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

[sprior]

https://video-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hvide ... e=55DF808B

A long link but it works. Pue me right off my Vichyssiose

[Cap Mandrake]

Horn Island: USS Narwhal on picket duty in the Torres Strait spots a very large convoy with AP's. She hits one with a dud. Too bad. I hope these lads are going West toward Northern Oz somewhere instead of East, in which case they might be headed for New & Improved South Wales.

Sub attack near Horn Island at 93,130

Japanese Ships
xAK Sydney Maru
PB Busho Maru
AK Awazisan Maru
AK Kaga Maru
xAP Naminoue Maru
xAP Huso Maru
xAP Takatiho Maru
xAP Rakuyo Maru
xAK Atlas Maru
xAK Asakasan Maru
xAK Aobasan Maru
TB Hato
TB Otori
PB Kamitsu Maru

Allied Ships
SS Narwhal

[Cap Mandrake]

Port Kembla: As predicted, JJ figures out our fighters are at Port Kembla.

Morning Air attack on Port Kembla , at 90,168

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

Raid spotted at 35 NM, estimated altitude 20,070 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 9

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 24

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Warhawk: 5 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

Air losses from the previous day. We shot down a bunch of Bettys

[Cap Mandrake]

Brisbane Line: The rearguard was one day out from vacating the hex. Missed it by THAT much.

Ground combat at 95,159 (near Brisbane)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 46885 troops, 562 guns, 313 vehicles, Assault Value = 1219

Defending force 8161 troops, 171 guns, 122 vehicles, Assault Value = 40

Japanese adjusted assault: 954

Allied adjusted defense: 81

Japanese assault odds: 11 to 1

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

Japanese ground losses:
433 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 43 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Allied ground losses:
3187 casualties reported
Squads: 170 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 135 destroyed, 40 disabled
Engineers: 13 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 25 (16 destroyed, 9 disabled)
Vehicles lost 51 (31 destroyed, 20 disabled)
Units retreated 6
Units destroyed 1

Defeated Allied Units Retreating!

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

Defending units:
16th LH MG Regiment
8th Australian Brigade
1st Australian Brigade
7th Australian Brigade
16th Fld RAA Regiment
22nd Fld RAA Regiment
1st RAA Med Arty Regiment

Uggh. JJ's attack at Toowoomba fails.

No air attack on Sydney.

[sprior]

The mem sahib preparing for the toe rag's next visit

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: sprior

The mem sahib preparing for the toe rag's next visit

I can tell she likes him or it would have been something larger!

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: sprior

The mem sahib preparing for the toe rag's next visit

So THAT's the famous Bren AAMG that takes so long to get production into the pools! I imagined something a bit more ... substantial. Like a quad .50 cal. but in .303 cal. to use up all that left over WW I Lee-Enfield ammo.

EDIT: PS - Maybe they are hard to get because the Armourers on the Home Front are using them as "chick magnets".

[sprior]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: sprior

The mem sahib preparing for the toe rag's next visit

EDIT: PS - Maybe they are hard to get because the Armourers on the Home Front are using them as "chick magnets".

Or their daughters bfs

[Cap Mandrake]

Situation near Noumea. We find KB after 2 days of mystery. Apparently the empire has purchased another 6 or 7 CV's

[Cap Mandrake]

Interesting situation:

1) Leave the BB's in battle line at Noumea to fend off potential night or even daytime surface raids...and hope the fighters can protect them in the morning?

2) Leave Trenton and a few DD's at Noumea and send the BB's to Tanna. Let the little guys absorb the first strike and hope the airfield survives?

If the AF escapes damage it will be level 3 tomorrow. JJ will have to be cautious about dedicating bombers to AF strikes because they have seen the USN carriers

[uncivil_servant]

Responses embedded within.

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Interesting situation:

1) Leave the BB's in battle line at Noumea to fend off potential night or even daytime surface raids...and hope the fighters can protect them in the morning? <<<<< Iffy. If they just send air attacks - rut roh. If the send in surface ships in morning phase and meet rested BB's. Rut Roh for them perhaps. >>>>>

2) Leave Trenton and a few DD's at Noumea and send the BB's to Tanna. Let the little guys absorb the first strike and hope the airfield survives? <<<<< Everyone needs a little gun (torpedo) fodder. >>>>

If the AF escapes damage it will be level 3 tomorrow. JJ will have to be cautious about dedicating bombers to AF strikes because they have seen the USN carriers

Alternately - Send out any older, (they're all old but some are horrible old ones vs just egregiously bad older ones), and useless BBs with escorts, (that are of substandard design), and try a Yamato style desperation sortie. Who knows, maybe the KB will "react" to the surface force and maybe towards Sydney where maybe you have some A-somethingoranothers (God I bet you'd kill for some modern A-10s) and level bombers pray for a few KB hits. Meanwhile your more important ships/better designs you scurry off to the East or SE.

