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

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RE: Letters. - 3/19/2017 8:47:37 AM

1275psi

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December 20th

Chester's Wardroom.

Captain Shock faces his officers. Of Chester's crew , only he has been ashore.
As always, the pugnacious barsted comes straight to the point.
"Here it is Gentleman" he pauses, eyes scanning wide around the room. For a moment Ensign Cross
almost gains the impression that somehow what ever news is coming is their responsibility.
A murmur sweeps the room
"Losses sir?""
Shock grimaces. "Houston was sunk by a surprise attack while still steaming in peacetime state"
"Barsteds"
Shocks voice rises "Maybe if they were more concerned with duty than flag waving they might
not have gotten caught, something I never intend to happen!"
Silence
He continues " Asiatic Fleet has been in multiple encounters, Marblehead is damaged, we have
lost several 4 stackers"
He turns his clipboard page.
"Cruiser Oi, has been sunk" but the frown deepens "Mac has retreated to Bataan, some
blockade runners have got in. Davao is gone, the Brits are retreating hell pell in Malaya,
and Rabual has fallen".
Again he scans the room.
"Finally, the Brits and Dutch, and we think, the Boise, have given the Japs a bloody nose at
Kuching, and they are fighting hard."

He throws the clipboard onto a table.
"They have asked for help.......the President has given it, and we are going to provide it"
And with that, the Captain strides from the room

In the silence that follows, the Gunnery Officers whisper is clearly heard
"So we are fighting for freedom for Clogs everywhere hey?"

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 61

RE: Letters. - 3/20/2017 9:56:51 AM

1275psi

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Dec 21

Dear Mum

Well, here we are, in a place that I am not allowed to tell, just that the natives
here are huge, smile a lot, and seem to run to a unique time routine all of
there own

Whenever you ask for something, it will "be here in @#$%$v time"
Meaning it will be God knows when.
Its bloody hot, humid, and rumours of beautiful girls in canoes are true!!!
I have to finish this quick, as we are sailing again really soon.

Love
Peter

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 62

RE: Letters. - 3/20/2017 10:03:08 AM

1275psi

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Dec 21

From
HMAS Adelaide
(operating near Lunga)

"have been shadowed by several Carrier Dive bombers.
Am retiring south as rapidly as possible"

End

"One engine bridge"
"One engine"
"raise steam, we are sailing ASAP"

Big Ben, who has literally just secured his boiler, has but one word to say as the word comes
through............

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 63

RE: Letters. - 3/20/2017 12:42:11 PM

pws1225

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"Its bloody hot, humid, and rumours of beautiful girls in canoes are true!!!"

A nod to LST's avatar?

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Post #: 64

RE: Letters. - 3/20/2017 5:49:53 PM

kaleun

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

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Post #: 65

RE: Letters. - 3/20/2017 9:20:30 PM

adarbrauner

Posts: 1496
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From: Zichron Yaaqov, Israel; Before, Treviso, Italy
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quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

18 December

This is radio Fiji with the news.....
The British Admiralty today reports of "� large and intensive Naval battle at Kota Bharu,
involving , to quote, both heavy and light forces of the eastern Fleet, unquote.
The Admiralty claims an entire enemy invasion force destroyed.
The Admiralty has again denied the loss of Prince of Wales and Repulse, despite repeated Japanese
claims to the contrary........

The radio fades into the seemingly ever present hiss and crackle of the tropics.
Ensign Cross whistles in admiration. "Now that was full on.....operating up there"
One of his fellow pilots, Dwight, agrees "Yes , but it shows something, we are fighting."
'But are we winning?"
"Why wouldn't we?"

To the last Man on Chester, I don't think anyone disagrees with him.

Are you palying against a human or against the computer?

p.s.: great talent.....**

< Message edited by adarbrauner -- 3/20/2017 9:21:13 PM >

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Post #: 66

RE: Letters. - 3/21/2017 8:37:03 AM

1275psi

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yes, LST, and human opponent, the penguin, who is allowed here..........

