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

[Cap Mandrake]

Hokkaido: WJD DD's raid toward Bihoro, braving a sub gauntlet.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Bihoro at 124,51, Range 5,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Shimakaze
DD Tachekaze

Allied Ships
DD Harding, Shell hits 1, on fire
DD Baldwin


Well, that was manly. A second group of USN DD's arrive. We lose

Night Time Surface Combat, near Bihoro at 123,51, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Shimakaze
DD Tachekaze

Allied Ships
DD Saufley
DD McCalla, Shell hits 5
DD Bancroft
DD Frazier


A PERFECT opportunity for PT boats. 2000 yds visibility. No go.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Fukue-jima at 101,58, Range 2,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Oite
DD Urukaze

Allied Ships
PT-287
PT-288
PT-332
PT-333
PT-334


The PT boats finally drive off the IJN DD's.

[Cap Mandrake]

In the morning, a well escorted attack on the transports. Spillover CAP from the F6F's 40 miles away.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Bihoro at 123,51

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 65 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 27 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 10
B5N2 Kate x 19

Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 4
F6F-3 Hellcat x 44

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 2 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 9 destroyed, 2 damaged
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
F6F-3 Hellcat: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
APA Wayne
xAP Kajang


Remember Indiana, (which was one of the most beautiful ships of WWII) that stopped to look at flying fish and bioluminescent wakes?

Morning Air attack on TF, near Bihoro at 124,49

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 57 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 24 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 7

Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 6
F6F-3 Hellcat x 8

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 3 destroyed
B5N2 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
BB Indiana, Torpedo hits 2


DAMN! It's not very bad but she will need drydock

A couple of unescorted Val attacks on the landing vessels are trashed.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Bihoro at 123,51

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid detected at 29 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D3A2 Val x 6

Allied aircraft
P-38H Lightning x 1
F6F-3 Hellcat x 35

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A2 Val: 3 destroyed

No Allied losses


Some carrier SBD's break a few AK's near Hakodate (western Hokkaido)

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Hakodate at 119,53

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid detected at 47 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 17 minutes

Allied aircraft
F6F-3 Hellcat x 24
SBD-5 Dauntless x 14

Allied aircraft losses
SBD-5 Dauntless: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
xAK Kamogawa Maru
xAK Konzan Maru, Bomb hits 1, heavy fires
xAK Shanghai Maru, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAKL Taganoura Maru

[Cap Mandrake]

We might have saved 2 of the infantry regiments and landed them AFTER capture but intel was incomplete and speed was important as we have already triggered emergency reserves.

Ground combat at Bihoro (123,51)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 6311 troops, 121 guns, 375 vehicles, Assault Value = 346

Defending force 1780 troops, 10 guns, 36 vehicles, Assault Value = 11

Allied adjusted assault: 126

Japanese adjusted defense: 2

Allied assault odds: 63 to 1 (fort level 1)

Allied forces CAPTURE Bihoro !!!

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-36 Ida: 2 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 17 destroyed
D3A1 Val: 2 destroyed

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), preparation(-), experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
670 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 6 disabled
Non Combat: 91 destroyed, 26 disabled
Engineers: 13 destroyed, 3 disabled
Guns lost 10 (5 destroyed, 5 disabled)
Vehicles lost 26 (26 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 1

Allied ground losses:
22 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
4th USMC Tank Battalion
58th (Sep) Infantry Regiment
762nd Tank Battalion
27th Infantry Regiment
201st(Sep) Infantry Rgt /1
209th Field Artillery Battalion
North Pacific /1

Defending units:
1st Air Division
27th JNAF AF Unit

[Cap Mandrake]

Port Hedrand: The walking dead grow weaker...BRAINS...BRAINS

Ground combat at Port Hedland (57,129)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 14362 troops, 200 guns, 815 vehicles, Assault Value = 544

Defending force 17292 troops, 25 guns, 20 vehicles, Assault Value = 162

Allied adjusted assault: 460

Japanese adjusted defense: 13

Allied assault odds: 35 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: disruption(-), fatigue(-), supply(-)
Attacker: shock(+)

