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

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Finally!

Was there ever a medal for the pre-Torch Malta convoys - surely the most dangerous route in WWII?
Between the Italian navy, Italian subs, U-boats, E-boats, Fliergercorps X and many Italian aircraft the survival chances were below 50%, were they not?

[sprior]

Was there ever a medal for the pre-Torch Malta convoys

Nope

[sprior]

I got put on garden leave today for the rest of my notice period. Hey-ho, off now until 2nd January.

[Cap Mandrake]

My 528i started warning me about incipient battery failure 2 weeks ago. I thought it was a HAL 2000 thing. Either the damn thing was right or it deliberately turned off the battery just to spite me.

FAM: "Open the battery bay doors HAL. HAL, open the battery bay doors, Goddamnit!"


HAL: It's in the trunk, stupid, on the right.


FAM: <goes to the trunk> OK, HAL, how do I get the access panel off?


HAL: Are you sure you want to do this, Mandrake?


FAM: Yeah, I'm sure. I'm not going to the dealer to change the ******** battery. I've got that left, don't I?


HAL: You do realize you have to reprogram me or I might recharge the new battery improperly and shorten the life span and then it will fail right in the middle of the Mojave. Is that what you want, Mandrake?


FAM: Is that a threat? That sounds like a threat to me.


HAL: Why can't we be friends again?.............

[sprior]

LASP has been asked to serve on the Brabazon committee. Transatlantic airliners? Not sure they'll ever catch on.

[Squamry]

ORIGINAL: Gridley380

Heck with all the politics - I want to know where those Commonwealth Legos came from! Those are frickin awesome!

Seems that there are plenty of choice for WW2 types. I must get some

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior

LASP has been asked to serve on the Brabazon committee. Transatlantic airliners? Not sure they'll ever catch on.

Here are my suggestions:

1) Mandate a least a chin turret and a tail gunner to deal with Zeroes and Tojos...and MiG's

2) Make the seats far enough apart so the coach passengers don't feel like sardines

3) Anyone whose side fat hangs over the armrest has to buy two tickets.

4) Make sure they are required to give out those cool little liquor bottles.

[sprior]

I found Iron Sky in a second hand shop. It is fun!

[sprior]

The hound and the Christmas tree

[BBfanboy]

Looks like a West Highland Terrier - is it mischievous like my sister's Westie was?
You should have it meet "Admiral Bonnie".

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior

The hound and the Christmas tree

Cute little guy. Wolf hybrid?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior

I found Iron Sky in a second hand shop. It is fun!

That is such a fanboy mod. There is NO WAY the V2 had that much lift capacity, even if you turn off KingTiger development and plow everyting into rockets.

[Cap Mandrake]

*************Feb. 28, 1943(c), Pranning*************

Spectacular numbers of LYB fighters shot down yesterday. Have to post when I get home.

Jolo: 1stBn/102nd completely dismebarked and the APD's away safely. Amphibious group with 6000 tons on station and begining to unload over the docks. 3 CL, 3 DD on station along with some PT boats. Operational Corsairs down to about 15-18. I flew in some P-38's for top cover and some Beaufighters and P-40K's to cover the landing at Cotabato. The two wrecked P-40 squadrons were rotated out.

Cotobato: Most of the tanks ashore. Will wait for the Kiwi Bn to be more completely unloaded before attacking.

Sorong: Found to have nearly 60,000 supply Nearly 60,000 LYB's retreated to the dot hex to the East. Most of these units will prep for Luzon. Recce activity over Hollandia today to see what JJ has there.

Manado: All 3 regiments of 41st ID along with attached armor arrived at Manado today after a land march from Sidate. They will attack immediately after an air prep.

Sangi: Airfield at 75% readiness. That will make the trip across the Sulawese Sea safer.

Area Recon: Small LYB convoys? at Taytay and SE Luzon and northern Borneo. I think they are putting small garrisons ashore. Will recon Panay today and see if Iolio is vacant. 8th Marine Regiment escorted by USS Washington heading NW today toward Jolo.

[Cap Mandrake]

******************Feb. 28, 1943(c)********************


Jolo: Sendai shows up again at night but is overmatched and wisely withdraws. Not sure if this was imperial hubris or poor recon on their part. No air attacks on Jolo today.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Jolo at 74,90, Range 11,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CL Sendai, Shell hits 5, heavy fires
DD Satsuki, Shell hits 1
DD Minazuki, Shell hits 1

Allied Ships
CL Birmingham
CLAA Juneau
CL Trenton
DD Lansdowne
DD Frazier
DD Helm
DD Talbot

Hmmm. Just realized this might be HMS Birmingham. [:D] There was also a USS Birmingham so I can perhaps be excused for the mistake (if I made one)

Cotobato: The transports continue to unload unmolested. I was expecting an air attack. There was none.

