadrons carried to the new zeke.
In one slow day -japans striking force is disarmed.

2 days later -with the fast transport runners lying at the bottom of Iron bottem sound, the carriers crippled - yamato sails into the wastes again a thourghly angry and frustrated man

A chance for a second majuro has been missed -the chances of another grow slimmer now every day..

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Post #: 930

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