Japanese ground losses:
1764 casualties reported
Squads: 211 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 78 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 14 (13 destroyed, 1 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Allied ground losses:
241 casualties reported
Squads: 10 destroyed, 23 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)

Assaulting units:
1st Motor Brigade
6th Australian Brigade
2/6th Armoured Regiment
2/11th Armoured Car Battalion
2/5th Armoured Regiment
4th Armoured Brigade
3rd Motor Brigade
11th Australian Battalion
3rd Australian Brigade
19th USN Naval Construction Battalion
177th USAAF Base Force
1st RAAF M/W Sqn
15th USN Naval Construction Battalion
18th USN Naval Construction Battalion
4th RAAF M/W Sqn
3rd RAAF M/W Sqn

Defending units:
5th Division
6th Guards Division
16th Army
24th Infantry Regiment
4th Ind. Engineer Regiment
56th Engineer Regiment
4th Infantry Regiment
65th Brigade
22nd Air Flotilla
66th Infantry Group
51st JNAF AF Unit

[Cap Mandrake]

USS Indiana

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

USS Indiana

Bad a** b****! [&o]

[Cap Mandrake]

Situation on Hokkaido, July 27. 8500 LYB's at Sapporo. Lots of transport activity. Maybe they are stripping Hokkaido of everything valuable?

[Cap Mandrake]

Indiana is at 13/15/6 damage. She will head back to Shikoku for some bondo and shop vac work and then back to Seattle. Bummer. Mr. Mnderbinder will have a chain of transistor radio factories by the time she gets back.


But you say, "Wait, the transistor is not invented yet!"


That's what you think.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Situation on Hokkaido, July 27. 8500 LYB's at Sapporo. Lots of transport activity. Maybe they are stripping Hokkaido of everything valuable?

Can you "activate" the Russians by marching Allied troops across the border from Shikuka? If so, whose side would they be on?
I sent an xAKL to Russia once with some supply which they happily accepted, but would they give the ship some fuel to get back home? NYET!
I think the port commander was Alexander Putin Sr. [8|]

[Cap Mandrake]

I don't even think you can get Japan-mens to retreat into Red Menace territory. Even so, there are opportunities for trade.

[Cap Mandrake]

************"Downtown" Shikuka, July 27, 1943(c)*********


A large line of GI's queue outside a storefront. A sign reads.

UNIQUE RUSSIAN MATRYOSHKA DOLLS:
A GREAT GIFT FOR YOUR GIRL

M&M Importers, Inc.

[Cap Mandrake]

I am pretty sure "Matryoshka" means "useless" in Russian.

I'd rather have a beat up Lawn Jockey than a crate of those stupid things.

[Cap Mandrake]

Alaska class was pretty bitchen' too. Except for that AA battery on the bow. Not sure the taxpayers got a good value in terms of utility with the Alaska class...but somebody put bread on their table.

What the USN should have done is have a gay guy look over the final design and get rid of crap like that AA gun on the bow. Just purely on esthetic grounds I mean. Ditto on the paint color choices.

[Cap Mandrake]

Oh...I just realized I may have insulted folks who do ship art mods. Sorry. Was just a joke.

Even so, I'm thinking a hint of summer dawn teal on the superstructure.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Alaska class was pretty bitchen' too. Except for that AA battery on the bow. Not sure the taxpayers got a good value in terms of utility with the Alaska class...but somebody put bread on their table.

What the USN should have done is have a gay guy look over the final design and get rid of crap like that AA gun on the bow. Just purely on esthetic grounds I mean. Ditto on the paint color choices.

I like the Alaska Class lines too - the well dispersed superstructure and mack (mast/stack) were unique.
They were used mainly for bombardments and AA escort because the threat they were designed to counter never existed.

Call it Fog of Pre-War: the Japanese hid the size of their three new Yamato battleships by announcing they were also building three Chibuchi class BC of 27,000 tons, to account for the money and material
going into the Yamatos. So the US promptly planned five (to maintain the 5:3 ration) CB to counter the phantom Chibuchis. By the time it was clear that
there were no Chibuchis, the US needed the ALaskas to take on the nasty Japanese CAs. Then it was clear that the CAs would be countered by air power, but
construction was far along and the USN needed good, fast, long-range AA escorts for the carrier fleet, so they kept construction going. Alaska and Guam were
completed and used, while the third (Hawaii? Samoa?) was nearly finished.

