The Franco-Japanese war

[sharlin]

Originally Posted by Devolved

It's great but there are Hollywood marriages lasting longer than this sea battle.

Heh thats a good thing surely as a Hollywood marrage tends to last about 20 minutes nowdays

[Shaby]

Originally Posted by sharlin

Heh thats a good thing surely as a Hollywood marrage tends to last about 20 minutes nowdays

Just keep it coming. Plenty of things are happening during the battle and you are really doing a good job describing details.

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Interesting how the pummeling on the hatch continued every week. What they did in the remaining six days each week is, no doubt, left to the imagination.

Oh, you meant ,,weakly,...

On a more serious note, good story, keep it up.

[sharlin]

I suppose its a problem with doing battles that are blow by blow and rather detailed. They drag on a bit

[Devolved]

Originally Posted by sharlin

I suppose its a problem with doing battles that are blow by blow and rather detailed. They drag on a bit

I was only joking with you Sharlin. Stick to your own style.

It's very detailed and you're explaining how things are happening. This protects you against people nit picking and saying 'how did that ship sink?' 'Why did it blow up?' etc.

In my T/L I was often questioned about how did such and such happen? Where did the shell land? It wouldn't sink with 2 torpedoes.

You have avoided those problems quite well and I know how much research these things take.

[sharlin]

*shakes fist at Devolved*

Aye its a fair whack of work but its enjoyable And your TL is still superb so many wide reaching effects from so few butterflies.

[sharlin]

Confusion in the smoke of Battle

MN Jauregiberry - Speed 18 knots.
On the bridge there were cries of alarm and dismay as the Massena, obviously in a bad way and listing suddenly rolled onto her side at an appaling speed, sinking rapidly by the bow. The Massena was the second ship in the line, followed by the flagship and the rest of the battle fleet. On instinct the helmsman immediately put the helm hard to port to avoid running into the Massena as she plunged bow first into the sea. The sudden, unexpected turn by the flagship resulted in pandemonium in the French line as ships manouvered to follow the Flagships turn whilst also striving to return fire.

At the rear of the line the towering Marceau already struggling with engine problems and flooding thanks to a nasty hit amidships was starting her turn when a 4.7 inch round slammed into the armoured conning tower. The shell had absolutely no chance of penetrating the 12 inches of iron and steel but fragments and splinters from the impact tore round the confined space like a swarm of murderous hornets, ricocheting off the interior of the conning tower, wounding Rear Admiral Maras in his shoulder but more importantly killing the helmsman who fell without a sound a dagger of hot iron buried in his skull, dragging the wheel to Starboard as he fell.

The French formation was now splitting into two separate groups, one lead by the Brennus with the Jauregiberry, Bouvet and Charles Martel was steaming away from the Japanese line whilst the Marceau, Magenta and Hoche begun turning towards their foe.

IJN Mikasa

Admiral Togo grinned fiercely as he watched the French formation fall apart. He did not bother thinking why, he knew an opportunity when he saw it and quietly thanked the Kami for this chance. Shooing off a Corpseman who was trying to wrap a bandage round his leg, injured by shell fragments a few minutes earlier the Commander of the Imperial Japanese navy knew what was needed.

"Commence battle turn! Tango to lead formation heading 257!"

The signals team hurried to obey and communicate the admirals wishes. The ships Captain, the man who commanded the ship, nodded in agreement. The Japanese had learned from the Tonkin Gulf, Togo had the fleet practice simultaneous turns as the tactic was obviously viable. Now with the Tango leading and his fleet curling round they would double back on the isolated rear squadron and armoured cruisers whilst the leading French warships would either have to commence a turn in sequence or turn independently. No matter what they would be out of position to help the rearmost ships and when they came back around they would be outnumbered.

"Signals acknowledged Sir! Asahi requests permission to drop out of formation to contain flooding."

Togo nodded before shouting "Execute turn!"

MN Marceau - Speed 14 knots.

Admiral Maras knew his ships were in terrible trouble, a new helmsman was already bringing them back to their original course but he could see the Japanese turning as one before him, bringing their unengaged and undamaged sides round to face him. He watched smoke and flame ripple down the side of the Japanese line as it seemed that every gun they had fired at him.

He wasn't that wrong. The three old battleships were closing on a steady, constant baring at little more than 5000 yards. Although the main guns turrets were still rotating the secondary and tertiary guns let fly with everything they had.


