Post by gornik on Aug 13, 2015 13:51:58 GMT -6
The small ship which won three wars.
When Japanese Navy was built in 1899, in budget were founded unused money. Government wanted to take them and use for social programs (or, what is worse, for ARMY!) To prevent this, best constructors were ordered to create cheap design, and make it FAST. One of them thought: "why not to build ideal raider?" Week after project of IJN Unebi was finished.
It was cheap (18 mln yen) preety-looked fast light-armoured ship with light armament. But her main features were inside: engine, nearly unbreakable, and coal bunkers, allowing to sail around world. Ship was manned with best sailors and in 1902, when tensions with Germans started to rise after they captured Sumatra, she left Japanese waters and steamed to Europe. It was last time, when 287 men saw their home...
nearly 20 years Unebi was uncatchable scourge of high seas. When war with Germany began, she became raider, and sink 10 ships in one month. That was only start of her careerer. For next two years every german ship stupid enough to leave port ended her service at the bottom of the sea. Dosens of cruisers tried to catch Unebi, but luckiest of them saw only smoke from her funnels above the horizon. Soon food shortage caused unrest in Germany, which lead to revolution. Kaiser run away and new German Republic gave Japan all lands at the Far East they wanted. Sailors were sure that they would soon return home, but suddenly relations with USA turned to worse - they didn't like Japanese Empire spreading around their favourite Philippines. Unebi should stay in the Caribbean and prepare to attack main merchant lines there. Two years she stayed there and then war finally begun. After nearly a year no American merchants stayed in Caribbean, only cruisers ran between islands, searching for Unebi. But every time they saw her, she escaped in night, rain, storm... When Unebi spent two month without any notable prey, her bored captain turned to East Coast, and trans-Atlantic trade lines were cut. Best USA ships hunt her, some merchants were armed and became Q-ships to trap her, but nothing helped. And in the same time Philippines were blocked, besieged, attacked and finally captured after a year of fighting. Angry Americans deposed their President and victorious Japanese Navy captured all Pacific islands, including Eastern Aleutians. On these terms peace was accepted. But Unebi didn't return home. All ships of Japanese navy needed rebuild to stay on service, as many new features were invented during wartime. But some ship should stay on service to prevent USA revenge, and Unebi was best candidate, as her actions and her role in defeat was well-known. So she stayed at Hawaii looking to the east. She was very effective on this duty too - when USA fleet supported rebels at Borneo, trying to get possessions there, Unebi just visited their West Coast from Seatle to San Diego, and fleet immediately returned. After all ships there should be her time to refit-new engine, new guns, new aiming system. But next war was closer that suspected - France stay the only country didn't afraid Unebi - They prepared new conception of Guerre de Course-unrestricted submarine warfare! submarines should siege Japan from their bases in Annam and Tonkin and defeat nation's will to fight without battles. French cruiser forces should support them, also they should hunt enemy raiders - especially Unebi! Fortunately Japanese diplomacy scored first victory some months before war started in 1911, making an agreement with Great Britain, so war became not so easy for France as expected. And one French submarine made it even harder - first ship sunk near Singapore was British liner with American tourists on board! Japan got great support from other countries, but situation was hard for it too - French navy declines to fight while submarines decimate merchant fleet in home waters. So Unebi was ordered to return to Western Europe and hunt French merchants until peace... or death.
Times changed a lot, now most French ships were faster than she, and system of patrols became more effective. Nearly every month Unebi met French cruiser, but she was lucky ship and every time managed to run away. Many enemy captains were dismissed, for their failures and commander of BC Latouche-Treville was even guillotined - he met Unebi in rainy squall, but turned away, "afraid of her torpedoes" and lost contact! (Unfortunately, Unebi sill hadn't any torpedo tube to make this true). The war lasted for many years (It would be known as Hundred Months War), Japanese fleet support army operations in Indochina, old destroyers hunt for French submarines... and Unebi sink one merchant after another. But no one lives forever, and 28.06.1919 she finally met her fate in the shape of 31-knot French BC Kleber. Her 14 in guns destroyed Unebi from safe distance without any risk. Nobody survived...
Kleber's captain became French national hero, but this couldn't support France. New long-ranged Japanese ships and subs hunt French merchants all over the world, Indochina colonies were lost, and Great Britain finally begin blockade of Atlantic coast "to prevent new catastrophes with our ships". In 1921 hawkish French government was finally deposed and peace treaty was signed: Japan got all French possessions in the Pacific and Madagascar. Hawks in Japanese government cried about necessity of one more war "to drive England and Russia out of OUR Pacific", but Naval minister denied to support them. "Unebi's glorious death was an omen, that our luck is close to end" - said he - "we got enough territories to develop for many years, fleet now has enough strength to protect our empire but we need at least decade of peace to build new and rebuild old warships. And we should get closer look to this fast-developing aviation. Now it would be better to form strong alliance which may keep peace all over the world". So Japanese diplomats signed treaties with Russia and even USA joined Great Naval Alliance, which now may control all other countries.
First battlecruiser laid down after end of war got name Unebi. Now she would protect great Empire of Rising Sun, created through the merits of her small ancestor.
And in Kyoto new temple was built: "Temple of 287". Here everybody may commemorate brave men who spent all their life far from home, serving Emperor and Country.
