From here to...well...it SEEMS like an eternity

[DuckofTindalos]

ORIGINAL: rtrapasso

ORIGINAL: Terminus

They used the ones they stripped out of P-39's... As well as Jap 25mm AA, among many others...

pretty much anything they could get their stick-lil' hands on, iirc... [:D]

Which is part of what's so fascinating about the Mosquito Navy...

[Cap Mandrake]

*******Office of Sec. of War, Henry Stimson, Washington, March 12, 1942***********

<a portly gentleman, but still evidently thickly muscled through his finely tailored suit, enters the room confidently. He is Congressman Carmine Gamboa, Democrat, from New York's 21st district, which hugs the Hudson River and includes Albany, site of the armory which manufactures the gun for the M3 37mm AT gun. Two even more thickly muscled men follow the Congresman, precisley 2 steps behind and to his flanks, like wingmen. Though their expressions are blank, there is something about the odd deviation and flatness of their noses that suggests a barely controlled malevolence.

Sec. Stimson: <rises solicitously to greet the Congressman> Carmine! How good to see you. What can I help you with today?

Gamboa: Its about the M3, Henry.

Sec. Stimson: Ah..I see. <his expression sours almost imperceptibly. He motions towards the wingmen with his eyes>

Gamboa: Wait outside boys. <the wingmen scurry to the anteroom in practiced choreography, closing the door behind them>

Sec. Stimson: Carmine, honestly, I can't order any more. We will never use the ones we have. There is a great deal of pressure from Truman's committee...

Gamboa: <Gamboa cuts him of with a wave of his hand> Henry, Henry, Henry. Relax, my friend. I know such things. I would not ask it of you.

Sec. Stimson: Oh, thank you, Carmine. I'm sorry if I presumed.

Gamboa: Not to worry, my friend. There is one small matter, however.

Sec. Stimson: Name it, Carmine.

Gamboa: It concerns a young Lt. at the Oakland Army Terminal....a certain..<pulls out note from his pocket>...W.F. Buckley. He is quite insolent and is questioning our agreement. I would like him taken care of by your means or I will have to speak to other friends.

Sec. Stimson: Understood, Carmine. I'll see to it immediately. <now relieved> May I offer you a fine Cuban? Tell me, how is the harbor sounding project in Sicily going?

[Cap Mandrake]

***Ulan Bator Military Aerodrome, Ulan Bator, Mongolia, March 18, 1942***

A pensive Lt. Col. Mednick, CO of the 14th Patriotic Air Ground Support Bn, leans back in an ancient leather chair in his office, which is nothing more than an 8 x10 ft wooden clapboard building with drafty windows and a small stove in one corner. He was an unhappy man, a cavalry officer by training, now posted in Mongolia, ordered to build a gravel "runway"...whatever that was..in the middle of nowhere. He might still have a cavalry command had it not been for that fateful Christmas party last December at 2nd Cossack Cavalry Corps HQ in Orel. He balled his fist and drove it into his thigh...hard. "Oh, why did I let them talk me into doing my Stalin imitation in front of the Political Comissar"?, he thought to himself. "Damnit!, he shouted out loud, then quickly scanned the room and windows to make sure nobody had heard him. "Damn vodka", he said more quietly. He poured himself another shot. He drank it down then cast the glass against the stove in disgust. "Pull yourself together...there are rocks to be broken and gravel to be moved and it is not yet 10 AM". The truth was Mednick was a piker compared to the enlisted men. They were mostly anesthetized by 8:30 every morning and the crews hadn't laid more than 10 feet of runway in the three months he had been here.
"Not my fault", he said. "I told them I didn't know ^%&* about airplanes", now thinking to himself again. In fact, the Col. had never even seen an airplane in person. He had seen a picture of one once in that American magaznine. "National Geography Sciences" or something like that. "What was it called...a very strange name...'enthusiasm of St Louis' perhaps?" Most of the snow had melted on the runway. They really should get working again. maybe just one more for fortification to the cold. He grabbed the bottle......



This is the poor chap's real air rating [:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

******Oakland Army Depot, Oakland, Calif., March 13, 1942******

Lt. Buckley tossed neatly pressed trousers into a small valise. He glanced out the window just long enough to see another 24 37 mm AT guns joing the immense row of surplus guns. The exact figure was 1,192, but that seemed immaterial.

