RE: April 25, 1942

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All Forums >> [New Releases from Matrix Games] >> War in the Pacific: Admiral's Edition >> After Action Reports >> RE: April 25, 1942

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RE: April 25, 1942 - 9/26/2011 8:35:15 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

April 25, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: 145 miles west-northwest of Vava�u
Course: Southwest
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: No damage
Fuel: 328 (62%)

It was well after dinner in the officer�s wardroom. The dishes had long since been cleared away and the linen tablecloths removed. Scott, the steward, had just put on a fresh pot of coffee and retired.

Doc Corwin sat in a corner, reading a book. Lieutenants Cameron and Sherwood were playing chess at the table while nearby Ensign Andrew Puhls pored over a stack of dog-eared manuals. Footfalls sounded in the passage outside and the ship�s chief engineer, Lieutenant Joseph Black, entered and headed straight for the coffee pot.

�How are you this fine evening, Lieutenant?� asked Corwin, looking up from his book.

�Fine, Doc, just fine,� said Black, pouring himself a cup of coffee. �I�ve got some good news for you. We got the evaporator back up to ten thousand gallons a day. Showers for everyone again.�

�Glad to hear it,� said Corwin, nodding approvingly. �Good personal hygiene is important.�

�Yeah,� said Black, �and so�s not having to work right next to someone who smells like a dogfish left out in the sun.� He sat down next to Cameron and looked over the board. �You�re going to lose that rook, Jimmy.� Cameron grunted, not lifting his eyes from the board. Across the table Sherwood, the torpedo officer, grinned briefly.

�I hear we�re going to make Suva tomorrow,� he said, waiting for Cameron to decide on a move. �We�ll probably anchor there for a few days.�

�We�re going to meet some oilers there,� Cameron said distractedly. �And wait for the troop ships to catch up.�

�I�ve never been there,� said Black.

�I haven�t either, Blackie,� said Sherwood. Cameron shrugged, then reached out and moved a knight.

�I read a bit about the place before we left,� said Corwin.

�So tell, Doc,� Sherwood said. �What�s there?�

�It�s a pretty good-sized town,� said Corwin, falling unconsciously into lecture mode. �It�s the capital of Fiji, which is a British colony. There�s a large native population, a few thousand Europeans, and some Chinese as well. The climate is pleasant, if somewhat rainy. It�s supposed to be quite scenic, with sandy beaches and mountains covered in tropical rain forests rising in the interior.�

�I�ve heard the native girls are beautiful,� said Sherwood. He pushed a pawn forward and Cameron frowned.

�So Captain Cook wrote,� said Corwin. �Of course, he was more impressed by the native�s ferocity and cannibalism.�

�Cannibals?� said Ensign Puhls, looking up from his manuals. He was the newly minted signals officer under Lieutenant Coszyk.

�Don�t worry,� said Corwin with a laugh. �The British put a stop to that a hundred years ago.� He studied Puhl�s earnest face. �Mostly,� he couldn�t resist adding. Black turned and looked at the young ensign.

�Me, I�m too tough and stringy to interest any cannibals,� he said. �But you should be careful, Andy. You�re young and tender.� Puhls smiled, a little nervously. Cameron reached out, drew his hand back, then went ahead and completed the move. Sherwood pounced instantly with his counter-move. He placed Cameron�s captured rook off to the side.

�Told you,� said Black, sipping his coffee.

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 271

RE: April 26, 1942 - 9/28/2011 9:02:31 PM

Cuttlefish

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Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
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April 26, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: Suva
Course: None
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: No damage
Fuel: 306 (58%)

The Kadavu Passage lies between the island of Kadavu to the south and Viti Levu to the north. The US warships crossed the eastern opening of the passage in two columns as they neared Suva, which lay on the southeast shore of the northern island.

Suva was now only twenty miles away and already sailors aboard Gridley could see the tops of mountains ahead, rising from the rugged interior of Viti Levu. Condition Two was set; the Kadavu Passage was known to be a favorite haunt of Japanese submarines.

Jake Reedy, at his post on one of the starboard Oerlikons, was looking across the water at destroyer Porter, the second ship in the starboard column. Gridley was the second ship in the port column. Ahead of Porter, Case led the way while behind the two destroyers came Chicago. Reedy was chatting idly with Gus Becken beside him but neither man took his eyes off the water.

Without warning Case suddenly went into a sharp turn to starboard. Reedy could see water boil under her stern and smoke belch from her stack as she went to full speed. The sound of destroyer�s general quarters klaxon clanged faintly across the water.

Reedy and Becken�s conversation stopped in mid-word and the two stared intently across the water. And then Reedy saw them, several faint lines passing close astern of Case and heading in their general direction.

Before he could yell, the cry of �torpedoes!� was already coming from lookouts on the superstructure. Gridley shuddered as her engines came to full power and she leaped forward.

Reedy could do nothing but watch in horrified fascination as the torpedo wakes became more visible, slowly spreading fingers groping towards them. For a moment it seemed that one or more of the lines would intersect Gridley�s hull, but as the destroyer gained speed it became apparent that the torpedoes would pass well astern. Case had obviously been the target and had had a much closer escape.

When he could tear his eyes away Reedy became aware that his ship�s own klaxon was blaring. Across the water he could see that Porter had peeled off to starboard and was now hoisting flags announcing her intention to drop depth charges. The destroyer swept around in a big figure-8, dropping a pair of charges at the center each time. The attack fell astern, however, as the column sorted itself back out, and presently Porter reappeared to take up her station. The Japanese sub had apparently made good its escape.

�I�m getting tired of those bastards taking pot shots at us,� said Reedy, thinking back to the two submarine attacks against the Enterprise battle group off the coast of Australia.

�At least they keep missing,� said Becken.

