Bring me the head of Diego Garcia...and the Mayor of Addu Atoll too!

[Cap Mandrake]

My mom used to serve "creamed chipped beef" when I was a kid. I liked it.[:D]

My dad had served in the Air Force so he didn't eat much but he kept his mouth shut.

One time my uncle came over to visit from the PI. He was a Colonel in the Air Force and had a maid and a cook and the whole shooting match in his house on Luzon. He would bring nice gifts from Japan and Thailand. Custom made bamboo fly poles, hand made brass items etc, boxing gloves. I thought he was cool. He saw what we were eating and laughed out loud..."We call that shit on a shingle".

I never ate the stuff again. [:D]*


*NOTE: I am quite confident he did not say "shit on a raft" [:)]

[Mynok]

Toast floats?

[Cap Mandrake]

***********Fiji, June 18, 1942**********


Nadi it is.

The 9 operative P-40B's at Nadi had an oversize effect. Wave after wave of Nells and Bettys came in from Noumea (57 sorites in all). 17 bombers were shot down and the others were driven off with no losses to the P-40's. 33 bombers also attacked Suva along with a raid of 70 carrier aircraft. The P-40's were ordered to protect only Nadi (range 0) less they be slaughtered by carrier-based Zeroes. Nadi airfield is undamaged

Suva has 56% runway damage. 4 Vals were lost and a few Zeroes.

The Army A-24's and Marine SB2U's did very well, scoring 11 bomb hits on laden transports in 14 sorties (79%).

The LYB's suffered heavy disruption in the landing but no shipping damage from shore guns. Artillery fire on the beachead was also strong.

They have about 6,000 troops ashore already.

I toyed with the idea of a counterattack by decided just to bombard. 2 full Army Regts, 1 Bn of Grants, 2 x Bn 105's and a Marine Def Bn are ordered to Nadi from Suva. No bombers are ordered in because the Japs will likely rough up the airfields again this turn...but they cant keep using their carrier aviation for this and be ready to repel Allied carriers. The SB2U's and A-24's will try to sink some more transports.


The Allied carriers picked up a few replacement aircraft from Wellington and will shoot the strait South of Wellington today then head NE. they may be able to take on the depleted Jap carriers or transports..or perhaps fly off some F4F's and SBD's to Suva.

This is beginning to seem familiar.

One of the British I-carriers left Pearl today. Wasp and Yorktown are on the way.

THE DEFENDERS AT NADI

2nd Marine Regiment (70%)
2nd USMC Engineer Regiment (-)
161st Infantry Regiment (-)
34th Infantry Regiment (-)
276th Coastal Artillery Battalion
8th Marine Regiment (-)
2nd Marine Raider Battalion (-)
1st Marine Raider Battalion (-)
30th NZ Battalion
1st USMC Air Wing Base Force
I US Amphib Corps(-)
148th Field Artillery Battalion
811th Engineer Aviation Battalion
Nandi Base Force
205th Coast AA Regiment
810th Engineer Aviation Battalion
110th USA Base Force (-)


THE LYB's:

4th Bde
Guards Tank Div
19th Ind. Engr Rgt
14th Div
4th Tank Rgt
8th Engr Rgt
8th Mtn Gun Rgt
1st Hvy.Artillery Rgt
56th FA Rgt
36th JNAF AF Unit
24th JNAF AF Unit
2nd Air Div

[Cap Mandrake]

These observations about the Jap landing.

1) It is sizable, 1 Inf Div, 1 "Tank Division" (whatever that means to the LYB's), one tank regt, 2 x Engr Regt, an Inf Brigade and lots or artillery.

2) They are so confident, they brought their own air support troops.

[Cap Mandrake]

What is the TO&E of Guards Tank Div? Anyone know?

