I wonder how the crew is getting anything done when they have to pay reference to the empress every three seconds...
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trekaddict said:
Ah! Good to see you've recovered from that slight mishap with the exploding head. Messy that... :rofl:
As for the Atago's crew... We'll see, but they have a long voyage ahead of them
I'm now going to ask my readaars for suggestions as to what stops you'd most like to see. (Yes trekaddict my friend, we WILL be seeing that certain ship and that certain Harbor...
)
KiMaSa said:Ah! Good to see you've recovered from that slight mishap with the exploding head. Messy that... :rofl:
As for the Atago's crew... We'll see, but they have a long voyage ahead of them
I'm now going to ask my readaars for suggestions as to what stops you'd most like to see. (Yes trekaddict my friend, we WILL be seeing that certain ship and that certain Harbor...
Goodie. Because that is Irony in perfection.
Now for the other stops: San Francisco, because of the Japanese Minority there, then Washington perhaps, then London, Berlin, Rome and maybe Moscow?
That sounds like a good list. Though I think that France should get included. Also a visit with Otto I of Austro-Hungary. Perhaps Manila also: Hoshiko meets MacArthur... :rofl:
KiMaSa: I've selected you as the writAAR of the week. Congratz and I can say this is truly well deserved. A little bit early I say, but anyways great work.
TheEnlighted1 said:
Well! Wow! I'm honored! I didn't really think I was that good... I guess NOW I'll actually have to do something worthy of the accolades!
Certainly I'm also thankful for having a strong group of readaars and so many new readaars as well!
Thanks everybody and stay tuned...
Coming soon: Hoshiko sizes up Douglas MacArthur.
Congrats on the honor, it is much deserved!
And I do like that list of stops, I too would enjoy to see the meeting between the Empress and MacArthur!
And I do like that list of stops, I too would enjoy to see the meeting between the Empress and MacArthur!
my god, thats going to be a fiery clash of wills. macarthur's not the most tolerant man.
孝道
Chapter XXIII:Travels Abroad... Part II.
Gunichi Mikawa, Commander of the Battlecruiser Atago in November 1936. Seen here in a later photo.
Chapter XXIII:Travels Abroad... Part II.
Gunichi Mikawa, Commander of the Battlecruiser Atago in November 1936. Seen here in a later photo.
On November 22,1936, the Empress boarded the Battlecruiser Atago to begin her Grand Tour. It was with some relief to her that the vessel's Captain Mikawa had served on her father's staff at Versailles as a lieutenant and thus was perhaps a little better to handle this voyage with less uneasiness than other officers might feel. The first leg of her voyage would be South to Manila in the Philippines , which had attained Semi-Independent status the previous year. Thus aside from the granting of Independence to the now allied Korean state, the Philippines marked the only other move away from the old colonial mentality in the Far East. The Empress intended to reassure their Southern neighbors of Japan's good will toward them and also it would be her first opportunity as Empress to begin shaping her image and thus Japan's image on the world stage.
Certainly many conservatives were aghast at the notion of the Empress politicking her way across the globe but she was quick to remind them that despite Japanese prowess, Japan did not have either the industry or resources to be a major force in world affairs without the backing of at least one of the larger players: The Soviet Union, The British Empire, or the United States. Some suggested that the rapidly developing Germany could provide a fourth option but Hoshiko flatly rejected any notion of aligning with the German Reich as it smacked of the same sort of lunacy that had inspired the "General's Coup" Furthermore news of Herr Hitler's policies and views thoroughly disgusted the Empress.
Unfortunately; though Hitler was an extreme example of bigotry, there was still a level of racial prejudice involved in Japan's dealings with even the more enlightened nations of the world and Hoshiko knew sadly that it ran both ways. Stereotyping and ignorance were fertile breeding grounds for hate and mistrust and that was the biggest reason why the Empress had chosen to embark on this journey... To be seen and heard and to lift some of the shroud of ignorance both in other nations and among her own people.
Although Her Majesty rather relished the sea air, she would have precious little time to enjoy it as she moved into the vacant Admiral's berthing aboard ship. Stacks of files both concerning her journey and matters at home awaited her as did her language tutors. The Empress considered herself fortunate that her father insisted that she study languages starting at an early age and she was quite fluent in English, Latin, French, Chinese, and Korean but she needed to work on her Spanish, Modern Italian, German, and Russian so tutoring sessions would take up a fair part of any 'free' time she might have. As a side note, the Empress was amused to discover that Admiral Yamamoto; who she regarded as THE rising star in the Navy, was quite fluent in English, having studied at Harvard University, but often pretended otherwise when dealing with the media as it allowed him to evade sticky questions from the press...