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Post #: 67

RE: Letters. - 3/21/2017 8:56:11 AM

1275psi

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December 22nd

Chester ploughs West. The pacific has again turned Nasty, heavy seas, heavy skies, low, grey,
wet.
The wind is rising, shrieking through the rigging.
It is hard, thinks Cross, not to imagine a Million tortured souls following them across this
endless sea.
Will you join us?.........join us?...........join uussssssssss.............

Cross can't go to the bridge. The hanger is a nightmare, the wardroom a foul cave, the decks too
dangerous.
So he joins the gunners around one of the 5 inch guns, joins them, hangs on, and watches, and waits.

And waits.

The whole ship is waiting.
Somewhere to the North, somewhere over that grey horizon.......IT lurks.
The Jap carriers.
Unknowable. Un approachable.
And in every mans heart today.
Utterly un assailable.

Chester ploughs on, south west, as hard as she can.
The Jap Carriers.

Gods, the Jap carriers........

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 68

RE: Letters. - 3/22/2017 9:52:52 AM

1275psi

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December 23

When I talk, or reminisce (or maybe bore the pants of ) my civilian friends, few, if any,
really comprehend the power of a warship.
Her guns, maybe.
Yet I really doubt anyone can even imagine the kinetic power a 8 inch shell has in her.
Unless, of course, you have been in a ship, trapped, on the receiving end of one.

And witnessed the horror.............

They might glimpse the power of the Captain, his God like ability to give orders.
But his power is, of course, really dependent on his crew. A good crew, a tight crew,
a disciplined crew, a trained motivated crew, that's the real power a Captain wields.

Not one of my friends however, understands the power of a Cruisers power plant.
The power of the boilers, of the turbines, of steam.
Chester has 8 boilers.
8 hungry boilers
If one does not understand the power of a boiler, its impossible to describe
the thirst of them.
At full power:
The fuel is sprayed in.
Not your aerosol can spray. Not your garden hose , water the lawn spray.
Try fire hose, fully opened hydrant spray.
Its consumed at a frightening rate, vanishing in a great eye watering blazing glare,
converting a billion dead dinosaurs into heat, power, steam, turbine revolutions, knots.....

life.

Fuel.
Its all ultimately about fuel
No fuel, no life.

A lot of words. Poorly expressed I think.
Lets put it this way:

Chester really is one thirsty cow.

And from here on, in these vast expanses, fuel , gaining it, receiving it, where the
next drink of it will come from is going to dominate all that Chester will do.
AO Bishopdale is here. First stone in the great logistics road the allies must build
to win the war.
Today, Chester, her companions drink deep.
And carry on, West.
There's not that much fuel West.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 69

RE: Letters. - 3/23/2017 9:24:24 AM

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December 24th

Christmas Eve.
Actually, nearly Christmas day.
Peter is all but alone in the communications room, Idly twiddling dials.
The room smells. Its moving, things rattle endlessly.
And he has never been so lonely, the Christmas tree at Mums, (God, only a year ago)'
seems a million miles away, a million years.
Where are they going?. What is ahead?
And how long before he see's home again?, if......if ever?

He twiddles the dials, and suddenly, in his ears, one of those flukes
of the tropical atmospherics occurs.

Clear as a bell, the BBC fills his ears.

For ten beautiful minutes, the world enters the room.

There are carols. Beautiful carols.
After ten minutes, the crackling takes back over.
It does not matter.
Peter no longer feels alone.

On the bridge

Shock stands, as ever, near the Starboard wing. A darker shadow in the dark night.
Ford does what he usually tries to do, stay on the Port side, and avoid him.
But tonight, no such luck.
The Captain joins him.
And as usual Ford waits for the conversation.
Its usually one way, full of complaints, and evilly personal.

But this is Christmas, and the night for Miracles.
"I have the news EX......hot of the press. Bataan is holding easily, Manilla is a mess.
The Japs landed at Rabual.....imagine that!, and the Aussies have held em for 7 days now, as
they are at Guam.....you know, If I wanted to have a Christmas present, hearing those
little yellow barsteds have messed it up would be it"
He pauses. "However, it seems the Japs have more carriers than we ever thought, reports
of them in the coral sea, in the Java sea, every bloody where"

And with that, the Captain sinks back into the shadows.

