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

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

The message should have been carved on a coconut . . .

And sent to Rendova by Lt. Kennedy. [:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

****************January 21, 1943(e)*************

Big Bad Kido Butai run away rike rittah girh.

Sorong gets the treatment again. No defense except AAA.

Morning Air attack on Sorong , at 82,107

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 36 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 45

No Japanese losses

Aircraft Attacking:
45 x A6M3a Zero sweeping at 22810 feet *



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Sorong , at 82,107

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 23 NM, estimated altitude 23,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7
A6M3a Zero x 25

No Japanese losses

and

Morning Air attack on Sorong , at 82,107

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 34 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7
A6M3a Zero x 31
G3M3 Nell x 38
G4M1 Betty x 3

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 2 damaged

Runway hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
33 x G3M3 Nell bombing from 11000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
5 x G3M3 Nell bombing from 11000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb
3 x G4M1 Betty bombing from 11000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Sorong , at 82,107

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M2 Zero x 7
G3M3 Nell x 20

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 1

Aircraft Attacking:
20 x G3M3 Nell bombing from 11000 feet
Airfield Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb, 4 x 60 kg GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Morning Air attack on Sorong , at 82,107

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 29 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G4M1 Betty x 32

Japanese aircraft losses
G4M1 Betty: 1 damaged

Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 2

Remarkably ineffective, really.

[Cap Mandrake]

China: More raids on Nikiang AF.

Morning Air attack on Neikiang , at 75,44

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 6
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 8
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 8

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 8
B-24D Liberator x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-27b Nate: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 7

[Cap Mandrake]

PI More raids over Batan Is and Clark. Small scale fighter seeps over Mindano. T

Another huge attack at Clark. They manage 1:2 odds but suffer badly and fail to take down forts. They lose many vehicles and their engineers get slaughtered.

Ground combat at Clark Field (79,76)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 40295 troops, 531 guns, 407 vehicles, Assault Value = 1205

Defending force 32420 troops, 420 guns, 506 vehicles, Assault Value = 736

Japanese adjusted assault: 948

Allied adjusted defense: 2584

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 2)

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

Japanese ground losses:
4292 casualties reported
Squads: 33 destroyed, 360 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 50 disabled
Engineers: 9 destroyed, 63 disabled
Guns lost 69 (3 destroyed, 66 disabled)
Vehicles lost 73 (13 destroyed, 60 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
427 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 29 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 27 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Vehicles lost 28 (2 destroyed, 26 disabled)

Assaulting units:
33rd Division
15th Tank Regiment
2nd Division
48th Division
7th Tank Regiment
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
25th Army
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
1st Art.Mortar Regiment
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
627th Tank Destroyer Battalion
21st PA Infantry Division
2nd Constabulary Regiment
91st PA Infantry Division
35th Avn Sup
71st PA Infantry Division
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
192nd Tank Battalion
762nd Tank Battalion
194th Tank Battalion
31st PA Infantry Division
45th PS Infantry Regiment
803rd Aviation Engineer Battalion
4th Constabulary Regiment
III/Prov'nl SPM Grp
Clark Field AAF Base Force
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
24th PS FA Regiment
1st USMC AA Battalion
!/23rd PS FA Battalion
4th PAAC Avn Sup
165th Field Artillery Battalion
209th Field Artillery Battalion
86th PS Field Artillery Battalion
501st Coast AA Regiment
II/Prov'nl SPM Grp
I/Prov'nl SPM Grp
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment

[Zorch]

JJ really needs to rethink his strategy on Clark...[8|]

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

PI More raids over Batan Is and Clark. Small scale fighter seeps over Mindano. T

Another huge attack at Clark. They manage 1:2 odds but suffer badly and fail to take down forts. They lose many vehicles and their engineers get slaughtered.

Ground combat at Clark Field (79,76)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 40295 troops, 531 guns, 407 vehicles, Assault Value = 1205

Defending force 32420 troops, 420 guns, 506 vehicles, Assault Value = 736

Japanese adjusted assault: 948

Allied adjusted defense: 2584

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 2 (fort level 2)

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

Japanese ground losses:
4292 casualties reported
Squads: 33 destroyed, 360 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 50 disabled
Engineers: 9 destroyed, 63 disabled
Guns lost 69 (3 destroyed, 66 disabled)
Vehicles lost 73 (13 destroyed, 60 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
427 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 29 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 27 disabled
Engineers: 1 destroyed, 6 disabled
Vehicles lost 28 (2 destroyed, 26 disabled)

