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

[Cap Mandrake]

********80 miles NW of Charter Towers, May 16, 1943*****

Two pair of tanned legs protrude form beneath a 2 1/2 ton truck. A second truck is parked behind the diabled vehicle. Some 2 dozen men loiter about.

Voice under truck: It's the universal joint all right, Major!


Major Quimbo: Zounds! We will miss the operation! After years of planning!<paces back and forth for 20 seconds> OK, you two stay here with the truck. Put all the equipment in the first truck. We will all ride in the second. We will send help when we get to the next village.

Voice under truck: Yes sir. How far to next village sir?


Major Quimbo: Hmmmm <consults map> Hmmmm..1,300 miles. That is farther than I thought. The villages are very sparse here. <looks at map again> HEY WAIT! THERE IS A RAILROAD TO DARWIN! WE SHALL TAKE THE TRAIN!

[Cap Mandrake]

******SITREP: New Guinea and the Moluccas, May 16, 1943******

Cape Sansapor: On the night of the 14th/15th. Lt Col. Leggatt and his men were visited by Hyuga, another BB and about 10 DD's. 5 Coronados were destroyed at anchor and the airfield was roughed up pretty good. On the 15th, 40 Bettys fly in from Palau and are intercepted by 4 Kittyhawks from Babo. The Japs lose 4 Bettys.

The Jap carriers close within 420 miles of Babo but there is no Allied attack. [:-] On the 16th, the Jap carriers have moved East toward Truk.

Darwin: The Amboina landing force takes the opportunity of the Eastward movement of the carriers (to refuel perhaps?) to move toward Amboina. Of course, the Japs may turn around and we shall have to decide if it is prudent to go ahead with carriers about.

Kai: The Morotai landing force has embarked again but likely will have to abort if the carriers come back. Their refueling window might be enought time to get ashore.

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[Cap Mandrake]

*****SITREP, Burma, Siam and Malaya, May 17, 1943******

Burma Area Army Pocket: On the 15th, after heavy air bombardment for several days, III Indian Corps assaults the remaining 100,000 troops trapped behind Allied lines. It goes badly with casualties sustained in a ratio of 5:1. It seems the Burma Area Army must be drawing some supply from across the river. They cannot be budged with the forces at hand. Instead, the 255th Indian Armoured will attempt to ford the river from Krung Thep. Similarly, 2 more Chindit Brigades will attempt to infiltrate behind the defenders of Bangkok.

Bangkok: 12th Army is trading artillery fire with 70,000 Japs. SEAC has moved forward to Tavoy to aid in the supply effort.

Bandou: The Jap garrison at Bandou (25,000+ troops) is now cut off. Malaya Army will attack again in a few days. Now that the garrison is cut off, the Emperor Kool Aide packets are being distributed. They will not give up easily.

[BrucePowers]

Who has Truman indicted this week?[:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

*********Senate Chambers, War Profiteering Commission Hearing, Washington, May 17, 1943******

Senator Truman: Now....<listens to whispered instructions from Chief Consul, Roy Cohn>...now Mister MacArthur, I have it on good evidence that you have been cashing TWO paychecks from the US government EVERY month made out to a certain....<consults notes>...General Douglas MacArthur. I ask you now, and I remind you are under oath, is this true, Mr. MacArthur?

Arthur MacArthur: <covers mike and whispers instructions to his lawyer>

Mr. Cheatham, Esq.: Senator, my client requests a recess. He has to tinkle.....

[Cap Mandrake]

It looks like the Amboina Landing Group is unspotted. The Morotai Group was spotted by a Jap sub South of Sorong. They may appear (to the enemy) to be headed to Sansapor or Biak (which is being reconned as a misdirection).

Jap crusiers showed up again at Cape Sansapor last night. The Dutch aviation support troops and Sparrow Bn. are getting beat up pretty bad. The DM's headed to Sansapor were inercepted bya Jap sub and one was holed. I will try to send one minelayer back in a few days. Babpo airfield is nearly level 4 which means I can put a B-24 group there and expand the search radius to make Jap night bombardments more dangerous. A PT flotilla and refulling vessel are headed to Sansapor, as well.

Th KNIL Bn designated for Manado is ready to board their LST's at Namlea.