�Yeah, but that kind of luck won�t hold forever,� said Reedy gloomily. �I�d like to attack one of them for a change.�

�Stick around,� said his friend. �We�ll get our chance, sooner or later.�

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 272

RE: April 27, 1942 - 9/29/2011 9:07:45 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

April 27, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: Suva
Course: None
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: No damage
Fuel: 525 (100%)

Early in the morning a five oilers, escorted by a pair of destroyers and a minesweeper, steamed into the harbor at Suva. One of them, Neches, was down at the bow, the result of a torpedo hit from a submarine attack suffered at the west end of the Kadavu Passage in the pre-dawn hours. The damaged oiler limped into the docks while the others set about refueling Admiral Shafroth�s force.

Gridley took her turn patrolling the entrance to the harbor before snuggling up to one of the big ships and refilling her tanks. The operation went smoothly in the calm waters and soon Gridley was ready for the next phase in the operation, the move to Espiritu Santo.

That move, it seemed, would have to wait a few days. The troop convoy was still five or so days out, and Admiral Shafroth�s force would wait for them. In the meantime an Australian Navy cruiser force was already at Luganville, patrolling the waters in case the Japanese decided to occupy the New Hebrides themselves.

There was no sign that they were, not that that necessarily meant anything. Except for submarines the area had been quiet lately. The latest intelligence the Americans had was that the main Japanese carrier force had been sighted in the Java Sea a week or so previously. Its current whereabouts were unknown. For that matter no one knew for sure where their own carriers were. They had been left behind at Pearl but that had been eleven days ago.

In the meantime Gridley�s crew had several days to wait and Suva and the island of Viti Levu to explore. With the Japanese so near and anti-submarine duties to perform it would not be a vacation, but the crew was hopeful that they would get at least a little time ashore. From the harbor, at least, the shore looked green and inviting.

It was too bad there was a war going on.

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 273

RE: April 28, 1942 - 10/3/2011 8:12:28 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

April 28, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: Suva
Course: None
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: No damage
Fuel: 523 (99%)

In the radio room Rudy Bronkhorst reached out and gently tweaked a dial between his thick thumb and forefinger. He was getting better with the equipment. The sailor listened for a moment, then shook his head.

�I dunno, Bill,� he said to Bonderman, seated right next to him. �I know I should be getting the hang of it, but it still all sounds like damned gobbledegook to me.� Bonderman lifted his headphones for a moment.

�Japanese is a tough language,� he said. Bronkhorst glanced at him.

�Japanese?� he said. �Naw, I meant Australian. Got a station out of Sydney.� He twiddled the dial again. �Ah, there she is.� He unplugged a jack and after some whistling and popping through the speakers a woman�s voice filled the compartment.

��and music to console you,� came the voice of �Orphan Anne�. �But first, the Japanese High Command announced today that the ever-victorious forces of the Empire of Japan have captured Darwin.� The signal faded and Bronkhorst cut of the broadcast with a curse.

�I�d better tell Coszyk,� Bonderman said. �Hold down the fort, Rudy.� Looking grim, he stood and left the compartment.

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 274

RE: April 28, 1942 - 10/3/2011 8:38:09 PM

House Stark

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Joined: 4/30/2011
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quote:

�Japanese is a tough language,� he said. Bronkhorst glanced at him.

�Japanese?� he said. �Naw, I meant Australian. Got a station out of Sydney.� He twiddled the dial again. �Ah, there she is.� He unplugged a jack and after some whistling and popping through the speakers a woman�s voice filled the compartment.

Heh, that got a chuckle.

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 275

RE: April 29, 1942 - 10/6/2011 2:10:09 AM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

April 29, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: Suva
Course: None
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: No damage
Fuel: 525 (100%)

Night lay over Suva as Gridley slowly steamed back and forth near the entrance to the harbor, her lookouts alert, her sonar probing the black water for enemy submarines. Most of the crew was asleep, lights out having been piped down some time ago. Lieutenant JG Cameron had the bridge.

In his modest stateroom Lieutenant Steubens finished typing another report and rolled the form out of the typewriter. He added it to the stack of completed paperwork and leaned back, stretching, his hands laced behind his head.

A good executive officer needed the organizational skills of a top-flight executive secretary and the personnel skills of a good human resources director. Steubens had room to improve in both these areas, but he was learning. He would have liked to be asleep right now, but there was still work to do. Fred Steubens was ambitious. He wanted his own command someday, and he wouldn�t get it by sleeping. He would only get it through hard work.

He felt Gridley begin another turn as the ship reached one end of the harbor entrance. Steubens wondered whether the captain was asleep. He hoped so. As hard as the Old Man pushed everyone, he pushed himself harder. They had several days to wait still before the troop ships arrived and everyone moved up to Espiritu Santo. It would be good for everyone if Stickney were well rested before they moved that close to the Japs.

It occurred to Steubens that in a way a ship�s XO also served the same role as the Pope � a conduit between God and the masses. God in this case being the Captain, of course. Though Steubens was pretty sure that the Pope never had to urge God to get enough sleep.

But he was confident that if action came Stickney and the rest of the crew would be ready. He was pleased with the way that the officers were coming together as a team. The old hands and the new were meshing well. This was good for the enlisted men. It gave them confidence when their officers were a team and all of them knew their business. Steubens knew that seasoned sailors or petty officers could do anything asked of them if they had confidence in the men leading them.

Stickney could be a terror, but he played no favorites and the men respected him. And he could handle a destroyer with the best of them, a source of pride for the entire ship. It was from him that the other officers took their tone � brisk, fair, no nonsense.

Cameron, the gunnery officer, was coming along well. He had always known his stuff as far as the guns were concerned, but since the start of the war Steubens had been looking for more out of him. He was bright and personable but still young, and he had not taken the job seriously enough. Oh, he was all right when aboard ship but had been too fond of his time ashore, too fond of parties and having a good time. They had had a couple of talks, and since then Cameron had buckled down. Steubens thought he might make a good XO someday. Already he would consider him for First Officer if the position became open.