1*

The sea round the Marceau seemed to boil from the sheer volume of near misses from guns ranging from 6lber's up to 7.5 inch guns. Bringing her broadside to bare the older ship fought back with everything she had but the sheer weight of shot simply overwhelmed her. Cutting down crew, punching hole after hole in her upper works and hull, starting fires and disabling guns.

In roughly thirty seconds she was hit by over a dozen shells of 6 and 7.5 inch caliber that walked up and down her side and along the waterline. Her thick belt stopped any shells from punching through to her vitals but the Marceau's upperworks were reduced to a shambles. Her funnel, perforated by splinters was belching smoke, the uptake half choked with debris.

Protected by their barbettes the three 13.4 inch guns returned fire whilst the 5.5 inch weapons along her waistline went into overtime but the damage was building. The uneven fight came to an end as the Japanese battleships main guns finished their rotations and opened fire.

Staggering out of formation, blazing from bow to stern the Marceau was wrecked by the volume of gunfire directed at her. Obviously out of action the Japanese shifted fire to the Magenta whilst torpedo boats and destroyers surged forwards to complete the execution. The tide of the battle had shifted and shifted decisively.


2*


1* The Marceau's 'birth' pictured shortly before her launch.
2* Thestern of the Marceau pictured many many years later.

[El Pip]

I liked the construction and "after" pictures of the Marceau, in particular I like the way the construction picture shows all those unique features of French naval design that the Admirals are perhaps regretting.

While things are looking good for the Japanese, I'm expecting a few more developments before this battle finally ends. It wouldn't do to rush things would it?

[kuroda]

Originally Posted by sharlin

Shooing off a Corpseman who was trying to wrap a bandage round his leg {...}

Good grief! Rather forward, those Japanese morticians, aren't they?

[Bob in Pittsburgh]

Excellent. Among the best I have ever read.

[sharlin]

As the Japanese battleships concentrated on the older ships in the trailing French squadron their formation began to bend, bulging round the French ships as their captains and helmsmen adjusted course to keep the maximum number of guns pointed at the listing Marceau and her two squadron mates. Only one ship did not follow this trend, the damaged Asahi was pulling out to starboard, her guns falling silent as her crews helped to control flooding and fight fires.

The big and very new battleship had been hit an even dozen times by heavy shells and her Captain had long since given up trying to count the number of lesser hits. Most of the heavy hits were High explosive shells that had torn her superstructure to peices and caused lots of external damage but little severe damage whilst the few armour peircing rounds had struck non critical areas or failed to penetrate the battleships heavy armour, leaving gouges and dents instead of dangerious penetrations.

The most worrying damage was the flooding forwards from a torpedo hit in the Asahi's armoured bow. The bow of battleships was still heavily built and armoured to be used as a ram even if the last case of a warship ramming another was back in 1866 and because of this heavy build the bow had taken the 15 inch torpedo hit rather well.

But flooding, forced on by the battleship maintaining her high speed had spread beyond the damaged sections forwards and water was now spilling into the forwards submerged torpedo room and that was a problem. The underwater space was the largest section save the engine rooms that were not fully subdevided by bulkheads. Damage control teams had already set up bulwarks and were working with bucket chains and hand held pumps to combat the flooding whilst the ships speed dropped. Up on the bridge the Captain was already thinking he'd need to reverse the ship out of the combat area to save pressure on her strained forward bulkheads.

Then shell sprouts started growing round the damaged battleship as the leading elements of the now sundered French line came about and back into battle, every gun that could be brought to bare on the clearly damaged Japanese battleship. The Japanese had made a terrible mistake, they had become fixated on reducing the three older warships trapped in their midst whilst the more modern leading squadron had dissapeared in gun and funnel smoke.

The French ships had completed their turn and had come about, covered by the man made and improtu smoke screen, whilst almost every Japanese eye and gun was pointed at the much closer and easier targets now being battered to bits not 3000 yards away.


1*

The forward turret, trained to port was hit by an armour peircing 13.4 inch shell from the Brennus, the solid round was barely slowed by the 8 inch thick armour on the turrets side, the shell ripping through the Krupps steel in a hail of red of fragments and splinters that butchered the crew of the right hand gun before the remains of the AP shell slammed into the 12 inch rifle and almost wrenched it off its mounting. Red hot splinters ignited a ready to use charge and an inferno consumed the turret as all three charges for the right hand gun burst into flames.

