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

[Cap Mandrake]

Trying to change a fancy kitchen faucet and the nut holding the old one in place is up in an impossible recess..so I try different size wrenches and there is no GD way to even seat a wrench let alone turn the thing......

"Santa Maria, what I need is some kind of angled offset wrench that is adjustable and has a ratchet mechanism"

So I look it up on google...it's called a "basin wrench". That's a half hour I will never get back.

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Everything OK there Jeff? [;)]

[:D]

[zuluhour]

Sorry for your loss Captain...

[Cap Mandrake]

************Dec 23, 1942(e)***********

New Guinea: Didn't see these guys coming but this is life in Sorong. You fill in the potholes and then they come back.

Night Naval bombardment of Sorong at 82,107

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
PBY-5 Catalina: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Ise
BB Nagato
DD Oite
DD Matsukaze
DD Kagero
DD Makigumo

Allied ground losses:
58 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 39
Port hits 12
Port supply hits 3

[Cap Mandrake]

Just got 75 F4F's out of Babo today.

Night Naval bombardment of Babo at 83,111

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
DH-84 Dragon: 4 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 2 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Minegumo
DD Hamakaze

Allied ground losses:
65 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 8 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 2 (1 destroyed, 1 disabled)

Airbase hits 9
Airbase supply hits 8
Runway hits 44

[Cap Mandrake]

PI:

Morning Air attack on Bataan , at 78,77

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 15 NM, estimated altitude 23,190 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 33

Allied aircraft
Spitfire Vc Trop x 1
P-38E Lightning x 3
P-38G Lightning x 1
P-40K Warhawk x 8

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Spitfire Vc Trop: 1 destroyed
P-40K Warhawk: 1 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

Pretty good defense of Bataan.

Morning Air attack on Bataan , at 78,77

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 20
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 10
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 3
Ki-48-IIa Lily x 20
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 19

Allied aircraft
P-38E Lightning x 2
P-38G Lightning x 1
P-40K Warhawk x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 3 destroyed, 6 damaged
Ki-48-IIa Lily: 1 destroyed, 1 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 5 damaged

No Allied losses

Runway hits 8

[Cap Mandrake]

Big attack at Clark. Serious smackdown.

Ground combat at Clark Field (79,76)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 42214 troops, 575 guns, 352 vehicles, Assault Value = 1139

Defending force 36242 troops, 430 guns, 409 vehicles, Assault Value = 850

Japanese adjusted assault: 245

Allied adjusted defense: 2446

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 9 (fort level 1)

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

Japanese ground losses:
4954 casualties reported
Squads: 46 destroyed, 333 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 37 disabled
Engineers: 7 destroyed, 40 disabled
Guns lost 93 (2 destroyed, 91 disabled)
Vehicles lost 26 (3 destroyed, 23 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
600 casualties reported
Squads: 6 destroyed, 60 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 23 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Guns lost 14 (1 destroyed, 13 disabled)
Vehicles lost 24 (2 destroyed, 22 disabled)

Assaulting units:
28th Division
2nd Division
16th Division
11th Tank Regiment
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
1st Art.Mortar Regiment
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
25th Army
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
71st PA Infantry Division
45th PS Infantry Regiment
627th Tank Destroyer Battalion
51st PA Infantry Division
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
192nd Tank Battalion
803rd Aviation Engineer Battalion
26th PS Cavalry Regiment
31st PA Infantry Division
91st PA Infantry Division
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
1st PA Infantry Division
4th Constabulary Regiment
24th PS FA Regiment
Clark Field AAF Base Force
209th Field Artillery Battalion
35th Avn Sup
1st USMC AA Battalion
III/Prov'nl SPM Grp
11th PAAC Avn Sup
I/Prov'nl SPM Grp
501st Coast AA Regiment
165th Field Artillery Battalion
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
II/Prov'nl SPM Grp
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
4th PAAC Avn Sup
86th PS Field Artillery Battalion
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment

[Cap Mandrake]

Solomons: I call off further landings at Rekata because we seemed to have enough.

Night Naval bombardment of Rekata Bay at 113,134

Allied Ships
CA Wichita
CL Columbia
DD Kalk
DD Woodworth

Japanese ground losses:
272 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 7 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 9
Port hits 11
Port supply hits 3

[Cap Mandrake]

JJ posts some annoying LRCAP over Rekata.

