The end of the world as we know it?

[Roger Neilson II]

Gentlemen, a very quiet week across the whole of the war. The jap is noticeable by his absence from actions. This inevitably presages some major activity on his part. We have acquired intelligence of three major planned operations and are taking steps to thwart these. Two are clear and will be met with the correct strategic ripostes.

One major effort is his reduction of the Philippines and this has come a stage further with the taking of Bataan - sadly the forces there did not expect a paradrop and had left base forces and static defences there whilst all the assault forces were sent to Clark and Manila. Given the initial attacks were in the first week of the war the remaining forces are still in good shape and holding out after 150 days of seige and occasional assault. The enemy is having to devote a great deal of his offensive power here and whilst the outcome is unlikely to be anything but final defeat every day bought allows a strengthening of our positions elsewhere.

A second operation is the conquest of the remainder of the DEI. His forces are already massing for this, but whereas in February this would have been met with weak and ill prepared Dutch forces with limited naval and air support the situation is somewhat altered.

The third operation is not yet clear, but we have pieces of the jigsaw and as these fall into place we will be able to deal another blow to his plans for expansion.

A recent boast that the Emperor had declared it impossible to sail any supplies between India and Australia shows how little we should believe Japanese propaganda. A large convoy is now approaching Perth from India and several convoys are returning to India along the routes that a few weeks ago were menaced by his Carrier borne aircraft.

[Roger Neilson II]

New top secret japanese battle ensign recently captured.... the Waning Moon!

[Roger Neilson II]

Gentlemen, in our area it would appear that the pirates are out again. Radio messages from two tankers en route to Colombo were received the other day suggesting air attacks from Carrier based planes. Since then no further communications have been received. We are however paying the Jap back for his beastliness. The situation in Burma is interesting. having launched a massive drive and taken Lashio with over 100K troops including three crack divisions the Jap has stalled there, indeed there is much evidence that these forces are now moving backwards and arriving back at Mandalay. We can surmise that the problems of keeping such a large force supplied has forced this withdrawal. It will not be helped by our continual bombing of his supply routes - indeed yesterday marked a new level of this with our first 200plus bomber raid on Pagan.

Elsewhere we maintain a steady build up of our forces. Having secured Rabaul our American allies launched over 100 B17s against Truk yesterday. Resulting air recce suggests that the runways were closed and many Jap planes were destroyed on the ground. The port was also hit and over 10 ships were seen to be burning fiercely, including two destroyers and a cruiser.

A planned withdrawal from Clark airbase was completed overnight, the troops are all relocating to fortress Manila.

[Roger Neilson II]

Gentlemen, the war hots up in other areas to our own for the present. We currently enjoy a mild period, with merely our daily visits over the Japs in Burma, blasting apart their men, materiel and resources across Mandalay, Pagan and Rangoon. The raiding Carriers have either lost their prey or have slipped away to cause some damage elsewhere in the world.

In the Dutch East Indies American bombers based in several locations have been successful in destroying more of the oil installations at Palembang to the extent that the Japs have had to base some of their precious fighter defences there. Our bombers are now ranging far and wide across these islands, seeking out targets of opportunity and making the Jap sailors very anxious indeed. It was decided that as the Japs had ignored the base at Singkawang it might be opportune to reoccupy this. A nice defence has been set up there but yesterday the Japs noticed for the first time and sent multitudes of Betties, Sallies and Helens to attack a re-supply convoy, causing some damage to a few of the ships. At the same time some Jap HQ officer must have noticed that Davao was also providing a possible air attack base and it has been under several days’ air attack from Betties based at Lagaspi. These forces had been making a nuisance of themselves attacking our forces at Manila, so as the proverb goes… every cloud has a silver lining.

Flights over Truk report hardly a ship left there now after our recent raids. This base was always a potential staging post for a thrust into the Solomons and PNG by the enemy. It has now been effectively nullified and with that the nearest point for expansion in this area would be Wewak, currently little more than a small wooden jetty there! Previous attempts to base a seaplane support ship there ended in its sinking.

The Allied naval forces are accumulating experience and beginning to make audacious raids on Jap bases. Last night a TF led by the CL Java raided Tarakan and caught a tanker and two merchant ships loading. The tanker was confirmed sunk and the others badly damaged.

Over almost all of the map the enemy seems stalled at present. The only sign of advance is down the trails from Tarakan where lead elements of the Jap army have appeared in Samarinda to raise their flag. We look forward to their arrival on an overland march to Balikpapan, this will test out their ability to supply their fighting troops and move the quantities they need to take on a resolute and prepared defence there.

Gentlemen, in just over a week we will reach a milestone in this war, six months will have passed and our analysts believe that once this date passes the nature of the war will change too. Japan took a chance on a fast victory, and was planning for that – these plans have not come to fruition and they will now reap the harvest they have sewn.

[Roger Neilson II]

Gentlemen, as predicted, the offensives of the Japs appear to be slowed right down at present. This has allowed us some opportunities to dictate some of the pace for a change.

