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

[sprior]

And finally, those nasty carriers to the west of Perth:

[Chickenboy]

The surface intercept of the Hakozaki Maru alone is "worth" three of your destroyers. If Mutsu is well and truly gone (not enough information to postulate), that's a well-fought defensive battle all the way around. Nice shootin' Tex.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Damage to North Carolina

Sprior and / or Cap: was this force a surface combat TF merely switched over to an escort or was it purpose made on the spot of damaged ships? If it was a surface combat TF, why is the reluctant debutant R. Ballard in charge of it? Surely you can do better than '38' leadership?

[sprior]

SD and NC were orginally in the same SCTF commanded by Somerville, what you're looking at here is an escort TF that broke away from it.

[Itdepends]

Does leadership have much impact on a ship captain though? For some reason I thought Naval followed by Inspiration would be the key parameters (like air groups where it's Air first and then inspiration for experience gain).

I was under the impression that leadership was more important for command (HQ) groups- or is it the same criteria ("HQ") when talking about a TF commander?

Respectfully yours.

Ignorant Allied Fanboy.

[Cap Mandrake]

Leadership is important for crew satisfaction surveys and the like. Also, I always send the visiting Congressmen to ships with captains with high leadership values.

Lastly, they are the go to guys when some big-shot is retiring and you need a speaker.

[Alfred]

ORIGINAL: Itdepends

Does leadership have much impact on a ship captain though? For some reason I thought Naval followed by Inspiration would be the key parameters (like air groups where it's Air first and then inspiration for experience gain).

I was under the impression that leadership was more important for command (HQ) groups- or is it the same criteria ("HQ") when talking about a TF commander?

Respectfully yours.

Ignorant Allied Fanboy.

See post #12 in this thread.

tm.asp?m=2937340

Alfred

[princep01]

Coupons, wife/GF and Disneyland....that combination just never ends well.

[Cap Mandrake]

******************October 30, 1942******************

Oz: Looks like JJ put another Regt. ashore at PH (77th Inf). No more naval fights. We called a truce to carry away the litter cases. Of course, as they are not a signatroy to the Geneva Conv., the LYB's ignored the truce and tried to attack North Carolina, which stopped by Exmouth for some friendly air cover.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 50,129

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 52 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
B5N1 Kate x 5
D3A1 Val x 7



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 1
P-39D Airacobra x 21
F4F-4 Wildcat x 20


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
D3A1 Val: 4 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-39D Airacobra: 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
BB North Carolina
CL Birmingham

There must be another carrier up by Exmouth. The damn things are mulitplying. Broome and Port Hedland pounded pretty effectively today. There are Nicks and Vals at Broome. We are moving down the feeding chain on fighters. That is a good thing.

India: Two days in a row, JJ swept over Calcutta with Oscars. The Maharaja is going to be pissed. We lost another Hurricane today.

China: Chnagsa and Liuchow getting pummeled by air.

[Cap Mandrake]

In other news, Mandrake Jr. got two parking tickets in 14 minutes (in LA, of course). She got one for not putting money in the meter, so she moves it across the street but the sign 1 block down says it is street sweep day. [:@] Probably the same ******* meter maid.

I was mad at her but, on the other hand, that place is a cesspool of dependency. It is the only place I have ever seen with helicopters for parking enforcement.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
There are Nicks and Vals at Broome. We are moving down the feeding chain on fighters. That is a good thing.

Yes and no. Against anything but the first generation Allied fighters, Nicks go down in droves. However, against unescorted 2EBs or 4EBs, their additional armament can be worthwhile. I would only consider employing these against unescorted flights of Allied bombers, which you seem to be providing in abundance.

P-38 sweeps (can they range it?) should help mitigate his camping atop Broome with Nick LRCAP.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
There are Nicks and Vals at Broome. We are moving down the feeding chain on fighters. That is a good thing.

Yes and no. Against anything but the first generation Allied fighters, Nicks go down in droves. However, against unescorted 2EBs or 4EBs, their additional armament can be worthwhile. I would only consider employing these against unescorted flights of Allied bombers, which you seem to be providing in abundance.

