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

[Cap Mandrake]

You can start the feel the pace of resources increase for the Allies.

One Squadron gets separated.

Morning Air attack on Truk , at 112,108

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid spotted at 12 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-Ic Oscar x 4

Allied aircraft
PB4Y-1 Liberator x 11

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

Allied aircraft losses
PB4Y-1 Liberator: 2 damaged

Airbase hits 1
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 3

[Cap Mandrake]

I wonder what is the story behind the Navy getting the PB4Y. They probably pushed it as a long range anti-shipping A/C.

[Chickenboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I wonder what is the story behind the Navy getting the PB4Y. They probably pushed it as a long range anti-shipping A/C.

Something like that, yes. When the much ballyhooed naval bombing prowess of the B-17 with USAAF crews was shown to be hot air, the USAAF decided that B-17s were much better at bombing things on land than at sea. The B-24 was much easier to produce than the B-17, had longer range and carried a much larger bomb load / fuel load. So the USAAF made a deal with the USN to update the B-24 production streams for their use and trade them for the B-17. The USN was only too happy to have a long range scout / recon / bomber that suited their purposes better.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I wonder what is the story behind the Navy getting the PB4Y. They probably pushed it as a long range anti-shipping A/C.

Something like that, yes. When the much ballyhooed naval bombing prowess of the B-17 with USAAF crews was shown to be hot air, the USAAF decided that B-17s were much better at bombing things on land than at sea. The B-24 was much easier to produce than the B-17, had longer range and carried a much larger bomb load / fuel load. So the USAAF made a deal with the USN to update the B-24 production streams for their use and trade them for the B-17. The USN was only too happy to have a long range scout / recon / bomber that suited their purposes better.

How about long ranged ASW in the Atlantic? Especially equipped with Radar. Although I thought that he was still on the farm in Iowa.

If I remember correctly, Joe Kennedy flew those over the Atlantic.

[Disco Duck]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

$29. Delivered the next day. Works instantly.

Oddly, of the 20 brands of oximeters listed on Amazon they are all $29.

The model I bought was also sold for $24 from another vendor but curiously they were "out of stock". Seems like obvious price fixing to me. Still, the thing works better than most of the professional models we have been using for 15 years.

I have and O2 sensor on my Garmin Vivosmart but they have been hit with ransom ware so I can't keep track of the data.

[rtrapasso]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I wonder what is the story behind the Navy getting the PB4Y. They probably pushed it as a long range anti-shipping A/C.

Something like that, yes. When the much ballyhooed naval bombing prowess of the B-17 with USAAF crews was shown to be hot air, the USAAF decided that B-17s were much better at bombing things on land than at sea. The B-24 was much easier to produce than the B-17, had longer range and carried a much larger bomb load / fuel load. So the USAAF made a deal with the USN to update the B-24 production streams for their use and trade them for the B-17. The USN was only too happy to have a long range scout / recon / bomber that suited their purposes better.

How about long ranged ASW in the Atlantic? Especially equipped with Radar. Although I thought that he was still on the farm in Iowa.

If I remember correctly, Joe Kennedy flew those over the Atlantic.

Until he decided to go for an instant medal (or so the story goes) and fly the super-hazardous mission for Operation Anvil (the Navy's version of Operation Aphrodite) He was supposed to take a radio controlled PB4Y-1 called a BQ-8 up to altitude, arm it, and then bail out. Shortly after he armed the plane (but before the bail-out point) the explosives went off, injuring at least one member of the chase plane. Kennedy and his crew mate were awarded the Navy Cross, Air Medal and a Purple Heart posthumously. As i recall, they never found their bodies. Later on, the target they were supposed to have attacked was found to have been abandoned and used as a diversion by the Germans (at least according to the account in Masters of the Air by Donald Miller.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

I wonder what is the story behind the Navy getting the PB4Y. They probably pushed it as a long range anti-shipping A/C.

Something like that, yes. When the much ballyhooed naval bombing prowess of the B-17 with USAAF crews was shown to be hot air, the USAAF decided that B-17s were much better at bombing things on land than at sea. The B-24 was much easier to produce than the B-17, had longer range and carried a much larger bomb load / fuel load. So the USAAF made a deal with the USN to update the B-24 production streams for their use and trade them for the B-17. The USN was only too happy to have a long range scout / recon / bomber that suited their purposes better.

How about long ranged ASW in the Atlantic? Especially equipped with Radar. Although I thought that he was still on the farm in Iowa.

If I remember correctly, Joe Kennedy flew those over the Atlantic.

Yes, Churchill had been pleading with Roosevelt to send him more VLR Liberators so they could close the mid-Atlantic gap - the black pit - where the U-boats were operating without interference from patrol planes. Once the US was in the war and the U-boats had ravaged the east coast and were sniffing about the Caribbean, lots of VLR Liberators were produced. Subsequent CVE Hunter/Killer groups obviated some of the patrol needs and may have led to aircraft transferred to the Pacific and North Pacific.
In the game the PB4Ys seem pretty fragile, easily shot down by flak and fighters compared to B-17s. I guess they got some of their long range from being lightly armed and armoured. Not sure if they sacrificed some of their bomb load to put extra fuel tanks in the bomb bay.