Cameron had also started taking seriously the mentoring of Sherwood, the young torpedo officer. The two had become friends and Steubens was confident that when the ship saw battle the two men would work well together. Sherwood was a redhead, an impulsive and gregarious man with a bloodthirsty streak. His biggest ambition in life was to unleash one of Gridley�s fearsome torpedo broadsides against an enemy ship. He drilled his men relentlessly against that day, and the torpedomen had picked up much of their officer�s aggressive attitude.

The communication�s officer, Coszyk, was a bit of an enigma to Steubens. The man was intense. He was technically brilliant � Steubens thought privately that he might be the smartest man on the ship � but tended to get caught up in the technical aspects of his equipment at the expense of his division�s organization. Steubens occasionally had to remind him to keep a closer eye on his section. The amount of signal traffic his men handled was enormous, and it was vitally important that it be handled well. Routine signal traffic could easily pile up before it was decoded. Delays made the captain unhappy � he liked to look over all the radio traffic, not just the important stuff.

Steubens thought he might have an answer in Coszyk�s new signals officer, Ensign Puhls. Puhls could speak Coszyk�s language and he seemed to have a knack for organization. He also had become good friends with Ensign Holbrook, the radio officer. Puhls had thrown himself wholeheartedly into the job and Steubens thought that between Coszyk and the two younger men the communications section was probably in good hands.

Steubens spent little time thinking about the engineering section. He didn�t need to. Lieutenant Black was solid, a phlegmatic man who never seemed to become rattled by anything. He was not only good with engines, he was good with his men. His new assistant engineer, Ensign Murray, also seemed pretty sound. Even if he did like to play his ukulele on the fantail when he was off watch.

The other officers all seemed solid. Quince, the navigator, and Bodey, the supply officer, were both seasoned men who knew their jobs and did them well. The only area of concern for Steubens, in fact, came via the First Officer, Reggie Latrell. Oh, Reggie was a good guy, and he and Steubens worked well together. But one of the hats Reggie wore � most of the officers aboard wore more than one - was Damage Control Officer, and one of his new charges was the newly minted Assistant Damage Control Officer, Ensign Courtney.

Courtney was not a stupid man. But he was lazy and one of those people who, in Steuben�s experience, expected things to be arranged for their convenience. Anything else was not �fair�. He came from a wealthy family and had never really had to work for anything his entire life. Steubens and Latrell had not yet gotten it through his head that here, in the US Navy, �fair� had nothing to do with anything.

Steubens wanted to turn the young man into a good officer. He thought it was possible. But he hadn�t yet figured out how to get through to him. A warship demanded men, not spoiled children. Maybe the first time some Jap tried to kill them it would have an impression. Or maybe it would break him. There was no way to tell.

Well, Steubens knew it wasn�t a problem he was going to be able to solve tonight. He unhitched his fingers from behind his head and, leaning forward, rolled another form into the typewriter. With a rapid clacking of keys he went back to work.

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 276

RE: April 29, 1942 - 10/6/2011 10:34:23 AM

obvert

Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
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Now I can't wait for some action and a serious trial for Gridley's officers.

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Post #: 277

RE: April 29, 1942 - 10/6/2011 1:18:46 PM

DOCUP

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Joined: 7/7/2010
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I can't wait for the next post. I's say it was a real page turner but I have to pages to turn. Keep it up Cuttlefish. This is great.

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Post #: 278

RE: April 30, 1942 - 10/7/2011 10:16:40 PM

Cuttlefish

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Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
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April 30, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: Suva
Course: None
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: No damage
Fuel: 525 (100%)

Chief Petty Officer Odell grinned a slightly fiendish grin � he was good at those � and squinted up at Al Tanner, who stood braced before him. Then he squinted up somewhat more at Joe Beaumont, braced beside him. The two sailors had been summoned by Odell, though neither knew why. Beaumont stood quietly. Tanner, used to being in trouble, looked a little more nervous.

It was morning in Fiji, and at the moment Gridley was anchored in Suva�s ample harbor, some three miles wide and two miles deep. On the east side of the bay was the town itself, dominated by the stately Grand Pacific Hotel, while elsewhere around the harbor the growing military facilities dominated. Palm trees lines the harbor road and a few clouds drifted past the mountains rising to the north.

�Got a job for you fellers,� Odell said after he was done scrutinizing the two men.

�What�s that, Chief?� Tanner asked. Being given a job was not good, but at least he wasn�t being called on the carpet.

�The XO says we�ve got a request to provide three men for shore patrol,� said Odell. �He told me to see to it and to pick two men to help me. You two are it.�

�Me, Chief?� said Tanner, dismayed. �Why me?� Beaumont looked interested but said nothing.

�Because it will stick in your craw,� said Odell, �and I don�t like you.� He pointed a blunt finger at Beaumont. �He�s here because�well, look at him. Who�s going to mess with him? Anyone needs chucking in the harbor, he can do it.� The chief stepped back and addressed both men.

�We�re not out to cause trouble, see?� he said. �We�re out to make sure it don�t happen. We got a lot of Kiwis over there, they handle shore patrol mostly. They�re okay guys but there are a lot of sailors in town right now. So we�re going to lend a hand. You got your Kiwis, your US Navy, your US goddamn Air Force, and your US goddamn Marines all ashore. Might be some fights. Might be some guys don�t know how to hold their booze��

�You think so?� muttered Tanner.

��and we�re just going to make sure no one does anything really stupid. Let �em have fun, hell, we all like to have fun, right? Just don�t let �em do anything too stupid.� He handed each man a shore patrol armband, then bent down and scooped two belts off the deck and handed one to each man. Each held a night stick. He equipped himself the same way.

�Don�t we get guns?� said Tanner. Odell squinted at him.

