Spence vs Dixon - The first year scenario

[Mike Dixon]

Text reads:-

To Brigadier Wallis
'The GOC authorises me to state that the white flag will be hoisted and all military operations will cease forthwith. You will consider yourselves prisoners of war. Issue orders to all concerned to cease fighting.
H.W.M. Stewart, Lt. Col
Hong Kong 2.1.42'
for GOC
British Forces in China

[Mike Dixon]

Southern Army HQ - Malaya - 3rd January 1942

A large enemy TF, containing the Repulse and Prince of Wales was attacked today by elements of the JNAF. Several hits were observed on the capital ships and the enemy are believed to be retreating to Batavia in some disorder.

In the Phillipines a large colonial Phillipino force was routed at Clark Field and in the Solomons, no resistance was meet at Tulagi.

Photo from Betty in Java Sea

[Mike Dixon]

SE Fleet HQ - 4th January 1942

IMPORTANT COMMUNICATION!

Port Moresby is now part of the Co-Prosperity Sphere! The capital of Papua New Guinea was today captured by light elements of the IJA. Remnants of the Australian garrison were last seen fleeing up the Kokada trial. The people of New Guinea are at last free to join their North Asian brothers in a lasting and just partnership.

[Mike Dixon]

Southern Army HQ

All fronts relatively quiet - radio reports from the Phillipines indicates an enemy supply ship was sunk. Burma HQ reports heavy casualties inflicited on the so called American 'volunteer' group.

Wreckage of a no longer 'flying tiger' - identified as aircraft p-8165

[Mike Dixon]

Southern Army 6th January 1942

THE LIBERATION OF SINGAPORE HAS BEGUN!

Elements of several army divisions have entered Singapore Island this morning against light and sporadic resistance. Enemy units are being seen fleeing to Singapore to the South - reports of looting and wild melee's are breaking out in the harbour as Australians are attempting to escape.

People of Singapore, your hour of liberation is approaching.

Units from the Malaya attack force, land on Singapore island:-

[spence]

DATELINE SINGAPORE: 8 January, 1942
The enemy landed yesterday on the Northwest corner of Fortress Singapore. Although the attack gained a small lodgement on the island, thousands casualties were inflicted on the invading Japanese and the attackers have been pinned in their small beachhead. Only minor Japanese activity was reported today, Allied artillery barrages preventing the Japanese from massing for any advance. It is reported that 6 enemy divisions and a mixed brigade of Japanese are involved in this attack. Although the enemy is heavily supported with tanks, artillery and aircraft headquarters is confident that they will be stopped.

[Mike Dixon]

Southern Army 7th January 1942 message to Imperial General Headquarters

Key base of Macassar taken today. Dutch garrison have fled into the jungle. Airfields being prepared for strikes on Java.

An Army parade in nearby Kendari:-

[Mike Dixon]

Southern Army Air HQ 8th January 1942

Large air attack on Rangoon today. Many enemy Tomahawks destroyed. Situation map follows:-

[Odox]

Gentlemen:

Excellent AAR!

But all the propaganda-speak makes it kinda hard to tell what's going on (LOL).

Regards and thanks,

Odox

[Mike Dixon]

Odox,

Yes the misinformation from ABDA and Pearl is making it difficult to appreciate the glorious advance of His Imperial Majesties servants!

Mike

[Mike Dixon]

Southern Army HQ 9th January 1942 communique to Admiral Yamamoto, Tokyo

Relative quiet as the Army close in on thier first stage objectives. SE Fleet reports landings beginning in Luganville, against no resistance. U.S. forces appear to have fled. Navy Betty's have badly damaged or sunk a British CL or CA near Rangoon, and the Dutch DD Witte de With is a confirmed kill near Palembang.

View from Zero of Betty attacking British shipping near Rangoon:-

[Mike Dixon]

Message received from Malaya Army HQ

'Singapore mostly occupied against very light resistance. Many prisoners captured. Only small enemy enclaves remaining, predominately around the harbour area. Widescale fighting between Australian and other commonwealth troops is being reported. Many enemy vessels are fleeing the Island. Resistance is expected to be crushed by the 11th.

Attached a photograph of captured British troops

[Mike Dixon]

Message received from Luganville, New Hebrides

Base occupied. No resistance. Airfield construction beginning. Reconassiance of Suva and Nomeau commencing.


Message received from Balikpapan, Borneo

Landings beginning. Some resistance from Dutch units. Several attacks by Swordfish bi-planes beaten off. Minor damage to BB Hyuga. Request fighter support.


Message recieved from CVL carrier group near Macassar and Kendari airfield

Several enemy TF's attacked. Torpedo hits on the CA Houston and CL Marblehead recorded. Repulse and POW sighted and attacked. Several bomb hits were seen. Poor weather prevented further strikes. Clear weather forecast tommorrow, further air attacks in preparation.

[spence]

Perhaps that picture was not taken from a Zero[:D]

[spence]

DATELINE SINGAPORE - 10 January 1942
The Japanese today launched an extremely strong attack on the Nothern Front today but were repulsed. Thousands of enemy troops were killed and wounded for scant gains.

