The enemy carriers show up South of Albany, creating havoc on a tanker task force fleeing Perth, but the troop transports carrying the 192nd pass unnoticed.
Sunset in the East. DBB 30B. Open to Bibow
Moderators: wdolson, MOD_War-in-the-Pacific-Admirals-Edition
RE: Geraldton Invaded
The 7th, finally unloaded from their transports, loads up on trains for Kalgoorlie.
The enemy carriers show up South of Albany, creating havoc on a tanker task force fleeing Perth, but the troop transports carrying the 192nd pass unnoticed.
The enemy carriers show up South of Albany, creating havoc on a tanker task force fleeing Perth, but the troop transports carrying the 192nd pass unnoticed.
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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Geraldton Invaded
April 18th
Japanese domination of the air is total. 29 Zero sweep Perth and find nothing. 24 Sally and 31 Zero hit the 2/100 armored battalion near Cunderdin
The 7th Motorized Division gets into trains heading to Kalgoorlie.
There is an uneasy feeling in Blaney’s gut. Perth is lost, there is no question about that. The question is how many troops he can get out of there before they are cut off entirely. How is he going to present that to Curtin, the PM? But there is another thing that gnaws at his stomach and fills his mouth with bile. Kalgoorlie, a tiny excuse for a town, with wide open spaces around it. A minuscule dirt strip, no fortifications to speak of, and at least four enemy divisions, may be more.
Cape Town.
USS Houston arrives at Cape Town together with four Clemson class destroyers, Bulmer, Paul Jones, Parrott, and Pope. All the ships promptly disband into the harbor for repairs and, in the case of the obsolete destroyers, for conversion into Destroyer escort which might be a better use for these old hulls.
Burma.
32 Oscars sweep over Chittagong. Two, very brave P40s rise, and one does not come back.
At Ledo, the 18th British Division arrives under the command of Major General Bedwith-Smith. The men expect to unpack, to go into camp but they do not. Their gear remains packed, only the barest essentials come off the train wagons. Rifles, a modicum of ammunition. Everything else remains in the train cars that are driven into a rail siding and heavily camouflaged against air attack. Bedwith-Smith wants to have the ability to move his men fast, wherever the Japanese decide to come. His men will be able to board the train and depart at a moment’s notice.
Japanese domination of the air is total. 29 Zero sweep Perth and find nothing. 24 Sally and 31 Zero hit the 2/100 armored battalion near Cunderdin
The 7th Motorized Division gets into trains heading to Kalgoorlie.
There is an uneasy feeling in Blaney’s gut. Perth is lost, there is no question about that. The question is how many troops he can get out of there before they are cut off entirely. How is he going to present that to Curtin, the PM? But there is another thing that gnaws at his stomach and fills his mouth with bile. Kalgoorlie, a tiny excuse for a town, with wide open spaces around it. A minuscule dirt strip, no fortifications to speak of, and at least four enemy divisions, may be more.
Cape Town.
USS Houston arrives at Cape Town together with four Clemson class destroyers, Bulmer, Paul Jones, Parrott, and Pope. All the ships promptly disband into the harbor for repairs and, in the case of the obsolete destroyers, for conversion into Destroyer escort which might be a better use for these old hulls.
Burma.
32 Oscars sweep over Chittagong. Two, very brave P40s rise, and one does not come back.
At Ledo, the 18th British Division arrives under the command of Major General Bedwith-Smith. The men expect to unpack, to go into camp but they do not. Their gear remains packed, only the barest essentials come off the train wagons. Rifles, a modicum of ammunition. Everything else remains in the train cars that are driven into a rail siding and heavily camouflaged against air attack. Bedwith-Smith wants to have the ability to move his men fast, wherever the Japanese decide to come. His men will be able to board the train and depart at a moment’s notice.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Geraldton Invaded
April 20th
Aleutians.
The 27th Infantry Division unloads at Dutch Harbor; the men’s comments cannot be transcribed here.
Australia:
7th Australia Division is unpacking at Kalgoorlie. Not a day too soon as reports come of up to ten enemy units spotted already inside Perth’s limits. The 4th Division arrives at Kalgoorlie in the evening and also begins to unpack.
All serviceable aircraft at Perth fly off. The unserviceable ones are destroyed. No one expects the airfield to hold out long enough for them to be repaired. The papers are all filled with the success of Operation Guinea Comfort: All forces in New Guinea, withdrawn to Buna have been successfully evacuated by seaplanes. No news from Perth, and if anyone notices the 182nd Infantry Regiment, recently from Perth, unloading at Adelaide, no one mentions it.
India
Two divisions board trains, the 26th India at Madras, ordered to Dimapur and preparing for Kohima, and the 70th British near Karachi, also ordered to Dimapur, but preparing for Imphal.
The morning patrol at Chittagong brings 32 Oscars to be met, this time by 7 Hurricanes. One Oscar and one Hurricane destroyed.
At Cape Town AS Griffin sets sail for Cristobal and hence to Kodiak Island.
Two P40 groups, 49PG/8PS and 49PG/9PS, and one SBD VMO 151 load up in ships destined for Tahiti.
Aleutians.
The 27th Infantry Division unloads at Dutch Harbor; the men’s comments cannot be transcribed here.