16th Naval Guard unit forgot to read the manual and sets their mortars to 90 degree elevation. This is dangerous. Not sure if we brought enough to take the place. what kind of AT weapons will a they have? Can they stop the armor if we attack?


Ground combat at Cotabato (78,90)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1459 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 60

Defending force 1942 troops, 13 guns, 157 vehicles, Assault Value = 130

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



Assaulting units:
16th Naval Guard Unit

Defending units:
1st USMC Tank Battalion
30th NZ Bn /1

[Cap Mandrake]

Lautem: JJ is STILL angry over the loss of 30 Bettys trying to attack the PT boats at Lautem 2 d ago. [:D] They snuck in a VERY, VERY angry E boat.


Night Time Surface Combat, near Lautem at 72,115, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
E Hachijo, Shell hits 2

Allied Ships
PT-24, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PT-119, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PT-167, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-180, Shell hits 5, and is sunk
PT-184, Shell hits 1, and is sunk
PT-185, Shell hits 2, and is sunk

Then they sent in some VERY, VERY angry Tojo pilots...38 no less. I sent the P-40E's back to Darwin last night. [:'(]

Morning Air attack on Lautem , at 72,115

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 33 NM, estimated altitude 29,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 38



No Japanese losses



Aircraft Attacking:
38 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 25000 feet

[Cap Mandrake]

Suawese Sea: Yubari made a run either for the ships unloading at Cotabato or for Jolo or perhaps to intercept traffic in the Sulawese Sea. Instead she was spotted by SBD's at Sangi (Sulawese), which nows has a level 3 airfield.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Gorontalo at 71,96

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes


Allied aircraft
P-40K Warhawk x 14
F4F-4 Wildcat x 16
SBD-3 Dauntless x 16


Allied aircraft losses
SBD-3 Dauntless: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Katsutade
CL Tama
CL Yubari, Bomb hits 1, on fire

[Cap Mandrake]

Manado: JJ put top cover over Manado which disrupted or caused the cancellation of planned air attacks. The LYB's at Manado are not ready to give up and they have a good defensive position. We need combat engineers and more armor and some preparatory air work.

Ground combat at Manado (75,99)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 7170 troops, 97 guns, 112 vehicles, Assault Value = 404

Defending force 6377 troops, 58 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 192

Allied adjusted assault: 161

Japanese adjusted defense: 359

Allied assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 3)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), forts(+), preparation(-), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
483 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 33 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Guns lost 29 (2 destroyed, 27 disabled)


Allied ground losses:
530 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 137 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 10 (2 destroyed, 8 disabled)


Assaulting units:
148th Infantry Regiment
129th Infantry Regiment
145th Infantry Regiment
627th Tank Destroyer Battalion
97th Field Artillery Battalion
148th Field Artillery Battalion

Defending units:
17th Garrison Unit
3rd JNAF AF Unit
44th Field AA Battalion
9th JNAF Coy
68th JAAF AF Bn

[Cap Mandrake]

Burma: Another meeting of the most colorful collection of airplanes since the 1934 World's Fair. Looks like we lost marginally on airframes but really dented the runway pretty good. No LYB air attack on the Chindit brigades at Myitkynia today.

Morning Air attack on Myitkyina , at 64,42

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 76 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 3
A6M3a Zero x 10



Allied aircraft
Sea Hurricane Ib x 8
Martlet II x 3
Beaufighter VIc x 11
Hurricane IIc Trop x 4
Vengeance I x 74
Hurricane IIb Trop x 6
DB-7B x 14
B-24D Liberator x 4
B-25C Mitchell x 6
P-40K Warhawk x 19


Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M3a Zero: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Martlet II: 1 destroyed
Beaufighter VIc: 1 destroyed
Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 destroyed
Vengeance I: 5 damaged
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed
DB-7B: 2 damaged
P-40K Warhawk: 1 destroyed



Airbase hits 6
Airbase supply hits 5
Runway hits 51

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Defending units:
17th Garrison Unit
3rd JNAF AF Unit
44th Field AA Battalion
9th JNAF Coy
68th JAAF AF Bn [/color]

Notice that you've been running into some "Garrison Unit" LCUs. They're pretty poor imitators of Japanese infantry. Wonder where he's keeping the 'good stuff' in his LYB cupboards?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Defending units:
17th Garrison Unit
3rd JNAF AF Unit
44th Field AA Battalion
9th JNAF Coy
68th JAAF AF Bn [/color]

Notice that you've been running into some "Garrison Unit" LCUs. They're pretty poor imitators of Japanese infantry. Wonder where he's keeping the 'good stuff' in his LYB cupboards?

Impossible. [:)] You should see all the undead in Australia and Dobo...and now new Guinea too.