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

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: desicat

70% runway damage, fridge for Pabst Blue Ribbon blown up!

This is why the Marines drink Old Milwaukee. Tastes great warm or cold, or at least the same anyways.

[:D] Old Milwaukee makes Pabst look like a craft brewer. [:)] Hot beer out of can is just the worst but I suppose it beats cholera.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Justus2

Fellow in Hawaiian shirt seems much too smart to 'volunteer' for mini-sub duty... or he's a quick learner! [:D]

He was on vacation when the unit CO asked for volunteers.

[Cap Mandrake]

************Feb 10,1942(e)************

JJ are mean to us again.

Koumac: Much noise and expenditure of the wealth of the Emperor to dislodge 20 USMC paratroops.

Night Naval bombardment of Koumac at 113,156

Japanese Ships
CL Sendai
DD Oboro

Port hits 2
Port supply hits 1

E7K2 Alf acting as spotter for CL Sendai
CL Sendai firing at Koumac
DD Oboro firing at Koumac

This is followed by a construction Bn (Koreans in diapers) landing amphibiously. At least their clothes will dry fast but I imagine the salt might chaffe.

The thing is I don't think a construction Bn has any AV power so they will have to sit there.

[Cap Mandrake]

Tanna: Remember that bombardment force possibly headed to Noumea? They turned left. Thank Jehova the 34th RCT were sent along to Suva instead of unloading at Tanna but we didn't have adequate surface forces to cover them so caution was in order.
I realize I may not have much credibility on this notion of "caution"

Night Naval bombardment of Tanna at 120,157

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 6 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed on ground
F4F-3 Wildcat: 13 damaged
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed on ground
SBD-3 Dauntless: 4 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed on ground
B-26 Marauder: 20 damaged
PBY-4 Catalina: 6 damaged
O-47A: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima
BB Hiei
DD Shikinami
DD Uranami
DD Isonami
DD Hibiki

Allied ground losses:
78 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled

Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 35
Port hits 1

Must be > 20% runway damage as the B-26's didn't fly. JJ must have seen Tanna click over to level 2? I thought that was hidden in FOW in prior updates?
The good news is now they have to suppress 2 bases (and soon Norfolk as well)

[Cap Mandrake]

No attacks from the KB. Not sure where they went yet. 33rd Div took a break in the center of N&IC so the USMC Def Bn lives another day.

[Cap Mandrake]

Brisbane Line: WJD try an armor-heavy attack. This works against the Chinese. This does not work against diggers who have actual AT guns. Most likely 8th Ronson Regt goes up in flames.

Ground combat at 95,159 (near Brisbane)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 25258 troops, 365 guns, 266 vehicles, Assault Value = 774

Defending force 15630 troops, 244 guns, 268 vehicles, Assault Value = 401

Japanese adjusted assault: 43

Allied adjusted defense: 681

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 15

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
287 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 24 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 10 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Vehicles lost 32 (17 destroyed, 15 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
193 casualties reported
Squads: 3 destroyed, 24 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Assaulting units:
8th Tank Regiment
4th Infantry Regiment
38th Division
2nd Recon Regiment
144th Infantry Regiment
2nd Engineer Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment
3rd Mortar Battalion
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
2nd Field Artillery Regiment
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
5th Mortar Battalion
17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
1st Australian Brigade
25th Cav Recce Regiment
8th Australian Brigade
6th LH Motor Regiment
16th LH MG Regiment
9th Australian Brigade
7th Australian Brigade
2nd A/Car Regiment
16th Fld RAA Regiment
22nd Fld RAA Regiment
1st RAA Med Arty Regiment

[desicat]

Tanna: Remember that bombardment force possibly headed to Noumea? They turned left. Thank Jehova the 34th RCT were sent along to Suva instead of unloading at Tanna but we didn't have adequate surface forces to cover them so caution was in order.
I realize I may not have much credibility on this notion of "caution"

This portrait of General Mcclellan hangs on the wall overlooking Cap Mandrakes "War Room".

[BBfanboy]

Little Mac really was a wee dobber wasn't he - those uniform buttons look enormous on him! Either that or he is wearing some kind of medieval studded armour.

He did like to wait until everything was ready before attacking - "everything" including General Lee vacating the field.

[Cap Mandrake]

[font="Courier New"]Young man. I do not appreciate your tone. Georgie was a good boy. Sure, he had more beef cattle in the Peninsular Campaign than Lee had troops but that mean old goat Lee would not hold still. You try figuring out where the enemy is with some horses and a couple of hot air balloons.


Mrs. McClellan


[/font]

[Cap Mandrake]

***********Lanai, Royal Hawaiian****************

Foreign looking man in Hawaiian shirt: Rook, boss, stop worry so much. How bad can be? Not rike you stuck in crappy 30 horses-power underwater coffin with 1000 pounds of exprosive.

FAM: I love your analogies, Generoso, but they really are odder than shit. Besides, you haven't met General Marshall. He's scary.

[Cap Mandrake]

We lost track of the KB again. Most everything that was trying to get to Tanna has to turn around.

Jap engineers coming ashore at Koumac. They are going to try to build an airstrip which is what they should have been doing from day 1. If they get a big airstrip at Koumac or La Foa, we will probably lose Noumea. Been there, done that...WWII(c)..I think.

[witpqs]

[:@] Lost KB again young man?! Try clicking the remote to flash the lights... and next time be more careful!