Australia:
7th Australia Division is unpacking at Kalgoorlie. Not a day too soon as reports come of up to ten enemy units spotted already inside Perth’s limits. The 4th Division arrives at Kalgoorlie in the evening and also begins to unpack.
All serviceable aircraft at Perth fly off. The unserviceable ones are destroyed. No one expects the airfield to hold out long enough for them to be repaired. The papers are all filled with the success of Operation Guinea Comfort: All forces in New Guinea, withdrawn to Buna have been successfully evacuated by seaplanes. No news from Perth, and if anyone notices the 182nd Infantry Regiment, recently from Perth, unloading at Adelaide, no one mentions it.
India
Two divisions board trains, the 26th India at Madras, ordered to Dimapur and preparing for Kohima, and the 70th British near Karachi, also ordered to Dimapur, but preparing for Imphal.
The morning patrol at Chittagong brings 32 Oscars to be met, this time by 7 Hurricanes. One Oscar and one Hurricane destroyed.
At Cape Town AS Griffin sets sail for Cristobal and hence to Kodiak Island.
Two P40 groups, 49PG/8PS and 49PG/9PS, and one SBD VMO 151 load up in ships destined for Tahiti.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
April 21 42
Pearl Harbor. Evening.
Admiral Nimitz sits at his desk. Capt Ito Watanabe enters.
“You wanted to see me sir?”
Nimitz tosses a message form in front of the Japanese American officer.
Watanabe picks it up, “That didn’t take long.”
“No it did not,” the Admiral concurs, “What do you suggest now?”
“If Perth fell like that, it is doubtful that our allies can hold on to Kalgoorlie. We should withdraw the 32nd Infantry, and the two Americal regiments to New Zealand. It is imperative that the New Zealand-Tahiti-West Coast route be kept open.”
Nimitz nods his head slowly, “Yes, we need to do that; 182nd regiment is out at Adelaide already; we’ll have it take train to Melbourne and from there to NZ.”
Watanabe reads Nimitz’s expression, “The 24th and the 132nd regiment are trapped behind enemy lines?’
Nimitz sucks on his pipe, “They are marching towards Albany, but, yes, that is the long and the short of it.”
Watanabe looks at the map, “may I make a suggestion sir?”
Pearl Harbor. Evening.
Admiral Nimitz sits at his desk. Capt Ito Watanabe enters.
“You wanted to see me sir?”
Nimitz tosses a message form in front of the Japanese American officer.
Watanabe picks it up, “That didn’t take long.”
“No it did not,” the Admiral concurs, “What do you suggest now?”
“If Perth fell like that, it is doubtful that our allies can hold on to Kalgoorlie. We should withdraw the 32nd Infantry, and the two Americal regiments to New Zealand. It is imperative that the New Zealand-Tahiti-West Coast route be kept open.”
Nimitz nods his head slowly, “Yes, we need to do that; 182nd regiment is out at Adelaide already; we’ll have it take train to Melbourne and from there to NZ.”
Watanabe reads Nimitz’s expression, “The 24th and the 132nd regiment are trapped behind enemy lines?’
Nimitz sucks on his pipe, “They are marching towards Albany, but, yes, that is the long and the short of it.”
Watanabe looks at the map, “may I make a suggestion sir?”
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
I am just catching up on the AAR. A great read and written in a wonderfully concise style. Subscribed! [:)]
RE: Perth falls
Suscribed.
Ah! Perth, never worth the effort of be defended....
Ah! Perth, never worth the effort of be defended....
RE: Perth falls
April 22nd
Near Busselton, Japanese forces cream a taskforce of merchantmen.
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 66
B5N1 Kate x 30
B5N2 Kate x 27
D3A1 Val x 39
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged
D3A1 Val: 2 damaged
Allied Ships
xAP Klang, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Jarapa, Bomb hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Weltevreden, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Silverbeech, Bomb hits 12, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Tarifa, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Glenorchy, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
PC Bingera, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Tjikandi, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Koolinda, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
PC Kybra, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
Signals detects aircraft from Zuikaku, Ryuju and Shoho.
Same carriers seem involved in other attacks in the vicinity of Albany:
xAK Neleus, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Bantam, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Kooringa, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Liran, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
AVP Pollux, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
AS Holland, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
The evening brings many more such attacks.
Meanwhile in the North, a lone USN carrier finds Adak empty of shipping and hits the airfield instead. Fifteen Wildcats escort 36 Dauntless and 15 Devastators against a CAP of 18 Zeros. One Zero destroyed at a cost of one Wildcat, two SBD 3 and one Devastator.
Capt. Watanabe hands his hastily drawn up plan to Admiral Nimitz. He studies it carefully.
“Do you think the Aussies and Brits will be OK with this?”
“They will do anything that keeps our help flowing,” Watanabe replies.
“We’ll call it Restore Hope,” Nimitz orders.
Near Busselton, Japanese forces cream a taskforce of merchantmen.
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 66
B5N1 Kate x 30
B5N2 Kate x 27
D3A1 Val x 39
Japanese aircraft losses
B5N2 Kate: 1 damaged
D3A1 Val: 2 damaged
Allied Ships
xAP Klang, Bomb hits 2, and is sunk
xAK Jarapa, Bomb hits 9, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Weltevreden, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Silverbeech, Bomb hits 12, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Tarifa, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Glenorchy, Bomb hits 5, heavy fires, heavy damage
PC Bingera, Bomb hits 2, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Tjikandi, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAP Koolinda, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
PC Kybra, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
Signals detects aircraft from Zuikaku, Ryuju and Shoho.
