Keynes' Cruisers Volume 2
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Story 2406
Long Beach, California January 27, 1944
The twenty seventh and last cargo vessel left the harbor. The local escorts were already waiting for the merchant ships, repair ships, stores ships, crane ships, construction ships and a single diver support ship to assemble into neat columns. The first portion of the journey would be a shakedown as half of the vessels had never left the land far enough behind to be out of range of single engine patrol aircraft. Minimal zig-zagging, lots of drills to man the anti-aircraft guns and damage control drills. Once they were past the international date line, another, heavier escort would join the convoy while the main fleet would be operating well ahead of them.
The twenty seventh and last cargo vessel left the harbor. The local escorts were already waiting for the merchant ships, repair ships, stores ships, crane ships, construction ships and a single diver support ship to assemble into neat columns. The first portion of the journey would be a shakedown as half of the vessels had never left the land far enough behind to be out of range of single engine patrol aircraft. Minimal zig-zagging, lots of drills to man the anti-aircraft guns and damage control drills. Once they were past the international date line, another, heavier escort would join the convoy while the main fleet would be operating well ahead of them.
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Honestly that convoy sounds a lot like what's needed to make Anchorage in the Philippines a decent fleet base. That or the USN is going to start using Ulithi way earlier than otl
No P-38s. I presume the somewhat earlier development of the P-51 has released more of the former's production for use in the Pacific theatres, where the twin engines will be of more use on the long over-water missions.
(I think earlier P-38 deployment in the SWPA was mentioned in the original thread).
Story 2407
Pearl Harbor, January 28, 1944
The old four stacker patrolled the outer channel. She seldom left sight of land any more. Coastal patrols were still needed, but there had been no excitement since the destroyer had arrived at Pearl nine months ago after a short and final refit at Mare Island. The yard crews landed the four inch guns and replaced them with dual purpose three inch rifles. Additional depth charges and a single spigot mortar were added to increase the anti-submarine fit while half the torpedoes were landed to balance the additional weight of antennas and Oerlikons.
Her far younger, larger and tougher sisters were leaving the base in a steady line. Two task groups had already passed Diamond Head and were accelerating to take on the carrier air groups. Another task group was still in the Middle Loch. By late afternoon, over seventy warships had departed. The harbor was almost empty. Three days later, the crews of the local escorts and patrol vessels could readily find beers and broads again while on liberty.
The old four stacker patrolled the outer channel. She seldom left sight of land any more. Coastal patrols were still needed, but there had been no excitement since the destroyer had arrived at Pearl nine months ago after a short and final refit at Mare Island. The yard crews landed the four inch guns and replaced them with dual purpose three inch rifles. Additional depth charges and a single spigot mortar were added to increase the anti-submarine fit while half the torpedoes were landed to balance the additional weight of antennas and Oerlikons.
Her far younger, larger and tougher sisters were leaving the base in a steady line. Two task groups had already passed Diamond Head and were accelerating to take on the carrier air groups. Another task group was still in the Middle Loch. By late afternoon, over seventy warships had departed. The harbor was almost empty. Three days later, the crews of the local escorts and patrol vessels could readily find beers and broads again while on liberty.
Story 2408
The English Channel, January 29, 1944
The rest of the 10th Destroyer Flotilla stayed further offshore looking for E-boats and S-boats. ORP Piorun and ORP Błyskawica turned to open their broadsides. A minute later, the guns were on rapid fire, flinging shells at a partially constructed coastal defense battery that so far had not yet mounted any guns that could reach far enough out to sea to endanger the bombardment group. Three light cannons sufficienct to attack landing barges were already mounted and manned but the gun crews were exposed and useless while they ran to their guns. The destroyers' shells burst around them, killing a few trained men and forcing everyone else to the ground.
Ten minutes later, the destroyers ceased fire. The Germans had a flaming datum to concentrate their local naval forces on. The 10th Flotilla would be ready for any riposte even as commandos were heading to small, fast patrol craft that were due to pick them up twenty miles to the east.
The rest of the 10th Destroyer Flotilla stayed further offshore looking for E-boats and S-boats. ORP Piorun and ORP Błyskawica turned to open their broadsides. A minute later, the guns were on rapid fire, flinging shells at a partially constructed coastal defense battery that so far had not yet mounted any guns that could reach far enough out to sea to endanger the bombardment group. Three light cannons sufficienct to attack landing barges were already mounted and manned but the gun crews were exposed and useless while they ran to their guns. The destroyers' shells burst around them, killing a few trained men and forcing everyone else to the ground.
Ten minutes later, the destroyers ceased fire. The Germans had a flaming datum to concentrate their local naval forces on. The 10th Flotilla would be ready for any riposte even as commandos were heading to small, fast patrol craft that were due to pick them up twenty miles to the east.
A Battle Damage Repair Ship? And not just one of them, but four. That's a full third of the class. What in God's Green Earth is the Navy planning that they need that much repair capability forward deployed?
Story 2410
Belfast, Ireland January 31, 1944
HMS Cyclops eased her way into the repair yard. The tugs slowed her progress until hawsers could be thrown down to the pier. As the yard hands made the old submarine base ship secured, the management team of the Harland and Wolff shipyard were having an extended and unusual meeting. Men taken up from their civilian life from Newcastle and Glasgow had been flown to the shipyard to help finalize the arrangements of the brewing rigs. The shipyard had the experts who weld a rig, but the choies were immense. The ship was scheduled for ninety days of repairs and modernizations before she was due first to Singapore and then to whatever forward base of the British Pacific Fleet where she would entertain and intoxicate war-weary sailors.
HMS Cyclops eased her way into the repair yard. The tugs slowed her progress until hawsers could be thrown down to the pier. As the yard hands made the old submarine base ship secured, the management team of the Harland and Wolff shipyard were having an extended and unusual meeting. Men taken up from their civilian life from Newcastle and Glasgow had been flown to the shipyard to help finalize the arrangements of the brewing rigs. The shipyard had the experts who weld a rig, but the choies were immense. The ship was scheduled for ninety days of repairs and modernizations before she was due first to Singapore and then to whatever forward base of the British Pacific Fleet where she would entertain and intoxicate war-weary sailors.
It is an ominous sign or perhaps just prudence? Better to have them and not need them then need them and not have them.
It is mostly this; the USN is moving as much of its service support flotillas and the fleet train as far forward as possible. They are not expecting to need to repair half a dozen cruisers along with two or three Essex class carriers enough to get them back to the West Coast for permanent fixes, but the USN wants the capability if need be.
The USN command doesn't know about the Kamikazes yet. I don't think they have been butterflied away here. It's good the USN is prepared for anything.
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Driftless
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Could we anticipate the "Ride of the Valkyries" for the remainder of the Japanese fleet? (Is there a Japanese equivalent for the Valkyries?)
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