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

[sprior]

No, I just read the combat report.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior

No, I just read the combat report.

Right. If Broome can still host bombers, I think it is time to unite the carriers. Also when I sent the carriers from Adelaide, I think the CAP was set on 30 or 40%. It might be time to up that if it isnt already.

If you think it is advisable to send ahead the trailing group of carriers, I can detail some P-38's and Beaufighters to cover the Broome landing force by LRCAP from Carnavon (while they round the corner near Exmouth).

This is fun. So far we are winning. [:)]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
This is fun. So far we are winning. [:)]

Ummm....in this game? When last seen, y'all were having your arses handed to you. Has that situation reversed in the last 24 hours? If so, this is a major turn, Cap'n! Congratulations! [&o]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
This is fun. So far we are winning. [:)]

Ummm....in this game? When last seen, y'all were having your arses handed to you. Has that situation reversed in the last 24 hours? If so, this is a major turn, Cap'n! Congratulations! [&o]

Nah...this is scenario 2. Jap high water mark in June. India intact. 4 USN carriers left. Major offensive in Sept 42. We are doing OK [:'(]

[sprior]

Jap situation at Nadi:

[sprior]

PS. Those nasty Betties came from Port Hedland.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
This is fun. So far we are winning. [:)]

Ummm....in this game? When last seen, y'all were having your arses handed to you. Has that situation reversed in the last 24 hours? If so, this is a major turn, Cap'n! Congratulations! [&o]

Nah...this is scenario 2. Jap high water mark in June. India intact. 4 USN carriers left. Major offensive in Sept 42. We are doing OK [:'(]

4 USN carriers, eh? [notes date in scenario]. Right. And time starts...now! If you give me 2:1 I'll bet you can't make that statement again in 5 days. [:'(]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
4 USN carriers, eh? [notes date in scenario]. Right. And time starts...now! If you give me 2:1 I'll bet you can't make that statement again in 5 days. [:'(]

I'll not take that bet.

One cannot make ze omelet wizout bweaking ze eggs, eh?

[Moondawggie]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Speaking of "going postal", I hope they don't close the Postal Service down because a letter carrier pretty much saved my life yesterday.


I was finishing off planing down the pepper tree yesterday and had to get to a branch about 15 feet up. There wasn't really a good stable place to rest the ladder so I decided to hook it over a stub of a branch that have been truncated. I remember thinking to myself, "maybe I should get some help....nah". Well, I have to say the plan worked pretty well until the branch I was cutting off fell away, which unweighted the main branch, which then, gravity being what it is, shifted and the ladder tilted to the downhill side. So I am standing up there holding on to the branch to stabilize the ladder and everything is OK so long as I dont try to climb down. "What a dumb ass", I say to myself then I shake off the temporary insanity and start looking around for solutions. I can hold onto the branch and try to drop down but my disability insurance doesnt kick in for 3 months. I look for my cell phone...no luck. I look around the neighborhood. There is a real estate agent about 400 ft away taking down his signs..but that is it. Then I hear the mail van which sounds like it is going to drop its tranny. The guy pulls up about 15 feet away from me but I am WAY above him so I can just see his legsn and one arm in the truck.

"Yo, Mr. mailman." He stops sorting mail like he has heard me. "YO MR. MAILMAN!" Now he is really trying to figure out what is going on. "I'M OVER HERE. UP HERE IN THE TREE! I NEED YOUR HELP!" He sets the brake and gets out.

He is really a short Asian fellow in his alte 50's with a pretty bad limp. I wondered if he might even be Ito with a war wound. "Oh sorry not see you" "You up in tree"

"Yes, that is precisely the problem. I am up in the tree. Could you please go around the corner to get my wife, Stalker Girl, and tell her I need help." He nods his assent, gets back in the truck and drives 200 ft around the corner. It seems like I am up there forever. I imagine the inernational space station passing over 2 or 3 times.

Meanwhile, he goes up to the door and Stalker Girl answers. He says, "Your father need you, hurry. He up in tree." [:@]

Finally, Stalker Girl comes around the corner, "Where are you?"

I'm up here. On the Goddamn ladder.

What are you doing up there?

What does it look like?

"Do you realize the steaks are burning?" I am up the ladder holding on with one hand and being scolded because the ******* steaks are burning. I should have had Ito help.

"**** the steaks. I need two people to hold the ladder so I can get down." Finally, she comes back with Stalker Girl Jr. and I am saved. I never got to thank the letter carrier.

