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

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Just in case you'd forgotten today is the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden.

A Floddenquincentennial? Why on Earth didn't you warn us yesterday? All the shops will be out of the bubbly on the way home now. [:@]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: sprior

Just in case you'd forgotten today is the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden.

I used to know this kind of stuff but....I had to look it up. You do realize you guys have wierd placenames over there. It's as bad as Burma. [:)]

Is this the same guy they dug up under a car park recently?

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: sprior

Just in case you'd forgotten today is the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden.

I used to know this kind of stuff but....I had to look it up. You do realize you guys have wierd placenames over there. It's as bad as Burma. [:)]

Is this the same guy they dug up under a car park recently?

Since you looked it up, what was the flogging at Flodden all about, then?

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: sprior

Just in case you'd forgotten today is the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Flodden.

I used to know this kind of stuff but....I had to look it up. You do realize you guys have wierd placenames over there. It's as bad as Burma. [:)]

Is this the same guy they dug up under a car park recently?

Since you looked it up, what was the flogging at Flodden all about, then?

King of the Scots tried to make trouble in Northumberland while the King of England has his lads in France trying to steal stuff from the King of France.

[Cap Mandrake]

The guy under the car park was Richard III. I can never keep them all straight.


My favorite is Aethelred the Unready. He had an inspiration rating of 12.

[Cap Mandrake]

"Does this tunic make my back look crooked?"

[Cap Mandrake]

***************May 11, 1943(c)************

Quite an interesting turn

Batan Is., the Ryukyus et environs: S-33 goes to investigate LYB shipping at Kume-jima...bonzia! Pretty good for a boat that will be a seafood restaurant soon.

Submarine attack near Kume-jima at 92,63

Japanese Ships
xAK Kinsyu Maru, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage

Allied Ships
SS S-33

A Jap sub takes a shot at the Yorktown convoy but misses.

Sub attack near Batan Island at 87,69

Japanese Ships
SS I-8, hits 1

Allied Ships
DD Mahan
BB Washington
CLAA Oakland
DD Gwin
DD Taylor
DD Meade

OH CRAP! BOSS IS

[GreyJoy]

[:(]...i wish i'd know enough of english to be able to truly understand Cap's humor...[:(]

[erstad]

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

[:(]...i wish i'd know enough of english to be able to truly understand Cap's humor...[:(]

Don't assume it's always the language barrier [:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: erstad

ORIGINAL: GreyJoy

[:(]...i wish i'd know enough of english to be able to truly understand Cap's humor...[:(]

Don't assume it's always the language barrier [:D]

[:D][:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

American Engrish is easy. It's Engrish Engrish that is stupefyingly arcane. That's why they did not need Navajo code talkers. They could just say things like "have a skeg" and the wee Jap dobbers wouldn't have a clue.

[Cap Mandrake]

Battle of the titans (cont)

We send some PT boats to Ishigaki which is evidently being reinforced by LYB troops coming ashore. Just to show off, they don't use their torps.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Ishigaki at 90,66, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
xAKL Shoryu Maru, Shell hits 2
SC CHa-52, Shell hits 18, and is sunk
SC CHa-55, Shell hits 5, and is sunk

Allied Ships
PT-65
PT-103
PT-231
PT-236

How fun would it be to sink something with a .50 cal? Or maybe they have something bigger in June 43?

Now the big stuff. The impudent LYB's send the CVL and Soryu after our retreating carriers. And they flew in new air groups too. No CAP from Wasp. Some CAP flies over from nearby Batan Is.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Batan Island at 86,70

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 34 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
A6M3a Zero x 10
B5N2 Kate x 23

Allied aircraft
Boomerang C-12 x 2
P-38G Lightning x 1
F4F-4 Wildcat x 29
F4U-1 Corsair x 2
F6F-3 Hellcat x 10

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3a Zero: 3 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 16 destroyed

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CV Yorktown
BB Washington

The DD's at Horycrappo-jima attract some vals. They have no CAP. They just have AAA and tr\wisting and turning.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Miyako-jima at 91,66

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 34 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D3A1 Val x 2

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 1 damaged
D3A1 Val: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
DD Cony

More Vals

Morning Air attack on TF, near Miyako-jima at 91,66

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D3A1 Val x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A1 Val: 3 damaged

Allied Ships
DD Cony

Even Marys go after the DD's. And then some Herens in a daytime raid on the "port" which is really 5 empty oil drums tied together.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Miyako-jima at 91,66

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 39 NM, estimated altitude 2,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-32 Mary x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-32 Mary: 3 damaged
Ki-32 Mary: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied Ships
DD O'Bannon
DD Cony

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Battle of the titans (cont)

We send some PT boats to Ishigaki which is evidently being reinforced by LYB troops coming ashore. Just to show off, they don't use their torps.

Day Time Surface Combat, near Ishigaki at 90,66, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
xAKL Shoryu Maru, Shell hits 2
SC CHa-52, Shell hits 18, and is sunk
SC CHa-55, Shell hits 5, and is sunk

Allied Ships
PT-65
PT-103
PT-231
PT-236

How fun would it be to sink something with a .50 cal? Or maybe they have something bigger in June 43?