Operation See the Elephant has begun at Tassafaronga. The two units previously ejected from Guadalcanal have been under constant air and sea bombardment, with no supplies getting through. On the 9th June elements of the 1st Marine Division commenced landing there and we are assured that the final preparations for the retaking of this base are about to be put into effect.

Operation Faintheart is about to commence at Balikpapan. The units previously spotted at Samarinda have now completed their overland trek and have taken up position for an assault on our base here. We detect 10 possible formations here and whilst they will be in the main crack fighting troops of the Japanese we wonder how tired and ill supplied they are now? Since their landing at Tarakan some 3 weeks ago not a lot of supplies has reached this base.

Operation Tortuga has been a major success. The Jap was basing his CVs out of Sabang and raiding the shipping lanes between India and Australia. We shifted a significant portion of heavy bombers to our base at Port Blair and attacked his there. Sadly the bombers dropped their loads on a MSW TF instead of the CVs. The end product has been the rapid removal of the carriers from here and the base is now getting a regular ploughing by the airforce. Last night a raiding force of CLs and DDs visited the area and encountered a PG/PC TF of his. The resultant battle report suggests he suffered badly from this:

PG Seiko Maru, Shell hits 30, and is sunk
PG Hong Kong Maru, Shell hits 14, on fire, heavy damage
PG Hakkai Maru, Shell hits 12, on fire, heavy damage
PG Kongosan Maru, Shell hits 5, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
PG Shinko Maru #1, Shell hits 7, on fire, heavy damage
PC Seki Maru #2, Shell hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
PG Shinko Maru #2, Shell hits 3, on fire
PG Magan Maru, Shell hits 2
PG Nishho Maru
PG Hayakafuku Maru

As an offshoot of this activity a force of his Carriers sortied from Singapore towards Batavia on the 10th June. They were met by forces based at Batavia and Singkawang. Two confirmed bomb hits on the flight deck of the Taiyo left her burning fiercely and the CV TF was observed to retire back to Singapore.

Elsewhere raids continue on Truk to maintain a closure of his airbase there, a force of Destroyers is blockading Wewak and air raids have commenced on Tarawa to increase the pain for those unfortunates who landed here in the first days of the war. Palembang continues to suffer attacks on its oil installations and Rangoon has no airfield left.

[Mike Dixon]

Nice map of Samarinda - where did you get it from Roger?

[Roger Neilson II]

http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/asia.html

the whole site has some great maps, but its not very easily navigable

Roger

[Mike Dixon]

Yo - you are right, a most excellent site.

[Roger Neilson II]

Gentlemen, we must salute a brave and glorious defeat. On the 193rd day of the war the forces at Manila, besieged for almost the whole of that time, were forced to surrender. We trust the Japanese will treat these heroes with the respect they deserve. They were finally attacked by 54 different elements of the Japanese armed forces and their defiance had tied up a vast force of the enemy assault assets which I am sure he would have dearly loved to throw against us elsewhere. We can but wait to see where he next makes his moves. At present it looks like he is content to rest and subjugate the remaining areas of the islands – landings at Tugueraego came hard on the heels of his taking of the capital city.

Elsewhere, Operation Faintheart goes exactly to plan. Ten Japansese assault units marched overland from Tarakan and assaulted the defenders of Balikpapan who withdrew in good order towards our prepared positions at Banjamarsin. In the withdrawal significant demolition to the oil installations was effected.

In the PNG area bases have been established at Admiralty Island, Emirau Island and Hansa. Roving CL/DD task forces recently intercepted a supply convoy bound for Wewak and sunk all the ships. At Tassafaronga the marines despatched the Japanese garrison with one short but well executed attack.

Operation Rickshaw has begun and the Japanese in China will shortly get a rude awakening there. Yesterday their desperation saw them launch an attack by over 160K troops on Homan and this was beaten back with an estimated loss of almost 12K troops on their side.

Allied pilots flying from Jolo report their first encounters with a new plane, nicknamed the Tojo.

Rangoon port was bombarded by units of the Royal Navy and the Royal Dutch Navy in a joint operation..

[Roger Neilson II]

Gentlemen, it would appear our American allies were a little incautious in their development of Jolo as a base. They were so keen to fill it with useful engineers and air support personnel they neglected to send any troops to defend these men. On the 22nd an audacious paradrop was made by the Japs who stormed the base and took it with light casualties. The loss of the base and the Warhawks on it were a blow to pride rather than anything that will affect the overall outcome of the war. Efforts by the Japs at present would appear to be the occupation of the northern bases of Aparri, Laoag and Vigan. They do have their hands full however around Borneo where combined air units of the RAF, Dutch, American and Australian forces are daily dueling with Zeros and Oscars over Balikpapan and Palembang. Meanwhile sweeps by bombers are ensuring that any Jap naval units in this area are swiftly bombed. Palembang is now, we estimate, down to 33% production of oil and this figure is falling daily. Jap bases in Burma are under increasing air assault and this week has seen shore bombardments of both Rangoon and Sabang by our fleets - it would seem either the Jap has no planes left to protect these areas, or choses not to. In the New Britain area we now have a solid ring of bases protecting Rabaul and the nearest Jap forces with any offensive capablity would appear to be in the Marianas and Caroline Islands. Davao is being heavily bombed by what looks like the whole of the Japanese Betty forces.

