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

[Cap Mandrake]

One unintended consequence of telehealth visits is, once patients with anxiety discover how easy it is the sky is the limit. This is fine because the office is not yet back up to it's pre-COVID activity..plus..I have learned if you just listen patiently and show concern and then say "the good news is this doesn't sound serious" it is AMAZINGLY effective. A teen patient with anxiety and "pain amplification syndrome" (everyday aches and pain become a crescendo of disabling pain at times) calls to report that her pain management doctor has doubled her tricyclic to help with anxiety, depressive symptoms and pain. Apparently, this has cause her breasts to become larger and "full" but not painful in any way (probably and estrogen effect indirectly caused by the medication). Now, I'm not sure how teen girls feel about this but adult women actually PAY to have that done by a plastic surgeon.

Anyway, I didn't think it was dangerous so I told her "The good news is I don't think this is serious"...et. voila!

[Cap Mandrake]

Situation in Sumatra

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Might have been a lot worse. It was a damn good plan,

We credit the staff!

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Might have been a lot worse. It was a damn good plan,

We credit the staff!

You stayed out drinking at the conference and missed the morning lecture on day 2...didn't you?

"Breaking symmetry: A novel blame/credit matrix"

[Cap Mandrake]

Back in the day, when I was President of the corporation (before all the Asian women took over) a staff flunkie screwed up and lost a big health plan contract so 30,000 patients disappear overnight. We had just taken long-term leases on new office space and hired a bunch of people...bad mojo. We were happy with the previous arrangement but the Health System big shots wanted to "serve the community better" (i.e. steal patients from other hospitals)[:D]

Anyway, any idiot could see we had to downsize so we arranged 7 AM meetings every morning for two weeks to hash it out. It was no fun....at the start..but by half way through the first meeting I had compiled a list of idiotic business jargon that the guys and gals on the other side of a huge conference table spouted like it was the gospel of Luke. I can't even remember all the silliness at this point but some were:

"Drill down"....nominally, to investigate further after a probing question by the doctors but what it really means is "oh shit, we didn't think of that"

"Best practice"....when you first hear this it sounds like some kind of lofty, rational, almost mathematical unified theory of the universe..but what it really means is.."We will tell you what you have to do later after we decide what costs less"

"Burning platform"...yes..I know what you are thinking.."did I not read enough books in college..I feel inadequate..is it Biblical...maybe Admiral Nelson mentioned it at Trafalgar""..but after the second person on the other side of the table said the same thing I realized it REALLY means "The Big Boss told us this is important and we will scramble about like Kapuchin monkeys picking up the bright and shiny objects until we make our nightly take"

I compiled a glossary and gave it out secretly to the other medical group members. The meeting started on day 2. We all drink our coffee and have our bagels. Someone on the other side says "drill down" and everyone on our side looks at their shoes. Someone says "best practice" and all the doctors try to maintain. Finally, about 30 minutes in someones utters "burning platform" and it's all over. I never got invited to a higher board. I wonder why.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Back in the day, when I was President of the corporation (before all the Asian women took over) a staff flunkie screwed up and lost a big health plan contract so 30,000 patients disappear overnight. We had just taken long-term leases on new office space and hired a bunch of people...bad mojo. We were happy with the previous arrangement but the Health System big shots wanted to "serve the community better" (i.e. steal patients from other hospitals)[:D]

Anyway, any idiot could see we had to downsize so we arranged 7 AM meetings every morning for two weeks to hash it out. It was no fun....at the start..but by half way through the first meeting I had compiled a list of idiotic business jargon that the guys and gals on the other side of a huge conference table spouted like it was the gospel of Luke. I can't even remember all the silliness at this point but some were:

"Drill down"....nominally, to investigate further after a probing question by the doctors but what it really means is "oh shit, we didn't think of that"

"Best practice"....when you first hear this it sounds like some kind of lofty, rational, almost mathematical unified theory of the universe..but what it really means is.."We will tell you what you have to do later after we decide what costs less"

"Burning platform"...yes..I know what you are thinking.."did I not read enough books in college..I feel inadequate..is it Biblical...maybe Admiral Nelson mentioned it at Trafalgar""..but after the second person on the other side of the table said the same thing I realized it REALLY means "The Big Boss told us this is important and we will scramble about like Kapuchin monkeys picking up the bright and shiny objects until we make our nightly take"

I compiled a glossary and gave it out secretly to the other medical group members. The meeting started on day 2. We all drink our coffee and have our bagels. Someone on the other side says "drill down" and everyone on our side looks at their shoes. Someone says "best practice" and all the doctors try to maintain. Finally, about 30 minutes in someones utters "burning platform" and it's all over. I never got invited to a higher board. I wonder why.