"Bloody beauraucrats", he said, though none could here.

He tossed a dog-eared copy of The Fountainhead into the valise and picked up the telegram on the nightstand........

[VSWG]

Hey Cap Mandrake,

your updates are hilarious as always...

Still looking for the Blockwart? I've got a tip: if one of your neighbors has this in his frontyard, you've found your man/woman, it's a definite sign of the German Blockwart-gene:



[;)]

How is the war going? Can you post a map of the Japanese advance?

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

******Oakland Army Depot, Oakland, Calif., March 13, 1942******

Lt. Buckley tossed neatly pressed trousers into a small valise. He glanced out the window just long enough to see another 24 37 mm AT guns joing the immense row of surplus guns. The exact figure was 1,192, but that seemed immaterial.

"Bloody beauraucrats", he said, though none could here.

He tossed a dog-eared copy of The Fountainhead into the valise and picked up the telegram on the nightstand........

He'll be able to get his revenge in print... later...[:'(]

[Cap Mandrake]

Apparently, there is some confusion over where the Greater Co-Prosperity Sphere is supposed to end. New Caledonia and the New Hebrides are in Jap control...which means their ships can go back to Noumea for a round of golf and some Mai Tais.

[Cap Mandrake]

Stuation Summary: March 18, 1942

Philippines: Main body on Luzon fell back in good order to Bataan. San Marcelino is still holding out with 2 x PA Divisions. 5 full Jap divisions and at least 3 combat brigades are on Luzon. Isolated troops remain on Cebu and Iolio

Dutch East Indies: All under Jap control save Soerabaja which has resisted all frontal assaults but is being depleted by air attack.

Burma: Invasion of Akyab was thwarted by the RN. Mandalay is solidly in Commonwealth control for now. After being evacuated for a short while, Rangoon airfield has been repaired by the Japs, now 80+ Zeroes fly CAP there every day. Instead of suicidal attacks at Rangoon, the RAF and USAAF are concentrating on Jap troops in Burma.

Alaska: Kiska in Jap hands

Hawaii: Midway in Jap hands. Johnston and Palmyra are US redoubts. Oahu is covered with aluminum from one side to the other.

New Guinea: Red

[Cap Mandrake]

They don't call it the "big leagues" for nothing.

[rtrapasso]

"Justice" doesn't come cheap... [:'(] [8|]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: VSWG


Still looking for the Blockwart? I've got a tip: if one of your neighbors has this in his frontyard, you've found your man/woman, it's a definite sign of the German Blockwart-gene:



[;)]

How is the war going? Can you post a map of the Japanese advance?

You know...I actually walked up and down the neighborhood to see. [:D] No garden gnomes to be seen, but, of course, a clever Blockwart would have learned about this in the Blockwart Academy and would take precautions.

What about lighted candy canes? That seems innocuous and entirely unteutonic, but I do have one neighbor with them. they are long-time friends and would have to be under very, very deep cover. If true, it is quite insidious, much worse than I though.

*Situation on the ground and at sea posted above. The lost of two carriers on the third day of the war naturally forced us to be very cautious about reinforcing the South Pacific and Hawaii. Even now, with 3 US carriers, we have to be careful as even a 1 for 1 exchange would be bad.

[Cap Mandrake]

Wait there is more. I did some research. The candy cane started as a Christmas gift for churchgoers in Cologne in the 17th Century.

What else is in Cologne?


Why, the El DE Haus, of course [X(] I am undone!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EL-DE_Haus

[rtrapasso]

Candy canes around the neighborhood, originally from Cologne, which has the Gestapo headquarters... now mutated into the N.A.G. (Neighborhood Association Gestapo) - you are INDEED in deep doo-doo!!! [X(]

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[VSWG]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Wait there is more. I did some research. The candy cane started as a Christmas gift for churchgoers in Cologne in the 17th Century.

What else is in Cologne?


Why, the El DE Haus, of course [X(] I am undone!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EL-DE_Haus

Okay, that's scary: I've visited the El-De Haus last week (it is now a museum/documentation center), and will write a good part of my history masters thesis in their library/archive!! And now you're posting a picture of it here!! [X(]

BTW, the English Wikipedia artice is wrong, or at least badly formulated: the El-De Haus was the headquarter of Cologne's Gestapo, the 'real' headquarter was of course in Berlin.