[Cap Mandrake]

******************Feb 11, 1942(e)****************


N&IC: Japs take Koumac and order a shock attack against 1 dozen wounded Marines. Nice. They brough some engineers.

Ground combat at Koumac (113,156)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 1830 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 63

Defending force 13 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1

Japanese adjusted assault: 49

Allied adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 49 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Koumac !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+)
Attacker: shock(+)

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

Allied ground losses:
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
83rd Naval Guard Unit
4th Field Construction Battalion
34th Field Const Co

Defending units:
2nd USMC Parachute Bn /1


This was exciting...and it almost worked. [:)] Oh..that would have been delicious. They are flying from Noumea, where the runway is still closed..but the water is OK.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Koumac at 113,156

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 9 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A5M4 Claude x 2

Allied aircraft
PBY-5 Catalina x 3

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
CVE Taiyo

Aircraft Attacking:
3 x PBY-5 Catalina launching torpedoes at 200 feet
Naval Attack: 2 x 22.4in Mk 13 Torp.

[Cap Mandrake]

B-17's from Suva go after the ground troops at La Foa to try to slow down an airfield.

Morning Air attack on 24th Special Base Force, at 114,159 (La Foa)

Weather in hex: Heavy cloud

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Allied aircraft
B-17D Fortress x 6

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
16 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Oz: We discover WJD 5th Div at Marysborough.

Night Naval bombardment of Maryborough at 96,157

Allied Ships
DD Le Triomphant
DD King
DD Stuart

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

DD Le Triomphant firing at 5th Division
DD King firing at 5th Division
DD Stuart firing at 5th Division



Pretty effective B-17 raid on Maryborough

Morning Air attack on Maryborough , at 96,157

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9
Ki-43-Ib Oscar x 13

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 4 damaged
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 1 damaged
Ki-43-Ib Oscar: 1 destroyed on ground
H6K4 Mavis: 1 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 9 damaged

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

Airbase hits 3
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 10


Another big attack North of Brisbane. They have an engineer unit ground up... we lose some infantry.

Ground combat at 95,159 (near Brisbane)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 28954 troops, 411 guns, 202 vehicles, Assault Value = 749

Defending force 15451 troops, 244 guns, 268 vehicles, Assault Value = 367

Japanese adjusted assault: 250

Allied adjusted defense: 641

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), experience(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
816 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 41 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 21 destroyed, 33 disabled
Guns lost 8 (2 destroyed, 6 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
727 casualties reported
Squads: 34 destroyed, 37 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 25 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 30 (13 destroyed, 17 disabled)
Vehicles lost 26 (19 destroyed, 7 disabled)

Assaulting units:
2nd Engineer Regiment
2nd Recon Regiment
38th Division
8th Tank Regiment
4th Infantry Regiment
144th Infantry Regiment
16th Infantry Regiment
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
18th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Mortar Battalion
1st Medium Field Artillery Regiment
5th Mortar Battalion
17th Medium Field Artillery Regiment

Defending units:
6th LH Motor Regiment
8th Australian Brigade
7th Australian Brigade
16th LH MG Regiment
25th Cav Recce Regiment
1st Australian Brigade
9th Australian Brigade
2nd A/Car Regiment
16th Fld RAA Regiment
22nd Fld RAA Regiment
1st RAA Med Arty Regiment

[desicat]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Tanna: Remember that bombardment force possibly headed to Noumea? They turned left. Thank Jehova the 34th RCT were sent along to Suva instead of unloading at Tanna but we didn't have adequate surface forces to cover them so caution was in order.
I realize I may not have much credibility on this notion of "caution"

Night Naval bombardment of Tanna at 120,157

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 6 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 2 destroyed on ground
F4F-3 Wildcat: 13 damaged
F4F-3 Wildcat: 1 destroyed on ground
SBD-3 Dauntless: 4 damaged
SBD-3 Dauntless: 1 destroyed on ground
B-26 Marauder: 20 damaged
PBY-4 Catalina: 6 damaged
O-47A: 1 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Kirishima
BB Hiei
DD Shikinami
DD Uranami
DD Isonami
DD Hibiki

Allied ground losses:
78 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 3 disabled

Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 35
Port hits 1

Must be > 20% runway damage as the B-26's didn't fly. JJ must have seen Tanna click over to level 2? I thought that was hidden in FOW in prior updates?
The good news is now they have to suppress 2 bases (and soon Norfolk as well)

"We'll have this runway up and running in no time! Those Jap BB's barely scratched us."

[Cap Mandrake]

LOOK! The beer cooler has shrapnel damage.

It's down to 97 degree Old Milwaukee.

[Cap Mandrake]

*********Apron of Tanna airfield (spot where trees are chopped down)********

<crew examining damaged Earthquake McGoon>

Sgt Gomez: HEY! LT! I can see you on the other side!

[desicat]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

LOOK! The beer cooler has shrapnel damage.

It's down to 97 degree Old Milwaukee.

Looks like the runway repair will have to wait.....

[desicat]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

LOOK! The beer cooler has shrapnel damage.

It's down to 97 degree Old Milwaukee.

"This looks like a party, someone turn on the radio!"

.....ewwwwshhhhhweeeooowwww......

"Good morning GI's at Tanna, Tokyo Rose here, how did you like last nights visit from the big guns of the Imperial Japanese Navy? You can be sure there is more on the way. Why don't you just drop your weapons and surrender, we have plenty of beer and girls at our reception centers. When I say beer I don't mean Old Milwaukee either!"