Zounds, amigo! Did you ever consider hiring a licensed and bonded Arborist (AKA, "Tree Surgeon") and on completion have him send the bill to Frau Braun? (Just give her home as the billing address!)

It's actually much cheaper than a long stay at the Neurosurgery and Othopedics ward...[:)]

[sprior]

When last seen, y'all were having your arses handed to you

And when was that? Keep up! (Apart from China of course).

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

When last seen, y'all were having your arses handed to you

And when was that? Keep up! (Apart from China of course).

Oh, I'm just providing some 'comic relief'. You guys are holding your own-apart from China of course.

I did forget this was scenario 2-that makes a big difference with your current dateline.

[Cap Mandrake]

..[:D]

[sprior]

Doing my pilot training I just returned a Pilot Officer Ghandi to the pool with a naval bombing skill of 71.

[Cap Mandrake]

*********His Majesty's Indian Air Force Flight Training Squadron, Bangalore, October 1, 1942*********

Squadron Leader Lean: <examines documents then looks up> Flight Office Ghandi....

FO Ghandi: <comes to attention> Sir!

Squadron Leader Lean: Hmmm...Mo...hat.....ma. Sounds vaguely like a brand of rice.

FO Ghandi: Yes sir. <he patiently supresses the urge to leap across the desk and strangle the last spark of life out of the annoying, culturally inferior oppressor>

Squadron Leader Lean: Well, anyway, there is no disputing the fact you are the bombing competition winner for the entire squadron. A 71 on naval bombing! My, my. Splendind job, Flight Officer. I am going to recommend you for active duty, probably in the Wapiti.

FO Ghandi: Thank you sir, but I would like to request conscientious objector designation. I favor non-violent methods.

Squadron Leader Lean: Flight Officer, your average Jap does care one whit about non-violence.

FO Ghandi: Perhaps with time, sir.

Squadron Leader Lean: Flight Officer, I have to ask why you volunteered for bombing training?

FO Ghandi: It was my mother, sir.

[sprior]

A Wapiti in practising naval bombing:

[Chickenboy]

Impressive payload what. If both kilos of HE hit the mark, that may be an effective antisurface weapon you have there!

ETA: Sprior-isn't that rather-I dunno-'dry' naval bombing there?

[rtrapasso]

Au contraire... those are mountainous seas!! [X(] [:'(]

[Cap Mandrake]

**************October 2, 1942**************


Weasel: All allied vessels escape damage. Baring some funny business, the Port Headland landing force should be one day out. An ASW group was attacked by Tojos and then a a mixed group of Tojos, Oscars and Nells. The DE's are too nimble and escape damage. I am not quite sure how one pulls off a fighter sweep over an ASW group...but it happened.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 50,128

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 28 NM, estimated altitude 29,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 6

No Japanese losses


Aircraft Attacking:
6 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 28000 feet *

The landing group, which now has P-38 and Beaufighter escort is unmolested, but the Nells carrying bombs go after the same ASW group near Exmouth.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 50,128

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M2 Nell x 8
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 10
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 10

No Japanese losses

Allied Ships
DE Jumna
KV Genista

Aircraft Attacking:
8 x G3M2 Nell bombing from 8000 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 250 kg SAP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb

The weather is good over PH so there is a well coordinated raid which this time includes the USAAF mediums from Meekathura. JJ has moved in Vals. I imagine there will a BB bombardment tonight...that should tidy things up.

Morning Air attack on Port Hedland , at 57,129

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 23


Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 17
B-17F Fortress x 20
B-25C Mitchell x 3
B-26 Marauder x 14
B-26B Marauder x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 5 damaged
B-17F Fortress: 9 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
4 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled


Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 13


Broome is left alone. Most of the B-24 raid Wyndham in daylight. This is quite effective as 2 Bettys, 8 Zeroes and 3 Tojos are destroyed on the ground without any B-24 losses to CAP or AAA (though there may be operational losses on the flight back)


SouPac: Norfolk Is falls on the first attack. The naval forces are on their way back to New Zealand with only one AP mildly damaged. The pace of LYB weakening on Fiji accelerates. All of the Jap convoys near Tanna and New Scotland either retreated or finished their business.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Weasel: All allied vessels escape damage. Baring some funny business, the Port Headland landing force should be one day out.

[Lessons learned from watching too many horror films on] "Whew! Only one day away from from landing! Everything's going to be fine, just fine. Yessirree...say, what's that buzzing stuff in the sky over there?" [lessons learned from watching too many horror films off]

[Cap Mandrake]

I also expect an ugly red splotch to show up with a buzzing sound.