Ford returns to his watch. The news seems good......but really?.
If Bataan is under siege......and Rabual?
If Rabual, where else?, how far was Japan planning to go?

And where, of course, would Chester be deployed to try to stop them?

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 70

RE: Letters. - 3/26/2017 8:06:07 AM

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Dec 25th
The deep blue of the Tasman sea.
Chester continues to roll across the endless marching swells, a monotonous over to port,
hesitate, corkscrew to starboard, roll to starboard, the thrash of propeller blades nearing the surface, '
and repeat.
Again
And again
And again.
Rugged up against the bitter wind Gunner Scotty, sways with the roll, untouched in any way
by the ocean around him.
He has, in his years seen swells come almost up to this gun..
This swell (as vomit inducing it would be to a great many) is nothing.

What matter, what matters a lot, is the sky.
It is clear. It is blue. It is cloudless.
God hope it remains empty of aircraft.

There has been a positive reporting. The fleet flagship, Akagi no less. Well
south of Milne Bay, direction unknown.
A long way away, yes. But even.........
So Gunner Scotty watches the waves, and wonders how in the hell a Christmas can get worse, '
yet knowing , that of course, it really could.........

In The Java sea, it has.

CA Boise, the Dutch squadron, and a small british taskforce of 2 CLs, some 4 stackers,
have been involved in a series of rolling battles.
BB Nagato, CL natori, some destroyers.

While Boise and her "boys" exchange long range shots with the battle wagon, the brits
get behind, and kill a convoy of 6 AKs

But later, Nagato gets her revenge, sinking CL Durban, DD Alden with single killing salvos.
The allies, we think, can claim a win.
But barely a ship escapes damage.

And this effects Chester
Effects her directly.
With the allied Naval strength waning in the far east, High Command makes a great strategic decision.

The Indies will be fought for.
And Chester ( and many of her friends) will be doing the fighting.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 71

RE: Letters. - 3/27/2017 8:36:18 AM

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December 26th

Rabual falls.
Ten glorious days.

It was going to always happen.
But the message is simple. The Allies will fight, and fight, and fight.

Troops, a lot of troops, unload at Port Moresby.
Another, bigger, bump in the road.

Chester enters the Bass straight.
So, her crew wonders, what are these Aussies really like???

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 72

RE: Letters. - 3/27/2017 3:10:56 PM

Andav

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Really enjoying this. Keep up the great work!

Wa

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Post #: 73

RE: Letters. - 3/28/2017 9:35:56 AM

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Dec 27th
War or not, some shipboard routines will not change.
Below decks (as I think some must know by now) the boilers and turbines follow
well established routines.
Soot blows after Midnight every seven days, after flash ups, prior to shut downs.
Chemical tests twice a day. Blow downs probably every second day.
Burner changes every day. Bilges to be pumped. Rounds to be done, ceaselessly.
A 100 readings to be recorded. Oils to be purified, fuel tanks to be swung.
50 odd men per watch.

Above decks, the guns.
Range finders ceaselessly tested for calibration. A hundred hydraulic circuits to be tested.
Turrets to be swung, ammunition lifts to be cycled, drills to be done.
Communication checks, ammunition examinations, magazines to be inspected.
300 plus men...........

Dozens of departments, dozens of specialities. All pieces of a finely tuned machine,
cogs in the war clock.
All doing the daily work.
All as important as each other........

But lets not forget what they all REALLY are onboard for.
Nine times eight inch guns.
Guns on target. On time.
Every time.

Right now, given normal circumstances, Chester can do this.
In daylight, in line of battle.

In the Java sea, blood and steel have been boiling, clashing, exploding at almost
point blank ranges nearly every single NIGHT.

Nothing, in this war so far, has been normal.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to Andav)

Post #: 74

RE: Letters. - 3/30/2017 9:05:32 AM

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Dec 28th

Chester safely negotiates Port Phillip Bay heads and the rip, and transits across
the bay to St Kilda Pier.
Shock manages to only scrape a little paint of her side coming alongside this
long, long old and famous pier.
There is a crowd. No more than a crowd, a packed mass of brown and grey dressed men, a sea of hats.
There are almost as many women, dresses bright in sharp contrast to he sea of sameness.