Morning Air attack on II/19th Naval Guard Unit, at 113,134 (Rekata Bay)

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 13

Allied aircraft
Bolingbroke IV x 9
A-20A1 Havoc x 11
B-25C Mitchell x 8
B-26 Marauder x 2

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
A-20A1 Havoc: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 1 damaged
B-26 Marauder: 1 damaged

[Cap Mandrake]

[8|]

Morning Air attack on II/19th Naval Guard Unit, at 113,134 (Rekata Bay)

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 26 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 4

Allied aircraft
TBF-1 Avenger x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBF-1 Avenger: 5 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x TBF-1 Avenger bombing from 9000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb

[Cap Mandrake]

Oh well, this part goes well.

Ground combat at Rekata Bay (113,134)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 3769 troops, 57 guns, 100 vehicles, Assault Value = 214

Defending force 1417 troops, 13 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 19

Allied adjusted assault: 121

Japanese adjusted defense: 4

Allied assault odds: 30 to 1 (fort level 2)

Allied forces CAPTURE Rekata Bay !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
569 casualties reported
Squads: 18 destroyed, 4 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 8 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 4 (4 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Assaulting units:
24th (Sep) Infantry Rgt /1
30th Australian Bde /1
3rd USMC Tank Battalion
2nd/102nd Infantry Battalion
8th NZ Brigade
193rd Tank Bn /1
110th Cmbt Engr Bn /1
148th Infantry Rgt /1
2nd Fiji Bn /2

Defending units:
II/19th Naval Guard Unit
49th JNAF AF Unit

and..Banzai, baby!

II/19th Naval Guard Unit Wiped Out at Rekata Bay by attrition!!!


Japanese Unit(s) surrounded at Rekata Bay

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

[8|]

Morning Air attack on II/19th Naval Guard Unit, at 113,134 (Rekata Bay)

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 26 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 4

Allied aircraft
TBF-1 Avenger x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBF-1 Avenger: 5 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x TBF-1 Avenger bombing from 9000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb

I am surprised your TBF pilots aren't on strike.

[Kursk1943]

ORIGINAL: Disco Duck

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

[8|]

Morning Air attack on II/19th Naval Guard Unit, at 113,134 (Rekata Bay)

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 26 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 4

Allied aircraft
TBF-1 Avenger x 8

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
TBF-1 Avenger: 5 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
1 x TBF-1 Avenger bombing from 9000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 500 lb GP Bomb

I am surprised your TBF pilots aren't on strike.

Not enough pilots left to from a strike comittee...[;)]

[Cap Mandrake]

***********************01:30, VT-5 Command Tent, Tulagi*****************


<group of three naval officers approach a sleeping figure>

Lt JG Lee: <whispering> OK, I'll grab his arms, you guys put the canvas bag on. Remember, it has to look like an accident.

Ens. Gonsolus: Lt., how would a grown man accidentally get his head caught in a canvas bag?

Lt JG Lee: I don't know. Battle fatigue. Now, be quiet.

"Sleeping" figure: Et tu Brute?

Ens. McDonald: WHAT? What does that mean?

"Sleeping" figure: It means "And you Brutus?". It's Latin, McDonald, you idiot.

Ens. McDonald: But my name's Ian, Sir.

"Sleeping" figure: <sits up> Look you guys. We all had a hard day. Can we just go back to sleep before I call the CPO and have you guys arrested?

Ens. Gunsolus: <hides canvas bag behind back> We were just worried about you sir.

"Sleeping" figure: Yeah..."worried". Thanks for that. If the Senate will please go back to sleep we have four new officers arriving in the morning from Suva.

[Cap Mandrake]

..

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

..

i am looking at the pilot with 163 missions and he still can't hit the broad side of a barn. I think you need to withdraw the TBF squadrons and train them for six months.

[Cap Mandrake]

This is true. The guy is not very good at Latin either.


I blame the staff. They have been flying ASW missions for a few months but some retard ordered an airfield attack

[Cap Mandrake]

***********'Twas the night before Christmas, and all through the house, not a creature was stirring..well except for the LYB's aboard the Kido Butai.....************

[Cap Mandrake]

Sundas, Lesser, Medium and Venti: Like her future sister ship, Thresher suffers a torpedo explosion.

Sub vs Sub: SS I-164 attacking SS Thresher at 80,111 - near Boela

Japanese Ships
SS I-164

Allied Ships
SS Thresher, Torpedo hits 1, on fire