Letters from a Prime Minister

[1275psi]

18th March
2 hours later, having avoided the disaster, Destroyer Kennion moves into rescue the survivors, the few that there are,
her searchlights vainly seeking signs of life.

Chokai, and 3 destroyers attack.
Kennion too, will die.

Chokai however, will reel away, an American fish achieving what Astoria could not.

Kennion's crew, too, will die wondering.

500 miles away, at Rabual, their lost lives do amount for something..........

[1275psi]

18th march

Dawn
Rabual harbour

Destroyer Le Triomphant.
38 knots.
38 knots. I think only destroyer men can understand what that figure means.
The vibration, the hissing seas, the wind, the noise, the rooster tail.....

Things happen fast at 38 knots.

The lean grey ship literally skids through the harbour mouth, and there are too
many targets, too many fat glorious targets to count.

A small patrol craft.....trying to come about.
A salvo, it explodes, sinks
Guns swing, and the first fat Tanker, the first Replenishment ship, AO Nippon Maru, is
on the destroyers flank....and moments later, it is sliding astern, riddled, burning, burning.

The Captain swings Le Triomphant full rudder, she heals, heals, men slide, water piles up her flank,
helm hard the other way, another AO, Kokoyo maru, the guns bark, hit, hit, hit,
another patrol boat, hit KAARBANG!!, debris, and ANOTHER AO, hit, hit, hit, goodbye Kenyo maru, burn you
Barsted burn!, VIV LA FRANCE!


And as fast as she appears, she is out of the harbour, heading south, a column of smoke 5 miles high
marking her triumph.

And Cruiser Chokai bars her way.

Almost with disdain the destroyer twists, turns, speeds away,
39 knots now.

And if skipper wants, Engines says he can give him more.

[LargeSlowTarget]

Formidable - de l'audace, encore de l'audace, toujours de l'audace ! Vive la France libre, vive la France combattante !

[HansBolter]

I really, really love those fast French DDs.

In Focus Pacific you get a whole bunch more including some with top speeds of 43 knots.

[1275psi]

18th march

Westralia slips alongside Kodiac.
Grim men quickly manoeuvre the gangways into place, and the military police begin to
hustle the trucks.
Within 15 minutes, men and equipment begins to disgorge from her holds

The men of Jeffery's gun are fully stood too. Although overhead there seems to be
a constant allied air presence, everyone keeps scanning the sky anxiously.

And little wonder. Everywhere they look, burnt out buildings, the dark smudges in the snow
of still unfilled craters, wrecked guns, burnt out trucks. And in the harbour, a literal
forest of masts and funnels forlornly piercing the waters surface.

The carriers, which have inflicted so much of this damage, are reported at Unmak, and coming once again
east.
The men of this gun are cold. They are tired. They are even hungry. Everyone is.
But the very devil is nipping at their heels.
The work proceeds quickly.

[1275psi]

19 March

Fast troop ships land troops at Exmouth.
There are reports of a large task force near the Cocos islands .
Enterprises Pickets are snooped again neat Diego Garcia.

Small numbers of B17's strike Efate, Lunganville, Rabual
Hudsons sink 2 ships striking out from Darwin

Japan is operating large numbers of Kates from Umnak.



And radio intel places the 56th division at sea, target, Albany

[1275psi]

20th march

An entire division, the 5th, lands on Cocos Island
No les then 7 Carriers are reported south of the island before it falls.

Radio intell again places troops at sea, target Koggolla

The Japs stall at Saumlaki, where Darwin Bombers again hit shipping

And the air war over PNG gets Nasty, Lae suddenly sprouts Zeros all over the place, the allies losing
6 fighters to 1

The Japanese are on the move. But what is the real deal, what is not?
And how in the hell to combat it?

There can be no half measures......

[1275psi]

20 March

From
General Smart, 1st Corp
to
Commander, Eastern Command India

1st Corp now in position Cocanada, ready for immediate action.