[Moondawggie]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

*********Senate Chambers, War Profiteering Commission Hearing, Washington, May 17, 1943******

Senator Truman: Now....<listens to whispered instructions from Chief Consul, Roy Cohn>...now Mister MacArthur, I have it on good evidence that you have been cashing TWO paychecks from the US government EVERY month made out to a certain....<consults notes>...General Douglas MacArthur. I ask you now, and I remind you are under oath, is this true, Mr. MacArthur?

Arthur MacArthur: <covers mike and whispers instructions to his lawyer>

Mr. Cheatham, Esq.: Senator, my client requests a recess. He has to tinkle.....

So, during the "tinkle break,' do you think that Truman Aide Roy Cohn says to Harry, "Boss, I just got word from the guys running our gumshoes! According to Clark Clifford and Abe Fortas, the Social Security Number of that old coot we called up here isn't the same as the one the checks were made out to! You think we got the wrong pigeon in our crosshairs?" [X(]

Truman courageously replies, "Roy, you tell Clark and Abe to shut up: We're going ahead with this inquisition. By gum, THE BUCK STOPS HERE!" I don't want that a**hole in the House LBJ to get ahead of me on this issue!"

...Arthur Schlesinger Jr: Profiles in Courage of WW2 part B: The Ordeal and Sacrifice of the Washington Senators in a Time of War." [&o]

[Cap Mandrake]

...not the guy at the Battle of Chattanooga. [:)]

The thing is Truman really does have the right guy. The US Army really is cutting two checks each month in the name of Douglas MacArthur, General, US Army and Arthur MacArthur really is cashing the checks. Somebody has to pay the upkeep for the place in Georgtown (the one across Rock Creek not the one in Malaya).


Here is young Arthur MacArthur III during happier times at the Melbourne zoo in 1942. One can easily see why he might have to go tinkle during a Senate inquisistion. [;)]

[witpqs]

This is all really quite unfair to Mac. The explanation is quite simple. One paycheck for him, one paycheck for his ego.

[Cap Mandrake]

********Office of Senator Truman, Washington DC, May 18, 1943********


<There is a knock on the door. The Sexretary opens the door>

Sexretary: Senator, it's General Marshall.

Truman: Ah, yes, show him in please <stands to greet the General>

Marshall: <strides in purposefully ..the two feign warm handshakes> Senator, thank you for seeing me. I know your time is valuable, but I am afraid it is a matter pertaining to the national security of the United States.

Truman: Of course, General, how can I be of help?

Marshall: Well, Senator, it's about Mr. Arthur MacArthur and his appearance before your committee......<15 minutes pass during which time the General relates a remarkable story>

Truman: Do you mean to tell me there really are two General Douglas MacArthurs?

Marshall: Yes Senator. I think you can understand why this can't get out.

Truman: Gracious sakie day, I should hope not. I am prepared to take him off the agenda but I must know he is the only one. Please tell me he is the only one?

Marshall: He...or they...are the only ones under my command, Senator.

Truman: Very well, General. I do hope the military is not keeping any other secrets from the Senate. I would hate to think that there any other secret projects of this magnitude.

Marshall: Oh no Senator...<barely controls a snicker>.....

[Moondawggie]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

...not the guy at the Battle of Chattanooga. [:)]

The thing is Truman really does have the right guy. The US Army really is cutting two checks each month in the name of Douglas MacArthur, General, US Army and Arthur MacArthur really is cashing the checks. Somebody has to pay the upkeep for the place in Georgtown (the one across Rock Creek not the one in Malaya).


Here is young Arthur MacArthur III during happier times at the Melbourne zoo in 1942. One can easily see why he might have to go tinkle during a Senate inquisistion. [;)]

AH, that Arthur MacArthur! And here I thought the need to tinkle was due to a 100-year old enlarged prostate!

BTW, Arthur MacArthur III was actually a Captain, USN, Dugout Doug's older brother. The young-un in the photo is actually AA the IVth.

Whew---those nice green colored Goverment checks must be flying out of the treasury to the MacArthur clan. [:)]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Moondawggie


AH, that Arthur MacArthur! And here I thought the need to tinkle was due to a 100-year old enlarged prostate!