Same carriers seem involved in other attacks in the vicinity of Albany:
xAK Neleus, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Bantam, Bomb hits 4, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Kooringa, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
xAK Liran, Bomb hits 8, heavy fires, heavy damage
AVP Pollux, Bomb hits 5, and is sunk
AS Holland, Bomb hits 6, heavy fires, heavy damage
The evening brings many more such attacks.
Meanwhile in the North, a lone USN carrier finds Adak empty of shipping and hits the airfield instead. Fifteen Wildcats escort 36 Dauntless and 15 Devastators against a CAP of 18 Zeros. One Zero destroyed at a cost of one Wildcat, two SBD 3 and one Devastator.
Capt. Watanabe hands his hastily drawn up plan to Admiral Nimitz. He studies it carefully.
“Do you think the Aussies and Brits will be OK with this?”
“They will do anything that keeps our help flowing,” Watanabe replies.
“We’ll call it Restore Hope,” Nimitz orders.
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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
April 23rd.
Carrier one ordered to return to Pearl Harbor.
Chittagong hit by 27 Sallies escorted by 12 Oscars. 31 Hurricanes rise and destroy one Oscar and damage two Sallies. Even with numerical superiority the Hurricanes’ results are, underwhelming Torres thinks.
Later in the day 57 Sallies pummel the airfield unmolested by 25 Hurricanes that flit and hover about the bombers and achieve nothing. A third wave of 36 Sallies and 30 Oscars meets 25 Hurricanes and destroys one of them.
Torres wonders, not for the first time, how these pilots won the Battle of Britain.
At Melbourne, the 182nd regiment loads up for Auckland under the surly eyes of the Australian waterfront workers.
Kalgoorlie’s fortifications reach level 3.
April 25th
Canberra.
General Blaney enters PM Curtin’s office. The politician reads the general’s somber expression.
“What is it now?” he asks.
“Mr. Prime Minister, we fear we will be unable to hold Kalgoorlie.”
The head of the Australian government looks up from his desk, stunned. “What?” he exclaims.
“If we put all our forces into fortifications in around the town, we shall be outflanked; if we spread out, the enemy will simply march in. They have air superiority, flying out of Perth, Geraldton and Cunderdin.”
“Why have we not enlarged the field at Kalgoorlie?”
“Precisely because we feared the enemy would take it and use it against us.”
Curtin shakes his head, “And the Americans?”
“They have created a plan, Restore Hope, they call it. It is rather complex, and will take a while to implement, but they want to try to save their 24th Division and 132nd Regiment. They will need our cooperation and the Royal Navy too. Can I promise them that sir?”
“No sense pissing them off,” Curtin reaches for a bottle of Johnnie Walker and two glasses.
At Pearl Harbor, Hornet upgrades her fighters to F4F-4
Carrier one ordered to return to Pearl Harbor.
Chittagong hit by 27 Sallies escorted by 12 Oscars. 31 Hurricanes rise and destroy one Oscar and damage two Sallies. Even with numerical superiority the Hurricanes’ results are, underwhelming Torres thinks.
Later in the day 57 Sallies pummel the airfield unmolested by 25 Hurricanes that flit and hover about the bombers and achieve nothing. A third wave of 36 Sallies and 30 Oscars meets 25 Hurricanes and destroys one of them.
Torres wonders, not for the first time, how these pilots won the Battle of Britain.
At Melbourne, the 182nd regiment loads up for Auckland under the surly eyes of the Australian waterfront workers.
Kalgoorlie’s fortifications reach level 3.
April 25th
Canberra.
General Blaney enters PM Curtin’s office. The politician reads the general’s somber expression.
“What is it now?” he asks.
“Mr. Prime Minister, we fear we will be unable to hold Kalgoorlie.”
The head of the Australian government looks up from his desk, stunned. “What?” he exclaims.
“If we put all our forces into fortifications in around the town, we shall be outflanked; if we spread out, the enemy will simply march in. They have air superiority, flying out of Perth, Geraldton and Cunderdin.”
“Why have we not enlarged the field at Kalgoorlie?”
“Precisely because we feared the enemy would take it and use it against us.”
Curtin shakes his head, “And the Americans?”
“They have created a plan, Restore Hope, they call it. It is rather complex, and will take a while to implement, but they want to try to save their 24th Division and 132nd Regiment. They will need our cooperation and the Royal Navy too. Can I promise them that sir?”
“No sense pissing them off,” Curtin reaches for a bottle of Johnnie Walker and two glasses.
At Pearl Harbor, Hornet upgrades her fighters to F4F-4
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
April 26th
Operation Restore Hope begins to take shape. First the retreating American forces will be picked up at Esperance instead of Albany. The better equipped harbor will allow the infantry to board faster and this will be critical considering the presence of two engined bombers at Perth. As a result 132nd changes direction heading for the intersection between the coastal trail north of Albany.
The two RN carriers at Melbourne will join up with Hermes from Sydney and wait for the two US carriers that will set out from Pearl Harbor soonest.
