At dawn we slept...in the cab on the way back from Olongapo

[Cap Mandrake]

**************January 6, 1942(e)**************

Oz: As expected, the LYB's land at Cairns. The USN/RAN show up after dodging a sub.
Remarkably similar force composition, excellent USN CO who does manage to gain a positional advantage but the annoying LYB's have better night training and torps.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Cairns at 92,140, Range 9,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
CA Aoba
CA Kinugasa
CA Furutaka, Shell hits 2, on fire
CL Tama
CL Kiso
CL Oi, Shell hits 3
DD Oboro
DD Fuyo
DD Karukaya

Allied Ships
CA New Orleans
CA Minneapolis, Shell hits 1
CA San Francisco, Shell hits 3, on fire
CL Leander
DD Ralph Talbot
DD Henley, Shell hits 1, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
DD Jarvis, Shell hits 2, on fire

[Cap Mandrake]

Cairns is within escort range for the P-40E's from Townsville. Same HQ, same altitude....crap. The Marines head to their death.
Carrier somewhere too. This is too many Zeroes to have come all the way from PM

Morning Air attack on TF, near Cairns at 92,140

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 14 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 24

Allied aircraft
SB2U-3 Vindicator x 16

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
SB2U-3 Vindicator: 10 destroyed

The escorts stay with the Army pilots....ah...I see. Not enough, though. Very, very disappointing after yesterday's successes.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Cairns at 95,140

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 14

Allied aircraft
A-24 Banshee x 9
P-40E Warhawk x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
A-24 Banshee: 4 destroyed, 1 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 3 destroyed

Japanese Ships
AMC Saigon Maru

[Cap Mandrake]

The SCTF has retreated back to Townsville. Not enough CAP either. Kates dive bombing..probably Ryujo.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Townsville at 92,144

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 54 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 23 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
B5N1 Kate x 11

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 12

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 2 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed

Allied Ships
DD Ralph Talbot
CA San Francisco, Bomb hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
CA New Orleans, Bomb hits 1
CL Leander, Bomb hits 2

Some stragglers

Morning Air attack on TF, near Townsville at 92,144

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 46 NM, estimated altitude 2,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 19 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N1 Kate x 3

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
B5N1 Kate: 2 destroyed

No Allied losses

In the afternoon. Bah...not sure about the damage. Let's hope they can still make good speed and get out to the South. Won't really be safe to disband at Townsville.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Townsville at 92,144

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 38 NM, estimated altitude 3,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 16 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 4
B5N1 Kate x 23

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
B5N1 Kate: 5 damaged
B5N1 Kate: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
CA New Orleans, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires
CL Leander
CA Minneapolis

[Cap Mandrake]

Charter Towers, Bowen and McKay south of Townsville have no garrisons. We will just have to give up Townsville and move South if there are substantial Jap ground units coming (probably 4th Div)

[Cap Mandrake]

Here's hoping they don't know about the emergency Australian reinforcements. [:)]

[Cap Mandrake]

We did get damaged Achilles and Pensacola out of Townsville yesterday.

[Cap Mandrake]

34th RCT and 8th Marine Regt are coming to Oz from Auckland.

British 18 Div is mostly ashore at Darwin but it looks like we need firepower on the East coast.

[Cap Mandrake]

Hong Kong: This is mildly amusing after getting "bad die rolls" in Oz. The Chinese Air Force gets its first hit on a real ship.

Morning Air attack on Hong Kong , at 77,61

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
A-29A Hudson x 4

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CA Mikuma, Bomb hits 1
PC Sumire, Bomb hits 1, on fire

[Justus2]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

You know, it would be a Hell of a lot easier to defend Australia if some idiot hadn't lost 2 US carriers.

You still haven't found them? Its like losing car keys, you just have to keep looking. They'll turn up again eventually (in 1944)

[Itdepends]

I thought the trick was to stop looking, get another set made and then they would turn up. Can you order another couple of carriers and see if that works?

