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

[Cap Mandrake]

2 more squadrons of dive bombers...the CAP is shot up. Go get 'em! ......No, NO, the carriers! Atack the carriers.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Iriomote at 89,64

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid detected at 32 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 1

Allied aircraft
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 16
SBD-5 Dauntless x 18

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
SB2C-1C Helldiver: 3 damaged
SBD-5 Dauntless: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
CA Ashigara, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
CA Takao
DD Shirakumo

[Cap Mandrake]

The carriers go after Ching Lee at Karenko. Our CAP is week because the P-47's are sweeping over a base with no fighters. I blame the staff.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Karenko at 87,64

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 111 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 47 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 6
A6M3a Zero x 8
B5N2 Kate x 14
D3A2 Val x 34

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 5
F6F-3 Hellcat x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 4 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak
D3A2 Val: 15 damaged
D3A2 Val: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
CL Concord, Bomb hits 2
DD Fletcher
DD DeHaven
CL St. Louis, Bomb hits 4
CL Richmond, Bomb hits 1, Torpedo hits 1

No afternoon attacks by either side. You have to say we lost that exchange and JJ had MUCH more to lose potentially.

[Cap Mandrake]

USN: 3 CL's damaged. At least 2 will need yard time most likely.

IJN: Takao hit pretty badly. Ryujo, non-fatal hit.

If they are smart, they will retire next turn. This wasn't a golden opportunity for us..it was platinum opportunity with rare yellow diamond encrusted crap. They sail right into a hornet's nest of dive bombers on the first turn they are posted to Karenko and they do more damage than we do.

[Cap Mandrake]

Meanwhile, over Formosa, the rubble is reorganized at Takao airfield and Kagi airfield gets absolutely pulverized by B-25's. Tomorrow we hit Taichu and Taihoku. Recon flights over Okinawa today. That should cause some alarm. In fact, they might have thought the CA's at Horcrappo-jima were the first step in an Okinawa landing.

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[Cap Mandrake]

B-17's over Takao...first time in the war. It's War Plan Orange...just a little late.

[Cap Mandrake]

So I get tasked to picked up 8 year old SG IV from school last week. I'm not expected to be doing that normally.

I show up.

SG IV: Oh! Hi!

SG IV's 8 year old girlfriend: Oh, is that your grandfather? [:@][:D]

SG IV: <immediately realizing implications> Uhh, no. But I WISH he was!

Pretty good recovery for an 8 year old. I was more amused than anything but I did surreptitiously step on the other kid's lunch.

[Cap Mandrake]

Same 8 year old last night, addressing me.

SG IV: You go too sleep too early. You are such a buzz kill. [:D]

[zuluhour]

Peanut butter and jelly pancake.[:D]Serves the tot well....damn whippersnappers!

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

B-17's over Takao...first time in the war. It's War Plan Orange...just a little late.

No! Those are Mac's B-17s arriving over target a little late. [:D]

[sprior]

That Woman was on the TV last night:

DU: How old is Oprah?
Memsahib: Nearly 60 I think
DU: OH, I thought she was in her fifties.
Me: Um....

[Cap Mandrake]

[:D]

New math

The Oprah has reached the age of the coproliths.

[Cap Mandrake]

***********May 24, 1943(c), Deserted Beach, Daito Shoto, 200 mi SE of Okinawa, a PBY with a glossy gray paint job with orange pinstripes is tethered to the shore*********

Man in fine linen slacks: .....Do I understand that you actually WANT the Russians to enter the war against Japan? They have 10 times the tanks you do and theirs actually work.

Gen. Yamashita: No, no Miro! Not-ah against Japan men, WITH Japan men.

[Cap Mandrake]

***********Chart room, NORPAC HQ, Dutch Harbor, May 31, 1943(c)**********

Lt. Bering: <newly arrived charts in arms> Commander, these coordinates for Onnekotan-jima seem off to me. Do you want to take a look? 55 ?Deg 0?' 3??''N 166 ?Deg 16?' 23??'' E.......

[Cap Mandrake]

We broke quite a few WJD pranes on ground at Takao yesterday. We lost 15 SBD-3/5.

[Cap Mandrake]

One of the CL's at Karenko has 45% flotation damage but the other isn't bad at all. The third is unscathed. The combat report was a bit hyperbolic.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

***********Chart room, NORPAC HQ, Dutch Harbor, May 31, 1943(c)**********

Lt. Bering: <newly arrived charts in arms> Commander, these coordinates for Onnekotan-jima seem off to me. Do you want to take a look? 55 ?Deg 0?' 3??''N 166 ?Deg 16?' 23??'' E.......

This Lt. Bering chap-is he strait?

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

[:D]

New math

The Oprah has reached the age of the coproliths.

Been meaning to comment on this for a while now, Cap'n. In horses, they're fecoliths per se.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

That Woman was on the TV last night:

DU: How old is Oprah?
Memsahib: Nearly 60 I think
DU: OH, I thought she was in her fifties.
Me: Um....

Well, she could have been 64. That would have been nearly 60. Your concept of time is so one dimnensional. [:'(]

[Cap Mandrake]

**********June 1, 1943(c)***********


Nothing happened...nothing...well almost.

We raid Naha harbor..they fool us...they no show up.

Soryu and the CVL prudentry run away.

They bomb one of our taffys at Horcrappo-jima with unescorted Vals from Okinawa...we shoot them down.

We bomb Kagi and Taihoku and Crark...that kind of stuff.