Fortunately for the Japanese battleship the flames ran into the flash proofing barrier that protected the forward magazine from a catastrophic explosion but the Asahi's agony was only just beginning.

Under fire from the Brennus, Jaureguiberry, Charles Martle and Bouvet the Asahi was simply swamped with gunfire that overwhelmed and crippled her before she could properly reply. Wreathed in flames and smoke the Asahi staggered off to the north clearly disabled and sinking.

The story of the Asahi's demise would not be learned until the next day when a Japanese destroyer found survivors clustered together on what ever would float drifting on the waves. The crew fought to keep their ship afloat but with her radio smashed and flags and lanyards consumed by fire the ship could not signal for aid. Post war interviews and debreifings indicate that over half the battleships crew was killed or injured in the short five minute long bombardment she was subjected to by the French battle line.


*2

MN Brennus - Foretop

Gunner Jaque Endres had stripped down to his vest his sweat soaked top thrown over the side as he lugged some shells for his 47mm gun from the small elevator at the top of the mast, stacking them by his gun in a lull in the fighting. Looking through the small telescope fitted to the top of his gun the sailor let out a curse that would have made the most crass dockhand blush at what he saw.

Through the smoke he could see what remained of the second squadron. The Marceau was clearly capsizing, the red of her lower hull was visible even from this distance, glistening in the sun. The ugly Magenta was aflame, seemingly from bow to stern whilst the poor old Hoche was wallowing like a pig, her foremast gone, upperworks belching smoke but still, somehow gamely in the fight what few guns remained in action spitting their defiance.

The death of the Second Squadron was terrible to behold but the old ships had clearly fought well before being overwhelmed.


* 3

One Japanese ship, a low and lean battleship was a smoking wreck and clearly withdrawing. Shaking slightly the gunner made his report through a voice tube as the French and Japanese lines drew together once more for what would surely be the final clash.

1* A dramatacised and incorrect drawing in a Russian news paper showing the damaged Asahi.
2* From an English magazine this shows a French battleship under fire.
3*IJN Tango withdrawing from battle, the ship would sink thirty minutes after this picture was taken

[El Pip]

"Surely be the final clash" now if that isn't tempting fate what is!

Shame about the Tango though I can't really explain why. I think I just like the names (both her Japanese name and the original Swiftsure), certainly I can't come up with a rational reason to like the ships.

[sharlin]

Heh maybe but I have told myself to wrap this battle up and of course its consiquences. Glad ye approve and I think the Swiftsure was a real looker of a ship, she looked...rakish rather than the burly build of most pre-dreads and thats what her appeal was.

[miner249er]

Originally Posted by sharlin

Heh maybe but I have told myself to wrap this battle up and of course its consiquences.

you made a small spelling mistake there is no i in consequences

[michaelbaneblade]

Good Gods sir Dont end it, Its too gripping a read, PLEASE PRETTY PLEASE with suger on TOP!

[sharlin]

Originally Posted by miner249er

you made a small spelling mistake there is no i in consequences

Me am ghud englund speeler!

[Perky50]

"English as she is to be spoke".

(direct translation of a Spanish - English self help book)

...by the way, your updates are excellent as per the norm!

[Shaby]

Long time no update.

Just sayin'...

[sharlin]

Sorry for no updates, we've been getting ready for patch day in WoW at work and we're a touch busy to say the least but I am working on it in my lunch breaks

[sharlin]

Smoke from gunfire, funnels and fires hung over the waves creating artificial cloud banks but the breeze was strong enough to dissipate most of them as the two fleets reformed and moved to engage. On the bridge of the Jaurgeuiberry Admiral Gilbert listened to the damage reports from his flagship and his squadron, glancing at the plotting board with the estimated positions of the scattered cruisers, destroyers and torpedo boats under his command.


1*

The armoured cruisers were still caught up in their own bone grinding brawl, the Kleber was gone, her stern torn off by a torpedo hit before she capsized and sunk. The Sully was aflame from multiple hits whilst in return they had managed to sink the Nissin and Adzuma but although outgunned the surviving three cruisers were still in the fight.

The plucky D'Estrees was somehow still afloat, harrying the Japanese cruisers like a terrier attacking a bear but her luck could not last and nor could her strained engines.

