Simon Darkshade
Mysterious City of Gold
Admiral Godric Ffangs was tense.
The hour of battle approached. The enemy was nearby...not within radar contact yet, but still in the area. A flying boat out of Espiritu Santu had transmitted a garbled account of enemy battleships before going off the air some 20 hours ago.
The Grand Fleet of the Royal Navy had nearly mirrored the voyage of the Russian Baltic Fleet by steaming from their home ports in England and Scotland to the South West Pacific. A long and arduous journey, made dangerous by the few remaining U Boats hiding in the South Atlantic, and the prospect of Japanese surface and air forces in the Indian Ocean.
Despite this, Ffangs was confidant and knew that his forces were ready. Counting his flagship, HMS Hood, there were no fewer than two dozen modern super battleships in the main body of his fleet, bristling with huge 25" guns and divided into 4 divisions. HMS Ark Royal led the Carrier Striking Force of six fleet carriers, each packed with 6 squadrons of fighters and fighter bombers. They were escorted by two dozen cruisers of the Crown Colony class, each with twelve 6" guns and a fearsome anti aircraft battery, and twice that many Battle class destroyers. He led the most powerful fleet ever to cross the seas of this Dark Earth, and now was the time of reckoning.
Victory over the IJN here would pave the way for the invasion of Malaya and the Phillipines, and the liberation of Singapore. Their force was powerful, numbering many battleships, battlecruiser and cruisers. Their carrier force, whilst diminished by attrition, was still present, although a shadow of its former self. The victor of the battle would be the fleet who seized the initiative and struck first.
Ffangs puffed contemplatively on his pipe. He intended that victor to be him; another great victory for the Senior Service to go down in the annals of history along with Trafalgar, Jutland and his late triumph of Sicily. The anticipation coursed coldly through his veins like mercury.
"Sir! Swiftsure says here seaplane has spotted the Jap force! 100 miles out and closing."
"Excellent. Captain Peake!"
"Yes Sir?"
"Take the ship to general quarters, and notify the rest of the fleet. And Smith -"
"Yes Sir?"
"Run up Nelson's old signal."
"At once Sir!"
***********************************************
The Grand Fleet was poised, assembled into classic line ahead formation. The enemy was some 50 miles away now, and a few Zeros had been shot out of the skies by the buzzing Corsairs and Seafires. The destroyer flotillas were assembled to conduct torpedo attacks, the cruisers ready to take on their counterparts, and the carriers deployed miles further back with their escorts, ready to administer the coup de grace if necessary.
Bereft of advanced radar, and not knowing what fully lay ahead of them, the IJN steamed on.
**************************************************
"What is their range, Commander?" Ffangs muttered as he paced the bridge of the Hood.
"They are at 56000 yards sir, closing at 25 knots."
"The fleet is to open fire at 50000 yards. Full broadsides."
Ffangs grimaced. The power of heavy radar guided gunfire would prove an unpleasant shock to the oncoming foe.
****************************************************
"FIRE!!"
The order went out. The guns of the battleships of the Grand Fleet of the Royal Navy spoke with eldritch force, sending over two hundred shells arcing through the crisp dawn air towards the enemy.
Contact. The shells began to hit their targets, or fall about them with enormous splashes of water. 10 years of prewar construction and 7 of wartime modification and improvement began to visit their vengeance upon the Japanese fleet, who were still some 18000 yards beyond the maximum range of their main armament.
Again and again and again and again the volleys fell with devastating impact.
"Signal General Chase, Captain. We'll finish them off."
The fleet struck out. Ffangs allowed himself a brief scintilla of a moment of satisfaction. Next stop Singapore, and then Tokyo.
***************************************************
A stylised account of a little naval battle fought in a lovely WW2 scenario. I love it when a plan comes together.
The hour of battle approached. The enemy was nearby...not within radar contact yet, but still in the area. A flying boat out of Espiritu Santu had transmitted a garbled account of enemy battleships before going off the air some 20 hours ago.
The Grand Fleet of the Royal Navy had nearly mirrored the voyage of the Russian Baltic Fleet by steaming from their home ports in England and Scotland to the South West Pacific. A long and arduous journey, made dangerous by the few remaining U Boats hiding in the South Atlantic, and the prospect of Japanese surface and air forces in the Indian Ocean.
Despite this, Ffangs was confidant and knew that his forces were ready. Counting his flagship, HMS Hood, there were no fewer than two dozen modern super battleships in the main body of his fleet, bristling with huge 25" guns and divided into 4 divisions. HMS Ark Royal led the Carrier Striking Force of six fleet carriers, each packed with 6 squadrons of fighters and fighter bombers. They were escorted by two dozen cruisers of the Crown Colony class, each with twelve 6" guns and a fearsome anti aircraft battery, and twice that many Battle class destroyers. He led the most powerful fleet ever to cross the seas of this Dark Earth, and now was the time of reckoning.
Victory over the IJN here would pave the way for the invasion of Malaya and the Phillipines, and the liberation of Singapore. Their force was powerful, numbering many battleships, battlecruiser and cruisers. Their carrier force, whilst diminished by attrition, was still present, although a shadow of its former self. The victor of the battle would be the fleet who seized the initiative and struck first.
Ffangs puffed contemplatively on his pipe. He intended that victor to be him; another great victory for the Senior Service to go down in the annals of history along with Trafalgar, Jutland and his late triumph of Sicily. The anticipation coursed coldly through his veins like mercury.
"Sir! Swiftsure says here seaplane has spotted the Jap force! 100 miles out and closing."
"Excellent. Captain Peake!"
"Yes Sir?"
"Take the ship to general quarters, and notify the rest of the fleet. And Smith -"
"Yes Sir?"
"Run up Nelson's old signal."
"At once Sir!"
***********************************************
The Grand Fleet was poised, assembled into classic line ahead formation. The enemy was some 50 miles away now, and a few Zeros had been shot out of the skies by the buzzing Corsairs and Seafires. The destroyer flotillas were assembled to conduct torpedo attacks, the cruisers ready to take on their counterparts, and the carriers deployed miles further back with their escorts, ready to administer the coup de grace if necessary.
Bereft of advanced radar, and not knowing what fully lay ahead of them, the IJN steamed on.
**************************************************
"What is their range, Commander?" Ffangs muttered as he paced the bridge of the Hood.
"They are at 56000 yards sir, closing at 25 knots."
"The fleet is to open fire at 50000 yards. Full broadsides."
Ffangs grimaced. The power of heavy radar guided gunfire would prove an unpleasant shock to the oncoming foe.
****************************************************
"FIRE!!"
The order went out. The guns of the battleships of the Grand Fleet of the Royal Navy spoke with eldritch force, sending over two hundred shells arcing through the crisp dawn air towards the enemy.
Contact. The shells began to hit their targets, or fall about them with enormous splashes of water. 10 years of prewar construction and 7 of wartime modification and improvement began to visit their vengeance upon the Japanese fleet, who were still some 18000 yards beyond the maximum range of their main armament.
Again and again and again and again the volleys fell with devastating impact.
"Signal General Chase, Captain. We'll finish them off."
The fleet struck out. Ffangs allowed himself a brief scintilla of a moment of satisfaction. Next stop Singapore, and then Tokyo.
***************************************************
A stylised account of a little naval battle fought in a lovely WW2 scenario. I love it when a plan comes together.