DATELINE SOERABAYA - 10 January 1942
ABDA Headquarters announced today that Allied airmen had launched repeated attacks against a Japanese naval force near Balikpapan and scored two torpedo hits on a battleship of the Hyuga Class. When last seen the enemy ship was afire, listing to port and down by the head.
Headquarters also announced that strong enemy air attacks on Allied shipping resulted in the loss of the American minesweeper Bittern. Numerous enemy aircraft were brought down by Allied antiaircraft fire and fighters.

DATELINE RANGOON - 10 January 1942
American bombers struck the enemy aerodrome at Moulmein today inflicting heavy damage on the facility. Numerous Japanese aircraft were destroyed on the field.

DATELINE CHUNGKING - 10 January 1942
A large Japanese force was defeated in pitched battle on the outskirts of Nanning in Southern China. Many thousands of Japanese were killed and the remainder fled the battlefield to the East. Government forces are in pursuit aided by local militia forces and citizens. The Japanese unit, identified as the 19th Mixed Brigade from documents captured when its headquarters was overrun apparently hopes reach the coast where its Navy can evacuate the routed survivors.

[spence]

Dateline BATAVIA: 11 January 1942
ABDA Headquarters announced this evening that the garrison of Singapore has surrendered as of 1800 local time today. The defense was overwhelmed by more than 6 reinforced divisions of Japanese troops. General Wavell remarked that the gallant but foredoomed defenders inflicted heavy losses on the Japanese and imposed a decisive delay on Japan's criminal intentions in the Far East.
In other areas ABDA air forces severely damaged several Japanese ships near Balikpapan.

[spence]

Dateline BATAVIA - 13 January, 1942
More than two days after the fall of Singapore an a civilian amphibian plane arrived here piloted by an Australian and carrying several other Europeans and a Chinese Nurse.
Flying Officer Owen Price, RAAF, commandeered the plane in the harbor the morning after the surrender and dodged enemy fighters to escape first to Sumatra, refuelling there and thence to Batavia. They left behind a city cringing at the dubious mercy of a barbaric enemy.
Nurses Abigail Clark and Christine Markle claim to have witnessed the brutal rape and murder of several of their colleagues at Alexandra Hospital. They also said that Japanese troops rampaged through the wards just after the surrender bayoneting wounded soldiers and civilians alike. For a short time they had been captured and locked in a storeroom with several other nurses and doctors. They escaped into the hospital garden through a small window in the storeroom. Just after they had gotten out they heard gunshots and an explosion in the room they'd just left. They ran into Flight Officer Price in the garden and he told them to come with him.
Private Johnny Shaw, attached to 27th Australian Brigade, said "The C.O. had us stack arms and parade on the road just when the surrender took effect. About 10 minutes later this Nip tank and a bunch of little Nippers come down the road towards us. The Skipper's got this white flag with 'im and walks up towards the tank. A Nip Officer comes out from behind the tank, walks right up to the skipper; and then plugs him full in the face with 'is pistol. The tank cuts loose with its machine guns at the lads all lined up in the road so me and Dave 'ere take off into the bush. Later we can here the Japs finishing off anybody what didn't get killed straighaway. Didn't know where we were going but figured lookin for a way out was better than what we'd seen there. Next morning we run into the Lieutenant 'ere and he takes us along with him and the nurses.
Flying Officer Price had been serving in a RAAF Fighter Squadron but was assigned as Platoon Leader for an ad hoc infantry platoon composed of mechanics and other RAAF personnel after the squadrons last planes were shot down or evacuated. When word came down to surrender Price had left his company and gone to the Alexandra where his fiance, nurse Nancy Ming Chan, was stationed. He found his fiancee amid the sounds of grenades and gunshots and screams in the hospital corridors and was escaping with her out through the hospital garden when he met up with nurses Markle and Clark. Though the city had surrendered at 1800, throughout the night there was a constant cacaphony of machine gun fire, grenade explosions and blood curdling screams.
In the morning Price and the Nurses were joined by PVTs Shaw and Smudgeon near the harbor at the site of a brutal massacre. At least 100 Chinese civilians had been beheaded and the bodies piled in a bloody heap. The heads had been stuck upon stakes lining the side of the road.
Price lead his little group to a boathouse. Inside was a beat up Grumman amphibian which he took off immediately. A hour South of the city the plane was set upon by a Japanese fighter. "He played with us a bit, showing off I suppose; and then came in on us firing. Tore up the left wing pretty good...I guess if there'd been any fuel in there we'd have been in real trouble. He came around again and fired off a few rounds and then stopped. Maybe he was out of ammunition or his guns jammed. He was only 50 feet away and we could see he was pretty mad. After a while he just flew off. So here we are."






Flying Officer Price, RAAF

[Mike Dixon]

Breaking news:-

SINGAPORE HAS SURRENDERED

[Mike Dixon]

More British forces surrender

[Mike Dixon]

Percvial surrenders