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

[Cap Mandrake]

***********Gen. Short's Office, SWPac HQ, April 18, 1943***************

Gen Short: <depresses intercom mike again> Sargeant, I almost forgot. Remind me to tell Washington we don't need any more of those stupid winterized Quonset huts. It's hotter than Hell. I am stuck to my goverment issue skivies. Isn't this supposed to be the Winter in the Southern Hemisphere? I don't mind saying I am beginning to have my doubts about this whole global cooling thing.

Sargeant <over intercom): It's the Fall sir. They say Global Cooling makes it hotter when it's hot, sir...something about high-altitude Antarctic circulation, sir.

Gen Short: Does that make any sense to you Sargeant?

Sargeant <over intercom): No sir, not really.

Gen Short: Well, that makes two of us, Sargeant. The SWPac weather guy can't tell what the weather is going to be like over New Guinea 4 days from now. ...That reminds me, tell the weather officer I never want to see him again unless he can answer a direct question with a yes or no.

Sargeant <over intercom): Yes sir!

Gen Short: Oh, and Sargeant, get somebody out here drill some ventillation holes in this damned hut.

Sargeant <over intercom): Yes sir. I'll call engineering.

Gen Short: Oh, one last thing, Sargeant, have my valet bring me some fresh skivies. I am having trouble with my Antarctic circualtion.....

[Cap Mandrake]

I saw an add in the LA Times sports page yesterday for a drapery cleaner service. That struck me as just about the worst add placement one could imagine. Has anyone here...has any straight guy anywhere...ever awakened one morning and exclaimed...."my WITP turn is not in my inbox so I think I'll get my draperies cleaned...maybe I should look through the sports page for ads"?

It sat just on top of an ad for "Sex for Life". That would qualify as good ad placement...or at least WAAY better than the drapery add.

[BrucePowers]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake



Yossarian gets the day off....the B-25's will likely be back over Sorong tomorrow.

That would be North American Aviation B-25's........[:D]

[Moondawggie]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I saw an add in the LA Times sports page yesterday for a drapery cleaner service. That struck me as just about the worst add placement one could imagine. Has anyone here...has any straight guy anywhere...ever awakened one morning and exclaimed...."my WITP turn is not in my inbox so I think I'll get my draperies cleaned...maybe I should look through the sports page for ads"?

It sat just on top of an ad for "Sex for Life". That would qualify as good ad placement...or at least WAAY better than the drapery add.

Well, suppose you had 1 second to wrap the drapes around your sweaty naked body right before you jumped out the second floor window of a bedroom you weren't supposed to be in, and managed to escape. A classy guy would be sure to return them the next day freshly cleaned and pressed to the friendly young lady inhabiting said bedroom along with a dozen red roses.

If you are that kind of guy, the ad would make sense.

Besides, the ad ran in the LA Times, not the San Francisco Chronicle.

So I rest my case...

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Moondawggie


Well, suppose you had 1 second to wrap the drapes around your sweaty naked body right before you jumped out the second floor window ...

Oh, you mean that nude pilates class I was in? I dropped it. I kept geting grossed out during the stretching exercises. Plus, I think they had blinds not drapes.

[Cap Mandrake]

The fighter sweep from Kai encounters a stout defence of Tonys and Jacks but does succeed in clearing the way for 134 B-24's from Darwin.

Losses for the day:

Jacks..........9
Tonys.........16
Bettys........12

P-38..........10
Kittyhawk......6
B-24...........4

When the dust settles, the F-5's snap some pics. The runway is at about 25% and the Jap bombers appear to be gone. No. 24 Sqdrn RAAF and USAAF 3rd FS are at 50% strength after two sweeps over Amboina, but they are still in good spirits. They are ordered to head North again as are the B-24's. Inchworm II is still on. The landing forces have evidently not yet been spotted.

[Cap Mandrake]

What to do after Babo (assuming it works)?

Three general options present themselves:

1) Broaden the shoulders of the growing Allied salient (Lautem on Eastern Timor for eg.)

2) Grind forward under air cover (Amboina and Sorong for eg.).

3) Leap forward bypassing Amboina/Sorong (the most risky option especially without carriers).



Amboina is a level 4 airfield with ca. 23,000 troops and likely well fortified (inclduing CD guns).

Sorong is a level 2 with 6,000 troops.

Lautem is a level 4 field (85-100% destroyed)and 14,000 troops.

Kendari is level 4 but poorly reconed.

At this time I really have only enough sealift capacity for 1 1/2 divisions at a time.

