The 200% solution: SoulBlazer (IJN) vs. Grotius (Allies), Scenario 19

[SoulBlazer]

BRIDGE, IJN YAMATO
250 MILES SOUTH-SOUTHEAST OF PORT MORESBY
JULY 6, 1942

Although my staff wanted me to stay in Rabul for when we launched Operation M, I wanted to go very badly. I told my staff and the Admirals that we would be safe, that I doubted the Allies would risk their carriers to try to oppose us. I also promised not to mess with their plans. So, I left Rabul on the flag ship of our new and beautiful battleship Yamato three days eariler. This is the most powerfull ship in the world, and I delight at watching the ship cut through the sea with her task force around her.

I knew of long range Allied recon planes, and thus wanted to make sure that my build up was not seen. Elements were kept in Truk until they come to Rabul with transports following them. Then the ships were either told to wait at several ocean areas or at other bases. Not until the start of the month was everything brought into Rabul to fuel up and organize into our fleets.

I had wanted to launch this operation weeks ago, but I was persuaed twice to dleay -- once when a few more divisons arived in Truk and a second time when I was honored to learn the Yamato and her task force would come down to join us.

Now we launch almost our entire navy -- all of our Pearl Harbor carriers, battleships, cruisers, dozens of destroyers, and many transports. I realize I am admiting her that we have hopes of invading PM, but there is nothing the Allies can do now to stop us.

During the first day of operations I also made sure we had a barge supply convoy arive in Buma, our first one since we took the base. The supplies were needed but we also hoped they were draw off Allied planes on them instead of our combat ships. We were right.

Allready, we have been able to shut down PM. Once the Japanese fleets arived at this point -- our safe area outside of the range of most Allied planes -- we started to launch our air strikes from the carriers, with extra Zero protection provided from Lae. We also sent in our first battleship bombardment fleet during cover of night to start to shell the base.

The first bombardment and air attacks started on the 5th. Today we did it again -- our fleet. It was a joy to watch the awsome guns of the Yamato boom into the helpless base for a hour or so. Now we are falling back, and our recon is showing the base is shut down at least for tommorow. A few more days of this and we should be able to destroy the last of the Allied planes here.

On the first day of the attack we detected a mine field and a destroyer was hit, but the ship can return to Rabul. There have been a couple of US sub attacks, but no results on either side. Our airplane losses have been light and no ships have been hit.

Our recon planes have also reported seeing a Allied task force off the coast of northern Australia. We thought we saw a carrier with them, but can not confirm it. In any case, they are not aporaching, so we're going to stick with the original plan.

Victory for Japan! Long live the Emperor!

[Grotius]

BRIDGE, U.S.S. LEXINGTON
OFF THE COAST OF AUSTRALIA
8 JULY 1942, 0200 HOURS

Our carrier task forces lurked, mostly unseen, off the Great Barrier Reef, waiting for the enemy carrier pilots to grow tired as they flew Escort missions and bombing raids against Port Moresby. On 7 July a large number of his dive-bombers and torpedo-bombers conducted a long-range raid on Port Moresby, along with escorts. Our pilots were well-rested: bombers with no fatigue at all, fighters lightly fatigued. Convinced that his pilots would be too tired to fight well, we closed quickly and engaged the enemy.

Our fighters and flak performed well, but our bombers disappointed us. They did score four serious hits on Hiryu and at least 3 good hits on Kaga, enough to cripple one of those carriers, but not enough to sink either ship. In the afternoon, not one of our pilots hit anything -- nothing. Still, we are hopeful that we've at least put two carriers out of action for a while; perhaps one will sink.

In return, the Japanese Kates and Vals scored a large number of hits on Lexington and Yorktown. Smoke surrounds me as I write this. We are still afloat, and damage control teams are working to keep us that way. The enemy's strikes also hit some surface ships brought along as cannon fodder; even his afternoon strikes scored hits. Despite my boys' fatigue advantage, his pilots may have gotten the better of this carrier battle; until the smoke clears, it's too early to tell. I suspect I have underestimated the experience advantage of the Japanese aviator.

I shall post a formal AAR in the morning, after I have had a chance to catch a few smoke-filled hours of sleep.

[Grotius]

I should add a postscript to my preceding report. Our plan had been to attack the IJN carriers from a range of 240-70 miles -- outside torpedo range of their Kates. Imagine our surprise when both enemy task forces charged 30 miles toward us on our approach! We had seen a surface task force accompanying the carriers, and we assumed the Japanese were following that task force (and thus "not reacting 1 hex," in the mysterious jargon of my tactical officer), preserving their Zero/Val range advantage over our fighters and SBDs. In the event, the enemy turned toward us and brought his Kates within range.