Assaulting units:
33rd Division
15th Tank Regiment
2nd Division
48th Division
7th Tank Regiment
2nd Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
25th Army
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
1st Art.Mortar Regiment
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
627th Tank Destroyer Battalion
21st PA Infantry Division
2nd Constabulary Regiment
91st PA Infantry Division
35th Avn Sup
71st PA Infantry Division
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
192nd Tank Battalion
762nd Tank Battalion
194th Tank Battalion
31st PA Infantry Division
45th PS Infantry Regiment
803rd Aviation Engineer Battalion
4th Constabulary Regiment
III/Prov'nl SPM Grp
Clark Field AAF Base Force
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
24th PS FA Regiment
1st USMC AA Battalion
!/23rd PS FA Battalion
4th PAAC Avn Sup
165th Field Artillery Battalion
209th Field Artillery Battalion
86th PS Field Artillery Battalion
501st Coast AA Regiment
II/Prov'nl SPM Grp
I/Prov'nl SPM Grp
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment

How is your experience modifier Negative?[&:]

[Cap Mandrake]

Well, the LYB troops start out with higher experience and they have mostly been there for all the fun and games just like the PA and fairly green US troops. So, naturally, they are still ahead.

[Cap Mandrake]

Supply on Luzon down to about 55,000 in base reserves. In that sense the LYB strategy is slowly working. Of course, it has been very costly for them and it is Jan 43 and the clock is ticking.

[RangerJoe]

Can you force a resupply task force in if you need to? Fast xAKs?

[Cap Mandrake]

There are some serious Val jockeys at Manila. We would need a huge temporary fighter surge to Bataan or Iba to pull that off but that is the way to get meaningful supply in and might be worth it.

Other possibilities:

1) Barges from Palawan or Panay
2) C-47's from Iolio of Palawan flying in to Iba might work until the Japs work out where they are flying.
3) Sub transport would work but you would need 20 subs to make a dent.
4) B-17's from Mindanao could help and would at least be able to defend themselves a bit.

Probably will try to hold on with temporizing measures until the USN carriers arrive in numbers in July and then surge in a couple of hundred fighters to Mindanao and try Death Star v Death Star[:)]

[Cap Mandrake]

Another interesting possibility are C-47's from Hainan. Of course, we would have to seize a base and ferry supplies there. We could perhaps mve some supply from Vietnam to Hainan

[Cap Mandrake]

...IJN losses from 1-20

[Cap Mandrake]

I am having very vivid dreams lately. I think it is the trauma of the KB showing up suddenly. I had a dream I was in Central America but lost my flight information and couldn't remember which country I was flying to. I am pretty sure this is a strategic planning nightmare dream. Then I had a dream I was in a giant home where everyone drove green Jaguar sedans INSIDE the house and I had a fender bender trying to get between the coffee table and the couch. This, clearly is meant to signify the dangerous waters between Ceram and New Guinea.

I am getting pretty good at dream analysis.

[Cap Mandrake]

***********January 22 1942(e)**********

Indiana repaired all but one flood damage point at sea.

KB was spotted SE of Beazelbob, headed NE....probably to the HI for some upgrades but I don't trust the LYB's. I had to pause the transport train from Midway to Mindanao to see what the KB does.

DEI and New Guinea: LCT's are finally in theater. They are very useful as they tend not to provoke naval air attacks. They are loading supplies at Kaimana to transport to Boela and Sorong. Sorong is still not drawing enough supply from Babo by land because of the crappy mosquito and gator-infested route. Sorong is getting plastered again by Zeke sweeps and Netties from Kendari. It seems like they are up to something. Maybe a landing at Sorong or an attack between the couch and the coffee table.

[Cap Mandrake]

PI: Attacks on Batan Is, Bataan and Clark. No fighter escorts over Luzon...hmmm?

First transport form the latest Midway surge arriving in Mindinao.

I started a Stuart Bn and M-10 Bn to Bataan to try to upgrade to new tanks and to M-8's for the TD Bn

[Cap Mandrake]

SE Asia: JJ put "one up the chuff" of HMS Birmingham during a bombardment of Tavoy but she will survive I think.

British armour reached the suburbs of Saigon but the little bastards have a garrison unit there so we will have to find something else to do.Still trying to force supply over the hills from Moulmein into Siam. It is trickling over.

[Cap Mandrake]

Solomons: as the KB was spotted near the Marianas, I am loading up for an attack on Buin.

[Cap Mandrake]

Also, as the KB has been spotted, the two battle-ready USN carries are loading up for a secret mission [:)]

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I am having very vivid dreams lately. I think it is the trauma of the KB showing up suddenly. I had a dream I was in Central America but lost my flight information and couldn't remember which country I was flying to. I am pretty sure this is a strategic planning nightmare dream. Then I had a dream I was in a giant home where everyone drove green Jaguar sedans INSIDE the house and I had a fender bender trying to get between the coffee table and the couch. This, clearly is meant to signify the dangerous waters between Ceram and New Guinea.

I am getting pretty good at dream analysis.

Sometimes a couch is just a couch.

Are you sure the Jaguars weren't PT boats chasing Jap BBs?

[Zorch]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Also, as the KB has been spotted, the two battle-ready USN carries are loading up for a secret mission [:)]

Are they going to deliver a lifetime supply of tobacco + pipes to Dougie boy?