P-38 sweeps (can they range it?) should help mitigate his camping atop Broome with Nick LRCAP.

So far, they seem to be guarding the runway and reventments. [:)]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake
There are Nicks and Vals at Broome. We are moving down the feeding chain on fighters. That is a good thing.

Yes and no. Against anything but the first generation Allied fighters, Nicks go down in droves. However, against unescorted 2EBs or 4EBs, their additional armament can be worthwhile. I would only consider employing these against unescorted flights of Allied bombers, which you seem to be providing in abundance.

P-38 sweeps (can they range it?) should help mitigate his camping atop Broome with Nick LRCAP.

So far, they seem to be guarding the runway and reventments. [:)]

From the safety of the hangar, I imagine? They're no called hangar queens for nothing, you know. You oughta get a load of the H8K line...yeesh...

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

You oughta get a load of the H8K line...yeesh...

Yeah, but 1,000 of those would have won the war in, like, 10 days.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

You oughta get a load of the H8K line...yeesh...

Yeah, but 1,000 of those would have won the war in, like, 10 days.

Yeah. Only if they had 1,000 A6M2s too. [:'(]

[Itdepends]

Thank you for the link Alfred- most eligthening (unfortunately it means that assigning high land skill commanders to LCU's appears to have been an ongoing mistake of mine........)

Regards,

Slightly less ignorant Allied Fanboy.

[LST Express]

I just have to jump in and say reading this AAR is in a word, just great fun! That might be three words but you know what I mean. I'm on page 24, just starting the adventure and happy I have so much more to go.  Great job guys!

[Cap Mandrake]

Thanks LST. I had to go back to page 24 to see what was so entertaining and I found this below. [:D] BTW, send me an PM if I am starting to tell the same filler stories.

ORIGINAL: witpqs

[:D]

That one guy looks so much like Larry Bird it is uncanny. [:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

I am surprised nobody asked how Adm. Somerville got to be in command of an all USN surface task force.........


**************Aboard USS North Carolina, 07:50, Geraldton Harbour, October 25, 1942************

<A distinguised-looking man in Royal Navy tropical uniform stands atop A-turret, which has been turned to starboard. He wears a small microphone so he is free to gesticulate and walk about while he speaks. Below him the foredeck is packed with with officers and crew who listen in rapt attention and nod in assent with every point the man makes>


.........Live life fully while you're here. Experience everything. Take care of yourself and your friends. Have fun, be crazy, be weird. Go out and screw up! You're going to anyway, so you might as well enjoy the process. Take the opportunity to learn from your mistakes. You can't get your radar to work while two carriers are sunk by enemy gunfire right under your nose? Don't worry. Find the cause of your problem and eliminate it. Don't try to be perfect; just be an excellent example of being human.....<a junior officer approaches and whispers something in the speaker's ear>

Oh my. It seems the Japs are approaching Port Hedland with transports and we are to intercept with South Dakota. I'm afraid, I'll have to finsish this later....

[Cap Mandrake]

I think there is a secret carrier factory at Sasebo that is extruding carriers faster than a Play-Doh set.

On the 29th, carrier planes attack North Carolina near Exmouth

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Exmouth at 50,129

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 52 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
B5N1 Kate x 5
D3A1 Val x 7

That is at least 3 squadrons, Zero, Kate and Val. Seems to me that has to be at least two small carriers or a CV?

Before that on the 28th, an over-caffeinated search pilot reports 8 carriers off Perth and a USN SC was sunk by 25+ Kates and 25 Zeroes in a single attack.

How are we going to get our stuff to Port Hedland with 3 carriers. [:D]

On the other hand, PH airfield is neutralized again and the LYB's there are getting the stuffing beat out of them by air. Meanwhile, 32nd ID, Br. 2nd Div and the King's African Rifles and 1st Hottentot Lancers are recovering nicely. I am beginning to wonder if it they can take the town on their own.