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

[RangerJoe]

I would seriously consider bypassing Truk. No need to take it, 4Es can neutralize it. Flying at 30k and bombing can cause a lot of wastage of Japanese supply with little direct loss. With a certain percentage of rest, the unit should not have too many OPs losses.

The same thing for other bases unless they are empty or relatively so, just render their AFs ineffective.

[Cap Mandrake]

Sumatra: JJ has worked out we are trying to build an AF at Enganno, which is a dot base offshore near the southern tip of Sumatra. We secretly unloaded some supply there many months ago and then flew in some engineers by flying boat. We have used the friendly-dot-base-stealthy engineer-landing trick about 20 times so they are wise to us. Base also serves as PBY recon of the Sunda Strait.

Night Naval bombardment of Enggano at 44,94

Japanese Ships
E Kari
E Hato
E Kasasagi
E Otori

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

Port hits 4
Port supply hits 2

Pagan (Central Sumatra) is rubble now and we are moving the engineers east. Trying to get supply in via barge and sub.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

If you are not flying from Clark, then there is no need to repair the airfield unless you are building forts. If you do fly from Clark, then you will need the engineers unless you other ground units have them. If you are not flying from Clark, then you also don't need the air support. If you fly occassionally from Clark, then you need to keep the airfield repaired.

But if you have built up Bataan's airfield and have AAA there plus CD guns and mines, then you may not need Clark's airfield. In that case, I would move the aviation support units to Bataan and not worry about Clark's airfield. Keep the supplies flowing to Bataan and some will trickle to Clark and it only takes one unit of supply to have the unit a full effectiveness.

How soon can you push a larger convoy through to Clark? Retake parts of Luzon or some island bases in the Sulu Sea?

Right. I had hopes of building the forts back up at Clark but I can see they are waiting till I repair the AF and then attacking again so no fort building at Clark. AF and forts at Bataan now at 3. I stopped construction to save supply.

A major force moving to the PI? I think it would have to be late July. We will have 7 carriers and 3 CVL plus numerous CVE's

[Cap Mandrake]

The exception would be if I could secretly get the USN carriers back to the Coral Sea from the Indian Ocean and then bait the KB into the IO with a spoof landing on Java or something....then send a bunch of 17-19 kt transports up toward Mindanao with carrier support. Quite a tall order.

[RangerJoe]

If you find an empty base, paratroopers can take it easy. From a sub or from PBYs, they work quite well. They also ignore CD guns except as defensive artillery. Lots of bombers and bombardments can make it easy for a lightly defended base. Think AIR CAVALRY or at least Air Dragoons - if you know the difference!

[Cap Mandrake]

IJN has only lost 2 CV's and 3 CVL/CVE's. They still have a nasty carrier force

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Another big attack at Clark but the arrival of Br 54 Brigade and 30 Shermans makes a big difference.

I don't think that he will ever take Clark.

It will come down to supply. Getting sketchy on our side.


Bataan at 7700 and Clark at 20. The artillery attacks and air attacks consume quite a bit of our supply.

Amateurs think tactics, expert think supply. I can't remember who said that.

[RangerJoe]

The next time you hoist a pint, say "Na zdrowie" and remember them.

But they were also flying Hurricanes. They shot down a lot more 109s than they lost. The difference was their training.

There is also a movie "Hurricane" about them.

There is also a movie about a "sergeant Wojtek" in the Polish Army. He enjoyed his wine and beer. He was excellent on guard duty as well. He was NOT Polish. After the war, he was a hit with the children in one Scottish village. But then, well, you could kinda, sorta, say that he went to jail. [:(]

[RangerJoe]

Sorry, wrong thread. [:(]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

Sorry, wrong thread. [:(]

Epic fail.

[:D]

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Jap defense of Boela has stymied the push toward Mindanao via the Banda Sea. The reduction of of Rabaul and New Ireland now permits pushing up the North coast of New Guinea. I started troops prepping for Yap, Wolei, Beazelbob and Truk.

Manus open for the taking? MacArthur really liked getting that one on the cheap. What has JJ got there?

[RangerJoe]

Manus did make a nice naval base. The problem was though that the 7th Fleet messages had to go through Manus to get to the 3rd Fleet. They arrived out of sequence. Then the Yamato and friends showed up at Leyte Gulf. Of course, no player would let the DS run after enemy aircraft carriers . . .

[Cap Mandrake]

**********April 1, 1943(e)********

KAGA AKAGI, HYRYU, SORYU SUNK!

[Cap Mandrake]

April fools. [:)]

[Cap Mandrake]

That was childish, wasn't it?

[Cap Mandrake]

Arafua Sea, Banda Sea and that stuff.

Night raid Darwin.

Night Air attack on Darwin , at 76,124

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 109 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 40 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 19

Allied aircraft
P-70 Havoc x 8

Japanese aircraft losses
G3M3 Nell: 5 damaged
G3M3 Nell: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

[Cap Mandrake]

KB spotted again at Kendari. I am sending the two fast BB's back North. Arizona could leave Dobo but needs escorts.

[Cap Mandrake]

Philippine Sea: An AK leaving Mindanao has a bad day.

Instead of trying to get to Midway we are trying to run SE to New Ireland

Day Time Surface Combat, near Babeldaob at 92,97, Range 17,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Takanami
DD Yamakaze
DD Kisaragi
DD Matsukaze
DD Oite

Allied Ships
xAK Admiral Wood, Shell hits 35, Torpedo hits 1, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Big air attacks on Clark AF.

Pagano in Sumatra gets pulverized again. Engineers trying to land on a coastal island off Sumatra enter Betty/Zeke range from Singers with no attack

First big ground attack at Rabaul ordered for today.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

**********April 1, 1943(e)********

KAGA AKAGI, HYRYU, SORYU SUNK!

Happy New Year!

Oh wait, that got moved to the first of January! [:(]