From
Commander, Eastern Army
to
Prime Minister

Winston

Well, as they say, in for a penny, in for a pound
I have literally stripped the Burma India border, other than the remains of the
original Burma division still south of the mountains.
Reinforcement of Koggolla continues apace.
The development of airbases in the South Western Corner of India is being pressed

This, of course, maybe the key

The American 2nd airforce command assets are fully in place, as they completely out number
our air assets here, I have given them a free hand on how to operate. I do not
think this will be an issue, CMDR Kenny shares the exact same attitude I do.
The Japs have got to be sunk coming ashore

With nearly 150 fighters ready to strafe , I have good confidence we can wet the pants of a few Japs.
Finally, significant naval forces are at sea, waiting.

Nevertheless, any form of reinforcement would be greatly appreciated.......



From
General Blamey
to
The Prime Minister

Sir.
The facts must be faced
The enemy are going to land at Perth, Albany, and invest Western Australia.

I Must point out that strategically, Perth is as far from the East Coast as Hawaii is from
San Francisco. If it falls, the Japanese can only use it as a base to move eastward, to support a
fleet operating in the bight.

It is vital that he gets no free hand by having minimal garrisons in the rear of his army
destruction of Perth Command will give him this.

Therefore I have ordered ALL forces in the West to concentrate in the rough country near Albany,
a dagger in his rear, safe from battleship bombardment.

I DO NOT intend to move ONE man west, not until his supply lines are stretched to the limit.
In fact, I intend to reinforce Port Moresby, and go on the offensive in the Solomon's, at first opportunity.

As for Darwin..........




From
Prime Minister Ford
To
General Blamey

You are to report, in Person, to Chiefs of staff, myself, at first opportunity

Perth is not, repeat, not to be evacuated.




From General Blamey
to
Perth Command

Continue concentration, Albany, until otherwise ordered.

[1275psi]

From
POTUS
to
King


Intend to hold meeting, re deployment of Hawaii forces , tomorrow
Also, discussions on Command structure to be finalised.

( its getting to this, the Pearl harbour debacle, the public have decided either its my head, or Kimmels........

[1275psi]

OK
step out of the story for a moment

That's up to date, re turns, which have been very slow

John is concentrating more on Canerbols game I think
I don't think he is enjoying this one as much, not enough toys, and I do not talk much, if at all, in my
E mails

However, I do think he likes to push the boundries, imagine being a scene 1 player who takes Australia,
and India.
I really hope he tries.
In all his games that are modded, there are always enough ships to
form multiple CV raiding/battle groups, to go all over the place
Scene 1, well, not quite so much.

That's what I am counting on

Next 2 weeks will I think, probably decide this war.......

[Canoerebel]

Herbie, I'm sorry to hear that your game has slowed down. Several weeks back I told John he was welcome to put our game on the back-burner since it was the most recent to start (or restart). But the game is at the penultimate moment, so John probably can't help himself. Every turn is epic. Every turn might decide the war. This may continue for another six weeks of game time. By then, the Sumatra campaign should be decided. Then the game will enter a fairly long quiet spell as the Allies gather for the next major offensive. So pretty soon it may be my game that is lagging from attention.

But if your game is about to reach a point of decision (due, I gather, to your pending plans), John's attention is sure to ramp up. If both games are at a fever pitch, John is going to wig-out from stress. (And the poor guy will need medical help if NYGiants decides to invade Honshu tomorrow.)

Good luck with your game. I hope it gets back on a reasonable track soon.

[ny59giants]

During a recent phone call with John, he reported his normal work schedule has been thrown a curve. Due to an incident at another Subway store, the employees don't get to individually keep their tips at end of shifts, but rather they have to pool them with everybody. John wrote a letter to corporate disagreeing with this change in policy. In his store, he reported that his assistant manager threw a 'hissy fit' and gave her two week notice. Today is his last opening shift and I think next week his shifts will be almost all 11am to 7pm, MST, into the foreseeable future. This should allow him to keep a better schedule of getting turns out.

