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

[Cap Mandrake]

Carolines and Marshalls: There will be no attrition carrier battle over Truk so we begin to load the huge Marianas landing forces at Rabaul, New Britain, Tulagi, Pearl and Midway and assemble near Wotje.

The Kiwis are prepped for Ponape so we send them in.

Pre-Invasion action off Ponape (119,113) - Coastal Guns Fire Back!
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

39 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Allied Ships
CA Frobisher, Shell hits 1
CL Java
DD Stronghold
PC Orara
LST-19

Ponape Naval Fortress firing at CA Frobisher
CA Frobisher firing at Ponape Naval Fortress
CL Java firing at Ponape Naval Fortress
Ponape Naval Fortress firing at CL Java
DD Stronghold firing at Ponape Naval Fortress
Ponape Naval Fortress firing at DD Stronghold
PC Orara fired at enemy guns
DD Stronghold fired at enemy guns

[Cap Mandrake]

USS Baitfish drops leaflets over Ponape that say:

"Japanese soldiers and sailors! We ask you to surrender to save yourselves! By the way, the USS Baitfish is only 40 miles to the SE with only a dozen fighters, bearing 135"

Morning Air attack on Ponape Naval Fortress, at 119,113 (Ponape)

Weather in hex: Heavy rain

Raid spotted at 16 NM, estimated altitude 10,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 7 minutes

Allied aircraft
FM-1 Wildcat x 5
TBF-1 Avenger x 8

No Allied losses

[Cap Mandrake]

Maybe they don't have a radio anymore. They are beat up.

Ground combat at Ponape (119,113)

Japanese Bombardment attack

Attacking force 290 troops, 27 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 1

Defending force 606 troops, 18 guns, 79 vehicles, Assault Value = 43

Assaulting units:
Ponape Naval Fortress

Defending units:
3rd NZ Armoured Sqn
144th RNZA Bty

[Cap Mandrake]

Tiny Aussie commando force on Ulithi gets murdered by air. Nowhere to hide.

Kates from Beazelbob most likely (not a carrier) and the Army bombers seem to come from Guam.

Afternoon Air attack on 2/9th Cav/Cdo Battalion, at 98,97 (Ulithi)

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 8 NM, estimated altitude 11,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 3 minutes

Japanese aircraft
B5N2 Kate x 10

No Japanese losses

Allied ground losses:
66 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 1 disabled
Non Combat: 4 destroyed, 2 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled

Aircraft Attacking:
10 x B5N2 Kate bombing from 6000 feet *
Ground Attack: 2 x 250 kg GP Bomb



--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Afternoon Air attack on 2/9th Cav/Cdo Battalion, at 98,97 (Ulithi)

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid spotted at 8 NM, estimated altitude 8,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 2 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-IIb Lily x 31

No Japanese losses

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

[Cap Mandrake]

Oh, well, unit citation medal.

Ground combat at Ulithi (98,97)

Japanese Shock attack

Attacking force 184 troops, 4 guns, 0 vehicles, Assault Value = 28

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

Japanese adjusted assault: 12

Allied adjusted defense: 1

Japanese assault odds: 12 to 1 (fort level 0)

Japanese forces CAPTURE Ulithi !!!

Combat modifiers
Attacker: shock(+)

Assaulting units:
Yokosuka 3rd SNLF /1
Yokosuka 1st SNLF /2

[Cap Mandrake]

Sumatra: trying to reassert an effect CAP over Sabang.

Morning Air attack on Sabang , at 44,70

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid spotted at 48 NM, estimated altitude 9,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 9

Allied aircraft
Hurricane I Trop x 1
Hurricane IIc Trop x 11

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-44-IIa Tojo: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Hurricane IIc Trop: 2 destroyed

[Cap Mandrake]

San Bernardino is burning badly from a raid the previous day.

Royal Navy had to fall back to Nicobar

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 10 damaged
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed by flak

No Allied losses

Allied Ships
AKE San Bernadino, Bomb hits 1, on fire

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

Port hits 3
Port supply hits 2

[Cap Mandrake]

Huzzah! We take Langsa. Also, Idi Amin is not harmed

Ground combat at Langsa (46,74)

Allied Deliberate attack

Attacking force 12484 troops, 239 guns, 146 vehicles, Assault Value = 367

Defending force 4239 troops, 48 guns, 2 vehicles, Assault Value = 134

Allied adjusted assault: 179

Japanese adjusted defense: 39

Allied assault odds: 4 to 1 (fort level 2)

Allied forces CAPTURE Langsa !!!

