Thayne News Campaign Reports
Moderators: wdolson, Don Bowen, mogami
RE: LEGASPI FALLS
I did post a note in your "opponents wanted" thread saying that I can't play now, since I'm about to go on vacation, but that I do like your "house rules." I use the same sort of rules in my current game as the Allies against the AI.
JAPANESE EXPLOIT KUANTAN DEBACLE
December 18, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAPANESE EXPLOIT KUANTAN DEBACLE
The Japanese maneuver, that allowed it to capture the city of Kuantan virtually on the run, started to bear fruit today as Japan fights to encircle a large portion of the Malaysian army. After capturing Kuantan, the Japanese army turned west, driving to the opposite coast and threatening to cut off Malaysian units still fighting at Georgetown, Taiping, and, until recently, at Alor Star. Alor Star was recently overrun by Japanese attackers out of Thailand (see related story). A small group of defenders at Kuala Lumpur are fighting to keep the route open for the units further north. However, the Kuala Lumpur garrison is only a little over 1,000 soldiers, facing an enemy force of over 20,000.
INVASION OF BURMA BEGINS
The long-anticipated Japanese attack on Tavoy, initiating the Japanese plan to add the nation of Burma to its list of subject states, began last night. Japanese forces from the 55 Division, which Allies had been watching carefully using both aerial reconnaissance and ground-based pickets, crossed the border in force.
Japanese Advance on a Wide Front
In the last 24 hours the Japanese demonstrated their ability to advance on a wide front. In addition to their attack on Burma, they captured the Alor Star on the northern border of Malaysia, Butan on the southern Philippine island of Minanao, and Nauru in the Gilbert Islands. The four locations are over 5,000 miles apart. At the same time, Japanese soldiers are engaged in major operations elsewhere in Malaysia, in the northern Philippine island of Luzan, on Borneo, and in the Bismark Archipelago, while maintaining its aggression against China.
At the same time, Japan continues to assert air supremacy over the entire combat area, launching significant air strikes consisting of over 50 planes at a time against Burma, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the Bismark Archipelago. While Allied air units are seldom able to attack with more than 10 airplanes at a time, and often with less than five.
Chinese Air Force Suffer Significant Defeats
The Chinese Air Force made a serious effort yesterday to assert itself in the war, now that Japan was busy advancing on other fronts, and paid a high price for the effort. Nine Chinese airplanes were destroyed or damaged in an attempt to make daring assaults on the Japanese strongholds of Wuhan and Nanning. Though it is well recognized that Chinese airplanes are no match for the more modern airplanes that Japan has in the field, and Japan’s more highly trained pilots, it was hoped that the attacks would take the enemy by surprise. Instead, the Chinese pilots took a serious mauling from flak and enemy CAP, delivering no significant damage to the enemy.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAPANESE EXPLOIT KUANTAN DEBACLE
The Japanese maneuver, that allowed it to capture the city of Kuantan virtually on the run, started to bear fruit today as Japan fights to encircle a large portion of the Malaysian army. After capturing Kuantan, the Japanese army turned west, driving to the opposite coast and threatening to cut off Malaysian units still fighting at Georgetown, Taiping, and, until recently, at Alor Star. Alor Star was recently overrun by Japanese attackers out of Thailand (see related story). A small group of defenders at Kuala Lumpur are fighting to keep the route open for the units further north. However, the Kuala Lumpur garrison is only a little over 1,000 soldiers, facing an enemy force of over 20,000.
INVASION OF BURMA BEGINS
The long-anticipated Japanese attack on Tavoy, initiating the Japanese plan to add the nation of Burma to its list of subject states, began last night. Japanese forces from the 55 Division, which Allies had been watching carefully using both aerial reconnaissance and ground-based pickets, crossed the border in force.
Japanese Advance on a Wide Front
In the last 24 hours the Japanese demonstrated their ability to advance on a wide front. In addition to their attack on Burma, they captured the Alor Star on the northern border of Malaysia, Butan on the southern Philippine island of Minanao, and Nauru in the Gilbert Islands. The four locations are over 5,000 miles apart. At the same time, Japanese soldiers are engaged in major operations elsewhere in Malaysia, in the northern Philippine island of Luzan, on Borneo, and in the Bismark Archipelago, while maintaining its aggression against China.
At the same time, Japan continues to assert air supremacy over the entire combat area, launching significant air strikes consisting of over 50 planes at a time against Burma, Malaysia, the Philippines, and the Bismark Archipelago. While Allied air units are seldom able to attack with more than 10 airplanes at a time, and often with less than five.
Chinese Air Force Suffer Significant Defeats
The Chinese Air Force made a serious effort yesterday to assert itself in the war, now that Japan was busy advancing on other fronts, and paid a high price for the effort. Nine Chinese airplanes were destroyed or damaged in an attempt to make daring assaults on the Japanese strongholds of Wuhan and Nanning. Though it is well recognized that Chinese airplanes are no match for the more modern airplanes that Japan has in the field, and Japan’s more highly trained pilots, it was hoped that the attacks would take the enemy by surprise. Instead, the Chinese pilots took a serious mauling from flak and enemy CAP, delivering no significant damage to the enemy.
JAP CARRIER HIT
December 19, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAP CARRIER HIT
In a day that saw ferocious air battles over and around Singapore, the British air force managed to score a bomb hit on the Japanese light carrier Zhoho yesterday afternoon. The day started when PBY Catelinas flying recon out of Singapore spotted the Japanese carrier shortly after dawn. Immediately, the British air force armed every plane it had available and sent it after the carrier. There, they were met by a CAP of 6 Claude fighters. Against the older model airplanes of the British flight, the Claudes were able to hold their own. Between the fighters and the flak, the British were not able to score a single hit against the carrier.
While the planes were flying this mission, Japanese long-range fighters and bombers reached Singapore from their bases on the Asian continent. They inflicted significant damage against the British CAP, and against ground installations.
In the afternoon, the British were only able to put eight attack airplanes back into the air. These planes found the carrier again. One Hudson bomber made its way through the CAP and the flak to deliver a bomb on the deck of the carrier. The bomb penetrated into the interior of the ship, and pilots reported secondary explosions.
Japan Attacks Georgetown by Land and Sea
The mystery Japanese fleet that sailed up the Malacca Straight made its intentions known yesterday as its troops landed on the shores of Georgetown. The Malaysian fortress was already concerned with an attack from the other direction, as Japanese forces fresh from their victory at Alor Star approached the base from the east. The defenders of Georgetown fought a two-front battle throughout the day.
Meanwhile, the Japanese Kuantan force threatened to cut off any potential escape to Singapore for the garrison, if it should need to retreat these attackers. The garrison at Kuala Lumpur managed to hold the escape route open. However, with over 100 miles separating Georgetown from the Kuala Lumpur avenue of escape, it is considered doubtful that the route will be left open long enough.
Additional Japanese Victories in Burma, Borneo, Philippines
The Japanese scored a quick victory in the town of Tavoy in Burma today, driving the defensive force back along the coast toward Rangoon. The Japanese also managed to secure their first base on Borneo, as the town of Kuching fell after three days of fighting.
On the island of Mindanao, the Japanese force that had captured the port of Davao just a couple of days ago kept pressure on. Yesterday, they forced the defenders out of the base at Cotabato. The Japanese division was last seen retreating south toward Dadjangas. Now caught in a small peninsula of land, the defenders have no where to run, the Philippine forces in this region face only two options; to fight, or to surrender.
Rabaul Holds Out
The Australian NGVR Battalion in Rabaul refused to hand over the key to the Bismark Archipelago to the Japanese invaders, in spite of overwhelming odds and daily attacks from bombers flying south out of Truk. Outnumbered by literally 10 to 1 odds, the defenders still control key parts of the city, such as the airfield and the heights overlooking the city to the south. The Japanese have continued to unload ships in the harbor to add to their defensive forces. Each day, the Australian units deliver far worse than they take.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAP CARRIER HIT
In a day that saw ferocious air battles over and around Singapore, the British air force managed to score a bomb hit on the Japanese light carrier Zhoho yesterday afternoon. The day started when PBY Catelinas flying recon out of Singapore spotted the Japanese carrier shortly after dawn. Immediately, the British air force armed every plane it had available and sent it after the carrier. There, they were met by a CAP of 6 Claude fighters. Against the older model airplanes of the British flight, the Claudes were able to hold their own. Between the fighters and the flak, the British were not able to score a single hit against the carrier.
While the planes were flying this mission, Japanese long-range fighters and bombers reached Singapore from their bases on the Asian continent. They inflicted significant damage against the British CAP, and against ground installations.
In the afternoon, the British were only able to put eight attack airplanes back into the air. These planes found the carrier again. One Hudson bomber made its way through the CAP and the flak to deliver a bomb on the deck of the carrier. The bomb penetrated into the interior of the ship, and pilots reported secondary explosions.
Japan Attacks Georgetown by Land and Sea
The mystery Japanese fleet that sailed up the Malacca Straight made its intentions known yesterday as its troops landed on the shores of Georgetown. The Malaysian fortress was already concerned with an attack from the other direction, as Japanese forces fresh from their victory at Alor Star approached the base from the east. The defenders of Georgetown fought a two-front battle throughout the day.
Meanwhile, the Japanese Kuantan force threatened to cut off any potential escape to Singapore for the garrison, if it should need to retreat these attackers. The garrison at Kuala Lumpur managed to hold the escape route open. However, with over 100 miles separating Georgetown from the Kuala Lumpur avenue of escape, it is considered doubtful that the route will be left open long enough.
Additional Japanese Victories in Burma, Borneo, Philippines
The Japanese scored a quick victory in the town of Tavoy in Burma today, driving the defensive force back along the coast toward Rangoon. The Japanese also managed to secure their first base on Borneo, as the town of Kuching fell after three days of fighting.
On the island of Mindanao, the Japanese force that had captured the port of Davao just a couple of days ago kept pressure on. Yesterday, they forced the defenders out of the base at Cotabato. The Japanese division was last seen retreating south toward Dadjangas. Now caught in a small peninsula of land, the defenders have no where to run, the Philippine forces in this region face only two options; to fight, or to surrender.
Rabaul Holds Out
The Australian NGVR Battalion in Rabaul refused to hand over the key to the Bismark Archipelago to the Japanese invaders, in spite of overwhelming odds and daily attacks from bombers flying south out of Truk. Outnumbered by literally 10 to 1 odds, the defenders still control key parts of the city, such as the airfield and the heights overlooking the city to the south. The Japanese have continued to unload ships in the harbor to add to their defensive forces. Each day, the Australian units deliver far worse than they take.
SUBMARINE SUCCESS STORIES
December 20, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
SUBMARINE SUCCESS STORIES
(TN - Hawaii) The submarine force yesterday enjoyed a good day hunting Japanese transport ships, catching two ships in the waters north of the Philippines and a third off of the China coast.
The day began when the SS Seawolf under Lieutenant Commander Warder saw a Japanese transport ship in the moonlight off the north coast of Luzon in the Philippines. The Seawolf fired a torpedo that lit up the night sky. It flooded the ship’s engines and left the ship dead in the water. The Japanese Maru became a sitting duck for the Seawolf’s five-inch guns. After putting 13 shells into the ship, the Seawolf left her as a burning beacon on the ocean.
Just after dawn, a hundred miles to the west, S-36 under Lieutenant Commander McNight spotted another merchant ship. It's captain reported that he believed the ship was already smoking from earlier damage, though this report could not be confirmed. S-36 put three torpedoes into the side of the ship, and was rewarded with a number of secondary explosions. Fearing the possibility of a Japanese submarine patrol, McNight commanded the submarine to slip away.
The SS Swordfish under Lieutenant Commander Smith bagged the third transport of the day. It found the Japanese ship silhouetted against the setting sun. The possibility of Japanese aerial ASW patrols kept the Swordfish under the surface, and there was a risk of the Japanese transport getting away. Commander Smith ordered a spread of torpedoes fired at the retreating ship, one of which hit the transport.
Georgetown Pocket Remains Open
British forces are continuing to hold open the only remaining route out of the Georgetown Pocket, in spite of significant attacks from a vastly larger Japanese attacker. Many of the units fighting to keep the pocket open at Kuala Lumpur were the same units that abandoned Kuantan without a fight days earlier. Apparently determined not to repeat the debacle at Kuantan, where Japanese overran the British defenders in a in an evening, which set up the current crisis.
Japanese Near Clark AFB in Philippines
The Japanese invaders in Luzon have now pushed the American and Philippine army back to the very gates of Clark AFB. The Japanese reinforced their attacking force with new landings on the beaches of Lingayen. Faced with attackers on two sides, the army units holding withdrew in order to keep the enemy in front of them.
The Miracle of Rabaul Continues
The Japanese continue to land more troops to take the city of Rabaul, but a hand full of Australians belonging to the NGVR Battalion continue to hold out against overwhelming odds. A spokesman South Pacific Command said yesterday, "We hope, and we have reason to believe, that the Rabaul garrison is drawing in troops that were supposed to be taking other ports in the region. This is almost certainly slowing down their time table.”
Meanwhile, the Australian army is taking advantage of the time that the Rabaul garrison is buying to occupy the islands of Espiritu Santo and Efate. The First Australian Brigade, and the 103RAN Base Force departed Brisbane two days ago to occupy these islands, while the transport ship Liberty Glo arrived at New Caledonia from Auckland, New Zealand, with much needed supplies.
Allies Suffer Shipping Shortage
After two feverish weeks working to pack ships to resupply the American forces in the Pacific, the Western US Command announced yesterday that it was running out of ships faster than it was running out of supply. Faced with a shipping shortage, the Army refused transport to materials not considered essential to the war effort. Still, at the top of the list of allowable cargo, West Coast command said it would always make room for letters to and from American servicemen.
Zuiho Withdraws
The Japanese carrier force that threatened Singapore retreated out of the South China Sea, back toward Japan yesterday. No further sightings have been made of the carrier since its ill-fated run for the Malacca Straight. Intelligence analysts believe it is unlikely a single bomb hit did enough structural damage to knock the Zuiho out of the war, it is expected that we will not be seeing that ship again for at least a couple of months.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
SUBMARINE SUCCESS STORIES
(TN - Hawaii) The submarine force yesterday enjoyed a good day hunting Japanese transport ships, catching two ships in the waters north of the Philippines and a third off of the China coast.
The day began when the SS Seawolf under Lieutenant Commander Warder saw a Japanese transport ship in the moonlight off the north coast of Luzon in the Philippines. The Seawolf fired a torpedo that lit up the night sky. It flooded the ship’s engines and left the ship dead in the water. The Japanese Maru became a sitting duck for the Seawolf’s five-inch guns. After putting 13 shells into the ship, the Seawolf left her as a burning beacon on the ocean.
Just after dawn, a hundred miles to the west, S-36 under Lieutenant Commander McNight spotted another merchant ship. It's captain reported that he believed the ship was already smoking from earlier damage, though this report could not be confirmed. S-36 put three torpedoes into the side of the ship, and was rewarded with a number of secondary explosions. Fearing the possibility of a Japanese submarine patrol, McNight commanded the submarine to slip away.
The SS Swordfish under Lieutenant Commander Smith bagged the third transport of the day. It found the Japanese ship silhouetted against the setting sun. The possibility of Japanese aerial ASW patrols kept the Swordfish under the surface, and there was a risk of the Japanese transport getting away. Commander Smith ordered a spread of torpedoes fired at the retreating ship, one of which hit the transport.