BTW, Arthur MacArthur III was actually a Captain, USN, Dugout Doug's older brother. The young-un in the photo is actually AA the IVth.

Whew---those nice green colored Goverment checks must be flying out of the treasury to the MacArthur clan. [:)]

Anyone called to testify before the Senate at age 100 deserves tinkle breaks. Of course, there are bound to be a few Seantors that can't last more than 30 minutes either.

Would he really be Arthur MacArthur IV if he had an uncle named Arthur MacArthur III or would there just be two Arthur MacArthur III's?

My personal suspicion about the money is the young tyke's nanny is probably profiting in some fashion. If she finds out about the uncle then they could try to cash 3 checks every month.

[Cap Mandrake]

That's what I am asking. I mean look at the boats batting average all of a sudden.

On the 16/17th she puts two torps in USS Breese (whose decks are now nealry awash and will likely not make Darwin) and then on the 17/18th she sinks an LCT (with two torps [:)]) and damages one British AK escorting PT boats to Sansapor.

The Amboina off-loading goes well with very little mine and shore battery damage but there is a supply problem.

[BrucePowers]

I say put the both of them in jail.[:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

In happier times....

[Cap Mandrake]

.....Wait...come to think of it, everyone is pretty much happier now.

Au Cheu (I am not making it up..that really is her name[:)])has a nice townhouse in Georgetown with two green paychecks every month and she gets to pick her own flower arrangements without having to listen to Jean complian about the smell of the lilacs and her stupid allergies.

Young Arthur doesn't have to put up with daddy telling him stories about hazing gags he pulled at Westpoint because he is pretty sure he doesn't want to go there. Plus he gets an allowance for his French porcelain doll collection.

Jean is in New Zealand somewhere with her stud-muffin.

The General himself is worshipped by the little people of Flores. Sure, he is almost at ground level when the litter bearers bear him aloft but the idolatry thing goes a long way.

Number two is happy as he has his coastwatcher duties in....Dunedin I think....and the band is making good progress on those Sousa marches even if they are musical illiterates.....

[Cap Mandrake]

******F-5 of Lt. Van Hartesvelt, R1-VIG-VI Groep, 8,000 ft above Menado, Sulawese, 17:20, May 19, 1943******

He had prepared hinself for a goodly amount of AAA. He encounters none. From a distance old Dutch airfield looked the same as he remembered it. He had last seen it in early '41. As he approached, however, he could see rusting equipment and weeds on the runways. "This is good", he said quietly to himself. Well...honestly....he likely said this in Dutch. It's not like he didn't speak English, you understand, but why would he be speaking English to himself. Seems to me that would be kind of stupid. The Lt. was not stupid, even if his annoying uncle with the out of control nose hairs was fond of saying it. OK...I admit..it was foolish to put his tongue on that metal pipe in the middle of Winter, but he was five. Come on, cut him some slack already.

The Lt. allowed his mind to drift. He felt an old guilt. He remembered how he had secretly giggled to himself when the same uncle had choked to death on a bratwurst when he was twelve....

[vettim89]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

******F-5 of Lt. Van Hartesvelt, R1-VIG-VI Groep, 8,000 ft above Menado, Sulawese, 17:20, May 19, 1943******

He had prepared hinself for a goodly amount of AAA. He encounters none. From a distance old Dutch airfield looked the same as he remembered it. He had last seen it in early '41. As he approached, however, he could see rusting equipment and weeds on the runways. "This is good", he said quietly to himself. Well...honestly....he likely said this in Dutch. It's not like he didn't speak English, you understand, but why would he be speaking English to himself. Seems to me that would be kind of stupid. The Lt. was not stupid, even if his annoying uncle with the out of control nose hairs was fond of saying it. OK...I admit..it was foolish to put his tongue on that metal pipe in the middle of Winter, but he was five. Come on, cut him some slack already.

The Lt. allowed his mind to drift. He felt an old guilt. He remembered how he had secretly giggled to himself when the same uncle had choked to death on a bratwurst when he was twelve....

You must THINK in Dutch! AHA! "Schiet de achtersteste raket!".

[witpqs]

His uncle was only twelve when he died?