�I wouldn�t give you a BB rifle, Tanner,� the chief said, �much less a forty-five. These sticks�ll do just fine. Come on, you two. Boat�ll take us ashore.�

�This will be fun,� grumped Tanner. �Can�t wait for some Marine to rip my head off and piss in the stump.�

�On you that�ll be an improvement,� said Odell. �Let�s go.�

< Message edited by Cuttlefish -- 10/7/2011 10:17:11 PM >

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 279

RE: May 1, 1942 - 10/11/2011 10:14:49 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

May 1, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: Suva
Course: None
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: No damage
Fuel: 525 (100%)

�Come in,� said Steubens in response to the brisk rap on his cabin door. The door opened to admit CPO Odell, who stepped inside and saluted.

�You wanted to see me, sir?� rasped Odell. Steubens nodded.

�Yes,� he said, and picked up two pieces of paper from his desk. �I have here two letters, both pertaining to your assignment yesterday.� Odell was a wily old hand and his face betrayed nothing. Nor did he speak, waiting for Steubens to continue.

�The first,� said Steubens, �is from a Lieutenant Hawkins of the New Zealand Army. It commends you and your men for a job well done yesterday. It�s a little short of specifics, but I gather the three of you did some good work.�

�Yes sir,� said Odell. �Nice of him to say so, sir.�

�The second letter,� Steubens said, shuffling it to the top, �is from the owner of a clothing store, one Mr. Douglas. He is charging us one hundred and fifty dollars for repairs to a wall.�

�Yes sir,� said Odell again. Steubens sighed patiently.

�Chief,� he said, �would you mind telling me what happened?�

�Well, sir,� said Odell, �that would be the wall that young Beaumont tossed the man through.�

�Through a wall?� said Steubens, raising an eyebrow.

�Substandard construction, if you ask me, sir� said Odell.

�Chief,� Steubens said in a restrained tone, �would you mind telling me just what happened yesterday?�

�Yes sir,� said Odell. �Well, it went smooth enough mostly. We broke up a couple of fights, but nothing too bad. Just boys being frisky, sir, really. There were patrols from other ships about, and the Kiwis, so it was no trouble keeping a lid on things.�

�Go on,� said Steubens.

�That was, until the screaming started, sir.�

�Screaming?�

�Yes sir, screaming,� said Odell. �Down at the far end of town, out in the trees. It sounded like bloody murder going on, sir, so the three of us went to take a look. We hoofed it over there in time to see a bunch of people, sailors mostly but a couple of natives too, come running past. They were being chased by a man waving a machete, sir.�

�And they were screaming?� asked Steubens.

�No sir, they were running,� said Odell. �The man with the machete was doing all the screaming. There was a still back there, see, in a tent, run by this local, and god only knows, sir, what was in the stuff he was selling. This fellow, a sailor off Chicago, he was screamin� that there were giant coconut crabs and that he was going to kill them all. That�s why the people were runnin�, see, because he thought they were the crabs.�

�What did you do?� asked Steubens, fascinated.

�Well, sir, I didn�t rightly do nothing,� admitted Odell. �Beaumont, he drew his stick and stepped in the fellow�s way. Calm as anything, sir. The sailor cut down on him with the machete like he thought he was Blackbeard or something. Beaumont parried it smartly, stepped inside the fellow�s reach, and grabbed him by the throat. Then he just picked him up and threw him against the wall of the building we were next to. The screaming guy hit it kind of upside-down and backwards, like, and just went through it. Ended up sleeping like a baby in a display of lady�s hats. Tanner fetched the local cops and they took him away to sleep it off. And bust up that still. And that�s what happened, sir.�

�I see,� said Steubens, a trifle bemusedly. �Well, nice work, Chief.� He considered for a moment. �We have a day before the troop ships get here, and I figure we owe the shop owner some repairs. Take a few men and see to it, will you?�

�Yes sir,� said Odell. He saluted again and left.

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 280

RE: May 1, 1942 - 10/11/2011 11:34:48 PM

princep01

Posts: 943
Joined: 8/7/2006
From: Texas
Status: offline

Nice work, Cuttlefish. Very humanizing story and wonderful character development as always.. Oh and pray we never get on the wrong side of Mr. Beaumont.

While in port for a few days, will the scuttlebutt catchup and the "guys" find out about what is going on in the war? We haven't heard much about your view of how things are going.

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 281

RE: May 1, 1942 - 10/12/2011 8:58:34 PM

Capt. Harlock

Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline

quote:

Beaumont, he drew his stick and stepped in the fellow�s way. Calm as anything, sir. The sailor cut down on him with the machete like he thought he was Blackbeard or something. Beaumont parried it smartly, stepped inside the fellow�s reach, and grabbed him by the throat. Then he just picked him up and threw him against the wall of the building we were next to. The screaming guy hit it kind of upside-down and backwards, like, and just went through it. Ended up sleeping like a baby in a display of lady�s hats.

I like this fellow Beaumont!

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 282

RE: May 2, 1942 - 10/12/2011 11:01:27 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

May 2, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: Suva
Course: None
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: No damage
Fuel: 525 (100%)

Around mid-morning the troop convoy arrived in Suva Harbor. The thirteen freighters and troop transports, shepherded by three escorts, had run the submarine gauntlet of Kadavu Passage and arrived safely.

The escorts would refuel and as soon as night fell Admiral Shafroth�s task force would lead the troop convoy out of the harbor and on the way to Luganville. To avoid submarine attack and detection by the hated Japanese submarine-carried float planes, the task forces would not take the easy and obvious route, exiting the Kadavu Passage to the west. Instead they would exit in the other direction, looping around the eastern tip of Viti Levu. From there they would make their way northwest between Viti Levu and Vanau Levu and head towards Espiritu Santo.

