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

[Cap Mandrake]

Chunks of tarmac get rearranged at PH. Quite a few planes go to the scrap heap. Looks like WE are going to have to hire the Morelia boys should the place fall.

Naval bombardment of Port Hedland at 57,129

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
H6K4 Mavis: 2 destroyed on ground
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed on ground
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed on ground
G3M2 Nell: 1 destroyed on ground

Japanese Ships
ACM Ryusei Maru, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
BB Idaho
BB Pennsylvania
CL Adelaide
DD Perkins
DD Cushing
DD Cummings
DD Caldwell
DE Pillsbury

Japanese ground losses:
296 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 7 disabled
Non Combat: 6 destroyed, 22 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 4 disabled
Guns lost 9 (2 destroyed, 7 disabled)
Vehicles lost 7 (2 destroyed, 5 disabled)



Airbase hits 4
Runway hits 113
Port hits 4
Port supply hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior

DD Decoy

Obviously this didn't work.

Size matters.

Well, that's what I was told.

[sprior]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Apparently, these LYB's thought we were bluffing. Not even a single float fighter for CAP.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Broome at 62,127

Weather in hex: Light rain

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


Allied aircraft
Albacore I x 12
Martlet II x 1
F4F-4 Wildcat x 3
SBD-3 Dauntless x 45
TBF-1 Avenger x 13


Allied aircraft losses
Albacore I: 7 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Gokoku Maru #2, Bomb hits 3, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Hokusho Maru, Bomb hits 10, and is sunk
xAK Hikosan Maru, Bomb hits 4, and is sunk
xAK Nojima Maru, Bomb hits 9, and is sunk
PB Shonon Maru #10, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk
xAK Kusuyama Maru, Bomb hits 7, heavy fires, heavy damage
PB Shonan Maru #6, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk

I think these were bringing in supplies, the troop count at Broome doesn't appear to have changed recently.

[Cap Mandrake]

Admiral Lord Sprior;

I think we will find they have lost quite a few Bettys and they may be cautious about leaving them at Wyndham now.

I think the major threat now is another night surface attack or the carriers coming back...or both. The Broome force will also be in serious peril as it rounds Exmouth should you chose to push them forward now. I think it will be premature to push them forward today as the carriers will be busy at PH for at least 2-3 d.

I have a VMF squadron at Geraldton that took replacement aricraft, they might be able to move to one of the carriers. Yorktown can take more aircraft but she is maxed out on air groups. I also just flew off a replacement squadron of F4F's and SBD's to SE Oz yesterday. They will make their way up toward Geraldton.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior


I think these were bringing in supplies, the troop count at Broome doesn't appear to have changed recently.

I suspect you are right. Certainly, there were no troops aboard at the time of the attack.

[sprior]

My Dear Cap,

I suspect you are right about the threats to the Broome force. They will pull into Carnarvon (or Geraldton, whichever is furthest north) and there await sufficent escort. Also the development of Exmouth will mean we can provide fighter cover from there, at leat part of the way.

Yay us.

[BrucePowers]

So, how is the Royal Sovereign? Is it about to become an artificial reef?

[sprior]

Not sure, only got the combat replay so far.

[BrucePowers]

4 torpedoes sure is a lot of torpedoes.....

[Chickenboy]

She's a goner.

How much have you guys attritted IJNAF Netties in the last 6 months of game time? They get quite a few Netties and may have had time to replace pilots if left unbothered for 3-4 months. With all due respect, they may have plenty of betties left to cycle through-especially if it means taking a few heavies with 'em.

Nice catch on the Broome supply TF.

[Cap Mandrake]

Good day for us in the air last turn....of course, JJ got something for their money...

[Cap Mandrake]

***********Plotting Station, HMS Royal Sovereign, 16:40, october 8, 1942**********


<from intercom> ....Captain wants a solution for an ETA Carnavon.


Navigation Officer: Making what speed, sir?


<from intercom> 3 Kts


Navigation Officer: Zig zag pattern, sir?........

[Chickenboy]

So, the Japs have lost some ~470 Nells and Betties in A2A (not counting those airframes destroyed on the ground) since war's beginning? Most of these losses likely resulted in the loss or disablement of the pilots too.

