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

[Cap Mandrake]

Legaspi: Literally nothing bad happened. I'm hoping some suppries got ashore. The carriers and escorts and about 42K embarked troops should be offshore between Cagayan and Butuan.

[sprior]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Haven't heard from the Cap'n on this yet. For the audience, I'll speak for him: "Ugh."

How many planes lost 'on ground' with those two CVE sinkings, Lord Admiral? Any of them divert, or did you lose the lot?

Sorry, but they diverted to Akyab.

[Lecivius]

I lost the POW to the Yura once. The Brits sank the Yamato the night before in a totally surprised encounter that started at 4000 yards. I was ecstatic!

Next day the POW, 2 CA's & 6 DD's ran into this bad boy & a few DD's and down she went. That was months ago, I still think on it

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Haven't heard from the Cap'n on this yet. For the audience, I'll speak for him: "Ugh."

How many planes lost 'on ground' with those two CVE sinkings, Lord Admiral? Any of them divert, or did you lose the lot?

Sorry, but they diverted to Akyab.

I didn't have a chance to watch the combat replay. Did some of 16th brigade get ashore?

[Cap Mandrake]

In his email, Rord Admirar Fabertong politely decrined to spike football. [:)]

Meanwhile the captain of *#&#@(&% Yura is probably on "Emperor-Brand War Bond Tour"

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Clark: It's going to take something more than this to take down a level 8 field. We lose at least one B- 24. These birds are flying from Cagayan, which is packed.

Morning Air attack on Clark Field , at 79,76

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 31 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 6
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 20



Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 20


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 3 destroyed on ground
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged

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



Airbase hits 6
Runway hits 6

Naturally, the P-38 sweep comes in afterward.

Morning Air attack on Clark Field , at 79,76

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 24 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 6
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 17



Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 9


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38G Lightning: 1 destroyed



Aircraft Attacking:
1 x P-38G Lightning sweeping at 30000 feet

Bombing the airfield where the squadrons lives does reduce the squadron's morale, AFAIK. That, plus the damage & destruction of their planes (and possible WIA/KIA of pilots on the ground) reduces the danger from them. I think it reduces it from

"Oh my God they're going to kill us all!!!"

to

"Oh my God they're going to kill us all!!"

[Cap Mandrake]

I just thought of something. Was it the captain of Yura that M&M Enterprises was asked to "eliminate"? Hideo something, as I recall.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I just thought of something. Was it the captain of Yura that M&M Enterprises was asked to "eliminate"? Hideo something, as I recall.

Ah...good news! Hideo something riquidated! Hai. (bows)

Ah....he repraced with something Tanaka. No reration. Hai. (bows)

[Kwik E Mart]

...my, my...

[sprior]

"Oh my God they're going to kill us all!!!"

to

"Oh my God they're going to kill us all!!"

I see what you did there.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Kwik E Mart

...my, my...

Plastic Surgeons office?

[davidjruss]

Have we to guess which one is Lord Admiral sprior ?

DavidR

[Argos]

Nope, the second Microsoft Xmas party...

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Argos

Nope, the second Microsoft Xmas party...

[:D][:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

I looked at the replay. Don't think anything got ashore at Ramre. In fact, surving vessels began to withdraw to the NW.

F4F's without a deck flew to Diamond Harbour.

In the PI, the small landings at Tacloban (Northern Leyte) and Bacolad (between Cebu and Panay) encountered garrisons.

[Cap Mandrake]

ALSP;

I have some notions to preserve a landing at Ramree. Pick, choose, discard or mock at your preference.

1) With the loss of 2 decks carrying 36 F4F's, I think it would be risky to send Vicky and Hermes in by themselves.

2) We can use Akyab to support the landing. Fly in the aviation support from 167 Wing to Akyab. Fly in Vicky's Martlet IV with 9 hex range (after she is out of harm's way). Fly in the surving F4F's (after a few days R&R) and even the Dutch and USAAF P-40E's and any shorter ranged Martlets...et voila...unsinkable carrier.

3) Keep up pressure on Rangoon with heavies and P-38's

4) Drop 50th Indian Para either on Ramree itself or on Prome if it is unoccupied.

5) Bring troops ashore at Ramree over many days, perhaps low value AK's at the start so we fatigue or destroy the escorts with our LRCAP

6) Find that Jap brigade theat headed South from Akyab and hit it with fighter-bombers and mediums. Ditto the Jap armor that was at Prome. We can still get to Ramree before JJ can using 50th Indian if we have to.

7) With bug out of Jap brigade near Kalemyo, we can probably push south and get into the open ground near Shwebo. Maybe the Chindits can cut the rail to Myitkynia

8) I will keep up pressure in Luzon

9) Maybe use Wellington's on night raids on Rangoon airfield.

[Cap Mandrake]

Here are the air losses from the 25th. Much heavier Betty losses on the ground than expected. The F4F's losses are the squadron aboard the CVE sunk by IJN sub near Mindanao

[witpqs]

It almost sounds like you're asking a serious question?

Aw, you're such a kidder! [:D]

OK, OK. Ramree Island can be useful in various ways. It can form a base of operations of its own. It can provide supply to Burma (through Prome) prior to capture of Rangoon. It can be part of applying pressure to the defenses' flank during a movement down the coast road. It can also be part of applying pressure to the whole of middle and upper Burma by threatening a flanking move. It seems that if they are already moving forces up north in response to the Ramree Island move then maybe they see that one as a legitimate threat (based on what they know of their position and what they believe/fear of your position).

So, the least you should do is get something ashore that can defend itself. That will help to maintain/feed their assessment. Meanwhile, push like hell elsewhere in Burma.

If I understand the situation, you will be able to build up Ramree only slowly. It'll be a war of attrition to get supplies and engineers in there, and then keeping it open might be tough at first. You do have an advantage with the current state of the IJN. but getting everybody whacked going in there will tend to equalize things some, so avoid that. But get the place so it exerts pressure and builds to a real threat. Meanwhile, push everywhere you can in Burma to take advantage of the present uncertainty.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

It almost sounds like you're asking a serious question?

My dear sir. Please note the Capn's request for input from ALSP-the Lord Admiral himself. If he wanted input from the likes of us, he'd ask for the opinion of the peanut gallery / rabble / tittering monkeys.

*snicker* "tittering"...

[Crackaces]

It can provide supply to Burma (through Prome) prior to capture of Rangoon

That cannot be understated. I am not sure of the algorithum, but once Ramree Island is built up and overloaded with supplies .. supplies propagate everywhere in Burma. It is quite possible to horde supplies in the Irrawaddy Valley and then push them northward toward China as an example. Then there is supporting a huge offense to take Rangoon [8D]