1275psi
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7/10/42
Routines continue
Hirate awakens, as he usually does, some 5 minutes before the seaman doing the shakes moves to his rack.
‘I am awake already young man’ he whispers in the quiet red light.
For a few minutes he lies quietly, listening to the ship about him. The steady whine of the blowers down aft can barely be heard above the gentle snoring in the bed above him, and she is barely moving in the swell.
For a moment, just a moment, he allows a glimmer of that thought of home to enter his world.
He cannot help it, excitement courses through him, Kuko awaits. And his Son, he , he must be walking now, surely?.
How soon before babies become toddlers.?.
OH, to see his Sons first steps.
But that is thrust away, he has this watch to get through.
Its going to be a long one, boiler swings………and soot blows.
With a sigh, he climbs out, dresses in his coveralls, secures his pit, reaches un erringly into his small bunk bag, takes out the essentials
Shifting spanner for this pocket. Wheelie for the leg pocket. Torch for the other.
Then, , silently, with out disturbing anyone, its through the dark red of the sleeping mess, and out into the harsh light of the passage way
It is 4 steps to the ladder leading down to the general mess area.
Most of his gutz watch is already gathered around the table, and one passes him his mug of tea, and, delight, several small dim sums.
They eat, drink , mainly in silence, most still gathering themselves. Two hours sleep before this watch is really not enough.
2340 hours. Time to go. Last smokes are butted out, and the watch, 30 plus stokers in number, climbs the ladder to the next deck, enters Zuihos glaring lower hanger deck, and distribute themselves amongst the gaping maws of each space, boiler, Engine rooms
As always, Hirate takes a breath before descending…….and mentally steels himself for what is ahead. There is nothing natural , nothing normal, about this world he inhabits, no matter how many times you descend into its chaotic clamor.
As usual, the heat, the noise, the humidity will assault him, and as usual, he will grin, and bear it, and smile as he greats the off going steamer.
“I will look around”
This not spoken, but conveyed by the hand – it is simply too noisy for conversation.
His rounds, as usual, are careful, 1A, he sees, is at about 200 psi, 2 blowers on line, feeding by hand still..and the drains are shut.
Good, the swing is well underway. 1bravo boiler, online, and that damn trap is definitely going. Another defect for the list
The watertender looks exhausted, as usual,
He leans in towards the steamer , and the “hand over is yelled into his ear
“Swinging…….been a right barsted!……….had water level trouble, and up top are manouvering. OOW exercises I think. Night orders, swing to 1A, blow soot on both, shut down, let 1B go cold!…….Charge wants to show Tan the insides of the bitch I think tomorrow!”
The steamer lights a smoke, continues…….’Charge says if the feed controller gives any more crap, get him, he’s awake and in the Chippies shop”
Hirate starts.”Chippie shop?”
The steamer smiles “making a rabbit I think!”
‘’OK!”
Hirate looks around, places his hand on the blower throttle, the other on the fuel, checks the gauges a last time. All seems good>
“I have the watch!”
‘You have the watch”
The relieved man drops his hands, takes his things, signs the log, and with out looking back, makes his way out.
‘Port boiler, port engine!”
‘Morning Okano!”
‘Where are we at friend?”
270 psi, coming on nice……another ten minutes”
‘’Alright, I will let the bridge know”
Kato is awakened by the voice pipe
As usual, sleep is instantly dismissed
‘Captain”
‘OOW sir, engine room is seeking permission to connect boilers, and requests steady revolutions for connection”
‘Our position?”
‘On inward zig sir, 5000 yards to run”
‘very good. Maintain steady revolutions. Don’t Truk them about”
Can’t upset Tan. That would not do, not at all.
And almost instantly, back asleep
The connection, just after 0015 hrs, goes well. And why not?. This is a routine operation, done again, and again.
It doesn’t make it any less dangerous this routine, but practice, experience, does help.
Nor does it reduce the physical effort required. The watch is only a short way in, and already every man is slick with sweat.
None look forward to what comes next.
‘All spaces, Port Engine room. Warm through soot blowers”
With a grimace, the men begin this hated task.
The youngsters go behind the boiler, lie on the deck plates, reach into the bilge areas, opening the small drain valves.
The water tender opens his drain valves too
Then , carefully, carefully, he cracks open the master valve two turns.
Alright. Go into your kitchen. Plug in at least a dozen kettles. Boil. Let em scream.
And leave them that way for at least 20 minutes………….
That might give you a glimpse of what “warming through” entails
Hirate is lucky tonight. Bilges are a bit high, a lot of the warming steam is being smothered by the water in the bilge, it churns, churns, blows in a fountain, churns some more.
And with every minute, the humidity climbs, and climbs.
‘Port engine, port boiler……I am ready Okano……Soot blowers warmed through”
‘’OK, standby”
Hirate nods to the boys. The drains, finally, are shut. With a grunt, muscles straining, the master valve is opened by the water tender.
Hirate tugs on the Forced blower throttle, raises the box pressure by another 500 RPM ( Japanese boilers did not have an air box pressure gauge!)
He is ready.
Kato is awakened again
‘”permission from below sought to blow soot sir”
‘Our position?”
3000 yards from screen edge sir. Visibility is poor………its raining currently sir”
Excellent. Little chance of a prowling submarine seeing the inevitable sparks from the soot blow.
‘permission granted”
‘Go for it Hirate”
Hirate’s voice, trained now by nearly a year of fighting the bedlam of noise down here, cuts easily across the space. A great bellow of an order
‘Open Number one!’
The sailor swings on the valve.
Kato is already asleep again
Moments later, the BANG from below, has awoken him, sent him charging for the bridge, to his station . Him and every single man on Zuiho.
Deep down, deep in her guts, he can hear Zuiho screaming .
< Message edited by 1275psi -- 9/6/2011 11:45:13 AM >
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