It was a route not without risks of its own. The waters between Fiji�s two largest islands were a maze of islets and reefs. Even with charts provided by the New Zealanders negotiating the unfamiliar waters at night would be a challenge. But Admiral Shafroth believed it was less dangerous than exposing their move to the Japanese.

There were a lot of troops to be concerned about. Aboard the ships were an engineering aviation battalion, a Marine defense battalion, and an Air Force base unit. Most important, with them was the entire US 24th Infantry Division. A Japanese attack against this force while at sea could well be a disaster.

�It�s a damned maze,� was Captain Stickney�s evaluation of the waters through which they would pass that night. The ships would go in single column, with Gridley as the second ship in line. If all went well, though, daybreak would find them heading into more open waters. From there it would take the transports two more days to reach Luganville.

With luck the Japanese would not learn that American troops were there until it was too late to do anything about it.

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 283

RE: May 3, 1942 - 10/13/2011 9:19:01 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

May 3, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: 120 miles northwest of Suva
Course: Northwest
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: No damage
Fuel: 504 (96%)

�Three eights,� said Gus Becken, laying his cards down. �Fish� Herring looked at them in disgust.

�Beats what I�ve got,� he said, tossing in his hand. Becken raked in the modest pot with a grin. He had been winning steadily. Barnecott collected the cards without comment and began shuffling them. A few men sat on their bunks watching the game going on in the center of the bunk room, while others read or wrote letters.

�Do you think we�ll see any action at Luganville?� asked Becken as Barnecott began dealing the next hand.

�Maybe,� said Reedy, scooping up his cards. �But the Australian Navy is supposed to already have some ships there. If there were Japs there too we�d have heard about it, I expect.�

�They�re waiting for the transports,� predicted Fish gloomily, looking at his cards. �Then they�ll show up.�

�That�s why we�re along,� said Dan Rucker. �I hope they try something. Then we�d finally get a crack at the bastards.� He fanned his cards and looked them over.

The first day�s sailing away from Suva had gone well. Both task forces had successfully negotiated the reefs and made their way into the more open waters to the north. The Japanese had not spotted them, as far as anyone could tell.

Rucker, to Barnecott�s left, tossed a quarter into the pot. The others all followed and then Rucker asked for three cards. Barnecott dealt them out.

�I hear they like night attacks,� said Becken. �I keep picturing one of them sneaking on board and coming at me with one of those swords they all carry.� He shivered. �Uh, one card.�

�I�ll take three,� Reedy said. He chuckled as he picked up his new cards. �I don�t think you need to worry about swords, Gus. Shells and torpedoes, maybe. Besides, if one of them comes after you with a sword we�ll just set Joe on him. He took a machete away from a guy a couple of days ago, after all.� Heads turned to look at Joe Beaumont, who was in his bunk slowly and laboriously composing a letter home. Beaumont, suddenly aware that everyone was looking at him, glanced up and shrugged his wide shoulders.

�He thought I was a crab,� was all he said. There was laughter around the room. The story was already well known.

�See,� Reedy told Becken, �nothing to worry about.�

�If they come after us,� said Rucker, �we�ll give them hell. You�ll see.� The next round of betting proceeded.

�Yeah, sure,� said Becken. �I�d still like to know what they�re up to.�

�I�ll tell you what they�re up to,� said Reedy. �They�re playing cards, thinking about girls and the folks back home, and wondering what we�re up to. You in or out?�

�And they�re sharpening their swords,� said Barnecott. He looked at Becken, his expression, as usual, unreadable. �They do that a lot. The whetstone on the blade makes this distinctive sound�shiiing, shiiing�� Becken turned pale.

�Shiiing,� crooned Barnecott again. Becken made a show of looking at his cards, but he fumbled them and almost dropped his hand.

�I fold,� he stammered. Ever so slightly, Barnecott smiled.

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 284

RE: May 10, 1942 - 10/14/2011 9:34:59 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

May 4-10, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: Luganville
Course: None
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: No damage
Fuel: 454 (86%)

It was a week in which nothing happened, and that was a good thing.

Gridley and the rest of Admiral Shafroth�s ships reached Luganville to find the only other naval force in the area was the expected group of RAN cruisers. While the two cruiser forces kept watch the transports arrived and, over several days, unloaded 21,000 men and tons of supplies and equipment. Soon the air over the peaceful tropical harbor was filled with the sound of bulldozers and other equipment.

This close to the Japanese-held Solomon Islands everyone was on high alert. The approaches to Espiritu Santo were too far out for Allied search planes. The only means of detection the Allies had were some submarines and the network of coast watchers in the enemy territory to the north. It was entirely possible that the Combined Fleet could appear over the horizon without warning. But of the Japanese there was no sign. No submarines, no float planes, nothing.

As the week went on some word reached the men, largely from Australian broadcasts, about the war in the wider world. The leading elements of an Australian armored force had made contact with the Japanese invaders at some place called Daly Waters. The resulting skirmish was inconclusive and the Australians had pulled back a short ways to await the arrival of more substantial forces.

Reports from India were encouraging. The British had not only stopped the invaders at the frontier, there were indications that the Japanese were being turned back. There was fighting at some place called Akyab, where British and Indian troops seemed on the verge of ousting the enemy.

Fighting had all but ended in Java and Sumatra as Dutch resistance collapsed. In Russia the Germans were reported to have begun a massive offensive in the Crimea, though so far information was sketchy.

In the Pacific all was quiet. To Admiral Shafroth�s frustration Naval Intelligence, which a week or two ago had been fairly confident that the Japanese carriers were at Truk, had lost track of them and had no idea where they were. Intelligence had, however, picked up alarming reports that the Japanese were planning fresh offensives against targets in the Pacific ranging from Pago Pago to Brisbane. These reports arrived with a rather dry notation from Admiral Nimitz that he believed that these reports were part of a Japanese disinformation scheme and that he placed no credence in them, whatever the intelligence community might say.