Georgetown Pocket Remains Open
British forces are continuing to hold open the only remaining route out of the Georgetown Pocket, in spite of significant attacks from a vastly larger Japanese attacker. Many of the units fighting to keep the pocket open at Kuala Lumpur were the same units that abandoned Kuantan without a fight days earlier. Apparently determined not to repeat the debacle at Kuantan, where Japanese overran the British defenders in a in an evening, which set up the current crisis.
Japanese Near Clark AFB in Philippines
The Japanese invaders in Luzon have now pushed the American and Philippine army back to the very gates of Clark AFB. The Japanese reinforced their attacking force with new landings on the beaches of Lingayen. Faced with attackers on two sides, the army units holding withdrew in order to keep the enemy in front of them.
The Miracle of Rabaul Continues
The Japanese continue to land more troops to take the city of Rabaul, but a hand full of Australians belonging to the NGVR Battalion continue to hold out against overwhelming odds. A spokesman South Pacific Command said yesterday, "We hope, and we have reason to believe, that the Rabaul garrison is drawing in troops that were supposed to be taking other ports in the region. This is almost certainly slowing down their time table.”
Meanwhile, the Australian army is taking advantage of the time that the Rabaul garrison is buying to occupy the islands of Espiritu Santo and Efate. The First Australian Brigade, and the 103RAN Base Force departed Brisbane two days ago to occupy these islands, while the transport ship Liberty Glo arrived at New Caledonia from Auckland, New Zealand, with much needed supplies.
Allies Suffer Shipping Shortage
After two feverish weeks working to pack ships to resupply the American forces in the Pacific, the Western US Command announced yesterday that it was running out of ships faster than it was running out of supply. Faced with a shipping shortage, the Army refused transport to materials not considered essential to the war effort. Still, at the top of the list of allowable cargo, West Coast command said it would always make room for letters to and from American servicemen.
Zuiho Withdraws
The Japanese carrier force that threatened Singapore retreated out of the South China Sea, back toward Japan yesterday. No further sightings have been made of the carrier since its ill-fated run for the Malacca Straight. Intelligence analysts believe it is unlikely a single bomb hit did enough structural damage to knock the Zuiho out of the war, it is expected that we will not be seeing that ship again for at least a couple of months.
JAPANESE CAPTURE RABAUL
December 21, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAPANESE CAPTURE RABAUL
(TN - Hawaii) The key strategic port of Rabaul finally fell into enemy hands yesterday. The NGVR Battalion, through a week of hard fighting, had been reduced from its original compliment of over 1000 soldiers, to less than 200. It had the support of over 100 members of the 101 RAAF Base Force. However, it faced a Japanese invasion force of nearly 6,500 soldiers. Eventually, it would have to give up the port, and that day came yesterday near dusk.
For most of the day, the garrison held out against yet another determined Japanese assault, and yet another bombing raid consisting of over three dozen planes from Truk. As the afternoon wore on, the Japanese were finally able to crack the Australian lines. Once cracked, Lieutenant Colonel Barry had nothing left in reserve to patch it back together. He was forced to call for a general retreat. The NGVR Battalion and 101 RAAF Base Force retreated into the interior of the island.
In the jungle the Australian defenders still posed a threat to the Japanese invaders, and still threatened to tie down Japanese forces that were almost certainly destined for other targets.
Relief Reaches Pearl Harbor
The transport ship Shooting Star, which left San Francisco ten days ago, entered Pearl Harbor with much needed supplies yesterday evening, just as the sun was starting to set. Dock workers immediately began the task of unloading supplies. A team of over 100 doctors and nurses already had quarters waiting for them, and were allowed a good night’s sleep, before starting work on the wounded the next morning. Those that were particularly badly wounded are to be loaded onto the ship for the return journey.
First, however, 7,000 tons of war material had to be unloaded from the transport. Airplane spare parts to repair those who were damaged, and crated airplanes to replace those that were destroyed, will come off the ship quickly and be added to the island’s defenses. The ship also contained new guns, ranging from 155mm Howitzers that will have to be unboxed and assembled, to anti-aircraft guns, to machine guns. The weapons and ammunition is expected to double the defensive capability of the island.
Hawaii was not the only region starting to benefit from the influx of war equipment. With the start of Japanese hostilities, the British ended the flow of weapons out of the region to aid in the war against Germany, and sent some of that equipment back to India. Over the course of the past two weeks, that equipment started to be distributed. The British units in India are also starting to grow back to full strength.
Japanese respond to Submarine Success
Naval command received a report from the SS Seawolf yesterday saying that the Japanese were “expressing some measure of displeasure over activities north of Luzon”. Commander Warder reported having been under attack twice since attacking a Japanese transport ship. At one time, he is said to have reported, “I saw so many destroyers and mine sweepers they nearly formed a land bridge to Formosa from here.” The sea lion, and other ships in the area, were last reported to be seeking newer hunting grounds.
Concentrated Enemy Attacks Decimate Philippine Air Force
The Japanese army apparently felt it was time to put the Philippine air force out of action, and spent a day concentrating on the air units in the region. In a fierce dogfight over Manila, a large flight of Japanese Zeros slashed through a determined pack of American P40s. The Zeros proved much more nimble, and were piloted by men who had a great deal more combat experience. The result was a total of 11 P40s, over half of the remaining force, falling out of the sky. The defenders scored no confirmed hits against the Japanese Zeros, and were able to bring down only two of the Betty bombers. Those bombers laid waste to the airfield, further crippling the Philippine air wing.
Japanese Take Heavy Losses: Failure to Close Georgetown Pocket
In their bid to keep the Georgetown Pocket from closing around the units in North Malaysia, the defenders of Kuala Lumpur put up a ferocious defense yesterday. Though they lost over 100 soldiers in a day of fierce fighting, official estimates are that they managed to kill or wound over 1000 enemy soldiers, and wipe out 30 pieces of enemy artillery. Thayne News Network would like to caution our readers that these claims may be exaggerated (e.g., the claims concerning the Manila air battle were that over 30 Allied P-40s were destroyed, even though they had only 20 in service at the time). What remains certain, however, is that the road south out of Georgetown remains open for another day.
Player’s Note: I play with the house rule that no unit in the North, Central, South, or Southwest Pacific can be set to ‘accept replacements’ until its headquarters unit has been visited by a fully loaded cargo ship from the United States. That ship, the Shooting Star, reached Pearl Harbor this turn. Thus, this turn, I can set the units in the Central Pacific to accept replacements.
At the same time, I have adopted the rule that ‘accept replacements’ in the Burma/Ceylon/India theater is not permitted until December 21 (after two weeks had passed). The reserve available had been substantially drained by the war in Europe, and it would take a while before India would start to see some of those stockpiles begin to grow.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAPANESE CAPTURE RABAUL
(TN - Hawaii) The key strategic port of Rabaul finally fell into enemy hands yesterday. The NGVR Battalion, through a week of hard fighting, had been reduced from its original compliment of over 1000 soldiers, to less than 200. It had the support of over 100 members of the 101 RAAF Base Force. However, it faced a Japanese invasion force of nearly 6,500 soldiers. Eventually, it would have to give up the port, and that day came yesterday near dusk.
For most of the day, the garrison held out against yet another determined Japanese assault, and yet another bombing raid consisting of over three dozen planes from Truk. As the afternoon wore on, the Japanese were finally able to crack the Australian lines. Once cracked, Lieutenant Colonel Barry had nothing left in reserve to patch it back together. He was forced to call for a general retreat. The NGVR Battalion and 101 RAAF Base Force retreated into the interior of the island.
In the jungle the Australian defenders still posed a threat to the Japanese invaders, and still threatened to tie down Japanese forces that were almost certainly destined for other targets.
Relief Reaches Pearl Harbor
The transport ship Shooting Star, which left San Francisco ten days ago, entered Pearl Harbor with much needed supplies yesterday evening, just as the sun was starting to set. Dock workers immediately began the task of unloading supplies. A team of over 100 doctors and nurses already had quarters waiting for them, and were allowed a good night’s sleep, before starting work on the wounded the next morning. Those that were particularly badly wounded are to be loaded onto the ship for the return journey.
First, however, 7,000 tons of war material had to be unloaded from the transport. Airplane spare parts to repair those who were damaged, and crated airplanes to replace those that were destroyed, will come off the ship quickly and be added to the island’s defenses. The ship also contained new guns, ranging from 155mm Howitzers that will have to be unboxed and assembled, to anti-aircraft guns, to machine guns. The weapons and ammunition is expected to double the defensive capability of the island.
Hawaii was not the only region starting to benefit from the influx of war equipment. With the start of Japanese hostilities, the British ended the flow of weapons out of the region to aid in the war against Germany, and sent some of that equipment back to India. Over the course of the past two weeks, that equipment started to be distributed. The British units in India are also starting to grow back to full strength.
Japanese respond to Submarine Success
Naval command received a report from the SS Seawolf yesterday saying that the Japanese were “expressing some measure of displeasure over activities north of Luzon”. Commander Warder reported having been under attack twice since attacking a Japanese transport ship. At one time, he is said to have reported, “I saw so many destroyers and mine sweepers they nearly formed a land bridge to Formosa from here.” The sea lion, and other ships in the area, were last reported to be seeking newer hunting grounds.
Concentrated Enemy Attacks Decimate Philippine Air Force
The Japanese army apparently felt it was time to put the Philippine air force out of action, and spent a day concentrating on the air units in the region. In a fierce dogfight over Manila, a large flight of Japanese Zeros slashed through a determined pack of American P40s. The Zeros proved much more nimble, and were piloted by men who had a great deal more combat experience. The result was a total of 11 P40s, over half of the remaining force, falling out of the sky. The defenders scored no confirmed hits against the Japanese Zeros, and were able to bring down only two of the Betty bombers. Those bombers laid waste to the airfield, further crippling the Philippine air wing.
Japanese Take Heavy Losses: Failure to Close Georgetown Pocket
In their bid to keep the Georgetown Pocket from closing around the units in North Malaysia, the defenders of Kuala Lumpur put up a ferocious defense yesterday. Though they lost over 100 soldiers in a day of fierce fighting, official estimates are that they managed to kill or wound over 1000 enemy soldiers, and wipe out 30 pieces of enemy artillery. Thayne News Network would like to caution our readers that these claims may be exaggerated (e.g., the claims concerning the Manila air battle were that over 30 Allied P-40s were destroyed, even though they had only 20 in service at the time). What remains certain, however, is that the road south out of Georgetown remains open for another day.
Player’s Note: I play with the house rule that no unit in the North, Central, South, or Southwest Pacific can be set to ‘accept replacements’ until its headquarters unit has been visited by a fully loaded cargo ship from the United States. That ship, the Shooting Star, reached Pearl Harbor this turn. Thus, this turn, I can set the units in the Central Pacific to accept replacements.
At the same time, I have adopted the rule that ‘accept replacements’ in the Burma/Ceylon/India theater is not permitted until December 21 (after two weeks had passed). The reserve available had been substantially drained by the war in Europe, and it would take a while before India would start to see some of those stockpiles begin to grow.
BRITISH ABANDON GEORGETOWN
December 22, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
BRITISH ABANDON GEORGETOWN
(TN - Singapore) In a bid to avoid being captured in the Georgetown Pocket, British units abandoned the fort to the Japanese yesterday and marched to Kuala Lumpur. A small garrison was left behind to man the fort and to slow the Japanese pursuit. After discovering that the bulk of the defenders had left, the Japanese wasted no time in charging the fort and silencing those guns.
Meanwhile, the Japanese spent a day of rest in their attempt to close the Georgetown pocket at Kuala Lumpur yesterday. After the particularly fierce fighting the day before, in which the Japanese lost over 1000 soldiers and 30 guns, the allies recorded only 7 casualties in yesterday's conflict. Intelligence experts believe that the Japanese are regrouping.
With the Georgetown garrison getting nearer the Kuala Lumpur bottleneck by the hour, it is a race against time to clear the bottleneck before the Japanese can slam a lid on it.
Japanese Trap Two Philippine Divisions
A similar story is playing out in the Philippines, where the Japanese have trapped two divisions in the northwestern region of Tuguegareo. However, the Philippine units made the decision to stand and fight. They made no attempt to leave the region, even as units fleeing the fighting further north marched through and on to Manila.
The Philippine units believe that, as long as they can hold out in Tuguegareo, the Japanese attackers will have to be looking over their shoulder, and will be unable to focus the full force of their attention on the fortified regions in and around Manila. This would allow the defenders to have more time to prepare for the inevitable assault on the capital.
Meanwhile, the Japanese air force is continuing to focus its attention on the Philippine air arm. For the second day in a row, the Japanese staged massive air raids on Manila and Clark air fields, destroying a number of planes in the air and on the ground. In air-to-air combat, the P-40 Warhawks are proving to be significantly inferior to the Japanese Zero fighters, which have so far succeeded in keeping the defensive CAP away from the Japanese bombers.
Perch Sinks Jap Minesweeper
The SS Perch, stationed off of the southern coast of the Philippine islands, torpedoed and sank a Japanese minesweeper yesterday. Commander Kawamura of the Perch, an American of Japanese descent, reported that the crew could hear the ship breaking up and sinking minutes after the torpedo struck. Though it is widely expected that many of the ships struck earlier in the war have also sunk, this if the third ship to be put on the official list of known Japanese casualties.
Central Pacific Air Corps Resurrected
The Central Pacific Air Corps, knocked down to less than 30 functional airplanes in the attack on Pearl Harbor, announced yesterday that it was back up to over 150 planes. At least 100 additional airplanes await assembly from parts and crates being unleaded at the docks. This number includes picket aircraft on distant islands whose task is to warn of the approach of any Japanese fleet.
In addition, two weeks after the initial attack, all port and airfield facilities are once again fully operational. The damaged battleships have long ago left the harbor, and the Army engineers have razed most of the buildings too badly damaged in the attack to be repaired. The most conspicuous reminder of the Japanese treachery is the superstructure of the USS Tennessee sticking out of the water near Ford Island, where she still sits.
Allied command is planning to salvage as much as they can of the main guns and other equipment on those portions of the ship not damaged in the attack. The guns will either be used in the construction of a new ship, or planted around the island as further defense against any future Japanese attack.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
BRITISH ABANDON GEORGETOWN
(TN - Singapore) In a bid to avoid being captured in the Georgetown Pocket, British units abandoned the fort to the Japanese yesterday and marched to Kuala Lumpur. A small garrison was left behind to man the fort and to slow the Japanese pursuit. After discovering that the bulk of the defenders had left, the Japanese wasted no time in charging the fort and silencing those guns.
Meanwhile, the Japanese spent a day of rest in their attempt to close the Georgetown pocket at Kuala Lumpur yesterday. After the particularly fierce fighting the day before, in which the Japanese lost over 1000 soldiers and 30 guns, the allies recorded only 7 casualties in yesterday's conflict. Intelligence experts believe that the Japanese are regrouping.
With the Georgetown garrison getting nearer the Kuala Lumpur bottleneck by the hour, it is a race against time to clear the bottleneck before the Japanese can slam a lid on it.
Japanese Trap Two Philippine Divisions
A similar story is playing out in the Philippines, where the Japanese have trapped two divisions in the northwestern region of Tuguegareo. However, the Philippine units made the decision to stand and fight. They made no attempt to leave the region, even as units fleeing the fighting further north marched through and on to Manila.
The Philippine units believe that, as long as they can hold out in Tuguegareo, the Japanese attackers will have to be looking over their shoulder, and will be unable to focus the full force of their attention on the fortified regions in and around Manila. This would allow the defenders to have more time to prepare for the inevitable assault on the capital.
Meanwhile, the Japanese air force is continuing to focus its attention on the Philippine air arm. For the second day in a row, the Japanese staged massive air raids on Manila and Clark air fields, destroying a number of planes in the air and on the ground. In air-to-air combat, the P-40 Warhawks are proving to be significantly inferior to the Japanese Zero fighters, which have so far succeeded in keeping the defensive CAP away from the Japanese bombers.