This is the fun part of WITP. [;)]

[Moondawggie]

I vote for Sarong: not well defended by the IJA, but the airfield is big enough to deploy some serious fighter resources to dominate the area. Build it up to a 3 or 4, and then Tac Air can dominate the sea lanes locally, and Ambonia withers on the vine. [:)]

Remember the main goal: Enjoyng a cold San Miguel Pale Pilsen at Jolo's in Olongapo within the year, with minimal casualties. And stay away from the Marmont Hotel...[:-]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Moondawggie

I vote for Sarong: not well defended by the IJA, but the airfield is big enough to deploy some serious fighter resources to dominate the area. Build it up to a 3 or 4, and then Tac Air can dominate the sea lanes locally, and Ambonia withers on the vine. [:)]

Remember the main goal: Enjoyng a cold San Miguel Pale Pilsen at Jolo's in Olongapo within the year, with minimal casualties. And stay away from the Marmont Hotel...[:-]

I love the San Miguel dark...have never had their pilsen. Sorong would no doubt be an easier nut but I don't have significant forces prepped for there. I have 2 1/2 divisions and a Corps HQ prepped for Amboina but as the Admiralty is going to be really angry when they dont get their carrier back this month, we will be in negative PP's for a bit and one brigade and one division for the Amboina forces aren't released from Australia Command yet.

Amboina offers the advantage of having an airfield that can support the heavies right off the bat.

[Cap Mandrake]

**********Sitrep, Inchworm II, April 19, 1943**********


The naval forces are South of Aru, apparently unspotted. The P-38's again led a tough fighter sweep over Amboina, trading with the Jacks and Tonys at roughly 1:1. The B-24's from Darwin then appeared over Amboina at 11,000 ft, hitting the airfield heavily and destroying many Jacks and Tony on the ground. Late afternoon recon shows the airfield abandoned except for unflyable aircraft. 3rd FS (USAAF) is down to 33% strength. They will redeploy to Darwin to refit and fill out with new pilots. Dutch and RAAF B-25 squadrons from Darwin join the cranky types of 90th BS (M) at Kai for attcks on Sorong.

[tabpub]

*********Aboard an LCI somewhere East of Suva************

Scene - on the deck of an LCI pitching thru the rollers of the South Pacific, the sun is just rising over the bows. Two privates with Raider patches huddle in the lee of the superstructure; one is commiserating his partner who is puking in his helmet rather violently.

Puking Private - Didn't this battalion and the 2nd Raiders hit this same island a couple of weeks ago? And why are we pitching so much?! <ralph>

Raider Veteran - Yep. You missed it, being that you were just a replacement point on a Liberty ship back then. Fun time it was, but there were too many little folk there and the 2nd got a bit chopped up and we had to leave.

Puking Private - <looks up greenly at the vet> But what's to say it works this time?

Raider Veteran - <points to 3 heavily laden LST's burrowing their prows thru the waves> Them....look close and you can see the tops of the turrets on the upper deck; an Army tank battalion is along for the ride this time. All we have to do is cover them from infantry close assaults with our fire and they will take care of the MG bunkers that we found there.

Puking Private - <rushes to the rail to expel a noxious stream of bilious stomach contents, turns and sits on the deck, back to railing> But don't the Japs have planes in the area?

Raider Veteran - That's covered this time also. Look around....
<the sun is higher in the overcast now and thru the mist around one can see the boxy shapes of carriers off near the horizon, with smaller ships surrounding them> We have plenty of cover this time, not just 3 little carriers like the last operation....

Puking Private - <color returns to his face a bit> Wow. Thought they were up in the New Hebrides. How do we rate this?

Raider Veteran - SB has it that it's a flyby operation; they can give us two days of cover, then they are off for something else. Something about recovering the colors of a Marine unit; I'm not sure what that is about, the jarhead telling me that was drunk and looking like he was tearing up and about to cry before he passed out in Leo's Tavern in Suva. He was a guard at SouPac HQ, but his patch read 2nd Marine....oh, look there go the Navy bombers heading East. Must be getting close....let's go get some chow, they got powdered eggs in the mess. <departs down a hatch>

Puking Private - <whispers> Oh, Christ......powdered eggs....

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: tabpub



Raider Veteran - SB has it that it's a flyby operation; they can give us two days of cover, then they are off for something else. Something about recovering the colors of a Marine unit; I'm not sure what that is about, the jarhead telling me that was drunk and looking like he was tearing up and about to cry before he passed out in Leo's Tavern in Suva. He was a guard at SouPac HQ, but his patch read 2nd Marine......

Oh, oh...I know what tha means...the recovering the colors part..pick me, pick me! <waves hand wildly in air>


BTW, does an LCI really have a galley or are they using a microwave to cook up the eggs?

