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

[Cap Mandrake]

Probably they are based at Kendari again. So much for the air recon.

Morning Air attack on Kendari , at 70,106

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 18,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 10
A6M5b Zero x 6

Allied aircraft
B-24D Liberator x 15
B-24D1 Liberator x 35

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5 Zero: 1 destroyed
Ki-48-IIb Lily: 2 destroyed on ground

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D Liberator: 2 damaged
B-24D1 Liberator: 7 damaged

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

Airbase hits 4
Airbase supply hits 1
Runway hits 18

[Cap Mandrake]

No CAP at Makassar. I had thought the bombers might be Vals.

Morning Air attack on Makassar , at 65,106

Weather in hex: Light cloud

Raid detected at 30 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 10 minutes

Japanese aircraft
no flights

Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 13

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-49-IIa Helen: 1 destroyed on ground

No Allied losses

Airbase hits 7
Airbase supply hits 8
Runway hits 42

[Cap Mandrake]

The B-24's hitting Kendari are flying all the way from Dobo and Darwin. We will ahve operational losses.

Morning Air attack on Kendari , at 70,106

Weather in hex: Severe storms

Raid detected at 75 NM, estimated altitude 15,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 25 minutes

Japanese aircraft
A6M5 Zero x 3
A6M5b Zero x 2

Allied aircraft
B-24D1 Liberator x 9

Japanese aircraft losses
A6M5b Zero: 1 destroyed

Allied aircraft losses
B-24D1 Liberator: 1 damaged

Airbase hits 1
Runway hits 3

[Cap Mandrake]

The Komodo Dragons ALMOST make it to Bima but stop to gaze at the Southern Cross too long. It might have run the board type naval victory...too bad. Lillys on naval attack with no escort are slaughtered

Afternoon Air attack on TF, near Komodo at 63,111

Weather in hex: Moderate rain

Raid detected at 73 NM, estimated altitude 14,000 feet.
Estimated time to target is 21 minutes

Japanese aircraft
Ki-48-IIb Lily x 23

Allied aircraft
F4U-1 Corsair x 2
F6F-3 Hellcat x 27

Japanese aircraft losses
Ki-48-IIb Lily: 13 destroyed

No Allied losses

[Cap Mandrake]

I can't believe these guys made it from the northern limits of the Makassar Strait since the night of the 4th. The US cruisers are 40 miles away as sun sets. It's the freaking 48th Div from the PI. Unprepped. HOLD ON LADS! HELP IS ON THE WAY!

Pre-Invasion action off Bima (63,110)
Defensive Guns engage approaching landing force

55 Coastal gun shots fired in defense.

Japanese Ships
DD Fuyo
DD Numakaze
DD Satsuki
AMC Gokoku Maru
DD Wakatake
E Kiku

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

DD Fuyo firing at 53rd British Brigade
DD Numakaze firing at 53rd British Brigade
DD Satsuki firing at 10th Air Advn Base Force
DD Fuyo fired at enemy troops
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft at 5,000 yards
Defensive Guns fire at approaching troops in landing craft at 2,000 yards


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Amphibious Assault at Bima (63,110)

TF 12 troops unloading over beach at Bima, 63,110

Japanese ground losses:
475 casualties reported
Squads: 2 destroyed, 48 disabled
Non Combat: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Engineers: 0 destroyed, 0 disabled
Guns lost 7 (1 destroyed, 6 disabled)
Vehicles lost 1 (0 destroyed, 1 disabled)

[Cap Mandrake]

This seems pretty high risk for the Empire. Bima is a backwater place with a level 2 AF and crappy supply. We do have 2300 troops there but we have more of those. These must be some serious high-value Maru's if they move that fast. Perhaps they "misunderestimated" Allied naval assets in the area or perhaps the KB is up there somewhere and this is bait?

[Cap Mandrake]

On a different subject, Netflix has spent hundreds of millions on the O'Bama projects and, as filler in the interim, they have about 15 Bruce Willis "sci-fi" movies which seem to have been shot on two week schedules and $100K budgets.

I would call and cancel but SG is paying for it.

[Cap Mandrake]

I watched something really good recently but can't remember what it was. [:D]

[Cap Mandrake]

Ah, yes...."Darkest Hour". 1940 British politics. Tremendously good. Great acting.

[Cap Mandrake]

Also "Danger Close" about an Australian unit in Vietnam. Very good. The sound is a 10.

[witpqs]

Altered Carbon was good. No W*** politics, people were just people.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

Was making newborn rounds this week. Monday I had SEVENTEEN babies to see. [X(][X(]

I think all the women under 40 ran out of Netflix things to watch 9 months ago. Even the non-Hispanic women are having babies. It's crazy. A mini baby boom. In 2026 they are going to have 75 kids in every kindergarten class

[JohnnieX]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Altered Carbon was good. No W*** politics, people were just people.

I enjoyed Dark. I watched a few episodes and decided I couldn't watch it in the evening and had to switch to mornings. I couldn't sleep afterwards, wondering what might happen next. It is in German and so I had to watch it intently - no second screening or doing a crossword whilst it was on.

BTW, what rude word is W***. I can't work it out. We have one here which rhymes with tank, but it doesn't make sense. Is there a new rude word I should know? [&:]

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: JohnnieX

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Altered Carbon was good. No W*** politics, people were just people.

I enjoyed Dark. I watched a few episodes and decided I couldn't watch it in the evening and had to switch to mornings. I couldn't sleep afterwards, wondering what might happen next. It is in German and so I had to watch it intently - no second screening or doing a crossword whilst it was on.

BTW, what rude word is W***. I can't work it out. We have one here which rhymes with tank, but it doesn't make sense. Is there a new rude word I should know? [&:]

Yes, please expand our vocabulary. New rude words are always welcome, not matter what the language is.

[witpqs]

Yes, please expand our vocabulary.

[:D]

'Woke'.

[JohnnieX]

ORIGINAL: witpqs

Yes, please expand our vocabulary.

[:D]

'Woke'.

Oh yes, thank you. That makes more sense.

Dark is a bit like that too. They are all normal looking, normal seeming people. I'm not on commission, I enjoyed it

[Cap Mandrake]

There is a PBS documentary about Chosin on Amazon.

Very good. Mostly about 1st Marine Div but there is some about the poor Army unit east of the reservoir.

[Cap Mandrake]

Why were all those Zekes at Kendari. Well, it's a new cruise stop for the KB

[Cap Mandrake]

125 fighters and 289 bombers. A serious force.

Sparrow force was embarking aboard landing craft at Endeh. They will go to Koepang and be covered by Canberra and 2 DD. Many fighters fly in to Koepang.

US/RN carriers in the Timor Sea will fall back toward Darwin.

What are they up to? Obviously, a landing at Bima and probably to smash up Koepang. I doubt they will attack Darwin.

[RangerJoe]

ORIGINAL: Cap Mandrake

There is a PBS documentary about Chosin on Amazon.

Very good. Mostly about 1st Marine Div but there is some about the poor Army unit east of the reservoir.

Task Force Faith, named after its commander. The 31st RCT which I believe was part of the US 7th Infantry Division.