[ckammp]

Guards Tank Division:

Type-95 light tank x 92
Type-97 medium tank x 123
IJA motorized squad x 90
IJA engineer squad x 36
IJA HMG squad x 18
75mm infantry gun x 6
37mm AT gun x 24
47mm AT gun x 18
75mm T88 AA gun x 8
20mm T98 AA gun x 24
7.7mm T99 AAMG x 12
75mm T90 field gun x 12
10cm T91 howitzer x 24
Type-1 halftrack x 53
Engineers x 4
Motorized support x 400

edit: sorry, can't spell HMG.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: ckammp

Guards Tank Division:

Type-95 light tank x 92
Type-97 medium tank x 123
IJA motorized squad x 90
IJA engineer squad x 36
IJA HMG squad x 18
75mm infantry gun x 6
37mm AT gun x 24
47mm AT gun x 18
75mm T88 AA gun x 8
20mm T98 AA gun x 24
7.7mm T99 AAMG x 12
75mm T90 field gun x 12
10cm T91 howitzer x 24
Type-1 halftrack x 53
Engineers x 4
Motorized support x 400

edit: sorry, can't spell HMG.

Uggh. That is some serious firepower. Best to kill it before it gets ashore.

[Scott_USN]

[Cap Mandrake]

I feel like Major Pluskat from Ger. 352nd Div who looks out from his bunker in Normandy in The Longest Day and first sees the Allied invasion force...........

Night Time Surface Combat, near Nadi at 131,160, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CM Okinoshima
CL Yubari
PB Hakkaisan Maru
PB Kenkon Maru
xAK Kagu Maru
xAK Hokkai Maru
xAK Tokai Maru
xAK Tamagawa Maru
xAK Teiyo Maru
xAK Okiyu Maru
xAK Nichiyu Maru
xAK Nissyu Maru
xAK Kozui Maru
xAK Kikukawa Maru
xAK Kaiko Maru
xAK Eihuku Maru
xAK Lyons Maru
xAK Matumoto Maru
xAK Tatuno Maru
xAK Toyohasi Maru
xAK Toyooka Maru
xAK Turuga Maru
xAK Tusima Maru
xAK Wales Maru
xAK Kamoi Maru
xAK Shinyubari Maru
xAK Chitose Maru #2
xAK Hokutai Maru
xAK Sinko Maru
xAK Toyotu Maru
xAK Yamabato Maru
xAK Yamadori Maru
xAK San Francisco Maru
xAK Hohuku Maru
xAK Kinkai Maru
xAK Nikki Maru
xAK Sinsei Maru, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Hokusei Maru
xAK Kosei Maru
xAK Heiei Maru
xAK Muroran Maru
xAK Wakatu Maru
xAK Asaka Maru #3
xAK Hokusin Maru
xAK Hakusika Maru
xAK Syoryu Maru
xAK Anzan Maru #2
xAK Cheribon Maru
xAK Daijukyo Maru
xAKL Jinsan Maru
xAK Kuraido Maru
xAK Mansei Maru
xAK Nitiho Maru
xAKL Oridono Maru
xAKL Penang Maru
xAKL Tensyo Maru
PB Heimei Maru
xAKL Hanakawa Maru

Allied Ships
PT-22
PT-25

[X(]

[Sauvequipeut]

You sent TWO PT Boats?

Isn't that overkill?

[USSAmerica]

You might need a couple of reloads for your PT's..... [X(]

[Cap Mandrake]

We now return to the audience participation portion of the program.

Given the massive size of the Jap invasion force, I am beginning to feel the need to do something [:)]


Here are the particulars:

3 Allied carriers off New Zealand (2 USN, one RN) all with potent AAA support in 3 distinct TF's
69 F4F's embarked, 18 SBD's, 12 Albacore (yes, I know, quite a pitiable number of strike aircraft)

Apparent Allied surface strength superiority. The Japs brought no battlewagons to this fight yet. The Allies could easily field a 5-6 CA force with good DD support. The surface strike is with the carriers.

Nadi airfield is level two (now somewhat damaged)

Suva is level 6 with probably 65-70% runway damage.