Or leave them there and go full air coverage (90-100%) meaning if it flies it is to be in the air) and pray you get some skilled pilot kills.

[Cap Mandrake]

See, that's the thing, the pre-war USN BB's aren't completely useless. 2 of them already mortally wounded Kongo, leading to her confirmed sinking. They are point-heavy and slow and have crappy fuel bunkers but they can put some serious damage on IJN CA's or older BB's.

I am leaning toward leaving one BB behind, sending the other two to Tanna and putting up the best CAP possible to attrit the IJN bombers and fighters. We can get more planes in the air than can possible escort the bombers, maybe even 2x as much.

[HansBolter]

If there is really 12 CVs in there than there should also be a lot more than 84 fighters.

I wouldn't put much stock in the ability of your fighters to stop a strike from getting through.

Leaving naval targets there would force him to choose between a naval strike and an airfield strike or try both watered down.

Choices...choices.

[John B.]

As another alternative for the BBs, if they still have ammo, have them bombard the IJA landforces then scurry away in the daylight naval move with LRCAP over them. That way, if he moves close enough to strike them he can't sweep away your LRCAP. And, if he does not get closer you'll get some use out of them and move those points out of harms way.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

If there is really 12 CVs in there than there should also be a lot more than 84 fighters.

I wouldn't put much stock in the ability of your fighters to stop a strike from getting through.

Leaving naval targets there would force him to choose between a naval strike and an airfield strike or try both watered down.

Choices...choices.

It's not really possible that they have 12 CV's. It's Feb 1942 and we already sunk Hiryu and Zuiho and pounded a Kaga class.

The idea of leaving something behind at Noumea is two part:

1) Protect the base from surface attack

2) Absorb a strike and inflict damage, deplete the torpedo stores and cause fatigue on the KB air complement. The fighter complement might already be beat up after their use to attack Sydney.

[T Rav]

I try to think like the commanders did: Force Z sails. Philippine defenders defend, hoping for reinforcement. Singapore is invincible, etc. What would your BB TF commander think?

That said, he can always be countermanded by M&M Enterprises...

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: HansBolter

If there is really 12 CVs in there than there should also be a lot more than 84 fighters.

I wouldn't put much stock in the ability of your fighters to stop a strike from getting through.

Leaving naval targets there would force him to choose between a naval strike and an airfield strike or try both watered down.

Choices...choices.

It's not really possible that they have 12 CV's. It's Feb 1942 and we already sunk Hiryu and Zuiho and pounded a Kaga class.

The idea of leaving something behind at Noumea is two part:

1) Protect the base from surface attack

2) Absorb a strike and inflict damage, deplete the torpedo stores and cause fatigue on the KB air complement. The fighter complement might already be beat up after their use to attack Sydney.

Chickenboy-san recommend one from 'corumn A' and one from-ah 'corumn B'. Take-ah reast mobire battreship and put in task force with copurh destroyahs. Park in Noumea hex. Increase CAP over Noumea hex to-ah 90%. Everyone erse reave for ah safe distance.

If-ah he orders navar attack, he goes aftah most honorabre sacrificial BB and fries through heavy staggered CAP. Maybe Mandrake-san trade a crummy BB for many KB pirots kirred escorting strike?

If-ah bombardment ordered, perhaps ord battreship and company get-ah rucky and put coupre 14" sherrs up-ah most honorabre chuffs of Sons of Heaven?

Two questions:

1. What-ah is moonright setting? Not-ah to say sweet things about Mandrake-san eyes in moonright, but-ah for crose combat purposes, sirry.

2. What-ah is Arried dog PT boat situation at Noumea? These, with-ah battreship group rike said earrier, could serve to break up any bombardment efforts.

[BBfanboy]

Why, Chickenboy-san ... it sounds like you are siding with Allied-mens side! Are you confused about which Mandrake/sprior-sans AAR you are in? [:'(]

[desicat]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Interesting situation:

1) Leave the BB's in battle line at Noumea to fend off potential night or even daytime surface raids...and hope the fighters can protect them in the morning?

2) Leave Trenton and a few DD's at Noumea and send the BB's to Tanna. Let the little guys absorb the first strike and hope the airfield survives?

If the AF escapes damage it will be level 3 tomorrow. JJ will have to be cautious about dedicating bombers to AF strikes because they have seen the USN carriers

The AF is key here as it ultimately controls the the N&I C AOR. Anything that allows it to go to Level 3 and stay operational is unfortunately expendable.