Perch Sinks Jap Minesweeper
The SS Perch, stationed off of the southern coast of the Philippine islands, torpedoed and sank a Japanese minesweeper yesterday. Commander Kawamura of the Perch, an American of Japanese descent, reported that the crew could hear the ship breaking up and sinking minutes after the torpedo struck. Though it is widely expected that many of the ships struck earlier in the war have also sunk, this if the third ship to be put on the official list of known Japanese casualties.
Central Pacific Air Corps Resurrected
The Central Pacific Air Corps, knocked down to less than 30 functional airplanes in the attack on Pearl Harbor, announced yesterday that it was back up to over 150 planes. At least 100 additional airplanes await assembly from parts and crates being unleaded at the docks. This number includes picket aircraft on distant islands whose task is to warn of the approach of any Japanese fleet.
In addition, two weeks after the initial attack, all port and airfield facilities are once again fully operational. The damaged battleships have long ago left the harbor, and the Army engineers have razed most of the buildings too badly damaged in the attack to be repaired. The most conspicuous reminder of the Japanese treachery is the superstructure of the USS Tennessee sticking out of the water near Ford Island, where she still sits.
Allied command is planning to salvage as much as they can of the main guns and other equipment on those portions of the ship not damaged in the attack. The guns will either be used in the construction of a new ship, or planted around the island as further defense against any future Japanese attack.
KUALA LUMPUR HOLDS ON
December 23, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
KUALA LUMPUR HOLDS ON
(TN - Manila) In a day of moderately heavy attacks, the forces of Kuala Lumpur refused for another day to allow the Japanese to trap the army elements further north. Defensive forces inflicted over 250 casualties on the enemy, while enduring only 65 casualties themselves, in a day of fighting where the enemy largely probed for weaknesses in the defensive line. The Japanese advance was systematic, as they focused their attention on destroying key strongholds, reducing the effectiveness of the defensive fortifications.
Even if the units escaping from the Georgetown Pocket should happen to escape, they only flee from a small pocket into a slightly larger one. The Malaysian Army is now trapped in the southern part of the peninsula with no possibility of escape. The Japanese not only have full control of the country of Thailand, but they have also captured the cities of Tavoy and Victoria Point in southern Burma. These ports were the most likely sources of aid, and the only possibility of escape for many air units.
Philippine Air Force Nearly Destroyed
Reports from Manila say that the Philippine air force is down to less than twenty combat aircraft, as airfields in Bataan and Manila endure yet another day of heavy assaults. Clark AFB was nearly obliterated in attacks on earlier days and was recently abandoned, as McArthur attempts to consolidate his air force where they can find some mutual protection. Nearly 100 enemy aircraft took part in the assault on Manila yesterday, destroying half of the remaining P-40s defending the base, and making the runways and support facilities virtually unusable. An attack on Bataan involved half as many airplanes, but the attackers in this case flew the best planes the Japanese air force has to offer; the Zero fighters and Betty bombers.
Meanwhile, the Japanese war machine continue to take over the island. Japanese forces took the port of Cagayan on the southern island of Mindanao yesterday, while they also captured the island of Jolo a few hundred miles to the west. On the main island of Luzon, the fort of Naga fell to the Japanese yesterday, forcing its defenders back toward the city of Manila. The amount of territory that remains in Allied hands has shrunk to the Manila/Batan region, Tuguegareo, where two divisions that have been cut off continue to hold out, small patches of Mindanao, and most of the smaller islands. Luzon is the only region that still has much of a fighting force.
Dutch Island of Sulawesi Invaded
Expanding their control of the Dutch East Indies, the Japanese attacked the town of Menado on the north eastern arm of Sulawesi yesterday. The town is of strategic importance since it is the closest DEI port to the Philippines, and control of the town would allow the Japanese to control traffic through the narrow straights east of the city. The only avenue of approach that remains open through the DEI is a narrow strip of ocean between Borneo and Sulawesi. This area is rich in oil fields and other resources, and the Dutch military is expecting the Japanese to start moving in soon.
Japanese Patrol Craft Has Bad Day
If the different pieces of this story is correct, the SS Saury spotted Japanese PC-22 as it was escorting a transport ship into Hong Kong. It fired a torpedo into the side of ship, doing moderate damage. PC-22, with its escort, fled to the nearby safety of Hong Kong. There, according to the Lieutenant Commander Burnside, who was looking through his periscope at the time, the ship suddenly blew up. Burnside suggests the possibility that PC-22 hit a mine while entering the harbor. Though Commander Burnside reports seeing the enemy ship sinking, this ship is not yet being placed on the list of confirmed Japanese losses.
Japanese shipping took a number of hits yesterday from a number of sources. The submarine Tarpin fired 8 shells into a merchant ship north of the Philippines, while Dutch bombers dropped two bombs on a transport ship in harbor at Kuching on the island of Borneo.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
KUALA LUMPUR HOLDS ON
(TN - Manila) In a day of moderately heavy attacks, the forces of Kuala Lumpur refused for another day to allow the Japanese to trap the army elements further north. Defensive forces inflicted over 250 casualties on the enemy, while enduring only 65 casualties themselves, in a day of fighting where the enemy largely probed for weaknesses in the defensive line. The Japanese advance was systematic, as they focused their attention on destroying key strongholds, reducing the effectiveness of the defensive fortifications.
Even if the units escaping from the Georgetown Pocket should happen to escape, they only flee from a small pocket into a slightly larger one. The Malaysian Army is now trapped in the southern part of the peninsula with no possibility of escape. The Japanese not only have full control of the country of Thailand, but they have also captured the cities of Tavoy and Victoria Point in southern Burma. These ports were the most likely sources of aid, and the only possibility of escape for many air units.
Philippine Air Force Nearly Destroyed
Reports from Manila say that the Philippine air force is down to less than twenty combat aircraft, as airfields in Bataan and Manila endure yet another day of heavy assaults. Clark AFB was nearly obliterated in attacks on earlier days and was recently abandoned, as McArthur attempts to consolidate his air force where they can find some mutual protection. Nearly 100 enemy aircraft took part in the assault on Manila yesterday, destroying half of the remaining P-40s defending the base, and making the runways and support facilities virtually unusable. An attack on Bataan involved half as many airplanes, but the attackers in this case flew the best planes the Japanese air force has to offer; the Zero fighters and Betty bombers.
Meanwhile, the Japanese war machine continue to take over the island. Japanese forces took the port of Cagayan on the southern island of Mindanao yesterday, while they also captured the island of Jolo a few hundred miles to the west. On the main island of Luzon, the fort of Naga fell to the Japanese yesterday, forcing its defenders back toward the city of Manila. The amount of territory that remains in Allied hands has shrunk to the Manila/Batan region, Tuguegareo, where two divisions that have been cut off continue to hold out, small patches of Mindanao, and most of the smaller islands. Luzon is the only region that still has much of a fighting force.
Dutch Island of Sulawesi Invaded
Expanding their control of the Dutch East Indies, the Japanese attacked the town of Menado on the north eastern arm of Sulawesi yesterday. The town is of strategic importance since it is the closest DEI port to the Philippines, and control of the town would allow the Japanese to control traffic through the narrow straights east of the city. The only avenue of approach that remains open through the DEI is a narrow strip of ocean between Borneo and Sulawesi. This area is rich in oil fields and other resources, and the Dutch military is expecting the Japanese to start moving in soon.
Japanese Patrol Craft Has Bad Day
If the different pieces of this story is correct, the SS Saury spotted Japanese PC-22 as it was escorting a transport ship into Hong Kong. It fired a torpedo into the side of ship, doing moderate damage. PC-22, with its escort, fled to the nearby safety of Hong Kong. There, according to the Lieutenant Commander Burnside, who was looking through his periscope at the time, the ship suddenly blew up. Burnside suggests the possibility that PC-22 hit a mine while entering the harbor. Though Commander Burnside reports seeing the enemy ship sinking, this ship is not yet being placed on the list of confirmed Japanese losses.
Japanese shipping took a number of hits yesterday from a number of sources. The submarine Tarpin fired 8 shells into a merchant ship north of the Philippines, while Dutch bombers dropped two bombs on a transport ship in harbor at Kuching on the island of Borneo.
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RESPITE AT KUALA LUMPUR
December 24, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
RESPITE AT KUALA LUMPUR
(TN – Singapore) The British battling at Kuala Lumpur enjoyed a brief respite today in which no serious Japanese attack was launched against their position. It is believed that this may be due to the activities of the British air force at Singapore. Earlier, it had spotted a transport ship approaching the east coast of the island and launched an attack against it. The attacking fleet was very badly mauled by the fighter from air bases on the Malaysian mainland. However, four Vildebeast airplanes got through the defenses and landed torpedoes into the side of a transport. Just as this publication was going to press, the Japanese press announced the sinking of a transport in the same area. It is possible that this transport was carrying additional men and ammunition to be used in the assault. If this is true, the sinking of the transport may have set back Japanese plans for a day or two.
Japanese Confirm Additional Ships Sunk
In addition to the sinking off of the coast of Malaysia, the Japanese press reported the sinking of two other ships today. They listed the sinking of the Mitsu Maru #3, which Intelligence says can be credited to the attack by S-36 under Lieutenant Commander McNight, which we reported on December 20. The Japanese are also reporting the sinking of Tomozono Maru #3 south of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, which we reported on December 22 and credited to Commander Kawamura on the SS Perch. Though Commander Kawamura is of Japanese descent, this is one American who knows where his true loyalties lie.
Dutch Fleet Fights Off Air Attack
The Dutch fleet, which recently moved into the port of Tarakan on the eastern side of Borneo, came under fierce aerial attack yesterday and managed to fight its defenders off. No damage was scored against the fleet, but a significant number of the attacking Betty bombers were reported damaged in the attempt. Reports from the fight say that the Dutch damaged over 20 Betty torpedo bombers in the attack. Though these numbers are likely to be exaggerated, it is still the case that the Dutch fleet inflicted significant damage and took none.
The Dutch task force had gathered at Tarakan to wait for the inevitable Japanese attack on the port. Over the past 24 hours, there were several attacks on cities around Tarakan, and some large flights seen Tarakan itself that did were not able to find their target due to weather. General Wavall, commander of the forces in this region, said that the public should be ready to expect significant casualties as the invasion of the Dutch East Indies heats up.
McArther Consolidates Remaining Air Units
General Douglas McArthur consolidated the few remaining members of his air force yesterday on the island of Bataan. Though nominally the air force consists of five air groups, the number of planes available would not even fill one group under normal circumstances. The Japanese are now into their fourth day of significant attacks focusing on the air units. Those attacks have largely rendered the air fields at Clark and Manila unusable. McArthur said to expect that the Bataan air force is likely to be the next target for the Japanese campaign to dominate the skies. He said that, by bringing his fighters together, he hopes that they can be more successful at preventing future destruction of his air units.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
RESPITE AT KUALA LUMPUR
(TN – Singapore) The British battling at Kuala Lumpur enjoyed a brief respite today in which no serious Japanese attack was launched against their position. It is believed that this may be due to the activities of the British air force at Singapore. Earlier, it had spotted a transport ship approaching the east coast of the island and launched an attack against it. The attacking fleet was very badly mauled by the fighter from air bases on the Malaysian mainland. However, four Vildebeast airplanes got through the defenses and landed torpedoes into the side of a transport. Just as this publication was going to press, the Japanese press announced the sinking of a transport in the same area. It is possible that this transport was carrying additional men and ammunition to be used in the assault. If this is true, the sinking of the transport may have set back Japanese plans for a day or two.
Japanese Confirm Additional Ships Sunk
In addition to the sinking off of the coast of Malaysia, the Japanese press reported the sinking of two other ships today. They listed the sinking of the Mitsu Maru #3, which Intelligence says can be credited to the attack by S-36 under Lieutenant Commander McNight, which we reported on December 20. The Japanese are also reporting the sinking of Tomozono Maru #3 south of Mindanao in the southern Philippines, which we reported on December 22 and credited to Commander Kawamura on the SS Perch. Though Commander Kawamura is of Japanese descent, this is one American who knows where his true loyalties lie.
Dutch Fleet Fights Off Air Attack
The Dutch fleet, which recently moved into the port of Tarakan on the eastern side of Borneo, came under fierce aerial attack yesterday and managed to fight its defenders off. No damage was scored against the fleet, but a significant number of the attacking Betty bombers were reported damaged in the attempt. Reports from the fight say that the Dutch damaged over 20 Betty torpedo bombers in the attack. Though these numbers are likely to be exaggerated, it is still the case that the Dutch fleet inflicted significant damage and took none.
The Dutch task force had gathered at Tarakan to wait for the inevitable Japanese attack on the port. Over the past 24 hours, there were several attacks on cities around Tarakan, and some large flights seen Tarakan itself that did were not able to find their target due to weather. General Wavall, commander of the forces in this region, said that the public should be ready to expect significant casualties as the invasion of the Dutch East Indies heats up.
McArther Consolidates Remaining Air Units
General Douglas McArthur consolidated the few remaining members of his air force yesterday on the island of Bataan. Though nominally the air force consists of five air groups, the number of planes available would not even fill one group under normal circumstances. The Japanese are now into their fourth day of significant attacks focusing on the air units. Those attacks have largely rendered the air fields at Clark and Manila unusable. McArthur said to expect that the Bataan air force is likely to be the next target for the Japanese campaign to dominate the skies. He said that, by bringing his fighters together, he hopes that they can be more successful at preventing future destruction of his air units.
BRITS ESCAPE GEORGETOWN POCKET
December 25, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
BRITS ESCAPE GEORGETOWN POCKET
(TN – Singapore) The British army held Kuala Lumpur long enough for retreating units from Georgetown to escape. In a vicious week-long battle at Kuala Lumpur, the Japanese army struggled to trap a significant portion of the Malaysian army in the northern part of the country. They managed the near-encirclement with a lightning strike down the east coast of the island. The Japanese Army then turned west and drove for the opposite coast in a bid to cut the island in two. That army, however, met the defenders of Kuala Lumpur, who fought the Japanese to a standstill for six full days. Those six days was what the Malaysian units in the northern part of the country to escape. They now have a clear road to the island fortress of Singapore.
The victory at Kuala Lumpur only buys the British army a little time. They have escaped out of a small pocket into a much larger one, from which the chances of escape are much smaller. The entire Malaysian army has no where to go if Singapore should fall. However, the army from Northern Malaysia will be able to enjoy a few more weeks of freedom, and be able to make sure that the Japanese realize that they can never take a man’s freedom cheaply.
SANTA VISITS WAKE ISLAND
Santa, accompanied by Donner and Blitzen and the rest of his reindeer team, including Rudolph, paid a surprise visit to the First USMC Defense Battalion on Wake Island yesterday. Santa was the pilot of a TBD bomber from the U.S.S. Lexington, and his reindeer were nine F2A fighters flying escort – including one painted with a bright red nose for the occasion. They landed on the Wake airstrip just after dawn, bringing presents for all of the good boys on Wake Island.
The present that the Marines were probably happiest to get was a free ticket off of the island. The Lexington arrived with three transport ships, and orders to load as much of their gear into the ships as could be carried, and to destroy the rest.
There are reports that some people are unhappy with Admiral Kimmel’s decision to abandon Wake Island. According to several reports, some junior officers are comparing the decision to Benedict Arnold’s attempt to hand West Point over to the British. Admiral Halsey is reported to have said, “From here, if we were going to sail to the biggest threat to the American war effort, we will have to sail east.”