Troop transports will congregate at Adelaide ready to make the dash to Esperance and pull the men out.
Meanwhile, at San Francisco the 32nd Infantry Division loads up, together with 641st Towed anti tank battalion. They are headed for New Zealand. The 147 Sep Infantry Regiment will wait at San Francisco for transportation.
The enemy carrier aircraft hit Esperance, as if guessing the role that that harbor will have on allied plans. 39 Zeros escort 9 Val dive bombers meeting 8 P400. No allied losses and one Zero and three Val destroyed. xAKL Tatung takes two bomb hits.
Operation Restore Hope begins to take shape. First the retreating American forces will be picked up at Esperance instead of Albany. The better equipped harbor will allow the infantry to board faster and this will be critical considering the presence of two engined bombers at Perth. As a result 132nd changes direction heading for the intersection between the coastal trail north of Albany.
The two RN carriers at Melbourne will join up with Hermes from Sydney and wait for the two US carriers that will set out from Pearl Harbor soonest.
Troop transports will congregate at Adelaide ready to make the dash to Esperance and pull the men out.
Meanwhile, at San Francisco the 32nd Infantry Division loads up, together with 641st Towed anti tank battalion. They are headed for New Zealand. The 147 Sep Infantry Regiment will wait at San Francisco for transportation.
The enemy carrier aircraft hit Esperance, as if guessing the role that that harbor will have on allied plans. 39 Zeros escort 9 Val dive bombers meeting 8 P400. No allied losses and one Zero and three Val destroyed. xAKL Tatung takes two bomb hits.
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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
April 27
Ceduna.
A sleepy backwater under the command of Lieutenant Tomlin who has, until now, spent the whole war wondering when the next beer delivery would arrive. Today, his boring routine is interrupted by a messenger on a bicycle from the telegraph office. His outpost considered so unimportant that it does not even merit a wireless. The telegraph boy hands him a telegram.
The orders are terse, curt, only seven words:
BEGIN EXPANDING AIRFIELD MOST URGENT STOP BLANEY
Tomlin scratches his head, how do you make an airfield? He wonders.
Alice Springs
It appears that the Japanese are not going to march south from Darwin, or at least the brass doesn’t think so. The third Australian Division is ordered to pack up and take train to Kalgoorlie.
Akagi et al hit a small task force near Esperance, 26 Zero and 13 Val hit the small merchants that had just delivered desperately needed supplies to Esperance. 6 P400 intercept and destroy one bomber losing one Airacobra. Two xAKL sunk and two heavily damaged.
However, carriers recovering aircraft are committed to steaming in a fixed direction and, who can blame their lookouts for paying slightly less attention than they should to the surrounding waters? Not Lieutenant Commander Van Dulus in the conning tower of 0-21. Had the lookouts been more alert, he might not have hit Akagi with that torpedo now, would he?
In India the 26th Indian Division begins to unpack at Chittagong.
At Pearl, Hornet is now repaired but she must still wait for Yorktown steaming south from the Aleutians thus she is ordered to upgrade her AA guns to Oerlikons. It will take a week.
Ceduna.
A sleepy backwater under the command of Lieutenant Tomlin who has, until now, spent the whole war wondering when the next beer delivery would arrive. Today, his boring routine is interrupted by a messenger on a bicycle from the telegraph office. His outpost considered so unimportant that it does not even merit a wireless. The telegraph boy hands him a telegram.
The orders are terse, curt, only seven words:
BEGIN EXPANDING AIRFIELD MOST URGENT STOP BLANEY
Tomlin scratches his head, how do you make an airfield? He wonders.
Alice Springs
It appears that the Japanese are not going to march south from Darwin, or at least the brass doesn’t think so. The third Australian Division is ordered to pack up and take train to Kalgoorlie.
Akagi et al hit a small task force near Esperance, 26 Zero and 13 Val hit the small merchants that had just delivered desperately needed supplies to Esperance. 6 P400 intercept and destroy one bomber losing one Airacobra. Two xAKL sunk and two heavily damaged.
However, carriers recovering aircraft are committed to steaming in a fixed direction and, who can blame their lookouts for paying slightly less attention than they should to the surrounding waters? Not Lieutenant Commander Van Dulus in the conning tower of 0-21. Had the lookouts been more alert, he might not have hit Akagi with that torpedo now, would he?
In India the 26th Indian Division begins to unpack at Chittagong.
At Pearl, Hornet is now repaired but she must still wait for Yorktown steaming south from the Aleutians thus she is ordered to upgrade her AA guns to Oerlikons. It will take a week.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
-
HansBolter
- Posts: 7457
- Joined: Thu Jul 06, 2006 12:30 pm
- Location: United States
RE: Perth falls
I always get a kick out of seeing P400s best the elite carrier pilots of the IJN.
Hans
RE: Perth falls
April 28th
The men are tired, their supplies low, their morale lower than the dirt around their boots. They’ve been marching for days and are now eighty miles north of Geraldton. The town is occupied by the enemy and the bombers have been hitting them twice daily. If they could find someone to surrender to, they would but: How do you surrender to a bomber?
xAP Aquitania at Adelaide departs for San Diego. The converted liner seems to be needed in the Atlantic.
