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

[Cap Mandrake]

**********Offices of Henry L. Stimson, Sec. of War, Washington, April 1, 1943(c)**********



Brutus K. Dacshund, ASPCA President: I'm afraid, Mr. Stimson that we must protest most vigorously, the treatment of the Blackish Cuckooshrike by the US Army.

Sec. Stimson: The what?

Brutus K. Dacshund, ASPCA President: The Blackish Cuckooshrike, on Luzon.

Sec. Stimson: This is an April Fools joke, right? Did Marshall put you up to this? HAHAHAHAHAHA.......

[Chickenboy]

You guys are playing with PDU on, IIRC. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to upgrade your 2E to 4E bombers.

[Cap Mandrake]

Amazing what you can find in the South China Sea with a few PBY's at Lucena.

[Cap Mandrake]

**************April 2, 1943(c)**********


Ramree: Commonwealth soldiers make JJ plenty mad. JJ on warpath. A new record fighter sweep. 101 aircraft.

Morning Air attack on Ramree Island , at 54,48

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 85 NM, estimated altitude 26,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 23 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 41
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 60



Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIc x 2
Hurricane IIb Trop x 2
Hurricane IIc Trop x 15
P-40E Warhawk x 4


No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufighter VIc: 1 destroyed
Hurricane IIb Trop: 1 destroyed
Hurricane IIc Trop: 5 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

JJ comes in low after the airfield

Morning Air attack on Ramree Island , at 54,48

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 65 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 16



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 1


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 destroyed, 4 damaged
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 2 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed on ground
Vengeance I: 2 destroyed on ground


Allied ground losses:
13 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Airbase hits 2
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 12

[Cap Mandrake]

And then after the transports. Adios Senor Mendoza. The CAP is kaput.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Ramree Island at 54,48

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 76 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 6
G4M1 Betty x 11



Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 1


Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
xAP Dunnatar Castle
DD Nestor
CL Ceres
xAP Varela
xAK Mendoza, Torpedo hits 3, and is sunk
DD Stack

[Cap Mandrake]

Then they go after the escorts in the afternoon. These are harder to hit.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Ramree Island at 54,48

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 10
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 14



Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIc x 1
Hurricane IIb Trop x 1
Hurricane IIc Trop x 9
P-40E Warhawk x 2


Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 destroyed
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CA Sussex
CA Shropshire

[Cap Mandrake]

Jap bombers operating out of Port Blair at our troops ashore. Apparently we brought some Bofors guns with us. Even so, it can't go on forever. We will need to get them some help.

Morning Air attack on 45th Indian Brigade, at 46,58 (Port Blair)

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-IIa Lily x 16
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 12
Ki-51 Sonia x 8



Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-IIa Lily: 11 damaged
Ki-48-IIa Lily: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 8 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-51 Sonia: 5 damaged


Allied ground losses:
7 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Our lads at Port Blair

[Cap Mandrake]

Jap DD off Soerabaja. Hmmm. Wonder what they are doing? S-39 has been there for months.

ASW attack near Soerabaja at 56,103

Japanese Ships
DD Asakaze

Allied Ships
SS S-39

[Cap Mandrake]

PI: LYB officers give out extra rations Emperor Brand Kool-aide (with sake shots) and then the Oscar dirvers head off into rising sun. We have good stuff in Lucena. Banzai! CAP from Batangas bleeds over into Lucena...just-ah rike pran!

Morning Air attack on Lucena , at 79,79

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 21 NM, estimated altitude 26,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ia Oscar x 34



Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vc Trop x 3
P-38G Lightning x 9
P-39D Airacobra x 2
P-40B Warhawk x 2
P-40E Warhawk x 5
P-40K Warhawk x 4
F4U-1 Corsair x 15


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ia Oscar: 7 destroyed

No Allied losses

Here is another group that had seconds on the sake and got lost, Curiously, they manage to down a Spit.