At the end of the week all troops and equipment were ashore at Luganville. The transports weighed anchor and prepared to head south before returning to Pearl Harbor. Admiral Shafroth and the RAN cruisers received different orders, however. Since they were now free from the need to shepherd the slow, vulnerable troop ships they were available for other duties. One of those duties, Admiral Nimitz had apparently decided, was to give the Japanese a bit of a kick in the pants.

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Post #: 285

RE: May 11, 1942 - 10/17/2011 8:57:43 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

May 11, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: Luganville
Course: None
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: No damage
Fuel: 451 (86%)

�The name of the island,� said Admiral Shafroth, �is Tulagi.� He whacked the chart mounted on the plywood wall with his pointer. �The Japs are building up a base there. We�re going to go and lob some shells at the place.�

The meeting Shafroth had convened with his captains was being held in a prefab hut that served as the headquarters for the newly-established base at Luganville, graciously made available for Shafroth�s use. The assorted captains, Stickney included, stood or sat in a rough semi-circle around the admiral, some smoking, some drinking coffee. Stickney peered with interest at the map of the eastern end of the Solomon Islands, a region none of them knew much about.

�Our Australian friends,� Shafroth went on, �tell us there are one or two small ships anchored there. We aren�t sure what the Japs are up to, but they�re probably building a seaplane base.

�We�ll go in after nightfall and we won�t hang around too long. When the sun comes up I want us to be well out of range of any long-range bombers they might further up the chain. While we�re there we�ll see if we can sink a ship or two and do what damage we can to the shore installations. The Australian Navy cruisers are going to come with us just in case we run into a stronger Jap force. They�ll stand off and cover us while we bombard. Are there any questions?�

�I have one, sir,� said Benjamin Perlman, Portland�s captain. �We have no recon of the place and we�re going in at night. Under the circumstances how much damage can we really expect to do?�

�Not much, Ben,� said Shafroth. �That isn�t the point. Admiral Nimitz has made it clear that any damage we do is a bonus. The idea here is to stir the Japs up a bit. Make them think about defense a little, not just offense.�

�In other words, sir,� said Stickney dryly, �what we�re being asked to do is poke the hornet�s nest with a stick.� There were a few chuckles around the room. Shafroth grinned.

�Exactly,� he said. The big admiral glanced around. �No one else? Good. We are going to sail as soon as it�s fully dark. Gentlemen, thank you all. Dismissed.�

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Post #: 286

RE: May 11, 1942 - 10/17/2011 11:53:19 PM

MightyPaladin

Posts: 30
Joined: 11/26/2005
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I wonder if any of those poor guys know what a japaneese hornet looks like? :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_hornet

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Post #: 287

RE: May 11, 1942 - 10/18/2011 12:53:25 AM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: MightyPaladin

I wonder if any of those poor guys know what a japaneese hornet looks like?� :D

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_hornet

Wow, that's some bug. I like the Japanese name, "sparrow hornet."

_____________________________

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Post #: 288

RE: May 11, 1942 - 10/18/2011 10:49:31 AM

obvert

Posts: 14050
Joined: 1/17/2011
From: PDX (and now) London, UK
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I don't think I'll be picknicking in Japan anytime soon!

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Post #: 289

RE: May 11, 1942 - 10/18/2011 11:16:48 PM

adm

Posts: 32
Joined: 10/19/2009
Status: offline

I read both your AAR and Cribtop's, and I would like to hear "The Saga of the Warspite" that you asked Cribtop to remind you to tell him after the game.

< Message edited by adm -- 10/18/2011 11:18:41 PM >

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Post #: 290

RE: May 11, 1942 - 10/19/2011 8:52:40 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
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quote:

ORIGINAL: adm

I read both your AAR and Cribtop's, and I would like to hear "The Saga of the Warspite" that you asked Cribtop to remind you to tell him after the game.

Heh, that. Yeah. Well, Warspite begins the war in Seattle with a bit of damage. I decided to send the battleship back to the Far East, but did not yet understand off-map movement very well. So when it was repaired I sent it down the West Coast and through the Panama Canal. From there I sent it on to Port Stanley. But I didn't change the home port or set "do not retire," so when the ship got to the Falklands it promptly turned around and headed back to Panama. And I couldn't turn it around again. So, back to Panama, then back to the Falklands, and then from there to Cape Town.

All of this took literally months of off-map movement. Finally and at long last Warspite reached Cape Town, and from there on to Columbo. Where the first thing that happened to it was that it took a torpedo and went back into a repair yard. Thousands and thousands of miles of steaming just to change one shipyard for another. It's a sad tale.

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Post #: 291

RE: May 11, 1942 - 10/19/2011 8:54:06 PM

Mike Solli

Posts: 15792
Joined: 10/18/2000
From: the flight deck of the Zuikaku
Status: offline

_____________________________

Created by the amazing Dixie

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Post #: 292

RE: May 14, 1942 - 10/19/2011 8:54:56 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
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May 12-14, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: 40 miles SW Ndeni
Course: Southeast
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: Sys damage 2, engine damage 1
Fuel: 385 (75%)

Bombarding Tulagi was the easy part. The hard part turned out to be finding the island in the first place.

Tulagi was a small island tucked in against a much larger island, Florida Island, and locating it in the dark, in unfamiliar territory and with uncertain charts, took some time. Admiral Shafroth�s force might not have found it at all, in fact, if the Japanese had not conveniently left a few lights on. Clearly they were not expecting any kind of trouble.

To add to the complications, there was a submarine in the channel between Florida Island and the island of Guadalcanal, to the south. The destroyers in the screen twice made contact with it, and twice it slipped away before it could be pinned down well enough for a depth charge attack.

Eventually, however, the bombardment began. The dark night was lit by muzzle flashes and echoed to the rumble and crash of gunfire. It was an imposing and exhilarating sight for the men of the task force. For the Japanese the experience was no doubt quite a bit different.