April 30th
Yorktown arrives at Pearl Harbor while Hornet is still 5 days out from completing her upgrades.
The 164th Infantry regiment at Tahiti loads up for NZ.
The men are tired, their supplies low, their morale lower than the dirt around their boots. They’ve been marching for days and are now eighty miles north of Geraldton. The town is occupied by the enemy and the bombers have been hitting them twice daily. If they could find someone to surrender to, they would but: How do you surrender to a bomber?
xAP Aquitania at Adelaide departs for San Diego. The converted liner seems to be needed in the Atlantic.
April 30th
Yorktown arrives at Pearl Harbor while Hornet is still 5 days out from completing her upgrades.
The 164th Infantry regiment at Tahiti loads up for NZ.
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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
May 1st
CV Illustrious departs Cape Town for Melbourne.
In Burma, the AVG ground echelon disbands and AVG 1 as well as 51st Base group move to Ledo.
In China AVG 3 moves to Shaoyang to help forces NW of Changsha.
SS I-165 scores a torpedo hit on the unsuspecting K XVIII
Intel suspects that the carriers present in the SW Australia theater are Akagi, Zuikaku and Ryuju together with CS Chitose
May 2nd
China, NW Changsha
The enemy bombers, 38 Sallies, come in escorted by 39 Oscars. This time the Chinese infantry is not undefended. 5 P40E on LRCAP score 3 Oscars at a cost of one P40. Later in the day 20 Sally come unescorted. The single P40 present kills one and damages a second one.
The airfield at Shaoyang is hit too, by 28 Sallies that meet one P40 and lose one bomber.
May 3rd.
Hermes picks up her Swordfish and proceeds from Sydney to Melbourne under heavy escort. There are at least three enemy submarines prowling the area. One of them, I-9 scores one torpedo hit on CA Exeter.
Over Ledo, 32 Oscars sweep Ledo and meet 4 Hurricanes destroying three of them.
CV Illustrious departs Cape Town for Melbourne.
In Burma, the AVG ground echelon disbands and AVG 1 as well as 51st Base group move to Ledo.
In China AVG 3 moves to Shaoyang to help forces NW of Changsha.
SS I-165 scores a torpedo hit on the unsuspecting K XVIII
Intel suspects that the carriers present in the SW Australia theater are Akagi, Zuikaku and Ryuju together with CS Chitose
May 2nd
China, NW Changsha
The enemy bombers, 38 Sallies, come in escorted by 39 Oscars. This time the Chinese infantry is not undefended. 5 P40E on LRCAP score 3 Oscars at a cost of one P40. Later in the day 20 Sally come unescorted. The single P40 present kills one and damages a second one.
The airfield at Shaoyang is hit too, by 28 Sallies that meet one P40 and lose one bomber.
May 3rd.
Hermes picks up her Swordfish and proceeds from Sydney to Melbourne under heavy escort. There are at least three enemy submarines prowling the area. One of them, I-9 scores one torpedo hit on CA Exeter.
Over Ledo, 32 Oscars sweep Ledo and meet 4 Hurricanes destroying three of them.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
May 5th.
Pearl Harbor
Carrier 1 departs Pearl Harbor. Yorktown and Hornet, representing all that the air power the US Navy can muster. They head south, all the bombers patrolling for submarines like crazy. CVL Hermes disbands at Melbourne, she is to wait, for the US and RN carriers to arrive.
Over Ledo the air battle is not as one sided today as it’s been. 120 Sallies with 21 Oscar escorts hit Ledo. 15 Hurricanes and 26 P40 E rise to meet them. Two Sallies destroyed, five damaged, three Oscars destroyed. One P40 lost, as well as 2 DC2 and one Blenheim destroyed on the ground.
Later in the day the 32 Oscar sweep arrives late. It meets 12 Hurricanes and 22 P40E, losing 2 Oscars at a cost of two Hurricane and an equal number of P40s.
Kalgoorlie receives 29 Zero with 15 P400 and 13 P39D. Two Zero destroyed, 3 P39 and 2 P400. West of Kalgoorlie, the 5th Division and 2 tank regiment attack and destroy the 2/7 Armored regiment.
In the Aleutians, Umnak has a size one airfield.
Pearl Harbor
Carrier 1 departs Pearl Harbor. Yorktown and Hornet, representing all that the air power the US Navy can muster. They head south, all the bombers patrolling for submarines like crazy. CVL Hermes disbands at Melbourne, she is to wait, for the US and RN carriers to arrive.
Over Ledo the air battle is not as one sided today as it’s been. 120 Sallies with 21 Oscar escorts hit Ledo. 15 Hurricanes and 26 P40 E rise to meet them. Two Sallies destroyed, five damaged, three Oscars destroyed. One P40 lost, as well as 2 DC2 and one Blenheim destroyed on the ground.
Later in the day the 32 Oscar sweep arrives late. It meets 12 Hurricanes and 22 P40E, losing 2 Oscars at a cost of two Hurricane and an equal number of P40s.
Kalgoorlie receives 29 Zero with 15 P400 and 13 P39D. Two Zero destroyed, 3 P39 and 2 P400. West of Kalgoorlie, the 5th Division and 2 tank regiment attack and destroy the 2/7 Armored regiment.