[Cap Mandrake]

They are fragile just like the LB-30

[Lowpe]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

They are fragile just like the LB-30

Spoken like an AFB![:D] A Lilly is fragile! Or in AFB speak a Blenheim IV is fragile.

[Cap Mandrake]

ORIGINAL: Lowpe

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

They are fragile just like the LB-30

Spoken like an AFB![:D] A Lilly is fragile! Or in AFB speak a Blenheim IV is fragile.

Rowpe make-ah aeroprane joke. Rirry rike Frying Fortress compared to damn barsa wood Nerrs!

[Cap Mandrake]

**********April 5, 1943(e)**********

Vietnam: Another furball over Vinh. JJ leads with Oscar sweeps and somehow manages to seep two squadrons together.

Raid detected at 15 NM, estimated altitude 22,560 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIa Oscar x 20
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 15

Allied aircraft
P-40E Warhawk x 1
Hurricane IIc Trop x 19
Kittyhawk III x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-43-IIa Oscar: 2 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 1 destroyed
Kittyhawk III: 1 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

JJ tries to hit OUR ground pounders.

Morning Air attack on 255th Armoured Brigade, at 65,59 (Vinh)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid detected at 64 NM, estimated altitude 16,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 18 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 15
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 22
Ki-48-IIa Lily x 20

Allied aircraft
Hurricane IIc Trop x 4
Kittyhawk III x 2

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

No Allied losses

[Cap Mandrake]

We try to hit THEIR ground pounders...who have evidently brought some serious AAA with them. 2 x B-25 downed

[quote]Morning Air attack on 41st Division, at 65,59 (Vinh)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 5,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 5 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 9
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 9

Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk III x 2
Mitchell II x 7
B-17F Fortress x 6
B-24D Liberator x 15
B-25C Mitchell x 10
B-25D1 Mitchell x 12

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

Allied aircraft losses
Mitchell II: 2 damaged
B-17F Fortress: 2 damaged
B-24D Liberator: 2 damaged
B-25C Mitchell: 1 damaged
B-25D1 Mitchell: 1 destroyed, 11 damaged
B-25D1 Mitchell: 1 destroyed by flak

Japanese ground losses:
78 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 9 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled[/quote

[Cap Mandrake]

Morning Air attack on 41st Division, at 65,59 (Vinh)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 20 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 1
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 3

Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 7
B-24D Liberator x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 5 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
52 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 4 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

I think I should find something else for the Hurri IId to do.

Morning Air attack on 34th Division, at 65,59 (Vinh)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 18 NM, estimated altitude 4,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 4 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 2

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIc x 5
Hurricane IId Trop x 6

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Beaufighter VIc: 3 damaged
Hurricane IId Trop: 1 damaged
Hurricane IId Trop: 1 destroyed by flak

Aircraft Attacking:
5 x Hurricane IId Trop bombing from 100 feet
5 x Beaufighter VIc bombing from 2000 feet
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 lb GP Bomb

[Cap Mandrake]

Vengeance is ours...though we have less than before.

Morning Air attack on 116th Division, at 65,59 (Vinh)

Weather in hex: Clear sky

Raid spotted at 7 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Allied aircraft
Beaufighter VIc x 3
Hurricane IIc Trop x 5
Vengeance I x 11
Kittyhawk III x 2

No Allied losses

Japanese ground losses:
9 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

Then this...they brought 3 infantry divisions too. 1 to 2 attack after taking down 1 fort level. We inflict about 6 to 1 in disablements. We need reinforcements

Ground combat at Vinh (65,59)

Japanese Deliberate attack

Attacking force 38917 troops, 323 guns, 36 vehicles, Assault Value = 1472

Defending force 24438 troops, 226 guns, 447 vehicles, Assault Value = 634

Japanese engineers reduce fortifications to 2

Japanese adjusted assault: 361

Allied adjusted defense: 787

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

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

Japanese ground losses:
3049 casualties reported
Squads: 9 destroyed, 247 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 27 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 23 disabled
Guns lost 22 (1 destroyed, 21 disabled)

Allied ground losses:
493 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 44 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 32 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 15 disabled
Guns lost 22 (1 destroyed, 21 disabled)

Assaulting units:
3rd Tank Division
116th Division
34th Division
41st Division
11th Army

Defending units:
26th Indian Brigade
255th Armoured Brigade
26th Indian Division
1st RAF Adv/Sqn Base Force
14th Indian Light AA Regiment
341st Base Group
225 Group RAF
Tenth USAAF
8th Air Advn Base Force
224 Group Base Force
2nd Air Advn Base Force /2

[Cap Mandrake]

************New Guinea/BeJesus gap*******

LST does't get the email and plows ahead...runs into Jap DD's

Day Time Surface Combat, near Biak at 89,109, Range 17,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Kisaragi
DD Kuri

Allied Ships
LST-464, Shell hits 23, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

Jap DD's get too close to Hollandia. Now they know what we have there.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Babeldaob at 86,94

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 30 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 12

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Yamakaze
DD Takanami

[Cap Mandrake]

Truk: Fragile PB4Y's gets damaged.[;)] JJ brings in some Nicks.

Morning Air attack on TF, near Babeldaob at 86,94

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 30 NM, estimated altitude 12,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Allied aircraft
SBD-3 Dauntless x 12

No Allied losses

Japanese Ships
DD Yamakaze
DD Takanami