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

[Cap Mandrake]

*****************April 10, 1943(e)************

Wah crime. We have guys out there with sponges trying to soak up all the water in the West Va and the Japs drop a bomb on them.

I moved Arizona to Taberfane but at 6 kts she will get swarmed by subs if she tries to make Merauke.

Night Air attack on Dobo , at 83,116

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 77 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 28 minutes

Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 27

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

Allied Ships
BB West Virginia, Bomb hits 1, heavy damage

Port hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

First Roti gets bombed, then Koepang, then Babar the Elephant. It's like the Yellowstone hotspot...it keeps moving east. Either there is going to be a carrier raid or they want me to THINK there is going to be a carrier raid. I moved the fast BB's out of Merauke.

[Cap Mandrake]

New Guinea: Jap DD's retreat out of range from Hollandia and lob some shells at Biak on the way out.

Night Naval bombardment of Biak at 87,110

Japanese Ships
DD Kuri
DD Oite
DD Hatakaze
DD Matsukaze
DD Kisaragi
DD Hatsuyuki

Port hits 4
Port supply hits 4

[Cap Mandrake]

Our recon guys worked out that CAP over Biak is coming from Manokwari so we send some heavies to Darwin and hit them. Nice raid.

Morning Air attack on Manokwari , at 85,109

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 22 NM, estimated altitude 17,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
B-17E Fortress x 3
B-24D1 Liberator x 4

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
B-17E Fortress: 1 damaged

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

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 2
Runway hits 14

[Cap Mandrake]

No LYB attack at Biak. I think we won that fight. Most of 7th Marine Rgt is there with Col Shoup.

[Cap Mandrake]

Sami, 120 m NW of Hollandia is now an operational AF. Next step, reduce and/or capture Manokwari and then we can run supply mostly unmolested to Sorong.

[Cap Mandrake]

New & Improved Guinea

You can reach Bealzebob from Hollandia with B-24's but if you want to send P-38's you need Biak or Sami

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Man, that was a rough week. After much aggravation, I seem to have the MS 2 factor identification software running. I got "migrated" which means my organizational software (EMR, Outlook, TigerText etc etc) was transferred to another set of servers and protocols and s^^^ like that. Everything freaking stopped working.

Anyway, I was ordered to quarantine and I can't do any patient care from home because I can't get emails or TigerText or see lab results or charts...etc.etc. Well admin hack sees my "tasks" building up but does not know I am not in the office so they start sending me threatening emails..."Dear Dr. Mandrake....blah,blah, blah"....and then later "Listen you worthless deadbeat if you don't get your tasks done we are going to send Fat Tony over there..."

Well, I survive the quarantine, it's not COVID but the first day back they CANCEL all my patients without telling me so I can sit there like a clerk-typist and work on my tasks. [:@]

FAM: Why didn't you at least notify me?

Admin Hack: We sent you three emails. [:-]

I will not be kind when the annual reviews come up.

I am glad that you are back.

Payback can be fun!


Of course, you should send them a referral to a proctologist so they can have their head removed from their rectal oriface. Of course, you don't have to be so polite in your referral letter.

[Cap Mandrake]

PI: Fighting in Luzon heats up again. Marine Corsairs and Kiwi export-p-40's do pretty well.

Morning Air attack on Bataan , at 78,77

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 49 NM, estimated altitude 26,190 feet.
Estimated time to target is 14 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 42

Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk III x 11
F4U-1 Corsair x 16

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-45 KAIa Nick: 6 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk III: 1 destroyed
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

GD Tojos are a problem.

Morning Air attack on Bataan , at 78,77

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 23 NM, estimated altitude 25,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 36
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 2

Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk III x 1
F4U-1 Corsair x 5

No Japanese losses

Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk III: 1 destroyed
F4U-1 Corsair: 1 destroyed

Aircraft Attacking:
33 x Ki-44-IIa Tojo sweeping at 22000 feet

[Cap Mandrake]

They have LOTS of fighters on Luzon. They wear our guys down.

Morning Air attack on Bataan , at 78,77

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 42 NM, estimated altitude 28,430 feet.
Estimated time to target is 11 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 5
Ki-61-Ia Tony x 12

No Japanese losses

[Cap Mandrake]

Interesting. A port attack. I wonder if they are going after the guns on Corregidor? You don't suppose they are going to try a landing?

Morning Air attack on Bataan , at 78,77

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 118 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 34 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 5
Ki-48-IIb Lily x 31

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-IIb Lily: 5 damaged
Ki-48-IIb Lily: 1 destroyed by flak

Port supply hits 1

[Cap Mandrake]

AF too. All this stuff really chews up our supply.