In the Aleutians, Umnak has a size one airfield.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
May 6th
There are aces, too, among the allied pilots, though combat reports would not suggest this. Capt Torres, supply officer for AVG 1 and de facto press liaison writes up a florid report on the exploits of AVG 1’s two aces, first lieutenant Prescott with 6 kills, who just got his marching orders transferring him to the training command back in the USA, and 2nd Lt Wolf, a freshly minted ace who just got his 5th kill. The press, and the propaganda department are thirsty for good news, any kind, no matter how trivial, or unimportant in the big scheme of things.
In Anchorage, the 22 OG/18 Pursuit Squadron upgrades their obsolete P36A Mohawks to P400s. The 28th OG/ 36 bombing squadron finally gets rid of their ridiculous Bolos and get spanking new B17Es, their engines still oozing ashless dispersant oil. Seems like the air war in the Aleutians is fixing to heat up.
On the long, long road to Australia, Pago Pago has now a size 5 airfield, and Tahiti’s port is now size three. Just in time to unload VMO 151’s Dauntless bombers and 49 Pursuit group’s 8th and 9 pursuit squadron’s P40Es The P40s are due for New Zealand’s Wellington.
At Kalgoorlie, 3rd Division goes into reserve.
General Blaney now has at Kalgoorlie five divisions, the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th. Two brigades, 5th and 8th moving south to hold the railway line to Esperance open, and the 30th assisting with the town’s defense. He’s got three artillery regiments, 2/11th, 2/9th, and 2nd Medium, and one heavy AA regiment, the 2nd. His armor is weak though with just a single makeshift regiment, the 2/8th. He wishes, not for the first time, he hadn’t sent the 6th north, but that cannot be remedied.
The forces retreating from Perth have reached the intersection north of Albany and begin the long march to Esperance.
On the seventh, Capt Baker watches the 1st Marine Defense battalion and the 64th Coastal AA regiment unload at the small, crowded atoll of Canton Island. If the Japanese return, they should have a warm welcome ready for them.
There are aces, too, among the allied pilots, though combat reports would not suggest this. Capt Torres, supply officer for AVG 1 and de facto press liaison writes up a florid report on the exploits of AVG 1’s two aces, first lieutenant Prescott with 6 kills, who just got his marching orders transferring him to the training command back in the USA, and 2nd Lt Wolf, a freshly minted ace who just got his 5th kill. The press, and the propaganda department are thirsty for good news, any kind, no matter how trivial, or unimportant in the big scheme of things.
In Anchorage, the 22 OG/18 Pursuit Squadron upgrades their obsolete P36A Mohawks to P400s. The 28th OG/ 36 bombing squadron finally gets rid of their ridiculous Bolos and get spanking new B17Es, their engines still oozing ashless dispersant oil. Seems like the air war in the Aleutians is fixing to heat up.
On the long, long road to Australia, Pago Pago has now a size 5 airfield, and Tahiti’s port is now size three. Just in time to unload VMO 151’s Dauntless bombers and 49 Pursuit group’s 8th and 9 pursuit squadron’s P40Es The P40s are due for New Zealand’s Wellington.
At Kalgoorlie, 3rd Division goes into reserve.
General Blaney now has at Kalgoorlie five divisions, the 1st, 3rd, 4th, 7th, and 8th. Two brigades, 5th and 8th moving south to hold the railway line to Esperance open, and the 30th assisting with the town’s defense. He’s got three artillery regiments, 2/11th, 2/9th, and 2nd Medium, and one heavy AA regiment, the 2nd. His armor is weak though with just a single makeshift regiment, the 2/8th. He wishes, not for the first time, he hadn’t sent the 6th north, but that cannot be remedied.
The forces retreating from Perth have reached the intersection north of Albany and begin the long march to Esperance.
On the seventh, Capt Baker watches the 1st Marine Defense battalion and the 64th Coastal AA regiment unload at the small, crowded atoll of Canton Island. If the Japanese return, they should have a warm welcome ready for them.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
May 10th
A shock attack by the Australians fails to dislodge the enemy. Japanese suffer 2780 casualties and allies 1569.
Meanwhile, far to the north, the 6th Division continues to plod south under daily air attack, and two the south the defenders of Perth stretch out along the track to Esperance.
May 11th.
North Pacific HQ arrives at Dutch Harbor.
The Australian 6th Division reached the railway to the East of Geraldton and begins to trek east.
May 12th
Japanese forces occupy Cox Bazaar. Chittagong flattened by enemy bombers despite the effort by defending Hurricanes.
Dutch Harbor hit by 27 Sally and 13 Zero. SS S35 takes 2 bomb hits. Ummak has now a level 2 airfield. The work on the airfield stops and shifts to the harbor. The P400 of the 28th/18PS fly from Anchorage to Kodiak island en route to Umnak.
In New Zealand, the people of Wellington turn out to welcome the 164th Infantry Regiment unloading at harbor. The men, looking rather haggard and ill equipped, look about them. This is a welcome respite, far away from the disaster in SW Oz.
A shock attack by the Australians fails to dislodge the enemy. Japanese suffer 2780 casualties and allies 1569.
Meanwhile, far to the north, the 6th Division continues to plod south under daily air attack, and two the south the defenders of Perth stretch out along the track to Esperance.
May 11th.
