Chuck Kai Shek is currently in negotiations with Admiral of the Fleet Lord Angus to send that base force to Pakhoi. (Am I getting schizophrenic, or what? ) I'd like to send at least one of those AA units to Changsha, though I'm not sure how I'd get it there.
Also, I'd been planning on using the 2 S-class DDs on an offensive mission early (likely suicidal). But they aren't very useful, either, so they're great for withdrawal requirements.
It would be easier to send some of my SEA AA reinforcements to China than extract them from Hong Kong. I'm thinking out loud here. OK - I'll grab a fragment of each AA unit with the two DDs and hopefully at least one will make it through. I'll send a couple transports back to Hong Kong also in order to grab larger chunks, though their mission is almost certainly doomed.
hahaha, its gonna be a blast having you as a teammate. I can give up the BF to go to Pakhoi....but then again the more engineers at Soerabaja...the more of a mess they will leave [;)]...I leave it up to you
AA units will be nice, as they will probably fill out fast at Soerabaja
In my experience it's better to keep high-experience ships out of task forces with low-experience ships. Therefore Marblehead would be better. However, I must admit I'm a little biased...
good point...i'll hit up Scott for the Marblehead then
I do have a couple AOs at Singapore. If I can evac them I'd be happy to lend you at least one for as long as you need it.
nah..too risky..we will need all the AO's we can gather for 1943-44 offensives.
Hmmm... I was planning on using her to mine Mersing. A long defense of the DEI does benefit me in India, but a long defense of Malaya benefits you in the DEI. I'm not convinced yet, but am willing to change my mind.
Are you absolutle positive that Japan will land at Mersing??..cause if they don't..then that minefield is for naught. While Palemberg can be taken overland, Tankers will eventually have to dock there one day....just my 2 cents.
Thracian, sure. I hadn't decided what to do with her yet & if you think that will be useful, ok.
Stronghold - I was planning to send her to mine Kuantun & then help with the minefields in the Bay of Bengal. Like Kung Woo, I'm willing to negotiate on this.
your call there.....Tarakan isn't that important to mine. Just figured you'd be traveling south from Hong Kong, through the Sulu Sea as your escape route, and would be near Tarakan.
OK - it's yours. My only condition is that I want the squadron back ASAP if a threat to India develops.
thanks..will do
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I have a couple more requests myself:
1. On December 8th I'd like to use about 20 more PPs to replace Percival in the Malaya HQ & Heath in IND III Corps.
good call...go for it i say.
2. I want some subs! Ideally I'd like a division (6 boats) of Salmon class initially to help in evacs. By mid-42 I'd also like 1 squadron (2 divs) of Gato class. I could live with one division but Trincomalee is also the closest sub base to the South China Sea. Plus those subs might prove helpful tactically if an invasion of India presents itself. Once the Phillipines is conquered I wouldn't mind a division of S-boats as well. And/or some of the longer-legged Dutch boats once the DEI is conquered.
From the Dutch standpoint, i have 3 damaged subs at the beginning that i will send to India for repairs, that will bring your total up to 6. You can also have my Dutch reinforcement subs that arrive at Columbo in a couple months...i beleive they are O21, O23. Also i will send you any surviving short legged (End 3500) KIX subs to India, once the Dutch defense collapses.