Of his surviving battleships the Brennus was in the best condition, her heavy armour had protected her vitals and guns whilst the Bouvet, Jaureguiberry and Charles Martel all had varying degrees of damage with the Martel suffering the worst with one main gun disabled and a funnel fallen.

Of the Second squadron only the Hoche had replied to his signals, the ship was still afloat, under the command of some 3rd Lieutenant from the gunnery branch but he reported that the old ship was crippled and at risk of sinking. The brief glimpses of the ship through the gunsmoke had revealed that her upper works had been torn to pieces and consumed by fire, her towering foremast was laying over her bow, bridge gone, a terrible sight indeed.

Ahead the Japanese were firing again and the Jaureguiberry roared back, blasts of flame and plumes of chocolate coloured smoke billowing from her guns as she returned fire as the range dropped once more.

The Conning tower of the Jaureguiberry was a cramped circular fortress, barely ten feet in diameter and with a low, armour plated roof, the only austere officers accommodation on the whole ship and no place for any claustrophobe. Entry was by means of an aperture, protected by a blast shield and heavy door which led out onto the platform connecting with the bridge above and the lower fighting position below.


2*

All the apparatus and controls to direct this one ship and the whole fleet were contained within this cramped space, in which sixteen men were expected to carry out their duties. Engine room telegraph, wheel and compass, speaking tubes, electric controls linked to the gun batteries, duplicated telephones, range finder readouts, signalling apparatus and a navigators chart table, this was the fleets precious brain, all protected by a seven foot deep circular hoop of armour 10 inches thick.

It was through one of the narrow slits in the armoured walls that Admiral Gilbert watched the Japanese fleet slowly turning, bringing more guns to bare. He had barely looked away when a six inch round struck clean on the conning tower with a tremendous BANG!

The shell had no hope of penetrating the armour, its explosive fury vented outside in a bright flash, but the force of the blast knocked out the Signals Officer whilst splinters spalling away from the blast screamed round and round the steel cell like trapped, distraught bees, killing and wounding before they lost their momentum.

The helmsman fell at the wheel, the senior gunnery officer fell screaming, jagged lumps of hot metal embedded in his arm. The Admirals chief of staff was wounded in the face whilst somehow Admiral Gilbert barely recived a scratch, but the 'brain' of the fleet had been scrambled, the splinters had not only killed or injured men but had severed signal cables and smashed speaking tubes.

As medics and replacement crew filled in to replace the injured or killed Admiral Gilbert was faced with a painful reality. His force was scattered and the Japanese line appeared to be intact although damaged. His ships were all knocked up badly, gun barrel erosion was affecting accuracy and range and many had been killed.

He pulled his Chief of staff aside, the man's head wrapped in a bloody bandage.

"Clapier..your assessment?"

"Not good Sir, we can't carry out this level of battle for..." His next words were drowned out by the roar of the forwards turret firing. The Chief of staff knew what his commander was asking of him. "Sir if we are to survive and preserve the fleet there is no shame in withdrawing. We can still order the cruisers to extradite themselves, the Japanese fleet won't be able to catch us as our machinery is still intact and we can withdraw to the Fort."

The Flagship rocked from a hit somewhere amidships but Admiral Gilbert nodded. "I agree...we can still fight and to sacrifice the crew here..."


3*

The pair strode back into the conning tower, both studiously ignoring the bloodstains on the deck. "Navigator, set course for Fort Bayard, signal the squadron to follow..."

There was a moment of silence, but only a moment before officers went to their duties whilst outside amongst the gunfire, smoke and splinters to repair the damaged halyards.

IJN Mikasa - Speed 14 knots.

"Sir enemy appears to be changing course!"
"Sir, the magazine officers report we are down to one quarter of our shell payload for the main guns and roughly the same for the secondary guns."

Admiral Togo nodded curtly, observing the French fleet through the smoke with his binoculars, although he didn't show it, he was concerned. Yes they had sunk four battleships but they were for the most part obsolete with only one modern ship sunk, for that he had lost two priceless battleships and a pair of armoured cruisers, with considerable damage suffered to the remainder of his squadron.

His cruisers were fighting well, but Admiral Kamimura was dead, the Idzumo had taken a hit on the bridge that had left it a blazing wreck, killing the Vice Admiral and his staff, the cruiser fight had then descended into a uncontrolled brawl.


4*

"Sir! The enemy fleet appears to be trying to withdraw, heading towards Fort Bayard."