North Pacific HQ arrives at Dutch Harbor.
The Australian 6th Division reached the railway to the East of Geraldton and begins to trek east.
May 12th
Japanese forces occupy Cox Bazaar. Chittagong flattened by enemy bombers despite the effort by defending Hurricanes.
Dutch Harbor hit by 27 Sally and 13 Zero. SS S35 takes 2 bomb hits. Ummak has now a level 2 airfield. The work on the airfield stops and shifts to the harbor. The P400 of the 28th/18PS fly from Anchorage to Kodiak island en route to Umnak.
In New Zealand, the people of Wellington turn out to welcome the 164th Infantry Regiment unloading at harbor. The men, looking rather haggard and ill equipped, look about them. This is a welcome respite, far away from the disaster in SW Oz.
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- Kalgoorlie..omposite.jpg (356.12 KiB) Viewed 631 times
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
May 13th
I-9 stalks the waterways near Sydney.
30 Zero sweep Kalgoorlie, once again unopposed.
Matters are slightly different at Ledo. 42 Oscar Ic sweep and meet 7 Hurricanes and 19 P40E. Two Oscars destroyed, on Hurricane and one P40E lost.
Dutch Harbor visited by 27 Sally and 13 Zero. AA damages 8 bombers S-35 takes one bomb.
May 14th
Carrier I arrives at Tahiti, refuels and sets out for Melbourne.
55 Base Group arrives at Umnak.
The daily Zero sweep at Kalgoorlie pits 30 Zero against 14 P39 and 12 P400. A single Zero destroyed at a cost of 2 P39D and 5 P400. Kalgoorlie fortifications now stand at a respectable level 4. The third motor brigade at Alice Springs embarks for Port Augusta, with the final destination of Kalgoorlie.
CL Colombo, DD Panther and Paladin leave Mebourne bound for Cape Town and thence the battle of the Atlantic.
May 15th
Daily attacks on Kalgoorlie, again unopposed, 6th Division, and a strong attack on the task force that brought the 55 Baseg Group to Umnak Island:
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Umnak Island at 169,51
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 32 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 13
G3M2 Nell x 27
Allied aircraft
P-400 Airacobra x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-400 Airacobra: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
xAP Princess Victoria, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AMC Prince Henry
xAP Aleutian, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAP Baranof, Torpedo hits 1
xAP Princess Elizabeth
AVD Chincoteague
xAP Princess Charlotte
xAP North Coast, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
May 16th:
15 Zero sweep Umnak and meet 12 P400. The USAAF fighters might as well not be there. Five lost to no effect.
At Kalgoorlie, allied artillery booms attempting to disrupt, delay and hinder the enemy build up.
I-9 stalks the waterways near Sydney.
30 Zero sweep Kalgoorlie, once again unopposed.
Matters are slightly different at Ledo. 42 Oscar Ic sweep and meet 7 Hurricanes and 19 P40E. Two Oscars destroyed, on Hurricane and one P40E lost.
Dutch Harbor visited by 27 Sally and 13 Zero. AA damages 8 bombers S-35 takes one bomb.
May 14th
Carrier I arrives at Tahiti, refuels and sets out for Melbourne.
55 Base Group arrives at Umnak.
The daily Zero sweep at Kalgoorlie pits 30 Zero against 14 P39 and 12 P400. A single Zero destroyed at a cost of 2 P39D and 5 P400. Kalgoorlie fortifications now stand at a respectable level 4. The third motor brigade at Alice Springs embarks for Port Augusta, with the final destination of Kalgoorlie.
CL Colombo, DD Panther and Paladin leave Mebourne bound for Cape Town and thence the battle of the Atlantic.
May 15th
Daily attacks on Kalgoorlie, again unopposed, 6th Division, and a strong attack on the task force that brought the 55 Baseg Group to Umnak Island:
Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Umnak Island at 169,51
Weather in hex: Light rain
Raid spotted at 32 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes
Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 13
G3M2 Nell x 27
Allied aircraft
P-400 Airacobra x 6
Japanese aircraft losses
A6M2 Zero: 1 destroyed
G3M2 Nell: 1 damaged
Allied aircraft losses
P-400 Airacobra: 1 destroyed
Allied Ships
xAP Princess Victoria, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
AMC Prince Henry
xAP Aleutian, Torpedo hits 2, and is sunk
xAP Baranof, Torpedo hits 1
xAP Princess Elizabeth
AVD Chincoteague
xAP Princess Charlotte
xAP North Coast, Torpedo hits 1, on fire
May 16th:
15 Zero sweep Umnak and meet 12 P400. The USAAF fighters might as well not be there. Five lost to no effect.
At Kalgoorlie, allied artillery booms attempting to disrupt, delay and hinder the enemy build up.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
May 17th
27 Zero own the skies over Kalgoorlie.
42 Oscar sweep Ledo. 22 P40 rise. One Oscar killed and three P40 lost. 39 Oscar follow. Only 2 P40 rise and one fighter on each side falls out of the sky.
An allied attack at Kalgoorlie fails miserably.
May 18th
Captain Torres watches major Boyngton climb on the C-47 that will return him to his training command in the US.
Umnak hosts its daily Zero sweep. 18 fighters meet 15 P400. One zero lost and 5 P400 destroyed.