Morning Air attack on Lucena , at 79,79

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 148 NM, estimated altitude 22,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 51 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ia Oscar x 3
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 2



Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vc Trop x 3
P-38G Lightning x 8
P-39D Airacobra x 2
P-40B Warhawk x 1
P-40E Warhawk x 4
P-40K Warhawk x 4
F4U-1 Corsair x 13


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-Ia Oscar: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Spitfire Vc Trop: 1 destroyed

Another Oscar sweep over Lucena

Morning Air attack on Lucena , at 79,79

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 23,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 14



Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vc Trop x 2
P-38G Lightning x 8
P-39D Airacobra x 2
P-40B Warhawk x 1
P-40E Warhawk x 4
P-40K Warhawk x 4
F4U-1 Corsair x 12


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-40K Warhawk: 1 destroyed

And then Tojos, which fare better, of course.

Afternoon Air attack on Lucena , at 79,79

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 30 NM, estimated altitude 27,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 8 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 12



Allied aircraft
P-38G Lightning x 8
F4U-1 Corsair x 11


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 3 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
P-38G Lightning: 1 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

This was something heading for Legaspi. CAP from San Jose took care of them. I think it is possible JJ moved soem of their Tojos from the PI to Burma.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Bacolod at 80,84

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 9



Allied aircraft
P-39D Airacobra x 6
P-40K Warhawk x 23
F4U-1 Corsair x 6


Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

A transport with supply trying to get in to Lucena comes under attack and gets protection from the Corsairs at San Jose.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Roxas at 79,82

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 8 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 5
Ki-61-Ia Tony x 6



Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 5


Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses

[Cap Mandrake]

They persist in attacking Legaspi, which has no aviation support or supply, just a few damaged airframes.

Morning Air attack on Legaspi , at 82,82

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 9
Ki-61-Ia Tony x 6



Allied aircraft
P-40K Warhawk x 3


Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed

No Allied losses


Allied ground losses:
4 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled


Runway hits 5

[Cap Mandrake]

I found something useful for the bombers at Manado to entertain themselves with. They cant reach central or northern Luzon.

Morning Air attack on 39th JNAF AF Unit , at 79,91 (Davao)

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes


Allied aircraft
B-17F Fortress x 6
B-24D Liberator x 21
B-24D1 Liberator x 11
B-25C Mitchell x 14
B-25D1 Mitchell x 5


No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
123 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 23 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Poor Tarpon has been waiting for a month for this chance...and then....better use of subs will be in the South China Sea where we can see them coming and send in a wolfpack


ASW attack near Tandjoengpinang at 52,85

Japanese Ships
TK Toa Maru
DD Naganami

Allied Ships
SS Tarpon, hits 10, heavy damage

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

PI: LYB officers give out extra rations Emperor Brand Kool-aide (with sake shots) and then the Oscar dirvers head off into rising sun. We have good stuff in Lucena. Banzai! CAP from Batangas bleeds over into Lucena...just-ah rike pran!

Oscar Ia? In April 1943(c)? WTF? [&:]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

PI: LYB officers give out extra rations Emperor Brand Kool-aide (with sake shots) and then the Oscar dirvers head off into rising sun. We have good stuff in Lucena. Banzai! CAP from Batangas bleeds over into Lucena...just-ah rike pran!

Oscar Ia? In April 1943(c)? WTF? [&:]

ergo the sake. [:)]

[Cap Mandrake]

A fighter sweep of 101 Tojos and Oscar II's over Ramree is essentially all the fighters that were detected at Rangoon (if that is where they came from--almost certianly they did). I think they brought in reinforcemetns either from China or the PI or even the South Pacific

This means they stripped their own CAP over Rangoon for their big raid. They downed AT LEAST 16 Hurris and P-40's and our fighter cupboards are pretty bare. Except for the P-38 squadron, this is our best stuff in the area, as I recall. The Tojos are going to kick our asses in a sweep vs CAP battle.

We need to keep them honest. Ideas.

--P-38 sweeps over Rangoon?

--B-24, Liberator day raids over Rangoon. Wellingtons at night (just like the 8th AF and RAF did in Europe). I can send a couple of B-24 squadrons from Manado?

--Morale leaflets asking JJ to give up?

--Hire 3rd party contractor to ground Jap planes?

--Can Corsairs fly in from the PI to Ramree or perhaps to China and then Ramree?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

You guys are playing with PDU on, IIRC. Otherwise, you wouldn't be able to upgrade your 2E to 4E bombers.

Yes, good point. PDU on.

[sprior]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake


Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 6
G4M1 Betty x 11

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 1


Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
G4M1 Betty: 2 damaged

That is a busy 'Cane driver