I had powdered eggs once. They are REALLY bad.

[Moondawggie]

"I had powdered eggs once. They are REALLY bad."



Actually, during my tour with the 3rd MAR DIV, I found that their taste perfectly complimented the savory ketone flavor of the embalmed beef served on the same breakfast plate.

AH, there's nothing like a meal in the field...

Now get those colors back, pronto!

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

What to do after Babo (assuming it works)?

Three general options present themselves:

1) Broaden the shoulders of the growing Allied salient (Lautem on Eastern Timor for eg.)

2) Grind forward under air cover (Amboina and Sorong for eg.).

3) Leap forward bypassing Amboina/Sorong (the most risky option especially without carriers).



Amboina is a level 4 airfield with ca. 23,000 troops and likely well fortified (inclduing CD guns).

Sorong is a level 2 with 6,000 troops.

Lautem is a level 4 field (85-100% destroyed)and 14,000 troops.

Kendari is level 4 but poorly reconed.

At this time I really have only enough sealift capacity for 1 1/2 divisions at a time.

This is the fun part of WITP. [;)]

Cap Mandrake,

Remember all those unemployed NoPac Seebees up at San Francisco...now is the time to start thinking about converting them for use in the DEI.

With your limited sea lift for post Babo operations, why not bypass all enemy garrisoned bases and instead land on enemy beaches with Seabees (plus small infantry garrison) and build up the 0 AFs. Beaches to consider include Bulla, Biak etc.

Even if it takes you up to 2 months to get the engineers transported to northern Australia you will still catch the enemy by surprise, particularly if you can capture a swag of empty beaches like tenpins bowling.

Alfred

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Alfred



Cap Mandrake,

Remember all those unemployed NoPac Seebees up at San Francisco...now is the time to start thinking about converting them for use in the DEI.

With your limited sea lift for post Babo operations, why not bypass all enemy garrisoned bases and instead land on enemy beaches with Seabees (plus small infantry garrison) and build up the 0 AFs. Beaches to consider include Bulla, Biak etc.

Even if it takes you up to 2 months to get the engineers transported to northern Australia you will still catch the enemy by surprise, particularly if you can capture a swag of empty beaches like tenpins bowling.

Alfred

Yes...the ones bothering all the women in Bremerton, you mean? I think they were in NorPac so they are probably building a golf course on Adak or something. I will check.

[Cap Mandrake]

***********Gen. Short's Office, SWPac HQ, April 19, 1943***************

Gen Short: <depresses intercom mike again> Sargeant, we need to get ourselves a couple of those cool Seabee units. Did you put that in the letter?

Sargeant over intercom: No sir. No Seabees.

Gen Short: Ah, well let's redo it. I hear those guys are good.

Sargeant over intercom: Yes sir, so it would seem.

Gen Short: Sargeant, that reminds me. Do we have a copy of the Fighting Seabees with Mr. John Wayne.

Sargeant over intercom: I imagine so sir. I will check.

Gen Short: Great! I love that film. Have you seen it sargeant?

Sargeant over intercom: Yes sir, 11 or 12 times I think.

Gen Short: Remember that bulldozer seen? That was great.

Sargeant over intercom: Which bulldozer seen is that sir?

Gen Short: You know...the one where Mr. Wayne jumps up........

[Cap Mandrake]

Gosh, he is handsome [:D] How did Susan Hayward get in a movie about the Seabees? Oh well.

[Cap Mandrake]

Un film de Edward Ludwig [:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

*******Station HYPO cryptography center, Pearl Harbor, April 20, 1943**********



A couple of odd-looking braniacs ponder over a newly decrypted message from Japanese High Command.


"I had a base called Tongatapu
Though I never knew what it was for
I guess it doesn't matter now
'Cause the base isn't mine any more"


Captain Thomas H. Dyer: It is curious. It seems almost a lament?


Captain Joseph John Rochefort: Yes, I believe you are right. Haiku?


Captain Thomas H. Dyer: Hmmm....I was thinking limerick, but the syllables seem wrong. Perhaps it got scrambled a bit.


Captain Joseph John Rochefort: Yes the 2nd and 4th seem to rhyme. I suppose if it started "there once was a base, Tongatapu". Still, I'm not sure I've ever seen a limerick in Japanese....Oh, well, let's send it on. It'd like to get back to the Subterranean Cells and Reptilian Beasts.

Captain Thomas H. Dyer: Cool, I had a local carve a new dodecahedron die of Koa wood.


Captain Joseph John Rochefort: Dodeca! Why Thomas, that is BRILLIANT! I still think the title needs work.........

[FeurerKrieg]

Is he going to get a icosahedron from the locals as well?