LJ Idol, Week 29: "From the Depths of Hell" [fiction]

[dslartoo]

August, 1944 - East China Sea, off the southwestern coast of Kyushu, Japan

The night was clear and bright, the air heavy with humidity, the seas relatively still. The bow of the Fubuki-class destroyer-leader sliced through the gentle waves with deceptive calm as it crisscrossed back and forth ahead of the convoy. Standing at the rail up front,

Comments

[lawchicky]

War is always full of such sad stories- it's all so senseless when you think about all of those lives lost.

I like the angle you took for this topic though. I never would have thought of submarines.

[dslartoo]

Thanks! I hoped it would be something unexpected; I think "leviathan" in general is going to be fairly popular.

You are definitely correct in that war is hell for all concerned. Naturally as a U.S. citizen I sympathize with the submariners in this tale, but I wanted to at least make Takahashi a sympathetic character.

I appreciate you coming by, as always. :)

cheers,
Phil

[alycewilson]

I don't normally like battle pieces, but you made this emotional and personal, and you took it to a new level. Good job!

[dslartoo]

Thanks! I'm happy that this appealed to you even if it isn't your normal sort of reading material. I do try to create stuff that many people will like.

Appreciate your coming by!

cheers,
Phil

[jem0000000]

Poor Takahashi. It's the soliders who really bear the brunt of battle.

[dslartoo]

Isn't that the damned truth. The officers and the governments and the countries make the decisions, but the frontline soldiers are the ones who get killed, drowning in their own blood on a field of battle they would never have chosen. I salute them all, in truth, both the forces of the enemy and our own.

Thanks for coming by!

cheers,
Phil

[copyright1983]

We will never forget.

Well done.

[dslartoo]

I surely hope not. Although we don't seem to be learning much from history, either, more's the pity.

Thanks for dropping in!

cheers,
Phil

[jacq22]

Makes us sorry for both sides the attacked and attackers. Which is how we should view them anyway...Thanks for bringing this to light.

[dslartoo]

I hoped it would work on multiple levels. The Japanese Navy was a deadly, efficient and tenacious force to fight against, and I have the greatest respect for them historically. I tried to show that respect in this piece, while still making it clear that I am firmly in the U.S. camp. :)

Thanks for dropping in!

cheers,
Phil