In China Operation Rickshaw is now underway, the city of Wuchow is targeted on a daily basis by allied planes based at Kweiyang - we are careful only to bomb resource centres unlike the indiscriminate bombing of the Japs in the early part of the war. China is very much a stalemate at present, with the enemy throwing everything they have at Homan and getting nowhere against our strong defences.

[Mike Dixon]

Bugger, as CIC Phillipines I must take a look there next turn, I hadnt realised Manila had gone!

Mike

[Roger Neilson II]

Rest assured sir that your perturbation is unnecessary. You are reading the wrong thread. This is not our team game, but a singleton adventure on my part.

Roger

[Roger Neilson II]

Gentlemen, a slow period in the war, with little to report to you all until of late, where things begin to make more sense and the enemy intentions become clearer.

1. In the Burma/India theatre we continue to bomb enemy positions at Sabang, Rangoon and Mandalay. We have become aware over the last few days of significant troop movements along the line from Mandalay to Mykitinia. Elements of at least 11 Japanese formations have now arrived at Mykitinia where we have fortified heavily and reinforced the troops that retreated in good order from Mandalay. Hurricanes are doing daily ground attacks on Japanese positions and we are making life as difficult as possible for the Jap by serious damage to his airfields at Rangoon and Mandalay which must be diverting some supplies. We assume over the next few days he will make a serious attempt to take this town, we shall see if he can sustain his supplies to do this.

2. In the DEI planes from Batavia, Singakwang, Banjamarsin and Soerabaja make daily sorties to hit the oilfields at Palembang and Balikpapan. We also are hitting the resource centre of Toboali. We now have an established airbase at Padang. Planes from these airfields are also making daily runs to interdict shipping and the Beauforts are doing a grand job of sinking enemy cargo ships with their torpedoes. Betties based at Lagaspi are attempting to close our airfield at Davao - so far not very well. Sallies are making some bombing runs unescorted against shipping supplying our bases - they are paying heavily for these flights.

3. New Britain PNG. Here we build steadily with no interference at all from the enemy. Truk is a smoking ruin where we suspect the troops are living on rats now. Our American allies are in the midst of finalising a major operation to begin soon.

4. China is where the enemy seems to pushing his resources at present. Quite where these troops have come from we are not yet sure. they either have been stripped from his Manchurian area, or they are the troops that recently took Manila. The enclosed map gives the current situation.

We anticipate a livelier next report.

[Roger Neilson II]

Triumph for our forces.....

[String]

Its july and the japs still havent taken the SRA? Good show Roger!

Looking at the 2x2 aar it seems that you are a VERY good allied player

[Roger Neilson II]

I couldn't claim that, I'm still learning and frequently make really bad errors - you should see the state of some of my airgroups! In the 2x2 I had a superb ally and together we made a good team. Mt strength is in spotting errors I think.... then making the enemy pay!

Although I recall getting soundly thrashed in WPO by you!

Roger

[String]

Well, regardless, you still seem to have kept the Jap out of most of the important places in SRA. Soon his oil supplies will be exhauststed.

About WPO, I do recall offering a rematch but I think my PC died soon after that. Are you still interested?

[Roger Neilson II]

I kind of lost interest in WPO - or rather WITP took up all my interest. In addition real life intruded big time and I had to cut back to half of my games on that too. Sorry, I recall you were a good player.

Roger

[Roger Neilson II]

Isaac Walton - The Compleat Fisherman.......(17th C book)

[Roger Neilson II]

Gentlemen, it would appear the Jap has desires on extending his reach into the rest of Burma. We have the beginning of a pattern of attacks every three days on Mytinkia and detection of a move on Akyab by the Imperial Guards with supports. Interestingly neither move is being supported by either naval or air forces. It would seem that the Jap wishes to fight a purely land war at this stage.

The nearest Jap air presence is now at Singapore and Palembang, his airfields at Rangoon, Sabang and Mandalay are all effectively closed by regular bombing and Mandalay is rendered totally inoperable each day by bombers flying from Akyab. This constant pressure from the air must be making a real dent in the enemy's supply line. He is unable to ship supplies to Rangoon and therefore any support for these offensives is having to come from Malaya and Indo-China overland. His forces at Mytinkia are reliant on the line stretching north of Mandalay and this must be a supply nightmare now.

As regards naval activity, since the pirates of Sabang (his carriers) retired to Singapore (last known location)in the face of threatened bombing from Akyab no Japanese naval forces have moved north of Singapore apart for a supply convoy that was sunk by Operation Walton. Gentlemen, we can only wait to see the outcome of the Japanese attacks. Were I in command of them at either location I would not dream of assaults without very significant stockpiled supplies and a guaranteed line of communication back to large supply depots. On the other hand we are aware of the ability of the Jap to ignore normal military maxims.