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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: The little ship that could.

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RE: The little ship that could. - 8/17/2013 10:30:51 PM

1275psi

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27/8/44
It has been the long night

CLAA Natori has laid 100 yards of Hiyos flank, her pilots watching helplessly the battle to save the carrier.
Her escorts have come alongside one by one, metal grinding on metal, as men have come off the carrier, pumps, timber, tools going the other way
At one stage two of them come alongside, one on each flank, and Hiyo lashes herself too them,.

To Diogowa, its as if two trainers take a injured sportsman under each arm, and carry him from the field.

Lights shine in the dark, inevitable in this case, reflecting on the mercifully mirror calm sea.

At 3 am two things happen.

The submarine that has caused this pain and anguish, tries again
And 8 destroyers and the AR ship arrive

The Submarine dies -forced to the surface, its crew machined gunned.
Hiyo lives, The AR ships pumps go to work, soon the ocean for miles about wil be covered with a rainbow oil scum, Hiyos blood.
But she will live

At 1600 hours, her arse touches the gentle mud beside the long, but narrow pier of Pontianak, and she settles safe.

39 system, 75 flood, 23 engineering

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2491

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/17/2013 10:31:30 PM

1275psi

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28/8/44
"i will remain"

Takeji faces his engineer, his executive officer " I promise not to get in the way gentlemen"

They smile

Hiyo lies stable against the wharf.
Her decks silent, she cannot sink any further, so Takeji has ordered the most vital of things to occur.
The men will sleep, and they will plan the way ahead.

There is much to think about. We have planes still onboard, maintenace crewmen who can tend them. This place has no Japanese military presence........vulnerable to partisans..we need to establish one. How will we support ourselves? How will we salvage ourselves?
Will Combined fleet consign us to scrap, myself to scrap, or can we redeem ourselves?
can we rise phoenix like?

The destroyers are gone, the pilots are gone.
The AR ship commander knows his stuff, I must, immediately meet him, get to know him.

Damnation.........my crew sleep, yet my mind cannot. There is so much unknown..................

< Message edited by 1275psi -- 8/17/2013 10:39:57 PM >

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Post #: 2492

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/17/2013 10:47:13 PM

1275psi

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Near tokyo, CVL Ryuho, crawling home, is torpedoed by a SS

(How bloody many is that now???)

She makes port, out for 100 plus days

Allied fletchers massacar a convoy south of palua bound for biak.............yes, the Fletcher wolf packs are roaming now......
Fuchida, 22nd sentai arrive Okiwana, where all of Japans elite groups now rest, the reserve, awaiting the next blow

Ogowa, Diogowa depart Singapore on the Natori, they are part of the remains of combined fleet, enroute back home. Sngapore is overwhelmed by the numbers of damaged/stressed ships.
The fleet will go for one last rest/refit.

Then, I fear, sacrifice on herbiesans altar of "decisive final battle'

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Post #: 2493

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/17/2013 10:57:23 PM

1275psi

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We skip forward 3 days

30/aug 44

Yesterday, the japanese fighters arrived again over the thialand front, desperate to ease the pounding on the retreating armies

Yesterday, they struggled, elderly oscars, against shining spitfires, gleaming T bolts, certain wooden wonders.

Yesterday, 31 allied planes went down in ambush

But so did 29 japanese

One of them, oscar number 206, lies silent in the jungle just north of bangkok.
It had, yesterday, emerged from a cloud abruptly, leaping upon a twin engined mozzie, guns blazing.

The mozzie has rolled, climbed, swung, and fired back

The oscar has flown on by, apparently unharmed, vanished , fleeing into the clouds again, Long Pig behind it cursing and swearing

But the oscar pilot is dead, the plane has been struck just once, and once is enough.

It will fly straight and true for another ten minutes before it tumbles down........

Long pig has a kill

But he does not know it.