"They run from our guns, can we catch them?"

The Admiral didn't even lower his binoculars as he spoke, he was not a loving man, his men respected him for his strength, not his compassion. "Sir the Flagship can do fourteen knots, with our uptakes damaged and flooding still being contained I would not risk anything higher and even then fourteen knots is only if needs be..."

'I've won my victory, the French can not repair at Bayard, they will be trapped and destroyed, now I must preserve the fleet.'

"Bring the fleet to 090, finish off the French cripples, order the cruisers to keep at the enemy cruisers and stop them from withdrawing."

"Sir the enemy battleships..." the Captain said quietly.

"Those are my orders Captain."

"Aye Sir, course 090, recommend speed be reduced to twelve knots."

The Admiral nodded his consent and it was done.


5*

MN D'Estrees

To Captain Domercq it seemed his little, battered command was held together by sheer willpower, there was a hole in the bow you could fit a sizable cart through, the second funnel had been chopped in half, the quarter deck's once pristeen teak was a splinter torn ruin and there was at least a dozen holes along the light cruisers flank but she was still fighting. The radio, one of the few things still working had picked up the order to withdraw but Domercq could see ahead the three remaining French armoured cruisers were trapped, surrounded on three sides by the looming Japanese vessels. One ship, a big three funneled bugger was clearly the lead ship even with her blackened forward structure but he could not hurt her.

With three guns left in action, all torpedo's launched in futile attempts to harm the enemy there was little the small protected cruiser could do. Unless...

"Range to lead enemy cruiser?"

"Roughly four thousand yards sir, smoke's masking her unengaged six inchers from us thank god!"

"Enemy course?"

"Heading 176 and holding steady."

"Gentlemen we are ordered to withdraw but the 1st Cruiser squadron is heavily engaged...I propose that we attempt to ram the leading enemy cruiser to try and buy them time. Once we ram we will abandon ship, the name D'Estrees will not be forgotten for this act of bravery. Do I have your consent?"

There was no hesitation amongst the injured officers in the conning tower. "Yes Captain, you do."

Domercq grinned fiercely before heading to the helm, if he was going to do this, he was going to do it himself. The wheel was half gone, a shell had clipped it, killing the original helmsman as it passed through the conning tower to explode outside.

"Full ahead!"

IJN Idzumo speed 16 knots.

The surviving officers in charge of the big armoured cruiser were guilty of one thing, target fixation. They had an enemy under their guns, they were hitting and hitting hard, all eyes were on the three French cruisers as they twisted and turned trying to withdraw.

Only when the D'Estrees surged through a smoke bank at a hull rattling 21 knots was she noticed but by then it was too late. From the rear helm position on the big Japanese cruiser orders were frantically shouted to turn away and for the guns to engage. The six inch guns dotting the unengaged side of the Idzumo as well as the light anti-torpedo boat guns didn't need the prompting but the damaged cruiser didn't answer the helm well and started to wallow into a turn.

The D'Estrees' bow was built like a cleaver or axe, although lacking the more traditional ram shape, it was backed by a solid lump of iron 18 inches thick along the very edge of the bow. In rough weather the heavy lump of a bow made the ship yaw badly enough to give even seasoned sailors sea sickness but now it was going to do what it was designed to do.

A further four six inch rounds slammed into the D'Estrees, sweeping her bow 6.4 inch over her side in a bright flash but the little Protected Cruiser was not going to be deterred.

The bow of the cruiser impacted with her much larger target just aft of her forward turret at 20 knots. The bow and its backing plate met the six inches of Krupp's armour of the Idzumo's belt, both giving way in a scream of sundering metal. The hull of the D'Estree's buckled and warped, bulkheads and doors popping or ripping open as the bow buried itself eight feet into the side of the Japanese armoured cruiser. The forward motion of the Idzumo combined with the impact forced the smaller cruiser's keel, the vital backbone of the ship to bend which normally would mean a ship would need to be decomissioned and scrapped.


6*

The D'Estrees flopped sideways against the Idzumo, her bow a tangled flooding mess of torn and sundered metal the small ship immediately flooding forwards whilst her crew poured up onto her midships to abandon ship. The damage to both ships was critical. The smaller ships bow was crumpled and her spine was broken whilst the Idzumo now had a eight foot deep gash and when the two ships broke apart the hull plating had been torn open better than any shell or torpedo could hope to do. The impact and flooding knocked out power on the larger Japanese cruiser and she immediately began to list, clearly sinking.


