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

[sprior]

Alright, lets get the amphib groups and their various escorts into the yellow circle, replenish the fighters and the big gun ammo (if we can) and charge back in.

32ID will land at PH and as soon as those tranports are unloaded the Broome assault will go charging into Broome.

Yay us.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: sprior

I say we go back to PH now.

It is a close call. I can support that. maybe the weakest F4F squadron can fly off to Geraldton to refit..we loiter for a day out of Zero escort range from Broome (14 hexes) and bring up the BB's and 32nd ID, bomb Broome and PH airfields again for a day and move in.

"A good plan violently executed now is better than a perfect plan executed next week." - Patton

Getting the rest of those boys into Port Hedland now will make them feel like the biggest battle they could muster didn't even slow you down.

I concur with my Argletonian colleague.

It's risky for you to move a full ID afloat into uncertain waters. However, once ashore, they would overcome the resistance in relatively short order. Their presence at PH would be a thorn in the Japanese side before long. You moving them in now under threat would be a bold move.

So, those IJ transports at Broome-unloading men and materiel or evacing?

ETA: Also, what's with the Japanese BB (so identified) on Cap'ns map sitting just north of Exmouth. Limping away aflame or fresh and ready to pounce?

[Cap Mandrake]

Based on air attacks, I suspect the Jap vessels are:

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy
So, those IJ transports at Broome-unloading men and materiel or evacing?

JJ top brass neglected to tell us what they were doing at Broome in their last communication.

ETA: Also, what's with the Japanese BB (so identified) on Cap'ns map sitting just north of Exmouth. Limping away aflame or fresh and ready to pounce?

They neglected to tell us that too...see map above.

[Cap Mandrake]

...double post

[Cap Mandrake]

Admiral Lord Sprior;

Just thought of something. You could just trade out the DD's in the Tennant force (Repulse) with DD's escorting the carriers. The carrier DD'a are less likely to need them (famous last words)


Just a thought if you dont want to send Repulse back.

As you say;

Yay us

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
ETA: Also, what's with the Japanese BB (so identified) on Cap'ns map sitting just north of Exmouth. Limping away aflame or fresh and ready to pounce?

They neglected to tell us that too...see map above.

Ah, jolly good. Jolly, jolly good. Thanks for the map update.

My other query was meant as an exploration of your thoughts on the matter @ Broome. I didn't expect that you had unassailable inside information about the true purpose of the Jap transports.

[Chickenboy]

Not that it's a game breaker, but any thoughts on Yamato's whereabouts?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

I didn't expect that you had unassailable inside information about the true purpose of the Jap transports.

Well I did! I thought Mandrake Jr was doing Mata Hari work?

Or did I just let the cat outta the bag?

[Cap Mandrake]

I will see if Mr. Minderbinder can make inquiries of Mr. Hata about Jap activity at Broome.

Or maybe Cpt. Ito knows.


My guess it is reinforcement which means this will be another prolonged deathmatch like New Scotland and Fiji

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

My guess it is reinforcement which means this will be another prolonged deathmatch like New Scotland and Fiji

Do you mind if I ask why you think it's reinforcement? I'd be curious to understand your thought process here...

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

My guess it is reinforcement which means this will be another prolonged deathmatch like New Scotland and Fiji

Do you mind if I ask why you think it's reinforcement? I'd be curious to understand your thought process here...

Right..

1) They knew we were coming so if they had planned to get out they could have long ago. In order for them to decide to withdraw now, they would have had to determine that Broome and Northern Oz was no longer defensible.

2) If they had made such a determination, why did they throw 3 BB taffys into a cauldron like that? Why are they reinforcing with Bettys and more fighters?

I think they saw the withdrawal of the invasion fleet from PH and assumed we had got cold feet. Notice that their BB raids were calculated to intercept our retreating convoys. If they had already decided to fight it out then the home run of sinking two US carriers would hardly change their minds. Also, Broome has much fewer troops than PH. They may have decided to correct a possible deficiency. Quite possibly they are having an emotional reaction and deciding to not yield in the same way Admiral Lord Sprior and I want to evict them [:)]

[Cap Mandrake]

So I am out walking the dogs last night and I spy this reward poster.

It says:

$500 REWARD

Wow. That gets my attention. Think how many bottles of Bombay Saphire I could buy with that?

STOLEN/LOST

Oh..it must be a breeder dog or a beloved family pet. That is a lot of money.





"Sulcata Tortoise/Requires Special Diet and Medications"

[X(][X(]

$500 reward for a ****ing turtle! [X(] Somebody has WAAAAY too much money. How could you fall for a turtle? And who is going to steal a turtle? A rogue band of soup wholesalers? The thing is probably coyote scat already.

[sprior]

A much quieter turn:

Morning Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 52,126

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 42 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes


Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 15
Martlet II x 2
F4F-4 Wildcat x 10


Allied aircraft losses
Albacore I: 1 destroyed, 7 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Sazanami
CA Chikuma, Torpedo hits 1
CA Maya, Torpedo hits 1
DD Hatakaze


Yay Albacores!
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Carnarvon at 49,131

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 51 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
B5N2 Kate x 20



Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 3
Beaufighter Ic x 2
F4F-4 Wildcat x 19


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 13 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Formidable

Ysy Wildcats!



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 52,126

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes


Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 18


Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Chikuma, Bomb hits 3, on fire
CA Maya, Bomb hits 1, on fire

Heavy smoke from fires obscuring CA Chikuma

[Cap Mandrake]

Here is the plan for the next turn (oops...make that last turn):

--We moved the pitiable remnants of VF-171 to Geraldton for new F4F's

--A few naval attack trained B-25's to Carnavon to try to pick off Jap cripples

--Maximal effort of 90% of operable B-17's and all the B-24's over Broome

--Medium bombers to hit Port Headland airfield. B-26's and RCAF from Meekathura. B-25's and half a dozen B-17's from Geraldton. Meekathura is level 7 now but it is still at capacity.

--32nd ID Reserve Force and her BB escort to rendezvous with Broome Amphib Group, +/1 Repulse group and 3 operable carriers West of Exmouth.

--USS Washington to Perth from New Zealand

--Seaplane tender to Exmouth and engineers for Carnavon

--Not sure what Admiral Lord Sprior will want to do with North Carolina and friends

--Wasp, Resolution, Ramilles head for Geraldton.

--Long Island will bring over another Marine F4F squadron from NZ

--Copahee with an F4F and SBD replacement squadron and anothe prewar US BB already on its way to Oz.

--Detachment of Marines by fast transport to seize Merauke and try to seal off eastern esacpe routes from Oz

[sprior]

Again, the deadliest plane in the allied arsenal is a biplane:

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Carnarvon at 49,131

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 120 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 51 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
B5N2 Kate x 20



Allied aircraft
Martlet II x 3
Beaufighter Ic x 2
F4F-4 Wildcat x 19


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 13 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Formidable

Ysy Wildcats!

Wait a minute! Where did those Kates come from? Did those LYB's send in a carrier?

[sprior]

Yes, it's way off to the northwest.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Again, the deadliest plane in the allied arsenal is a biplane:

I'd say a tip of the hat to the Fleet Air Arm is in order.

[zuluhour]

It does have an enclosed cockpit.