(so shhhhhh, don't tell him, let him find out himself)

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Post #: 2494

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/17/2013 11:04:10 PM

1275psi

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It is dark, gloomy, and stinking hot and humid in Hiyos hanger

There is little enough power from the AR for lighting, let alone ventilation. Hiyos machinery is silent now, the hanger, a great echoing cave

The engineer faces his men, 300 strong.
"fwd store room, compartment 6-108-4-Q, elevator pump room, 6-108-0-Q. That is our aim today men. The elevator machinery room, I suspect, will be a barsted"

Okano sighs inwardly. His engineer is not wrong. That it will be.

There is a plan now. Simple, direct.
We recover, one bloody compartment at a time.

Hiyo, 65 flood.

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Post #: 2495

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/18/2013 12:58:59 AM

PaxMondo

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3 days, -10 flooding, good job. Keep it up. How much of the damage is major vs minor?

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Post #: 2496

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/18/2013 2:51:44 AM

John 3rd

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Are the Americans 'looking' around for Hiyo? Might be good to have some fighters around if a Base Force could be moved...

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Post #: 2497

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/19/2013 11:50:14 AM

1275psi

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1 September

It is a quiet moment on Hiyo

Takeji, with studied seriousness, opens the bottle of Jonny Walker red, pours a good measure, hands it to the portly captain sharing his cabin.
It has been less than a week, yet this is a friendship that, gods willing, will last a lifetime

Captain Itaga is a gregerialous soul, fond of a drink, fond of his food. Foul mouthed, with every second word a swear word, although not a one could be ever termed offensive.
He is also, it is evident, relaible, hardworking, and absolutely dependable.

And, as takeji has quickly discovered, if he says something will be provided, or done.
It will be.

Things progress well, Hiyo sits now considerably higher in the water, on an even keel (63 flood)
Today, 10 destroyers have arrived, unloaded a base force, departed.
Hiyo is secure, for now.

'To safe harbours"
To safe harbours"

They sip the fiery liquid.
Itaga downs his, takes the bottle, pours another. "safer here than Singapore, i suspect"
"The B-29s?"
"The enemy , I hear, is galloping south in Thailand. Soon, I suspect............."

"No where to hide"

A long silence
Itaga grins......."More reason to drink than ney?........before they bloody bomb it and waste it all"

Yes. Yes you are right

"I will drink to that"

(in reply to John 3rd)

Post #: 2498

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/19/2013 11:51:28 AM

1275psi

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Gods, I must be tired.............the spelling

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Post #: 2499

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/19/2013 11:52:15 AM

1275psi

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Hi Pax

48 flood, then we will have to brave the ss again

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Post #: 2500

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/19/2013 2:32:23 PM

PaxMondo

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quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Hi Pax

48 flood, then we will have to brave the ss again

Wow, that is a lot. and you have to get all the way back to the HI, right?

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RE: The little ship that could. - 8/19/2013 3:37:52 PM

Crackaces

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quote:

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Hi Pax

48 flood, then we will have to brave the ss again

Wow, that is a lot. and you have to get all the way back to the HI, right?

Not to ruin the story line .. but as an AFB as long as sys is below 10 or so .. I have moved BB's from Pearl to WC with 70 flood .. I am assuming the IJ face much more restrictive circumstances due to poor damage control figured in the algorithm ...

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Post #: 2502

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/20/2013 10:19:50 AM

1275psi

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2 September

Suriago straight, phillipines.

Its not comfortable on the Natori. Besides Hiyo's pilots, there are nearly 50 injured men as well, and they have piority to what hammocks are available below.
There is a water shortage (oh, how common on a japanese warship is this problem!), and, well, the food is terrible.

But this is nothing to the helpless feeling of sitting on a warship escorting carriers, as a pilot, watching the planes circle, launch, depart, land. The remains of combined fleet is flying a very, very heavy ASW patrol, if it flies, its aloft.
Diogowa, Ogowa lean against the guard rails, stripped almost bare.
The sun has burnt them brown, almost black, they watch the CAP, silent.

Yet, despite the frustration of not flying, this journey has, in a way, been good.

There are no responsibilities. No duties. No possessions even. Just the days sliding across the sea, watching the show, watching the phillipine islands sliding past, the nights, warm, sleeping on the upper decks.