We are still hopeful that the aftermath might be an even exchange of carriers; nothing on either side has sunk yet. I'm still shaking my head that my rested bombers were outperformed by his tired ones. We chalk this up to the fortunes of war -- and to the superior experience of the Japanese airman.

AFTER ACTION REPORTS FOR 07/08/42

Weather: Partly Cloudy

Naval bombardment of Port Moresby, at 10,40

Allied aircraft

Allied aircraft losses
P-40E Kittyhawk x 2 destroyed
P-40E Kittyhawk x 2 damaged
P-39D Airacobra x 2 destroyed
Wirraway x 1 destroyed
Wirraway x 1 damaged

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 188
Guns lost 1

Airbase hits 24
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 190
Port hits 2

--------------------------------------------
Sub attack at 9,41

Japanese Ships
CA Mogami
DD Hibiki

Allied Ships
SS S-46

-----------------------------------------------
Sub attack near Port Moresby at 10,40

Japanese Ships
DD Hakaze, Torpedo hits 2, on fire, heavy damage
DD Yuzuki

Allied Ships
SS S-45


-------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 16,44

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 102

Allied aircraft
SBD Dauntless x 17

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
SBD Dauntless x 22 destroyed

LCDR S. Itaya of AI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 5

---------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 16,44

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 102

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 15
SBD Dauntless x 34

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 4 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 2 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 6 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 8 damaged
SBD Dauntless x 28 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 11 damaged

ENS S. Komachi of EI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 3

Japanese Ships
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 1
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 2, on fire
CV Akagi

--------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 16,44

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 75

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 21
SBD Dauntless x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 6 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 2 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 9 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 5 damaged
SBD Dauntless x 4 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 15 damaged

PO1 V.Ogawa of AI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 4

Japanese Ships
CV Kaga, Bomb hits 2, on fire
CV Hiryu, Bomb hits 1, on fire

---------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 16,44

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 92

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 8
SBD Dauntless x 34

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat x 2 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat x 2 damaged
SBD Dauntless x 23 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 17 damaged

PO1 A.Ohara of DI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 3

Japanese Ships
CV Zuikaku
DD Nowaki
CV Shokaku

---------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 16,44

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 76

Allied aircraft
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4
SBD Dauntless x 17

no losses

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 14 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 5 damaged

PO1 V.Ogawa of AI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 5

Japanese Ships
CV Zuikaku

--------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 16,44

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 77

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 10
SBD Dauntless x 17

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat x 2 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat x 2 damaged
SBD Dauntless x 7 destroyed
SBD Dauntless x 11 damaged

LT M. Sato of AII-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 3

Japanese Ships
CV Zuikaku

-------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 8

Allied aircraft
B-25D Mitchell x 6

no losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D Mitchell x 1 destroyed
B-25D Mitchell x 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Usugumo
DD Kikuzuki

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x B-25D Mitchell at 11000 feet
2 x B-25D Mitchell at 11000 feet

----------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 13,51

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 37
D3A Val x 79
B5N Kate x 86

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 18
F4F-4 Wildcat x 63

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 9 destroyed
A6M2 Zero x 1 damaged
D3A Val x 18 destroyed
D3A Val x 16 damaged
B5N Kate x 31 destroyed
B5N Kate x 27 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat x 1 destroyed
F4F-3 Wildcat x 2 damaged
F4F-4 Wildcat x 6 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 4 damaged

LTJG W.Lane of VF-3 is credited with kill number 3

Allied Ships
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 7, Torpedo hits 3, on fire, heavy damage
CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 2, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
CA New Orleans, Bomb hits 1
CA Chester
CA Portland, Torpedo hits 1
CA Astoria, Bomb hits 1
DD Dewey
DD Morris
DD Hammann, Torpedo hits 1, on fire, heavy damage
DD Monaghan

-------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 13,51

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7
D3A Val x 21
B5N Kate x 14

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 8
F4F-4 Wildcat x 26

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 2 destroyed
D3A Val x 1 destroyed
D3A Val x 3 damaged
B5N Kate x 1 destroyed
B5N Kate x 5 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat x 1 damaged
F4F-4 Wildcat x 3 destroyed

LCDR S. Mitchell of VF-8 is credited with kill number 3

Allied Ships
CV Lexington, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
CV Yorktown, Bomb hits 4, on fire, heavy damage
CA Chester, Torpedo hits 1