[1275psi]

Thanks for updates guys

I was more worried something had happened to him (some of us are getting on!)

[zuluhour]

To bad a crowd of us (I know he would never guess who we are!) couldn't show up at the store (unruly mob scenario) at closing demanding our ridiculously complicated
sandwich orders.
 

[1275psi]

LOL

Lots of turns, and Johns AAR is updated, which means action a brewing!
21 march

The President is Dining with the British Ambassador when the message arrives

The message is simple, short

"Japanese landing at Cold Bay"

He frowns, grimaces, places the note back into his pocket.
"Bad news Mr President" The Ambassador puts down his spoon "Not that, at the moment,
nearly all the news is bad"

"Japs still pushing into the Alutiens....our Canadian Allies are going ape s@#%", this
will send em half mad, I think"
Ï see.....normally, as Ambassador, I think I am meant to offer whatever help my
Government can spare, however..........."
Ï know, However I haven't given Warspite back yet."


The invasion, however, for now, has less attackers than defenders, defenders down on
supplies however.
And Carier Div 5 is still in the area, the great pain in the arse that it is.

[1275psi]

21 march

From

Darwin Command
to
General Blamey

Enemy have retired from Saumlaki, island remains in our hands

From
Blamey
to
Darwin Command

Transports enroute, to evacuate our heroes.
We need them elsewhere.

[1275psi]

21 March

There is no reason given
Jack Ford is rapidly learning there never does seem to be one

Squadron leader Turnball simply announce "Pack your kit, we are going""

75th transfer across the barren wastes to Tennet creek

Destination: gawd knows

[1275psi]

21 March

Jeffery eyes the bleak snow covered coast of Canada sliding down Westralia's Port side.

Prince Rupert in 3 days time.

Once, when He was an idiot, a port meant just one thing. Piss, Girls, trouble.
Now, gawd now, it just means a chance to get warm....

What I would do, just to not worry about my toes falling off all the time.

""Annette island tomorrow" announces the gun Captain. "You going to cause trouble at
Prince Rupert Ford"?

Jeffery gives his a scowl. Trouble, its too trucking cold to cause trouble

[1275psi]

22 march

"I smell a rat"'

Admiral Halsey speaks to know one in Particular on Enterprises bridge.
But silently, many of the officers there agree with him.
There has been yet another radio intercept, troops of X division, on Maru so and so, target
Koggolla.

Destroyer pickets south of Diego Garcia, nearly a dozen submarines deep into the Indian ocean,
and search planes wearing themselves thin, probing, probing, probing.

And diddly squat.

Halsey turns to Jackson. "What do you think son"?
"Our last sighting of carriers put them south of Christmas Island, a rendezvous perhaps, then North?"
"Or south son, towards Australia"

Jackson cannot answer that. It could be true.

The Admiral seems to reach a decision. "Get me Cunningham, lets get the Brits out here.
Lets hit something, any bloody thing......Diego will do"

[1275psi]

22 March
The Japanese probe Milne Bay with some small patrol craft, encounter 6 PT boats
Everyone gets a fright and vanishes back into the night unscathed.

Dawn see's Port Moresby sending P 40's to Lae, and 3 B17's as well.

We lose four fighters, the Japanese the same.
However, 21 Nells strike the Port Moresby field, damage quite a few planes. Allied
Command in PNG now has a difficult decision, should we fight for the field, or not?
There are fighters a plenty.
Good pilots, rare as rocking horse poo............




Canadian Coast
"This is the Captain speaking. Westralia will be pulling into Annette island
at 0700 hours tomorrow, to refuel."

"Anybody know anything about the place?"
"Yeah, I do, one of our late Yank Passengers came from there, from what I hear,
makes Melbourne seem like the most exciting place in the world"
"A crap hole then"
"Yep, no place to get stuck in for sure"