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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. - 7/26/2017 8:34:35 AM

1275psi

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17th of Feb

Big Ben descends the ladder into Hell.
"When I die, I am sure to go to Heaven, because I have done my time in hell"
The thought pounds through his mind as he begins to descend into the boiler room, the
waves of heat and humidity washing over him

He reaches the bottom plates, nods to the men about them. Talk, of course, is almost impossible,
the scream of the forced draft blowers obliterates all but the loudest yells.
Talk, anyway, is superfluous.
Big Ben knows the score, knows exactly where Chester's plant is at.

Full power.
Flank power
Every pump, fan, pipe, valve at full capacity, strained, pushed to the red, pushed beyond the red.

Hell.
Contained, barely, beyond those thin steel walls.

Ben takes the throttles to the fuel pumps, to the blowers.
Nothing to adjust, they are at the chocks.
Chester at full power
Flank power

Fleeing power.

KB chases them.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 151

RE: Letters. - 7/31/2017 9:42:41 AM

1275psi

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18th Feb
It is well after midday before the task forces slow to normal cruising speed

"Revolutions 128"
And that, thinks Ford, is that.
A pall of depression falls upon Chesters bridge, men avoid each others eyes.
Their is no hiding it. The American fleet has run away, defeated with out a shot fired.
He turns to Captain Shock.."and what now?"
The Captain (is he relieved?.......no surely he can't be?) shrugs impassively
"Whatever Fletcher wants I suppose......one thing for sure, I hardly think he's going
to seek an engagement......preservation of the carriers and all that"

Ford has to (silently) agree.
What choice, under those orders, does he have?
But it still stinks...........stinks.

Shock speaks again......."Darwin fell this morning....the Aussies will be crapping bricks, and
as for Pacific Fleet........Port Headland, Broome, all that effort setting up our
submarine bases, all those support ships."

The silence is pregnant
"God, its going to be a bloody mess................"

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 152

RE: Letters. - 7/31/2017 12:06:42 PM

PaxMondo

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Joined: 6/6/2008
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Great read with the morning cuppa ... thanks Herb!

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Pax

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Post #: 153

RE: Letters. - 8/1/2017 9:13:11 AM

1275psi

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Joined: 4/17/2005
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Thanks Pax
Writing this is totally different to the Little ship
Those days I was home about 4.30 in the arvo, and had more than enough
time to write for at least an hour, play turns, do family stuff and the like
Nowadays its getting home about 6.30 Pm, need to be in bed by 9 .
he Penguin and I are exchanging 2 turns a night, so its a choice many nights, honour the turn,
or write
So, its normally the turn

I know this game will go the full distance, so I will stick with it, I might be retired for the second
half.......

Then I can truly get stuck into writing
Finally, this game has been very frustrating getting Chester into it.........

Anyway, thanks for the comments, very encouraging!

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to PaxMondo)

Post #: 154

RE: Letters. - 8/1/2017 9:28:33 AM

1275psi

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Joined: 4/17/2005
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Its the 21st

And yet again, its the eternal problem.
Fuel
The mad dash West, a detour towards Christmas island ( a failed, useless grasp
at redemption trying to hit a "sighted" task force) finds the Carriers , and
of course Chester, 200 miles south east of Christmas island.
And yet again, so many ships fuel states are tending towards the red.
Too little, in fact, to return to the Cape, or India.
Barely enough, in fact, to reach Carnovan, the ONLY Port on Australia's West coast
with any fuel.
The ONLY one.

And the spanner in the works, (war is so full of so many of those, isn't it?)
is simple.
Shocks prediction is coming horribly true
Carrier Aircraft smash Wyndham, Port Headland, Broome.
Cruisers intercept, and mercilessly sink the fleeing ships, not one, not two, three
precious AS ships, tankers, AGs, AKE's.
Precious ships........and just as many precious lives.

The allies are being taught a lesson, a painful, painful one.
The carriers were the shield.

Who in the hell thought this one task force would be enough?
KB has swept it aside.

And is ripping apart the exposed belly.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 155

RE: Letters. - 8/1/2017 12:23:06 PM

PaxMondo

Posts: 9750
Joined: 6/6/2008
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quote:

ORIGINAL: 1275psi

Thanks Pax
Writing this is totally different to the Little ship
Those days I was home about 4.30 in the arvo, and had more than enough
time to write for at least an hour, play turns, do family stuff and the like
Nowadays its getting home about 6.30 Pm, need to be in bed by 9 .

Totally understand the RL getting in the way. I generally only get from 0400 - 0500 for personal time, the rest of the day is fully committed. And frequently not even that hour ... life.

I know I will be well past retired before I ever get to even think about a PBEM ...

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Pax

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Post #: 156

RE: Letters. - 8/1/2017 1:21:19 PM

Lecivius

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Joined: 8/5/2007
From: Denver
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Agreed. The only time I have for the forum is while I'm at work

Run a test, search the internet until test completes, back to work.