Morning Air attack on Bataan , at 78,77

Weather in hex: Light rain

Raid detected at 46 NM, estimated altitude 7,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 15 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-36 Ida x 12
Ki-43-IIb Oscar x 10
Ki-45 KAIa Nick x 14
Ki-51 Sonia x 18

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-36 Ida: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 8
Runway hits 21

[Cap Mandrake]

So does this. Most units in the red on supply at Clark. About 8000 supply at Bataan

Ground combat at Clark Field (79,76)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 1678 troops, 143 guns, 109 vehicles, Assault Value = 823

Defending force 31309 troops, 486 guns, 364 vehicles, Assault Value = 805

Japanese ground losses:
Guns lost 9 (2 destroyed, 7 disabled)

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

Assaulting units:
33rd/C Division
33rd/B Division
2nd/B Division
33rd/A Division
2nd/A Division
8th Ind.Mixed Brigade
2nd/C Division
1st Art.Mortar Regiment
15th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion
3rd Ind. Mountain Gun Regiment
20th Ind. Mtn Gun Battalion
3rd Ind.Hvy.Art. Battalion
8th Medium Field Artillery Regiment
3rd Medium Field Artillery Regiment
14th Ind.Art.Mortar Battalion

Defending units:
632nd Tank Destroyer Battalion
54th British Brigade
71st PA Infantry Division
637th Tank Destroyer Battalion
51st PA Infantry Division
57th PS Infantry Regiment
91st PA Infantry Division
45th PS Infantry Regiment
762nd Tank Battalion
2nd PA Infantry Regiment
103rd PA Infantry Regiment
4th Constabulary Regiment
165th Field Artillery Battalion
24th PS FA Regiment
1st USMC AA Battalion
II/Prov'nl SPM Grp
501st Coast AA Regiment
!/23rd PS FA Battalion
III/Prov'nl SPM Grp
Clark Field AAF Base Force
86th PS Field Artillery Battalion
88th PS Field Artillery Regiment
I/Prov'nl SPM Grp
200th & 515th Coast AA Regiment
301st PA Field Artillery Regiment

We need to do something to change the equation here. I moved some heavy bombers to Cagayan on Mindanao. We attack Manila AF today.

[Cap Mandrake]

New & Improved Caledonia: 4th Division must be eating snakes and bugs at this point but won't give in.

Ground combat at La Foa (114,159)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 6945 troops, 185 guns, 130 vehicles, Assault Value = 190

Defending force 7234 troops, 0 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 123

Allied adjusted assault: 122

Japanese adjusted defense: 19

Allied assault odds: 6 to 1

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), disruption(-), fatigue(-), supply(-)
Attacker:

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

Allied ground losses:
135 casualties reported
Squads: 1 destroyed, 11 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Assaulting units:
145th Infantry Regiment
112th Cavalry Regiment
1st USMC Field Artillery Battalion
198th Field Artillery Battalion
147th Field Artillery Battalion
205th Field Artillery Battalion
260th Field Artillery Battalion
2nd USMC Field Artillery Battalion

Defending units:
4th Division

[Cap Mandrake]

New & Improved Sumatra: This is a pretty big air assault. They did not like our lads on Siboroet.

We had 80 troops at Siboroet but 112 of them were casualties. Maybe wounded AND captured?

Ground combat at Siberoet (42,85)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 433 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 23

Defending force 80 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 6

Japanese adjusted assault: 17

Allied adjusted defense: 5

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Siberoet !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), preparation(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)

Allied ground losses:
112 casualties reported
Squads: 10 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
3rd Raiding Rgt /1

Defending units:
111th LRP Bde /8

[Cap Mandrake]

SE Asia: More IJA units falling back at Vinh. Looks like Pakse will be attacked so I send the heavies there.

Morning Air attack on 11th Division, at 63,64 (Pakse)

Weather in hex: Overcast

Raid spotted at 19 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 6 minutes

Allied aircraft
Liberator II x 3
B-24D Liberator x 9
B-24D1 Liberator x 17

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 4 damaged
B-24D1 Liberator: 1 damaged

Japanese ground losses:
45 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

[Cap Mandrake]

3 IJA divisions and a naval guard unit at Pakse.

Mostly Indian defenders of Pakse

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

New & Improved Sumatra: This is a pretty big air assault. They did not like our lads on Siboroet.

We had 80 troops at Siboroet but 112 of them were casualties. Maybe wounded AND captured?

Ground combat at Siberoet (42,85)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 433 troops, 3 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 23

Defending force 80 troops, 2 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 6

Japanese adjusted assault: 17

Allied adjusted defense: 5

Japanese assault odds: 3 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Siberoet !!!

Combat modifiers
Defender: terrain(+), leaders(+), preparation(-)
Attacker: shock(+), leaders(-)

Allied ground losses:
112 casualties reported
Squads: 10 destroyed, 0 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 2 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units destroyed 1

Assaulting units:
3rd Raiding Rgt /1

Defending units:
111th LRP Bde /8

When I see these kinds of over-statements of casualties, I figure the AI is counting squads and calculating how many men would be in that number of squads. It does not know that the squads were under-manned already.

[Cap Mandrake]

*************April 11, 1943(e)****************

Sundas and New Guinea: Sneaky LYB's go after Arizona at Taberfane

Night Air attack on Taberfane , at 82,117

Weather in hex: Thunderstorms

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

Japanese aircraft
G3M3 Nell x 14

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

Port hits 1