Kimmel, in return, defended his decision by saying, “There are regions in the Pacific more important than Wake Island. To hold the island would take men and material that would not be available elsewhere. And it is elsewhere that we need those men and material, and elsewhere is where I am going to send them. I have orders from Washington that identifies a clear set of priorities, and Wake Island simply is not on that list.”
In a statement released after the news reports began to circulate, Halsey said, “I have utmost respect for the difficult decisions that Kimmel has to make in this war. Naturally, I am anxious to go out and kick some Japanese butt. Kimmel has assured me that I will have an opportunity to do that soon enough. I can hardly wait.”
US Navy Interrupts Jap Landing
The U.S. Navy delivered a different set of Christmas presents to a Japanese transport ship caught off of the port of Menado on the island of Sulawesi. The Japanese transport had dropped off a number of Japanese soldiers to take the town, when the port was visited by four destroyers and a number of smaller escort ships that had recently fled the Philippines. Several of the American ships took turns firing at the Japanese boat, landing nearly a hundred shells into her throughout the day. The loss of the transport left about 500 Japanese soldiers on the shore facing a much larger force of Dutch defenders, with no reinforcements and no additional supply.
Damaged Warships Delivered Safely to Port
Also, yesterday, Santa delivered the survivors of the treachery at Pearl Harbor to safe ports on the west coast.
For the first time, citizens had a chance to see first hand some of the worst effects of Japanese treachery, as American warships pulled into harbors in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Seattle became the new home for the USS New Orleans, a cruiser struck by several bombs during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and a collection of destroyers and tenders. The battleships Arizona, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, California, and Maryland pulled into San Francisco harbor today as well. Immediately, they were guided into waiting drydocks where crews could start to work patching the damage that the Japanese inflicted. The Okahoma and Maryland reached Los Angeles harbor, were waiting watched in respectful silence as the ships, still wearing the black scars of smoke and flame, were towed into port.
At about the same time, the people in Columbo on the island of Sri Lanka witnessed a similar event, as the Prince of Wales and the Repulse reached safety. While crossing the Indian Ocean, the crew of the Prince of Wales was able to patch the holes that the Japanese had put into her side, and sailed into harbor under her own power. The Repulse as well, having taken most of her damage below the water line, also looked none the worse for wear. However, once the ships are put in drydock and the water is removed, the scars left by the Japanese torpedoes will become visible enough.
Holiday Wishes
We, the management and staff of Thayne News Service, wish our fighting service men well during this holiday season, and wish their safe and speedy return to the friends and family they left behind when they answered their call to duty.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
BRITS ESCAPE GEORGETOWN POCKET
(TN – Singapore) The British army held Kuala Lumpur long enough for retreating units from Georgetown to escape. In a vicious week-long battle at Kuala Lumpur, the Japanese army struggled to trap a significant portion of the Malaysian army in the northern part of the country. They managed the near-encirclement with a lightning strike down the east coast of the island. The Japanese Army then turned west and drove for the opposite coast in a bid to cut the island in two. That army, however, met the defenders of Kuala Lumpur, who fought the Japanese to a standstill for six full days. Those six days was what the Malaysian units in the northern part of the country to escape. They now have a clear road to the island fortress of Singapore.
The victory at Kuala Lumpur only buys the British army a little time. They have escaped out of a small pocket into a much larger one, from which the chances of escape are much smaller. The entire Malaysian army has no where to go if Singapore should fall. However, the army from Northern Malaysia will be able to enjoy a few more weeks of freedom, and be able to make sure that the Japanese realize that they can never take a man’s freedom cheaply.
SANTA VISITS WAKE ISLAND
Santa, accompanied by Donner and Blitzen and the rest of his reindeer team, including Rudolph, paid a surprise visit to the First USMC Defense Battalion on Wake Island yesterday. Santa was the pilot of a TBD bomber from the U.S.S. Lexington, and his reindeer were nine F2A fighters flying escort – including one painted with a bright red nose for the occasion. They landed on the Wake airstrip just after dawn, bringing presents for all of the good boys on Wake Island.
The present that the Marines were probably happiest to get was a free ticket off of the island. The Lexington arrived with three transport ships, and orders to load as much of their gear into the ships as could be carried, and to destroy the rest.
There are reports that some people are unhappy with Admiral Kimmel’s decision to abandon Wake Island. According to several reports, some junior officers are comparing the decision to Benedict Arnold’s attempt to hand West Point over to the British. Admiral Halsey is reported to have said, “From here, if we were going to sail to the biggest threat to the American war effort, we will have to sail east.”
Kimmel, in return, defended his decision by saying, “There are regions in the Pacific more important than Wake Island. To hold the island would take men and material that would not be available elsewhere. And it is elsewhere that we need those men and material, and elsewhere is where I am going to send them. I have orders from Washington that identifies a clear set of priorities, and Wake Island simply is not on that list.”
In a statement released after the news reports began to circulate, Halsey said, “I have utmost respect for the difficult decisions that Kimmel has to make in this war. Naturally, I am anxious to go out and kick some Japanese butt. Kimmel has assured me that I will have an opportunity to do that soon enough. I can hardly wait.”
US Navy Interrupts Jap Landing
The U.S. Navy delivered a different set of Christmas presents to a Japanese transport ship caught off of the port of Menado on the island of Sulawesi. The Japanese transport had dropped off a number of Japanese soldiers to take the town, when the port was visited by four destroyers and a number of smaller escort ships that had recently fled the Philippines. Several of the American ships took turns firing at the Japanese boat, landing nearly a hundred shells into her throughout the day. The loss of the transport left about 500 Japanese soldiers on the shore facing a much larger force of Dutch defenders, with no reinforcements and no additional supply.
Damaged Warships Delivered Safely to Port
Also, yesterday, Santa delivered the survivors of the treachery at Pearl Harbor to safe ports on the west coast.
For the first time, citizens had a chance to see first hand some of the worst effects of Japanese treachery, as American warships pulled into harbors in Seattle, San Francisco, and Los Angeles. Seattle became the new home for the USS New Orleans, a cruiser struck by several bombs during the attack on Pearl Harbor, and a collection of destroyers and tenders. The battleships Arizona, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, California, and Maryland pulled into San Francisco harbor today as well. Immediately, they were guided into waiting drydocks where crews could start to work patching the damage that the Japanese inflicted. The Okahoma and Maryland reached Los Angeles harbor, were waiting watched in respectful silence as the ships, still wearing the black scars of smoke and flame, were towed into port.
At about the same time, the people in Columbo on the island of Sri Lanka witnessed a similar event, as the Prince of Wales and the Repulse reached safety. While crossing the Indian Ocean, the crew of the Prince of Wales was able to patch the holes that the Japanese had put into her side, and sailed into harbor under her own power. The Repulse as well, having taken most of her damage below the water line, also looked none the worse for wear. However, once the ships are put in drydock and the water is removed, the scars left by the Japanese torpedoes will become visible enough.
Holiday Wishes
We, the management and staff of Thayne News Service, wish our fighting service men well during this holiday season, and wish their safe and speedy return to the friends and family they left behind when they answered their call to duty.
NO CHRISTMAS TRUCE
December 26, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
NO CHRISTMAS TRUCE
(TN – Rangoon) The Japanese took no time off in their quest for empire to honor a value of peace. In Burma, Japanese forces captured Moulmein on its march to Rangoon. A mere 1200 British defenders stood in the path of 23,000 enemy soldiers and offered resistance, while the Japanese air force subjected the city to continual air bombardment. Over the course of the day over 100 enemy sorties were flown against Rangoon. Its airbase has long ago been rendered unusable, and the Buffalo pilots who had been defending the city were forced to withdraw to Akyab, several hundred miles up the coast into India.
The route that the Japanese are taking to the city puts its defenders at a genuine risk of being cut off and surrounded, putting them in the same situation as the defenders of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manila. According to sources reporting from within Southeast Asia headquarters, there is a fierce debate being waged on whether to leave those units in the city, or to simply hand the city over to the Japanese without a fight. Fighting for control of the port will may deny the Japanese control for a week or two, whereas controlling the port will allow the Japanese to have a source of supply to continue its fight elsewhere. Those who argue against the city point out that the order would condemn several thousand soldiers. One source within Headquarters summarized the argument by saying, “We have to remember that we are talking about real people here, not pawns on a chess board. There is no problem sacrificing a pawn in a game to prevent an enemy from gaining a strategic advantage; but how can you do that to real people?
No decision has yet been made whether to deny the Japanese control of Rangoon or to spare the soldiers now holding the town to defend India. Some military experts argue that the decision may well be made for them, as the Japanese are ready to move into the region north of the city and cut off any possibility of retreat.
Singapore Air Force Targets Transports
The Japanese force that sailed the Malacca Straight to drop its troops off at Georgetown, were caught by British pilots flying out of Singapore on their return trip yesterday. The British were able to launch repeated attacks against the convoy in clear weather. They reportedly scored torpedo hits against two transport ships, and bomb hits against a third. If one adds to this the damage done to the convoy on its first pass through the straight, and the likely (though, as of yet, unconfirmed) sinking of at least one transport, the Japanese transport fleet took some serious damage in the maneuver. Since the British had made the decision to abandon Georgetown anyway, to escape the Georgetown pocket, this maneuver cost the Japanese a great deal and gained them very little. The British command is calling the Georgetown landings a Japanese military blunder, one that they are more than happy to take advantage of.
Philippine Air Force Defends Bataan
Working with the pieces and parts of over 100 damaged airplanes, McArthur’s mechanics are slowly rebuilding the fighter defense of Bataan. Over the course of the last few days, as McArthur consolidated his air force at Bataan, mechanics have increased the number of available planes from 16 to 26. The Japanese found out about the resurrected Philippine air force when unescorted bombers sought to attack the defenders at Bataan. The defenders are reported to have shot down over a dozen Betty bombers – though this report is likely to be an exaggeration. Defenders are now waiting to see if the Japanese respond to the discovery of a Bataan air force the way they struck at Manila and Clark.
Wake Island Cleared
The First USMC Defense Battalion left Wake Island behind yesterday. They spent the day loading their equipment onto transport ships escorted by the U.S.S. Yorktown, and began their journey to their new home. No official word has been given yet as to where that home may be, though senior officials seem to be favoring Christmas Island. The island is likely going to serve as a major stopping point for ships heading to Australia, and is one of Kimmel’s ‘must hold’ positions.
Supplies Reach Anchorage
The battle against the Japanese contains a little-known northern front that includes the Aleutian islands, and which anchored (fittingly) on the Alaskan city of Anchorage. Anchorage started to receive merchant ships yesterday carrying airplanes and other supplies to fill out its military units. The supplies were quickly being loaded off of the ships and distributed to the military units stationed in the city. The Northern force has long been planning a move to push out among the Aleutian islands towards Japan, but, until recently, were lacking the necessary supplies. With the arrival of the cargo ships, the Northern army is expected to move quickly to enlarge its force at Dutch Harbor, and to open up another facility further west.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
NO CHRISTMAS TRUCE
(TN – Rangoon) The Japanese took no time off in their quest for empire to honor a value of peace. In Burma, Japanese forces captured Moulmein on its march to Rangoon. A mere 1200 British defenders stood in the path of 23,000 enemy soldiers and offered resistance, while the Japanese air force subjected the city to continual air bombardment. Over the course of the day over 100 enemy sorties were flown against Rangoon. Its airbase has long ago been rendered unusable, and the Buffalo pilots who had been defending the city were forced to withdraw to Akyab, several hundred miles up the coast into India.
The route that the Japanese are taking to the city puts its defenders at a genuine risk of being cut off and surrounded, putting them in the same situation as the defenders of Hong Kong, Singapore, and Manila. According to sources reporting from within Southeast Asia headquarters, there is a fierce debate being waged on whether to leave those units in the city, or to simply hand the city over to the Japanese without a fight. Fighting for control of the port will may deny the Japanese control for a week or two, whereas controlling the port will allow the Japanese to have a source of supply to continue its fight elsewhere. Those who argue against the city point out that the order would condemn several thousand soldiers. One source within Headquarters summarized the argument by saying, “We have to remember that we are talking about real people here, not pawns on a chess board. There is no problem sacrificing a pawn in a game to prevent an enemy from gaining a strategic advantage; but how can you do that to real people?
No decision has yet been made whether to deny the Japanese control of Rangoon or to spare the soldiers now holding the town to defend India. Some military experts argue that the decision may well be made for them, as the Japanese are ready to move into the region north of the city and cut off any possibility of retreat.
Singapore Air Force Targets Transports
The Japanese force that sailed the Malacca Straight to drop its troops off at Georgetown, were caught by British pilots flying out of Singapore on their return trip yesterday. The British were able to launch repeated attacks against the convoy in clear weather. They reportedly scored torpedo hits against two transport ships, and bomb hits against a third. If one adds to this the damage done to the convoy on its first pass through the straight, and the likely (though, as of yet, unconfirmed) sinking of at least one transport, the Japanese transport fleet took some serious damage in the maneuver. Since the British had made the decision to abandon Georgetown anyway, to escape the Georgetown pocket, this maneuver cost the Japanese a great deal and gained them very little. The British command is calling the Georgetown landings a Japanese military blunder, one that they are more than happy to take advantage of.
Philippine Air Force Defends Bataan
Working with the pieces and parts of over 100 damaged airplanes, McArthur’s mechanics are slowly rebuilding the fighter defense of Bataan. Over the course of the last few days, as McArthur consolidated his air force at Bataan, mechanics have increased the number of available planes from 16 to 26. The Japanese found out about the resurrected Philippine air force when unescorted bombers sought to attack the defenders at Bataan. The defenders are reported to have shot down over a dozen Betty bombers – though this report is likely to be an exaggeration. Defenders are now waiting to see if the Japanese respond to the discovery of a Bataan air force the way they struck at Manila and Clark.
Wake Island Cleared
The First USMC Defense Battalion left Wake Island behind yesterday. They spent the day loading their equipment onto transport ships escorted by the U.S.S. Yorktown, and began their journey to their new home. No official word has been given yet as to where that home may be, though senior officials seem to be favoring Christmas Island. The island is likely going to serve as a major stopping point for ships heading to Australia, and is one of Kimmel’s ‘must hold’ positions.
Supplies Reach Anchorage
The battle against the Japanese contains a little-known northern front that includes the Aleutian islands, and which anchored (fittingly) on the Alaskan city of Anchorage. Anchorage started to receive merchant ships yesterday carrying airplanes and other supplies to fill out its military units. The supplies were quickly being loaded off of the ships and distributed to the military units stationed in the city. The Northern force has long been planning a move to push out among the Aleutian islands towards Japan, but, until recently, were lacking the necessary supplies. With the arrival of the cargo ships, the Northern army is expected to move quickly to enlarge its force at Dutch Harbor, and to open up another facility further west.
DUTCH SUB SPOTS ENEMY CARRIER; IS SUNK
December 27, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
DUTCH SUB SPOTS ENEMY CARRIER; IS SUNK
The last signal received from the Dutch submarine KXVIII was that it was looking at a task force where it could see the battleship Hiey and the aircraft carrier Soryu. It never had a chance to fire a torpedo; escort ships found the submarine almost the instant it made its report and laid down a pattern of depth charges. Nothing has been heard from the submarine since this time. Japanese radio traffic is reporting the destruction of a submarine, and Allied Naval Command is listing the crew as missing and presumed dead. The Dutch submarine was patrolling the waters south of Mindanao at the time of the incident.
