ORIGINAL: Feurer Krieg
1x Yossarian
[:D]
That is important to the OOB. 1 Yossarian is worth at least (-)16 x B-25.
*****Sitrep, Operation Inchworm et. al., May 2, 1943*******
Sansapor: 2 dozen LCT's, an AVD and a single AK set off from Kai Island for Sansapor on the NW tip of New Guinea. Embarked is the old friend, Australian "Sparrow Force" which was spirited out of Kendari or Amboina in the middle of the night in the Spring of 42 and has been rebuilt around a core of vets. The escort for the force is half a dozen PT boats. Gamey, you say? Sending LCT's with PT escort 600 miles to a landing beach? Perhaps, although LCT's carried part of 46th Div all the way from Bizerte in North Africa to Salerno (or at least they will in about 4 mos.). The hope is the Bettys at Kendari will leave them alone. The AVD will refuel the LCT's and PT's at sea. Fighters from Kai and Babo will provide some air cover. Sansapor is a level one airfield already and can be built up to 3 easily. Sansapor will act as a shoulder for the future operation toward Morotai and a logistics base for diversionary attacks along the North coast of New Guinea toward Hollandia and Wewak. Sansapor is believed to be undefended but has purposely not been reconned. For two days, the force will appear to be headed for Sorong, but after that the Japs will know something is up. The group will be highly vulnerable to Jap surface forces which might be operating North of New Guinea but if Jap forces were to linger to long, they would be within range of B-25's at Babo or LB-30's at Kai. Palau has no ships and no aircraft based on sub recon. USN and RNN subs are SW of Palau and along the New Guinea northern coast as a picket.
Amboina: The airfield is torn up pretty good and the port and shore batteries are getting it now. The Jap garrison is about 25,000 strong. Aus. 9th Inf Div, a tank Regt. and the Fillipino 81st Inf Div are prepared for Amboina, but the 9th Div is still about 3 weeks away on the road from Sydney.
Kendari: There are a good number of Jacks and probably some Bettys there. One B-24 group from Darwin will begin night raids on Kendari airfield today.
Kai: The airfield is two to 3 days away from readiness for the USAAF heavies. In a week or so, the P-38's will mass at Kai and sweep over Kendari then the massed B-24's will hit the field. This will be a familair strategy for the Japs....4-5 annoying night raids to sap morale...then a big P-38 sweep...then all the SWPac B-24's will bomb the airfield. It's hard on the P-38's and B-24's but it also takes out Jacks and experienced Jap pilots and advances the Allied air umbrella much faster as night raids can never shut the field down.
Morotai and Menado: These landings will have to wait for the LCT's to get back to Kai and I will have to find a unit to land at Menado, perhaps one of the Aussie divisions originally intended for Timor, which I now plan to bypass. Tentative landing dates 5-25. I have no intel on what the Japs have at both locations. Concurrently the Allied base at Tomini (on Sulawese) will be reoccupied as it has never fallen into Jap hands. PBM's are flying in supply covertly now.