--------------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 13,51

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 11
D3A Val x 21
B5N Kate x 15

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 17
F4F-4 Wildcat x 51

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 4 destroyed
D3A Val x 13 destroyed
D3A Val x 9 damaged
B5N Kate x 9 destroyed
B5N Kate x 4 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat x 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 5 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 damaged

LTJG P.Nagahama of BI-1 Daitai is credited with kill number 5

Allied Ships
CA Northampton, Bomb hits 1
DD Fanning, Bomb hits 1, on fire
DD Stockton
CL St. Louis
CL Leander, Bomb hits 2, on fire

--------------------------------------
Air attack on TF at 13,51

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7
D3A Val x 18

Allied aircraft
F4F-3 Wildcat x 16
F4F-4 Wildcat x 46

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero x 1 destroyed
D3A Val x 11 destroyed
D3A Val x 7 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
F4F-3 Wildcat x 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 destroyed
F4F-4 Wildcat x 1 damaged

ENS A. Brassfield of VF-42 is credited with kill number 3

Allied Ships
CV Enterprise, Bomb hits 1
CL Phoenix
CA Vincennes, Bomb hits 1
DD Arunta

------------------------------------------------
Air attack on Port Moresby , at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 47
A6M3 Zero x 30
G3M Nell x 36
G4M1 Betty x 83

Allied aircraft

no losses

Allied aircraft losses
Wirraway x 2 destroyed
Wirraway x 1 damaged
F4F-3 Wildcat x 1 destroyed

Allied ground losses:
Men lost 143

Airbase hits 7
Runway hits 79

Attacking Level Bombers:
3 x G4M1 Betty at 6000 feet
9 x G4M1 Betty at 6000 feet [snip]

------------------------------
Air attack on TF, near Port Moresby at 10,40

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 15

Allied aircraft
B-25D Mitchell x 7

no losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-25D Mitchell x 2 destroyed
B-25D Mitchell x 3 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Uzuki
DD Yukaze

Attacking Level Bombers:
2 x B-25D Mitchell at 11000 feet
3 x B-25D Mitchell at 11000 feet

[Grotius]

BRIDGE, U.S.S. ENTERPRISE
30 MILES NORTHEAST OF CAIRNS
9 JULY 1942, 1500 HOURS

I have had to move my command post from the Lexington the Enterprise because the Lady Lex now lies at the ocean floor. Unfortunately, the same fate may well meet all four American carriers, and I may soon be moving command posts once again. A tired American commander [up way too late playing UV! -- ed.] has made a series of blunders that may have cost the USN the campaign in the South Pacific.

In earlier reports, I've already described my first blunder. It was to charge the IJN carriers after they had launched a ferocious port attack on Port Moresby. I knew I was outnumbered in CVs, 6 (plus CVL) to 4, but my CVs carry more planes, and (more important) I had wrongly assumed that the Japanese pilots would now be too fatigued to get through my CAP and hit my ships. His fighters, especially, had been busy almost every turn, escorting raids on PM. My pilots, by contrast, were well-rested, with what my tactical officer calls "single digit fatigue."

As I wrote earlier, a few of his bombers did get through, crippling (and eventually sinking) the Lex and damaging Yorktown. I crippled only one of his CVs, but not enough to sink it; it's reportedly heading back to Japan. I also inflicted minor damage on a second enemy CV. This alone would not have been disastrous, but I followed it with more mistakes.

My second blunder [again, after not getting enough real life sleep! -ed.] may have been failing to cut my losses. I ordered Enterprise and Hornet to escort Yorktown back to Cairns. (Actually, I blundered here too: my "follow task force" order was not followed because Yorktown's group split into mini-TFs, and the Big E and Hornet raced all the way back to Cairns, uselessly "following" a DD escort that was supposed to stay with York.) I now wish I'd ordered Enterprise and Hornet to flee south, because his carriers pursued me toward Cairns, as I suspected they would. His second round of strikes finished off Lex, damaged a few surface ships, and inflicted minor damage on Enterprise and Hornet. My return strikes did absolutely no damage, hitting nothing at all.

Both the Big E and Hornet still could've run; their engines were intact, running at full speed. But again I chose valor over discretion, and they moved to cover Yorktown's retreat to Cairns; York was just now thirty miles northeast of Cairns. I still chide myself for this decision: I can win the war without Lex and York. I can't win it without any carriers at all.