MAJOR AIR/SEA BATTLE AT AKYAB
(TN – Rangoon) In one of the fiercest air/sea battles of the war to date, three waves of Japanese long-range bombers attacked a British relief fleet delivering supplies to Akyab. Two troop transport ships, the Taiyuan and the Ariadne Moller were charged with the task of delivering the supplies. General Pownell, expecting a Japanese air attack, ordered two heavy cruisers and three anti-aircraft light cruisers to accompany the supply ships.
At dawn, just as the fleet was pulling into the harbor, the first Japanese air assault came in. Pownell was expecting the Akyab air base to provide CAP over the fleet during unloading, providing an extra measure of protection against the Japanese attackers. However, at the time of the attack, Akyab could only put four planes in the air, three of them being the out-dated Buffalo fighters. The Japanese Zeros quickly took care of the escort, while the Betty bombers went after the ships.
The battle was going surprising well. 26 Betty bombers split up among the ships in the harbor. The AA Cruisers brought down two Betty bombers and damaged at least 7 others, according to official reports (which are typically highly exaggerated). The crews were celebrating their success in driving off the attackers when a lone straggler dropped a torpedo. It went straight into the side of the Ariadne Moller, which was still loaded with ammunition for the garrison at Akyab. Fires broke out immediately, and secondary explosions ripped through the inside of the ship.
Throughout the morning, crews fought the fires on board the Ariadne Moller. It was dangerous work. However, if the Japanese were going to set up an aerial blockade of the port, ammunition might become as scarce on Akyab in the future as it is becoming at Singapore and Manila. While the fight to salvage the ship and its cargo went on, the Japanese attack aircraft returned. The amount of time between the two attacks was just enough for the Betty bombers to return to base, rearm and refuel, and attack again. This time, there were only 15 Betty bombers involved in the attack, with enough Zero fighters to fend off the meager British CAP. The British navy put up a wall of anti-aircraft that brought down 3 bombers and damaged 4 others.
In the late afternoon, the Japanese tried again, this time with 7 Betty bombers and 9 Nell bombers. This time, the Japanese did not press the attack; they dropped their bombs from three miles up where they could easily avoid the CAP over the base.
At the time of this report, flames were continuing to pour out of the Ariadne Moller as it sits in Akyab harbor. The ship has been towed a safe distance away from the port to lessen the effects of a catastrophic explosion. However, fire crews are still on board the ship trying to save whatever ammunition they can. Several sailors from the other ships in the task force, as well as base personnel, are busy removing what ammunition they can while the fire burns.
Singapore Menaces Japanese Task Forces
The Japanese are showing themselves to be a bit too impatient to make use of the Straight of Malecca. They are giving the British air force at Singapore a rich crop of transport ships to practice on. In the last 24 hours, the air force has reported two torpedo hits on a troop transport, two bomb hits on another troop transport, three bomb hits on a cargo ship, and a torpedo hit on a patrol gunboat that caused the gunboat to detonate in a huge fireball.
The battle so far has been so one-sided, that there are reports that some of the pilots are feeling guilty about their participation in the attack. There have been unconfirmed reports that some pilots have deliberately missed their targets because attacking defenseless people seems too much like murder for them to easily tolerate. Singapore command is countering this problem by sending pilots on tours of the hospitals in Singapore where hundreds of newly wounded soldiers have been brought in each day.
Japanese Officially Report Sunk Tanker
A Japanese tanker ship has officially become the sixth item on the list of Japanese ships confirmed sunk. Japanese officials reported the loss of the tanker Akatsuki Maru north of the Philippine Islands. Allied intelligence believes that this was the ship torpedoed and then shelled by the Seawolf on December 19th (reported here on December 20).
Dutch Fleet Fends Off More Attacks
Akyab is not the only place where Japanese air units are having difficulty hitting Allied shipping. The Dutch navy, dispatched to protect the island of Borneo, came under attack from 40 Japanese assault aircraft early yesterday. Once again, the Dutch fleet suffered no damage. However, at the same time, it was not able to inflict any damage in return. The attackers dropped their bomb from very high altitudes, where it was easy for them to avoid the flak from the Dutch ships, but very difficult to hit a moving ship at sea.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
DUTCH SUB SPOTS ENEMY CARRIER; IS SUNK
The last signal received from the Dutch submarine KXVIII was that it was looking at a task force where it could see the battleship Hiey and the aircraft carrier Soryu. It never had a chance to fire a torpedo; escort ships found the submarine almost the instant it made its report and laid down a pattern of depth charges. Nothing has been heard from the submarine since this time. Japanese radio traffic is reporting the destruction of a submarine, and Allied Naval Command is listing the crew as missing and presumed dead. The Dutch submarine was patrolling the waters south of Mindanao at the time of the incident.
MAJOR AIR/SEA BATTLE AT AKYAB
(TN – Rangoon) In one of the fiercest air/sea battles of the war to date, three waves of Japanese long-range bombers attacked a British relief fleet delivering supplies to Akyab. Two troop transport ships, the Taiyuan and the Ariadne Moller were charged with the task of delivering the supplies. General Pownell, expecting a Japanese air attack, ordered two heavy cruisers and three anti-aircraft light cruisers to accompany the supply ships.
At dawn, just as the fleet was pulling into the harbor, the first Japanese air assault came in. Pownell was expecting the Akyab air base to provide CAP over the fleet during unloading, providing an extra measure of protection against the Japanese attackers. However, at the time of the attack, Akyab could only put four planes in the air, three of them being the out-dated Buffalo fighters. The Japanese Zeros quickly took care of the escort, while the Betty bombers went after the ships.
The battle was going surprising well. 26 Betty bombers split up among the ships in the harbor. The AA Cruisers brought down two Betty bombers and damaged at least 7 others, according to official reports (which are typically highly exaggerated). The crews were celebrating their success in driving off the attackers when a lone straggler dropped a torpedo. It went straight into the side of the Ariadne Moller, which was still loaded with ammunition for the garrison at Akyab. Fires broke out immediately, and secondary explosions ripped through the inside of the ship.
Throughout the morning, crews fought the fires on board the Ariadne Moller. It was dangerous work. However, if the Japanese were going to set up an aerial blockade of the port, ammunition might become as scarce on Akyab in the future as it is becoming at Singapore and Manila. While the fight to salvage the ship and its cargo went on, the Japanese attack aircraft returned. The amount of time between the two attacks was just enough for the Betty bombers to return to base, rearm and refuel, and attack again. This time, there were only 15 Betty bombers involved in the attack, with enough Zero fighters to fend off the meager British CAP. The British navy put up a wall of anti-aircraft that brought down 3 bombers and damaged 4 others.
In the late afternoon, the Japanese tried again, this time with 7 Betty bombers and 9 Nell bombers. This time, the Japanese did not press the attack; they dropped their bombs from three miles up where they could easily avoid the CAP over the base.
At the time of this report, flames were continuing to pour out of the Ariadne Moller as it sits in Akyab harbor. The ship has been towed a safe distance away from the port to lessen the effects of a catastrophic explosion. However, fire crews are still on board the ship trying to save whatever ammunition they can. Several sailors from the other ships in the task force, as well as base personnel, are busy removing what ammunition they can while the fire burns.
Singapore Menaces Japanese Task Forces
The Japanese are showing themselves to be a bit too impatient to make use of the Straight of Malecca. They are giving the British air force at Singapore a rich crop of transport ships to practice on. In the last 24 hours, the air force has reported two torpedo hits on a troop transport, two bomb hits on another troop transport, three bomb hits on a cargo ship, and a torpedo hit on a patrol gunboat that caused the gunboat to detonate in a huge fireball.
The battle so far has been so one-sided, that there are reports that some of the pilots are feeling guilty about their participation in the attack. There have been unconfirmed reports that some pilots have deliberately missed their targets because attacking defenseless people seems too much like murder for them to easily tolerate. Singapore command is countering this problem by sending pilots on tours of the hospitals in Singapore where hundreds of newly wounded soldiers have been brought in each day.
Japanese Officially Report Sunk Tanker
A Japanese tanker ship has officially become the sixth item on the list of Japanese ships confirmed sunk. Japanese officials reported the loss of the tanker Akatsuki Maru north of the Philippine Islands. Allied intelligence believes that this was the ship torpedoed and then shelled by the Seawolf on December 19th (reported here on December 20).
Dutch Fleet Fends Off More Attacks
Akyab is not the only place where Japanese air units are having difficulty hitting Allied shipping. The Dutch navy, dispatched to protect the island of Borneo, came under attack from 40 Japanese assault aircraft early yesterday. Once again, the Dutch fleet suffered no damage. However, at the same time, it was not able to inflict any damage in return. The attackers dropped their bomb from very high altitudes, where it was easy for them to avoid the flak from the Dutch ships, but very difficult to hit a moving ship at sea.
JAPS SCORE MULTIPLE VICTORIES
December 28, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAPS SCORE MULTIPLE VICTORIES
(TN - Java) The Japanese Army scored significant victories on four major fronts yesterday.
In Malaysia, the fortress of Kuala Lumpur finally fell. Defenders were able to hold the fort open long enough for a significant portion of the army to escape south from northern Malaysia. They continued to hold the fortress as a rear-guard action to protect the retreat into Singapore. With several combat-weary units now nearing the island fortress, the defenders of Kuala Lumpur have fallen back themselves. The Japanese invaders now control over half of the country, and are only 150 miles from the capital itself.
In the Philippines, the Japanese launched a massive assault yesterday to capture Tuguegaro. Two Philippine divisions made the decision to stay at Tuguegaro to relieve pressure from the Manila stronghold. The strategy worked; over 45,000 Japanese soldiers were involved in the final assault. Yet, that final assault had an important flaw. The Japanese left a hole in their lines large enough to sneak two divisions through. Prior to the Japanese assault, the bulk of the defensive force escaped through a rough mountain pass. Now, after two weeks of distraction dealing with Tuguegaro, the Japanese find that they hold the fort, but not the soldiers that had been defending it.
In the Dutch East Indies, Japanese forces captured the port of Burnei yesterday. Burnei is located on the west side of the island, half way between Singapore and Manila. It is an important shipping center, widely used in transporting oil and petroleum products across the Pacific.
Finally, the Japanese marched into Lae, on the island of New Guinea north of Australia. Lae is strategically important there because Japanese airplanes stationed there can control the sea lanes between New Guinea and Australia. Already, Allied commanders are diverting task forces that had been intending to travel through this region. This will make it significantly more difficult to send reinforcements and supplies to those who are defending the Dutch East Indies.
WAKE IS. DECISION CONDEMNED
(TN - Hawaii) Though the Navy is putting up a unified front on the decision to abandon Wake Island to the enemy, many are privately condemning the decision. Some people, including several Congressmen, are calling for the President to replace Kimmel with a more aggressive commander, one who is not afraid to take the fight to the enemy.
Kimmel remains steadfast in his defense. Kimmel answered, "There is a plan in place. It is a plan that makes the best use of our available resources. It is a plan that does not call for throwing American soldiers into a Japanese meat grinder." Kimmel's comments are indicative of the harsh language now being used on both sides of the debate.
The situation has become so serious that a senior Whitehouse advisor who asked not to be named said that, "The President, as Commander in Chief, will be reviewing whether or not we have the type of leadership we need to win this war. We will be conducting a review of leadership at all levels of the campaign, and ensuring that we have the right people in the right jobs, over the next few weeks."
British Face Similar Quandary at Rangoon
While the Americans are debating the merits of abandoning Wake Island, the British are faced with a similar question. A hand full of British soldiers are facing an attack from over 20,000 Japanese veterans for the port of Rangoon. The Japanese advance threatens to cut off the city and create a situation like like that faced in Singapore.
"In Singapore, we did not appreciate the power of the Japanese advance until it was too late. The Japanese walked into Thailand without firing a shot, and thoroughly dominated the air, cutting the units off from any possibility of escape. At Rangoon, there is still an opportunity of escape, if we act quickly."
Chenault, who has been intensely interested in the defense of China, offered a different view. An officer in Chenault's headquarters said, "You do not win a dual by cutting off your sword arm and handing it to the enemy. We must stand and defend Burma. We must stand beside our Chinese allies. The Japanese are a menace to civilized society and it is time we quit running and start fighting."
Singapore Transport Strikes Continue
The people with the best record of standing up to the Japanese onslaught so far are the pilots of Singapore. In the last 24 hours, they scored multiple torpedo and bomb hits against each of three Japanese transport ships seeking to make use of the Straight of Malecca. None of the target ships have been officially reported as sunk, but the damage was heavy enough for the pilots to express confidence that the ships will not reach port.
Key Pacific Islands Garrisoned
In the South Pacific, the Allied forces reached an important milestone in their quest to build a containment wall around the Japanese empire. Transport ships delivered garrisons to the islands of Esprito Santo and Efate yesterday. The islands, located north of New Zealand, will be important to defending the shipping lanes to Australia, and provide a vital foundation for the inevitable counter assault against the Japanese Empire. The Australian Command said that they will be devoting a few more units to the defense of this region in the next month.
Enemy Subs Become Threat
No Japanese submarine has launched an attack against an Allied ship since the first days of the war. However, recent reconnaissance has spotted Japanese submarines entering key water bottlenecks and patrolling key shipping lanes. Japanese submarines have been spotted in the waters just north of Java, south of the Philippine Islands, and off of the coast of New Caledonia. As a result of this threat, Allied command is collecting its transport ships at key strategic locations where they can be provided with safe escort.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAPS SCORE MULTIPLE VICTORIES
(TN - Java) The Japanese Army scored significant victories on four major fronts yesterday.
In Malaysia, the fortress of Kuala Lumpur finally fell. Defenders were able to hold the fort open long enough for a significant portion of the army to escape south from northern Malaysia. They continued to hold the fortress as a rear-guard action to protect the retreat into Singapore. With several combat-weary units now nearing the island fortress, the defenders of Kuala Lumpur have fallen back themselves. The Japanese invaders now control over half of the country, and are only 150 miles from the capital itself.
In the Philippines, the Japanese launched a massive assault yesterday to capture Tuguegaro. Two Philippine divisions made the decision to stay at Tuguegaro to relieve pressure from the Manila stronghold. The strategy worked; over 45,000 Japanese soldiers were involved in the final assault. Yet, that final assault had an important flaw. The Japanese left a hole in their lines large enough to sneak two divisions through. Prior to the Japanese assault, the bulk of the defensive force escaped through a rough mountain pass. Now, after two weeks of distraction dealing with Tuguegaro, the Japanese find that they hold the fort, but not the soldiers that had been defending it.
In the Dutch East Indies, Japanese forces captured the port of Burnei yesterday. Burnei is located on the west side of the island, half way between Singapore and Manila. It is an important shipping center, widely used in transporting oil and petroleum products across the Pacific.
Finally, the Japanese marched into Lae, on the island of New Guinea north of Australia. Lae is strategically important there because Japanese airplanes stationed there can control the sea lanes between New Guinea and Australia. Already, Allied commanders are diverting task forces that had been intending to travel through this region. This will make it significantly more difficult to send reinforcements and supplies to those who are defending the Dutch East Indies.
WAKE IS. DECISION CONDEMNED
(TN - Hawaii) Though the Navy is putting up a unified front on the decision to abandon Wake Island to the enemy, many are privately condemning the decision. Some people, including several Congressmen, are calling for the President to replace Kimmel with a more aggressive commander, one who is not afraid to take the fight to the enemy.
Kimmel remains steadfast in his defense. Kimmel answered, "There is a plan in place. It is a plan that makes the best use of our available resources. It is a plan that does not call for throwing American soldiers into a Japanese meat grinder." Kimmel's comments are indicative of the harsh language now being used on both sides of the debate.