The end
When Japanese Navy was built in 1899, in budget were founded unused money. Government wanted to take them and use for social programs (or, what is worse, for ARMY!) To prevent this, best constructors were ordered to create cheap design, and make it FAST. One of them thought: "why not to build ideal raider?" Week after project of IJN Unebi was finished.
It was cheap (18 mln yen) preety-looked fast light-armoured ship with light armament. But her main features were inside: engine, nearly unbreakable, and coal bunkers, allowing to sail around world. Ship was manned with best sailors and in 1902, when tensions with Germans started to rise after they captured Sumatra, she left Japanese waters and steamed to Europe. It was last time, when 287 men saw their home...
nearly 20 years Unebi was uncatchable scourge of high seas. When war with Germany began, she became raider, and sink 10 ships in one month. That was only start of her careerer. For next two years every german ship stupid enough to leave port ended her service at the bottom of the sea. Dosens of cruisers tried to catch Unebi, but luckiest of them saw only smoke from her funnels above the horizon. Soon food shortage caused unrest in Germany, which lead to revolution. Kaiser run away and new German Republic gave Japan all lands at the Far East they wanted. Sailors were sure that they would soon return home, but suddenly relations with USA turned to worse - they didn't like Japanese Empire spreading around their favourite Philippines. Unebi should stay in the Caribbean and prepare to attack main merchant lines there. Two years she stayed there and then war finally begun. After nearly a year no American merchants stayed in Caribbean, only cruisers ran between islands, searching for Unebi. But every time they saw her, she escaped in night, rain, storm... When Unebi spent two month without any notable prey, her bored captain turned to East Coast, and trans-Atlantic trade lines were cut. Best USA ships hunt her, some merchants were armed and became Q-ships to trap her, but nothing helped. And in the same time Philippines were blocked, besieged, attacked and finally captured after a year of fighting. Angry Americans deposed their President and victorious Japanese Navy captured all Pacific islands, including Eastern Aleutians. On these terms peace was accepted. But Unebi didn't return home. All ships of Japanese navy needed rebuild to stay on service, as many new features were invented during wartime. But some ship should stay on service to prevent USA revenge, and Unebi was best candidate, as her actions and her role in defeat was well-known. So she stayed at Hawaii looking to the east. She was very effective on this duty too - when USA fleet supported rebels at Borneo, trying to get possessions there, Unebi just visited their West Coast from Seatle to San Diego, and fleet immediately returned. After all ships there should be her time to refit-new engine, new guns, new aiming system. But next war was closer that suspected - France stay the only country didn't afraid Unebi - They prepared new conception of Guerre de Course-unrestricted submarine warfare! submarines should siege Japan from their bases in Annam and Tonkin and defeat nation's will to fight without battles. French cruiser forces should support them, also they should hunt enemy raiders - especially Unebi! Fortunately Japanese diplomacy scored first victory some months before war started in 1911, making an agreement with Great Britain, so war became not so easy for France as expected. And one French submarine made it even harder - first ship sunk near Singapore was British liner with American tourists on board! Japan got great support from other countries, but situation was hard for it too - French navy declines to fight while submarines decimate merchant fleet in home waters. So Unebi was ordered to return to Western Europe and hunt French merchants until peace... or death.
Times changed a lot, now most French ships were faster than she, and system of patrols became more effective. Nearly every month Unebi met French cruiser, but she was lucky ship and every time managed to run away. Many enemy captains were dismissed, for their failures and commander of BC Latouche-Treville was even guillotined - he met Unebi in rainy squall, but turned away, "afraid of her torpedoes" and lost contact! (Unfortunately, Unebi sill hadn't any torpedo tube to make this true). The war lasted for many years (It would be known as Hundred Months War), Japanese fleet support army operations in Indochina, old destroyers hunt for French submarines... and Unebi sink one merchant after another. But no one lives forever, and 28.06.1919 she finally met her fate in the shape of 31-knot French BC Kleber. Her 14 in guns destroyed Unebi from safe distance without any risk. Nobody survived...
Kleber's captain became French national hero, but this couldn't support France. New long-ranged Japanese ships and subs hunt French merchants all over the world, Indochina colonies were lost, and Great Britain finally begin blockade of Atlantic coast "to prevent new catastrophes with our ships". In 1921 hawkish French government was finally deposed and peace treaty was signed: Japan got all French possessions in the Pacific and Madagascar. Hawks in Japanese government cried about necessity of one more war "to drive England and Russia out of OUR Pacific", but Naval minister denied to support them. "Unebi's glorious death was an omen, that our luck is close to end" - said he - "we got enough territories to develop for many years, fleet now has enough strength to protect our empire but we need at least decade of peace to build new and rebuild old warships. And we should get closer look to this fast-developing aviation. Now it would be better to form strong alliance which may keep peace all over the world". So Japanese diplomats signed treaties with Russia and even USA joined Great Naval Alliance, which now may control all other countries.
First battlecruiser laid down after end of war got name Unebi. Now she would protect great Empire of Rising Sun, created through the merits of her small ancestor.
And in Kyoto new temple was built: "Temple of 287". Here everybody may commemorate brave men who spent all their life far from home, serving Emperor and Country.
The end