For a few minutes, once finished with main engines has been called, Shock and Ford contemplate
the crowds.
"Apparently Op sec is jus a term to somebody. How in the hell did so many people know we
were coming? "Shock shakes his head.
"Apparently we are going to save them, all 2 cruisers of the American Navy"
"See what services they can Provide EX, besides entertainment"

Ford has the usual busy morning post docking. Mail. Services, signals, dispatches.
Several VIPs, actually, lots of VIPs, the mayor, a squadron commander of the local "fighter"
unit, others.
Normally, these things are a royal pain in the you know what.......but occasionally
ships visits do achieve things.
And for Ford, today, some things become clear.

That evening, over dinner (Ford has taken the OOD duty today) he shares his views with
the ensign Cross
"I get it now, why we are so welcome. Here is a nation, almost undefendable, yet that
has sent all it has right around the world. Its best divisions, its entire Navy, ......did you
know Cross that Australia has not a single fighter in it?
No wonder they are looking towards us for help"

Cross, however, has a slightly different view of things
"Yes, so many men gone...did you see how many women are in this city?

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 75

RE: Letters. - 3/30/2017 2:08:49 PM

Lecivius

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Hey, a sailor has priorities!

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Post #: 76

RE: Letters. - 4/2/2017 3:37:55 AM

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Dec 29th

Dear Mother
Went into town today, now before you get upset, I firmly kept myself in control,
and what I gambled I could afford to., as I never had to spend a sent on drinks or food
or anything all day long.
I went to the races!
The pier is miles away from the city, but Melbourne is served by a fantastic network of trams,
and one runs right from the pier to the city.
Myself and a few others jumped on, and jumped off again right in the middle of town.
Well, talk about a hospitable lot!
Barely found our feet, and a whole group of guys made our acquaintance, all veterans from
the last war as far as I could tell.
The "watered" us, fed us ginormous steaks, and, then invited us to the track.
Seemed to me half the town was there, all without a care in the world, the papers were all
about the Japs landing at Port Moresby, and it was if they said Japs land on mars, as much as
any of them cared.
Unlike us Mother, they haven't had their Pearl harbour yet.........

So, We had a good day, hope to have another before we go Gods no where.
Chester has a few problems "below decks" I think, so fingers crossed.
Finally, in a way, maybe the Aussies here have a point, the Japs are a long way away
from here, and we seem to be making that distance greater every week, so don't fret!

Your Loving Son
Peter

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 77

RE: Letters. - 4/2/2017 3:43:44 AM

1275psi

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War summary:

Phillipnes, the army fights in central Luzon, is defeated, retreats to Bataan in good order
Minando falling quickly

Japs pushing down towards Singapore, efforts to reinforce fail

Palembang is heavily reinforced, Japs bombard this day, and Batavia is too.
Multiple naval engagements in Java sea, and allies hold their own.
Rabual falls.
KB in coral sea, Mini KB operating off Palembang (and its air wings have been shredded)
Japs have lost 60 kates in this first month, and we all know how many replacements they get
early war........
I believe I have capsized some, at least, of the penguins initial plans...........

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 78

RE: Letters. - 4/2/2017 4:07:45 AM

SierraJuliet

Posts: 2319
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From: Brisbane, Australia
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quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Dec 29th

Dear Mother
Went into town today, now before you get upset, I firmly kept myself in control,
and what I gambled I could afford to., as I never had to spend a sent on drinks or food
or anything all day long.
I went to the races!
The pier is miles away from the city, but Melbourne is served by a fantastic network of trams,
and one runs right from the pier to the city.
Myself and a few others jumped on, and jumped off again right in the middle of town.
Well, talk about a hospitable lot!
Barely found our feet, and a whole group of guys made our acquaintance, all veterans from
the last war as far as I could tell.
The "watered" us, fed us ginormous steaks, and, then invited us to the track.
Seemed to me half the town was there, all without a care in the world, the papers were all
about the Japs landing at Port Moresby, and it was if they said Japs land on mars, as much as
any of them cared.
Unlike us Mother, they haven't had their Pearl harbour yet.........