The situation has become so serious that a senior Whitehouse advisor who asked not to be named said that, "The President, as Commander in Chief, will be reviewing whether or not we have the type of leadership we need to win this war. We will be conducting a review of leadership at all levels of the campaign, and ensuring that we have the right people in the right jobs, over the next few weeks."
British Face Similar Quandary at Rangoon
While the Americans are debating the merits of abandoning Wake Island, the British are faced with a similar question. A hand full of British soldiers are facing an attack from over 20,000 Japanese veterans for the port of Rangoon. The Japanese advance threatens to cut off the city and create a situation like like that faced in Singapore.
"In Singapore, we did not appreciate the power of the Japanese advance until it was too late. The Japanese walked into Thailand without firing a shot, and thoroughly dominated the air, cutting the units off from any possibility of escape. At Rangoon, there is still an opportunity of escape, if we act quickly."
Chenault, who has been intensely interested in the defense of China, offered a different view. An officer in Chenault's headquarters said, "You do not win a dual by cutting off your sword arm and handing it to the enemy. We must stand and defend Burma. We must stand beside our Chinese allies. The Japanese are a menace to civilized society and it is time we quit running and start fighting."
Singapore Transport Strikes Continue
The people with the best record of standing up to the Japanese onslaught so far are the pilots of Singapore. In the last 24 hours, they scored multiple torpedo and bomb hits against each of three Japanese transport ships seeking to make use of the Straight of Malecca. None of the target ships have been officially reported as sunk, but the damage was heavy enough for the pilots to express confidence that the ships will not reach port.
Key Pacific Islands Garrisoned
In the South Pacific, the Allied forces reached an important milestone in their quest to build a containment wall around the Japanese empire. Transport ships delivered garrisons to the islands of Esprito Santo and Efate yesterday. The islands, located north of New Zealand, will be important to defending the shipping lanes to Australia, and provide a vital foundation for the inevitable counter assault against the Japanese Empire. The Australian Command said that they will be devoting a few more units to the defense of this region in the next month.
Enemy Subs Become Threat
No Japanese submarine has launched an attack against an Allied ship since the first days of the war. However, recent reconnaissance has spotted Japanese submarines entering key water bottlenecks and patrolling key shipping lanes. Japanese submarines have been spotted in the waters just north of Java, south of the Philippine Islands, and off of the coast of New Caledonia. As a result of this threat, Allied command is collecting its transport ships at key strategic locations where they can be provided with safe escort.
JAP CARRIERS AT BORNEO
December 29, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAP CARRIERS AT BORNEO
(TN – Java) As this report was going to press, spotter planes from the Dutch GVT-7 were tracking a task force reported to contain five Japanese carriers just 100 miles east of Tarakan, Borneo. Just yesterday, the submarine KXVIII spotted the carrier Soryu south of the Philippines. The Soryo was one of the carriers involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, until recently, there was no evidence of any of the other carriers. Air units were dispatched to the waters that the KXVIII had been sailing. This organized search, yesterday, revealed the location of the Japanese carrier force.
All ships in the immediate area of Tarakan. The most immediate danger was to ships at Balikpapan. Several transport ships had gone to the city to gather what fuel and other resources they could find and transport them to Australia. When the first sightings appeared, many of the ships left the port, some of them only partially filled. However, some of the transport captains remained behind in the hopes of soaking up a few more of the resources at the city. With the fleet only two hundred miles away, well within the range of Japanese carrier planes, and transport ships being slow traveling, it is unlikely that the ships can escape.
The enemy carrier force arrived in the region just one day after a fleet of Dutch light cruisers and destroyers left the region. The Dutch combat fleet was fueling at Tarakan just three days ago, then sailed west to aid in the defense of Minado. It was half way to its destination when KXVIII reported sighting a carrier, along with at least three battleships. Upon hearing the news, it turned and made an escape down the Makassar Straight. As it left the Straight and turned east, the destroyers reported sighting an enemy submarine. After the fight that followed the Dutch task force saw some signs of debris floating on the surface and continued on its way.
Japanese Answer Rangoon Question
The Japanese have provided an answer to a question dominating the Southeast Asia question. The issue of whether to abandon Rangoon or to defend it ceased to become an issue when the Japanese army rapidly moved forward to surround the city. The units now trapped in the city are preparing to hold out for as long as possible. The city is well stocked with ammunition and other supplies, most of it destined for China along the Burma Road. However, the Japanese army has placed nearly 25,000 soldiers against the city.
Japanese Raid Akyab Again
The Japanese air force launched another raid on Akyab yesterday. For two days, dockworkers have been struggling to unload a transport ship hit in an earlier raid, while emergency crews fight to contain a fire. The emergency crews had been winning the battle against the flame until recently, when the heat detonated some ammunition in one of the lower holds. The fire flared up, forcing the emergency crews to retreat and try again. While this was going on, dockworkers have so far managed to remove over 250 out of the ship’s original 600 tons of equipment. It is not known how much longer the ship will survive.
After the attack two days ago that set the Adriadne Moller on fire, the commander of the Southeast Theater, Lieutenant General Pownell, ordered a reorganization of the air arm to provide better air cover for the city. This set of attackers flew up against 18 fighters launched in defense of Akyab. Depending on reports, somewhere between 1 and 5 enemy airplanes were shot down, while others were damaged. The surviving attackers missed all targets.
Leadership Review Underway
Prompted by a storm of outrage over the decision to abandon Wake Island, the Allied command has started a review of all of the military leaders in the Pacific Theater. They have announced the formation of a panel that will review all leadership qualifications, and make recommendations for replacing leaders where appropriate. The review will start with an examination of the supreme commander in each of the theaters of operation, and work its way down from there to individual units. Special priority will be given to local commanders of strategically valuable areas, such as Akyab in the India/Burma theater, Midway Island west of Hawaii, and Port Morsbey in New Guinea. Allied command said that it will be ready to announce some decisions somewhere near the start of the year.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAP CARRIERS AT BORNEO
(TN – Java) As this report was going to press, spotter planes from the Dutch GVT-7 were tracking a task force reported to contain five Japanese carriers just 100 miles east of Tarakan, Borneo. Just yesterday, the submarine KXVIII spotted the carrier Soryu south of the Philippines. The Soryo was one of the carriers involved in the attack on Pearl Harbor. However, until recently, there was no evidence of any of the other carriers. Air units were dispatched to the waters that the KXVIII had been sailing. This organized search, yesterday, revealed the location of the Japanese carrier force.
All ships in the immediate area of Tarakan. The most immediate danger was to ships at Balikpapan. Several transport ships had gone to the city to gather what fuel and other resources they could find and transport them to Australia. When the first sightings appeared, many of the ships left the port, some of them only partially filled. However, some of the transport captains remained behind in the hopes of soaking up a few more of the resources at the city. With the fleet only two hundred miles away, well within the range of Japanese carrier planes, and transport ships being slow traveling, it is unlikely that the ships can escape.
The enemy carrier force arrived in the region just one day after a fleet of Dutch light cruisers and destroyers left the region. The Dutch combat fleet was fueling at Tarakan just three days ago, then sailed west to aid in the defense of Minado. It was half way to its destination when KXVIII reported sighting a carrier, along with at least three battleships. Upon hearing the news, it turned and made an escape down the Makassar Straight. As it left the Straight and turned east, the destroyers reported sighting an enemy submarine. After the fight that followed the Dutch task force saw some signs of debris floating on the surface and continued on its way.
Japanese Answer Rangoon Question
The Japanese have provided an answer to a question dominating the Southeast Asia question. The issue of whether to abandon Rangoon or to defend it ceased to become an issue when the Japanese army rapidly moved forward to surround the city. The units now trapped in the city are preparing to hold out for as long as possible. The city is well stocked with ammunition and other supplies, most of it destined for China along the Burma Road. However, the Japanese army has placed nearly 25,000 soldiers against the city.
Japanese Raid Akyab Again
The Japanese air force launched another raid on Akyab yesterday. For two days, dockworkers have been struggling to unload a transport ship hit in an earlier raid, while emergency crews fight to contain a fire. The emergency crews had been winning the battle against the flame until recently, when the heat detonated some ammunition in one of the lower holds. The fire flared up, forcing the emergency crews to retreat and try again. While this was going on, dockworkers have so far managed to remove over 250 out of the ship’s original 600 tons of equipment. It is not known how much longer the ship will survive.
After the attack two days ago that set the Adriadne Moller on fire, the commander of the Southeast Theater, Lieutenant General Pownell, ordered a reorganization of the air arm to provide better air cover for the city. This set of attackers flew up against 18 fighters launched in defense of Akyab. Depending on reports, somewhere between 1 and 5 enemy airplanes were shot down, while others were damaged. The surviving attackers missed all targets.
Leadership Review Underway
Prompted by a storm of outrage over the decision to abandon Wake Island, the Allied command has started a review of all of the military leaders in the Pacific Theater. They have announced the formation of a panel that will review all leadership qualifications, and make recommendations for replacing leaders where appropriate. The review will start with an examination of the supreme commander in each of the theaters of operation, and work its way down from there to individual units. Special priority will be given to local commanders of strategically valuable areas, such as Akyab in the India/Burma theater, Midway Island west of Hawaii, and Port Morsbey in New Guinea. Allied command said that it will be ready to announce some decisions somewhere near the start of the year.
JAP CARRIERS RETREAT NORTH
December 30, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAP CARRIERS RETREAT NORTH
(TN – Java) The Japanese carrier fleet, spotted just yesterday east of Borneo, disappeared during the night to show up in the morning north of Borneo. No air strikes were launched by the carriers, whose only effect on operations near Borneo so far have been to force a temporary interruption in plans to move the resources of this area to a safe place.
Elsewhere in the Dutch East Indies, the battle for Manado continues. The Japanese landing force, left short of supplies when American destroyers attacked their support ship, Continue to hold onto their corner of the beach, while the Allied garrison went on the offensive. For their side, the Japanese forces have been able to call upon air strikes from bases they now control in the Philippines. These have inflicted significant harm on the Manado defenders and disrupted their attempts to push the Japanese back into the ocean. The destroyers were forced to flee the region when a Dutch submarine spotted a Japanese carrier only a couple hundred miles to the north.
Some members of allied intelligence are questioning the observations of an enemy carrier fleet in the area. In spite of a number of corroborating reports, the task force has not conducted a single raid from the carrier task force. The ship has had the opportunity to contribute to the battle at Manado and to destroy the airfield and airplanes at Tarakan, yet have not done so. With renewed supplies nearby, there seems to be little reason for the Japanese to hold back. Some intelligence analysts have formed a theory that this maneuver is a part of a ruse – that the task force consists of merchant ships disguised to look like carriers or the sake of disrupting allied plans and giving a stronger element of surprise to the arrival of the carrier fleet when it does arrive.
Battle for Akyab Continues
The Japanese attacked Akyab by air again yesterday, attempting to do further damage to the ships in the harbor. Again, Allied CAP outnumbered the Japanese escort. The Japanese pilots in their Zero fighters were able to deliver more punishment than they took. For the third time in a row, the Japanese failed to score any hits against allied shipping in the harbor.
Ariadne Moller Sinks
The Ariadne Moller succumbed to its wounds yesterday and settled into the bottom of the Akyab harbor. Port workers were able to pull 400 tons of cargo off of the ship between the time it was hit and the time it sank, but over 200 tons of cargo remained when the ship settled to the bottom. The task was made much more difficult by the fact that Akyab has no facilities for handling large cargo ships, and the work had to be done using whatever equipment could be made available.
19 BG Flees Philippines
The surviving members of 19 BG, a heavy bomber group stationed at Clark AFB in the Philippines, loaded their equipment into two B-17 bomber and flew to India yesterday. Japanese bombers destroyed a substantial portion of the battlegroup on the ground on the opening day of the war. The rest were heavily damaged or destroyed in the group’s missions to bomb the landing beaches. For the past 10 days, the battlegroup has had no serviceable airplanes. In that time, its mechanics and crew struggled to put together anything that could fly. Their work faced constant interruption from Japanese attacks on the airbase. Two days ago, General Douglas McArthur pulled the fighters off of the base to consolidate his fighter force at Batan. The crew of the 19 BG remained at Clark AFB to try to create something that could fly.
They succeeded in putting together two B-17 bombers. McArthur immediately ordered the bomber squadron to relocate to India. He considered it unlikely that the bombers would survive more than a day in the Philippines, and ordered its administrative staff and best pilots take the opportunity to set up a new base of operations in India. The 19 BG packed as much as they could into the two airplanes, and took off. Their flight plan carried them over 1000 miles of hostile waters, and over the Japanese controlled countries of French Indochina and Thailand, over the contested territories in Burma, and finally to India, where they will be put to use in the defense of Burma.
Most of the bomber group remains in the Philippines. The crew is attempting to salvage more bombers, and enough pilots remained behind to fly those bombers out if the opportunity arrives.
Meanwhile, McArthur is piecing together a respectable fighting force again. In less than a week, he has doubled the number of fighters patrolling the skies over Batan. At last report, McArthur could put 27 P-40s in the air, and 10 lesser airplanes. The fighter squadrons will remain in service in the Philippines as long as practical.
Thayne News Under Investigation
The War Department has expressed concern over the fact that enemy submarines are now being spotted around New Caledonia. The enemy subs have arrived at precisely the same time that troop transports from Australia arrived with the garrisons for Esprito Santo and Efate islands. The War Department reports that it has already been forced to divert crucial supplies to the region as a result of the sightings.
War Department personnel have expressed concern that the Japanese might have learned of the plan to garrison the islands from Australia from a Thayne News staff member or reader. We have reminded the War Department that they have authorized this news service as a way of keeping key members of the military-industrial complex informed of the true state of the war, and have cleared every subscriber to this newsletter. We, at Thayne News, believe that the arrival was purely a coincidence, and will continue to provide you, our readers, with the most accurate and up-to-date war news available.
At the same time, we would like to caution our readers to be very careful with the information that you acquire through these reports, and to take every precaution that this information not fall into enemy hands.
Readers may expect to be visited by War Department officials investigating this matter. We urge our readers to cooperate fully with the investigating authorities. This is a matter of national security.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAP CARRIERS RETREAT NORTH
(TN – Java) The Japanese carrier fleet, spotted just yesterday east of Borneo, disappeared during the night to show up in the morning north of Borneo. No air strikes were launched by the carriers, whose only effect on operations near Borneo so far have been to force a temporary interruption in plans to move the resources of this area to a safe place.
Elsewhere in the Dutch East Indies, the battle for Manado continues. The Japanese landing force, left short of supplies when American destroyers attacked their support ship, Continue to hold onto their corner of the beach, while the Allied garrison went on the offensive. For their side, the Japanese forces have been able to call upon air strikes from bases they now control in the Philippines. These have inflicted significant harm on the Manado defenders and disrupted their attempts to push the Japanese back into the ocean. The destroyers were forced to flee the region when a Dutch submarine spotted a Japanese carrier only a couple hundred miles to the north.
Some members of allied intelligence are questioning the observations of an enemy carrier fleet in the area. In spite of a number of corroborating reports, the task force has not conducted a single raid from the carrier task force. The ship has had the opportunity to contribute to the battle at Manado and to destroy the airfield and airplanes at Tarakan, yet have not done so. With renewed supplies nearby, there seems to be little reason for the Japanese to hold back. Some intelligence analysts have formed a theory that this maneuver is a part of a ruse – that the task force consists of merchant ships disguised to look like carriers or the sake of disrupting allied plans and giving a stronger element of surprise to the arrival of the carrier fleet when it does arrive.