A good break. A chance to recouperate.

And, not mentioned, not dared to be mentioned.....the prospect of home at the end of the voyage.

It is too much to dare for.

Natori breaks from the straight, and , like a switch coming on, her bows meet the first of the great pacific rollers, the wind blows the spray back into eager faces

She changes course, north.
Home, Oh gods, to get home...............

(in reply to Crackaces)

Post #: 2503

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/20/2013 10:55:22 AM

1275psi

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Hosho sits in his trench, staring at a very curious thing

The sides of the trench are vibrating, sending trickles, almost streams of dust, rubble, dirt falling down its side.
he stands, stares at the sky, empty, blue, sun beating down mercilessly.

To the west, the mountains that form the back bone of malaya, silent, brooding.
The Jungle, all about, quiet, lanquid in the tropical heat

But still, the ground vibrates beneath his feet.

Finally.........an answer. Rising, rising, slowly behind the nearest ridge, the dust clouds, the mushrooms of death

He sits back down, contemplates this pathetic slit in the ground. The B-29's are visiting somebody on the west flank.
What, if he can feel the results from here, when they bomb over there........would it be like here.?

He contemplates his trench.
The answer, is not to his liking.

Where the bloody hell did he see that shovel??

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Post #: 2504

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/20/2013 10:57:49 AM

1275psi

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6 b-29 bomb Loemaojang, , south of Soerabaya.

The message, i would think, is stark, is clear.

Your oil fields are in range, you little yellow barsteds...................

DAMNATION!!!!

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Post #: 2505

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/20/2013 2:19:20 PM

PaxMondo

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quote:

ORIGINAL: Crackaces

quote:

ORIGINAL: PaxMondo

quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Hi Pax

48 flood, then we will have to brave the ss again

Wow, that is a lot. and you have to get all the way back to the HI, right?

Not to ruin the story line .. but as an AFB as long as sys is below 10 or so .. I have moved BB's from Pearl to WC with 70 flood .. I am assuming the IJ face much more restrictive circumstances due to poor damage control figured in the algorithm ...

its not the 48 flood per se, it's the loss of speed that it represents (prolly 8 knots) and having to go so far through sub infested waters ... it means a lot of shots for Cantona to get another fish or two into her ... which she won't survive ...

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Pax

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Post #: 2506

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/21/2013 12:12:48 PM

1275psi

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Herbiesan considers the man sitting at such ease before him.

Ivan, Ivan some bloody unpronouncable thing........bloody russian spelling.
"Thank you for coming at such short notice Ambassador"
"Da, .........but no intention to shoot one, is there?"

"Only the general staff..........the incompetent ones mind you"
the Ambassador laughs........."yes, that is good one......Stalin too, he only shoots the bad ones"

The two men settle down into the chairs
"Too business yes?"

Yes, too business. Diplomacy, other than at the point of the gun..........

"My Russian friend, although the people think the war goes well....."
"The reality is different"

Painful, yet true. The war no longer goes well. Soon, too soon the reality must crash in on the people.
The Americans will never stop, not now.
Death approaches

The trick then, is to strike, with revenge , from beyond the grave...

"yes, the war goes poorly.the question is what comes after"
'And you think the Soviets have much to say on this?'
(And Oh yes, we will, Oh yes we will")

herbiesan hesitates.........."After the war, it will be eagle against bear. My proposal is simple. A simple estate, say 1000 acres, in the motherland............in return, I create an atmosphere conducive for the Communist party...........and hostile to the Americans......"

The Ambassador smiles ( oh, an atmosphere conducive, you think?.........as conducive as an armoured division in the gaza?)

'We will think on it"

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Post #: 2507

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/22/2013 10:26:12 AM

1275psi

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3rd of September

Hiyo is mostly a great dark, quiet cave. Her remaining machinery is still. If one stands still, and listens, you can hear the water outside lapping against her hull. Disconcertantly, also, in many places, inside her. The AR ship is providing what power she can, mostly for the pumps, and the great strings of portable lighting strung through her dark passageways.