First; however came the pile of dossiers concerning major officials she expected or might likely meet.
The briefing on Philippine President Quezon was thorough enough. The son of a Philippine school teacher and an Army sergeant, Quezon had served as an aide to Emilio Aguinaldo during the insurrection and later after passing the bar, worked his way up in government service. He had resoundingly won election to the Philippine Presidency the previous year and the Empress hoped that they could forge a good working arrangement.
It was; however, the second file that concerned her. Major General Douglas MacArthur, former General and Chief of Staff of the United States Army and currently in charge of creating the Philippine Army. His father had been Governor General of the Islands and the son in many ways overshadowed President Quezon. One of the most highly decorated soldiers in American History, She also noted with distaste that it was MacArthur who had been in command when President Herbert Hoover ordered the dispersing of the "Bonus Army" in Washington in 1932. From what she read the man seemed to embody American Self Confidence, but to a level that seemed to cross into arrogance. She therefore fully understood why President Roosevelt had been so quick to accommodate the assignment of MacArthur to the Philippines. Although he had done valuable service to the American Army over the years, it was perhaps best that this American Caesar be kept away from Rome as it were.
Finally; escorted by the Heavycruiser Matsushima and four destroyers, the Atago entered Manila Bay about noon on the 25th of November as the Empress watched from the Flag Bridge of the Battlecruiser.
She smiled proudly as the Atago's sailors manned the rails and she heard the thunder of guns from Fort Drum and the American cruiser Augusta firing a twenty-one gun salute in her honor. She calmly turned to Captain Mikawa and ordered him to return the salute and waited knowing that the easiest part of this first leg was now behind her...
孝道
Chapter XXIII:Travels Abroad... Part III.
Admiral Harry Yarnell, Newly appointed Commander Asiatic Fleet.
Chapter XXIII:Travels Abroad... Part III.
Admiral Harry Yarnell, Newly appointed Commander Asiatic Fleet.
As Atago drew up to the dock, a US Navy band broke into the strains of the Japanese National Anthem. As the Empress and her staff disembarked, they were greeted by the senior ranking US officer in the Philippines; Admiral Yarnell saluted crispy. "Your Imperial Majesty. Welcome to the Philippines."
"Thank you Admiral Yarnell." She ventured a smile. "It is a pleasure to meet you. Your past exploits are topics of great interest to many of our senior fleet officers."
Yarnell smiled mildly in return knowing she referred to the maneuvers in Fleet Problem XIII in February 1932 when Admiral Yarnell's Carrier Task Force stole up on Pearl Harbor and launched a devastating mock surprise raid. Approaching from the North of Oahu under the cover of storm, Yarnell launched some 150 aircraft at dawn on Sunday, February 7th. His planes first striking the airfields of the Army Air Corps, putting them out of commission without a single defender getting aloft and then proceeding to attack the Defending Fleet Battleships in Pearl Harbor. While official navy reports whitewashed the results, the exercise had been widely covered by the civilian press and analyzed with interest by many in the Imperial Navy...
"I'm afraid they may have been the only ones noticing, Your Majesty."
She studied him and smiled. "I would not be too certain Admiral. It seems that at least one highly placed person has recognized your abilities... Perhaps you would be willing to discuss your views on the matter with Captain Ozawa later on?" She gestured to her naval aide who bowed with respectful courtesy.
"It would be my pleasure Your Majesty." Yarnell replied. "In the meantime, President Quezon is waiting at the Manila Hotel..."
"Of course Admiral."
Yarnell saluted again and watched as the Empress followed Colonel Tanaka and the man known in the Imperial Navy as "The Gargoyle" into a waiting car. This... He mused to himself. This ought to be interesting...
BritishImperial said:
It ought to have been... But this was only the first of THREE historical occasions when US Carrier Commanders launched successful mock raids on Pearl in the 1930s.... At least in this timeline, the short sightedness of some officers might not prove so fatal later on.
oh dear, i didnt know they'd even considered it in real life beforehand. i have heard some ratehr wacky theories that they allowed it to happen to get a casus belli on japan. i'd rather not believe that.
Oh boy. Methinks in TTL Tora Tora Tora will be a controversial ALT-Hist Film only.
trekaddict said:Oh boy. Methinks in TTL Tora Tora Tora will be a controversial ALT-Hist Film only.
Or the story of How a joint Japanese/US Carrier force flattened Taranto...
You suppose the Italians would handle ten carriers loaded with Kates and Dauntless Dive Bombers better than they did a handful of Stringbags from Illustrious?
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KiMaSa said:Or the story of How a joint Japanese/US Carrier force flattened Taranto...
Now THAT would be freaking cool! Imagine..."Climb mount Nitaka" an ALLIED codephrase.....