Battle for Akyab Continues
The Japanese attacked Akyab by air again yesterday, attempting to do further damage to the ships in the harbor. Again, Allied CAP outnumbered the Japanese escort. The Japanese pilots in their Zero fighters were able to deliver more punishment than they took. For the third time in a row, the Japanese failed to score any hits against allied shipping in the harbor.
Ariadne Moller Sinks
The Ariadne Moller succumbed to its wounds yesterday and settled into the bottom of the Akyab harbor. Port workers were able to pull 400 tons of cargo off of the ship between the time it was hit and the time it sank, but over 200 tons of cargo remained when the ship settled to the bottom. The task was made much more difficult by the fact that Akyab has no facilities for handling large cargo ships, and the work had to be done using whatever equipment could be made available.
19 BG Flees Philippines
The surviving members of 19 BG, a heavy bomber group stationed at Clark AFB in the Philippines, loaded their equipment into two B-17 bomber and flew to India yesterday. Japanese bombers destroyed a substantial portion of the battlegroup on the ground on the opening day of the war. The rest were heavily damaged or destroyed in the group’s missions to bomb the landing beaches. For the past 10 days, the battlegroup has had no serviceable airplanes. In that time, its mechanics and crew struggled to put together anything that could fly. Their work faced constant interruption from Japanese attacks on the airbase. Two days ago, General Douglas McArthur pulled the fighters off of the base to consolidate his fighter force at Batan. The crew of the 19 BG remained at Clark AFB to try to create something that could fly.
They succeeded in putting together two B-17 bombers. McArthur immediately ordered the bomber squadron to relocate to India. He considered it unlikely that the bombers would survive more than a day in the Philippines, and ordered its administrative staff and best pilots take the opportunity to set up a new base of operations in India. The 19 BG packed as much as they could into the two airplanes, and took off. Their flight plan carried them over 1000 miles of hostile waters, and over the Japanese controlled countries of French Indochina and Thailand, over the contested territories in Burma, and finally to India, where they will be put to use in the defense of Burma.
Most of the bomber group remains in the Philippines. The crew is attempting to salvage more bombers, and enough pilots remained behind to fly those bombers out if the opportunity arrives.
Meanwhile, McArthur is piecing together a respectable fighting force again. In less than a week, he has doubled the number of fighters patrolling the skies over Batan. At last report, McArthur could put 27 P-40s in the air, and 10 lesser airplanes. The fighter squadrons will remain in service in the Philippines as long as practical.
Thayne News Under Investigation
The War Department has expressed concern over the fact that enemy submarines are now being spotted around New Caledonia. The enemy subs have arrived at precisely the same time that troop transports from Australia arrived with the garrisons for Esprito Santo and Efate islands. The War Department reports that it has already been forced to divert crucial supplies to the region as a result of the sightings.
War Department personnel have expressed concern that the Japanese might have learned of the plan to garrison the islands from Australia from a Thayne News staff member or reader. We have reminded the War Department that they have authorized this news service as a way of keeping key members of the military-industrial complex informed of the true state of the war, and have cleared every subscriber to this newsletter. We, at Thayne News, believe that the arrival was purely a coincidence, and will continue to provide you, our readers, with the most accurate and up-to-date war news available.
At the same time, we would like to caution our readers to be very careful with the information that you acquire through these reports, and to take every precaution that this information not fall into enemy hands.
Readers may expect to be visited by War Department officials investigating this matter. We urge our readers to cooperate fully with the investigating authorities. This is a matter of national security.
RANGOON FALLS
December 31, 1941
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
RANGOON FALLS
(TN – Calcutta) In one swift, bold stroke the Japanese 55 Division captured the Burma port city of Rangoon. Its defenders, trapped in the city by Japan’s quick strike into Burma, gave up practically without a fight. With the capture of Rangoon, Japan not only gains a major harbor in the Indian ocean, but captures tons of equipment sitting in port destined for China. The Rangoon fortifications were taken almost entirely intact, meaning that a counter-attack to retake the city will be much more difficult. Japan now has the ability to turn its attention either to the heart of the country, or to India, which is not yet well prepared to handle the attack.
Southeast Asia Command had been discussing the option of abandoning Rangoon. If they had, Rangoon would have fallen just as quickly. However, the allies would then have had the defenders of Rangoon available to defend India. With this move, Japan has captured the defenders of Rangoon, which are now no longer available for the defense of India, as well as the city.
Much of India is in a panic this afternoon as a Japanese invasion of their this British protectorate seems much more likely. Emergency meetings have been called at all levels of the military chain of command in the region to discuss these developments.
Japan Forces Near Singapore
Japanese forces have pressed their attack to within 50 miles of Singapore. In a move suspected to have been aiming at out-flanking the Allied lines, the Japanese landed nearly 8,000 near Mersing. The Japanese force landed just as the 1 and 2 Malaysia Brigade entered the city to help reinforce it. However, the landing beeches were too remote to be conveniently reached from the areas the defenders were holding. As a result, the Japanese were able to get on shore with very limited casualties. The Malaysian air force also flew out to contest the landings, but no reliable reports of damage against Japanese units were reported. In addition to the 8,000 soldiers on the beech, the Mersing defenders also had to contend with nearly 35,000 Japanese soldiers marching down from Kuantan, which are expected to reach the objective sometime today.
In a related story, Akyab is becoming a major focus of Japanese attention, and it is becoming the second place after Wake Island where the allies are showing some effective resistance. Reports from the recent air raid say that Japan lost 15 out of the 21 airplanes that were involved in the attack. Thayne News puts the estimate at somewhere closer to 5 enemy casualties. Yet, again, the Japanese were not able to inflict any damage on allied shipping, which is what they are targeting. Since scoring a single torpedo hit that eventually sank the Ariadne Moller, the Japanese attacks have been entirely unsuccessful. Furthermore, the Japanese have been losing their best planes – ‘Zero’ fighters and ‘Betty’ bombers, in these attempts.
Akyab received another shipment of supplies from India yesterday. TF1028 pulled into the harbor early yesterday with enough supplies to last the defenders through a protracted conflict. In addition to weapons and ammunition, the supply ships contained construction equipment to be used in fortifying the city. The allied plan is to make Akyab into a part of the wall being designed to contain the Japanese menace. Units are on their way to Akyab from India to aid in the defense.
Because of the overly rapid fall of Rangoon, Southeast Command is reconsidering a part of its plan with respect to Akyab. The risk of a Japanese amphibious assault in the region of Calcutta seems significantly more likely in the eyes of some military planners. They are also speaking about the possibility that Japan may go after Ceylon, and cut the naval supply route to eastern China. There are some who argue that, in making a stand at Akyab, the Indian defense force is spreading itself too thin.
Finally, the Southwest Command gave orders yesterday to hold the Japanese advance at Mandalay in northern Burma as long as possible. In light of the rapid fall of Rangoon, Southeast Command may also reconsider these orders; the Japanese now have a straight shot at Mandalay with a force that is not as combat weary as the Allies would have liked to see it become. The Japanese division is also now well supplied to continue its assault. The two questions that remain to be answered are: When will that assault come? And in what direction – Akyab or Mandalay?
Carrier Watch Continues
Allied tracking of the Japanese carrier fleet continues, with the most recent location of the fleet reported to be northwest of the Borneo town of Jasselton. Aerial reconnaissance reported sighting nearly a dozen capital ships steaming southwest down the coast of the island, though they have not reported any carriers recently. The Dutch submarine KXIV got a look at the task force shortly before dawn, and is reporting having spotted the carrier Shoyu, providing further support for the claim that this the Japanese carrier fleet.
Even though the allies lack any capability to seriously challenge the Japanese fleet in these waters, one of the advantages of knowing where the fleet is, is that it gives the allies greater freedom to move in those regions where they know the fleet is not. Allied naval forces in the Central and South Pacific expect to make full use of the fact that Japan probably has no significant carrier force in the region. Military intelligence, however, is offering warnings not to get complacent. The lack of activity on the part of any carrier planes still argues for caution, they say.
Carrier planes did strike at Manila harbor, however. There were still a small number of ships in port that were damaged in the original Japanese attacks. The most significant of these was the tanker ship Gertrude Kellog. The fuel it was carrying has been burning since the first days of the war, covering the city of Manila in a thick black cloud. Fire crews had just about gotten the fire under control when 14 Kate bombers accompanied by 5 Claude escort bombed the ship again, re-igniting its fires.
The presence of Claude fighters with the Japanese bombers tells allied intelligence that the airplanes came from a light carrier, rather than the main Japanese carrier fleet. These planes may well have come from the Zuiho, which the British put a hole in when it got too close to Singapore. The timing would be right for the task force to be returning to Japan for repairs.
Central Pacific Command Garrisons French Frigate Shoals
A small number of allied soldiers landed on French Frigate Shoals, an island midway between Oahu and Midway, yesterday. The soldiers have instructions to construct a basic port and airfield which the allies will be able to use in case the Japanese succeed in taking Midway or Johnson Islands. Kimmel reports that he has no intention of turning this into a major military stronghold, he simply wants to have the resources available in case of a military emergency.
War Department Requests Assistance for Leadership Review
The War Department is undergoing a thorough review of its military leaders involved in the Pacific campaign. As a part of this review, they requested that Thayne News ask its readers, who have worked with these leaders in the past and know their strengths and weaknesses, to provide input. Readers who would like to provide input into these decisions are instructed to direct their comments to the relevant thread in the general discussions forum.
Happy New Year
In these times of war, it seems awkward to put a ‘Happy New Year’ message in our newsletter. We all are well aware that many more months or years of struggle lay ahead of us. As the war continues, the new year threatens to bring tragedy on an unheard of scale to many lives. In the upcoming year, we hope that events transpire to lead to a quick end to this conflict, so that we can go back to living our lives in security and peace.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
RANGOON FALLS
(TN – Calcutta) In one swift, bold stroke the Japanese 55 Division captured the Burma port city of Rangoon. Its defenders, trapped in the city by Japan’s quick strike into Burma, gave up practically without a fight. With the capture of Rangoon, Japan not only gains a major harbor in the Indian ocean, but captures tons of equipment sitting in port destined for China. The Rangoon fortifications were taken almost entirely intact, meaning that a counter-attack to retake the city will be much more difficult. Japan now has the ability to turn its attention either to the heart of the country, or to India, which is not yet well prepared to handle the attack.
Southeast Asia Command had been discussing the option of abandoning Rangoon. If they had, Rangoon would have fallen just as quickly. However, the allies would then have had the defenders of Rangoon available to defend India. With this move, Japan has captured the defenders of Rangoon, which are now no longer available for the defense of India, as well as the city.
Much of India is in a panic this afternoon as a Japanese invasion of their this British protectorate seems much more likely. Emergency meetings have been called at all levels of the military chain of command in the region to discuss these developments.
Japan Forces Near Singapore
Japanese forces have pressed their attack to within 50 miles of Singapore. In a move suspected to have been aiming at out-flanking the Allied lines, the Japanese landed nearly 8,000 near Mersing. The Japanese force landed just as the 1 and 2 Malaysia Brigade entered the city to help reinforce it. However, the landing beeches were too remote to be conveniently reached from the areas the defenders were holding. As a result, the Japanese were able to get on shore with very limited casualties. The Malaysian air force also flew out to contest the landings, but no reliable reports of damage against Japanese units were reported. In addition to the 8,000 soldiers on the beech, the Mersing defenders also had to contend with nearly 35,000 Japanese soldiers marching down from Kuantan, which are expected to reach the objective sometime today.
In a related story, Akyab is becoming a major focus of Japanese attention, and it is becoming the second place after Wake Island where the allies are showing some effective resistance. Reports from the recent air raid say that Japan lost 15 out of the 21 airplanes that were involved in the attack. Thayne News puts the estimate at somewhere closer to 5 enemy casualties. Yet, again, the Japanese were not able to inflict any damage on allied shipping, which is what they are targeting. Since scoring a single torpedo hit that eventually sank the Ariadne Moller, the Japanese attacks have been entirely unsuccessful. Furthermore, the Japanese have been losing their best planes – ‘Zero’ fighters and ‘Betty’ bombers, in these attempts.
Akyab received another shipment of supplies from India yesterday. TF1028 pulled into the harbor early yesterday with enough supplies to last the defenders through a protracted conflict. In addition to weapons and ammunition, the supply ships contained construction equipment to be used in fortifying the city. The allied plan is to make Akyab into a part of the wall being designed to contain the Japanese menace. Units are on their way to Akyab from India to aid in the defense.
Because of the overly rapid fall of Rangoon, Southeast Command is reconsidering a part of its plan with respect to Akyab. The risk of a Japanese amphibious assault in the region of Calcutta seems significantly more likely in the eyes of some military planners. They are also speaking about the possibility that Japan may go after Ceylon, and cut the naval supply route to eastern China. There are some who argue that, in making a stand at Akyab, the Indian defense force is spreading itself too thin.
Finally, the Southwest Command gave orders yesterday to hold the Japanese advance at Mandalay in northern Burma as long as possible. In light of the rapid fall of Rangoon, Southeast Command may also reconsider these orders; the Japanese now have a straight shot at Mandalay with a force that is not as combat weary as the Allies would have liked to see it become. The Japanese division is also now well supplied to continue its assault. The two questions that remain to be answered are: When will that assault come? And in what direction – Akyab or Mandalay?
Carrier Watch Continues
Allied tracking of the Japanese carrier fleet continues, with the most recent location of the fleet reported to be northwest of the Borneo town of Jasselton. Aerial reconnaissance reported sighting nearly a dozen capital ships steaming southwest down the coast of the island, though they have not reported any carriers recently. The Dutch submarine KXIV got a look at the task force shortly before dawn, and is reporting having spotted the carrier Shoyu, providing further support for the claim that this the Japanese carrier fleet.
Even though the allies lack any capability to seriously challenge the Japanese fleet in these waters, one of the advantages of knowing where the fleet is, is that it gives the allies greater freedom to move in those regions where they know the fleet is not. Allied naval forces in the Central and South Pacific expect to make full use of the fact that Japan probably has no significant carrier force in the region. Military intelligence, however, is offering warnings not to get complacent. The lack of activity on the part of any carrier planes still argues for caution, they say.
Carrier planes did strike at Manila harbor, however. There were still a small number of ships in port that were damaged in the original Japanese attacks. The most significant of these was the tanker ship Gertrude Kellog. The fuel it was carrying has been burning since the first days of the war, covering the city of Manila in a thick black cloud. Fire crews had just about gotten the fire under control when 14 Kate bombers accompanied by 5 Claude escort bombed the ship again, re-igniting its fires.
The presence of Claude fighters with the Japanese bombers tells allied intelligence that the airplanes came from a light carrier, rather than the main Japanese carrier fleet. These planes may well have come from the Zuiho, which the British put a hole in when it got too close to Singapore. The timing would be right for the task force to be returning to Japan for repairs.
Central Pacific Command Garrisons French Frigate Shoals
A small number of allied soldiers landed on French Frigate Shoals, an island midway between Oahu and Midway, yesterday. The soldiers have instructions to construct a basic port and airfield which the allies will be able to use in case the Japanese succeed in taking Midway or Johnson Islands. Kimmel reports that he has no intention of turning this into a major military stronghold, he simply wants to have the resources available in case of a military emergency.
War Department Requests Assistance for Leadership Review
The War Department is undergoing a thorough review of its military leaders involved in the Pacific campaign. As a part of this review, they requested that Thayne News ask its readers, who have worked with these leaders in the past and know their strengths and weaknesses, to provide input. Readers who would like to provide input into these decisions are instructed to direct their comments to the relevant thread in the general discussions forum.