So, We had a good day, hope to have another before we go Gods no where.
Chester has a few problems "below decks" I think, so fingers crossed.
Finally, in a way, maybe the Aussies here have a point, the Japs are a long way away
from here, and we seem to be making that distance greater every week, so don't fret!

Your Loving Son
Peter

Those trams really do make for a memorable visit to Melbourne. Wish that the Powers of the time had of left the Brisbane trams alone.

< Message edited by SierraJuliet -- 4/2/2017 4:08:21 AM >

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Post #: 79

RE: Letters. - 4/3/2017 10:45:50 AM

1275psi

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Dec 30

It is not even 4 am.
Chester rides quietly beside the pier, a dark shadow.
There is a small light on her quarter deck for her quartermaster.
The rest, brooding darkness. And this is the contrast between war, and peace.
2 Months ago she would have been bathed in light, bright, strong and proud. Now, even
here so far south, no place is safe.
In the dark, she and her sisters hide.
A few Melbournians wander the pier, fishermen mostly. They look at her hard as they pass,
wonder at ugliness, her slumbering power..
She is welcome here, this ship, welcome to stay as long as she needs to, to sleep, to
gather her strength.

Its nearly 4 am
Chester is far, far from asleep.

Below, 4 boilers are connected, her turbines warmed through, turning slowly,
muted power held barely at bay by the great throttle valves.
Her bridge is manned, telegraphs tested, communications alive

Her Guns, still , are not silent. The hum of hydraulics quietly emit.
And in her shadows, vague movement on her decks.
A crew, standing by her mooring ropes, as quietly as everything else on this great shadow.
Chester is ready for sea.

The time for rest is ver.
The orders have come

The Japs are to be fought everywhere, anytime, with anything.
And right now, the fight is in the DEI.
And to the fight, she will go.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 80

RE: Letters. - 4/3/2017 4:38:27 PM

Taxcutter

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Great stuff.

Puts flesh and blood onto an abstracted game.

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Post #: 81

RE: Letters. - 4/3/2017 10:35:47 PM

pws1225

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@Taxcutter: He's a hell of a writer. If you haven't already, check out his earlier AAR "The Little Ship that Could". Very good stuff. You can find it here: http://www.matrixgames.com/forums/tm.asp?m=2560960&mpage=1&key=

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Post #: 82

RE: Letters. - 4/3/2017 11:05:44 PM

cwemyss

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From: Grapevine, TX, USA
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I'm waiting for the hardcover version.....

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Occasionally also known as cf_dallas

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Post #: 83

RE: Letters. - 4/4/2017 10:37:40 AM

1275psi

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Dec 30th
New Years eve.

Big Ben Brown lies in his bunk, fighting that most terrible of battles.
He's going to lose it, that's inevitable, its a battle nobody in history has ever won,
but Goddamm.....now?, of all times now?
He needs to pee.
Soon
About him, Chester groans, creaks, shudders, and yet again, falls horribly into the next trough.
He can feel her, Physically slow, held back by that immeasurable weight of the swell.
And now she climbs again, and Bens world goes from horizontal, to many degrees towards the vertical

And this is the war so many sailors know, and so few who have never been to sea ever will
understand.
The sheer effort such a simple act-going to the toilet-in seas like this , can be.

Chester is heading West, through the Bass straight, through these , some of the most
violent waters in the world.
Its a shiiiite of a way to spend new years eve............
Big Ben sighs, the inevitable can't be put of any longer.
He hauls his big frame out of his bunk, careful to hang on.
This is, of course, not only unpleasant, it can be dangerous.
He feels around in the dark for foot wear, it is, of course gone. � silent " truk"
Through the stinking smell of the mess, 60 odd bodies gleaming in the red lights, the
swaying uniforms, the rattle and roll of a coffee cup that has escaped ( until it
destroys itself somewhere) to the ladder.

The ladder moves too, of course, a crazy carnival ride, to the main passageway above
Water races up, down it, mini tidal waves, cold, utterly unwelcoming for bare feet.
Another curse.
And now the journey, one hand on the towel maintain what modesty Ben wants (there are some
who never bother, not during these hours) the other moving from support to support.