[Cap Mandrake]

Editirx Note:


A member of this forum has complained about bullying and has requested anonymity. Even though this individual has repatedly been sanctioend by the Board on other matters, the board wishes to confirm that this after action report firmly adheres to the guidelines of http://www.stopbullying.gov/


We, the Board, therfore insist that all bullying must stop because "WORDS HURT!"

[Onime No Kyo]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

We send the weaker A-24 squadron to Brisbane and bring in some USMC Vindicators from Suva.

B-17's crew have virtually no naval attack skills so they will go after PM airfield.

USN/RAN cruiser squadron will sortie toward Cairns tonight.

Look on the bright side, at least you're getting some use for all that tax payer money.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

We send the weaker A-24 squadron to Brisbane and bring in some USMC Vindicators from Suva.

B-17's crew have virtually no naval attack skills so they will go after PM airfield.

USN/RAN cruiser squadron will sortie toward Cairns tonight.

Look on the bright side, at least you're getting some use for all that tax payer money.

This is true. Replacing Vindicators with SBD's is good for.....<goes to look it up...SBD-3...'42..OK) Santa Monica and the Douglas shareholders.

Amazingly, despite the loss of 16 planes, only 1 Vindicator crew was lost. The good people of Cairns, being an appreciative lot, apparetnly sent out some boats.

[Cap Mandrake]

Douglas worker in Long Beach might get some of the money too. Maybe she can buy some eye protection?

Aircraft production in Southern California eventually generated a huge middle class in Southern California.

[Onime No Kyo]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: Onime No Kyo

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

We send the weaker A-24 squadron to Brisbane and bring in some USMC Vindicators from Suva.

B-17's crew have virtually no naval attack skills so they will go after PM airfield.

USN/RAN cruiser squadron will sortie toward Cairns tonight.

Look on the bright side, at least you're getting some use for all that tax payer money.

This is true. Replacing Vindicators with SBD's is good for.....<goes to look it up...SBD-3...'42..OK) Santa Monica and the Douglas shareholders.

Amazingly, despite the loss of 16 planes, only 1 Vindicator crew was lost. The good people of Cairns, being an appreciative lot, apparetnly sent out some boats.

Wrong again. Boats were used to evacuate all the buxom white women (saves space for flotation device, etc.)

The most likely explanation of pilot survival is probably tides. And the fact that the local shark population finds Marines distinctly unappetizing. Unlike the local buxom white women.

[Onime No Kyo]

Mandrake-San go to look for buxom white women and thread fall to page 2?

[Cap Mandrake]

***********Royal Hawaiian, Honolulu**********

FAM: Do you mean to tell me the Goddamned Jap carriers turned around and are back in the Goddamned Coral Sea again?

Aide: Yes, sir. So it appears.

FAM: Fan-*******-tastic! Fire the intel guy!

Aide: Again, sir? I'm not sure he even moved out of his office yet.

FAM: Fire him AGAIN! There has to be some accountability around here. And find out who this Mandrake-san guy is. Creeps me out.

[sprior]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Editirx Note:


A member of this forum has complained about bullying and has requested anonymity. Even though this individual has repatedly been sanctioend by the Board on other matters, the board wishes to confirm that this after action report firmly adheres to the guidelines of http://www.stopbullying.gov/


We, the Board, therfore insist that all bullying must stop because "WORDS HURT!"

Especially if written down and wrapped around a rock

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Editirx Note:


A member of this forum has complained about bullying and has requested anonymity. Even though this individual has repatedly been sanctioend by the Board on other matters, the board wishes to confirm that this after action report firmly adheres to the guidelines of http://www.stopbullying.gov/


We, the Board, therfore insist that all bullying must stop because "WORDS HURT!"

Especially if written down and wrapped around a rock

[:D] That's what we like - concrete ideas!

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: sprior

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Editirx Note:


A member of this forum has complained about bullying and has requested anonymity. Even though this individual has repatedly been sanctioend by the Board on other matters, the board wishes to confirm that this after action report firmly adheres to the guidelines of http://www.stopbullying.gov/


We, the Board, therfore insist that all bullying must stop because "WORDS HURT!"

Especially if written down and wrapped around a rock

[:D] That's what we like - concrete ideas!

Canadians - ever practical! [:D] [;)]