Happy New Year
In these times of war, it seems awkward to put a ‘Happy New Year’ message in our newsletter. We all are well aware that many more months or years of struggle lay ahead of us. As the war continues, the new year threatens to bring tragedy on an unheard of scale to many lives. In the upcoming year, we hope that events transpire to lead to a quick end to this conflict, so that we can go back to living our lives in security and peace.
JAPANESE EXPLOIT RANGOON VICTORY
January 1, 1942
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAPANESE EXPLOIT RANGOON VICTORY
(TN – Calcutta) The Japanese quickly exploited their victory at Rangoon by moving nearly 200 airplanes into the city. Observers left behind in the area noted that the airfields were packed with Japanese fighter, bomber, scout, and transport aircraft.
From these fields and airfields further behind the line, the Japanese are ready to take control of the air over Burma and eastern India. They began their systematic reduction of Allied air forces with attacks yesterday on Tyung Gui, where a squadron of Buffalo fighters had been stationed. Their attacks have reduced the squadron to just five airplanes in one day.
The Akyab battle, which had not been going badly for the Allies, now face significant problems as the Japanese become able to use shorter-ranged airplanes. Southeast Asia Command is bracing for a significant increase in air attacks at Akyab. TF1076 had completed its operation to drop off the first load of supplies for Akyab and was on its way back to Diamond Harbor at last report. However, TF1028 had just arrived with 10,000 tons of supply, and was able to unload only 1,000 tons of supply on the first day. It will take an additional 10 days to unload the remaining supply.
In upper Burma, 20th Indian Division was ordered to continue its march from Imphal, India to Mandalay, Burma. The roads in this part of the jungle are nothing more than rough trails, and the journey will be slow and difficult. Still, Southeastern Asia command thinks it is now more important than ever to resist Japanese expansion, to slow their advance into India long enough to build up some defenses.
Southeast Pacific Command has reported that, in 10 to 20 days, they expect to see a significant increase in the availability of fighter units. In that time, four additional fighter squadrons are due to be stationed in the region, adding an additional 50 fighters to the defense of eastern India. However, in that time, Japan could easily destroy the 50 fighters presently stationed there.
Americans Build the South Pacific Wall
Taking advantage of the fact that the Japanese carrier force seems to be absent, the Americans launched two operations today to garrison what they are calling the South Pacific Wall. For the last two weeks, the Americans have been assembling two forces; one at Palmyra and the other at Christmas Island, both south of Hawaii.
The Palmyra force is destined for Baker Island. This island sits 500 miles east of the Japanese captured islands of Makin, Tarawa, and Apamama. Holding Baker Island means that this chain of Japanese-held islands will be within bomber range, which will hinder the Japanese ability to develop the islands and to use them to launch strikes further south. It will also allow the Allies to keep track of Japanese movements on the islands, limiting their ability to launch any surprise attacks. The mission to garrison Baker Island is expected to reach its destination early next week.
The core of the Christmas Island force is the 2nd Marine Division. This unit is destined for the island of Noumea. The allies consider it crucial to hold this island, since it anchors one end of the South Pacific Wall. The 2nd Marine Division is also traveling with enough supply to secure the construction of the wall, including air units to begin to build an air force in the region. Along the way, the force will be making a couple of stops to supply other bases in the region. This is only the first supply convoy to sail the South Pacific Wall. Immediately after this force sails, a follow-up supply convoy will start to assemble at Christmas Island. Eventually, the heroes of Wake Island will arrive at the island to make sure that this strategically important island remains safely in Allied hands.
In addition, the Australians have decided to volunteer an additional infantry brigade, engineering brigade, and coastal defense brigade to the South Pacific Wall. Those units started to board ships today in Tasmania, and are expected to arrive at their station along the wall later in the month.
Japanese Army Reaches Manila, Clark AFB
The Japanese invasion of the Philippines today reached the outskirts of Manilla, as well as Clark Air Force Base yesterday. The first Japanese assaults were little more than probes, consisting of battalion-strength attacks against the division-strength defenses. Their task is likely to probe for weaknesses in the Allied defenses. While these assaults proceed, the Japanese are expected to plan their major push into the region.
Dutch Win and Menado; Confront New Invasion at Tarakan
Reports out of Menado on the Dutch island of Sulawesi are confusing, but there are indications that the defensive force fully defeated the Japanese attackers. Late last night, a joint Dutch/American task force pulled in just off shore and began shelling Japanese positions. After the shelling stopped, the Dutch defenders launched a counter-attack to push the Japanese back into the sea. No indication has yet been received that the Japanese surrendered or retreated, but some reports from the region say that there are no more Japanese soldiers in the city.
We would like to caution our readers that these indications are preliminary. Without an explicit statement of a Japanese surrender or retreat, we consider this news to be tentative at best.
Elsewhere, the Japanese launched a new invasion, this time on the Borneo city of Tarakan. This is the city that saw the Japanese carrier force nearby just a few days ago. Tarakan has been subject to repeated air raids, which has significantly reduced the air power stationed at the city. Recently, ABDA command pulled the air units out of Tarakan further south, to the city of Balikpapan.
The task force that shelled Menado is nearby, and near enough a port capable of replenishing the ammunition that the ships depleted in the first attack. ABDA is now considering a mission to accomplish the same thing at Tarakan that it accomplished at Minado; a quick surface raid on the defender’s transport craft and shelling those Japanese units that made it onto land. Intelligence reports that there are only two ships in the harbor, suggesting the possibility that this is yet another unsupported assault.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
JAPANESE EXPLOIT RANGOON VICTORY
(TN – Calcutta) The Japanese quickly exploited their victory at Rangoon by moving nearly 200 airplanes into the city. Observers left behind in the area noted that the airfields were packed with Japanese fighter, bomber, scout, and transport aircraft.
From these fields and airfields further behind the line, the Japanese are ready to take control of the air over Burma and eastern India. They began their systematic reduction of Allied air forces with attacks yesterday on Tyung Gui, where a squadron of Buffalo fighters had been stationed. Their attacks have reduced the squadron to just five airplanes in one day.
The Akyab battle, which had not been going badly for the Allies, now face significant problems as the Japanese become able to use shorter-ranged airplanes. Southeast Asia Command is bracing for a significant increase in air attacks at Akyab. TF1076 had completed its operation to drop off the first load of supplies for Akyab and was on its way back to Diamond Harbor at last report. However, TF1028 had just arrived with 10,000 tons of supply, and was able to unload only 1,000 tons of supply on the first day. It will take an additional 10 days to unload the remaining supply.
In upper Burma, 20th Indian Division was ordered to continue its march from Imphal, India to Mandalay, Burma. The roads in this part of the jungle are nothing more than rough trails, and the journey will be slow and difficult. Still, Southeastern Asia command thinks it is now more important than ever to resist Japanese expansion, to slow their advance into India long enough to build up some defenses.
Southeast Pacific Command has reported that, in 10 to 20 days, they expect to see a significant increase in the availability of fighter units. In that time, four additional fighter squadrons are due to be stationed in the region, adding an additional 50 fighters to the defense of eastern India. However, in that time, Japan could easily destroy the 50 fighters presently stationed there.
Americans Build the South Pacific Wall
Taking advantage of the fact that the Japanese carrier force seems to be absent, the Americans launched two operations today to garrison what they are calling the South Pacific Wall. For the last two weeks, the Americans have been assembling two forces; one at Palmyra and the other at Christmas Island, both south of Hawaii.
The Palmyra force is destined for Baker Island. This island sits 500 miles east of the Japanese captured islands of Makin, Tarawa, and Apamama. Holding Baker Island means that this chain of Japanese-held islands will be within bomber range, which will hinder the Japanese ability to develop the islands and to use them to launch strikes further south. It will also allow the Allies to keep track of Japanese movements on the islands, limiting their ability to launch any surprise attacks. The mission to garrison Baker Island is expected to reach its destination early next week.
The core of the Christmas Island force is the 2nd Marine Division. This unit is destined for the island of Noumea. The allies consider it crucial to hold this island, since it anchors one end of the South Pacific Wall. The 2nd Marine Division is also traveling with enough supply to secure the construction of the wall, including air units to begin to build an air force in the region. Along the way, the force will be making a couple of stops to supply other bases in the region. This is only the first supply convoy to sail the South Pacific Wall. Immediately after this force sails, a follow-up supply convoy will start to assemble at Christmas Island. Eventually, the heroes of Wake Island will arrive at the island to make sure that this strategically important island remains safely in Allied hands.
In addition, the Australians have decided to volunteer an additional infantry brigade, engineering brigade, and coastal defense brigade to the South Pacific Wall. Those units started to board ships today in Tasmania, and are expected to arrive at their station along the wall later in the month.
Japanese Army Reaches Manila, Clark AFB
The Japanese invasion of the Philippines today reached the outskirts of Manilla, as well as Clark Air Force Base yesterday. The first Japanese assaults were little more than probes, consisting of battalion-strength attacks against the division-strength defenses. Their task is likely to probe for weaknesses in the Allied defenses. While these assaults proceed, the Japanese are expected to plan their major push into the region.
Dutch Win and Menado; Confront New Invasion at Tarakan
Reports out of Menado on the Dutch island of Sulawesi are confusing, but there are indications that the defensive force fully defeated the Japanese attackers. Late last night, a joint Dutch/American task force pulled in just off shore and began shelling Japanese positions. After the shelling stopped, the Dutch defenders launched a counter-attack to push the Japanese back into the sea. No indication has yet been received that the Japanese surrendered or retreated, but some reports from the region say that there are no more Japanese soldiers in the city.
We would like to caution our readers that these indications are preliminary. Without an explicit statement of a Japanese surrender or retreat, we consider this news to be tentative at best.
Elsewhere, the Japanese launched a new invasion, this time on the Borneo city of Tarakan. This is the city that saw the Japanese carrier force nearby just a few days ago. Tarakan has been subject to repeated air raids, which has significantly reduced the air power stationed at the city. Recently, ABDA command pulled the air units out of Tarakan further south, to the city of Balikpapan.
The task force that shelled Menado is nearby, and near enough a port capable of replenishing the ammunition that the ships depleted in the first attack. ABDA is now considering a mission to accomplish the same thing at Tarakan that it accomplished at Minado; a quick surface raid on the defender’s transport craft and shelling those Japanese units that made it onto land. Intelligence reports that there are only two ships in the harbor, suggesting the possibility that this is yet another unsupported assault.
BOMBERS WRECK RANGOON BASE
January 2, 1942
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
BOMBERS WRECK RANGOON BASE
(TN – Calcutta) Allies found a new, effective weapon against the Japanese in Burma. Elements of the 19 th and 93 rd Bomber Squadrons, recently escaped from the Philippines, launched high-altitude bombing raids against the Burma airfields. Using tactics being employed in England in the fight against Hitler, the B-17 bombers dropped their bombs from 35,000 feet. At this altitude, the bombers were well out of the range of enemy flak and the Zero fighters. Initial damage estimates are that the enemy lost 12 planes, including a half-dozen Betty bombers, without taking any casualties. The bombs also did significant damage to the airbase itself, as well as its support facilities at the base. At present, there are only 8 B-17 bombers stationed in India. However, more are on the way.
Fierce Singapore Battles on Land, Sea, and Air
(TN – Singapore) Over 100,000 Japanese soldiers pressed their attack against the fortress of Singapore, supplementing the force that marched down the continent with additional soldiers landing at Mersing. Against the coastal guns and air attacks launched from Singapore, the Japanese lost nearly 400 soldiers and took damage to 4 transport ships. Still, they were able to muster a force of over 20,000 soldiers against a defensive force of 3,500 soldiers. The defenders were able to hold their ground with minimal casualties. Further west, at Johore Bharu, 5,500 Malaysian Army defenders fought to hold the bridges to Singapore open against an assaulting force of over 70,000.
Japanese Carrier Planes Return to Manila
(TN – Manila) Japanese carrier planes returned to Manila harbor today to finish off the tanker Gertrude Kellog. The tanker has been burning in Manila Harbor since the second day of the war, when carrier aircraft hit the ship the first time and ignited its cargo of fuel. The planes, this time, came into Manila Harbor from the southwest, suggesting that the carrier they were sailing on was moving south, not north as originally believed. The identity of the carrier responsible for the flights remains a mystery, though Allied Intelligence continues to believe that it is a light carrier, and that the main carrier fleet is further south, in the waters northwest of Borneo.
The main carrier fleet seemed to have no clear target, since it has once again changed direction and was last seen moving northwest.
Allied Intelligence Records 10th Japanese Ship Sunk
(TN – Washington) Allied intelligence now counts ten ships as confirmed sunk. This includes three combat ships; the two cruisers sunk in the Lexington ambush, and a destroyer that struck a mine at Hong Kong. The most recent Japanese loss was a cargo ship caught of the north coast of Borneo. Submarine O16 caught a cargo ship sailing south toward Borneo and hit it with four torpedoes. The cargo ship sank almost instantly.
Thayne's News Network
Editor's Note: In times of war, the news is likely to be filled with all sorts of rumor and exaggeration. The goal of the Thayne News Network is to cut through the fog of war, and provide you, our loyal readers, with as accurate a report of events on the front line as we can.
The Thayne News Network is a special service for the clients in the military industrial complex who need accurate information on the progress of the war. Any disclosure of the contents of these reports is punishable as treason.
BOMBERS WRECK RANGOON BASE
(TN – Calcutta) Allies found a new, effective weapon against the Japanese in Burma. Elements of the 19 th and 93 rd Bomber Squadrons, recently escaped from the Philippines, launched high-altitude bombing raids against the Burma airfields. Using tactics being employed in England in the fight against Hitler, the B-17 bombers dropped their bombs from 35,000 feet. At this altitude, the bombers were well out of the range of enemy flak and the Zero fighters. Initial damage estimates are that the enemy lost 12 planes, including a half-dozen Betty bombers, without taking any casualties. The bombs also did significant damage to the airbase itself, as well as its support facilities at the base. At present, there are only 8 B-17 bombers stationed in India. However, more are on the way.
Fierce Singapore Battles on Land, Sea, and Air
(TN – Singapore) Over 100,000 Japanese soldiers pressed their attack against the fortress of Singapore, supplementing the force that marched down the continent with additional soldiers landing at Mersing. Against the coastal guns and air attacks launched from Singapore, the Japanese lost nearly 400 soldiers and took damage to 4 transport ships. Still, they were able to muster a force of over 20,000 soldiers against a defensive force of 3,500 soldiers. The defenders were able to hold their ground with minimal casualties. Further west, at Johore Bharu, 5,500 Malaysian Army defenders fought to hold the bridges to Singapore open against an assaulting force of over 70,000.
Japanese Carrier Planes Return to Manila
(TN – Manila) Japanese carrier planes returned to Manila harbor today to finish off the tanker Gertrude Kellog. The tanker has been burning in Manila Harbor since the second day of the war, when carrier aircraft hit the ship the first time and ignited its cargo of fuel. The planes, this time, came into Manila Harbor from the southwest, suggesting that the carrier they were sailing on was moving south, not north as originally believed. The identity of the carrier responsible for the flights remains a mystery, though Allied Intelligence continues to believe that it is a light carrier, and that the main carrier fleet is further south, in the waters northwest of Borneo.
The main carrier fleet seemed to have no clear target, since it has once again changed direction and was last seen moving northwest.
Allied Intelligence Records 10th Japanese Ship Sunk
(TN – Washington) Allied intelligence now counts ten ships as confirmed sunk. This includes three combat ships; the two cruisers sunk in the Lexington ambush, and a destroyer that struck a mine at Hong Kong. The most recent Japanese loss was a cargo ship caught of the north coast of Borneo. Submarine O16 caught a cargo ship sailing south toward Borneo and hit it with four torpedoes. The cargo ship sank almost instantly.