Could ~500 purpose-trained Nell and Betty pilots have been trained up since war's start ~10 months ago? I say probably not. Likely you will note a quality drop soon if not now in IJNAF torpedo pilots.

[Cap Mandrake]

Both Nevada and RS live. Nevada actually has her pumps working and lowered her flooding from 92% to 90%. She has 4 or 5 days to make Carnavon, which isn't much of a port anyway.

RS is at 96% flooding. [:(] best thing for her is to stay on station and hope Port Headland falls.

32nd ID divisional commmand a goodly portion of her infantry are ashore at PH and might even be able to attack. It will be nice to get an airfield there even though it is completely trashed now. Br. 2nd and Africa Brigade are disembarking and dont have enough supply yet.

The Jap carriers are about 400 miles North of Exmouth.

Ramilles and Resolution safely made Geraldton. They will be out for months.

Wasp made Perth and will be 99% repaired in 3 weeks.

[Itdepends]

Pity you can't run Royal sovereign up on the beach behind your lines and use her as a static gun platform- that's about all she's good for at the moment.

[Cap Mandrake]

*********Meeting of Northern Australia Coastal Commission, 19:40, October 8, 1942*******

Chairman:..let's now move to item number two, the proposed Port Headland Coastal Defence Battery and Royal Sovereign Naval Museum. First up, <looks at agenda> ...Mr. Gore..of EarthFirst!?

Mr. Gore: Thank you Mr. Chairman. We of EarthFirst! object to the proposal on a number of grounds. First, we object to the the poisoning of the environment with DU, which will affect our children for generations...

Cdr. Bailey, RN: Point of order, Mr. Chairman. Depleted <looks at notes> ermm Tube Alloy munitions have not yet been invented and, therefore, are not officially in use by the Royal Navy. Further, any more discussion on this matter may draw the attention of MI5.

Chairman: Yes, Mr. Gore, could you skip on down please.

Mr. Gore: Very well, we also object to the museum as a symbol of British colonialism and the subjugation of native peoples..

Chairman: Mr. Gore. We are part of the Commonwealth, not Hottentots. Skip on down please.....


(21:55)

Mr. Gore: We also object to the proximity of the project to the endangered saltwater crocodile rookery......

[Erkki]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Mr. Gore: Very well, we also object to the museum as a symbol of British colonialism and the subjugation of native peoples..

Chairman: Mr. Gore. We are part of the Commonwealth, not Hottentots. Skip on down please.....

[:D]

[Grollub]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

*********Meeting of Northern Australia Coastal Commission, 19:40, October 8, 1942*******

Chairman:..let's now move to item number two, the proposed Port Headland Coastal Defence Battery and Royal Sovereign Naval Museum. First up, <looks at agenda> ...Mr. Gore..of EarthFirst!?

Mr. Gore: Thank you Mr. Chairman. We of EarthFirst! object to the proposal on a number of grounds. First, we object to the the poisoning of the environment with DU, which will affect our children for generations...

Cdr. Bailey, RN: Point of order, Mr. Chairman. Depleted <looks at notes> ermm Tube Alloy munitions have not yet been invented and, therefore, are not officially in use by the Royal Navy. Further, any more discussion on this matter may draw the attention of MI5.

Chairman: Yes, Mr. Gore, could you skip on down please.

Mr. Gore: Very well, we also object to the museum as a symbol of British colonialism and the subjugation of native peoples..

Chairman: Mr. Gore. We are part of the Commonwealth, not Hottentots. Skip on down please.....


(21:55)

Mr. Gore: We also object to the proximity of the project to the endangered saltwater crocodile rookery......

[&o][:D][:D][:D][&o]

[Chickenboy]

Oh, for the love of....

Sounds like you've found an ideal candidate to spend time with some of the canibal populations of New Guinea. You know-for (burp) anthropological purposes.

Doesn't M&M have a CSI service? You know-Canibal Sourcing International?

[BrucePowers]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake


Mr. Gore: We also object to the proximity of the project to the endangered saltwater crocodile rookery......

I really don't think the saltwater crocodile was endangered in 1942.[:D]