But your fans appreciate the extra effort

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If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

(in reply to PaxMondo)

Post #: 157

RE: Letters. - 8/1/2017 4:27:58 PM

BBfanboy

Posts: 18046
Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline

+1 on the thanks and the understanding that there are other priorities that keep you from regular installments of your fascinating stories.
We take anything you post as a bonus and hope you are keeping well. Don't stress over our desires to see more- no flank speed for Herbie-san!

_____________________________

No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to Lecivius)

Post #: 158

RE: Letters. - 8/2/2017 10:02:03 AM

1275psi

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22nd
0800 hours
Captains cabin

Every day,0830 sharp, the department heads gather.
Briefly, for Shock refuses to tolerate any waffling, each man delivers a snapshot
of his part of ship.
Shock barely ever questions, merely nods, occasionally grimaces.

Reactions, when they come, come more indirectly, yet far more tellingly.
Memo's, orders, demands.
Verbal orders, questions can become "lost"
Not the written ones.
They must be fulfilled.
They also, as every man here knows far too well, allow utter control of all that occurs
on Chester.

Today, after this meeting, there will be no doubt another flurry of paper.

The Commanders deliver their reports.
Some good, some routine, some not so good.
The Gunnery Officer feels all is well, so does the Aviation officer.
The supply officers report is very brief: "the men are fed"
(and that is, considering all things, as good as one can hope)
Ford reports Moral, after a pause, and a Shock Grimace, as good.

But it is the Engineers report that matters.
Ford does not understand all of it, but the message is clear. Chester is tired.
Getting very tired.

The communications officer puts that into perspective however.
KB smashes the North west coast of Australia.
If it continues on her present course.........sunk ships don't get any more tired.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 159

RE: Letters. - 8/7/2017 9:36:15 AM

1275psi

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Dawn
23rd

A red dawn, pregnant with menace
Chesters wireless room hums, the carnage up and down the North West coast continues.
Today, its Kongo class battlewagons pounding Broome, cruisers further out to sea.

But Of KB...........nothing.
She could be as close as 100 miles away, or as far as 400
It does not matter.
All day ships fuel each other, sharing what is available. Ar days end, new course, South.
Direct towards Perth.

Timor is falling
The DEI's are being invaded
Australia has lost her Northern capital

And we bloody run away.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 160

RE: Letters. - 8/9/2017 9:27:17 AM

1275psi

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24th February,

Big Ben shakes his head in frustration.
Another one.
With a well gloved hand he reaches over to the shaft of the feed pump, and gingerly grips it.
He ignores the almost boiling water leaking from the gland running over his fingers, gets a more
solid grip of the shaft, grimaces, and twists.
The shaft does not move.
Not surprising really, the bloody screeching noise it gave a few minutes ago.
Seized.
Another bloody feed pump seized.
That's 2 out of 3.

Ben pulls back, contemplating the dead pump.

Ben has been on Chester for a long, long time, done a lot of miles.
He knows how his thin Engineer speaks.
"we are getting tired, we have a few issues, .........we can manage"

That's what Shock will hear, what Shock has to hear.
Chester is being driven as hard as she ever has, and its beginning to show.

"We can manage"
Ben is already planning the repair process in his head.
Stokers, Chesters Stokers always can manage, always have, always will.
It will mean even longer hours, more sweat, lots more sweat.

This is war.

Chesters Stokers will manage
And that's all Shock must ever hear.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 161

RE: Letters. - 8/9/2017 2:02:14 PM

BBfanboy

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Joined: 8/4/2010
From: Winnipeg, MB
Status: offline

A well-deserved salute to stokers - doing a job most of us would shrink from! Cheers!

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No matter how bad a situation is, you can always make it worse. - Chris Hadfield : An Astronaut's Guide To Life On Earth

(in reply to 1275psi)

Post #: 162

RE: Letters. - 8/13/2017 6:52:27 AM

1275psi

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Joined: 4/17/2005
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25th
February

Its Peter who takes the message

From DD Bagley
to
TF Saratoga

"Regret that CA Salt Lake City sunk by SS this morning.
No survivors."

He hands it to Ford, who reads it silently, who in turns Hands it to Shock

He makes no comment, none is needed, Salt Lake City is, WAS, operating
only 40 miles away.
KB is not the only killer hunting them in these waters.

_____________________________

big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

(in reply to BBfanboy)

Post #: 163

RE: Letters. - 9/5/2017 1:55:18 PM

Lecivius

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Joined: 8/5/2007
From: Denver
Status: offline

Attachment (1)

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If it ain't broke, don't fix it!

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Post #: 164

RE: Letters. - 9/23/2017 8:32:02 AM

1275psi

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Joined: 4/17/2005
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Hi Guys

First an apology that this did not continue.
Due to intense real life pressures, just could not continue

Also, the game got months and months ahead, and for Chester nothing happened........and then
I lost all my notes
Finally writers block..........I just could not "feel"anything for my characters

So, hope to try again at some future date.......I am still playing at least

1275psi

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big seas, fast ships, life tastes better with salt

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Post #: 165

RE: Letters. - 9/23/2017 1:20:29 PM

PaxMondo

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Herb,

Nice to hear from you, sad that this died. Hopefully, another epic will start in the future.

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Pax

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Post #: 166

RE: Letters. - 9/25/2017 4:13:01 PM