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

Japanese ground losses:
1530 casualties reported
Squads: 38 destroyed, 18 disabled
Non Combat: 22 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 13 destroyed, 1 disabled
Guns lost 22 (18 destroyed, 4 disabled)
Vehicles lost 2 (2 destroyed, 0 disabled)
Units retreated 3

Allied ground losses:
241 casualties reported
Squads: 0 destroyed, 31 disabled
Non Combat: 1 destroyed, 1 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 8 disabled
Guns lost 7 (2 destroyed, 5 disabled)

Defeated Japanese Units Retreating!

Assaulting units:
22nd (East African) Brigade
45th Indian Brigade
21st Australian Brigade
6th British Brigade

Defending units:
Ichiki Det.
Sasebo 3rd SNLF
91st Naval Guard Unit

[Cap Mandrake]

*****************June 21****************

Marshalls: Ponape fell in the first attack.

Wotje has a level 3 AF operational. SBD's and TBF's work over Roi-namur

Kusai and Alinglaplap building AF's

New Guinea: Manokwari (New Guinea) fell in the first attack with the near destruction of the IJA infantry Brigade there.

PI: Ground attack at Bataan. 1:1 Nearly equal casualties but most of ours are Filippino KIA's

Carolines: Jap paras retake Satawal and we lose 500 engineers. The next day we send in all the B-24's from Kavieng at 4000 ft and wipe out the entire group of 700 Jap paras. Nothing left on Satwal but a single support squad of disabled Aussies.

[Cap Mandrake]

******************June 22********************

Very large forces loitering near Wotje with carrier support. Waiting on 2 more CVE's to arrive from the WC.

NG: Pushing supplies up the coast toward Sorong. Manokwari now has planes and an Air HQ

Sumatra: Flying in 5th Indian Div to Sabang. Heavy equipment organizing at Port Blair and will return to Sabang along with the RN cruisers soon

[T Rav]

RJ,

Yes, it was a M-113 and I was usually behind a 50 Cal. An amazing weapon for having been designed 100 years ago.

I only got to fire it a couple times (All my Army-time was in peace-time thankfully.)

Sorry for the hijack Captain,
T Rav

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: T Rav

RJ,

Yes, it was a M-113 and I was usually behind a 50 Cal. An amazing weapon for having been designed 100 years ago.

I only got to fire it a couple times (All my Army-time was in peace-time thankfully.)

Sorry for the hijack Captain,
T Rav

From what I understand, serving in peacetime is better than serving in a war zone.[8|]

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: T Rav

RJ,

Yes, it was a M-113 and I was usually behind a 50 Cal. An amazing weapon for having been designed 100 years ago.

I only got to fire it a couple times (All my Army-time was in peace-time thankfully.)

Sorry for the hijack Captain,
T Rav

From what I understand, serving in peacetime is better than serving in a warzone.

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

**********************June 20, 1943(e)****************

Despite numerous attempts to bait the IJN into a carrier battle near Truk or Wolei it's a no go.

I had a single CVE (USS Baitfish) 1 hex off Ponape dropping bombs from 1 hex away with the other USN carriers waiting W of Nauru Is, 500 miles away from any Jap bases for days in a row. Not even a nibble. I sent the fake amphibious TF with 20 ships all the way to Satawal within easy spotting range of Guam and Wolei...AND THEY WERE SPOTTED but no reaction. I have bombed the Heck out of Truk and Wolei and even dropped paras on Ulithi...no carriers.

KB is covering the salvage operation on the 3.5 long tons of prime mature Bluefin for M&M. Do you know how much that is worth!!!? It can be sold as brined and aged tuna - a delicacy!