Allied air on Fiji is kaput with the loss of 7 P-40's today.

Jap carriers are believed to be Hiryu, Shokaku, Hiyo and maybe one CVL

Jap carrier air has to be getting a bit fatugued and the carriers may be low on fuel and torps and even sorties.

The smaller Jap units are already ashore at Nadi (13,000) troops but the divisions are still unloading.

[Chickenboy]

Yes, that's all very interesting, Cap'n. That's a fine OOB you've outlined there. Can I ask a quick question though? What is it exactly that you plan on doing with this force? Other than having your remaining theatre carriers sunk, that is?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Yes, that's all very interesting, Cap'n. That's a fine OOB you've outlined there. Can I ask a quick question though? What is it exactly that you plan on doing with this force? Other than having your remaining theatre carriers sunk, that is?

Dood;

That is the audience participation part. [:'(]

[Sauvequipeut]

Difficult to say, but...

1) if you allow that juggernaut to finish landing, Fiji is gone, which would be a nuisance. All that good attrition work at New Scotland will have gone for nothing, and once Suva is gone, Pago-Pago is living on borrowed time, which is an even bigger nuisance.

2) Gotta wonder how many supplies have landed so far. Enough to power that juggernaut?

3) If fighters is all your carriers have, then that's what they have to use. No point expending the few attack planes yet.

Personally, I'd go with the SAG option. Put together the strongest surface mob you dare and run them into Nadi to see what carnage they can cause. Hold the carriers off as far as you can to LRCAP the surface ships.

Then gather what survives and run away...sorry, make a brief tactical withdrawal to consider events. At the very least, your opponents may have to react to the possibility of another all-out attrition-fest.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Sauvequipeut
Personally, I'd go with the SAG option. Put together the strongest surface mob you dare and run them into Nadi to see what carnage they can cause. Hold the carriers off as far as you can to LRCAP the surface ships.

Then gather what survives and run away...sorry, make a brief tactical withdrawal to consider events. At the very least, your opponents may have to react to the possibility of another all-out attrition-fest.

Sensible advice. I agree.

[Scott_USN]

Here is my opinion Suva should be the retreat no more base.

I think you guys need to be as bold as you were in defense of DEI region. Especially your naval engagements.

As you know your next carriers are at least 9 to 10 months out. However without using what you have now they are just pretty suntanning decks.

This my opinion only. I would attack I would sprint my SF to engage the landing force, my CV tf I would attemp a strike on the LYB carriers only a couple of bombs will ruin their operation. They are tired now and under strength. I would do this knowing I would most likely get hurt but there is that chance to break them. Offense is a ways away I could wait for the fast CV

That is what I would do.

[Cap Mandrake]

Right..so here are the options:


A) Consolidate the aircraft on two carriers, sprint North with two big surface groups. The surface groups sprint to Nadi, savaging the transports and then head toward Samoa before they are destroyed by the Bettys from Noumea. The carriers exchange strikes resulting in mortal wounding of both Allied carriers, perhaps damaging or sinking two Jap carriers and forcing their withdrawal. Some Allied planes recover to Suva. PLAN SALSA

B) Send all three carriers in to distrubute the damage..otherwise the same except there would only be one Allied surface TF. PLAN TANGO

C) Send the carriers just far enough to fly off some F4F's and SBD's to Suva, then retreat. PLAN WALTZ

D) Send the McGoo clan over the invasion beaches in PBY's with Psyop surrender leaflets (for the Japs) and then wait for Wasp and Yorktown to arrive. PLAN ROBOT


Please vote now. (Admiral Lord Sprior, 3rd Emir of Phukut gets two votes)

[Scott_USN]

Sorry for grammar. On a smart phone

[sprior]

The big fly in the SAG ointment is/are the Bettys (Betties?) flying Naval Attack. How do we provide CAP over them? Contrariwise I say bring on the salsa. And can I have tortilla chips too please?