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

[Cap Mandrake]

************July 4, 1942, Guerilla hideout, 251 Coy, the Kimberly************


Lt. Uppington-Smyth: Right boys, I have mail! Mail call, boys! <there is a slow motion rush of activity among the 15 emaciated men>

Sgt. Bonebrake: Excuse me sir but how can we have mail call when we are cut off 200 miles from the nearest friendly unit?

Lt. Uppington-Smyth: I don't know Sargeant, this is what the script calls for.

Sgt. Bonebrake: Right, but it doesn't make any sense. How would we GET the mail?

Lt. Uppington-Smyth: Maybe an air drop? Yes, I'm quite sure of it.

Sgt. Bonebrake: But we've heard no planes...and wouldn't they drop us something to eat instead of the bloody mail?

Lt. Uppington-Smyth: Look, Sargeant, I have the envelopes right here.

Sgt. Bonebrake: Perhaps, but I'm not buying it. How about some bloody weapons? Are we supposed to repel the Japs with industrial meat thermometers?

Lt. Uppington-Smyth: <lowers voice> Sargeant, could you please keep your observations to yourself. It's bad for morale.

Sgt. Bonebrake: <mocking tone> Ooooooh. Can't have that, can we? Out here in the middle of bloody nowhere living on lizzards and horny toads with no bloody weapons. No, we musn't harm morale. I don't mind saying, I think the problem is we have a bloody unreliable narrator. I think he is making all this shit up.

Lt. Uppington-Smyth: Here, Sargeant, there is a letter for you. Please read it and keep quiet.

Sgt. Bonebrake: Oh, I'll read because I've nothing better to do but I'll wager it's from some tart named Melinda, whom I've never heard of or some such rubbish.

Lt. Uppington-Smyth: There's a good man. When you are done, prepare the men for inspection.

Sgt. Bonebrake: INSPECTION? Why on Earth do we need a bloody inspection? We are nothing but skin and bones. That is what you can bloody inspect. Skin and bones. SKIN AND BONES READY FOR INSPECTION, SUH!.......

[Mynok]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
On the other hand, an entrepenuer near me just opened a CUPCAKE STORE. That's it, just cupcakes. [X(] This is either an extremely Bullish indicator of improving retail spending or someone stopped taking their meds and slipped over into the manic phase of bipolar disorder.

"Special" cupcakes perhaps?

[stuman]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I have to admit. This Scenario 2 in AE is seriously more challenging for the Allies.

Yes indeed.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

... The Emperor's troops in Australia seem an obvious target. They have gone one continent too far. They will perish in flame or taste Sheffield steel (or maybe Cleveland steel).

No need to worry about the providence of the steel. Make the WJD (or JJ, take your pick) watch Sheffield Shield cricket and they will beg to become POWs.

Alfred

[Moondawggie]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I am somewhat surprised to hear the naked man has a wife.

Also of note, the entrances to the Zombie Apocolypse shelters are quite well hidden.


Arid...Junipers..1 mile ASL.....I am thinking Northern Ariz or Southwestern Colorado. Looks a bit like SW Utah too.

On balance, I am guessing the Jehova's Witnesses didn't have a very fruitful day.

I agree, Cap; it's classic US intermountain southwest pinyon-juniper woodland. Could also be western Nevada in the hills around Topaz Lake/Carson Valley or even Elko, but the first photo made me think of northern New Mexico. The unpaved dirt roads are classic for blue-corn hipster types.

Can't be Santa Fe; the architectural consistency of the houses doesn't have that "Frau Braun"-type HOA CC&R regimentation that Santa Feans and you love so well [;)]. Maybe the outskirts of Durango? Cimarron? Angel Fire? Bluff? Mexican Hat?

Where the heck is "Argleton," anyway? Wiki says: "Argleton was a "phantom" settlement that appeared on Google Maps and Google Earth but does not actually exist. The supposed location of Argleton was just off the A59 road within the civil parish of Aughton in West Lancashire, England, which in reality is nothing more than empty fields."

You suppose witpqs is on the lam?

Milo should get a betting pool going on this...

[witpqs]

Argleton is like Area 51, only the aliens are real. [X(]

[Itdepends]

I still can't reconcile snow on the ground with a cactus plant- it's just........wrong.
Looks like a hell of a place to spend the winter- can't imagine the "roads" would be too much fun. You must get a good nightime view (stars) though.
&nbsp;
BTW- where's the turn?

[Itdepends]

By the way- at least living in a climate like that- you shouldn't get too much of this (flooding currently on East coast of Australia- SE Queensland).
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYUpkPTcqPY
http://www.abc.net.au/news/video/2011/01/11/3110273.htm

[sprior]

Got the latest turn - (July 3rd?)

Looks like the 23rd Brigade is toast.

Weasel troops arriving in Perth in 2 -3 days. Hurris moving to loading ports for move to Oz. 2nd UK Div assembling in Aden. Going to shutdown Burma as troops will be moving to Op Weasel.

ASW forces moving to DG to keep JJ's boats at bay.

Bizarrely JJ's troops at Katherine seem to be sitting pat, not sure what's going on there at the moment.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Itdepends

I still can't reconcile snow on the ground with a cactus plant- it's just........wrong.

Global warming.

[Cap Mandrake]

After a day of resting near Samoa, the F4F's come back to Suva, along with some friends from New Zealand. Anything floating on the surface of the ocean that comes within 240 miles of Suva airfield is going to get the excrement kicked out of it. Halsey is air boss, the field is 100% operational, the only impediment is the weather. The TBF's and SBD's have been chopped back to six hexes so they dont get out ahead of the F4F's.

As there was no attack on the 4th, I suspect this is some kind of evacuation effort.