**

�There�s some kind of building burning over there,� said Lieutenant JG Cameron. �A large hut or something.� He was standing with his head and shoulders out of the control officer�s hatch in the main battery gun director, gazing at the island. Here and there he could see flashes as shells burst back in the jungle. These briefly silhouetted billowing smoke blowing among the palm trees.

The gun director was basically an aluminum box set at the very top of the superstructure. It swiveled slowly back and forth as Cameron�s crew used the rangefinder and other optical equipment it contained.

�I don�t know how the hell we�re supposed to hit anything under these conditions,� complained firecontrolman third class Dennis Bevins. He had to shout to be heard above the gunfire coming from the task force as it pounded the island. �I can�t see a damned thing.�

�Just think of it as our way of stopping by and saying hello,� yelled Cameron. �You know, a social call. Train about ten degrees left. Is that a building?�

�Maybe,� said Bevins, squinting into his eyepiece. Cameron gave orders to adjust the ship�s fire and the four 5� guns boomed again.

�Anyway, it�s good to shoot at something,� yelled Cameron. �Even if all we�re doing is giving the palm trees hell.� And in truth the men were as energized as Cameron had seen them since the start of the war. It was the first time Gridley had ever fired her guns in anger at an enemy. It was good to shoot back, and it was good practice for when they would have a much better idea of what they were aiming at.

And anyway, Cameron thought, it was always better to give than to receive.

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Post #: 293

RE: May 14, 1942 - 10/20/2011 3:29:53 AM

Smoky Stoker

Posts: 87
Joined: 3/25/2011
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish
The gun director was basically an aluminum box....

Technical question: was it aluminum? My impression is that no aluminum was used for any exterior surfaces or large interior fixtures until well after the war. The reason was bimetallic corrosion -

http://www.npl.co.uk/upload/pdf/bimetalic_corrosion_basics.pdf

There turned out to be another good reason as well. When ship with large amounts of aluminum, mostly superstructure to reduce top weight, did go into action in the Falklands War, the molten aluminium that poured down into ships that caught fire was reckoned as the decisive factor in the loss of at least one warship.

_____________________________

"Leveling large cities has a tendency to alienate the affections of the inhabitants and does not create an atmosphere of international good will after the war." -Rear Admiral Daniel V. Gallery

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Post #: 294

RE: May 14, 1942 - 10/20/2011 4:46:41 AM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

quote:

ORIGINAL: Smoky Stoker

quote:

ORIGINAL: Cuttlefish
The gun director was basically an aluminum box....

Technical question: was it aluminum? My impression is that no aluminum was used for any exterior surfaces or large interior fixtures until well after the war. The reason was bimetallic corrosion -

http://www.npl.co.uk/upload/pdf/bimetalic_corrosion_basics.pdf

There turned out to be another good reason as well. When ship with large amounts of aluminum, mostly superstructure to reduce top weight, did go into action in the Falklands War, the molten aluminium that poured down into ships that caught fire was reckoned as the decisive factor in the loss of at least one warship.

Specifically, Gridley is equipped with a Mk. 33 fire control director. They actually were made of aluminum. Since they had a power-driven traverse, saving weight was important.

I can't speak to either the corrosion or melting problems, but I haven't read anything that indicates either was a major problem. That doesn't mean it wasn't, of course. But as far as melting goes, my guess is that since the directors weren't very large the amount of metal wasn't enough to cause a problem by itself. I mean, if a destroyer's superstructure was exposed to enough heat to melt about a car-sized amount of aluminum, the ship had all kinds of more serious troubles already.

(in reply to Smoky Stoker)

Post #: 295

RE: May 15, 1942 - 10/20/2011 10:16:52 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

May 15, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: 260 miles east-southeast of Luganville
Course: Southeast
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: Sys damage 2, engine damage 1
Fuel: 354 (67%)

Joe Beaumont sat on his bunk, his thick fingers clutching a pencil, and began to write. He wrote slowly and with great concentration.

Dear Mother,

I am writing to tell you that I am fine. We are not sopposed to say where we are or what we are doing so I can�t tell you that. But I guess it doesn�t not hurt any to say we are at sea.

I like the sea. And I don�t get seasik any more. I even have a tan now. I have seen turtels so big you would not belive it and sharks and dolfins too! And the sea, it smells nice. We have been to islands that smell nice to like flowers. You would like them. We were at some other islands a few nites ago that smelled bad tho. Like the marsh out by Old Man Beamishs place on a warm day but wurse.

They feed us reel good here on the ship, so don�t worry about that. And I have frends. Some of them call me Stick now. I will tell you why later. Anyway I like it here and I am doing okay.

I am striking for Gunnars Mate. Don�t worry, that does not mean I am hitting any one. Well, one guy, but he had a reel big knife and I was sopposed too. In the Navy strikng means like trying to get promoated.

I have not seen any Japs. We shot at some but it was dark. We shot at them a lot and I kind of flet bad about it cause they could not shoot back and I bet they was afraid. But war is hell they tell me sorry about the langage Mother I am trying not to learn to swere too much and stuff.

I hope you and the boys are all fine. In your last leter you aksed if I had met any girls. Well Mother one thing we do not have here is girls. There were some in Hawaiai and they were reel pretty but I never talked none to them. Out here tho there is no girls.

Tell Gus to mind the north fense it will need fixing this year. Tell Jer to mind his studdies. I miss them both and you too. I hope we get back to the States som time and I can get leve and see you all. Just betwen us I do not think the War will be don soon.

Love, Joseph

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Post #: 296

RE: May 15, 1942 - 10/21/2011 7:44:50 AM

cantona2

Posts: 3749
Joined: 5/21/2007
From: Gibraltar
Status: offline

Hehehe complete with dodgy spelling as well!