I compounded this error with yet more mistakes (some, though not all of which, I can excuse as [Real-Life -ed.] fatigue-induced). For example, I now have a rather formidable force of land-based Dauntlesses, refugees from Lex et al., but I forgot to set most of them to Naval Attack. (Those that were set to attack were socked in by fog anyway, so maybe it didn't matter.) Likewise, I forgot to set most of my land-based fighters to LRCAP, though in truth land-based LRCAP is woefully ineffective anyway. I *did* remember to order my Hudsons and Mitchells and Marauders to strike, but again they were socked in by weather.

The enemy commander continued to close, just as I would have had I been in his shoes. His CVs are now just 270 miles off the coast of Australia, untouched by my land-based air. In the most recent round of strikes, 18 of my Devastators and a handful of Dauntlesses did make it through fighter cover, but again not a single US bomber hit anything, for the second day in a row. His return strikes, by contrast, pasted both the Big E and Hornet, leaving me with 3 damaged carriers thirty miles from Cairns.

My carriers will all make port, but what then? I have 100+ fighters in Cairns, but who knows if they can hold off the relentless Zeroes, Vals and Kates. If he finishes all of my CVs off, I don't see what's to prevent him from scouring the map with his largely intact CV force, destroying all my shipping. I have swarmed the waters surrounding his CVs with submarines, and my surface fleet is still largely intact, but neither is a very effective weapon against an armada of six fleet carriers.

I have tendered my resignation to President Roosevelt, but he insists that I fight on, so I will.

[SoulBlazer]

Thought you asked me to do the next part?

Well, chin up, my friend -- I've been where you have been now and come back. I'm sure many other players have as well.

I'll post my next part once this battle is finished.

[Grotius]

A few, more informal thoughts about this disaster:

This is Scenario 19, so the USN can hardly afford to be aggressive early here. It's also the first time I've played the USN in PBEM (and only the second time I've played the USN at all; most of my games vs. the AI have been as IJN). I guess I've learned something about the comparative merits of each side's pilots early on.

What disappoints me most about my decisionmaking is that it violated my strategic plan, which up to now I'd implemented reasonably well. That was to conduct a tenacious delaying action at Port Moresby, to slow down the enemy by conducting raids on fledgling bases, and to make a stand as late as possible, so as to fight on terms most favorable to me. I have no idea whether I might ever have achieved parity of CVs; it appears, in this scenario, that I am usually a bit "behind" on carrier assets. But until now, even my inferior CV force constituted some sort of deterrent. Now I have none, and it's my own fault.

The only bright spot is that I've lost relatively few ground troops, and not that much air. The IJN did close PM in just one day of bombardment, stranding more planes there than I would've liked, but I did evacuate some of them in time. Still, it's already July; my air power will start to become formidable in a couple of months. But my understanding is that the Japanese player also gets more ground troops as well as naval assets in scenario 19 than in 17; indeed, in one of Mogami's AAR's, I read reports of 150,000 IJA troops amasses in one spot. Given that the IJN can close down my land bases in one or two turns, I don't see how I can possibly stop an invasion on that scale.

Even if Soul somehow fails to achieve an auto-victory, I don't see how I can win on "points." The loss of four Allied CVs is worth, what, 1400 points? I'll get a few more carriers eventually, but I'll always be outnumbered. Were this scenario 17, I'd say I was now doomed. It being scenario 19, I'd say I'm doubly doomed. The only blessing is that auto-defeat is quicker.

As I said above, I've resolved to fight on. I think, if nothing else, that SoulBlazer deserves to reap some of the rewards of his good play. In my view, though, one should always have the option of a dignified resignation, as in chess. (I included that caveat in my "opponents wanted" advertisement.) At some point, if it becomes painfully obvious that there is no hope, I will resubmit my resignation to President Roosevelt.

For now, though, I say: fight on!

[Grotius]

Ah, sorry, I didn't mean to pre-empt your post, SoulBlazer. For what it's worth, I didn't post the combatreport.txt file, so you can still post the details of your overwhelming carrier victory. Congratulations on a battle well won.

[Grotius]

I will be offline for a few days, but I thought I'd mention that the most recent day's warfare has brought some glimmers of good news to the Allied cause. Our surface ships engaged and destroyed an entire enemy task force of 15 destroyers that entered Cairns harbor. More details later, when I return.

[SoulBlazer]

Grotius is back now, so our game is once again contiuing.