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Huzzah! We take Langsa. Also, Idi Amin (of 22nd (East African) Brigade) is not harmed

What! Idi gave up his bartender gig to go and serve the mother country (whichever one subjugated Uganda)? Did they offer him the "Last King of Scotland" gig after the war? [8D]

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Huzzah! We take Langsa. Also, Idi Amin (of 22nd (East African) Brigade) is not harmed

What! Idi gave up his bartender gig to go and serve the mother country (whichever one subjugated Uganda)? Did they offer him the "Last King of Scotland" gig after the war? [8D]

He served the United Kingdom, if you have ever heard of it . . . [8|]

[BBfanboy]

ORIGINAL: RangerJoe

ORIGINAL: BBfanboy

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Huzzah! We take Langsa. Also, Idi Amin (of 22nd (East African) Brigade) is not harmed

What! Idi gave up his bartender gig to go and serve the mother country (whichever one subjugated Uganda)? Did they offer him the "Last King of Scotland" gig after the war? [8D]

He served the United Kingdom, if you have ever heard of it . . . [8|]

I heard of it - but it was a myth -never really united! When I attended a NATO course at the British base Aldershot, we took trips to several locations by bus. The English soldiers on the course endlessly mocked and cast aspersions at the two Scots on the course. At first I thought it was friendly banter but soon it became clear they really hated the Scots. For their part the Scots held back from retaliating - much more mature I thought. I stayed out of it - international incidents and all that. During my time at Aldershot and on other visits to England I also got the impression that many English do not hold the Irish in high regard either, even if they are from Ulster (Northern Ireland). And the Welsh just want to take a leek on England ...[;)]

How Britain became Great Britain with those internal issues is remarkable.

[Cap Mandrake]

Idi Amin Dada(a) claimed to have served in Burma in WWII(a). This is not true as he joined the King's African Rifles in 1946

He was in Burma in WWII(b or c). I forget. I think he was in Australia too. Worked as a bartender as I recall.

[Cap Mandrake]

********************June 23, 1943(e)**************

New & Improved Guinea: Jap DD's sink 7 PT boats. We saw them coming so the LST's and LCT's made themselves scarce.

Night Time Surface Combat, near Noemfoor at 86,110, Range 8,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Minekaze
DD Akikaze
DD Hokaze
DD Numakaze

Allied Ships
PT-239, Shell hits 15, and is sunk
PT-240, Shell hits 7, and is sunk
PT-241, Shell hits 6, and is sunk
PT-242, Shell hits 2, and is sunk


Maximum visibility in Partly Cloudy Conditions and 67% moonlight: 11,000 yards
Range closes to 10,000 yards...
Range closes to 8,000 yards...
CONTACT: Japanese lookouts spot Allied task force at 8,000 yards
CONTACT: Allied lookouts spot Japanese task force at 8,000 yards
Oku, A. crosses the 'T'
DD Numakaze engages PT-242 at 8,000 yards
DD Akikaze engages PT-242 at 8,000 yards
DD Minekaze engages PT-242 at 8,000 yards
Range closes to 6,000 yards
Range closes to 4,000 yards
PT-242 sunk by DD Minekaze at 4,000 yards
Range closes to 2,000 yards
DD Hokaze engages PT-239 at 2,000 yards
PT-239 sunk by DD Akikaze at 2,000 yards
Walker M. orders Allied TF to disengage
DD Numakaze engages PT-241 at 2,000 yards
DD Hokaze engages PT-240 at 2,000 yards
DD Hokaze engages PT-241 at 2,000 yards
PT-240 sunk by DD Akikaze at 2,000 yards
DD Numakaze engages PT-241 at 2,000 yards
PT-241 sunk by DD Hokaze at 2,000 yards
Combat ends with last Allied ship sunk...


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Night Time Surface Combat, near Noemfoor at 86,110, Range 10,000 Yards

Japanese Ships
DD Minekaze
DD Akikaze
DD Hokaze
DD Numakaze

Allied Ships
PT-235, Shell hits 2, and is sunk
PT-236, Shell hits 12, and is sunk
PT-237, Shell hits 1, and is sunk

[Cap Mandrake]

I moved some dive bombers to the SW coast of New Guinea to strike the transports loitering near Manokwari...unfortunately, they were distracted by some shiny objects near Ceram and flew into a CAP buzzsaw.

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Boela at 80,110

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 32 NM, estimated altitude 13,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 13 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M3a Zero x 7
Ki-44-IIa Tojo x 27

Allied aircraft
Kittyhawk III x 2
Kittyhawk IV x 3
P-38H Lightning x 10
SB2C-1C Helldiver x 27

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M3a Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
Kittyhawk III: 1 destroyed
Kittyhawk IV: 2 destroyed
P-38H Lightning: 2 destroyed
SB2C-1C Helldiver: 10 destroyed, 9 damaged

Japanese Ships
BB Ise
BB Fuso