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

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Post #: 297

RE: May 16, 1942 - 10/25/2011 8:20:26 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

May 16, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: 75 miles north of Suva
Course: South-southeast
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: Sys damage 2
Fuel: 327 (62%)

�This,� said Dr. Corwin, �will leave a nice little scar.� He expertly ran another stitch through the jagged tear on machinist mate third class George Walther�s forearm. �You can tell your grandchildren you got it in desperate battle against the Japanese.�

�Heh, yeah,� said the beefy Walther, carefully looking at anything in the sick bay except the needle plucking at his skin. �I�ll have to have kids first, though.�

�Are you married?� asked Corwin. He liked to keep up a steady flow of conversation to distract his patient. It was hard to get two hundred pounds of enlisted man off the floor if they fainted.

�Nope,� said Walther. �I have a girl back home, though. Sandra, I call her Sandy. She lives in Waterloo, that�s where I�m from.�

�I�ve never been to Iowa,� said Corwin. �I was born and raised in the Bay Area.� Walther winced as Corwin started another stitch.

�Were you a doc there?� asked Walther.

�Yes indeed,� said Corwin. �I was a trauma surgeon, in fact.�

�So I bet you�ve seen lots worse than this,� said Walther.

�Oh yes,� nodded Corwin. �Auto accidents, mostly. I�ve seen some bad ones, steering columns right through the chest, that sort of thing.� He shook his head. �So far this is the worst injury I�ve had to treat aboard ship. Be more careful around that lathe in the future, will you?�

�I will,� promised Walther sincerely. There were beads of sweat on his forehead.

�I�m almost done,� said Corwin. He took one more stitch and then tied it off. �There. Let me get a bandage on that and you�re all set.�

�That wasn�t so bad,� said Walther, looking down at his arm.

�It was only ten stitches,� said the doctor. �It will heal just fine. You�ve had a tetanus shot, courtesy of the US Navy, so we don�t need to worry about that. Light duty for a couple of days, though. I don�t want you using that arm too much.� He applied the bandage and taped it on.

�Thanks a lot, doc,� said Walther. �Hey, have you heard anything about where we�re going next?�

�I am completely in the dark,� said Corwin. �I don�t think anyone knows. We�re going to Vava�u to refuel and from there it�s anyone�s guess.�

�Okay, doc,� said Walther. He stood up. �Thanks again.� After he left Dr. Corwin tidied up. He liked to keep everything as clean and ready as he would his surgery back in the States. Operating a warship, even in peacetime, could be a dangerous business. If that was the worst injury he would have to treat on this voyage he would consider himself lucky.

(in reply to Cuttlefish)

Post #: 298

RE: May 17, 1942 - 10/26/2011 7:44:29 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

May 17, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: Vava�u
Course: None
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: Sys damage 2
Fuel: 525 (100%)

Perhaps no place Gridley will visit in the course of the war is more emblematic of the traditional tropical paradise of the South Pacific than Vava�u. A cluster of around forty islands at the north end of the Tonga group, it features a superb natural anchorage of startlingly clear water surrounded by reefs and winding islands covered with trees and flowers. The air is fragrant with hibiscus, frangipani, and other blossoms.

The US has a military presence here, but it is a quiet one compared to Suva or Luganville. There is a small airstrip and a modest garrison, guarded by some anti-aircraft guns. Except for a seaplane tender the only other ships present are the oilers from which Admiral Shafroth�s ships will refuel.

For the moment all ship traffic is being routed south of Suva, which is why Gridley and the other ships are refueling here. It�s a precaution in case the raid on Tulagi provokes a stronger Japanese response than expected. The location of the Japanese carriers is unknown and, until they are spotted again, the prevailing attitude is one of better safe than sorry.

What orders they will receive next is unknown. Rumors aboard Gridley have them variously returning to Pearl, heading to Australia, or returning to Japanese-held territory for another bombardment mission. The perpetual rumor that there is a big operation on to relieve the American troops still bottled up in the Philippines is revived, though by this point most acknowledge that this is wishful thinking.

The scuttlebutt helps pass the time. They will go where the US Navy sends them, when it sends them. Until then even Admiral Shafroth is left to speculate.

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Post #: 299

RE: May 19, 1942 - 10/28/2011 7:23:37 PM

Cuttlefish

Posts: 2454
Joined: 1/24/2007
From: Oregon, USA
Status: offline

May 18-19, 1942

Aboard USS Gridley

Location: Suva
Course: None
Attached to: TF 123
Mission: Surface combat
Ship's Status: Sys damage 2
Fuel: 492 (93%)

�Another day in the Kadavu Passage,� said Lieutenant Cameron, �another submarine attack.� He was gazing across the water through his binoculars to where destroyers Porter and Cummings were criss-crossing a patch of water, dropping depth charges. The target was a Japanese submarine that minutes ago had launched an unsuccessful torpedo attack against Cummings.

�At least they keep missing,� said Lieutenant Steubens.

�Yeah, but they keep getting away, too,� said Cameron. And indeed, Cummings and Porter soon broke off their attack and hurried to rejoin the rest of the task force.

�Sneaky little bastards,� said Cameron. �I hate them.�

�Have you ever noticed,� Steubens said, �that their submarines are cowardly, lurking sneaks, but our submarines are heroic undersea warriors?� Cameron blinked.

�Well, yes, but�� he began, then broke off. �Actually, sir, I don�t care for any of them very much. Submarines and destroyers, they�re natural enemies. It�s like dogs and cats, or owls and crows, or�or��

�Harvard and Yale?� suggested Steubens. �Yankees and Dodgers?�

�Yes sir! Or Borneo blood pythons and rats.� Now Steubens blinked.

�Borneo blood pythons?� he asked. Cameron looked puzzled.

�I don�t know where that came from, sir,� he said. �I really don�t.�

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Post #: 300