After the war there was talk of making them missile-armed ships, but it was more economical to convert and operate some of the CAs and CLs instead.
I'm not sure, but on a flight departing San Francisco many years ago we went over the Mare Island area and I may have caught a glimpse of the Alaska tied
up with the mothball fleet. Wished I had driven up to the area and rented a boat!

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Alaska class was pretty bitchen' too. Except for that AA battery on the bow. Not sure the taxpayers got a good value in terms of utility with the Alaska class...but somebody put bread on their table.

What the USN should have done is have a gay guy look over the final design and get rid of crap like that AA gun on the bow. Just purely on esthetic grounds I mean. Ditto on the paint color choices.

I like the Alaska Class lines too - the well dispersed superstructure and mack (mast/stack) were unique.
They were used mainly for bombardments and AA escort because the threat they were designed to counter never existed.

Call it Fog of Pre-War: the Japanese hid the size of their three new Yamato battleships by announcing they were also building three Chibuchi class BC of 27,000 tons, to account for the money and material
going into the Yamatos. So the US promptly planned five (to maintain the 5:3 ration) CB to counter the phantom Chibuchis. By the time it was clear that
there were no Chibuchis, the US needed the ALaskas to take on the nasty Japanese CAs. Then it was clear that the CAs would be countered by air power, but
construction was far along and the USN needed good, fast, long-range AA escorts for the carrier fleet, so they kept construction going. Alaska and Guam were
completed and used, while the third (Hawaii? Samoa?) was nearly finished.

After the war there was talk of making them missile-armed ships, but it was more economical to convert and operate some of the CAs and CLs instead.
I'm not sure, but on a flight departing San Francisco many years ago we went over the Mare Island area and I may have caught a glimpse of the Alaska tied
up with the mothball fleet. Wished I had driven up to the area and rented a boat!

Be Glad you didn't waste the money. She was scrapped in 1960.
http://www.history.navy.mil/photos/sh-u ... -a/cb1.htm

[Chickenboy]

What a monumental waste of a beautiful and capable ship...[:(]

Commissioned in 1944, decommissioned in 1947. Sent to the breakers in 1960.

[Cap Mandrake]

*************July 27, 1943(c)***********

Formosa: Possible LYB surface combatants were spotted hugging the coast of China so a
plan to embark ground units at Taihoku was scrubbed and mighty PC-776 was ordered to stand guard. I think the least we could do is a unit citation medal.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Taihoku at 87,63, Range 1,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Akebono
DD Ushio
DD Kisaragi

Allied Ships
SC PC-776, Shell hits 12, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Hokkaido: We retreated our unloading transports back from Bihoro, anticipating another surface night
raid. Indeed, Chikuma was seen in the area. The carrier planes broke 8 or 9 WJD AK's without troops aboard (in and around Hokkaido)....but our troop transports somehow got separated from the carriers and something bad happened.
750 men of 58th IR were aboard that ship. Sorry about that.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Kunashiri at 126,50

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid detected at 48 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 17 minutes

Japanese aircraft
D3A2 Val x 11
G4M1 Betty x 4

Japanese aircraft losses
D3A2 Val: 3 damaged

Allied Ships
xAP Josiah Royce, Bomb hits 1, on fire
xAP Trade Wind, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
DD Beale
xAP William B. Allison, Bomb hits 2, on fire
SC-632, Bomb hits 1, and is sunk

Allied ground losses:
864 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 124 destroyed, 46 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 14 (11 destroyed, 3 disabled)
Vehicles lost 27 (24 destroyed, 3 disabled)


Chikuma evidently cleared the area by daylight.

[Cap Mandrake]

Kyushu: Orderly disembarkation of thousands of troops underway at Kanoya. No IJN night raid.
Kogoshima airfield is plasterized again by heavies and B-25's. Looks like the WJD have given up defending it. Time to go after Sasebo/Nagasaki.