Last Sortie

The Thundering bellows shook the waters as I looked starboard[1] and witnessed the near-end of my ship. Endless waves of enemy aircraft enveloped the skies as they swarm our fleet like bees protecting their hives.

The crew's wicked cries, the roaring engines of our ship, and the sound of blazing machineguns hum the somber dirge. We all have the same look on our faces, we all feared the same thing, yet we all continue to fight fearlessly knowing that this operation is to launch a deliberate suicide attack onto the enemy forces to put an end to their unstoppable onslaught. Death is inevitable.

War rages on, a deafening bang erupts as the 46cm cannons fires anti-air shells in response to the enemy's attack. The waters came crashing the cold-steel hull of our ships as explosions burst across the ocean's surface. Countless bombs and torpedoes were dropped by the allied[2] aircrafts resulting in a deadly rain of high explosive warheads as far as the eye can see. Before I knew it, our fleet is starting to be overwhelmed by the enemy forces. Even in the face of despair, we fought vigorously.

My heart aches as death is knocking on my door, I don't know what to do. "Are you willing to fight? Are you willing to die for your nation?" My father once said to me, "If you do, be a proud soldier and bring honor to you and your family." I did not really know what he meant that day, "Why would you die for your country?" Now I understand, the duty I was given to protect not only our homeland but also our loved ones.

My wife, what is she doing now?

Oh... I can see the harbor. Am I hallucinating? My wife is waving her hands, sending me off. I don't want to leave her. I remember the tears that flow down her cheeks. I didn't tell her anything about this operation, all I told her is that I will be back to see her again, although I know that this operation will not let me go back to the warmth of my family. Operation Ten-Go[3] is a one way trip. As we cruise away from the harbor I turned my back leaving everything precious to me. Only one thing I keep in mind, I must succeed in order to protect this nation.

I came back to my senses, as chaos ensues, 2 destroyers[4] of our fleet is about to sink and embrace the darkness of the abyss. The skies painted with bullets and flak[5], the smell of chemicals filled the air, and the sound of raging waters is all I can hear. This is war, and we must keep fighting no matter how grim the situation is. Our fleet exerts all of its firepower in an attempt to achieve victory. Some of our escorts were set ablaze resulting in something like a fireworks display. In this war we are indeed at a disadvantage, we are lacking resources, we are lacking manpower, and now we are starting to lose firepower.

As we advance forward while defending ourselves from the swarm of enemy aircraft, at last, the enemies in sight. It's like a thin ray of light in complete darkness, a glimmer of hope; the enemy aircraft carrier is in our range of fire. In war versatility and utility is everything, and the aircraft carrier has all that, which is why they pose a great threat to any fleet. "All main cannons focus on the aircraft carriers!" I shouted. As the cannons revolve towards the target, we readied our HE[6] shell to strike at the heart of their fleet, in the hopes of gaining air supremacy[7].

We engaged, we threw everything we've got, as adrenaline surged we've forgotten that we are fighting a losing battle, and our morale is high. "We can do this." I think to myself. "We might actually win this battle." As I was still in the high, one of my crew shouted, "Admiral! Starboard! " Surprised, I grabbed the binocular and looked starboard.

Shimatta.[8]

[1] Is a nautical and aeronautical term which refer to the left side of a waterborne vessel or aircraft as perceived by a person on board facing the front of the craft

[2] Referring to the allied forces in WW2(US, UK, and the Soviet Union)

[3] Was the last major Japanese naval operation in the Pacific Theater of World War 2. The Japanese battleship Yamato (the largest battleship in the world) along with nine other warships embarked from Japan on a deliberate suicide attack upon allied forces engaged in the Battle of Okinawa

[4] A type of warship that is usually used to escort a battleship

[5] A type of anti-air weaponry

[6] High Explosive Shells

[7] Is a position in war where a side holds complete control of air warfare and air power over opposing forces

[8] An expression similar to sh*t in japanese