132 Inf rgt at Esperance ordered north to the trail intersection.
May 19th.
Oscars sweep Chittagong, Oscars sweep Ledo. Hurricanes rise and fall, the enemy loses some, the allies lose more. A long, dirty war of attrition with the Japanese side, for now, coming ahead.
May 21st
The US 24th Infantry Division reaches Esperance.
CVE Long Island arrives at Balboa.
The railroad from Kalgoorlie to Esperance has been cut by an enemy force. Both the US 24th Division and the 132nd regiment are ordered north to reopen the rail line.
At Umnak, 28OG/18 Fighter upgrades its P400 to P40E
27 Zero own the skies over Kalgoorlie.
42 Oscar sweep Ledo. 22 P40 rise. One Oscar killed and three P40 lost. 39 Oscar follow. Only 2 P40 rise and one fighter on each side falls out of the sky.
An allied attack at Kalgoorlie fails miserably.
May 18th
Captain Torres watches major Boyngton climb on the C-47 that will return him to his training command in the US.
Umnak hosts its daily Zero sweep. 18 fighters meet 15 P400. One zero lost and 5 P400 destroyed.
132 Inf rgt at Esperance ordered north to the trail intersection.
May 19th.
Oscars sweep Chittagong, Oscars sweep Ledo. Hurricanes rise and fall, the enemy loses some, the allies lose more. A long, dirty war of attrition with the Japanese side, for now, coming ahead.
May 21st
The US 24th Infantry Division reaches Esperance.
CVE Long Island arrives at Balboa.
The railroad from Kalgoorlie to Esperance has been cut by an enemy force. Both the US 24th Division and the 132nd regiment are ordered north to reopen the rail line.
At Umnak, 28OG/18 Fighter upgrades its P400 to P40E
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
May 23rd
While the air war over Ledo continues to rage, yesterday 42 Oscars swept the sky finding first 16 P40E losing 2 Oscars for 3 P40, and later another 42 Oscar destroyed the lone P40 they found, in other fronts it is just as lopsided. In Kalgoorlie, for instance, 27 unescorted Sally bombers hit the town finding 5 Kittyhawks on CAP. The Australian pilots only managed to damage a single bomber. The second raid of the day, 31 unescorted bombers, met by 5 Kittyhawks escaped unscathed.
But it gets worse for the stalwart Australian defenders of Kalgoorlie. The enemy is attempting an outflanking maneuver on the south side of the stronghold with the 6th Tank Regiment attacking the 14th and 8th Australian Brigade. The infantry repels the attack, but what will happen tomorrow?
Operation Restore Comfort gets going with the first stage, a surge of submarines from Melbourne to establish a blockade around Perth.
While the air war over Ledo continues to rage, yesterday 42 Oscars swept the sky finding first 16 P40E losing 2 Oscars for 3 P40, and later another 42 Oscar destroyed the lone P40 they found, in other fronts it is just as lopsided. In Kalgoorlie, for instance, 27 unescorted Sally bombers hit the town finding 5 Kittyhawks on CAP. The Australian pilots only managed to damage a single bomber. The second raid of the day, 31 unescorted bombers, met by 5 Kittyhawks escaped unscathed.
But it gets worse for the stalwart Australian defenders of Kalgoorlie. The enemy is attempting an outflanking maneuver on the south side of the stronghold with the 6th Tank Regiment attacking the 14th and 8th Australian Brigade. The infantry repels the attack, but what will happen tomorrow?
Operation Restore Comfort gets going with the first stage, a surge of submarines from Melbourne to establish a blockade around Perth.
Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu
RE: Perth falls
May 24th
Raids on Ledo and Kalgoorlie, opposed by ineffective allied fighters continue. Later in the day, 36 unescorted Sally bombers pound Ledo. A single Sally is damaged by the, also ineffective AA. The results are devastating:
Blenheim IV: 3 damaged
Blenheim IV: 1 destroyed on ground
P-40E Warhawk: 1 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed on ground
Hudson IIIa: 4 damaged
Hudson IIIa: 1 destroyed on ground
Hurricane IIa Trop: 1 damaged
DC-3: 1 damaged
DC-3: 1 destroyed on ground
Near Kalgoorlie, the sixth tank regiment attacks and forces the 14th and 18th Australian Brigades to retreat.
Far to the east Japanese forces cut the railroad between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta.
Raids on Ledo and Kalgoorlie, opposed by ineffective allied fighters continue. Later in the day, 36 unescorted Sally bombers pound Ledo. A single Sally is damaged by the, also ineffective AA. The results are devastating:
Blenheim IV: 3 damaged
Blenheim IV: 1 destroyed on ground
P-40E Warhawk: 1 damaged
P-40E Warhawk: 1 destroyed on ground
Hudson IIIa: 4 damaged
Hudson IIIa: 1 destroyed on ground
Hurricane IIa Trop: 1 damaged
DC-3: 1 damaged
DC-3: 1 destroyed on ground
Near Kalgoorlie, the sixth tank regiment attacks and forces the 14th and 18th Australian Brigades to retreat.
Far to the east Japanese forces cut the railroad between Kalgoorlie and Port Augusta.
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Appear at places to which he must hasten; move swiftly where he does not expect you.
Sun Tzu
Sun Tzu