A Normal Day in World of Warships

Yasuhiro Yoshida held the wheel of his cruiser steady as the sea erupted around him. The heavily damaged Kuma class cruiser steamed towards the enemy Myogi at full speed. Wave after wave of high explosive shells left six 140 millimeter guns. Fighters and bombers flew low overhead, the Kuma’s AA crews opening up on them. Suddenly, with an earth shattering roar the Myogi’s main batteries fired. Yoshida held onto the wheel with a steely grip as his ship buckled and shook violently.

“Sir! Fire mid-ship!”

“Sir! Turrets three and four inoperable!”

“Torpedoes! Starboard bow!” a lookout shouted. But Yoshida did not waver. He held the wheel steady. With an enormous thud, a single torpedo impacted the bow, and with a great whoosh, water erupted from the ocean, the air turned to mist, water flooded the bridge. They were taking on water, but the captain knew what he had to do. “Are our torpedo tubes functioning?” Yoshida shouted over the roar of water and gunfire.

“Yes sir!”

“Ready the port side tubes!” He shouted as the Myogi’s secondary batteries began firing. A single tear left the captain’s eye, a tiny addition to the water already dripping down his face. “Sorry girl, I need one more favor from you.” He said, running his hand along her wheel. Yoshida hurled the wheel to the right and braced as the ship nearly tilted over, turning hard to starboard. As the Kuma pulled parallel to the Myogi the captain released the wheel. “Fire all port side tubes!” He shouted over his shoulder.

“All port tubes, fire!” His crewman relayed to the torpedo crews.

With a sharp hiss all four torpedoes left their tubes, plunging into the water. At point blank range the battleship had no chance to avoid them. As the torpedoes ran through the water the Myogi turned its six main guns to bear on the cruiser. And as all four torpedoes impacted, the Myogi fired. Six shells pierced the wall of water thrown up by the torpedoes; all of them hit the Kuma.

Yoshida stood on the bridge of his sinking ship and watched as both his beloved Kuma and the Myogi began to list and slip under the waves. He watched what was left of their crew as they boarded the lifeboats, and he watched their identical flags wave in the wind.

It was not long before the two suns set for the last time.