I ment to do a report eariler, but I forgot, and my memory is a bit hazy right now. Here's what's going on:

There used to be 'point Z', the safe spot South-East of PM where my replesihment and air carrier fleets would hang out, along with the bombardment fleets that were reloading and preparing for another run into the base. I learned in one of my first games NOT to tie my carriers to that spot, but to leave them on React orders so they could swing out and engage Allied carriers should they be (foolish) brave enough to challenge me. There was no air resistance from PM after the first bombardment, and level bombers under the new patch can hardly hit anything that's not allready damaged, so I knew it was safe. Hence, Grotius susprise when my carriers turned to engage his.

Despite having to send one carrier back to Japan, a second hit carrier was patched up enough to resume operations and is staying with the transports. What I'll do with her after the PM operation, is not sure. I'm hesistant to send anything back to Japan unless system damage is over 30, and that's only for anything bigger then a light cruiser.

I had my carriers chase the Allied ones to the cost of Australia. Last reports indicate that the Lexington is sunk and all three other carriers are badly damaged. Bad weather this last turn prevented me from knowing where the ships fled to -- I don't see them in Townsville or anywhere else in northern Australia. Still, there are other ships to shoot up.

There have been two bad things for me, though. One, is the unexplained destroyer diaster. A task force of DD's always goes with my major war planes to act as recon and to 'soak up' some air attacks. Having sighiting reports of damaged US carriers in a TF at Cairns, and not seeing any other ships there, I sent in my DD's to see if I could finish them.

TOTAL diaster. For some reason, there was no less then NINE surface combat rounds with numerous Allied fleets my boys somehow missed. To add insult to injury, my TF refused to retire, even though they had retire orders. Every single DD was blasted apart and sent to the bottom and one of my best commanders with them. I'm at a loss to explain how this happened. Jap DD's are worth their weight in gold -- and to lose so many like this is heart wrenching.

Also, just this last turn, more Allied subs struck. Despite depth charging, two US subs managed to hit two Japanese heavy cruisers with bad hits. The task force the cruisers are in is retiring to Rabul with flames erupting from both ships, and they probaly will have to go back to Japan.

Finally, two crippled AP's with troops got into port in GG in time to unload their men before they sank.

The invasion of PM is coniuting despite this mixed news. I am happy at having delt the US carrier forces a severe blow, but am unhappy at the cost of having it done. These are losses Japan can ill afford.

My next report will be from PM.

[Grotius]

BRIDGE, U.S.S. INDIANAPOLIS
SOMEWHERE IN THE SOUTH PACIFIC
20 JULY 1942

The enemy now occupies all of New Guinea. He shut down Port Moresby in just a day or two, quicker than I thought he would, thus stranding dozens of Allied planes. Then he landed tens of thousands of troops in Port Moresby and quickly routed my rather lean fighting force there.

Still, there is some good news. First, my submarines exacted a surprisingly heavy price for his invasion, damaging or sinking a number of transports and surface vessels. Second, our surface ships cut to ribbons a task force of 15 DDs that attempted to enter Cairns harbor. In a rousing, two-hour-long surface battle, all fifteen Japanese destroyers were sunk, with hardly any damage to the US vessels. Finally, my carrier fleet is intact and, it appears, will return to fight another day. Only one of my CVs was sunk in my ill-considered charge on the IJN CVs, and my intel suggests that one of his was damaged considerably.

The question now is what happens next. I am moving quickly to reinforce my northern Australian bases. If the enemy tries to invade Australia, we will ensure that he pays an extremely heavy price. Likewise, we must attend to our defenses in the east.

All in all, the war is going better than I thought it might be a couple of weeks ago. Hope lives on.

[Feinder]

Keep this one up guys! Always a great read for a slow day at the office!

-F-

[SoulBlazer]

Thanks.

It's my turn to post next, but we've been so busy in our lives that turns have slowed. Plus it's quiet. I'll post soon, once we get a few more days finished.

[Grotius]

Hey SoulBlazer, if you're reading this thread, I sent you a turn yesterday but I'm not sure you received it. I've switched to DSL on an experimental basis, and it's been flaky. Let me know if I need to re-send.

[Grotius]

SoulBlazer is right: all has been quiet. He holds Port Moresby, Gili Gili, Lunga, and Irau; I hold Australia, Louganville, Efate, and Noumea. It is now the second week of August 1942, and while I have not managed my CV assets well, President Roosevelt has reaffirmed that he has full confidence in me. (Secretary of State Hull, on the other hand, wants my head.)

[SoulBlazer]

Figured I'd drop a line here. Yes, I've gotten all your e-mails and responded to every one. Yes, I sent the turn file to you three times now. No, I don't have the replay anymore -- it's been almost a week and I'm in two other games. No, nothing happened in it -- my ships are all in port right now.

Greg