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

[Cap Mandrake]

January 43..but yes...too many garrison units sent to help in the PI and SE Asia. Another indirect cost of bypassing Luzon.

[Zorch]

The Jap plan is to step out of the way and let the Allies and Soviets fight.

[RangerJoe]

I think that the USSR can be taken, but not in January. After securing the SRA, take the Siberian railway in the middle to cut off the flow of resources to the industrial area with 1400 LI while also taking the coastal bases away from the main enemy concentration. There are only a NKVD regiment in two bases in the middle of the railway, build up the airbases and massive ground bombing followed by paratroopers. Sail up the river to invade the base with the IL-2 factory. If the USSR is secured, then the ocean perimeter can really be fortified. The Japanese should invade before their invasion bonus is over or else after some units leave, I believe in the beginning of May.

[Cap Mandrake]

"Invasion bonus" what the Hell is that.

[Cap Mandrake]

<scratches head> So, are Soviet units released NEXT turn?

[Cap Mandrake]

Seems like it. 1 CA, 13 DD next turn. Fairly well trained. 46 subs.

Soviet Air Forces have not been touched so there are all biplane fighters and 560 Il-2's in the pool (but no pilots). [:D]

[RangerJoe]

"Invasion bonus" what the Hell is that.

When the Japanese can land units anywhere with no Prep and suffer no penalties. They will also unload faster. This is great for unloading on Java but not at a base . . .

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

"Invasion bonus" what the Hell is that.

When the Japanese can land units anywhere with no Prep and suffer no penalties. They will also unload faster. This is great for unloading on Java but not at a base . . .

Oh, right, THAT invasion bonus. But it's long gone in January 43

[Cap Mandrake]

So, am I right. The Soviet units will take orders NEXT turn?

[Cap Mandrake]

The manual doesn't specify.

[Cap Mandrake]

False alarm. [:D] Intruder operations report.[:)]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

False alarm. [:D] Intruder operations report.[:)]

[&:]

So does that mean no Soviet activation tomorrow? Such an act would be a real boon to the Allied cause in January 1943. [X(]

[witpqs]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

False alarm. [:D] Intruder operations report.[:)]

[&:]

So does that mean no Soviet activation tomorrow? Such an act would be a real boon to the Allied cause in January 1943. [X(]

He must mean the manual doesn't specify was a false alarm. We all know he's never read it.

[RangerJoe]

Intruder operations report.[:)]

Isn't it early for the A-6s?

[Cap Mandrake]

No Soviet activation. I think it was an operations report from a Downfall scenario I loaded up. [:D] And sometimes I don't even run the 001 file. [;)]

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

No Soviet activation. I think it was an operations report from a Downfall scenario I loaded up. [:D] And sometimes I don't even run the 001 file. [;)]

"This has been a test of the Emergency Soviet Intervention System. If it had been a real emergency you have been directed to stock up on vodka and borscht. This concludes the test."

[Cap Mandrake]

**************January 11, 1943(e)***********

You know, I wasted 45 minutes trying to figure out the Soviet forces only to discover they weren't activated. i could have been cleaning up the laundry room.

Sundas/Flores/New Guinea and stuff like that:

A single PT boat causes the greatest one day loss of soy bean curd in world history.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Bima at 63,110, Range 5,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
PB Fuji Maru #4
xAK Tofuku Maru, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

Allied Ships
PT-173

[Cap Mandrake]

I figure Nagato would turn West and go after Endor after the attack yesterday...so I moved out the SBD's

Night Naval bombardment of Endeh at 65,113

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
PBY-5 Catalina: 2 damaged
PBY-5 Catalina: 1 destroyed on ground

Japanese Ships
BB Ise
BB Nagato
DD Oite
DD Kisaragi
DD Hatsuyuki
DD Minegumo
DD Hamakaze

Allied ground losses:
73 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 3 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 2 disabled
Guns lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)

Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 13
Port hits 9

BB Ise firing at Endeh
F1M2 Pete acting as spotter for BB Nagato
BB Nagato firing at Endeh
DD Oite firing at Endeh
DD Kisaragi firing at Endeh
DD Hatsuyuki firing at Endeh
DD Minegumo firing at Endeh
DD Hamakaze firing at Endeh

[Cap Mandrake]

Many fighter sweeps over Sorong.

Morning Air attack on Sorong , at 82,107

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 45 NM, estimated altitude 21,070 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 32

No Japanese losses

[Cap Mandrake]

USN cruiser force sweeps north around Saumlaki and then back south out of Zeke escort range but the Jap carriers south of Ambon run away so there is no combat.

Marblehead needs to go back to Brisbane for dent removal.