[tabpub]

Gawd...I hate you, even though you are my ally here....you post these great maps; makes anything that I do resemble children's scribbling.....[:@]
That's why I never do anything.....mapwise that is.....

Update for the South Pacific:

The Imperial tide has now swept up and is lapping on the shores of Fiji, as of Mid March '42; the Kiwi's will hold until relieved or destroyed. If Fiji should fall to the Empire, that will leave Pago x2 as the only Allied base of significance from Palmyra to NZ. Upolu, next to Pago x2 has been occupied as of yesterday by Imperial forces; the base force that was there originally has been ensconced on Pago x2 since early in the war.

Naval wise, there appear to be at least 3 if not 4 fleet carriers operating in the South Pacific on varying patrol routes, covering all this invasion activity. Other than sub activity, which is high, there are no Allied surface forces in the region; it's a little to hot right now...

China:

Yenen holds after what was like a month of siege/attack days. The Japanese forces, which at one point were reported at approximately 200k men, have withdrawn in the direction of Chengting, breaking contact. The ChiComs are breathing easier now, but now have to look to the defense of Sian, as the Japs are probably on the Monorail to the south now.

Hengchow follows Changsha on the list of the fallen; the Nationalists, after the fall of Changsha, were split between this city and defending the river line covering the interior. Most of the Jap forces headed to Hengchow and were starting to breach the defenses; thus, the Chinese left the city. An attempted counterattack against the Changsha-Hengchow RR link was handily replused coming over the river by several Jap brigades.
The Nationalist government is in disarray at the moment.

In a Trans-Atlantic phone call last night, the two Chiefs of Staff conferred on many things, including cabbages and Kings (Ernie, especially).....They resolved to carry on the fight and to strike back against the enemy at the earliest opportunity....though, it was unresolved as to when that would be exactly; both seemed more eager for the other to smite the enemy rather than themselves....[8|]

[Moondawggie]

Ah, the color of money is truly gold, not green --- as demonstrated by the color of D, C & H's stationery and ink!


Somehow I doubt that Milo will have any trouble finding funds to pay them off...

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: VSWG

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Wait there is more. I did some research. The candy cane started as a Christmas gift for churchgoers in Cologne in the 17th Century.

What else is in Cologne?


Why, the El DE Haus, of course [X(] I am undone!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EL-DE_Haus

Okay, that's scary: I've visited the El-De Haus last week (it is now a museum/documentation center), and will write a good part of my history masters thesis in their library/archive!! And now you're posting a picture of it here!! [X(]

Quite an outstanding coincidence, eh? <looks abruptly to his left as a harmless gust of wind moves a window blind, his left eye twitches exactly 3 times, or was it four>

Of course, a deep blockwart mole would naturally endeavor to gain credibility among those oppressed by the blockwart system, much like a gang of bank robbers tying up their inside accomplice in the bank to divert suspicion away from him.

Hmmm....I wonder if I turned myself into the H.A. Perhaps I have some kid of collective, repressed memory of the EL-DE Haus? <a look of surprise, almost epiphany comes over him...followed after a few seconds by a frown> Naah...that's stupid.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Moondawggie

Ah, the color of money is truly gold, not green --- as demonstrated by the color of D, C & H's stationery and ink!

Well...it was more of a goldenrod color before the JPG conversion got a hold of it. [:)]

Somehow I doubt that Milo will have any trouble finding funds to pay them off...

Oh sure. Everyone wants to pick on the wealthy. [;)]

[Cap Mandrake]

...from both sides now.



*********Aboard HMS Prince of Wales, 300 nm NW of Easter Is., March 14, 1942*******

<Able Rate Budd is gazing up at a mostly blue sky (the first time in a week of miserable South Pacific weather). PoW if part of a group of 8 damaged USN and RN vessels making their way to an undeclared US port for repairs. Budd turns to his shipmate>

Budd: Forrester, did you ever look at clouds when you were a wee one and try to spot the shapes?

Forrester: Doesn't everyone do that, Billy?

Budd: Perhaps, but I've never seen anything like this. <points off to port to a huge cloud formation which seems impossibly high and uniform> Look at that one. The edge is as straight as a ruler and that part...that one there...it looks like the left part of the letter "a".

Forrester: You're a dreamer, Budd. Now hurry up lad, there is a rum ration to be had.