We did something similar - buzzword bingo! Just make a bingo matrix with a buzzword in each box and hand them out to participants. Everyone hides them in their leather-bound folder and appears to be taking notes studiously during the meeting, making the boss happy and the participants entertained. [:)]

[Bif1961]

In the military besides buzz-words and or phrases we have acronym-palooza. he problem is sometimes with joint operation services and or countries services, use the same acronym for something completely different. That is when life can get interesting on exercises.

[Cap Mandrake]

May have missed a few days. Very busy. In abbreviated form..

******************March 12, 1943(e)*************

Sumatra: JJ sneaks some DD's in from the South to bombard Padang. Our recon at Christmas Is missed them.

Night Naval bombardment of Padang at 44,85

Allied aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft losses
P-38G Lightning: 1 damaged
F4U-1 Corsair: 4 damaged

Japanese Ships
DD Nagatsuki
DD Shinonome
DD Ikazuchi
DD Nenohi

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

Airbase hits 5
Airbase supply hits 4
Runway hits 21
Port hits 11
Port fuel hits 2

Indian commandos dressed up like furry animals take Djambi, north of Palembang

Ground combat at Djambi (48,88)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 22 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 3

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0

Allied adjusted assault: 4

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Djambi !!!

Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(+), leaders(-)

Assaulting units:
111th LRP Bde /2

[Cap Mandrake]

Thailand and Laos: JJ bombs Pakse..we bomb the division South of Udon Thani

[Cap Mandrake]

PI: Big attack at Clark. Attack odds way down again for the IJA

Ground combat at Clark Field (79,76)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 26450 troops, 323 guns, 174 vehicles, Assault Value = 588

Defending force 42224 troops, 473 guns, 330 vehicles, Assault Value = 991

Japanese adjusted assault: 140

Allied adjusted defense: 2515

Japanese assault odds: 1 to 17 (fort level 0)

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
5192 casualties reported
Squads: 21 destroyed, 434 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 34 disabled
Engineers: 3 destroyed, 25 disabled
Guns lost 37 (3 destroyed, 34 disabled)
Vehicles lost 8 (1 destroyed, 7 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
142 casualties reported
Squads: 8 destroyed, 32 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

Assaulting units:
10th Division
14th Division
2nd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
1st Hvy.Artillery Regiment
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment

Defending units:
91st PA Infantry Division
11th PA Infantry Division
1st Constabulary Regiment
57th PS Infantry Regiment
71st PA Infantry Division
4th Marine Regiment
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
51st PA Infantry Division
31st Infantry Regiment
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
627th Tank Destroyer Battalion
21st PA Infantry Division
4th Constabulary Regiment
III/Prov'nl SPM Grp
!/23rd PS FA Battalion
86th PS Field Artillery Battalion
Clark Field AAF Base Force
4th PAAC Avn Sup
501st Coast AA Regiment
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
24th PS FA Regiment
II/Prov'nl SPM Grp
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
35th Avn Sup
165th Field Artillery Battalion
1st USMC AA Battalion
I/Prov'nl SPM Grp
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment

[Cap Mandrake]

************March 13, 1943(e)*********

PI: Big Jap air effort over . The AF is almost patched up so they start in on that again. We have a few Corsairs at Bataan

Morning Air attack on Clark Field , at 79,76

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 38 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 23
Ki-21-IIb Sally x 39
Ki-27b Nate x 14
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 9
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 6
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 7

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 8

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 7 damaged
Ki-21-IIb Sally: 8 damaged
Ki-21-IIb Sally: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-43-IIb Oscar: 2 destroyed
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 damaged

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 10
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 25

[Cap Mandrake]

They lower their attack altitude so they take more flak

Morning Air attack on Clark Field , at 79,76

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 34 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 9

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 damaged
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Runway hits 3

Aircraft Attacking:

[Cap Mandrake]

Must be hundreds of sorties.

Morning Air attack on Clark Field , at 79,76

Weather in hex: Partial cloud

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 12 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-27b Nate x 5
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 4
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 11

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 1

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed, 6 damaged

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 3
Runway hits 9

[Cap Mandrake]

Thailand: We switch over to attack at Nakhon to fool the Japanese fighters but they are all over us. We win with brute force...and they must be flying a long way too.