Now the big stuff. The impudent LYB's send the CVL and Soryu after our retreating carriers. And they flew in new air groups too. No CAP from Wasp. Some CAP flies over from nearby Batan Is.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Batan Island at 86,70

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 80 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 34 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
A6M3a Zero x 10
B5N2 Kate x 23

Allied aircraft
Boomerang C-12 x 2
P-38G Lightning x 1
F4F-4 Wildcat x 29
F4U-1 Corsair x 2
F6F-3 Hellcat x 10

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3a Zero: 3 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 16 destroyed

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CV Yorktown
BB Washington

Here you go Cap'n, because I know you don't read the manual.
http://www.ptboats.org/20-01-05-ptboat-009.html

[Cap Mandrake]

And then our "counterattack". Yorktown was stacked with disabled airframes and 2 squadrons of F4F's flown in the provide CAP. I put some TBF's on Batan Is with no torps and set them at 15K feet. They were suppsoed to attack with some nice USMC Corsairs. Gaaak.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Batan Island at 89,71

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 40 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
A6M3a Zero x 11

Allied aircraft
TBF-1 Avenger x 14

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBF-1 Avenger: 7 destroyed

And this equally inept attack from the remainder of Yorktown's TBF's.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Batan Island at 89,71

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 58 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 27 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
A6M3a Zero x 8

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1
TBF-1 Avenger x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBF-1 Avenger: 2 destroyed, 4 damaged

Japanese Ships
CVL Ryuho

Then, in the afternoon, we manage to find some escorts but have no TBF's left.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Batan Island at 89,71

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 41 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
A6M3a Zero x 10

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 3
F6F-3 Hellcat x 4
TBF-1 Avenger x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat: 1 destroyed
F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed
TBF-1 Avenger: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
CV Soryu

The primo, hot shot, torp-trained RAAF Beauforts takes off from Vigan but get lost and attack a coupel of crappy PB's at Takao which were probably jsut there to bait us in. [:-]

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Takao at 84,65

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2-N Rufe x 1
Ki-61-Ia Tony x 15

Allied aircraft
Beaufort VIII x 9

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufort VIII: 2 destroyed, 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
PB Karimo Maru

A hotshot B-25 squadron from Alitmonan has a go.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Batan Island at 89,71

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 52 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 2
A6M3a Zero x 4

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
CVL Ryuho

Aircraft Attacking:
4 x B-25C Mitchell bombing from 7000 feet *
Naval Attack: 3 x 500 lb SAP Bomb

More opportunities missed

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Batan Island at 89,71

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 46 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-25C Mitchell x 3

Allied aircraft losses
B-25C Mitchell: 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Chikuma

[Cap Mandrake]

Enemy afternoon air attacks: I don't know where all these fighters are coming from. Fortunately, the Bettys are in short supply on Formosa after the attacks yesterday. Wild, mixed CAP

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Batan Island at 86,70

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 77 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 26 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 17
A6M3 Zero x 8
A6M5 Zero x 17
G4M1 Betty x 6
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 16
Ki-61-Ia Tony x 10

Allied aircraft
Boomerang C-12 x 2
Hurricane XIIb x 13
P-38G Lightning x 1
P-39D Airacobra x 8
F4F-4 Wildcat x 24
F4U-1 Corsair x 6
F6F-3 Hellcat x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 3 destroyed
A6M3 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M5 Zero: 3 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 3 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 1 destroyed
Ki-61-Ia Tony: 4 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane XIIb: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CV Wasp

If all the Bettys had been in one raid it might have worked.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Batan Island at 86,70

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 44 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3 Zero x 3
G4M1 Betty x 8

Allied aircraft
Boomerang C-12 x 2
Hurricane XIIb x 8
P-38G Lightning x 1
P-39D Airacobra x 6
F4F-4 Wildcat x 19
F4U-1 Corsair x 4
F6F-3 Hellcat x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3 Zero: 1 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 4 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CV Wasp, heavy damage

5 more Netties destroyed attacking less important shipping on its way to Batan or Formosa.

[Cap Mandrake]

"Oh, I do tire of those D+mn Para's" (Admirar Rord Fabertong,1943(c)): [:D][:D]
We own a base on Formosa

Ground combat at Karenko (87,64)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 228 troops, 5 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 17

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0

Allied adjusted assault: 8

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 8 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Karenko !!!

Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)

Assaulting units:
1st Australian Para Bn /1

[Cap Mandrake]

Aparri: I have no idea what the 5th Makapili Regt is or where they came from. Let's hope they wear funny hats and have been recruited from a prsion somewhere. Maybe we should just attack now instead of waiting for the difficult river crossing.

Ground combat at Aparri (82,73)

Allied Bombardment attack

Attacking force 2002 troops, 74 guns, 26 vehicles, Assault Value = 252

Defending force 5616 troops, 87 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 114

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

Assaulting units:
II Aus Corps Engineer Battalion
3rd Marine Rgt /1
2nd British Div /9
2/10th Armoured Rgt /1
637th TD Bn /1
640th TD Bn /1

Defending units:
Kure 7th SNLF
5th Makapili Regiment
22nd JNAF AF Unit
40th JAAF AF Bn
4th JNAF AF Unit
178th JAAF AF Bn

[Cap Mandrake]

Summary (excluding Burma and Bay of Bengal, which was pretty fun): Neither side scores any hits on important ships. JJ loses way more aircraft. We gain a lodgement on Formosa. Horycrappo-jima is protected from a counter landing another day. Our transports reach safety at Batan and Vigan.

[zuluhour]

I want to hear JJ's reaction when he reads this[X(]

[Chickenboy]

@ Greyjoy-

Cap'n mandrake: evevahree day he make-ah me raff! He funny man! Hai! [&o]