Great areas of the ship are pitch black. Humidity is high, adding to the cave like atmosphere.
For all intents and purposes, Hiyo appears dead.
But deep inside her, the spark of life remains.

Today is last salvageable compartment day.
The men gather again in the damp passageway, and consider the bolted down hatch. Below, in this hold, a series of interlinked compartments: the gyro room, a comms radio room, the vault, the electrical office.

'Are you ready brother?" Okano whispers
Hirate, face pale in the wobbly dim lights, nods. 'No, but we must, ney?"

Yes, yes, they must.

The hatch is unbolted, clangs aside. Torches reflect upon evil, dark, oil stained water lapping at the coamings
The pump hose is manouvered in, somewhere many decks above, the rattle and roar of the dirty diesel.

It is as bad as all of them, this last compartment. They float, bloated, stinking, barely recongnisable as former comrades, 6 men, trapped below that bolted hatch.
masked, gloved, gently they remove them, it is easier, thinks Hirate, to not look at the faces, to not think of them as men, but as .............as carpets, ruined, rolled carpets.

But you treat them with all the reverence they deserve nonetheless.............

The compartment is mostly tight, by tomorrow Hiyo will be at 48% flood.
The horrible work is done.
The harder work, yet to come.

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 2508

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/22/2013 10:28:41 AM

1275psi

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Combined fleet has not forgotten Hiyo

The waters between her berth and singapore have been flooded with an intensive ASW effort.
It kills its 3rd ss in as many days today south of singapore
Hiyo will, gods willing, have to go there.............

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Post #: 2509

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/22/2013 10:37:49 AM

1275psi

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Waingapoe

Yet ANOTHER deliberate allied attack

held, again.

But the Japanese dead lie thick now. Everything that can be done, has been. There can be no fairy tail ending here. They will fight on.
Until they can fight on no more.

There have been p51's hunting in southern China, sweeping over Hong Kong
22nd Sentai will deploy.
Fuchida flies with them. China has been a happy hunting ground before.
It will be again.

Hosho's fears are well founded
Its a long day, huddled in his trench.
The B-29's pound the airfield to his south, beaufighters sweep the harbour, despite some army fighters doing what they can, the harbour sprouts five ugly pyres from dying transports.

Between the bombs, he does what all about him also are doing

He digs.

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RE: The little ship that could. - 8/24/2013 9:26:58 AM

1275psi

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4th of september

The japanese have few, very few aircraft left in Burma. daily, the allies bomb, and bomb the shattered retreating troops.
But today, a defiant act.
Flying from Victoria point, 26 francis bombers attack Rangoon at wave top height.
Surprise is complete, 26 T bolts on CAP fail to intercept.
CVE Begnam explodes.............

Pilot Officer "Long pig" Graham, returns from another mission.
His Mother would not recongnise him.........this now, brown, and hard.
Eyes like flint, he has smashed a dozen tanks today, will again tomorrow.

Hosho's trench deepens, it needs to, the B-29's are pounding his area today, and the port as well.

And at waingapoe, the allies..............fail again.

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Post #: 2511

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/24/2013 9:34:51 AM

1275psi

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Takeji contemplates his engineer.
What a contrast............if this was Minobe

"Three days?"
"Three days sir............maybe more. We have but one boiler, one engineroom...........'
'Alright then". No hesitation. I place my life into your hands Engines...........and it feels right. 'Proceed. Raise steam"

And so it begins.

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Post #: 2512

RE: The little ship that could. - 8/24/2013 12:15:22 PM

1275psi

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Hiyo
38 system
48 flood
23 eng

Hirate and Okano have been on Hiyo for what seems like forever.
But its only been what?, a month, 6 weeks?
Barely enough time to learn your ship, your systems.
Boilers are simple things, really. But to get them going.