The heads are occupied.
Two poor wretched souls. The stink of vomit. The wretch of more arriving. The slosh of water
across the floor, and the cold whoosh, gurgle of the sea rising and descending the toilets.

Ben has been at sea many a year.
Seen much, done much

But for new years, this this will never be bloody matched.................

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to cwemyss)

Post #: 84

RE: Letters. - 4/5/2017 9:50:24 AM

1275psi

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Jan 1
1942

Captain Shock.
And what of him?
Some facts.
City born, city bred
Money, a lot of money in this family.. The depression barely noticed.
A career in the Navy.......to overcome boredom?, a challenge to a Father
determined to have him join the firm?
Or something else?
A middling time at the Academy
A destroyer, another destroyer, a grounding, a school instructor.....gunnery.....
and then, then the break.
XO on Chester, as she toured South America with the President onboard.
And tour completed, promotion to Command.
A lot behind THAT tale......but not for here.

Chester labours in seas the like he has never seen before. Huge, dominating, the swells
literal cliffs advancing under a howling gale, almost horizontal rain.
Seas like these are transfixing......you stare at them, almost helpless.

Shock does , as does all on her bridge, some flinching as the sea slams against the bridge.
But his mind is not on the waves.
Not even on his ship.

Its turned to the future, to the Indies.
And he knows he is not ready.
He knows he is afraid.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 85

RE: Letters. - 4/5/2017 1:35:32 PM

ny59giants

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I was in USN from 77 to 83. I served 2 1/2 years on FF-1079 USS Bowen which is a DE. Thankfully, I was sleeping on my stomach at that point in my life. It made it easier to sleep through the night with the ship acting like a cork. I was able to never get sea sick.

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Post #: 86

RE: Letters. - 4/5/2017 3:10:51 PM

pws1225

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Joined: 8/9/2010
From: Tate's Hell, Florida
Status: offline

(in reply to ny59giants)

Post #: 87

RE: Letters. - 4/6/2017 9:20:15 AM

1275psi

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Joined: 4/17/2005
Status: offline

As Chester, her sisters battle across The great Australia bight, near the Celebes, a
shadow of what lies ahead.
CL Marblehead, destroyers Barker, Paul Jones, Stuart and Thracian attempt to intercept
an invasion convoy.
They miss.
Retreating they sink 2 small patrol vessels, but daylight brings what few Navies have
prepared for adequately.
The bombers come, high, dropping in formations, almost oblivious to the pathetic AA.
They miss.
They come again.
And again, and again.

Marbleheads task force survives this day,crews shaken from the day.
Japanese bombers, it seems, can reach almost anywhere.

Chester struggles on.
Her AA?
4 times 5 inch. Some machine guns.
Maybe Shock has a right to be afraid.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to pws1225)

Post #: 88

RE: Letters. - 4/6/2017 2:10:08 PM

Bif1961

Posts: 2014
Joined: 6/26/2008
From: Phenix City, Alabama
Status: offline

That's not illogical Mr Shock.

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 89

RE: Letters. - 4/8/2017 7:17:01 AM

1275psi

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Joined: 4/17/2005
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10th January 1942

It has taken Chester nearly a week to get across the Bight.
A journey of horrors for many of her crew.
A 4 hour stop over in Freemantle, fuelling, then onwards again, North this time, up the West coast
still, to many of her crews dismay, battling the swells.
It is a tired ship, a tired crew, that arrives in Port Headland, this insignificant little
Bay on the edge of the desert..
And instantly the "horror" of sea sickness, is put into perspective..

The bay is packed with shipping.
Refugee ships from the Dutch East Indies, large and small. Flying boats nested like sea gulls.
Chaos, it seems , rules.
But its the warships that draw the gaze.
Dutch, British, several American.
All damaged. Some terribly, some slightly. One, it seems, will never leave this place.
This is bad enough.
Despair hangs over the bay. maybe its the lack of greeting, the lack of life the ships display,
but you can feel it, almost taste it in the air.

Ford views the ships, the men disconsolate on their decks.
"Someone has taken a whipping, I think...........and won't get up again"

Fortunately, he will be wrong.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to Bif1961)

Post #: 90