5 of the 6 carriers at Wellington refueled and put back out to sea to see if an exploit can be had near Fiji (most of the air complement is already at Suva).

[Moondawggie]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: Itdepends

I still can't reconcile snow on the ground with a cactus plant- it's just........wrong.

Global warming.

Most people can't reconcile naked men running around cactus plants, either. That's why they avoid living there!

Cap, I beg to differ: snow and cactus together are signs of global cooling: the M&M Enterprises' Global Cooling business model can't possibly be wrong [;)]

[Cap Mandrake]

*****Abaord HMAS Hobart,Troop Convoy, Somewhere at Sea (if we told you we'd have to kill you), July 5, 1942*******


Cpt. Howden, RAN (TF CO): Any word yet on my invitation to Generals Herring and Allen of 6th and 7th Div to come aboard and join me for a planning meeting?

Jr. Officer: Yes sir, Empress Scotland claims Gen. Herring is not aboard. They say they haven't seen him since Cochin. And, here is the message from Empress Asia, sir. <reads message> "General Allen is not here. We thought he was with you."

Cpt. Howden, RAN (TF CO): Oh dear God.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Moondawggie

Cap, I beg to differ: snow and cactus together are signs of global cooling: the M&M Enterprises' Global Cooling business model can't possibly be wrong [;)]

No, Global Warming causes freezing Winters now. Haven't you heard?

This can be distinguished from Global Cooling which causes freezing Summers and warmer Winters.

I think you have to be some kind of scientist to understand.

Either way the insulated Quonset huts still have a market.

[Cap Mandrake]

*********Officer's Retreat, Cochin, India, July 5, 1942**********

<Two officers sit at an elegant table playing gin and sampling a fine port>

Lt Gen. Herring, CO, Aus 6th Div.: Say...Arthur, what do you estimate your strength is?

Gen Allen, CO, Aus 7th Div.: <lays down a card> Oh...not sure, really. I estimate I could bench press perhaps 120.

Lt Gen. Herring, CO, Aus 6th Div.: Bench press?...Oh, no, I meant DIVISIONAL strength.

Gen Allen, CO, Aus 7th Div.: Ah, sorry...160 perhaps 170?

Lt Gen. Herring, CO, Aus 6th Div.: Good Lord! That's worse than the 6th. We are at 255.

Gen Allen, CO, Aus 7th Div.: Hmmmp. I don't recall the losses in North Africa being that great.

Lt Gen. Herring, CO, Aus 6th Div.: Probably malaria. Trying to get a digger to take his atabrine is like herding first year lambs for castration.

Gen Allen, CO, Aus 7th Div.: Well, at least we have plenty of lorries. More port, Edmund?

[bhawes]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

No, Global Warming causes freezing Winters now. Haven't you heard?

This can be distinguished from Global Cooling which causes freezing Summers and warmer Winters.

I think you have to be some kind of scientist to understand.

Either way the insulated Quonset huts still have a market.

sun come up, sun goes down, tide comes in, tide goes out, no miscommunication, you can't explain it.

[BrucePowers]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

*********Officer's Retreat, Cochin, India, July 5, 1942**********

<Two officers sit at an elegant table playing gin and sampling a fine port>

Lt Gen. Herring, CO, Aus 6th Div.: Say...Arthur, what do you estimate your strength is?

Gen Allen, CO, Aus 7th Div.: <lays down a card> Oh...not sure, really. I estimate I could bench press perhaps 120.

Lt Gen. Herring, CO, Aus 6th Div.: Bench press?...Oh, no, I meant DIVISIONAL strength.

Gen Allen, CO, Aus 7th Div.: Ah, sorry...160 perhaps 170?

Lt Gen. Herring, CO, Aus 6th Div.: Good Lord! That's worse than the 6th. We are at 255.

Gen Allen, CO, Aus 7th Div.: Hmmmp. I don't recall the losses in North Africa being that great.

Lt Gen. Herring, CO, Aus 6th Div.: Probably malaria. Trying to get a digger to take his atabrine is like herding first year lambs for castration.

Gen Allen, CO, Aus 7th Div.: Well, at least we have plenty of lorries. More port, Edmund?

And you've managed to turn the tide of battle.[X(] Amazing[:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: bhawes

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

No, Global Warming causes freezing Winters now. Haven't you heard?

This can be distinguished from Global Cooling which causes freezing Summers and warmer Winters.

I think you have to be some kind of scientist to understand.

Either way the insulated Quonset huts still have a market.

sun come up, sun goes down, tide comes in, tide goes out, no miscommunication, you can't explain it.

The whole natural world seems unduly complicated. Take Avogadro's Number, for eg. Why couldn't it just be "2" or something easy to remember?

[witpqs]

There was a city someplace which passed an ordnance that pi = exactly 22/7.

[Cap Mandrake]

**************July 6, 1942**************


Fiji: WJD surface forces move to the NW, increasing range to Fiji. Very little killing happens except for the "grinding into wasabi paste" of the WJD's at Suva. I am developing a creeping sense of paranoia that the Japs can tell exactly where our carriers are. I'm going to see if I can get my Prolixin increased today.

30 Oscars swept over Nadi and a few Sallys made an ineffectual raid, but the P-39's at Suva were ordered to guard only Suva so there was no furball. 2 new squadrons of P-39's landed at Samoa today and were promptly flown in to Suva. I sent the TBF's and one squadron of SBD's back to Auckland. One Marine VMF went to Samoa to rest.

The carriers will go back to Wellington to repair minor damage on the escorts and draw aircraft, if needed. The cruisers and BB's will also head back to Wellington. Fiji is still too dangerous.

Tanna now has 120 fighters. [X(]


I will try to sneak in the landing at Ndeni before Op Weasel gets going.