At dawn we slept...in the cab on the way back from Olongapo

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Port size, not AFs. AEs/AKEs will replenish sorties which should also be considered ammo, torpedoes, rockets, and bombs. There is no separate "fuel" for AVGAS as that is considered supply. I mean, talk about Japanese rice burning aircraft . . .

Right...it's abstracted. Dobo should work then as I just rearmed two BB's there.

[Cap Mandrake]

************August 14-15, 1943(e)**********

Ceram:Getting ready for the troops ashore at Boela to attack..naval bombardents...air bombardments...dropping leaflets..

[font="Courier New"]Sons of Nippon

You might as well give up and see your mothers again because you are just going to end up in a bunker covered in flaming napalm. And we have rice without bugs in it too.[/font]

[Cap Mandrake]

Medium and heavies continue suppression of Ternate, Lolobato, Boela, Ambon and Namlea AF's.

[Cap Mandrake]

************August 16, 1943(e)**************

Sumatra: 16th Naval Battle of Sumatra. Not a good night for Somerville

Night Time Surface Combat, near Medan at 46,76, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Mikuma, Shell hits 2
DD Shinonome, Shell hits 3, on fire
DD Uranami, Shell hits 4, on fire

Allied Ships
CA Suffolk, Shell hits 3, on fire
CL Sumatra, Shell hits 3
CL Hobart, Shell hits 3, Torpedo hits 1
DD Smith
DD Warramunga, Shell hits 2, on fire
DD Racehorse

100% moonlight and 11K yd visibility and good advantage in firepower and he lets the IJN get too close and rong rance Hobart which survives despite a "massive exprosion"

[Cap Mandrake]

Fight switches to the air.

Morning Air attack on 21st Australian Brigade, at 46,76 (Medan)

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIb Sally x 18
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 39
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 7
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 20

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 3
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied ground losses:
15 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

and

Morning Air attack on 21st Australian Brigade, at 46,76 (Medan)

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 6,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIb Sally x 21
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 20
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 11
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 20
Ki-61-Ia Tony x 18

Allied aircraft
P-47D2 Thunderbolt x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIb Sally: 1 damaged
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 1 destroyed
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 2 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-47D2 Thunderbolt: 1 destroyed

Allied ground losses:
26 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

D'oh!

Morning Air attack on 38th Division, at 45,75 , near Medan

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 6 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 37

Allied aircraft
Fulmar II x 16

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Fulmar II: 7 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

Somebody's cousin was in charge of that Fulmar contract. It's ugly...the name is stupid..and it is a POS.

[Cap Mandrake]

Instead of a self-sealing gas tank the contract calls for a "self-igniting gas tank"

[Cap Mandrake]

No IJA attack at Medan yet...but it must be coming. Somehow the heavy bombers from Mergui are grounded...bummer.

[Cap Mandrake]

Mindanao: The defenders of Davao are hopelessly overmatched. I order all the planes out. Davao is how the sub supply is getting in to Mindanao but it is a jungle hexside to Malaybalay so it doesn't flow efficiently.

Ground combat at Davao (79,91)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 204 troops, 21 guns, 17 vehicles, Assault Value = 881

Defending force 6920 troops, 96 guns, 110 vehicles, Assault Value = 83

Assaulting units:
25th Division
2nd Division
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
81st PA Infantry Division
Gull Force
Nichols Field AAF Base Force
Del Monte AAF Base Force
Clark Field AAF Base Force
11th Base Group /2
13th MAG /1

[Cap Mandrake]

Looks like JJ has given up on costly land attacks at Malaybalay and has switched over to air attacks. This wil absolutely work if they keep it up as the supply is critical.

Morning Air attack on Malaybalay , at 80,90

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 37 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 62
Ki-21-IIb Sally x 20
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 11

Allied aircraft
P-40K Warhawk x 27

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-21-IIb Sally: 3 damaged
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 5 destroyed

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 6

Aircraft Attacking:
20 x Ki-21-IIb Sally bombing from 6000 feet *
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb

CAP engaged:
347th FG/339th FS with P-40K Warhawk (3 airborne, 8 on standby, 2 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 19580 , scrambling fighters to 19000.
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 35 minutes
475th FG/433rd FS with P-40K Warhawk (3 airborne, 7 on standby, 4 scrambling)
3 plane(s) intercepting now.
Group patrol altitude is 16000
Time for all group planes to reach interception is 31 minutes



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Malaybalay , at 80,90

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIb Sally x 25
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 31

Allied aircraft
P-40K Warhawk x 23

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIb Sally: 4 destroyed, 8 damaged
Ki-21-IIb Sally: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40K Warhawk: 1 destroyed

Allied ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 7
Runway hits 22

[Cap Mandrake]

**********August 17***********

Sumatra: The relief Aussie brigade breaks through to the Medan encirclement from the SW in march column at the last second...and then the Japs attack and the 3 brigades are thrown back toward Sibolga. 21st Aus Brig is severely disrupted and will need to find a nice resort for R&R but total disaster is avoided.

