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

[Cap Mandrake]

*******Luganville Airfield, 12:55, April 8, 1943********


USMC Cpt.: <speaking on radio>...Have completed sweep of area. No hostiles. Airfield secure. Having lovely meal of salted sea urchin roe and Kim Chi...over

[witpqs]

Attacking Force 280 men ???

What gives, Cap Lord High Admiral/General?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Attacking Force 280 men ???

What gives, Cap Lord High Admiral/General?

4th Marine Raider Bn. They eat nails but are not opposed to having some Kim Chi and sea urchin roe if the opportunity arises.

I believe they were sent by fast transport TF from Efate after Espirtu Santos was revealed to be "lightly garrsioned". In the event, the island was VERY lightly garrisoned, 399 Korean laborers in diapers and one Jap officer who now has a pick axe in his head. [:)] It seems the Koreans lacked sufficient motivation to die for the Emperor. Now the Allies have another level 4 airfield athwart Jap supply line to New Caledonia.



I am not sure why a Marine Raider Bn has 63% support troops, but, I am only a novice. [:)]

[tabpub]

.

[BrucePowers]

Looking at the supply situation, aren't these guys hungry? Do they have any ammo left?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: BrucePowers

Looking at the supply situation, aren't these guys hungry? Do they have any ammo left?

Maybe "Big Daddy" Don Garlits could call 4th Raider Bn HQ and see if they can spare some nails.

[Cap Mandrake]

*******SWPac HQ, near Darwin, 07:20, April 9, 1943*******


Col. Corleone: ...a Dutch PBM out of Aru reported attacking and probable sunk on....<looks at notes>..."PT Goyateri #6" near Sorong Harbor.

Gen. Short: Hold on. How many times has that thing been sunk?

Col. Corleone: <looks at notes> Ummm....at least six times sir.

Gen. Short: I thought so. Maybe it's a decoy or maybe it's...uh...what do you call it when it is stuck on land?

Col. Corleone: Beached, sir?

Gen. Short: Yeah, that's it, beached. Don't we have someting at Kai that can get up there? What do you call those plywood boats, TP's?

Col. Corleone: PT's sir.

Gen. Short: Yeah, that's it. Send up a flight of those.

Col. Corleone: You mean a flotilla, sir?

Gen. Short: Come on, Vito, don't bust my chops. You know what I mean.

Col. Corleone: Yes sir.

Gen. Short: OK, what else you got?

Col. Corleone: I just looked at the F-5 recon stuff from Amboina. It looks like nearly 80 operable fighters.

Gen. Short: EIGHTY!? Didn't I just authorize a big fighter sweep of Amboina?

Col. Corleone: Yes, sir. I would say it fell short of expectations.

Gen. Short: I'm listening.

Col. Corleone: Well, sir, it seems over half the P-38's did not participate in the mission.

Gen. Short: DID NOT PARTICIPATE?! Holy Hell, Vito, it was an order not an invitation. I want you to get up to Kai and find out what the Hell the problem is. I want to be ready for Inchworm II as soon as Kai can accomodate the 25's. Make them an offer they can't refuse.

[Cap Mandrake]

*******Kai Island Airfield, 09:20, April 9, 1943**********

Skipper (SPCA rep.): I am sorry Colonel, that is just the way it is. I counted no less than 12 Kai Island Greater Snatch nests on the North side of the runway.

Col Irine: But the Japs built the runway!

Skipper (SPCA rep.): That matters not to the 12th District Court of Appeals! <slaps a court order down on the table>

Col Irine: Perhaps the 12th District Court of Appeals might change their mind if the Japs bombed San Francisco.

Skipper (SPCA rep.): Are you threatening agents of the judiciary?

Col Irine: Rassafrassa..mmmbmmzr....All right, damnit! What do we have to do?

Skipper (SPCA rep.): I'm resticting all flights between 05:00 and 11:00 and 15:00 and 19:00.

Col Irine: But that's most of the day! What if the Japs attack. We can't keep a proper CAP up? How would you like it if the Japs dropped an egg on your tent?

Skipper (SPCA rep.): Take it up with the 12th District...and don't threaten me Col. We know what happened at Aru.

Col Irine: Is that it then?

Skipper (SPCA rep.): Single engine planes must use only the South side of the runway. Twin engine plans must operate without their Northernmost engine during take off an landing.........

[Cap Mandrake]

HMS Trusty slipped under the waves on 4-8-1943(b). She succombed to damage suffered off Singapore 5 days earlier. She was unable to make Derby due to progressive flooding and her severely limited speed.

She was a good boat. [:(] That is the second sub lost in the Malacca Straight in two weeks. Recon over Singapore show a half dozen likely ASW groups in port. That explains why the boats were being attacked almost daily. At least one recon boat is being kept on station further North in the staright to guard against Jap carriers sprinting into the Andaman Sea but patrols off Palembang are dangerous now.

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Recon over Singapore show a half dozen likely ASW groups in port.

So maybe he is getting ready for a foray...

