H.M.A.S. Yarra (standard:action, 992 words)
Author: Paddy	Added: Aug 27 2003	Views/Reads: 3950/1	Story vote: 0.00 (0 votes)
Based on a true WW2 battle against great odds. It takes place soon after the fall of Singapore, the battle of the Java Sea and the Battle of the Sundra Straight. Blue is Australian for a red head and cober means friend. I hope you enjoy.

March 1st 1942 "Fuck, they got the Perth and the yank cruiser Houston"
he said "They got the Exeter too and those Dutch cruisers, nothings 
going to stop them bastard Japs till they're in bloody Melbourne!" I 
thought about, it he was right, there was nothing to stop them. Nothing 
but little ships like the Yarra and her three popguns. "The oceans a 
big place blue and the Yarra's a lucky ship we'll make it to Freemantle 
"You better be right cobber my Mrs is having a baby she's going to be 
mighty pissed if I'm not home for the occasion" he smiled. He left 
leaving me to my thoughts and the hum of the ships blowers. My thoughts 
went to you, your soft skin, green eyes and how much I loved you. Nine 
knots, I could walk home faster, but we can't leave them behind. Its 
our duty to protect em, fuck I wish they could go faster. 

March 2nd 1942 "Those fucking Japs will spot us" he said, "we are for it
now" "God you're a pessimist blue, the Japs have got bigger fish to fry 
than us and this convoy" "I just came from the radio room, they are 
using stragglers for target practice, Kondos fleet is out there". The 
alarm bells sound and the speaker comes to life "ALL HANDS ALL HANDS, 
ACTION STATIONS ACTION STATIONS THIS IS NOT A DRILL" The Yarra picked 
up speed at last we were doing something. "Bloody Japs have spotted us 
now" "Blue haven't you got any thing better to do" "What's up your 
arse" "Fuck blue we are only a four days from Freemantle, the Japs 
aren't interested in us" "You're kidding, we are the biggest fighting 
ship afloat in the area" "Fuck it blue, these four inchers aren't worth 
sending a fleet after" "You mark my words, we are as good as dead" 
"Blue you said the exact thing when we went up against that Italian 
destroyer in the Red Sea" "That was different, we had the poms to back 
us up then, the pommy navy is either sunk or gone, its just us and shit 
left." "Look blue the Yarra's a lucky ship, couple of days and we will 
be in Perth." We both fell silent as the Japanese plane flew around us 
out of range. I thought of you, my gut was tight. My thoughts went to 
Tenterfield my home, how we grew up together. God how I missed your 
arms, your sweet lips. While we were growing up, I always imagined us 
growing old together and watching our grand kids grow. 

3rd March 1942 Speakers squawked And we rescued em, Dutch and Javanese
seaman. They thought they were dead. We steamed through the night, so 
slow. Later in the night Alarm bells sounded "Hands to action stations' 
"All hands to action stations" We could hear the sounds from the bridge 
of a submarine contact Aft we saw the plumes of depth charges, glowing 
eerily in the dark as they plunged toward heaven. We stood down from 
action stations to sleep 

4th March 1942 Dawn action stations, the bosons call called us to duty.
To the east we could se the faint glimmer of the sun. Not so much 
special we had seen it hundreds of times before. God I wish we were out 
of here and further south.. "You know cobber I am starting to think 
your right. We might just get home" "I told you the Yarra's a lucky 
ship" "Well we will be standing down soon god I am hungry" "Your always 
hungry blue" We could hear a shout from the bridge I looked at my watch 
0630 The officers on the bridge almost ran to see what the lookout had 
seen Some one aft of us shouted, "shit" What's up I shouted "Fucking 
Jap navy is waiting for us, bastards!" "I told you" "Shut it blue" The 
alarm bells rang. We picked up speed and on the signal halliards, the 
signal flags said scatter. We started making smoke and fixed our course 
for the enemy. We loaded our four inch gun and waited, I layed the 
sight on the lead cruiser, I saw ten red flashes as its ten eight inch 
guns open fired on us, blue gasped "We're fucked" "Shut it blue" "There 
are three Jap cruisers and two destroyers, nice knowing you cober." I 
looked through the gun sight; the order came down from the bridge 
"SHOOT" Our gun fired I watched the fall of shoot "UNDER" We corrected 
Behind us an explosion the ship lurched and listed We fired again, 
"UNDER" We started listing to port and slowed 'LOAD" We loaded again 
and fired, still short "Fuck look at that" 

Fire and smoke obliterated the horizon aft of us through the smoke we
saw the Asking go erupted in flames Poor little thing didn't stand a 
chance. MMS51, and Francol went soon after not a gun between them worth 
a pinch of shit We were finished we all knew it "Load" "Shoot" "Load" 
"Shoot" 

We kept firing stooped dead in the water listing and on fire. 

"ALL HANDS ABANDON SHIP" 

I looked up at the bridge into Rankin's eyes. I was engulfed in the
explosion 

Next thing I remember being in the water, as pain racked me, blood
flowed from the wound in my head I looked back at the bridge wrecked 
and aflame one gun fired a final shot at two Jap destroyers now firing 
point blank range at the lucky Yarra. She groaned as if to say enough 
was enough. The Yarra was gone. The brave Japs didn't stick around to 
rescue any one. God I felt so tired, "Where are u blue" for once in his 
life he didn't answer."You take care blue". The ocean rocked me to 
sleep, 34 survived the battle, I watched as 13 made it, Sleep took me 
at last, I saw your face 


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