7*

The D'Estrees flooding by the bow, drifted astern of the Idzumo their hull plates grinding together, shells still falling round her, her crew throwing anything that would float overboard before sliding down her sides as she sunk slowly into the warm water. The Japanese cruisers had to wheel to avoid their stricken squadron member and that confusion was what the three French armoured cruisers needed, running for all they were worth, guns still firing they managed to extradite themselves from the gunfight and head into the vastness of the sea, shrouded by gun and funnel smoke. It wasn't until three hours after withdrawing that the damaged ships could begin to count the cost of wounded and dead.

The battered French battleships and their few surviving destroyers managed to reach Fort Bayard at 1800 that evening. All the ships were damaged, all had casualties and all had fought bravely. But defeat was still a defeat. Four battleships, two armoured cruisers, three protected cruisers and eighteen destroyers and torpedo boats were gone, their survivors mercifully being rescued by the Japanese who were still on station. In return they had claimed two battleships, three armoured cruisers, one protected cruiser and eleven torpedo boats and destroyers.

The battered cruisers of the 1st Squadron returned to Cam'Rahn bay two days later, their crews and coal almost totally exhausted. Telegrams wired to France told of the battle, of the bravery of the crews and their commanders, of enemy ships and friendly ships sunk. In France before a sober Parliment the French Premier announced the result of the battle and offered his resignation, accepting full blame for the defeat. The political winds of change in France were blowing but not before the French Ambassador met with the Japanese to begin discussions for a settlement to the war that had cost both nations dearly.


8*

Vietnam was turning into a place of civil strife with both French 'oppressors' and Japanese 'liberators' being attacked by rebel groups demanding independence. Siamese attacks in the south had halted, their armies bled by dogged French resistance. In the region of Cambodia, opinion against colonial rule was strongly in favour of independence and freedom and neither the French or Japanese had enough troops on the ground to squash the uprisings.

The Treaty of Moscow, held in late 1906 gave the Japanese control of Fort Bayard as well as basing rights in Cam'rahn bay as well as two smaller French holdings in China. In return the French were 'allowed' to keep Vietnam although major fortifications would have to be destroyed and the number of troops reduced. Both French and Japanese troops fought separate campaigns to quash the Vietnamese uprisings, an easy task as they were uncoordinated and unplanned.

Cambodia was a different matter though, better organised and led by the former King the Cambodians were granted autonimy from Vietnam with both warring countries immediately recognising the new nation.
The Japanese, near bankrupted by the cost of the war brought their fleet and army home to begin rebuilding and repairing whilst the French government fell, followed by the one that followed it a few months later whilst the Officers Corps of the Army and Navy began their own plans to bring stability to the country.

In England the War was seen as a great success with 'the brave Jap tiger' chasing the French from the region. The shocking defeat of a major world power by an Asian power was unprecidented and caused more than a little bit of racism and fear of the 'yellow peril' as it was called. The Royal Navy was greatful for the information supplied by observers and the Japanese and incorperated it into the next line of Warships already on the drawing board much to the First Lord of the Admiralty's delight.
Tensions remained high in the region until 1910 when the Vietnamese uprising was finally crushed.


9*

New alliances were formed, others died and the drums of war, fueled by calls for revenge and action would pound again. But that's another story. For another time.

1* A French torpedo boat exploding, there were no survivors.
2* An example of a conning tower with its blast shield before being fitted on a battleship.
3* A very tired MN Jaureguiberry post war after sailing home.
4* A very dramatic image drawn post war showing the end of the Marceau
5* IJN Mikasa under fire.
6* The armour scheme and layout of the MN D'Estrees
7* the Bow of a merchant ship after a collision at sea, this kind of damage was similar to the damage done to the bow of the D'Estrees.
8* French officers meet to discuss the defeat in the Far East.
9*The elite members of the Imperial Club show little enthusiasm for their new member. The cartoonist pokes fun at the Japanese's inappropriate mix of old and new attire: full western frock coat combined with traditional wooden geta on his feet, umbrella held awkwardly under the arm; buck-toothed grin and slitted eyes are easily identifiable racist stereotypes.


Well its taken far longer than was planned but its finally come to an end. So far...as always, i'd love some feedback, be it good or bad

also why the hell does it appear so small on this, I wrote a feckton :s