[Cap Mandrake]

*******August 18**********

Mindanao: Malaybalay AF runs out of AVGAS and we get whacked.

Morning Air attack on Malaybalay , at 80,90

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 39 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 16
Ki-21-IIb Sally x 11
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 41
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 21
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 13

Allied aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIb Sally: 3 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
P-40K Warhawk: 7 damaged
P-40K Warhawk: 1 destroyed on ground
P-70 Havoc: 1 damaged
P-70 Havoc: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied ground losses:
11 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 3
Runway hits 25

That's bad. Now we will get pounded daily just like on Luzon.

Further South, at Davao.....

Ground combat at Davao (79,91)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 30035 troops, 290 guns, 70 vehicles, Assault Value = 868

Defending force 6801 troops, 96 guns, 110 vehicles, Assault Value = 62

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 521

Allied adjusted defense: 139

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 1)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Davao !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker: fatigue(-)

Japanese ground losses:
88 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 14 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Allied ground losses:
5664 casualties reported
Squads: 118 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 410 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 48 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 98 (98 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 143 (143 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 7

Assaulting units:
25th Division
2nd Division
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
81st PA Infantry Division
Gull Force
11th Base Group /2
Clark Field AAF Base Force
Del Monte AAF Base Force
Nichols Field AAF Base Force
13th MAG /1

Everyone gives up. Nobody retreats to Malaybalay. Looks the beginning of the end

[Cap Mandrake]

Timor: IJN carriers 500 m W of Koepang but only 135 carrier A/C...more like a single carrier division. Not sure what they are doing. Getting ready to take the SCTF there? Preventing our reinforcement of Koepang?

[Cap Mandrake]

Lesser Sundas: Dropped 1300 men of 503rd PIR on Namlea and with the men of 2nd Para already on the island it was a 1:1 attack. Not quite enough to take the place but that was all the lift capacity we had available.

Sparrow Force is prepped to land there but that is far up in Injun territory. Maybe a naval bombardment and then drop the rest of 503rd PIR

[Cap Mandrake]

****SWPAC HQ, Darwin******

Tall patrician-looking fellow with 5 stars: Jocko, I'd like you to meet the Spruance twins.

RADM "Jocko" Clark: <extends hand and shakes both right hands of the twins> Well, well, identical then?

Twins: <quizzically look at each other and then "A" speaks> No, he has a substitution of Leucine for Valine at position 512 of the FOXP2 gene and the lucky bastard is murder at crossword puzzles...they both laugh>

<after a pause Clark looks at the patrician-looking guy> I don't get it.

Tall patrician-looking fellow with 5 stars: It's the language gene, Jocko. They are geniuses. They are clones Jocko...genetic copies...you see, the original Raymond Spruance developed the most God-awful neurological tic. The man was a naval genius but he would stand in the middle of a presentation and start yelling about excrement and other bodily fluids. Very distracting. I could hardly get through the meeting agenda. So I had BuOrd make copies of him and they took out that atrocious potty mouth gene.

RADM "Jocko" Clark: Copies? Of a human being?

Tall patrician-looking fellow with 5 stars: Oh yes. There is one of my too. Up in Mindanao. I played golf with him. The SOB can drive it down the middle of the fairway every time. 260 yds. Uphill downhill doesn't matter. I had the staff tell me on the 8th hole that the damned Japs were landing at Pago Pago. I couldn't take it anymore.

RADM "Jocko" Clark: Ummm..are there two copies of me too?

Tall patrician-looking fellow with 5 stars: Oh, coe on Jocko, don't be silly.

[Cap Mandrake]

***********August 19,20***********

Mindanao: LYB air raids at Malaybalay eating up supply and the AAA is disrupted. The flyable P-40's fly to Zamboanga or Zanzibar or whatever it's called at the NW tip of Mindanao. We have supply but no aviation support. The pilots fill up their own gas tanks and manage to shoot down a bunch of Zekes. The C-46's at Sorong are dropping supply but you can't keep that many troops in beans and burrets

[Cap Mandrake]

Sumatra: Djambi, curiously named after two baseball players with oversized egos even though nobody who lives there has ever heard of baseball, and only 150 N of Palembang, which is keeping all the Zekes and Georges operating. Consequently, the LYB's do not want an air base there, even if it is 500+ miles away from the nearest level 1 port by jungle trail with banded crates and sumatran tigers and angry mohammadens (as Winny would say).

[Cap Mandrake]

That is not really a sentence but I have started drinking so it is the best I can do.

[Cap Mandrake]

Anyway, the AF is shut down and the flyable A/C moved to Sawhalabuto or Sowalabatung or whatever the next tiny village full of consanguineous natives is called. After all, they at least did not start this thing so one must maintain a certain level of graciousness and patience.