[CaptDave]

Unless this computer acted up on me (borrowed, since mine is on the fritz, and it sometimes likes to not respond to a page-down until I've done it several times, then it does them all at once), no one else has yet answered this one. So...

Zoom, zoom, zoom!

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

OK...a quiz.....I just noticed something..... except for Ito, what do all the named low level Japanese characters in this thread seem to have in common?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Recon over Singapore show a half dozen likely ASW groups in port.

So maybe he is getting ready for a foray...

Yes...the build up of Jap shipping at Saigon and Singapore is suspicious. Also, no Jap carriers have intervened at Efate of Espiritu Santo. That is why I....err....Lord Mountbottom ordered (at Lord Admiral Tabpub's suggestion) the Burmese Python wargame. Search activity at Tavoy and Moulmein has been beefed up.

As of yet, there are no carriers at Singapore or Saigon. In fact, we haven't seen even a ghostly visage of a Jap carrier for it seems months.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: CaptDave

Unless this computer acted up on me (borrowed, since mine is on the fritz, and it sometimes likes to not respond to a page-down until I've done it several times, then it does them all at once), no one else has yet answered this one. So...

Zoom, zoom, zoom!

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

OK...a quiz.....I just noticed something..... except for Ito, what do all the named low level Japanese characters in this thread seem to have in common?

Ah...yes...that is perilously close to the answer.....in fact, that is so good I am going to flip over the cards.

Johnny! Please tell Mr. or Ms. Cpt Dave what he or she has won.......Johnny? Mr. Donovan? ....Is this on?

[Cap Mandrake]

**********SITREP, Burma and Siam, April 10, 1943**********


Bangkok/Singapore railway: 12th Army laid on a big attack on the 9th. No less than SEVEN Indian Infantry divisions, Bengal Engineer Regt. and one each of British and Australian Brigdes (251 and 27). They fell a few points shy of 1:1 but did inflict rougly equal casualties to those taken. A field artillery regt has just arrived and two more fresh brigades are 1-3 days away. 12th Army will have to rest again. In the Interim, medium bombers from Tavoy are softening up the Japs.

Krung Thep: No attack near here today. The big attack means it would take weeks for Burma Area Army to cross the river to the SE into friendly territory. They will need many days to reorganize after the big assault. USAAF heavies from Moulemin are visiting daily. Allied supply now good in Krung Thep.

Burma Road: Quiet today. There are now over 110,000 Japs at Lashio. 2nd British Inf. is on its way to prevent a Jap breakout toward Mandalay.

[Cap Mandrake]

******Aboard USS Allen, Amchitka Is., April 10, 1943*******




Sweeping for mines in Amchitka Harbor in wartime, and within range of Jap bombers, no less, was a far cry from another conference on "New Concepts in Active Deguassing, 1943(b)", which the good professor was scheduled to attend, but this was FAR more exciting and he would have not been anywhere else. This was HIS baby. The idea had struck him like a religious epiphany. He had heard from a friend that, because of a house rule on restrictions on upgrading to 4 engine bombers, the USAAF had hundreds of unused B-24's. What if floats were added..and a rudder? With their aluminum frame, they could be used as manned, steerable, demining sleds! Months of meetings and training followed, culminating in their first operational use..and he was there!

He held the binoculars up to his eyes and was pleased to see how well the two B-24's fared in rough seas, one to port and one to starboard 600 yds astern. Waves splashed over the wings and into the engine cowlings, draining back down in white foam. Beautiful! ......."ENGINE COWLINGS! OH DEAR GOD!" Huge, nearly simultaneous fountains ov water erupt astern of the ship.



TF 1078 encounters mine field at Amchitka Island (96,36)

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
DD Allen

[rtrapasso]

[:D] [:D] [:D]

[bradfordkay]

I think that the good professor needs a good long rest... possibly on a deserted island with no modern amenities.&nbsp;

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: bradfordkay

I think that the good professor needs a good long rest... possibly on a deserted island with no modern amenities.

That is a good idea. I think he may want to make himself scarce around the Pentagon for a bit. He once wrote a paper titled, "How I Created a Battery Using Cocconut Halves and Lemon Juice". He could put that to use.

[Cap Mandrake]

******SITREP, Burma, Siam, April 12, 1943*******


Krung Thep: 90,000 Kool Aide crazed Japs shock attacked north of Krung Thep. They bumped up against 40,000 Indians (and 200 British officers [:)]). Casualties were 3:1 in favor of the Indians, but the Burma Area Army achieved a 1.5:1 ratio in combat power, so they retain a potent sting. One brigade of 20th Indian is ordered down the rail from Rahaeng and every bomber at Tavoy, Moulemein and Rangoon is ordered to bombard the BAA. The Burma Area Army is a big prize. Any future Allied in SE Asia will be much easier if these troops are destroyed.

Burma Road: Attrition battle continues SE of Myitkyina.

Bangkok/Singapore Railway: 12th Army buidlup continues for another push in 2-3 days.

[Cap Mandrake]

..