Fuel. But so many of Hiyos Fuel tanks are lost, or flooded, or even destroyed. In fact, so many is actually all of them. Today, somehow they have to get a sound tanks worth of fuel to the ready use tank.
But the sound tank lies below flooded compartments, and the transfer pipe passes through a destroyed compartment

A tricky problem indeed
Thats Hirates

Boilers need air. Initially provided by a motor driven fan. The starter box for the remaining boilers fan lies on the deck, smashed from the shock of the fish
Okano's problem

There are many other problems.
Feed, or the lack of it.
The total lack of cooling water to the pumps, and later for the oil coolers, if they ever get the turbine rolling.
And this , of course, is just the machinery.
There is little lighting, high humidity, no ventilation
Place a light under the bitch, and temperatures below will become hellish.

The men cannot think that far ahead. Just to get a fire going will be achievement enough.

Hirate stands on 4 deck, staring at the shored hatch leading to the flooded compartment below. He has 3 men with him, average age 18 years
"Where do they stow the portable compressor?"
One of the youngsters grins "Will this work petty officer?"
Hirate shrugs. "If it doesn't, we are truked ney?"

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RE: The little ship that could. - 8/24/2013 12:16:34 PM

1275psi

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anyone guess how he will do it?

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RE: The little ship that could. - 8/25/2013 7:51:32 AM

1275psi

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All fuel tanks have two tubes into them, a vent pipe, and a sounding tube, for the dip tanks

Hirate has had the vent pipe cut of here at the deck above the tank, and a hose now leads from it to the ready use tank 50 metres aft and below.
Inserted, and crudely sealed into the top of the sounding tube, a low pressure air line, complete with guage.

The trick, simple really, push air in, which hopefully will push fuel out. The trick, of course, is not to burst the tank.
But with water pressing in on all sides except the roof, he hopes that can be avoided.
Somwhere above, echoing hollowly, the small diesel compresor bangs away

'Cross your fingers boys.........'
Cautiously he cracks open the air valve, and holds his breath.

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RE: The little ship that could. - 8/25/2013 7:59:47 AM

1275psi

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5 September
Without captain Itaga, and his AR ship Senseai, it would have been impossible.
Feed water?, how many tons do you need?
Welding kit........with a welder as well!
Power cables, cranage, portable pumps, a forest of timber, even a spare starter box for Okano........

LIke a patient in ICU, it tends to Hiyos every need

Its the small things that mattered most

Food, good, hot food. Showers. And bunks for the hours of snatched sleep
But now, piece by piece, the AR is taking her toys back.
Smoke rises steadily from Hiyos stack.

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RE: The little ship that could. - 8/25/2013 8:02:40 AM

1275psi

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The blow falls:

36 B-29's hit Tarakan oil field
Production there drops by 30%

Balikapapan, Soerabaya, Samarinda , the fighters go onto full alert

But we all know, the bombers will get through...........

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RE: The little ship that could. - 8/25/2013 8:05:56 AM

1275psi

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Fuchida flies as part of a sweep over Changsha, nothing encountered.

They will not be there long, the chaos in Thailand is beyond belief. the allied airforce roams at will.
Something has to be done, and soon.

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RE: The little ship that could. - 8/25/2013 12:31:43 PM

ny59giants

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John 3rd got me hooked on the "Destroyermen" series by Taylor Anderson. I have read the first three and need to get the next three. Reading your AAR reminds me of it. The story is about USS Walker, a old WW1 DD that goes through a "Storm" in early '42 and is sent to an alternative Earth time line. Lots of info about the workings of that old beat up DD that you would like.

_____________________________

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RE: The little ship that could. - 8/26/2013 11:26:30 AM

1275psi

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Hi NY59, tried to buy that today...............

could only find audio version

Looked good too.

A single boiler
A single turbine
Feed water reserves that cannot be replenished.

Hirate stares through the inspection glass into the furnace..........the flama 'sparkles', spits, flares.

Water contamination, almost certainly..............but the barsted burns.

The bells ring. Slow ahead.
Not that there can be anything else answered this bloody trip.
But that does not matter. Hirate smiles. They all smile
They have done it.
Hiyo is going home.

(in reply to ny59giants)

Post #: 2520

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