Morning Air attack on 14th Garrison Unit , at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 30
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 23

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 5
Wellington GR.VIII x 6
Mitchell II x 12
B-24D Liberator x 6
B-24D1 Liberator x 11
B-25C Mitchell x 15

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 destroyed
Wellington GR.VIII: 6 damaged
Mitchell II: 1 destroyed, 5 damaged
B-24D1 Liberator: 5 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
275 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 2 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Vehicles lost 12 (1 destroyed, 11 disabled)

[Cap Mandrake]

and We send the Wellingtons down to 4000 ft because the AA shrapnel goes right through harmlessly because of the geodesic framed fuselage.

Morning Air attack on 14th Garrison Unit , at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 4 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 7
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 4

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 1
Wellington Ic x 7

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
106 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

and

Morning Air attack on 14th Garrison Unit , at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 4 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 1 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 7
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 4

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIb Trop x 1
Wellington Ic x 7

No Japanese losses

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
106 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 3 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Morning Air attack on 14th Tank Regiment, at 58,61 (Nakhon Ratchasima)

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 2 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 0 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 3
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 4

Allied aircraft
Wellington Ic x 14

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Wellington Ic: 1 destroyed, 2 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
Vehicles lost 10 (1 destroyed, 9 disabled)

[Cap Mandrake]

Wave after wave like this...a wah crime really

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

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 1

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 12
B-24D1 Liberator x 13
B-25C Mitchell x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 3 damaged
B-24D1 Liberator: 3 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
220 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 22 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 17 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 1 (1 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Vehicles lost 11 (1 destroyed, 10 disabled)

[Cap Mandrake]

New Guinea: It's banzai attack time at Finschaffen ...which always seemed oddly named to me.

Ground combat at Finschhafen (100,126)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 8824 troops, 165 guns, 86 vehicles, Assault Value = 272

Defending force 1323 troops, 12 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 10

Allied adjusted assault: 106

Japanese adjusted defense: 10

Allied assault odds: 10 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), preparation(-), fatigue(-), morale(-)
experience(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

Japanese ground losses:
166 casualties reported
Squads: 5 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 6 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

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

Assaulting units:
27th Rhodesian Brigade
44th British/A Division

Defending units:
II/81st Naval Guard Unit
85th JAAF AF Bn
Yokosuka 3rd SNLF /1

[Cap Mandrake]

Alvyn and the Chipmunks take Benkalis oil field.

Ground combat at Bengkalis (48,82)

Allied Shock attack

Attacking force 11 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 2

Defending force 0 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 0

Allied adjusted assault: 1

Japanese adjusted defense: 1

Allied assault odds: 1 to 1 (fort level 0)

Allied forces CAPTURE Bengkalis !!!

Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)

Assaulting units:
111th LRP Bde /3

[Cap Mandrake]

**********March 14**************

Arafua Sea: I send out some LCM's from Darwin with some Bofors aboard to test the Jap air response. Somehow, the Bettys have escorts this far South. Must be the Zekes are flying from a different base. In any event...this confirms the Arafua Sea is dangerous. Not good to trade Bettys for an LCM

Morning Air attack on TF, near Bathurst Island at 75,121

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 10 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 32
G4M1 Betty x 13

Allied aircraft
Sea Hurricane Ib x 11
Kittyhawk I x 5
Kittyhawk III x 2
F4U-1 Corsair x 6

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3a Zero: 2 destroyed
G4M1 Betty: 4 destroyed, 1 damaged

Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk I: 1 destroyed

Allied Ships
LCM 592E
LCM 592C, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk
SC-521

Allied ground losses:
Guns lost 4 (4 destroyed, 0 disabled)

[Cap Mandrake]

PI: Serious raids at 6000 ft over Clark again. I had to move the Corsairs out of Bataan for now as they were all shot up.

Morning Air attack on 51st PA Infantry Division, at 79,76 (Clark Field)

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 40 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-21-IIa Sally x 21
Ki-21-IIb Sally x 37
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 5
Ki-48-Ib Lily x 12
Ki-49-IIa Helen x 7

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 12 damaged
Ki-21-IIa Sally: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-21-IIb Sally: 23 damaged
Ki-21-IIb Sally: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 4 damaged
Ki-48-Ib Lily: 1 destroyed by flak
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 3 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed by flak

Allied ground losses:
89 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 5 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled

More waves like this.